Continuously variable transmission

• US 20110160969A1
• Filed: 12/17/2010
• Published: 06/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/25/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Subaru Corp.
• Original Assignee: Fuji Heavy Industries Limited (Subaru Corp.)
• Inventors: Kiryu, Hiroyuki, Takano, Mitsuo, Kagawa, Minoru, Uchijima, Nobuhiro, Oguri, Takemi
• Granted Patent: US 10,139,001 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/52
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2061/6616 the shifting of the transmission being manually controlled
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/66259 using electrical or electronical sensing or control means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20018 Transmission control
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/2014 Manually operated selector [e.g., remotely controlled device, lever, push button, rotary dial, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20159 Control lever movable through plural planes

Abstract

A continuously variable transmission includes a continuous gear-change mechanism, a gear-change operating section to which a gear-change operation is input, and a gear-change controlling section changing a gear ratio of the mechanism according to the gear-change operation that is input from the operating section. A first gear-change operation and a second gear-change operation, performed subsequently to the first operation, or an input from a second gear-change operating section can be input to the operating section. The e controlling section is provided with the plural gear ratios for plural gears and previously set, causes the mechanism to perform, according to the first operation, a gear-change operation to a gear ratio for a next gear, and to perform, according to the second operation, a gear-change operation to an intermediate gear ratio set between the gear ratio for the next gear and a gear ratio for a second next gear.

Claims

1. A continuously variable transmission comprising:

a continuous gear-change mechanism that increases and decreases a speed of a rotational output of a driving source used for causing an automobile to travel, the continuous gear-change mechanism capable of continuously changing a gear ratio;

a gear-change operating section to which a gear-change operation is input; and

a gear-change controlling section that changes the gear ratio of the continuous gear-change mechanism in accordance with the gear-change operation that is input from the gear-change operating section,

wherein a first gear-change operation and a second gear-change operation are capable of being input to the gear-change operating section, the second gear-change operation performed subsequently to the first gear-change operation, and

wherein the gear-change controlling section is provided with a plurality of the gear ratios that correspond to a plurality of gears and that are previously set, causes the continuous gear-change mechanism to perform, in accordance with the first gear-change operation, a gear-change operation from a gear ratio for when the first gear-change operation is started to a gear ratio corresponding to a next gear, and causes the continuous gear-change mechanism to perform, in accordance with the second gear-change operation, a gear-change operation from the gear ratio for when the first gear-change operation is started to an intermediate gear ratio that is set between the gear ratio corresponding to the next gear and a gear ratio corresponding to a second next gear.

2. The continuously variable transmission according to claim 1, wherein the gear-change operating section includes a first switch and a second switch, the first switch detecting the first gear-change operation, the second switch operating only when the first gear-change operation is performed and detecting the second gear-change operation.

3. The continuously variable transmission according to claim 2, wherein the gear-change operating section includes a movable operated member that is movable successively from a neutral position to a first position and a second position, the first position corresponding to the first gear-change operation, the second position corresponding to the second gear-change operation.

4. The continuously variable transmission according to claim 3, wherein a movement direction of the movable operated member from the neutral position to the first position differs from a movement direction of the movable operated member from the first position to the second position.

5. The continuously variable transmission according to claim 3, wherein an operational force for operating the movable operated member from the first position to the second position is larger than an operational force for operating the movable operated member from the neutral position to the first position.

6. The continuously variable transmission according to claim 1, wherein the gear-change operating section detects at least one of an operational force, an operational speed, and an operational acceleration of the second gear-change operation, and

wherein the gear-change controlling section increases a gear-change speed of the continuous gear-change mechanism in accordance with an increase in the at least one of the operational force, the operational speed, and the operational acceleration.

7. The continuously variable transmission according to claim 1, wherein the gear-change controlling section causes the continuous gear-change mechanism to perform the gear-change operation to the intermediate gear ratio only when the second gear-change operation is continued for a predetermined time or more than the predetermined time.

8. The continuously variable transmission according to claim 1, wherein the gear-change controlling section causes the intermediate gear ratio to change from a side of the gear ratio corresponding to the next gear to a side of the gear ratio corresponding to the second next gear in accordance with an increase in a duration time of the second gear-change operation.

