Machine element or mechanism – Gearing – Interchangeably locked
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-16
2001-03-27
Estremsky, Sherry (Department: 3681)
Machine element or mechanism
Gearing
Interchangeably locked
Reexamination Certificate
active
06205874
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to improvements in transmissions for use in the power trains of motor vehicles, and more particularly to improvements in so-called hybrid or composite transmissions which can be shifted into selected gears automatically as well as manually.
Published German patent application Serial No. 37 17 675 discloses a transmission wherein a gear assembly is shiftable into and between a plurality of gears (including reverse, neutral and forward gears) by a shifting means including a gate defining first and second gear selecting paths and a gear selector which is movable along the first path between a plurality of positions including first, second and third positions in which the assembly is respectively in reverse, neutral and forward gears. The gear selector is movable between the aforementioned third position and the second path and manually between different positions along the second path. The gear shifting means further comprises a signal receiving, processing and transmitting control unit, at least one actuator which is responsive to signals from the control unit and is arranged to move the shifting device to a selected one of the plurality of gears as a function of the characteristics of signals being transmitted by the control unit, and at least one sensor which is set up to monitor the positions of the selector in the first and/or second path and to transmit corresponding signals to the control unit.
An advantage of the above outlined transmission is that, when the selector (such as a lever) is to shift the transmission into reverse, neutral or forward gear, such manipulation of the shifting device can be effected by the at least one actuator automatically in response to signals which are being transmitted to the control unit by the at least one sensor. When the gear assembly has been shifted into a forward gear, the lever can be moved into the second path for manual advancement to a selected position in the second path.
Transmissions embodying the above outlined gear assemblies and the combined automatic and mechanical shifting means therefor enjoy an increasing popularity.
The disclosure of the published German patent application Serial No. 37 17 675 is incorporated herein by reference.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
An object of the invention is to provide a hybrid or composite transmission of the above outlined character which can stand long periods of use without excessive wear upon the bearings and/or other component parts of the transmission and/or other constituents of the power train in a motor vehicle.
Another object of the invention is to provide a reliable composite transmission which does not increase (but can actually reduce) the frequency of accidents attributable to malfunctioning of the sensor or sensors which monitor the positions of the gear selector.
A further object of the invention is to provide a reliable hybrid transmission with a highly satisfactory interaction between the automatic and manual controls for the gear assembly.
An additional object of the invention is to provide a transmission whose operation is satisfactory for short or long intervals of time following a malfunctioning of the gear assembly or certain other constituents, for example, one or more signal generating devices which initiate the automatic shifting of the transmission into selected or desired gears.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a transmission which constitutes an improvement over and a further development of the transmission disclosed in the aforementioned published German patent application Serial No. 37 17 675.
A further object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved method of operating a hybrid (partly automatically and partly manually shiftable) transmission for use in the power trains of motor vehicles.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
One of several important features of the present invention resides in the provision of a transmission which can be utilized in the power train of a motor vehicle and comprises (a) a gear assembly which is shiftable into and between a plurality of gears including reverse, neutral and forward gears, and (b) means for shifting the gear assembly to and between the various gears. The shifting means comprises a gate which defines first and second gear selecting paths, a gear selector which is movable along the first path to a plurality of positions including first, second and third positions in which the assembly is respectively in the aforementioned reverse, neutral and forward gears (the selector is movable between its third position in the first path and the second path and manually along the second path), a signal receiving, processing and transmitting control unit, at least one actuator which is responsive to processed signals transmitted by the control unit and is arranged to move the shifting device to one of the plurality of gears as a function of the characteristics of signals transmitted by the control unit, at least one first sensor which is arranged to monitor the positions of the selector in the two paths and to transmit signals to the control unit, and at least one additional sensor which is arranged to monitor the presence or absence of the selector in a predetermined one of the plurality of positions and to transmit signals to the control unit.
The predetermined position of the plurality of positions of the selector in the first path is or can be one of the first, second and third positions.
At least one of the sensors can include or constitute a pushbutton or a switch, e.g., a touch-free (i.e., not mechanically actuated) switch of the type known as Hall effect senor or reed switch. Furthermore at least one of the sensors can include or constitute a switch which is actuatable by the selector to transmit signals to the control unit; the switch actuating means of the selector can include a cam or the like.
In accordance with another feature of the invention, the means for shifting the gear assembly can comprise at least one further sensor which is arranged to monitor the presence or absence of the selector in another of the purality of positions in the first path and to transmit signals to the control unit. As already mentioned above, the predetermined position of the plurality of positions of the selector can be one of the first, second and third positions; the other of the plurality of positions (namely the position which is monitored by the at least one further switch) is or can be one of the first, second and third positions. At least one of the at least one first sensor, at least one additional sensor and at least one further sensor can include or constitute a pushbutton or a switch, e.g., a touch-free switch (such as a Hall effective sensor or a reed switch) or a switch which is actuatable by a cam or the like on or of the selector to transmit signals to the control unit.
The selector can be set up to be movable to an intermediate position between the first and second positions in the first path, and the at least one additional sensor as well as the at least one further sensor can be arranged to monitor the intermediate position of the selector and to transmit corresponding signals to the input or inputs of the control unit.
The at least one additional sensor can be arranged to monitor the presence or absence of the selector in the first position (i.e., in the first portion of the first path) and to transmit signals to the control unit. Again, at least one of the sensors in such shifting means can include a pushbutton or a switch. If such shifting means comprises a further sensor, the latter can be arranged to monitor the presence or absence of the selector in the second position in the first path and to transmit signals to the control unit. The at least one first sensor and/or the at least one additional sensor and/or the at least one further sensor of such shifting means can comprise or constitute a pushbutton or a switch of the previously described character. If the selector has an intermediate position between the first and second positions in the first pa
Kupper Klaus
Pfund Thomas
Zimmermann Martin
Darby & Darby
Estremsky Sherry
LuK Getriebe-Systeme GmbH
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