Apparatus and method for controlling transmission ratio of toroidal-type continuously variable transmission unit for continuously variable transmission apparatus

• US 20030216216A1
• Filed: 04/18/2003
• Published: 11/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NSK Limited
• Original Assignee: NSK Limited
• Inventors: Inoue, Eiji, Toyoda, Toshiro, Imanishi, Takashi
• Granted Patent: US 6,830,533 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 477/37
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2037/0886 with switching means, e.g. to change ranges
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 37/086 CVT using two coaxial friction members cooperating with at least one intermediate friction member
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/6648 controlling of shifting being influenced by a signal derived from the engine and the main coupling

Abstract

A control apparatus for controlling transmission ratio of a toroidal-type continuously variable transmission unit of a continuously variable transmission apparatus, the continuously variable transmission apparatus has: a toroidal-type continuously variable transmission unit, which changes a transmission ratio between pair of disks by shifting trunnions in the axial direction of pivot shafts by using actuators; and, a differential unit of a gear type including a combination of a plurality of gears, the control apparatus having: rotation speed control unit; transmission ratio setting unit; oil pressure measuring unit; and, transmission ratio correcting unit operating in response to a deviation of a pressure difference between a measured value by the oil pressure measuring unit and a target value of a torque passing through the toroidal-type continuously variable transmission unit, and adjusting the transmission ratio of the toroidal-type continuously variable transmission unit so as to eliminate the deviation.

Claims

1. A control apparatus for controlling transmission ratio of a toroidal-type continuously variable transmission unit of a continuously variable transmission apparatus,

the continuously variable transmission apparatus, comprising:

a toroidal-type continuously variable transmission unit including;

an input shaft driven and rotated by a drive source;

an output shaft;

at least a pair of disks supported so as to be relatively rotated with respect to each other and concentric with each other;

a plurality of power rollers held between the pair of disks;

a plurality of trunnions rotatably supporting the power rollers; and

a hydraulic actuator including a pair of oil pressure chambers and causing each of the trunnions to generate a force proportional to a difference between oil pressures within the pair of oil pressure chambers, the toroidal-type continuously variable transmission unit changing a transmission ratio between the pair of disks by shifting the trunnions in the axial direction of pivot shafts as the swing centers of the respective trunnions by using the actuator; and

,

a differential unit of a gear type including a combination of a plurality of gears,

wherein relative shifting speeds between the plurality of gears of the differential unit are changed by adjusting the transmission ratio of the toroidal-type continuously variable transmission unit, thereby the continuously variable transmission apparatus switches the rotation state of the output shaft over between a forward rotation state and a backward rotation state with a stop state between them while rotating the input shaft in one direction by the drive source, and

the control apparatus comprising;

rotation speed control unit for controlling the rotation speed of the drive source;

transmission ratio setting unit for setting the transmission ratio of the toroidal-type continuously variable transmission unit in order to coincide the rotation speed of the input shaft of the continuously variable transmission apparatus with the controlled rotation speed of the drive source;

oil pressure measuring unit for measuring a pressure difference between the oil pressures of the pair of oil pressure chambers of the actuator; and

,

transmission ratio correcting unit operating in response to a deviation of a pressure difference between a measured value by the oil pressure measuring unit and a target value of a torque passing through the toroidal-type continuously variable transmission unit, and adjusting the transmission ratio of the toroidal-type continuously variable transmission unit so as to eliminate the deviation.

2. The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when an actual measured value of a torque actually passing through the toroidal-type continuously variable transmission unit has a deviation with respect to the target value of the torque and in a direction in such a manner that an input-shaft-side disk of the pair of disks applies a torque to the power rollers, the transmission ratio correcting unit changes the transmission ratio of the toroidal-type continuously variable transmission unit to the speed reducing side, and

when the actual measured value of the torque has a deviation with respect to the target value of the torque and in a direction in such a manner that the input-shaft-side disk receives a torque from the power rollers, the transmission ratio correcting unit changes the transmission ratio of the toroidal-type continuously variable transmission unit to the speed increasing side.

3. The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the upper limit of the set value of the transmission ratio of the toroidal-type continuously variable transmission unit set by the transmission ratio setting unit is set to the amount corrected in accordance with a deviation between the measured value and the target value of the pressure difference.

4. The control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an electric control circuit for setting the transmission ratio of the toroidal-type continuously variable transmission unit and a target value of a pressure difference based on the target value of a torque passing through the toroidal-type continuously variable transmission unit; and

,

a hydraulic control circuit for calculating a deviation between the target value and the measured value of the pressure difference by comparing the target value with the measured value and correcting the transmission ratio of the toroidal-type continuously variable transmission unit based on the deviation.

5. The control apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising:

a stepping motor for setting the transmission ratio of the toroidal-type continuously variable transmission unit;

a differential pressure cylinder for correcting the transmission ratio of the toroidal-type continuously variable transmission unit;

a transmission ratio control valve for switching the supply of an oil pressure to the actuator for shifting the trunnions in the axial direction of the pivot shafts; and

,

a link arm for connecting together the output portion of the stepping motor, the output portion of the differential pressure cylinder, and the transmission ratio control valve.

6. The control apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the transmission ratio control valve is interposed between the stepping motor and the differential pressure cylinder.

