US 9,541,191 B2Granted

Dual pump regulator system for a motor vehicle transmission

AssigneeAllison Transmission, Inc.

InventorsCharles F. Long, Darren J. Weber, John W. E. Fuller

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Abstract

An apparatus and method are disclosed for controlling fluid flow in a motor vehicle transmission. At least one friction engagement device is fluidly coupled to a first pump, and a lubrication and cooling sub-system is normally fluidly coupled to a second pump. Illustratively, when a flow rate of the fluid in the first fluid passageway is less than a threshold fluid flow rate, a temperature of the fluid is greater than a temperature threshold and a fluid flow demand is greater than a fluid flow demand threshold, fluid flow from the second pump to the lubrication and cooling sub-system is blocked and fluid supplied by the second pump is instead directed to the at least one friction engagement device such that fluid is supplied by both the first and second pumps only to the at least one friction engagement device.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An apparatus for controlling fluid flow in a motor vehicle transmission including at least one friction engagement device, a fluid-using sub-system separate from and in addition to the at least one friction engagement device and a lubrication and cooling sub-system, the apparatus comprising:

a first pump driven by an input shaft of the transmission to supply fluid from a source of fluid to the at least one friction engagement device via a first fluid passageway,
a second pump driven by the input shaft of the transmission to supply fluid from the source of fluid to a second fluid passageway, and
a valve fluidly coupled to the first and second fluid passageways, to the fluid-using sub-system, and to the lubrication and cooling sub-system, the valve fluidly coupling the first fluid passageway to the fluid-using sub-system and fluidly coupling the second fluid passageway to the lubrication and cooling sub-system when (i) a flow rate of the fluid in the first fluid passageway is greater than a threshold fluid flow rate and (ii) a temperature of the fluid is less than a temperature threshold, wherein only the first pump supplies fluid to the at least one friction engagement device and to the fluid-using sub-system via the first fluid passageway and wherein only the second fluid pump supplies fluid to the lubrication and cooling sub-system via the second fluid passageway.

An apparatus for controlling fluid flow in a motor vehicle transmission including at least one friction engagement device and a lubrication and cooling sub-system, the apparatus comprising:

a first pump driven by an input shaft of the transmission to supply fluid from a source of fluid to the at least one friction engagement device via a first fluid passageway,
a second pump driven by the input shaft of the transmission to supply fluid from the source of fluid to a second fluid passageway, and
a valve fluidly coupled to the first and second fluid passageways and to the lubrication and cooling sub-system, the valve fluidly coupling the first fluid passageway to the lubrication and cooling sub-system when (i) a flow rate of the fluid in the first fluid passageway is greater than a threshold fluid flow rate and (ii) a temperature of the fluid is greater than a temperature threshold, wherein the first pump supplies fluid to the at least one friction engagement device and to the lubrication and cooling sub-system via the first fluid passageway and wherein the second fluid pump supplies fluid to the lubrication and cooling sub-system via the second fluid passageway.

An apparatus for controlling fluid flow in a motor vehicle transmission including at least one friction engagement device, the apparatus comprising:

a first pump driven by an input shaft of the transmission to supply fluid from a source of fluid to the at least one friction engagement device via a first fluid passageway,
a valve including a spool having one end in fluid communication with the first fluid passageway and an opposite end positioned in a spring pocket under bias of a spring in the direction of the one end, and
means for selectively supplying a modulated pressure to or exhausting the spring pocket of the valve,
wherein a position of the spool within the valve is a function of the fluid pressure in the first passageway, fluid pressure in the spring pocket and a biasing force of the spring,
and wherein the valve regulates fluid pressure within the first fluid passageway as a function of the biasing force of the spring, the fluid pressure within the first fluid passageway and the modulated pressure when the modulated pressure is supplied to the spring pocket of the valve,
and wherein the valve regulates fluid pressure within the first fluid passageway to a fixed fluid pressure as a function of the biasing force of the spring and of an area of the one end of the spool when the spring pocket is exhausted.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 14/282,684Filed 20 May 2014 · continuation
Priority: 15 Dec 2010
Published: US 2014/0257649 A111 Sep 2014
Granted: 10 Jan 2017
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

F16H 61/0025
Generation or control of line pressure: supply of control fluid; Pumps therefor
F16H 15/50
With members having orbital motion: gearings providing a continuous range of gear ratios
F16H 57/0446
Relating to lubrication supply, e.g. pumps; Pressure control: the supply forming part of the transmission control unit, e.g. for automatic…
F16H 61/0021
Control functions within control units of change-speed- or reversing-gearings for conveying rotary motion ; Control of exclusively fluid…

Family

Application61/423,296Us provisional application · filed 15 Dec 2010
Application13/325,412Parent of this continuation · filed 14 Dec 2011
US 2014/0257649 A1Pre-grant publication · published 11 Sep 2014
US 8,727,942 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2012/0199217 A1Published application
US 9,541,191 B2This patent

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