Testing method for electric shift control apparatus

• US 5,042,133 A
• Filed: 02/21/1990
• Issued: 08/27/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Luk Leamington Limited (INA-Holding Schaeffler GmbH & Co. KG)
• Original Assignee: Automotive Products (USA), Inc. (Valeo SE)
• Inventors: Leigh-Monstevens, Keith V., Peterson, David C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gorski, Joseph M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hughes, S. Thomas
• Application Number:
  US07/483,070
• Time in Patent Office: 552 Days
• Field of Search: 29/407, 29/705, 29/469, 74/866, 74/335, 74/337.5, 74/473 R, 74/483 PB, 74/336 R, 73/866.1, 73/865.9, 324/158 F, 364/424.1
• US Class Current: 29/404
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/003 locking of control actuating means
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/02142 comprising externally controlled safety devices for preventing locking during vehicle running condition
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/02144 interlocked with gear box or gear lever
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/04 operating on the propulsion system, e.g. engine or drive motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/1001 Alarm systems associated with another car fitting or mechanism, e.g. door lock or knob, pedals features related to the general power supply B60R25/1018
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/1003 Alarm systems characterised by arm or disarm features
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2059/6823 Sensing neutral state of the transmission
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2059/708 Sensing reverse gear, e.g. by a reverse gear switch
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2059/746 Engine running state, e.g. on-off of ignition switch
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2061/223 Electrical gear shift lock, e.g. locking of lever in park or neutral position by electric means if brake is not applied; Key interlock, i.e. locking the key if lever is not in park position
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2061/326 Actuators for range selection, i.e. actuators for controlling the range selector or the manual range valve in the transmission
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 59/12 comprising push button devices
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/16 Inhibiting or initiating shift during unfavourable conditions, e.g. preventing forward reverse shift at high vehicle speed, preventing engine over speed unintentional control input F16H61/18
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/22 Locking of the control input devices constructional features of locking or disabling mechanisms F16H63/34
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 63/42 Ratio indicator devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49758 During simulated operation or operating conditions
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49904 Assembling a subassembly, then assembling with a second subassembly
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/53022 with means to test work or product

Abstract

A method of providing a pretested electric shift control apparatus for a motor vehicle including an operator input push-button unit for mounting in the instrument panel of the motor vehicle, a power unit for mounting on the transmission of the motor vehicle, and a logic unit for mounting on the motor vehicle in a position in which it is electrically interconnected between the push-button unit and the power unit and operates to transmit operator input signals from the push-button unit to the power unit to shift the transmission to the position corresponding to the operator input. The method comprises the steps of manufacturing a plurality of push-button units; manufacturing a plurality of power units; manufacturing a plurality of logic units; providing a test assembly by assembling a push-button unit, a power unit, and a logic unit in a text fixture in a manner to simulate their assembled interrelationship on the motor vehicle; performing tests on the test assembly simulating the combined operation of the units on the motor vehicle; disassembling the test assembly into at least first and second tested modules; transporting the tested and disassembled modules to one or more motor vehicle manufacturing sites; and reassembling each tested first module on a motor vehicle in combination with a tested second module to provide a pretested electric shift control apparatus for the motor vehicle. A methodology is also disclosed for testing a shift control apparatus for shifting both the transmission and the transfer case of a four wheel drive motor vehicle.

Claims

1. A method of providing a pretested electric shift control apparatus for the automatic transmission of a motor vehicle including an operator input unit for mounting in the instrument panel of the motor vehicle, a power unit for mounting proximate the transmission of the motor vehicle, and a logic unit for mounting on the motor vehicle in a position in which it is electrically interconnected between the operator input unit and the power unit and operates to transmit operator input signals from the operator input unit to the power unit to shift the transmission to the position corresponding to the operator input, said method comprising the steps of:

manufacturing a plurality of operator input units;

manufacturing a plurality of power units;

manufacturing a plurality of logic units;

providing a test assembly by assembling an operator input unit, a power unit, and a logic unit in a test fixture in a manner which simulates their assembled interconnection on the motor vehicle;

performing tests on the test assembly that simulate the combined operation of the units on the motor vehicle;

disassembling the test assembly into at least first and second tested modules;

transporting the tested and disassembled modules to at least one motor vehicle assembly site; and

reassembling each tested first module on a motor vehicle in combination with a tested second module, thereby providing a pretested electric shift control apparatus for the motor vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein:

said method includes the further steps of gathering the manufactured operator input units, thereby providing a supply of operator input units, gathering the manufactured power units, thereby providing a supply of power units, and gathering the manufactured logic units, thereby providing a supply of logic units; and

said providing a test assembly step comprises taking an operator input unit from the supply of operator input units, a power unit from the supply of power units, and a logic unit from the supply of logic units.

3. The method according to claim 2 wherein:

said method includes the further step of gathering the tested first modules thereby providing a supply of tested first modules, and gathering the tested second modules, thereby providing a supply of tested second modules.

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein:

said disassembling step comprises disassembling said test assembly into a first module comprising a power unit and a second module comprising an operator input unit connected to a logic unit.