9. The continuously variable transmission according to claim 8, wherein if the duration time of the second gear-change operation becomes greater than or equal to a predetermined upper limit time, the gear-change controlling section sets the intermediate gear ratio to a predetermined upper limit value.

10. The continuously variable transmission according to claim 8, wherein if the duration time of the second-gear operation becomes greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold value, the gear-change controlling section causes the continuous gear-change mechanism to perform a gear-change operation to the gear ratio corresponding to the second next gear.

11. The continuously variable transmission according to claim 3, wherein the movable operated member of the gear-change operating section is movable within a predetermined range when the second gear-change operation is performed, and

wherein the gear-change controlling section sets the intermediate gear ratio in accordance with a position of the movable operated member in the predetermined range.

12. The continuously variable transmission according to claim 1, wherein the gear-change controlling section includes intermediate gear ratio storage means and rewriting means, the intermediate gear ratio storage means holding gear ratios that are previously set as a plurality of the intermediate gear ratios, the rewriting means rewriting the gear ratios held in the intermediate gear ratio storage means.

13. The continuously variable transmission according to claim 1, wherein the gear-change controlling section holds a plurality of combinations of gear ratios that are previously set as a plurality of the intermediate gear ratios, and includes selecting means that allows a user to select any one of the plurality of combinations of the gear ratios.

14. The continuously variable transmission according to claim 1, further comprising acceleration detecting means that detects at least one of a deceleration, a slope descending acceleration, and a transverse acceleration acting upon a vehicle body,

wherein if the at least one of the deceleration, the slope descending acceleration, and the transverse acceleration that is detected by the acceleration detecting means is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, the gear-change controlling section limits downshifting in accordance with the second gear-change operation.

15. A continuously variable transmission comprising:

a continuous gear-change mechanism that increases and decreases a speed of a rotational output of a driving source used for causing an automobile to travel, the continuous gear-change mechanism capable of continuously changing a gear ratio;

a first gear-change operating section to which a first gear-change operation is input;

a second gear-change operating section to which a second gear-change operation is input, the second gear-change operation being performed at the same time as the first gear-change operation or subsequently to the first gear-change operation; and

a gear-change controlling section that changes the gear ratio of the continuous gear-change mechanism in accordance with the gear-change operations that are input from the first gear-change operating section and the second gear-change operating section,

wherein the gear-change controlling section is provided with a plurality of the gear ratios that correspond to a plurality of gears and that are previously set, causes the continuous gear-change mechanism to perform, in accordance with the first gear-change operation, a gear-change operation from a gear ratio for when the first gear-change operation is started to a gear ratio corresponding to a next gear, and causes the continuous gear-change mechanism to perform, in accordance with the second gear-change operation, a gear-change operation from the gear ratio for when the first gear-change operation is started to an intermediate gear ratio that is set between the gear ratio corresponding to the next gear and a gear ratio corresponding to a second next gear.

16. The continuously variable transmission according to claim 15, wherein the first gear-change operating section includes a gear-change lever operated by a driver, and the second gear-change operating section includes an operating section provided at the gear-change lever and operated with the fingers of the driver.

17. The continuously variable transmission according to claim 16, wherein the gear-change lever is provided with a sensor that detects contact of a palm of the driver, and

wherein the gear-change controlling section accepts the second gear-change operation only when the sensor detects the contact of the palm.

18. The continuously variable transmission according to claim 16, wherein if the first gear-change operation is input again after the first gear-change operation ends, the gear-change controlling section cancels the second gear-change operation that is previously performed.

19. The continuously variable transmission according to claim 16, wherein the second gear-change operating section detects at least one of an operational force, an operational speed, and an operational acceleration of the second gear-change operation, and

wherein the gear-change controlling section increases a gear-change speed of the continuous gear-change mechanism in accordance with an increase in the at least one of the operational force, the operational speed, and the operational acceleration.

20. The continuously variable transmission according to claim 16, wherein the gear-change controlling section causes the intermediate gear ratio to change from a side of the gear ratio corresponding to the next gear to a side of the gear ratio corresponding to the second next gear in accordance with an increase in a duration time of the second gear-change operation.