TRANSMISSION GASKET WITH SENSORS

• US 20140165714A1
• Filed: 10/18/2013
• Published: 06/19/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Lang, Kenneth K., Verner, Douglas R., Piorkowski, Paul A., Dietz, John L.
• Application Number:
  US14/057,576
• Publication Number:
  US 20140165714A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/115.02
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 13/02 Gearings; Transmission mechanisms

Abstract

A gasket, spacer plate or separator plate for a motor vehicle transmission includes one or more integrated sensors. Such sensors can measure the pressure, flow rate, temperature, as well as any other desire performance characteristic, of the hydraulic fluid in the transmission. The sensors may be mounted on ports in the gasket, spacer plate or separator plate and/or the sensors can be microelectromechanical sensors (MEMS).

Claims

1. A measuring apparatus for a motor vehicle transmission comprising:

a plate mountable to a component of the transmission; and

at least one sensor connected to the plate, wherein the sensor measures one or more performance characteristics associated with the transmission.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the component is a valve body.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the plate includes a plurality of openings to enable communication of fluid to and from the valve body through the plate.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the sensor is attached to the plate by soldering electrical connectors on the sensor to pads on the plate.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the sensor is an integrated sensor in the plate.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the plate includes a first layer, a second layer and a substrate sandwiched between the first layer and the second layer.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the sensor is formed in the substrate.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the substrate includes a set of connectors that communicate electrically with the sensor.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the sensor is a microelectromechanical sensor.

10. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein at least one of the first layer and the second layer includes a pad that communicates with the sensor physically, electrically or thermally to transmit information to the sensor.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the one or more performance characteristics is a pressure, a temperature, a fluid flow rate, a strain, a load or combinations thereof.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the plate is a gasket, spacer plate or separator plate for the transmission.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the plate is formed of a composite material, a plastic or a metal.

14. A measuring apparatus for a motor vehicle transmission comprising:

a valve body; and

a plate mounted to the valve body, the plate including at least one sensor that measures one or more performance characteristics associated with the transmission.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the valve body includes worm tracks that direct fluid through the valve body and the plate includes a plurality of openings that communicate fluid to and from the worm tracks.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the sensor is attached to the plate by soldering electrical connectors on the sensor to pads on the plate.

17. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the sensor is an integrated sensor in the plate.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the plate includes a first layer, a second layer and a substrate sandwiched between the first layer and the second layer, and wherein the sensor is formed in the substrate.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the substrate includes a set of connectors that communicate electrically with the sensor.

20. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein at least one of the layers includes a pad that communicates with the sensor physically, electrically or thermally to transmit information to the sensor.

21. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the one or more performance characteristics is a pressure, a temperature, a fluid flow rate, a strain, a load or combinations thereof.