Vehicle transmission
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsRam Sudarsan Devendran, Steven Anatole Frait
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vehicle transmission includes a plurality of clutches, a shaft, and a pressure relief valve. The plurality of clutches each define a balance dam chamber. The shaft partially defines a pressurized fluid circuit that includes each balance dam chamber. The shaft also defines an outlet. The pressure relief valve is disposed within the shaft between the pressurized fluid circuit and the outlet. The pressure relief valve is configured to open at a threshold pressure of the fluid circuit, wherein the threshold pressure decreases as rotational speed of the shaft increases.
Claims20
A vehicle transmission comprising:
- a plurality of clutches each defining a balance dam chamber;
- a shaft partially defining a pressurized fluid circuit, that includes each chamber, and an outlet;
- and
- a pressure relief valve disposed within the shaft between the fluid circuit and the outlet and configured to open at a threshold pressure of the fluid circuit, wherein the threshold pressure decreases as rotational speed of the shaft increases.
A transmission comprising:
- first and second clutches each defining a balance dam chamber;
- a shaft defining an axially extending pressurized fluid circuit, that is open to each chamber, and an outlet channel extending radially outward from the fluid circuit;
- and
- a pressure relief valve disposed within the outlet channel and configured to open at a threshold pressure of the fluid circuit, wherein the threshold pressure decreases as rotational speed of the shaft increases.
A transmission comprising:
- a plurality of clutches each defining a balance dam chamber;
- a rotating element defining a pressurized fluid circuit, that is open to each chamber, and a non-pressurized outlet;
- and
- a pressure relief valve disposed between the pressurized fluid circuit and the non-pressurized outlet and configured to open at a threshold pressure of the pressurized fluid circuit, wherein the threshold pressure decreases as rotational speed of the rotating element increases.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.