US 11,105,412 B2Granted

System, method, and apparatus for managing transmission shutdown operations

AssigneeEaton Cummins Automated Transmission Technologies, LLC

InventorsSipei Chen, Ian Daniel McKenzie

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Abstract

A transmission includes an input shaft that couples to a prime mover, twin countershafts and a main shaft having gears coupled thereon, an output shaft that selectively provides a torque output to a driveline, a first shift actuator that selectively couples the input shaft to the main shaft. The transmission includes a second shift actuator that couples the main shaft to the output shaft with a selected reduction ratio, and a controller including a vehicle state circuit that interprets at least one vehicle operating condition, and a neutral enforcement circuit that provides a first neutral command to the first shift actuator and a second neutral command to the second shift actuator, in response to the at least one vehicle operating condition indicating that vehicle motion is not intended.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A transmission, comprising:

an input shaft configured to couple to a prime mover;
twin countershafts 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 first 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 twin countershafts and the second plurality of gears to the main shaft, wherein the first shift actuator is mounted on an exterior wall of a housing, and wherein the twin countershafts and the main shaft are at least partially positioned within the housing;
a second shift actuator structured to couple the main shaft to the output shaft with a selected reduction ratio;
a third shift actuator structured to couple the input shaft to the main shaft with a selected gear ratio;
a controller, comprising:
a vehicle state circuit structured to interpret at least one vehicle operating condition;
and
a neutral enforcement circuit structured to provide a first neutral command to the first shift actuator and a second neutral command to the second shift actuator in response to the at least one vehicle operating condition indicating that vehicle motion is not intended;
and
a means for disabling engagement of the prime mover unless at least one neutral indication is active and at least one of a parking brake or a service brake is engaged.

10 more elements

A transmission, comprising:

an input shaft configured to couple to a prime mover;
twin countershafts 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 first 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 twin countershafts and the second plurality of gears to the main shaft, wherein the first shift actuator is mounted on an exterior wall of a housing, and wherein the twin countershafts and the main shaft are at least partially positioned within the housing;
a second shift actuator structured to couple the main shaft to the output shaft with a selected reduction ratio;
a third shift actuator structured to couple the input shaft to the main shaft with a selected gear ratio;
a controller, comprising:
a vehicle state circuit structured to interpret at least one vehicle operating condition;
and
a neutral enforcement circuit structured to provide a first neutral command to the first shift actuator and a second neutral command to the second shift actuator in response to the at least one vehicle operating condition indicating that vehicle motion is not intended;
and
a means for disabling engagement of the prime mover unless two vehicle movement mitigators are active;
wherein the neutral enforcement circuit is further structured to provide a third neutral command to the third shift actuator in response to at least one of:
determining both of the first shift actuator and the second shift actuator have failed to achieve a neutral position;
determining that one of the first shift actuator or the second shift actuator have failed to achieve the neutral position;
and
determining that a position sensor corresponding to at least one of the first shift actuator or the second shift actuator is not providing a reliable position indication.

15 more elements

A transmission, comprising:

an input shaft configured to couple to a prime mover;
twin countershafts 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 first 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 twin countershafts and the second plurality of gears to the main shaft, wherein the first shift actuator is mounted on an exterior wall of a housing, and wherein the twin countershafts and the main shaft are at least partially positioned within the housing;
a second shift actuator structured to couple the main shaft to the output shaft with a selected reduction ratio;
a third shift actuator structured to couple the input shaft to the main shaft with a selected gear ratio;
wherein each of the first shift actuator and the second shift actuator are pneumatically powered;
a clutch selectively coupling the input shaft to the prime mover, and a clutch actuator, wherein the clutch actuator is pneumatically powered;
a controller, comprising:
a vehicle state circuit structured to interpret at least one vehicle operating condition;
and
a neutral enforcement circuit structured to provide a first neutral command to the first shift actuator and a second neutral command to the second shift actuator in response to the at least one vehicle operating condition indicating that vehicle motion is not intended;
and
a means for disabling engagement of the prime mover unless two vehicle movement mitigators are active;
wherein the controller further comprises a potential energy reduction circuit structured to provide a clutch engagement command in response to determining at least one of the first shift actuator or the second shift actuator have achieved a neutral position, and wherein the clutch actuator is responsive to the clutch engagement command.

13 more elements

A transmission, comprising:

an input shaft configured to couple to a prime mover;
twin countershafts 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 first 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 twin countershafts and the second plurality of gears to the main shaft, wherein the first shift actuator is mounted on an exterior wall of a housing, and wherein the twin countershafts and the main shaft are at least partially positioned within the housing;
a second shift actuator structured to couple the main shaft to the output shaft with a selected reduction ratio;
a third shift actuator structured to couple the input shaft to the main shaft with a selected gear ratio;
and
a controller, comprising:
a vehicle state circuit structured to interpret at least one vehicle operating condition;
and
a neutral enforcement circuit structured to provide a first neutral command to the first shift actuator and a second neutral command to the second shift actuator in response to the at least one vehicle operating condition indicating that vehicle motion is not intended, wherein the neutral enforcement circuit is further structured to provide a third neutral command to the third shift actuator in response to at least one of:
determining both of the first shift actuator and the second shift actuator have failed to achieve the neutral position;
determining that one of the first shift actuator or the second shift actuator have failed to achieve the neutral position;
and
determining that a position sensor corresponding to at least one of the first shift actuator or the second shift actuator is not providing a reliable position indication.

13 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/489,680Filed 28 Feb 2018 · continuation in part
Priority: 22 Dec 2016
Published: US 2020/0040984 A16 Feb 2020
Granted: 31 Aug 2021
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification62 codes

F16H 59/0204
Selector apparatus: for automatic transmissions with means for range selection and manual shifting, e.g. range selector with tiptronic
F16H 61/70
Control functions within control units of change-speed- or reversing-gearings for conveying rotary motion ; Control of exclusively fluid…
B60W 10/02
Conjoint control of vehicle sub-units of different type or different function: including control of driveline clutches
B60W 10/11
Including control of change-speed gearings: stepped gearings

Family

Application62/438,201Us provisional application · filed 22 Dec 2016
Application62/465,021Us provisional application · filed 28 Feb 2017
Application15/663,153Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 28 Jul 2017
Application62/572,985Us provisional application · filed 16 Oct 2017
US 2020/0040984 A1Pre-grant publication · published 6 Feb 2020
US 10,989,298 B2Related patent
US 2018/0180167 A1Published application
US 11,105,412 B2This patent

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