7. The control apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the differential pressure cylinder is interposed between the stepping motor and the transmission ratio control valve.

8. The control apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the stepping motor is disposed downward of the differential unit of the gear type.

9. The control apparatus according to claim 5, wherein an elastic member is mounted on at least one of a connecting portion between the link arm and the output portion of the stepping motor, a connecting portion between the link arm and the output portion of the differential pressure cylinder, and a connecting portion between the link arm and the transmission ratio control valve.

10. The control apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the elastic member is a plate spring made of metal, the link arm includes a cut-away portion formed in the end portion thereof, a securing pin projected from the output portion of the stepping motor or the differential pressure cylinder or projected from the transmission ratio control valve is engaged into the cut-away portion of the link arm, and a metal spring secured to the output portion presses against the end portion of the link arm to thereby bring the inside edge of the cut-away portion into elastic contact with the outer peripheral surface of the securing pin.

11. The control apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the elastic member is a compression coil spring made of metal, a pair of slide members are fitted with the outer surface of the output portion of the stepping motor or the output portion of the differential pressure cylinder or the transmission ratio control valve so as to be shifted in the axial direction thereof, the pair of slide members respectively include through holes formed in the mutually matched portions thereof, a pivotally supporting pin is projectingly provided on the side surface of the middle portion of the link arm and is inserted through the through holes of the pair of slide members, and the compression coil spring presses against the pair of slide members in approaching directions each other to thereby hold the pivotally supporting pin elastically between the respective inner peripheral surfaces of the through holes formed in the two slide members.

12. The control apparatus according to claim 4, wherein, when the electric control circuit is at fault, the target value of the torque passing through the toroidal-type continuously variable transmission unit and transmitted to the output shaft is set the maximum value within a restricted range.

13. A control method for controlling transmission ratio of a toroidal-type continuously variable transmission unit of a continuously variable transmission apparatus,

the continuously variable transmission apparatus, comprising:

a toroidal-type continuously variable transmission unit including;

an input shaft driven and rotated by a drive source;

an output shaft;

at least a pair of disks supported so as to be relatively rotated with respect to each other and concentric with each other;

a plurality of power rollers held between the pair of disks;

a plurality of trunnions rotatably supporting the power rollers; and

a hydraulic actuator including a pair of oil pressure chambers and causing each of the trunnions to generate a force proportional to a difference between oil pressures within the pair of oil pressure chambers, the toroidal-type continuously variable transmission unit changing a transmission ratio between the pair of disks by shifting the trunnions in the axial direction of pivot shafts as the swing centers of the respective trunnions by using the actuator; and

,

a differential unit of a gear type including a combination of a plurality of gears,

wherein relative shifting speeds between the plurality of gears of the differential unit are changed by adjusting the transmission ratio of the toroidal-type continuously variable transmission unit, thereby the continuously variable transmission apparatus switches the rotation state of the output shaft over between a forward rotation state and a backward rotation state with a stop state between them while rotating the input shaft in one direction by the drive source, and

the control method, for controlling a torque passing through the toroidal-type continuously variable transmission unit to a target value, comprising steps of;

controlling the rotation speed of the drive source;

setting the transmission ratio of the toroidal-type continuously variable transmission unit at a value necessary to coincide the rotation speed of the input shaft of the continuously variable transmission apparatus with the controlled rotation speed of the drive source;

measuring a pressure difference between the oil pressures of the pair of oil pressure chambers of the actuator to thereby measure a torque actually passing through the toroidal-type continuously variable transmission unit,

calculating a deviation of the torque actually passing through the toroidal-type continuously variable transmission unit with respect to the target value based on the measured and the target value of the torque, and

adjusting the transmission ratio of the toroidal-type continuously variable transmission unit so as to eliminate the deviation.

14. The control method according to claim 13, wherein, in the range where the torque passing through the toroidal-type continuously variable transmission unit is restricted within the target value, the torque of the drive source for driving the input shaft is changed in a decreasing direction as the rotation speed of the input shaft increases, and

when the measured value of the torque actually passing through the toroidal-type continuously variable transmission unit has a deviation with respect to the target value and in a direction where the input-shaft-side disk applies a torque to the power rollers, the toroidal-type continuously variable transmission unit is changed to the speed reducing side, and

when the measured value has a deviation with respect to the target value and in a direction where the input-shaft-side disk receives a torque from the power rollers, the toroidal-type continuously variable transmission unit is changed to the speed increasing side.

15. The control method according to claim 13, wherein the upper limit of the set value of the transmission ratio of the toroidal-type continuously variable transmission unit necessary to make the torque passing through the toroidal-type continuously variable transmission unit approach the target value is set to the amount corrected based on a deviation between the measured and target values of the pressure difference.

16. The control method according to claim 13, wherein the setting the transmission ratio of the toroidal-type continuously variable transmission unit necessary to restrict the torque passing through the toroidal-type continuously variable transmission unit to the target value and the target value of the pressure difference based on the torque target value are electrically executed, and

the calculating a deviation between the target value and the measured value of the pressure difference by comparing the target value with the measured value, and correcting the transmission ratio of the toroidal-type continuously variable transmission unit based on the deviation are hydraulically executed.