Automatic shift device for automated transmission for vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9038493-B2
Application number	US-201414219129-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 19, 2014
Priority date	Mar 25, 2013
Publication date	May 26, 2015
Grant date	May 26, 2015

Abstract

An automatic shift device for an automated transmission for a vehicle includes a rotation shaft, a clutch ring, a clutch hub, a sleeve, a dog clutch portion, a shaft moving apparatus, and a control portion. The control portion includes a push force reduction control portion performing a push force reduction control reducing a push force of the sleeve that the shaft moving apparatus applies on the clutch rear teeth in response to a back and forth movement of the sleeve after the sleeve reaches an end surface of the clutch rear tooth. The control portion includes a retry control portion performing a retry control that re-applies the push force of the sleeve in response to a predetermined retry condition after the push force reduction control is performed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An automatic shift device for an automated transmission for a vehicle, comprising:
a rotation shaft configured to be in rotary engagement with and axially supported to be rotatable about an axis of one of an input shaft and an output shaft of the automated transmission;
a clutch ring axially supported to be rotatable about the rotation shaft and configured to be in rotary engagement with the other one of the input shaft and the output shaft;
a clutch hub fixed on the rotation shaft at a position adjacent to the clutch ring;
a sleeve fitted to the clutch hub to be movable in an axial direction of the rotation shaft;
a dog clutch portion protrudingly arranged on the clutch ring to protrude toward the sleeve, the dog clutch portion selectively meshing with the sleeve in response to movement of the sleeve in the axial direction;
a shaft moving apparatus moving the sleeve in the axial direction for pushing the sleeve on the dog clutch portion; and
a control portion controlling an operation of the shaft moving apparatus to selectively engage the sleeve and the dog clutch portion, wherein
the sleeve includes plural lower teeth and plural higher teeth formed with teeth that are taller than the lower teeth, wherein
the dog clutch portion includes same number of clutch front teeth as number of the higher teeth, the clutch front teeth formed at positions corresponding to the higher teeth and extending in the axial direction, the clutch front teeth formed with an outer diameter larger than an inner diameter of the higher teeth and smaller than an inner diameter of the lower teeth, wherein the dog clutch portion includes plural clutch rear teeth formed at positions between the clutch front teeth, the positions recessed from the clutch front teeth by a predetermined amount, and extending in the axial direction, wherein the dog clutch portion includes clutch tooth grooves formed between adjacently positioned clutch front tooth and the clutch rear tooth and between adjacently positioned clutch rear teeth, the clutch tooth grooves engageable with the sleeve, wherein
the control portion includes a push force reduction control portion performing a push force reduction control reducing a push force of the sleeve that the shaft moving apparatus applies on the clutch rear teeth in response to a back and forth movement of the sleeve after the sleeve reaches an end surface of the clutch rear tooth, wherein the control portion includes a retry control portion performing a retry control that re-applies the push force of the sleeve in response to a predetermined retry condition after the push force reduction control is performed.

2. The automatic shift device for the automated transmission for the vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a stroke sensor detecting a moving amount of the sleeve in the axial direction, wherein
the sleeve is detected of the back and forth movement by changes in an output from the stroke sensor.

3. The automatic shift device for the automated transmission for the vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first rotation speed sensor detecting a rotation speed of the sleeve, wherein
the retry control portion performs the retry control in response to the retry condition, the retry condition where a deceleration gradient of the rotation speed of the sleeve is larger than a threshold value of the deceleration gradient.

4. The automatic shift device for the automated transmission for the vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first rotation speed sensor detecting a rotation speed of the sleeve; and
a second rotation speed sensor detecting a rotation speed of the clutch ring, wherein
the retry control portion performs the retry control in response to the retry condition, the retry condition where a difference of rotation speeds between the rotation speed of the sleeve and the rotation speed of the clutch ring is equal to or less than a threshold value of the difference of rotation speeds between the rotation speed of the sleeve and the rotation speed of the clutch ring.

5. The automatic shift device for the automated transmission for the vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the retry control portion performs the retry control in response to the retry condition, the retry condition where a count of number of times that the clutch tooth grooves are passed by the sleeve is equal to or more than number of the clutch tooth grooves minus two, the count detected on the basis of an output from a stroke sensor.

6. The automatic shift device for the automated transmission for the vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the push force reduction control portion reduces the push force of the sleeve to zero load.

7. The automatic shift device for the automated transmission for the vehicle according to claim 5 , wherein the push force reduction control portion reduces the push force of the sleeve to a load level that maintains a state where the sleeve is pushed on the end surface of the clutch rear tooth.

8. The automatic shift device for the automated transmission for the vehicle according to claim 5 further comprising:
a first rotation speed sensor detecting a rotation speed of the sleeve; and
a second rotation speed sensor detecting a rotation speed of the clutch ring, wherein
the retry control portion calculates an amount of time that the sleeve requires to pass over the end surface of the clutch rear tooth on the basis of a difference of rotation speeds between the rotation speed of the sleeve and the rotation speed of the clutch ring, wherein the retry control portion performs the retry control in response to the retry condition including a predetermined amount of time to delay the retry control defined by the calculated amount of time.

9. The automatic shift device for the automated transmission for the vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein the retry control portion performs the retry control in response to the retry condition, the retry condition where a count of number of times that the clutch tooth grooves are passed by the sleeve is equal to or more than number of the clutch tooth grooves minus two, the count detected on the basis of an output of the stroke sensor.

10. The automatic shift device for the automated transmission for the vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein the push force reduction control portion reduces the push force of the sleeve to zero load.

11. The automatic shift device for the automated transmission for the vehicle according to claim 3 , wherein the push force reduction control portion reduces the push force of the sleeve to zero load.

12. The automatic shift device for the automated transmission for the vehicle according to claim 4 , wherein the push force reduction control portion reduces the push force of the sleeve to zero load.

13. The automatic shift device for the automated transmission for the vehicle according to claim 7 further comprising:
a first rotation speed sensor detecting a rotation speed of the sleeve; and
a second rotation speed sensor detecting a rotation speed of the clutch ring, wherein
the retry control portion calculates an amount of time that the sleeve requires to pass over the end surface of the clutch rear tooth on the basis of a difference of rotation speeds between the rotation speed of the sleeve and the rotation speed of the clutch ring, wherein the retry control portion performs the retry control in response to the retry condition including a predetermined amount of time to delay the retry control defined by the calculated amount of time.

Assignees

• Aisin Seiki

Inventors

• Iwasaki Yasuhisa
• Mori Kyosuke
• Yoshida Yusuke
• Mishima Keisuke
• Komura Masahiko

Classifications

• F16D2500/30415

  Speed of the input shaft · CPC title

• F16H59/46

  dependent on a comparison between speeds · CPC title

• Y10T74/19251

  Control mechanism · CPC title

• F16D2011/008

  characterised by the form of the teeth forming the inter-engaging parts; Details of shape or structure of these teeth · CPC title

• Y10T74/19284

  Meshing assisters · CPC title