Transmission with a mode selection apparatus

• US 10,086,686 B2
• Filed: 01/14/2016
• Issued: 10/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deere & Company
• Original Assignee: Deere & Company
• Inventors: Mueller, David, Rekow, Andrew K, Vu, Thomas H, Gugel, Rainer, Stettler, Werner
• Primary Examiner(s): Kelleher, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Prather, Gregory T
• Application Number:
  US14/995,238
• Publication Number:
  US 20170203646A1
• Time in Patent Office: 992 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/365 with the gears having orbital motion
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/445 Differential gearing distribution type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/48 Parallel type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/547 the transmission being a stepped gearing
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/02 including control of driveline clutches
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/111 with separate change-speed gear trains arranged in series
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/113 with two input flow paths, e.g. double clutch transmission selection of one of the torque flow paths by the corresponding input clutch
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/115 with planetary gears
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/30 Control strategies involving selection of transmission gear ratio control of change speed gearings, together with other vehicle sub-units B60W10/10; HEV transmission gearing B60K6/36; gearings and control thereof F16H
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/92 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2300/19 Improvement of gear change, e.g. synchronisation or smoothing gear shift
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2300/70 Control of gearings
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2400/73 Planetary gearings
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2037/049 Forward-reverse units with forward and reverse gears for achieving multiple forward and reverse gears, e.g. for working machines
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2200/2012 with four sets of orbital gears
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2200/2041 with four engaging means
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 3/006 power being selectively transmitted by either one of the parallel flow paths
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 3/727 with at least two dynamo electric machines for creating an electric power path inside the gearing, e.g. using generator and motor for a variable power torque path special adapted for a hybrid electric vehicle B60K6/20
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 3/728 with means to change ratio in the mechanical gearing
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 37/042 change gear transmissions in group arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/0204 : for gearshift control, e.g. control functions for performing shifting or generation of shift signal
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 : Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/911 : with two or more gear sets
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/919 : Stepped shift
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/945 : Characterized by control of gearing, e.g. control of transmission ratio

Abstract

In accordance with an example embodiment, a transmission may include a first mode in which a low range clutch is engaged and a first synchronizer is in a first engaged condition causing an output shaft to rotate relative to a first range shaft based upon a ratio of a first range gear to a second range gear. The transmission may include a second mode in which a high range clutch is engaged and a second synchronizer is in a first engaged condition causing the output shaft to rotate relative to a second range shaft based upon a ratio of the first range gear to the second range gear. A shift from the first mode to the second mode includes engaging the second synchronizer in the first engaged condition before disengaging the low range clutch and engaging the high range clutch.

Claims

1. A transmission comprising:

an input shaft, a first range shaft, a second range shaft, and an output shaft;

a low range gearing and a high range gearing operably connected to the input shaft;

a low range clutch having an engaged condition which operably connects the low range gearing to the first range shaft;

a high range clutch having an engaged condition which operably connects the high range gearing to the second range shaft;

a first range gear operably connected to one of the first range shaft and the second range shaft, the first range gear engaged with a second range gear operably connected to the output shaft;

a first synchronizer and a second synchronizer each having a first engaged condition;

a first mode which includes the low range clutch in the engaged condition and the first synchronizer in the first engaged condition causing the output shaft to rotate relative to the first range shaft based upon a ratio of the first range gear to the second range gear;

a second mode which includes the high range clutch in the engaged condition and the second synchronizer in the first engaged condition causing the output shaft to rotate relative to the second range shaft based upon a ratio of the first range gear to the second range gear;

a shift from the first mode to the second mode which includes engaging the second synchronizer in the first engaged condition before disengaging the low range clutch and engaging the high range clutch.

2. The transmission of claim 1, wherein the shift from the first mode to the second mode further includes disengaging the first synchronizer after engaging the high range clutch.

3. The transmission of claim 2 further comprising:

a third range gear operably connected to the first range shaft and engaged with a fourth range gear operably connected to the output shaft;

a third mode which includes the low range clutch in the engaged condition and the first synchronizer in a second engaged condition causing the output shaft to rotate relative to the first range shaft based upon a ratio of the third range gear to the fourth range gear;

a shift from the second mode to the third mode which includes engaging the first synchronizer in the second engaged condition before disengaging the high range clutch and engaging the low range clutch.

4. The transmission of claim 3 further comprising:

a fifth range gear operably connected to the first range shaft and engaged with a sixth range gear operably connected to the output shaft;

a fourth mode which includes the high range clutch in the engaged condition and the second synchronizer in a second engaged condition causing the output shaft to rotate relative to the second range shaft based upon a ratio of the fifth range gear to the sixth range gear;

a shift from the third mode to the fourth mode which includes engaging the second synchronizer in the second engaged condition before disengaging the low range clutch and engaging the high range clutch.

