Dual transmission-fluid-level maintenance system
First Claim
1. A fluid level maintenance apparatus for use with an automatic transmission system of a motor vehicle, said transmission system including:
- a housing having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, said housing being dimensioned to retain an operational volume of a fluid,a heat exchanger having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, said heat exchanger fluid inlet being coupled to said housing fluid outlet, and said heat exchanger fluid outlet being coupled to said housing fluid inlet, andmeans, coupled to one of said housing fluid inlet and outlet, for urging movement of said fluid;
said fluid level maintenance apparatus being for maintaining substantially said operational volume of said fluid in said housing when said urging means is operational and for supplying an additional volume of said fluid to said housing when said urging means is inoperative, said apparatus comprising;
a container having first and second openings therein;
means for coupling said first opening of said container to said housing fluid inlet; and
means for coupling said second opening of said container to said housing fluid outlet, said container and at least one of said coupling means being collectively dimensioned to enclose a volume substantially equal to said additional volume of fluid.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system for use in connection with an automatic transmission of a motorized vehicle is disclosed. The system includes an accumulator which is sealed except for two openings therein. The accumulator is positioned above an operational fluid level of the transmission, with the openings pointing downward. One of the two openings couples to a high pressure fluid line, which extends between an automatic transmission and a heat exchanger. The other of the two openings couples to a low pressure fluid line, which extends between the automatic transmission and the heat exchanger. When the vehicle'"'"'s motor operates, a pump within the automatic transmission pressurizes these two fluid lines and causes transmission fluid to fill the accumulator. When the vehicle'"'"'s motor does not operate, the pump does not operate, and the fluid lines depressurize. The depressurizing causes fluid to drain from the accumulator and overfill the transmission. The overfilling of the transmission permits safe operation of the transmission while towing the vehicle. As soon as the vehicle is operated under its own power, excess fluid is again pumped into the accumulator.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A fluid level maintenance apparatus for use with an automatic transmission system of a motor vehicle, said transmission system including:
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a housing having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, said housing being dimensioned to retain an operational volume of a fluid, a heat exchanger having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, said heat exchanger fluid inlet being coupled to said housing fluid outlet, and said heat exchanger fluid outlet being coupled to said housing fluid inlet, and means, coupled to one of said housing fluid inlet and outlet, for urging movement of said fluid; said fluid level maintenance apparatus being for maintaining substantially said operational volume of said fluid in said housing when said urging means is operational and for supplying an additional volume of said fluid to said housing when said urging means is inoperative, said apparatus comprising; a container having first and second openings therein; means for coupling said first opening of said container to said housing fluid inlet; and means for coupling said second opening of said container to said housing fluid outlet, said container and at least one of said coupling means being collectively dimensioned to enclose a volume substantially equal to said additional volume of fluid. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A system for alternately maintaining one of a relatively higher and a relatively lower quantity of fluid in an automatic transmission of a motor vehicle, said system comprising:
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a transmission housing having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, said transmission housing being configured so that said relatively lower quantity of said fluid fills said housing to an operational fluid level; a heat exchanger having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, said heat exchanger fluid inlet being coupled to said housing fluid outlet, and said heat exchanger fluid outlet being coupled to said housing fluid inlet; transmission fluid pumping means, coupled to one of said housing fluid inlet and outlet, for urging movement of said fluid; an accumulator having first and second openings therein, said accumulator being positioned above said operational fluid level and being positioned so that one of said first and second openings resides proximate a bottom portion of said accumulator, said accumulator being dimensioned to enclose a volume substantially equal to the difference between said relatively higher and relatively lower quantities of said fluid; means for coupling said first opening of said accumulator to said transmission fluid inlet; and means for coupling said second opening of said accumulator to said transmission fluid outlet. - View Dependent Claims (8)
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9. In a motorized vehicle having an automatic transmission in which fluid is circulated by a pump, a method of increasing the quantity of said fluid in said transmission when said pump is inoperative and of decreasing the quantity of said fluid in said transmission when said pump is operative, said method comprising the steps of:
pumping said fluid out of said transmission into an accumulator when said pump is operative; and
draining said fluid from said accumulator into said transmission when said pump is inoperative.- View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of operating an automatic transmission of a motorized vehicle so that said motorized vehicle may be selectively operated in first and second modes of operation, said first mode of operation being under said vehicle'"'"'s own power and said second mode of operation being in response to forces applied from outside of said vehicle, said method comprising the steps of:
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increasing the quantity of transmission fluid in said transmission when said vehicle operates in said second mode; and decreasing the quantity of said transmission fluid in said transmission when said vehicle operates in said first mode. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification