Ratio change control method and related gear transmission device, in particular for a vehicle
AssigneeAntonov Automotive North America B.V.
InventorRoumen Antonov
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Loading patent…
AssigneeAntonov Automotive North America B.V.
InventorRoumen Antonov
Estimating the term…
A transmission device including a planetary gear train with a ring gear connected to the input, and a sun wheel counter-rotationally locked by a free-wheel. A planet carrier is connected to the output shaft. The ring gear and the planet pinion carrier my be coupled via a clutch which is compression-actuated by fly-weights to ensure direct drive. When the clutch is released by an axial thrust caused by the helical gearing and countering that of the fly-weights, the sun-wheel is immobilized by the free-wheel and the device operates as a reducing mechanism. The planetary gear train is arranged as an oil pump delivering through a duct and through the stack of clutch discs. When the clutch is actuated by the fly-weights, the delivery path is closed off, and the meshing motion between the gears forming the oil pump tends to be eliminated as a result. Therefore, the frictional process of the discs need only immobilize the gears to achieve direct drive. Ratio changes may be made more flexible, and clutch wear and heating may be reduced.
A ratio change control method in a transmission device comprising a combination of meshing sets of teeth (8, 9, 11) capable of operating in a state of relative mobility in which the combination transmits power in a first speed ratio between a transmission output and input, or in a state of relative fixity to achieve a second speed ratio between the transmission output and input, the combination of meshing teeth taking the form of an hydraulic gear pump (9, 11, 51, 57), in which method the second transmission ratio is controlled by substantially closing off the flow at the gear pump outlet, the first transmission ratio is controlled by releasing the flow at the gear pump outlet, and in order to pass from the first to the second ratio, after having at least partly closed off the flow at the gear pump outlet, a clutch (18a) is made to pass into the coupled state, said clutch tending in the coupled state to make the combination of teeth operate in the state of relative fixity and allowing in the uncoupled state the combination of teeth to assume the state of relative mobility corresponding to the first transmission ratio.
A transmission device, which has at least two ratios and comprises a combination of teeth (8, 9, 11) capable of operating in a state of relative mobility in which the combination transmits power in a first speed ratio between the transmission input and output or in a state of relative fixity to achieve a second speed ratio between the transmission input and output, means for guiding oil (51, 54, 56) through regions of two sets of teeth (9, 11) in the combination which move towards each other during operation in the first transmission ratio, means (42, 43, 44, 46) for oil intake into the gaps between the teeth (52, 53) in at least one of these regions, an oil delivery path (57, 58, 62, 64) starting from a region (54) where the two sets of teeth (9, 11) start to mesh, ratio change control means (27, 29, 39) for selectively opening or substantially closing off the oil delivery path to control the operation in the first transmission ratio or operation in the second transmission ratio respectively, and a clutch (18a) which selectively connects two rotating elements (8, 13) connected at least indirectly to the sets of teeth (8, 9, 11) of the combination so that the combination of teeth works in the second transmission ratio when the clutch is in an uncoupled state, the ratio change control means also comprising means that, on passing from the first to the second transmission ratio, control the passage of the clutch (18a) to the coupled state after the said oil delivery path has been at least partially closed off.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.