Semi-automatic shift implementation with automatic engine control enable switch

• US 6,007,455 A
• Filed: 02/25/1997
• Issued: 12/28/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Eaton Corp. (Wisconsin) (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Original Assignee: Eaton Corp. (Wisconsin) (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Inventors: Steeby, Jon A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wright, Dirk
• Application Number:
  US08/806,887
• Time in Patent Office: 1,036 Days
• Field of Search: 477/109, 477/110, 477/111
• US Class Current: 477/109
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/111 with separate change-speed gear trains arranged in series
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18 Propelling the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 59/0217 with electric switches or sensors not for gear or range selection, e.g. for controlling auxiliary devices for gear selection F16H59/044; for range selection F16H59/105
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/0248 Control units where shifting is directly initiated by the driver, e.g. semi-automatic transmissions generation of movements for final actuating mechanisms F16H61/28
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/0403 Synchronisation before shifting
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/702 using electric or electrohydraulic control means
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 63/502 for smoothing gear shifts

Abstract

A semi-automatic shift implementation system (100) for a manually shifted transmission (10) having gear ratios selectively engaged and disengaged by means of jaw clutches (48, 50) selectively positioned by a shift lever (57). The system will sense a transmission neutral condition, operation of a manually actuated switch (120), and a target gear ratio (GR_T) and, upon sensing a transmission neutral condition and continued actuation of said switch, will automatically cause the system engine (102) to achieve a substantially synchronous speed (ES=IS=((OS*GR.sub. T)±E) for engaging the target ratio.

Claims

1. A manually shifted vehicular transmission system comprising:

a transmission section having an input shaft driven by a fuel-controlled engine, an output shaft, a plurality of selectably engageable and disengageable drive ratios, and a selectable neutral, all of said drive ratios and neutral selected by means of selectively engaged and disengaged jaw clutches operatively positioned by a manually operated shift lever having a plurality of shift lever positions;

a manually controlled switch for providing a signal indicative of operator request for automatic control of engine fueling;

means to sense a transmission section neutral condition;

means to determine a forward target gear ratio; and

means to automatically control fueling of the engine, said means effective to sense a presence or absence of said signal and, (i) upon sensing transmission section neutral and the presence of said signal, to cause the engine to achieve a substantially synchronous speed for engaging said target gear ratio; and

(ii) upon sensing the absence of said signal, to cause engine fueling to be in accordance with operator demand.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said transmission section comprises a main transmission section (12) of a compound transmission.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising means to sense engagement of said target gear ratio, said means to automatically control fueling effective to cause engine fueling to be in accordance with operator demand upon sensed engagement of said target ratio.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said switch is a button resiliently biased to a non-activated position and located on said shift lever.

5. The system of claim 3 wherein said switch is a button resiliently biased to a non-activated position and located on said shift lever.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said jaw clutches are non-synchronized jaw clutches.

7. The system of claim 4 further comprising means to sense said engine achieving a synchronous speed for engaging said target gear ratio and for causing the operator to be informed that the target gear ratio is engageable at substantially synchronous speeds.

8. The system of claim 1 further comprising means to sense conditions indicative of an operator intent to shift into transmission section neutral from a currently engaged ratio, said means to automatically control fueling effective to cause the engine to be fueled to minimize torque at currently engaged jaw clutches in response to sensing the presence of said signal and said conditions indicative of an operator intent to shift into transmission section neutral.

9. The system of claim 3 further comprising means to sense conditions indicative of an operator intent to shift into transmission section neutral from a currently engaged ratio, said means to automatically control fueling effective to cause the engine to be fueled to minimize torque at currently engaged jaw clutches in response to sensing the presence of said signal and said conditions indicative of an operator intent to shift into transmission section neutral.

10. The system of claim 1 further comprising a display for indicating at least one of (i) the current shift lever position and (ii) the shift lever position of the target gear ratio.

11. The system of claim 3 further comprising a display for indicating at least one of (i) the current shift lever position and (ii) the shift lever position of the target gear ratio.

12. The transmission system of claim 2 wherein said compound transmission is a splitter-type transmission and further comprising means to automatically initiate and complete all dynamic forward splitter shifts.

13. The transmission system of claim 3 wherein said compound transmission is a splitter-type transmission and further comprising means to automatically initiate and complete all dynamic forward splitter shifts.

