AUTOMATED MANUAL TRANSMISSION WITH HYBRID DRIVE

• US 20110306463A1
• Filed: 12/17/2009
• Published: 12/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NT Consulting International Pty., Limited (List Privatstiftung)
• Original Assignee: NT Consulting International Pty., Limited (List Privatstiftung)
• Inventors: Tamba, Richard Terrence, Fitzgerald, Simon
• Granted Patent: US 8,672,803 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 477/5
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2006/4808 Electric machine connected or connectable to gearbox output shaft
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/105 the accumulator being a flywheel
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/12 by means of a chargeable fluidic accumulator
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/48 Parallel type
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/003 to auxiliary motors, e.g. for pumps, compressors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/26 Rail vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/423 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/486 Operating parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/30 using propulsion power stored mechanically, e.g. in fly-wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/40 using propulsion power supplied by capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/90 using propulsion power supplied by specific means not covered by groups B60L50/10 - B60L50/50, e.g. by direct conversion of thermal nuclear energy into electricity
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/10 Dynamic electric regenerative braking B60L7/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/02 including control of driveline clutches
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/08 including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/10 including control of change-speed gearings
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/11 Stepped gearings
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/00 Control systems specially adapted for hybrid vehicles hybrid vehicle design, B60K6/00; electric vehicles B60L
• 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: B60W 2510/0604 : Throttle position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 : Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/12 : Brake pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/16 : Ratio selector position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/083 : Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/19 : Improvement of gear change, e.g. by synchronisation or smoothing gear shift
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2061/0433 : by torque supply with an electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/04 : Smoothing ratio shift
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 : Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 : Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 : Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49716 : Converting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20024 : Fluid actuator

Abstract

An automated manual transmission system (1) including an input shaft (4), a clutch, an output shaft (6), and a gear-box enabling selection of different transmission ratios between the input shaft and the output shaft (6). An actuation mechanism (10) is operatively connected to the clutch and the gearbox to effect disengagement and re-engagement of the clutch and coordinated selection of the transmission ratios. A hybrid motor (14) is operably connected to the output shaft (6) and a control system (16) is operable to regulate the actuating mechanism in response to control inputs, to effect automatic gear changes. The hybrid motor (14) is responsive to the control system (16) to provide supplementary torque to the vehicle driveline when the clutch is disengaged, to reduce torque interruption in the driveline.

Claims

1. An automated manual transmission system for a vehicle having an engine and a driveline, the transmission system including:

an input shaft;

a clutch adapted to be interposed between the input shaft and the engine;

an output shaft adapted for connection to the driveline;

a gearbox enabling selection of different transmission ratios between the input shaft and the output shaft;

an actuation mechanism operatively connected to the clutch and the gearbox to effect disengagement and re-engagement of the clutch and coordinated selection of the transmission ratios;

a hybrid motor operably connected to the output shaft; and

a control system operable to regulate the actuating mechanism in response to control inputs, according to predetermined control criteria, thereby to effect automatic gear changes;

the hybrid motor being responsive to the control system to provide supplementary torque to the vehicle driveline when the clutch is disengaged, thereby to reduce torque interruption in the driveline during the automatic gear changes.

2. An automated manual transmission system according to claim 1, wherein the control system is selectively operable in either a fully automatic mode, in which gear selections are determined and implemented according to the predetermined control criteria, or in a semi-automatic mode, in which gear selections are determined by a driver of the vehicle within predetermined control parameters but are implemented automatically by the actuation mechanism.

3. An automated manual transmission system according to claim 1, wherein the transmission system is adapted for retrofitting to a conventional manual gearbox.

4. An automated manual transmission system according to claim 1, wherein the hybrid motor is part of a regenerative drive system adapted to store energy from the vehicle driveline during braking or periods of off-peak load, and subsequently to feed stored energy back into the driveline to reduce the transient loss of driveline torque during gear changes.

