Installation structure of oil cooler of vehicular transmission

• US 8,069,951 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2005
• Issued: 12/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jatco Limited (Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Jatco Limited (Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Sugano, Taku, Saitou, Tsutomu
• Primary Examiner(s): King, Bradley
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rashid, Mahbubur
• Application Number:
  US11/239,464
• Publication Number:
  US 20060070811A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,258 Days
• Field of Search: 184/6.5, 184/6.21, 165/119, 165/51, 165/916, 603/36, 475/161
• US Class Current: 184/6.5
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 57/0404 Lubricant filters
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 57/0417 Heat exchangers adapted or integrated in the gearing
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 57/0489 with endless flexible members, e.g. belt CVTs
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/0009 Hydraulic control units for transmission control, e.g. assembly of valve plates or valve units
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 9/18 only one flange of each pulley being adjustable
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 165/916 Oil cooler

Abstract

In an oil cooler installation structure for a vehicular transmission, an oil cooler by means of which oil is cooled is provided, oil being delivered between the oil cooler and an internal of a transmission housing, and an oil cooler installation portion is provided in the internal of the transmission housing and in which a first oil passage for supplying oil in the internal of the transmission housing to the oil cooler via a first opening portion opened at an external of the transmission housing and a second oil passage for supplying oil from the oil cooler to the internal of the transmission housing via a second opening portion opened at the external of the transmission housing are formed, the oil cooler being attached onto the oil cooler installation portion to enable a delivery of oil via the first opening portion and the second opening portion.

Claims

1. An oil cooler installation structure for a vehicular transmission, comprising:

an oil cooler by means of which oil is cooled;

an internal of a transmission housing in which a gear shift mechanism is housed, oil being delivered between the oil cooler and the internal of the transmission housing and the gear shift mechanism having at least one rotary member;

an oil cooler installation portion provided in the internal of the transmission housing and in which a first oil passage for supplying oil in the internal of the transmission housing to the oil cooler via a first opening portion opened at an external of the transmission housing and a second oil passage for supplying oil from the oil cooler to the internal of the transmission housing via a second opening portion opened at the external of the transmission housing are formed; and

a control valve unit housing portion configured to house at least one part of a control valve unit and electronic parts comprising a plurality of electromagnetic control valves and sensors,

wherein the control valve unit housing portion projects from a vehicle forward side end of the gear shift mechanism toward the vehicle forward side and is formed at a position which provides the vehicular forward side of the transmission housing when the transmission is mounted on a vehicle,

wherein the oil cooler is attached onto the oil cooler installation portion to enable a delivery of oil via the first opening portion and the second opening portion and the oil cooler is disposed on the vehicular forward side of the transmission housing and above a part of the control valve unit housing portion projected toward the vehicular forward side from the vehicle forward side end of the gear shift mechanism.

2. An oil cooler installation structure for a vehicular transmission as claimed in claim 1, wherein a filter to eliminate a foreign matter from oil is installed in the second oil passage of the oil cooler installation portion.

3. An oil cooler installation structure for a vehicular transmission as claimed in claim 2, wherein the filter is enabled to be inserted through and to be taken through the second opening portion into and out of the second oil passage.

4. An oil cooler installation structure for a vehicular transmission as claimed in claim 1, wherein the oil cooler installation portion is formed at a position which provides a vehicular forward side of the transmission housing when the transmission is mounted on the vehicle.

5. An oil cooler installation structure for a vehicular transmission as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transmission housing is provided with a third oil passage to feed oil from the control valve unit to a tester to check a hydraulic pressure developed at the control valve unit, the third oil passage being opened to the external of the transmission housing and being formed at a position adjacent to the first oil passage and the second oil passage.

6. An oil cooler installation structure for a vehicular transmission as claimed in claim 5, wherein a plurality of the third oil passages are arranged to be mutually adjacent to each other.

7. An oil cooler installation structure for a vehicular transmission as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transmission housing is integrally formed with the oil cooler installation portion.

8. An oil cooler installation structure for a vehicular transmission as claimed in claim 6, wherein the control valve unit and third oil passages are concentrated and arranged on a predetermined lower portion of the transmission housing.

9. An oil cooler installation structure for a vehicular transmission as claimed in claim 1, wherein the gear shift mechanism comprises a torque converter, a forward-and-backward switching mechanism, a continuously variable transmission, an idler gear, and a differential gear.

10. An oil cooler installation structure for a vehicular transmission as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first oil passage for supplying oil to the oil cooler is completely contained within a housing of the transmission.