High efficiency, high output transmission having an aluminum housing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11441671-B2
Application number	US-201916691566-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 21, 2019
Priority date	Dec 22, 2016
Publication date	Sep 13, 2022
Grant date	Sep 13, 2022

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. The shift actuator is mounted on an exterior wall of a housing including the countershaft and the main shaft. A shift control circuit operates a shift actuator using a first opposing pulse command and a first actuating pulse command, and releases pressure with shift actuating and opposing volumes of the shift actuator upon determining a shift completion event.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A high output transmission comprising:
an aluminum housing;
an input shaft and an output shaft disposed in the aluminum housing, the input shaft selectively accepting a torque input from a prime mover, and the output shaft selectively providing a torque output to a driveline;
a pair of twin countershafts including helical forward drive gears disposed in the aluminum housing and selectively coupled to the input shaft at a first end, and selectively coupled to the output shaft at a second end via a main shaft selectively coupled to the output shaft; and
a planetary gear set comprising a sun gear and a ring gear, wherein the ring gear is coupled to the output shaft, and wherein the sun gear is selectively coupled to the ring gear, the transmission further comprising a ball bearing operatively positioned between the sun gear and the ring gear, and wherein the helical gears are configured to apply thrust loads to the ball bearing.

2. The transmission of claim 1 , wherein a driveline of the transmission does not include any tapered bearings, and wherein enclosure bearings of the housing of the transmission do not take thrust loads of the transmission.

3. The transmission of claim 1 , further comprising:
a controller, the controller comprising a friction brake control circuit structured to provide a friction brake engagement command;
wherein the transmission further comprises a friction brake responsive to the friction brake engagement command to engage one of the twin countershafts; and
wherein the friction brake control circuit is further structured to determine a speed differential between the one of the twin countershafts and an engaging shaft to slow the countershaft during a shift.

4. The transmission of claim 1 , further comprising a controller comprising a shift control circuit, wherein the shift control circuit is structured to:
interpret a shift rail velocity;
provide a first opposing pulse command in response to the shift rail velocity, 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 a shift actuator in a shift direction;
to 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; and
provide a first actuating pulse command, the first actuating pulse command comprising the second predetermined amount of air.

5. A high output transmission comprising:
an aluminum housing;
an input shaft and an output shaft disposed in the aluminum housing, the input shaft selectively accepting a torque input from a prime mover, and the output shaft selectively providing a torque output to a driveline; and
a pair of twin countershafts including helical forward drive gears disposed in the aluminum housing and selectively coupled to the input shaft at a first end, and selectively coupled to the output shaft at a second end via a main shaft selectively coupled to the output shaft;
wherein a driveline of the transmission does not include any tapered bearings, and wherein enclosure bearings of the housing of the transmission do not take thrust loads of the transmission.

6. The transmission of claim 5 , further comprising:
a controller, the controller comprising a friction brake control circuit structured to provide a friction brake engagement command;
wherein the transmission further comprises a friction brake responsive to the friction brake engagement command to engage one of the twin countershafts; and
wherein the friction brake control circuit is further structured to determine a speed differential between the one of the twin countershafts and an engaging shaft to slow the countershaft during a shift.

7. The transmission of claim 5 , further comprising a controller comprising a shift control circuit, wherein the shift control circuit is structured to:
interpret a shift rail velocity;
provide a first opposing pulse command in response to the shift rail velocity, 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 a shift actuator in a shift direction;
to 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; and
provide a first actuating pulse command, the first actuating pulse command comprising the second predetermined amount of air.

8. A high output transmission comprising:
an aluminum housing;
an input shaft and an output shaft disposed in the aluminum housing, the input shaft selectively accepting a torque input from a prime mover, and the output shaft selectively providing a torque output to a driveline;
a pair of twin countershafts including helical forward drive gears disposed in the aluminum housing and selectively coupled to the input shaft at a first end, and selectively coupled to the output shaft at a second end via a main shaft selectively coupled to the output shaft; and
a controller, the controller comprising a friction brake control circuit structured to provide a friction brake engagement command;
wherein the transmission further comprises a friction brake responsive to the friction brake engagement command to engage one of the twin countershafts; and
wherein the friction brake control circuit is further structured to determine a speed differential between the one of the twin countershafts and an engaging shaft to slow the countershaft during a shift.

9. The transmission of claim 8 , further comprising a controller comprising a shift control circuit, wherein the shift control circuit is structured to:
interpret a shift rail velocity;
provide a first opposing pulse command in response to the shift rail velocity, 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 a shift actuator in a shift direction;
to 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; and
provide a first actuating pulse command, the first actuating pulse command comprising the second predetermined amount of air.

10. A high output transmission comprising:
an aluminum housing;
an input shaft and an output shaft disposed in the aluminum housing, the input shaft selectively accepting a torque input from a prime mover, and the output shaft selectively providing a torque output to a driveline;
a pair of twin countershafts including helical forward drive gears disposed in the aluminum housing and selectively coupled to the input shaft at a first end, and selectively coupled to the output shaft a

Assignees

• Eaton Cummins Automated Trans Tech Llc

Inventors

• Peterson Paul
• Jackson Graeme Andrew
• Smith Timothy Scott
• Wilson Paul
• Chimner Christian
• Connolly Thomas
• Deboer Christopher

Classifications

• B60W2710/021

  Clutch engagement state · CPC title

• F16H2061/047

  by preventing or solving a tooth butt situation upon engagement failure due to misalignment of teeth · CPC title

• F16H2061/2853

  Electromagnetic solenoids · CPC title

• B60W2510/0275

  Clutch torque · CPC title

• F16H57/0494

  with variable gear ratio or for reversing rotary motion · CPC title