Oil fill machine
AssigneeCinetic Automation Corporation
InventorsKenneth Richardson, David Mitchell
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for filling a transmission at the transmission assembly plant including the steps of pumping fluid through the transmission entering at a first port and exiting through a second port, rotating the torque converter to purge trapped air, shifting the transmission, filling the transmission to a desired level and plugging the first and second ports. Through use of the method and apparatus of the present invention, the transmission is placed in a “road ready” condition and will not require additional fluid to be added in a top off operation at the vehicle assembly plant.
Claims29
A fluid fill machine for an automatic transmission having a torque converter, a first port and a second port, the fill machine comprising:
- a pressurized fluid source;
- an inlet nozzle in communication with said fluid source and adapted to be coupled to the first port;
- an outlet nozzle adapted to be coupled to the second port;
- a drive motor adapted to selectively engage and rotate the torque converter;
- a fluid depth gage that generates a fluid depth signal;
- and
- a controller that controls said drive motor to rotate the torque converter to purge the transmission of air, said controller operable to vary the flow of fluid through said inlet and outlet nozzles to fill the transmission to a desired fluid depth based on said fluid depth signal.
A method for filling an automatic transmission with fluid, the transmission having a first fluid port, a second fluid port and a torque converter, the method comprising the steps of:
- pumping fluid through the transmission entering at the first port and exiting through the second port;
- rotating the torque converter to purge trapped air;
- shifting the transmission;
- filling the transmission to a desired level;
- and
- plugging the first and second ports.
A method for filling an automatic transmission with fluid, the transmission having a housing and a torque converter rotatably mounted in the housing, the transmission operable to provide multiple drive ratios, the method comprising:
- filling the housing with fluid to a predetermined level;
- rotating the torque converter;
- shifting the transmission to produce a different drive ratio;
- stopping the torque converter;
- shifting the transmission into park;
- rotating the torque converter;
- pumping fluid through the housing once a predetermined fluid pressure is met;
- overfilling the transmission with fluid;
- purging air from the transmission;
- draining the housing to a level below a desired final fill level;
- and
- filling the housing to said desired fill level.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.