US 10,906,546 B2Granted

High efficiency, high output transmission

AssigneeEaton Cummins Automated Transmission Technologies, LLC

InventorsPaul Peterson, Graeme Andrew Jackson, Paul Wilson, Christian Chimner, David L. Wadas, Thomas Connolly

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A transmission includes an input shaft coupled to a prime mover, a countershaft, main shaft, and an output shaft, with gears between the countershaft and the main shaft. A shift actuator selectively couples the input shaft to the main shaft by rotatably coupling gears between the countershaft and the main shaft. The shift actuator is mounted on an exterior wall of a housing including the countershaft and the main shaft. An integrated actuator housing includes a single external power access for the shift actuator. A controller interprets a shaft displacement angle, determines if the transmission is in an imminent zero or zero torque region, and performs a transmission operation in response to the transmission in the imminent zero or zero torque region.

Claims60

Dependent claims

A transmission, comprising:

an input shaft configured to couple to a prime mover;
a countershaft having a first plurality of gears mounted thereon;
a main shaft having a second plurality of gears mounted thereon;
an output shaft selectively providing a torque output to a driveline;
a shift actuator structured to selectively couple the input shaft to the main shaft by rotatably coupling at least one of the first plurality of gears to the countershaft and the second plurality of gears to the main shaft, wherein the shift actuator is mounted on an exterior wall of a housing, and wherein the countershaft and the main shaft are at least partially positioned within the housing;
a controller comprising:
a shaft displacement circuit structured to interpret a shaft displacement angle, the shaft displacement angle comprising an angle value representative of a rotational displacement difference between at least two shafts of the transmission;
a torque state description circuit structured to determine, in response to the shaft displacement angle, that the transmission is in one of:
a zero torque region;
or an imminent zero torque region;
a displacement response circuit structured to perform a transmission operation in response to at least one of:
the shaft displacement angle, the zero torque region, or the imminent zero torque region;
wherein the transmission is a high efficiency transmission;
wherein the countershaft comprises one of a pair of twin countershafts;
wherein the transmission comprises a cast aluminum housing;
wherein the countershaft comprises helical gears;
and
the transmission further comprising a planetary gear set comprising a sun gear and a ring gear, wherein the ring gear is coupled to the output shaft, and wherein the sun gear is selectively coupled to the ring gear, the transmission further comprising a ball bearing operatively positioned between the sun gear and the ring gear, and wherein the helical gears are configured to apply thrust loads to the ball bearing.

15 more elements

A transmission, comprising:

an input shaft configured to couple to a prime mover;
a countershaft having a first plurality of gears mounted thereon;
a main shaft having a second plurality of gears mounted thereon;
an output shaft selectively providing a torque output to a driveline;
a shift actuator structured to selectively couple the input shaft to the main shaft by rotatably coupling at least one of the first plurality of gears to the countershaft and the second plurality of gears to the main shaft, wherein the shift actuator is mounted on an exterior wall of a housing, and wherein the countershaft and the main shaft are at least partially positioned within the housing;
a controller comprising:
a shaft displacement circuit structured to interpret a shaft displacement angle, the shaft displacement angle comprising an angle value representative of a rotational displacement difference between at least two shafts of the transmission;
a torque state description circuit structured to determine, in response to the shaft displacement angle, that the transmission is in one of:
a zero torque region;
or an imminent zero torque region;
and
a displacement response circuit structured to perform a transmission operation in response to at least one of:
the shaft displacement angle, the zero torque region, or the imminent zero torque region;
wherein the transmission is a high efficiency transmission;
wherein the controller further comprises a shift control circuit structured to:
provide a first opposing pulse command, the first opposing pulse command comprising a first predetermined amount of air above an ambient amount of air in a first closed volume, wherein pressure in the first closed volume opposes movement of the shift actuator in a shift direction;
determine a second predetermined amount of air in response to at least one of a speed of at least one of the shafts, an air supply pressure, and a transmission temperature value, the second predetermined amount of air comprising an amount of air above an ambient amount of air in a second closed volume, wherein pressure in the second closed volume promotes movement of the shift actuator in the shift direction;
provide a first actuating pulse command, the first actuating pulse command comprising the second predetermined amount of air;
and
release pressure in the first closed volume and the second closed volume in response to determining a shift completion event;
and
wherein the shift actuator is responsive to the first opposing pulse command and the first actuating pulse command.

19 more elements

A transmission, comprising:

an input shaft configured to couple to a prime mover;
a countershaft having a first plurality of gears mounted thereon;
a main shaft having a second plurality of gears mounted thereon;
an output shaft selectively providing a torque output to a driveline;
a shift actuator structured to selectively couple the input shaft to the main shaft by rotatably coupling at least one of the first plurality of gears to the countershaft and the second plurality of gears to the main shaft, wherein the shift actuator is mounted on an exterior wall of a housing, and wherein the countershaft and the main shaft are at least partially positioned within the housing;
a controller comprising:
a shaft displacement circuit structured to interpret a shaft displacement angle, the shaft displacement angle comprising an angle value representative of a rotational displacement difference between at least two shafts of the transmission;
a torque state description circuit structured to determine, in response to the shaft displacement angle, that the transmission is in one of:
a zero torque region;
or an imminent zero torque region;
and
a displacement response circuit structured to perform a transmission operation in response to at least one of:
the shaft displacement angle, the zero torque region, or the imminent zero torque region;
and
wherein the transmission is a high efficiency transmission;
and
a clutch structured to selectively decouple the prime mover from the input shaft;
a progressive actuator operationally coupled to the clutch, wherein a position of the progressive actuator corresponds to a position of the clutch;
wherein the controller further comprises:
a clutch characterization circuit structured to interpret a clutch torque profile, the clutch torque profile providing a relation between a position of the clutch and a clutch torque value;
a clutch control circuit structured to command a position of the progressive actuator in response to a clutch torque reference value and the clutch torque profile;
and
the clutch characterization circuit further structured to interpret a position of the progressive actuator and an indicated clutch torque, and to update the clutch torque profile in response to the position of the progressive actuator and the indicated clutch torque.

