System, method, and apparatus for operating a high efficiency, high output transmission

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10563753-B2
Application number	US-201715663201-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 28, 2017
Priority date	Dec 22, 2016
Publication date	Feb 18, 2020
Grant date	Feb 18, 2020

Abstract

A transmission includes an input shaft coupled to a prime mover, a countershaft, main shaft, and an output shaft, with gears between the countershaft and the main shaft. A shift actuator selectively couples the input shaft to the main shaft by rotatably coupling gears between the countershaft and the main shaft. The shift actuator is mounted on an exterior wall of a housing including the countershaft and the main shaft. A controller controls the shift actuator utilizing an actuating pulse and an opposing pulse.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A transmission, comprising:
an input shaft configured to couple to a prime mover;
a countershaft having a first plurality of gears mounted thereon;
a main shaft having a second plurality of gears mounted thereon;
an output shaft selectively providing a torque output to a driveline;
a shift actuator structured to selectively couple the input shaft to the main shaft by rotatably coupling at least one of the first plurality of gears to the countershaft and the second plurality of gears to the main shaft, wherein the shift actuator is mounted on an exterior wall of a housing, and wherein the countershaft and the main shaft are at least partially positioned within the housing;
a controller, comprising:
a shift control circuit structured to:
provide a first opposing pulse command, the first opposing pulse command comprising a first predetermined amount of air above an ambient amount of air in a first closed volume, wherein pressure in the first closed volume opposes movement of the shift actuator in a shift direction;
determine a second predetermined amount of air in response to at least one of a speed of at least one of the shafts, an air supply pressure, and a transmission temperature value, the second predetermined amount of air comprising an amount of air above an ambient amount of air in a second closed volume, wherein pressure in the second closed volume promotes movement of the shift actuator in the shift direction;
provide a first actuating pulse command, the first actuating pulse command comprising the second predetermined amount of air; and
release pressure in the first closed volume and the second closed volume in response to determining a shift completion event;

wherein the shift actuator is responsive to the first opposing pulse command and the first actuating pulse command.

2. The transmission of claim 1 , wherein the shift control circuit is further structured to modulate the first actuating pulse command in response to a previously determined gear departure position value.

3. The transmission of claim 2 , wherein the modulating comprises providing the first actuating pulse command as a full open command in response to a position of the shift actuator being on an engaged side of a gear departure position value.

4. The transmission of claim 3 , wherein the modulating further comprises providing the first actuating pulse command as a pulse-width modulated (PWM) command in response to the position of the shift actuator being one of approaching or exceeding the gear departure position value.

5. The transmission of claim 4 , wherein the shift control circuit is further structured to provide a second opposing pulse command in response to a shift actuator position indicating an engaging synchronizer is off the block.

6. The transmission of claim 5 , wherein the shift control circuit is further structured to interrupt at least one of the first actuating pulse command and the second opposing pulse command to synchronize pressure decay in the first closed volume and the second closed volume.

7. The transmission of claim 1 , wherein the controller further comprises:
a backlash indication circuit structured to identify an imminent backlash crossing event at a first gear mesh; and
a backlash management circuit structured to reduce engagement force experienced by the first gear mesh in response to receiving a backlash crossing indication event from the backlash indication circuit.

8. The transmission of claim 7 , wherein the backlash indication circuit is further structured to identify the imminent backlash crossing event by performing at least one operation selected from the operations consisting of:
determining that an imminent rotational direction of the first gear mesh in a transmission is an opposite rotational direction to an established rotational direction of the first gear mesh;
determining that a speed change between a first shaft comprising gears on one side of the first gear mesh and a second shaft comprising gears on an opposing side of the first gear mesh is likely to induce a backlash crossing event;
determining that a gear shift occurring at a second gear mesh is likely to induce a backlash crossing event at the first gear mesh;
determining that a transmission input torque value indicates an imminent zero crossing event; and
determining that a vehicle operating condition is likely to induce a backlash crossing event.

9. The transmission of claim 8 , wherein the backlash management circuit is further structured to perform at least one operation selected from the operations consisting of:
disengaging the first gear mesh during at least a portion of the backlash crossing event;
disengaging a clutch during at least a portion of the backlash crossing event; and
slipping a clutch during at least a portion of the backlash crossing event.

10. The transmission of claim 9 , wherein the backlash indication circuit is further structured to identify the imminent backlash crossing event by determining that the gear shift occurring at the second gear mesh is likely to induce the backlash crossing event at the first gear mesh, and wherein the backlash management circuit is further structured to perform a disengagement of the first gear mesh during at least of portion of the gear shift.

11. A transmission, comprising:
an input shaft configured to couple to a prime mover;
a countershaft having a first plurality of gears mounted thereon;
a main shaft having a second plurality of gears mounted thereon;
an output shaft selectively providing a torque output to a driveline;
a shift actuator structured to selectively couple the input shaft to the main shaft by rotatably coupling at least one of the first plurality of gears to the countershaft and the second plurality of gears to the main shaft, wherein the shift actuator is mounted on an exterior wall of a housing, and wherein the countershaft and the main shaft are at least partially positioned within the housing;
a controller, comprising:
a shift control circuit structured to:
provide a first opposing pulse command, the first opposing pulse command comprising a first predetermined amount of air above an ambient amount of air in a first closed volume, wherein pressure in the first closed volume opposes movement of the shift actuator in a shift direction;
determine a second predetermined amount of air in a second closed volume, wherein pressure in the second closed volume promotes movement of the shift actuator in the shift direction;
provide a first actuating pulse command, the first actuating pulse command in response to the second predetermined amount of air and the first opposing pulse command in response to the first predetermined amount of air; and
release pressure in the first closed volume and the second closed volume in response to determining a shift completion event;
wherein the shift actuator is responsive to the first opposing pulse command and the first actuating pulse command.

12. The transmission of claim 11 , wherein the shift control circuit is further structured to modulate the first actuating pulse command in response to a previously determined gear departure position value.

13. The transmission of claim 12 , wherein the modulating comprises providing the first actuating pulse command as a full open command in response to a position of the shift actuator being on an engaged side of a gear departure position value.

14. The transmission of claim 13 , wherein the modulating further comprises providing the first actuating pulse command as a pulse-width modulated (PWM) command in response to the position of the shift

Assignees

• Eaton Cummins Automated Trans Tech Llc

Inventors

• Kawale Sujay
• Connolly Thomas
• Griffiths Justin Keith
• Furner Joseph Paul
• Chen Sipei
• Hawarden Jeff
• Wang Yeidei
• Maurer Adam Christopher
• Smith Carl Christopher
• Mckenzie Ian Daniel
• Pauls Ryan
• David William A
• Busdiecker Matthew R
• Deboer Christopher

Classifications

• G08B27/00

  Alarm systems in which the alarm condition is signalled from a central station to a plurality of substations · CPC title

• G08B13/00

  Burglar, theft or intruder alarms · CPC title

• F16H2057/0206

  for commercial vehicles, e.g. buses or trucks · CPC title

• F16H2063/3093

  Final output elements, i.e. the final elements to establish gear ratio, e.g. coupling sleeves or other means establishing coupling to shaft · CPC title

• F16H2063/005

  Preassembled gear shift units for mounting on gear case · CPC title