14. The system of claim 1 further comprising sensors for providing input signals indicative of input shaft speed and output shaft speed, said means to sense a transmission section neutral condition making such determination as a function of said speed signals.

15. The system of claim 3 further comprising sensors for providing input signals indicative of engine speed, input shaft speed and output shaft speed, said means to sense a transmission section neutral condition and to sense a non-engaged condition of said friction clutch making such determinations as a function of said speed signals.

16. The system of claim 3 further comprising sensors for providing input signals indicative of input shaft and output shaft speeds, and means for sensing engagement of said drive ratios as a function of said speed signals.

17. The control system of claim 1 wherein said engine includes a microprocessor-based engine controller mounted to said engine and having a memory, said means to sense transmission neutral, determine a target gear ratio and automatically control fueling comprising logic rules stored in said memory.

18. The control system of claim 3 wherein said engine includes a microprocessor-based engine controller mounted to said engine and having a memory, said means to sense transmission neutral, determine a target gear ratio and automatically control fueling comprising logic rules stored in said memory.

19. A microprocessor-based system controller for controlling a manually shifted vehicular transmission system comprising a transmission section having an input shaft driven by a fuel-controlled engine, an output shaft, a plurality of selectably engageable and disengageable drive ratios, and a selectable neutral, all of said drive ratios and neutral selected by means of selectively engaged and disengaged jaw clutches operatively positioned by a manually operated shift lever having a plurality of shift lever positions, and a manually controlled switch for providing a signal indicative of an operator request for automatic control of engine fueling, said system controller having a memory storing logic rules effective:

to sense the presence or absence of said signal;

to sense a transmission section neutral condition;

to determine a forward target gear ratio; and

to automatically control fueling of the engine, including, upon sensing (i) the presence of said signal and (ii) transmission section neutral, causing the engine to achieve a substantially synchronous speed for engaging said target gear ratio, and to automatically cause engine fueling to be in accordance with operator demand upon sensing any one of (i) engagement of said target gear ratio and (ii) an absence of said signal.

20. A manually shifted vehicular transmission system comprising:

a transmission section having an input shaft driven by a fuel-controlled engine through a manually controlled friction clutch, an output shaft, a plurality of selectably engageable and disengageable drive ratios, and a selectable neutral, all of said drive ratios and neutral selected by means of selectively engaged and disengaged jaw clutches operatively positioned by a manually operated shift lever having a plurality of shift lever positions;

a manually controlled switch for providing a signal indicative of operator request for automatic control of engine fueling;

means to sense a transmission section neutral condition;

means to sense a non-engaged condition of said friction clutch;

means to determine a forward target gear ratio; and

means to automatically control fueling of the engine, said means effective to sense a presence or absence of said signal and (i) upon sensing transmission section neutral and the presence of said signal, to cause the engine to achieve a substantially synchronous speed for engaging said target gear ratio; and

(ii) upon sensing a non-engaged condition of said friction clutch, to cause engine fueling to be in accordance with operator demand.

21. The system of claim 20 further comprising means to sense engagement of said target gear ratio, said means to automatically control fueling effective to cause engine fueling to be in accordance with operator demand upon sensed engagement of said target ratio.

22. A microprocessor-based system controller for controlling a manually shifted vehicular transmission system comprising a transmission section having an input shaft driven by a fuel-controlled engine through a manually controlled friction clutch, an output shaft, a plurality of selectably engageable and disengageable drive ratios, and a selectable neutral, all of said drive ratios and neutral selected by means of selectively engaged and disengaged jaw clutches operatively positioned by a manually operated shift lever having a plurality of shift lever positions, and a manually controlled switch for providing a signal indicative of an operator request for automatic control of engine fueling, said system controller having a memory storing logic rules effective:

to sense the presence or absence of said signal;

to sense a transmission section neutral condition;

to sense a non-engaged condition of said master clutch;

to determine a forward target gear ratio; and

to automatically control fueling of the engine, including, upon sensing (i) the presence of said signal and (ii) transmission section neutral, causing the engine to achieve a substantially synchronous speed for engaging said target gear ratio; and

effective to automatically cause engine fueling to be in accordance with operator demand upon sensed non-engagement of said friction clutch.

23. The system controller of claim 22 wherein said engine is drivingly connected to said input shaft by a manually controllable friction clutch, said logic rules further comprising logic rules for sensing a non-engaged condition of said friction clutch, and effective to automatically cause engine fueling to be in accordance with operator demand upon sensed non-engagement of said friction clutch.