5. The transmission of claim 4, wherein the first and second modes further comprise a third synchronizer in a first engaged condition, and the third synchronizer remains in the first engaged condition during the shift from the first mode to the second mode.

6. The transmission of claim 5 further comprising:

a seventh range gear operably connected to the first range shaft and engaged with a eighth range gear operably connected to the output shaft;

a fifth mode which includes the low range clutch in the engaged condition, the first synchronizer in the first engaged condition, and the third synchronizer in a second engaged condition causing the output shaft to rotate relative to the first range shaft based upon a ratio of the seventh range gear to the eighth range gear;

a shift from the fourth mode to the fifth mode which includes engaging the first synchronizer in the first engaged condition and third synchronizer in the second engaged condition before disengaging the high range clutch and engaging the low range clutch.

7. The transmission of claim 6 further comprising:

a sixth mode which includes the high range clutch in the engaged condition, the second synchronizer in the first engaged condition, and a third synchronizer in the second engaged condition causing the output shaft to rotate relative to the second range shaft based upon a ratio of the seventh range gear to the eighth range gear;

a shift from the fifth mode to the sixth mode which includes engaging the second synchronizer in the first engaged condition before disengaging the low range clutch and engaging the high range clutch.

8. The transmission of claim 7, wherein the first synchronizer remains in the first engaged condition after engaging the high range clutch.

9. A transmission comprising:

an input shaft, a first range shaft, a second range shaft, and an output shaft;

a low range gearing and a high range gearing operably connected to the input shaft;

a low range clutch having an engaged condition which operably connects the low range gearing to the first range shaft;

a high range clutch having an engaged condition which operably connects the high range gearing to the second range shaft;

a first range gear operably connected to the first range shaft and engaged with a second range gear operably connected to the output shaft;

a third range gear operably connected to the first range shaft and engaged with a fourth range gear operably connected to the output shaft;

a first synchronizer and a second synchronizer each having a first engaged condition;

a first mode which includes the low range clutch in the engaged condition and the first synchronizer in the first engaged condition causing the output shaft to rotate relative to first range shaft based upon a ratio of the first range gear to the second range gear;

a second mode which includes the high range clutch in the engaged condition and the second synchronizer in the first engaged condition causing the output shaft to rotate relative to second range shaft based upon a ratio of the third range gear to the fourth range gear;

a shift from the first mode to the second mode which includes engaging the second synchronizer in the first engaged condition before disengaging the low range clutch and engaging the high range clutch.

10. The transmission of claim 9, wherein the shift from the first mode to the second mode further includes disengaging the first synchronizer after engaging the high range clutch.

11. The transmission of claim 10 further comprising:

a fifth range gear operably connected to the first range shaft and engaged with a sixth range gear operably connected to the output shaft;

a third synchronizer having a first engaged condition;

a third mode which includes the low range clutch in the engaged condition and the third synchronizer in the first engaged condition causing the output shaft to rotate relative to the first range shaft based upon a ratio of the fifth range gear to the sixth range gear;

a shift from the second mode to the third mode which includes engaging the third synchronizer in the first engaged condition before disengaging the high range clutch and engaging the low range clutch.

12. The transmission of claim 11 further comprising:

a fourth synchronizer having a first engaged condition;

a fourth mode which includes the high range clutch in the engaged condition and the fourth synchronizer in the first engaged condition causing the output shaft to rotate relative to the first range shaft based upon a ratio of the fifth range gear to the sixth range gear;

a shift from the third mode to the fourth mode which includes engaging the fourth synchronizer in the first engaged condition before disengaging the high range clutch and engaging the low range clutch.

13. The transmission of claim 12 further comprising:

a seventh range gear operably connected to the first range shaft and engaged with a eighth range gear operably connected to the output shaft;

a fifth mode which includes the low range clutch in the engaged condition and the first synchronizer in a second engaged condition causing the output shaft to rotate relative to the first range shaft based upon a ratio of the seventh range gear to the eighth range gear;

a shift from the fourth mode to the fifth mode which includes engaging the first synchronizer in the second engaged condition before disengaging the high range clutch and engaging the low range clutch.

14. The transmission of claim 13 further comprising:

a sixth mode which includes the high range clutch in the engaged condition and the second synchronizer in a second engaged condition causing the output shaft to rotate relative to the first range shaft based upon a ratio of the seventh range gear to the eighth range gear;

a shift from the fifth mode to the sixth mode which includes engaging the second synchronizer in the second engaged condition before disengaging the low range clutch and engaging the high range clutch.