Machine element or mechanism – Gearing – Interchangeably locked
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-02
2001-01-09
Wright, Dirk (Department: 3681)
Machine element or mechanism
Gearing
Interchangeably locked
Reexamination Certificate
active
06170347
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a neutral returning control system and method for electronic pneumatic shift device, and more particularly to a neutral returning control system and method for electronic pneumatic shift device adapted to return a striker by way of manipulating an emergency neutral return switch when the striker deviates from a normal shift position during activation of a gear shift device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Generally, a transmission gear box is situated in a far place from a driver in rear engine driving vehicles and other large vehicles such as truck, bus, such that a shift device is needed for accurately transmitting manipulation of a clutch and a change lever and for smooth shifting. The latest trend is to replace the current hydraulic or mechanical shift device with a pneumatic one. The pneumatic shift device serves to control air pressure electronically to change meshing of gear.
FIG. 1
is a schematic diagram for illustrating an electronic pneumatic shift device applied to the present invention, where the electronic pneumatic shift device
2
receives an electric signal from a change lever position sensor
6
by sensing manipulation of a change lever (
4
L) to cause an electronic control device
8
to open and close a magnetic valve assembly
10
, such that air is supplied to or discharged from a gear shift device
12
to allow a transmission
14
to perform a shifting. The magnetic valve assembly
10
is connected to an air tank
15
to receive the supply of air. The supply and discharge from the air tank
15
via a repulsive valve
18
which is a 3-way magnetic valve connected to a repulsive cylinder (not shown) makes a driver feel a shifting feel when a shifting is accomplished by manipulation of the change lever (
4
L).
The electronic control device
8
connects a shift display
20
for detecting and displaying a manipulation signal from the change lever (
4
L), to a warning lamp
24
for advising and detecting a failure of shifting realized by air supply from the magnetic valve assembly
10
via a shift stage position sensor
22
or for detecting an erroneous operation of the change lever (
4
L). The gear shaft device
12
is so connected as to supply air to a cylinder MVA
26
and another cylinder MVB
28
by way of the magnetic valve assembly
10
operated by a signal from the electronic control device
8
or discharge the air to the atmosphere.
When the air is controllably supplied to the cylinder MVA
26
or another cylinder MVB
28
by way of actuation of the magnetic valve assembly
10
, a shift rod
30
is moved to one direction. By this operation, a striker
32
at the shift rod
30
is so moved leftward that a shifting is realized from a neutral stage of neutral position to a first, third or fifth stage, or so moved rightward that the shifting is initiated to a second, fourth or reverse stage.
That is, when a driver manipulates the change lever (
4
L), the electronic control device
8
controls the magnetic valve assembly
10
to thereby control the supply and discharge of air to the cylinders MVA
26
and MVB
28
at the gear shift device
12
, such that the striker
32
is moved to perform the shifting.
However, there is a problem in the prior art in that a striker at a gear shift device stops at a, b positions which are not the normal shifting positions when air pressure supplied to the cylinders MVA and MVB at the gear shift device is insufficient due to sudden breakage, supply and discharge of air to and from the cylinders MVA and MVB are not smooth due to sudden manipulation of a clutch pedal and when synchronizing force lacks during shifting operation due to abrasion of a transmission synchronizer.
There is another problem in that a driver should stop driving a vehicle and detach an upper cover of the gear shift for maintenance when the striker is not operated at a normal position while the vehicle is running, thereby making it impossible for the striker to return to a neutral position, such that passengers experience inconvenience and technical credibility of the product is decreased.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is disclosed to solve the afore-mentioned problems and it is an object of the present invention to provide a neutral positioning control system and method for electronic pneumatic shift device adapted to return a striker by way of manipulating an emergency neutral return switch when the striker deviates from a normal shifting position during activation of a gear shift device.
In accordance with the object of the present invention, there is provided a neutral positioning control system and method for electronic pneumatic shifting device, the system comprising:
a gear shift device for controlling a magnetic valve assembly connected to an air pipe for shifting;
an emergency neutral return switch for detecting a shifting operation of the gear shift device via a position sensor and being manipulated by a driver recognizing an erroneous operation in shifting; and
an electronic control device for discriminating an operation of the emergency neutral return switch to control a magnetic valve assembly.
In accordance with another object of the present invention, there is provided a neutral positioning control method for electronic pneumatic shifting device, the method comprising the steps of:
detecting that an emergency neutral return switch is turned on while a vehicle is running;
discriminating a normal position of a striker at a gear shift device by way of a position sensor;
sending a command that air is alternatively supplied to a cylinder MVA and another cylinder MVB at the gear shift device for 5 seconds each 10 times and is simultaneously supplied to the cylinder MVA and another cylinder MVB for one second; and
discriminating a neutral position of the striker at the gear shift device by way of the position sensor.
A driver can manipulate the emergency neutral return switch who has recognized through a shift display or a feeling that shifting had not been initiated by a change lever while a vehicle is running. A striker can be positioned at a neutral position by controlling a magnetic valve assembly to alternatively supply air to the cylinders MVA and MVB at the gear shift device or to simultaneously supply air thereto for shock, when it is found out by an electronic control device via a position sensor that the shifting has not been normally performed by the gear shift device.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4718307 (1988-01-01), Yabe et al.
patent: 5778330 (1998-07-01), McKee
patent: 3422056 A1 (1985-12-01), None
Hyundai Motor Company
Wright Dirk
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