13. An automated manual transmission system according to claim 1, wherein the hybrid motor is selected from a group comprising:

electric motors;

hydraulic motors;

pneumatic motors; and

inertial flywheel motors.

17. An automated manual transmission system according to claim 1, wherein the actuation mechanism incorporates at least one electro-hydraulic piston actuator.

18. An automated manual transmission system according to claim 17, including a pair of 3-position electro-hydraulic piston actuators regulated by a single multiplexing control valve.

20. An automated manual transmission system according to claim 18, wherein a first 3-position actuator is disposed to move a gear-shift lever longitudinally between a forward position, a neutral position and a rearward position, and wherein a second 3-position actuator is disposed to move the same gear-shift lever laterally between a left position, a central position and a light position, whereby the first and second actuators, cooperating through combinations of mutually orthogonal movements, provide automatic selection between up to six different gear ratios.

21. An automated manual transmission system according to claim 1, wherein the actuation mechanism is hydraulically operable.

22. An automated manual transmission system according to claim 21, wherein oil pressure for the actuation mechanism is sourced from a dedicated pump disposed within the transmission housing.

23. An automated manual transmission system according to claim 22, wherein the dedicated pump is powered substantially by the vehicle engine, via a pump drive shaft extending coaxially through a complementary bore formed in the input shaft.

24. An automated manual transmission system according to claim 21, wherein oil pressure for the actuation mechanism is sourced from an existing hydraulic circuit in the vehicle, from a dedicated hydraulic pump, or from an hydraulic accumulator.

29. A vehicle driveline incorporating an automated manual transmission system according to claim 1.

30. A vehicle incorporating an engine and a driveline, the driveline including an automated manual transmission system according to claim 1.

31. A method of converting a conventional manual transmission into an automated manual transmission system according to claim 1, the conventional manual transmission including an existing gearbox, an existing gear change lever, an existing clutch, and an existing clutch actuation system, the method including the steps of:

removing the existing gear change lever;

removing the existing clutch actuation system;

operatively connecting the actuation mechanism to the existing clutch and the existing gearbox to effect disengagement and re-engagement of the clutch and coordinated selection of the gearbox transmission ratios;

operatively connecting the control system to regulate the actuation mechanism in response to control inputs, according to predetermined control criteria, thereby to effect automatic gear changes; and

operatively connecting the hybrid motor so as, in response to the control system, to provide supplementary torque to the vehicle driveline when the clutch is disengaged, thereby to reduce torque interruption in the driveline during the automatic gear changes.

32. A method according to claim 31, wherein the conventional manual transmission further includes an existing rear casing, and wherein the method includes the further steps of removing the existing rear casing and providing a new rear casing, wherein the new rear casing includes an integral hydraulic pump system for the actuation mechanism.

34. A method according to claim 31, including the further step of providing a parking mechanism with a park locking function, adapted in use to lock the transmission and hence the vehicle driveline, when the vehicle is placed in a parking mode.

36. A method according to claim 31, wherein the actuation mechanism is attached to the transmission at or near the location previously occupied by the gear change lever and clutch lever assemblies.

37. A method according to claim 31, including the further step of forming a bore through the centre of the input shaft, the bore being adapted to provide access for a coaxial quill shaft to drive an integral hydraulic pump for the actuation mechanism.

38. An actuation mechanism for an automated manual transmission system according to claim 1, the actuation mechanism including a pair of 3-position electro-hydraulic or electro-mechanical piston actuators, the first of said 3-position actuators being disposed to move a gear-shift lever longitudinally between a forward position, a neutral position and a rearward position, and the second of said 3-position actuators being disposed to move the gear-shift lever laterally between a left position, a central position and a right position, the first and second actuators being co-operable in use, in response to a control system, to provide automatic selection between a plurality of different gear ratios in the transmission system.

5-12. -12. (canceled)

14-16. -16. (canceled)

19. (canceled)

25-28. -28. (canceled)

33. (canceled)

35. (canceled)