Valve apparatus for controlling hydraulic pressure for a clutch or a brake and method for controlling hydraulic pressure

A method for controlling hydraulic pressure a hydraulic fluid control valve employing a valve apparatus comprising a pressure control valve having an output port, the pressure control valve also having a clutch or brake cylinder inner pressure feedback chamber at one end thereof and a pilot pressure receiving chamber at another end thereof, the pressure control valve being adapted to introduce clutch or brake engagement pressure hydraulic fluid, which is to flow into a clutch or brake cylinder hydraulic chamber, into the clutch or brake cylinder inner pressure feedback chamber, and being operable to increase a hydraulic fluid pressure of the clutch or brake engagement pressure hydraulic fluid to balance with a magnitude of pilot pressure generated in the pilot pressure receiving chamber such that the pressure control valve controls a clutch or brake cylinder pressure, a pilot fluid passage having a throttle, the pilot fluid passage adapted to allow the clutch or brake engagement pressure hydraulic fluid to flow as pilot fluid to the pilot pressure receiving chamber of the pressure control valve, a pressure proportional valve having a valve element, the pressure proportional valve being operable to control a pressure of the pilot fluid that flows into the pilot pressure receiving chamber by positioning the valve element at one of a drain interruption position, a throttle position, and a drain release position, a proportional solenoid being operable to change a position of the valve element of the pressure proportional valve against the flow of the pilot fluid, and control a magnitude of the pressure of the pilot fluid, and a pressure switch communicating with the output port of the pressure control valve, the pressure switch being operable to detect a clutch or brake initial engagement hydraulic fluid pressure when the clutch or brake cylinder hydraulic chamber is being filled with the clutch or brake engagement pressure hydraulic fluid, the valve apparatus being connected to a controller, said method comprising:

• flowing a large amount of the clutch or brake engagement pressure hydraulic fluid into the clutch or brake cylinder hydraulic fluid chamber until just before the clutch or brake cylinder hydraulic fluid chamber is filled, said flowing of the large amount of the clutch or brake engagement pressure hydraulic fluid comprising interrupting a draining of the pilot fluid from the pressure proportional valve to a tank and increasing the pressure of the pilot fluid in the pilot pressure receiving chamber to a high level by outputting a large amount inflow command current from the controller to the proportional solenoid of the hydraulic fluid pressure control valve for a first predetermined period in response to a clutch or brake engagement start command, whereby a communicating port between an input port and the output port of the pressure control valve is opened and becomes large;
• flowing a small amount of the clutch or brake engagement pressure hydraulic fluid into the clutch or brake cylinder hydraulic fluid chamber until the clutch or brake cylinder hydraulic fluid chamber is filled, said flowing of the small amount of the clutch or brake engagement pressure hydraulic fluid comprising draining the pilot fluid from the pressure proportional valve to the tank through another throttle, thereby lowering the pressure of the pilot fluid in the pilot pressure receiving chamber by outputting a small amount inflow command current from the controller to the proportional solenoid of the hydraulic fluid pressure control valve after the first predetermined period in which the large amount inflow command has been outputted, whereby the communicating port between the input port and the output port of the pressure control valve becomes small;
• detecting a termination of filling of the clutch or brake cylinder hydraulic chamber, said detecting of the termination of filling of the clutch or brake cylinder hydraulic chamber comprising detecting a rise of the clutch or brake initial engagement pressure with the pressure sensor provided at the hydraulic fluid pressure control valve when the clutch or brake cylinder hydraulic fluid chamber has been filled with the clutch or brake engagement pressure hydraulic fluid, and outputting the detected rise to the controller;
• gradually increasing the clutch or brake initial engagement hydraulic fluid pressure, said gradually increasing of the clutch or brake initial engagement hydraulic fluid pressure comprising causing the clutch or brake initial engagement hydraulic fluid pressure to reach a set pressure for a second predetermined period, causing the pressure of the pilot fluid in the pilot pressure chamber to be gradually increased, and causing a pressure in the clutch or brake cylinder inner pressure feedback chamber of the pressure control valve to be increased to balance with the pressure of the pilot fluid which is gradually increased by stopping the output of the small amount inflow command current of the controller to the proportional solenoid of the hydraulic pressure control valve, and supplying a gradually-increasing command current from the controller to the proportional solenoid for the second predetermined period, whereby the opening size of the other throttle, through which the pilot fluid is drained from the pressure proportional valve to the tank, is gradually decreased;
• and
• maintaining the clutch or brake initial engagement hydraulic fluid pressure at the set pressure as a clutch or brake engagement set pressure by stopping the output of the hydraulic fluid pressure gradually-increasing command current from the controller after the second predetermined period in which the clutch or brake initial engagement hydraulic fluid pressure has been increased and outputting a set pressure command signal from the controller to the proportional solenoid of the hydraulic fluid pressure control valve.

