FAIL DETECTING APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

• US 20070049457A1
• Filed: 08/21/2006
• Published: 03/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jatco Limited (Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Jatco Limited (Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: KAWAGUCHI, Takateru, SATO, Tetsuya
• Granted Patent: US 7,500,936 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 477/97
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2059/683 Sensing pressure in control systems or in fluid controlled devices, e.g. by pressure sensors for hydrostatic transmissions F16H2059/6861
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2061/1208 with diagnostic check cycles; Monitoring of failures
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2061/1284 the failing part is a sensor
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2200/0052 the gear ratios comprising six forward speeds
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2200/2007 with two sets of orbital gears
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2200/2023 using a Ravigneaux set with 4 connections
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 3/663 with conveying rotary motion between axially spaced orbital gears, e.g. RAVIGNEAUX
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 59/68 Inputs being a function of gearing status
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/12 Detecting malfunction or potential malfunction, e.g. fail safe in control of hydrostatic gearing F16H61/4192; Circumventing or fixing failures
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/686 with orbital gears
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 477/906 Means detecting or ameliorating the effects of malfunction or potential malfunction

Abstract

There is provided a fail detecting apparatus for an automatic transmission which is capable of quickly detecting a failure of an oil pressure switch with accuracy. In addition to an oil pressure switch state determining process carried out while a vehicle is running, the state of an oil pressure switch is detected at the time of turning-on of an ignition switch before an engine is started, and if the oil pressure switch has continued to be ON until a timer value becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined value, it is determined that the oil pressure switch has failed. Since the state of the oil pressure switch is determined before the engine is started, i.e. in the state in which no oil pressure has been generated, whether the oil pressure switch is normal or has failed can be determined with high accuracy irrespective of which range is currently selected in the automatic transmission. Also, while the vehicle is running, the state of the oil pressure switch is detected when the range is switched to the P, R, or N range, and therefore it is possible to correctly determine whether the oil pressure switch for the friction element which is engaged only in the D range is normal or has failed.

Claims

1. A fail detecting apparatus provided in a vehicular automatic transmission which realizes a plurality of gear positions by engagement and disengagement of friction elements in combination, for determining a state of an oil pressure switch which detects operating pressure of each friction element, comprising:

oil pressure switch ON detecting means for detecting whether any of the oil pressure switches is ON; and

fail determining means for determining a state of the oil pressure switch based on a result of detection by said oil pressure switch ON detecting means,

wherein at a time of turning-on of an ignition switch before an engine is started, said fail determining means determines that the oil pressure switch has failed when the oil pressure switch is ON.

2. A fail detecting apparatus for a vehicular automatic transmission according to claim 1, wherein said fail determining means determines that the oil pressure switch has failed when the oil pressure switch has continued to be ON for a predetermined period of time.

3. A fail detecting apparatus provided in a vehicular automatic transmission which realizes a plurality of gear positions by engagement and disengagement of friction elements in combination, for determining a state of an oil pressure switch which detects operating pressure of each friction element, comprising:

oil pressure switch ON detecting means for detecting whether any of the oil pressure switches is ON;

first fail determining means for determining that the oil pressure switch has failed when said oil pressure switch detecting means detects an ON state of the oil pressure switch at a time of turning-on of an ignition switch before an engine is started; and

second fail determining means for determining that the oil pressure switch has failed when, in a range in which original pressure of operating pressure on a friction element engaged in a forward range is interrupted, said oil pressure switch detecting means detects an ON state of the oil pressure switch for the friction element engaged in the forward range after the engine is started.

4. A fail detecting apparatus provided in a vehicular automatic transmission according to claim 3, wherein said second fail determining means carries out a determination at least each time the forward range is switched to a range in which original pressure of operating pressure to a friction element engaged in the forward range is interrupted.

5. A fail detecting apparatus provided in a vehicular automatic transmission according to claim 3, wherein immediately after the forward range is switched to a range in which original pressure of operating pressure to a friction element engaged in the forward range is interrupted, said second fail determining means carries out a determination after lapse of a predetermined detection delay time.

6. A fail detecting apparatus provided in a vehicular automatic transmission according to claim 5, wherein a length of the detection delay time is set based on an oil temperature.

7. A fail detecting apparatus provided in a vehicular automatic transmission according to claim 3, wherein said first fail determining means and said second fail determining means determine that the oil pressure switch has failed when the oil pressure switch has continued to be ON for a predetermined period of time.

8. A fail detecting apparatus provided in a vehicular automatic transmission according to claim 4, wherein immediately after the forward range is switched to a range in which original pressure of operating pressure to a friction element engaged in the forward range is interrupted, said second fail determining means carries out a determination after lapse of a predetermined detection delay time.

9. A fail detecting apparatus provided in a vehicular automatic transmission according to claim 4, wherein said first fail determining means and said second fail determining means determine that the oil pressure switch has failed when the oil pressure switch has continued to be ON for a predetermined period of time.