Vehicle and system for controlling a vehicle transmission

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10704615-B2
Application number	US-201816107441-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 21, 2018
Priority date	Aug 21, 2018
Publication date	Jul 7, 2020
Grant date	Jul 7, 2020

Abstract

A vehicle includes an engine, a transmission, and a controller. The transmission has clutches, a circuit configured to transport fluid to the clutches, a pump configured to circulate the fluid through the circuit, and an accumulator disposed along the circuit. The controller is programmed to, responsive to an engine start and a fluid temperature being less than a temperature threshold, discharge the accumulator to prime the pump.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle comprising:
an engine;
a transmission having clutches, a circuit configured to transport fluid to the clutches, a pump configured to circulate the fluid through the circuit, and an accumulator disposed along the circuit; and
a controller programmed to,
responsive to starting the engine, a fluid temperature being less than a temperature threshold, and a fluid pressure being less than a pressure threshold, discharge the accumulator to prime the pump, and
responsive to, a request to discharge the accumulator and a fluid volume within the accumulator being less than a volume threshold, increase an engine speed.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further programmed to, responsive to a time period between a current engine start and a previous engine start being less than a time threshold, inhibit discharging the accumulator to prime the pump.

3. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further programmed to, responsive to, a request to discharge the accumulator and an inoperable condition of the accumulator, increase an engine speed.

4. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the accumulator is disposed along the circuit upstream of an inlet to the pump.

5. A vehicle comprising:
an engine;
a transmission having clutches, a circuit configured to transport fluid to the clutches, a pump configured to circulate the fluid through the circuit, and an accumulator disposed along the circuit; and
a controller programmed to,
responsive to an engine start and a fluid temperature being less than a temperature threshold, discharge the accumulator to prime the pump, and
responsive to, a request to discharge the accumulator and an inoperable condition of the accumulator, increase an engine speed from an idle speed.

6. The vehicle of claim 5 , wherein the controller is further programmed to, responsive to a fluid pressure being greater than a pressure threshold, inhibit discharging the accumulator to prime the pump.

7. The vehicle of claim 5 , wherein the controller is further programmed to, responsive to a time period between a current engine start and a previous engine start being less than a time threshold, inhibit discharging the accumulator to prime the pump.

8. The vehicle of claim 5 , wherein the controller is further programmed to, responsive to, a fluid pressure increasing to greater than a pressure threshold while the engine is operating at the increased speed, decrease the engine speed from the increased speed to the idle speed.

9. The vehicle of claim 5 , wherein the controller is further programmed to, responsive to, a request to discharge the accumulator and a fluid volume within the accumulator being less than a volume threshold, increase an engine speed.

10. The vehicle of claim 9 , Wherein the controller is further programmed to, responsive to, a fluid pressure increasing to greater than a pressure threshold while the engine is operating at the increased speed, decrease the engine speed from the increased speed to the idle speed.

11. The vehicle of claim 5 , wherein the accumulator is disposed along the circuit upstream of an inlet to the pump.

12. The vehicle of claim 5 , wherein the pump is driven by a transmission input.

13. A vehicle comprising:
an engine;
a transmission having a circuit, a pump configured to circulate fluid through the circuit, and an accumulator disposed along the circuit; and
a controller programmed to, responsive to a current engine start, a time period between the current engine start and a prior engine start being greater than a time threshold, and a fluid temperature being less than a temperature threshold, discharge the accumulator to prime the pump.

14. The vehicle of claim 13 , wherein the controller is further programmed to, responsive to a fluid pressure being greater than a pressure threshold, inhibit discharging the accumulator to prime the pump.

15. The vehicle of claim 14 , wherein the controller is further programmed to, responsive to the fluid pressure being less than the pressure threshold, the engine start, and the fluid temperature being less than the temperature threshold, discharge the accumulator to prime the pump.

16. The vehicle of claim 13 , wherein the controller is further programmed to, responsive to, a request to discharge the accumulator and an inoperable condition of the accumulator, increase an engine speed.

17. The vehicle of claim 13 , wherein the controller is further programmed to, responsive to, a request to discharge the accumulator and a fluid volume within the accumulator being less than a volume threshold, increase an engine speed.

18. The vehicle of claim 13 , wherein the accumulator is disposed along the circuit upstream of an inlet to the pump.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Gittins Scott Joseph
• Fedullo Timothy
• Glauber Samuel Melville
• Myrna Andrew James
• Rupley Benjamin
• Eggebrecht Ryan

Classifications

• F16D25/0638

  with more than two discs, e.g. multiple lamellae · CPC title

• F16D25/10

  Clutch systems with a plurality of fluid-actuated clutches (arrangements or mounting of clutches in vehicles B60K17/00) · CPC title

• F16D2021/0661

  Hydraulically actuated multiple lamellae clutches · CPC title

• F16D2500/3166

  Detection of an elapsed period of time · CPC title

• F16D2500/3024

  Pressure · CPC title