Toroidal type automatic transmission for motor vehicles

• US 6,390,946 B1
• Filed: 06/09/2000
• Issued: 05/21/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Mori, Haruhito, Nakano, Masaki, Hibi, Toshifumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Estremsky, Sherry
• Application Number:
  US09/355,108
• Time in Patent Office: 711 Days
• Field of Search: 475/214, 475/215, 475/216
• US Class Current: 475/216
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2015/383 with two or more sets of toroid gearings arranged in parallel
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/664 Friction gearings
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/6649 characterised by the means for controlling the torque transmitting capability of the gearing

Abstract

Even in the case where a driver switches a select lever from D range to N range and returns it back to D range during the running of a vehicle, a speed change control device prevents the operation of sudden speed change caused by a difference between a transmission input rotational speed and the actual input rotating speed of a toroidal transmission unit while in the N range. Accordingly, an automatic transmission comprises a forward-reverse switching mechanism, an impelling mechanism and a toroidal transmission unit which are sequentially arranged from the driving source side of a vehicle, and further comprises a speed change control device for controlling the operation of the above. A notch as a rotational speed signaling section is provided on the outer periphery of a loading cam, for example, among rotating members in the area from an output member of the above forward-reverse switching mechanism to an input disc of the above toroidal transmission unit, and the notch is detected by a rotation sensor arranged in the vicinity of the outer periphery to detect the rotational speed of the loading cam and input the same to the speed change control device.

Claims

1. An automatic transmission for a vehicle, comprising:

a toroidal type continuously variable transmission having a forward-reverse switching mechanism, an impelling mechanism and a toroidal transmission unit which are sequentially provided from the driving source side of the vehicle; and

a speed change control device for controlling the operation of said transmission,

wherein said impelling mechanism comprises a loading cam and a cam roller holder,

wherein a rotational speed signaling section is provided on one of rotating members, which are connected to each other, in the area from an output member of said forward-reverse switching mechanism to said cam roller holder of said impelling mechanism, said one of rotating members rotating regardless of the presence or absence of the rotation transmission in said forward-reverse switching mechanism, and

wherein an input rotational speed detecting part, installed on a side of a case of the transmission, is positioned in the vicinity of an outer periphery of said rotational speed signaling section, said input rotational speed detecting part detects a rotational speed of said one of rotating members provided with said rotational speed signaling section and inputs the detected rotational speed to said speed change control device.

2. The automatic transmission for a vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein said rotating member provided with said rotational speed signaling section is said loading cam of said impelling mechanism, and said rotational speed signaling section is provided on the outer peripheral part of said loading cam.

3. The automatic transmission for a vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein said rotating member provided with said rotational speed signaling section is said cam roller holder of said impelling mechanism, and said rotational speed signaling section is provided on the outer peripheral part of said cam roller holder.

4. The automatic transmission for a vehicle as claimed in claim 3, wherein the diameter of said loading cam of said impelling mechanism is smaller than that of said cam roller holder of said impelling mechanism, and the outer peripheral part of said cam roller holder provided with said rotational speed signalling section is formed in such a manner as to be extended in the axial direction, surrounding the outer peripheral part of said loading cam.

5. The automatic transmission for a vehicle as claimed in claim 4, wherein the diameter of said cam roller holder is smaller than that of said input disc of said toroidal transmission unit.

6. The automatic transmission for a vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein said rotating member provided with said rotational speed signalling section is an output member of said forward-reverse switching mechanism.