5. A method according to claim 4 wherein:

said transporting step comprises transporting said first module to a motor vehicle chassis assembly site for attachment to the automatic transmission of the motor vehicle and transporting said second module to a motor vehicle body assembly site for mounting in the instrument panel of the motor vehicle.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein:

said disassembling step comprises disassembling said test assembly into a first module comprising a power unit, a second module comprising an operator input unit, and a third module comprising a logic unit.

7. The method according to claim 6 wherein:

said transporting step comprises transporting said first module to a motor vehicle chassis assembly site for attachment to the automatic transmission of the motor vehicle, transporting said second module to a motor vehicle body assembly site for mounting in the instrument panel of the motor vehicle, and transporting said third module to a motor vehicle assembly site for mounting on the motor vehicle in a position to facilitate its electrical interconnection to the first module and the second module.

8. The method according to claim 1 wherein the automatic transmission includes the transmission states of park, reverse, neutral and drive and wherein:

said tests include, with the power unit in a position corresponding to a transmission state other than park, simulating a vehicle ignition off signal and monitoring the shifting of the power unit to a position corresponding to the transmission state of park.

9. The method according to claim 1 wherein the automatic transmission includes the transmission states of park, reverse, neutral and drive and wherein:

said tests include, with the power unit in a position corresponding to the transmission state of park and in the absence of a braking signal, supplying an operator input other than park to the logic unit via the operator unit and monitoring the shifting of the power unit to a position corresponding to the operator input.

10. The method according to claim 1 wherein the automatic transmission includes the transmission states of park, reverse, neutral and drive and wherein:

said tests include, with the power unit in a position corresponding to the transmission state of park and with the power unit output loaded to simulate disposition of the vehicle on a grade, supplying an operator input other than park to the logic unit via the operator input unit and monitoring the shifting of the power unit to a position corresponding to the operator input.

11. The method according to claim 1 wherein the automatic transmission includes the transmission states of park, reverse, neutral and drive and wherein:

one of said tests includes cycling the power unit through positions corresponding to all of the transmission states in response to corresponding operator inputs to the logic unit via the operator input unit.

12. The method according to claim 1 wherein the automatic transmission includes the transmission states of park, reverse, neutral and drive and wherein:

said tests include transmitting respective operator inputs to the logic unit via the control unit corresponding to the various transmission states while transmission respective simulated vehicle threshold signals to the logic unit and observing the shifting of the power unit.

14. A method according to claim 1 wherein said power unit comprises a first power unit, the motor vehicle further includes a transfer case drivingly connected to the output of the automatic transmission, the electric shift control apparatus further includes a second power unit for mounting proximate the transfer case of the motor vehicle, the logic unit operates to transmit operator input signals from the operator input unit to the second power unit to shift the transfer case to the position corresponding to the operator input and:

said method includes the further step of manufacturing a plurality of second power units; and

said test assembly providing step includes assembling a second power unit in the test fixture in a manner which simulates its assembled interconnection to the logic unit, the operator input unit, and the first power unit on the motor vehicle.

15. The method according to claim 14 wherein:

said disassembling step comprises disassembling said test assembly into at least first, second and third tested modules; and

said reassembling step comprises reassembling each tested first module on a motor vehicle in combination with a tested second module and a tested third module.

16. The method according to claim 15 wherein:

said disassembling step comprises disassembling said test assembly into a first module comprising a first power unit, a second module comprising an operator input unit connected to a logic unit, and a third module comprising a second power unit.

17. The according to claim 15 wherein:

said disassembling step comprises disassembling said test assembly into a first module comprising a first power unit, a second module comprising an operator input unit, a third module comprising a logic unit, and a fourth module comprising a second power unit.

13. A method of providing a pretested electric shift apparatus for the automatic transmission of a motor vehicle including an operator input unit for mounting in the instrument panel of the motor vehicle, a power unit for mounting proximate the transmission of the motor vehicle, and a logic unit for mounting on the motor vehicle in a position in which it is electrically interconnected between the operator input unit and the power unit and operates to transmit the operator input signals from the operator input unit to the power unit to shift the transmission to the position corresponding to the operator input, said method comprising the steps of:

manufacturing a plurality of operator input units and gathering said operator input units, thereby providing a supply inventory of said operator input units;

manufacturing a plurality of power units and gathering said power units, thereby providing a supply inventory of power units;

manufacturing a plurality of logic units and gathering said logic units, thereby providing a supply inventory of logic units;

providing a succession of test assemblies, with each test assembly being provided by assembling an operator input unit from the operator input unit supply inventory, a logic unit from the logic unit supply inventory, and a power unit from the power unit supply inventory, in a test assembly and interconnecting the units in a manner which simulates their assembled interconnection in the motor vehicle;

performing tests on each test assembly that simulate the combined operation of the units on the motor vehicle;

disassembling each test assembly into at least first and second tested modules;

gathering the tested first modules into a tested first module inventory;

gathering the tested second modules into a tested second module inventory;

transporting the tested first and second module inventories to at least one motor vehicle assembly site; and

reassembling each tested first module on a motor vehicle in combination with a tested second module, thereby providing a pretested electric shift control apparatus for the motor vehicle.