A method for controlling hydraulic pressure a hydraulic fluid control valve employing a valve apparatus comprising a pressure control valve having an output port, the pressure control valve also having a clutch or brake cylinder inner pressure feedback chamber at one end thereof and a pilot pressure receiving chamber at another end thereof, the pressure control valve being adapted to introduce clutch or brake engagement pressure hydraulic fluid, which is to flow into a clutch or brake cylinder hydraulic chamber, into the clutch or brake cylinder inner pressure feedback chamber, and being operable to increase a hydraulic fluid pressure of the clutch or brake engagement pressure hydraulic fluid to balance with a magnitude of pilot pressure generated in the pilot pressure receiving chamber such that the pressure control valve controls a clutch or brake cylinder pressure, a pilot fluid passage having a throttle, the pilot fluid passage adapted to allow the clutch or brake engagement pressure hydraulic fluid to flow as pilot fluid to the pilot pressure receiving chamber of the pressure control valve, a pressure proportional valve having a valve element, the pressure proportional valve being operable to control a pressure of the pilot fluid that flows into the pilot pressure receiving chamber by positioning the valve element at one of a drain interruption position, a throttle position, and a drain release position, a proportional solenoid being operable to change a position of the valve element of the pressure proportional valve against the flow of the pilot fluid, and control a magnitude of the pressure of the pilot fluid, and a pressure switch communicating with the output port of the pressure control valve, the pressure switch being operable to detect a clutch or brake initial engagement hydraulic fluid pressure when the clutch or brake cylinder hydraulic chamber is being filled with the clutch or brake engagement pressure hydraulic fluid, wherein the pressure switch operates when the clutch or brake initial engagement hydraulic fluid pressure is reached in the clutch or brake cylinder hydraulic chamber due to the filling of the clutch or brake engagement hydraulic fluid, and the pressure switch does not operate when a pressure in the clutch or brake cylinder hydraulic chamber is less than the clutch or brake initial engagement hydraulic fluid pressure, the valve apparatus being connected to a controller, said method comprising:

• flowing a large amount of the clutch or brake engagement pressure hydraulic fluid into the clutch or brake cylinder hydraulic fluid chamber until just before the clutch or brake cylinder hydraulic fluid chamber is filled, said flowing of the large amount of the clutch or brake engagement pressure hydraulic fluid comprising interrupting a draining of the pilot fluid from the pressure proportional valve to a tank and increasing the pressure of the pilot fluid in the pilot pressure receiving chamber to a high level by outputting a large amount inflow command current from the controller to the proportional solenoid of the hydraulic fluid pressure control valve for a first predetermined period in response to a clutch or brake engagement start command, whereby a communicating port between an input port and the output port of the pressure control valve is opened and becomes large;
• flowing a small amount of the clutch or brake engagement pressure hydraulic fluid into the clutch or brake cylinder hydraulic fluid chamber until the clutch or brake cylinder hydraulic fluid chamber is filled, said flowing of the small amount of the clutch or brake engagement pressure hydraulic fluid comprising draining the pilot fluid from the pressure proportional valve to the tank through another throttle, thereby lowering the pressure of the pilot fluid in the pilot pressure receiving chamber by outputting a small amount inflow command current from the controller to the proportional solenoid of the hydraulic fluid pressure control valve after the first predetermined period in which the large amount inflow command has been outputted, whereby the communicating port between the input port and the output port of the pressure control valve becomes small;
• detecting a termination of filling of the clutch or brake cylinder hydraulic chamber, said detecting of the termination of filling of the clutch or brake cylinder hydraulic chamber comprising detecting a rise of the clutch or brake initial engagement pressure with the pressure sensor provided at the hydraulic fluid pressure control valve when the clutch or brake cylinder hydraulic fluid chamber has been filled with the clutch or brake engagement pressure hydraulic fluid, and outputting the detected rise to the controller;
• gradually increasing the clutch or brake initial engagement hydraulic fluid pressure, said gradually increasing of the clutch or brake initial engagement hydraulic fluid pressure comprising causing the clutch or brake initial engagement hydraulic fluid pressure to reach a set pressure for a second predetermined period, causing the pressure of the pilot fluid in the pilot pressure chamber to be gradually increased, and causing a pressure in the clutch or brake cylinder inner pressure feedback chamber of the pressure control valve to be increased to balance with the pressure of the pilot fluid which is gradually increased by stopping the output of the small amount inflow command current of the controller to the proportional solenoid of the hydraulic pressure control valve, and supplying a gradually-increasing command current from the controller to the proportional solenoid for the second predetermined period, whereby the opening size of the other throttle, through which the pilot fluid is drained from the pressure proportional valve to the tank, is gradually decreased;
• and
• maintaining the clutch or brake initial engagement hydraulic fluid pressure at the set pressure as a clutch or brake engagement set pressure by stopping the output of the hydraulic fluid pressure gradually-increasing command current from the controller after the second predetermined period in which the clutch or brake initial engagement hydraulic fluid pressure has been increased and outputting a set pressure command signal from the controller to the proportional solenoid of the hydraulic fluid pressure control valve.