Data processing: vehicles – navigation – and relative location – Vehicle control – guidance – operation – or indication – Transmission control
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-14
2001-12-04
Camby, Richard M. (Department: 3661)
Data processing: vehicles, navigation, and relative location
Vehicle control, guidance, operation, or indication
Transmission control
C701S051000, C091S473000, C074S335000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06327529
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to automatic range shifting in a manually shifted compound transmission having a lever-shifted main section connected in series with an auxiliary range section. In particular, the present invention relates to a range control for transmissions of the type described for automatically implementing driver-initiated range shifts which, under certain unusual operating conditions, will automatically implement range shifts not requested or initiated by the driver.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Controller-assisted, manually shifted transmission systems are known in the prior art, as may be seen by reference to U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,582,558; 5,755,639; 5,766,111 and 5,791,189, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Compound transmissions having a range- and/or combined range-and-splitter-type auxiliary transmission section are well known in the prior art, as may be seen by reference to U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,754,665 and 5,390,561, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Compound transmissions having automatically implemented range shifting are well known in the prior art, as may be seen by reference to U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,911,787 and 5,974,906, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.
A semi-automated transmission having a hold mode wherein, under certain conditions, an automatic shift will occur while in the hold mode in the absence of a shift selection, may be seen by reference to U.S. Pat. No. 5,592,851, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, a manually shifted compound transmission with a range auxiliary section is provided which, in the event of a sudden vehicle deceleration with an operator failure to downshift, will automatically do an allowable range downshift to maintain vehicle drivability in the absence of operator movement of the shift lever.
The foregoing is accomplished in a manually shifted compound transmission having a lever-shifted main section connected in series with a range auxiliary section having an actuator for automatically implementing driver initiated range shifts by sensing conditions requiring an automatic, unrequested range downshift, such as, for example, a sudden vehicle deceleration to a relatively low vehicle speed while the transmission remains in a high range ratio, which will cause engine speed to become unacceptably low. In such conditions (often associated with a panic stop or the like), if a range downshift without shifting the main transmission section is allowable, such a shift will be implemented automatically and without driver request. Preferably, a warning display and/or alarm or the like will be activated to inform the driver that he should take corrective action to place the shift lever and/or range selector into a correct position.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved range control for manually shifted compound transmissions having a range shifter for automatically implementing driver-initiated range shifts.
This and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the following description of the preferred embodiment taken in connection with the attached drawings.
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Camby Richard M.
Eaton Corporation
Gordon Howard D.
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