20 more elements

A transmission, comprising:

an input shaft configured to couple to a prime mover;
a countershaft having a first plurality of gears mounted thereon;
a main shaft having a second plurality of gears mounted thereon;
an output shaft selectively providing a torque output to a driveline;
a shift actuator structured to selectively couple the input shaft to the main shaft by rotatably coupling at least one of the first plurality of gears to the countershaft and the second plurality of gears to the main shaft, wherein the shift actuator is mounted on an exterior wall of a housing, and wherein the countershaft and the main shaft are at least partially positioned within the housing;
a controller comprising:
a shaft displacement circuit structured to interpret a shaft displacement angle, the shaft displacement angle comprising an angle value representative of a rotational displacement difference between at least two shafts of the transmission;
a torque state description circuit structured to determine, in response to the shaft displacement angle, that the transmission is in one of:
a zero torque region;
or an imminent zero torque region;
and
a displacement response circuit structured to perform a transmission operation in response to at least one of:
the shaft displacement angle, the zero torque region, or the imminent zero torque region;
and
wherein the transmission is a high efficiency transmission;
and
a clutch actuator wherein both of the clutch actuator and the shift actuator are powered by a common air supply.

14 more elements

An automated manual truck transmission, comprising:

an input shaft configured to couple to a prime mover;
a countershaft having a first plurality of gears mounted thereon;
a main shaft having a second plurality of gears mounted thereon;
an output shaft selectively providing a torque output to a driveline;
a shift actuator structured to selectively couple the input shaft to the main shaft by rotatably coupling at least one of the first plurality of gears to the countershaft and the second plurality of gears to the main shaft, wherein the shift actuator is mounted on an exterior wall of a housing, and wherein the countershaft and the main shaft are at least partially positioned within the housing;
a controller comprising:
a shaft displacement circuit structured to interpret a shaft displacement angle, the shaft displacement angle comprising an angle value representative of a rotational displacement difference between at least two shafts of the transmission, and wherein the shaft displacement angle comprises at least one angle selected from the angles consisting of:
an input angle comprising an angle value representative of a rotational displacement difference between the input shaft and the countershaft;
a main box angle comprising a rotational displacement difference between the countershaft and the output shaft;
and
an output angle comprising a rotational displacement difference between the input shaft and the output shaft;
and
a torque input determination circuit structured to determine a prime mover torque value in response to the shaft displacement angle;
a displacement response circuit structured to provide, in response to the prime mover torque value, a prime mover torque pulse command;
and
wherein the transmission comprises a high efficiency transmission.

13 more elements

A transmission, comprising:

an input shaft configured to couple to a prime mover;
a countershaft having a first plurality of gears mounted thereon;
a main shaft having a second plurality of gears mounted thereon;
an output shaft selectively providing a torque output to a driveline;
a shift actuator structured to selectively couple the input shaft to the main shaft by rotatably coupling at least one of the first plurality of gears to the countershaft and the second plurality of gears to the main shaft, wherein the shift actuator is mounted on an exterior wall of a housing, and wherein the countershaft and the main shaft are at least partially positioned within the housing;
a controller comprising:
a shaft displacement circuit structured to interpret a shaft displacement angle, the shaft displacement angle comprising an angle value representative of a rotational displacement difference between at least two shafts of the transmission;
a torque state description circuit structured to determine, in response to the shaft displacement angle, that the transmission is in one of:
a zero torque region;
or an imminent zero torque region;
and
a displacement response circuit structured to perform a transmission operation in response to at least one of:
the shaft displacement angle, the zero torque region, or the imminent zero torque region;
and
wherein the transmission further comprises a diaphragm clutch;
and
wherein the controller further comprises:
a shift control circuit structured to:
provide a first opposing pulse command, the first opposing pulse command comprising a first predetermined amount of air above an ambient amount of air in a first closed volume, wherein pressure in the first closed volume opposes movement of the shift actuator in a shift direction;
to determine a second predetermined amount of air in response to at least one of a speed of at least one of the shafts, an air supply pressure, and a transmission temperature value, the second predetermined amount of air comprising an amount of air above an ambient amount of air in a second closed volume, wherein pressure in the second closed volume promotes movement of the shift actuator in the shift direction;
provide a first actuating pulse command, the first actuating pulse command comprising the second predetermined amount of air;
release pressure in the first closed volume and the second closed volume in response to determining a shift completion event;
and
wherein the shift actuator is responsive to the first opposing pulse command and the first actuating pulse command.

21 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/663,168Filed 28 Jul 2017 · us provisional application
Priority: 22 Dec 2016
Published: US 2018/0180168 A128 Jun 2018
Granted: 2 Feb 2021
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification118 codes

B60W 30/18027
Related to particular drive situations: drive off, accelerating from standstill
B60K 17/28
Arrangement or mounting of transmissions in vehicles: characterised by arrangement, location, or type of power take-off
B60W 10/02
Conjoint control of vehicle sub-units of different type or different function: including control of driveline clutches
B60W 10/06
Including control of propulsion units: including control of combustion engines

Family

Application62/438,201Us provisional application · filed 22 Dec 2016
Application62/465,021Us provisional application · filed 28 Feb 2017
Application62/465,024Us provisional application · filed 28 Feb 2017
US 2018/0180168 A1Pre-grant publication · published 28 Jun 2018
US 10,906,546 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.