Transmission fluid warming and cooling method
First Claim
1. A method for controlling a temperature of transmission fluid in a motor vehicle having an engine and a transmission comprising:
- operating in a heater priority mode by disabling automatic transmission fluid heating;
determining when to enter an automatic transmission fluid heating mode by determining when any one of a group of conditions has been met, wherein determining when any one of the group of conditions has been met includes determining if a first condition is met by detecting an expiration of a first timer and wherein entering an automatic transmission fluid heating mode occurs after the heater priority mode and only when any one of the group of conditions has been met; and
entering the automatic transmission fluid heating mode by sending hot engine coolant to a heat exchanger for heating the automatic transmission fluid by transferring heat from the hot engine coolant to the automatic transmission fluid.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method for controlling the temperature of transmission fluid in a motor vehicle includes operating in an automatic transmission fluid cooling mode, a heater priority mode entered by disabling automatic transmission fluid heating, and an automatic transmission fluid heating mode which includes sending hot engine coolant to a heat exchanger for heating the automatic transmission fluid by transferring heat from the hot engine coolant to the automatic transmission fluid. The method switches to from a heater priority mode to a transmission heating mode base on a number of sensed conditions including sensed automatic fluid transmission temperature. The method also includes an automatic transmission fluid temperature regulating mode including measuring an automatic transmission fluid temperature and switching between the cooling mode and the heating mode based measured temperature.
37 Citations
22 Claims
-
1. A method for controlling a temperature of transmission fluid in a motor vehicle having an engine and a transmission comprising:
-
operating in a heater priority mode by disabling automatic transmission fluid heating; determining when to enter an automatic transmission fluid heating mode by determining when any one of a group of conditions has been met, wherein determining when any one of the group of conditions has been met includes determining if a first condition is met by detecting an expiration of a first timer and wherein entering an automatic transmission fluid heating mode occurs after the heater priority mode and only when any one of the group of conditions has been met; and entering the automatic transmission fluid heating mode by sending hot engine coolant to a heat exchanger for heating the automatic transmission fluid by transferring heat from the hot engine coolant to the automatic transmission fluid. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
-
-
19. A method for controlling a temperature of transmission fluid in a motor vehicle having an engine and a transmission comprising:
-
operating in a heater priority mode by disabling automatic transmission fluid heating; operating in an automatic transmission fluid cooling mode by sending cold engine coolant to the heat exchanger for cooling the automatic transmission fluid by transferring heat from the automatic transmission fluid to the cold engine coolant, wherein entering the automatic transmission fluid cooling mode includes switching a first valve to block the hot engine coolant from passing directly to the heat exchanger and switching a second valve to send the cold engine coolant leaving a radiator to the heat exchanger; determining when to enter an automatic transmission fluid heating mode by determining when any one of a group of conditions has been met wherein entering an automatic transmission fluid heating mode occurs after the heater priority mode and only when any one of the group of conditions has been met; and entering the automatic transmission fluid heating mode by sending hot engine coolant to a heat exchanger for heating the automatic transmission fluid by transferring heat from the hot engine coolant to the automatic transmission fluid. - View Dependent Claims (20, 22)
-
-
21. A method for controlling a temperature of transmission fluid in a motor vehicle having an engine and a transmission comprising:
-
operating in a heater priority mode by disabling automatic transmission fluid heating wherein entering the heater priority mode includes switching a first valve to send the hot engine coolant directly to a heater core and switching a second valve to send cold engine coolant leaving a radiator back to the engine; determining when to enter an automatic transmission fluid heating mode by determining when any one of a group of conditions has been met wherein entering an automatic transmission fluid heating mode occurs after the heater priority mode and only when any one of the group of conditions has been met; and entering the automatic transmission fluid heating mode by sending hot engine coolant to a heat exchanger for heating the automatic transmission fluid by transferring heat from the hot engine coolant to the automatic transmission fluid.
-
Specification