Methods and apparatus for operating a motor vehicle

• US 7,062,986 B2
• Filed: 10/09/2003
• Issued: 06/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LuK Lamellen und Kupplungsbau Beteiligungs KG (INA-Holding Schaeffler GmbH & Co. KG)
• Original Assignee: LuK Lamellen und Kupplungsbau Beteiligungs KG (INA-Holding Schaeffler GmbH & Co. KG)
• Inventors: Rieger, Christian, Schweizer, Alexander, Bast, Frank, Metzger, Jörg, Moosheimer, Johannes, Gallion, Michael, Strack, Florian
• Primary Examiner(s): PANG, ROGER L
• Application Number:
  US10/682,656
• Publication Number:
  US 20040132580A1
• Time in Patent Office: 985 Days
• Field of Search: 477/109, 477/174, 477/180, 123/406.23, 701/54, 743/35, 743/375, 744/731, 744/731.3, 747/71
• US Class Current: 74/335
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/02 including control of driveline clutches
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/10 including control of change-speed gearings
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/11 Stepped gearings
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/10 Accelerator pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18 Propelling the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2061/0492 for high engine torque, e.g. during acceleration or uphill driving
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 59/18 dependent on the position of the accelerator pedal
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/18 Preventing unintentional or unsafe shift , e.g. preventing manual shift from highest gear to reverse gear
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/19251 Control mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20085 Restriction of shift, gear selection, or gear engagement

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are taught for controlling the operation of a power train in a motor vehicle (1), which may include controlling a clutch actuating mechanism (20) so as to open a clutch (3) in a vehicle pull mode. Then, a transmission (4) may be changed from a first gear position to a second gear position via a neutral position by moving a transmission actuator. At or about the same time, the ignition angle of a spark-ignited combustion engine (2) is preferably shifted during the gear change step to cause the combustion engine to generate a negative engine torque. As a result, engine speed is decreased when the transmission is disposed in the neutral position and a desired engine torque can be rapidly realized as soon as the transmission actuator is disposed in the second gear position. Thereafter, the clutch is closed again.

Claims

1. An automated transmission for a power train of a motor vehicle comprising:

a gear shifting member,

a selector actuating means for moving said gear shifting member along a selection direction to at least one selecting position for selecting a gear to be shifted, the at least one selecting position representing a neutral status of the transmission,

a gear shifting motor arranged and constructed to move said gear shifting member along a shifting direction, which is different from said selecting direction, so as to shift the automated transmission into the selected gear, and

a guide designed to enable a guided member to slide or glide there along such that the gear shifting member moves along at least one predetermined path for shifting the automated transmission into the selected gear from the at least one selecting position, wherein the guide comprises at least one wall defining the at least one predetermined path between the selecting position and a gear engaged position and the at least one wall is shaped such that the gear shifting member is required to move in both the shifting direction and the selecting direction when the gear shifting member is moved from the at least one selecting position to the gear engaged position.

2. An automated transmission as in claim 1, wherein the at least one predetermined path is a path arranged to shift the automated transmission into a first gear or a reverse gear from a selecting position common to both the first and reverse gear.

3. An automated transmission comprising:

a gear shifting member,

a selector actuating means for moving said gear shifting member along a gear selection direction to at least one selecting position for selecting a gear to be engaged,

a gear shifting motor arranged and constructed to move said gear shifting member along a shifting direction, which is different from said selecting direction, so as to move the gear shifting member from the at least one selecting position to a gear engaged position, and

guide means for guiding the movement of the gear shifting member along at least one predetermined path between the at least one selecting position and a gear engaged position, wherein the guide means comprises a guide having a wall defining the at least one predetermined path and a guide member arranged and constructed to slide there along, wherein the guide means is configured such that the gear shifting member is required to move in both the shifting direction and the selecting direction when the gear shifting member is moved from the at least one selecting position to the gear engaged position.

4. An automated transmission as in claim 3, wherein the at least one selecting position represents a neutral status of the transmission.

5. An automated transmission as in claim 4, wherein the at least one predetermined path is a path arranged to shift the automated transmission into a first gear or a reverse gear from a selecting position common to both the first and reverse gear.

6. An automated transmission as in claim 5, wherein the wall is one of:

(i) inclined by an acute angle from the shifting direction, which is perpendicular to the selection direction or

(ii) stepped shaped with one leg parallel to the selection direction and at least one leg perpendicular thereto.

7. An automated transmission as in claim 3, wherein the wall is one of:

(i) inclined by an acute angle from the shifting direction, which is perpendicular to the selection direction or

(ii) stepped shaped with one leg parallel to the selection direction and at least one leg perpendicular thereto.

8. An automated transmission as in claim 4, wherein the at least one shifting guide path is a path arranged to shift the automated transmission into a first gear or a reverse gear from a selecting position common to both the first and reverse gear.

9. An automated shift transmission comprising:

a guide designed to enable a guided element to slide or glide there along, the guide defining a gear selecting guide path having a gear selecting direction, which guide path represents a neutral status of the transmission, and a plurality of shifting guide paths each respectively extending between the gear selecting guide path and a respective gear engaged position, at least one shifting guide path of the guide being defined by a wall having a shape that is one of;

(i) inclined by an acute angle from a shifting direction that is perpendicular to the gear selecting direction or

(ii) stepped shaped with one leg parallel to the gear selection direction and at least one leg perpendicular thereto,

such that a gear shifting member is required to move in both the gear selecting direction and the shifting direction to reach the respective gear engaged position from the gear selection guide path.

10. An automated transmission as in claim 9, further comprising a selector actuating means for moving said gear shifting member along the gear selection direction to the at least one selecting position for selecting the gear to be engaged.

11. An automated transmission as in claim 10, further comprising a gear shifting motor arranged and constructed to move said gear shifting member along the shifting direction so as to move the gear shifting member from the at least one gear selecting position to the gear engaged position.