US 6,283,007 B1 · Regulating cylinder and piston unit and method of utilizing the same

Abstract

A cylinder and piston unit, which can be utilized to select the gears of and/or to shift a change-speed transmission in the power train of a motor vehicle, has a housing provided with two internal chambers and internal stops and receiving a reciprocable assembly of three pistons including two interconnected pistons each adjacent a different one of the two chambers and a hollow cylindrical piston which surrounds one of the two interconnected pistons. The chambers can receive a pressurized hydraulic or pneumatic fluid jointly or independently of each other to thus effect movements of the interconnected pistons (with and/or relative to the holow piston) against selected stops and to thus select the positions of the interconnected pistons. Such interconnected pistons can be utilized to select the ratio of the change-speed transmission. The chambers can confine springs which assist or oppose the action of fluid upon the surfaces of the interconnected pistons.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A method of locating an assembly of plural pistons in at least two different positions in a housing forming part of a fluid-operated cylinder and piston unit and having (a) a plurality of chambers with ports for selective admission and evacuation of a fluid at a selected one of a plurality of different pressures within a predetermined range of pressures and (b) a plurality of stops for a first piston of the assembly, comprising the steps of:

introducing pressurized fluid into one of the chambers to thus move the first piston against a first one of the plurality of stops;
introducing pressurized fluid into another of the chambers to thus move the first piston against a second one of the plurality of stops;
altering the pressure of fluid in at least one of the chambers to thereby move at least one other piston of the assembly into abutment with the first piston while the first piston abuts one of the first and second stops to thus determine one of said plurality of different positions;
and
altering the pressure of fluid in at least one of the chambers to thereby move the at least one other piston into abutment with the first piston while the first piston abuts the other of the first and second stops to thus determine another one of said plurality of positions.

2 more elements

A cylinder and piston unit comprising:

a housing having a plurality of chambers, ports communicating with said chambers, and spaced-apart first and second stops;
means for supplying to and for receiving from said ports a fluid at selected ones of a plurality of pressures within a range of different pressures;
and
a piston assembly including a first piston movable in said housing between the first and second positions of abutment with said first and second stops, respectively, in response to a change of fluid pressure in at least one second piston movable in said housing relative to said first piston in at least one of said first and second positions of the first piston in response to changes of fluid pressure in at least one of said chambers, wherein at least one of said pistons forms part of a change-speed transmission.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Regulating cylinder and piston unit and method of utilizing the same

Life of this patent

Regulating cylinder and piston unit and method of utilizing the same

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims16