Apparatus for enabling truck power take off functionality during auto neutral

• US 6,482,124 B2
• Filed: 08/03/2001
• Issued: 11/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Truck Intellectual Property Co. LLC (Volkswagen AG)
• Original Assignee: International Truck Intellectual Property Co. LLC (Volkswagen AG)
• Inventors: Jacob, John, Hormann, Matthew W., Marshall, Brian P., Hilaire, Daniel L., Blanchard, Ronald L., Coe, Barry J., Foster, Kimberly D., Beverly, Shawn E., Shoemaker, Michael L., Beiring, Christopher M., Copeland, William E, Elliot, Charles D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wright, Dirk
• Application Number:
  US09/922,563
• Publication Number:
  US 20020070064A1
• Time in Patent Office: 473 Days
• Field of Search: 477/99, 477/92
• US Class Current: 477/99
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/10 responsive to conditions relating to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2059/366 Engine or motor speed
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2059/6823 Sensing neutral state of the transmission
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 59/24 dependent on the throttle opening
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 59/68 Inputs being a function of gearing status

Abstract

The invention provides an apparatus for installation on a vehicle having an automatic transmission , a gear select lever, an engine, and an engine cranking motor, which allows operation of an auxiliary system by the engine when the automatic transmission is in neutral regardless of the position of the automatic transmission gear select lever and cranking of the engine when the gear select lever for the automatic transmission is positioned at neutral.

Claims

1. Apparatus comprising:

an engine controller responsive to the states of a remote engine speed control input signal and of a driveline disengage input signal for setting an engine throttle control output, and further responsive to the drive line disengage input for setting a value for an engine crank inhibit output signal;

a transmission controller responsive to the states of an auto neutral enable switch and of a park brake for setting a value for an auto neutral output signal and further responsive to the position of the shift select lever for setting a value for shift select lever position output signal; and

a logic network coupled for receiving the output signals from the transmission controller and the engine crank inhibit output signal from the engine controller as input signals and further coupled to apply a signal to the drive line disengage input of the engine controller, the logic network being responsive to the state of the auto neutral output signal for setting the value of the driveline disengage signal and being further responsive to the state of the shift position lever and the engine crank inhibit output signal for enabling a crank motor.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the logic network further comprises:

neutral indicator relay responsive to the auto neutral output signal indicative of the transmission being in neutral for putting a signal on the driveline disengage input indicating that the transmission is in neutral;

a neutral start relay connected to receive the shift lever position signal and responsive to a signal value for the shift select lever position output signal indicative of the shift select lever being in the neutral position for generating an enabling output; and

a crank inhibit relay connected to receive the engine crank inhibit output signal from the engine controller and the output of the neutral start relay for passing a crank enable signal a crank motor if the transmission is indicated to be neutral and the shift lever is in neutral.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the neutral indication relay is connected to the neutral start relay and is further responsive to the shift lever position output signal as passed from the neutral start relay for generating a driveline disengage signal indicating the transmission is in neutral.

4. A vehicle comprising:

an engine;

a throttle connected to the engine to control engine power output;

an automatic transmission;

an engine speed control switch positioned at a remote location on the vehicle;

an engine controller connected to determine the state of the engine speed control switch and further connected to control the throttle;

a park brake;

an auto neutral enable switch;

a gear select lever including a neutral position;

a transmission controller connected to receive as inputs indication of the position of the park brake, the auto neutral enable switch and the gear select lever and responsive thereto for generating two outputs, a gear select lever position signal and a transmission state signal;

a driveline disengage input to the engine controller;

an engine crank inhibit output signal from the engine controller; and

a logic network coupled for receiving the output signals from the transmission controller and the engine crank inhibit output signal from the engine controller as input signals and further coupled to apply a signal to the drive line disengage input of the engine controller, the logic network being responsive to the state of the auto neutral output signal for setting the value of the driveline disengage signal and being further responsive to the state of the shift position lever and the engine crank inhibit output signal for enabling a crank motor.

5. A vehicle as claimed in claim 4, wherein the logic network further comprises:

neutral indicator relay responsive to the auto neutral output signal indicative of the transmission being in neutral for applying a high signal on the driveline disengage input;

a neutral start relay connected to receive the shift lever position signal and responsive to a value of the shift select lever position signal indicative of the shift select lever being in the neutral position for generating an enabling output; and

a crank inhibit relay connected to receive the engine crank inhibit output signal from the engine controller and the output of the neutral start relay for passing a crank enable signal to a crank motor if the transmission is indicated to be neutral and the shift lever is in neutral.

6. A vehicle as claimed in claim 5, further comprising:

an auxiliary system coupled to receive power from the engine.

7. A vehicle as claimed in claim 5, wherein the neutral indicator relay is connected to the neutral start relay and applies a signal indicating the shift lever position from the neutral start relay to the driveline disengage input of the engine controller absent an enabling transmission state signal.

8. Apparatus installed on a vehicle having an automatic transmission, a gear select lever, an engine, and an engine cranking motor, the apparatus allowing energization of an auxiliary system by the engine when the automatic transmission is in neutral and cranking of the engine when the gear select lever for the automatic transmission is positioned at neutral, the apparatus comprising:

means for placing the automatic transmission in a neutral state independent of the position of the gear select lever and generating a signal indicating the state of the automatic transmission;

a source of a signal indicating the position of the gear select lever;

a source of a request signal for increased engine power output for power takeoff operation;

an engine controller providing fuel flow control to the engine for setting power output in response to the state of the request signal for increased engine power output and further in response to the signal state on a driveline disengage signal input;

a relay connected to the means for generating a signal indicating automatic transmission state for setting a driveline disengage signal;

the engine controller being further responsive to the driveline disengage signal for setting a engine crank inhibit signal level; and

a crank inhibit relay responsive to appropriate states of the engine crank inhibit signal and the signal indicating the position of the gear select lever for enabling engine cranking.