Starter and retarder element, and method for operating a starter and retarder element

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9377094-B2
Application number	US-201314390082-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 4, 2013
Priority date	Apr 11, 2012
Publication date	Jun 28, 2016
Grant date	Jun 28, 2016

Abstract

A start-up and retarder element having a hydrodynamic transfer element ( 5, 5′ ) and a planetary gear set ( 4 ). The hydrodynamic transfer element ( 5, 5′ ) has at least one first functional wheel ( 11, 11′ ) and one second functional wheel ( 12, 12′ ). The first functional wheel ( 11, 11′ ) can be fixed on a stationary component ( 14 ) by a single shift element ( 15 ). A start-up function or a driving function can be set in which the functional wheels ( 11, 11′; 12, 12′ ) of the hydrodynamic transfer element ( 5, 5′ ) function as an impeller and a turbine, respectively, of a hydrodynamic start-up element so that a retarder function can be set, or the functional wheels ( 11, 11′; 12, 12′ ) of the hydrodynamic transfer element ( 5, 5′ ) function as a rotor and a stator, respectively, of a hydrodynamic retarder.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A start-up and retarder element disposed in a drive train of a vehicle along a power flow between a drive motor ( 1 ) and a vehicle transmission ( 3 , 3 ′, 19 , 20 , 21 ), and the start-up and retarder element comprising:
a hydrodynamic transfer element ( 5 , 5 ′) and a planetary gear set ( 4 ),
the hydrodynamic transfer element ( 5 , 5 ′) comprising at least a first functional wheel ( 11 , 11 ′) and a second functional wheel ( 12 , 12 ′) which together form a working chamber ( 13 ),
the working chamber ( 13 ) being fillable with fluid, in a controllable manner, in order to set a hydrodynamic transfer torque,
the planetary gear set ( 4 ) having a ring gear ( 6 ), a sun gear ( 7 ), and a planet carrier ( 8 ) supporting a plurality of planetary gears ( 9 ),
the first functional wheel ( 11 , 11 ′) being disposed so as to be rotatable and being directly drivingly connected to one of the ring gear ( 6 ) or the sun gear ( 7 ), and the first functional wheel ( 11 , 11 ′) being fixable to a stationary component ( 14 ) by only a single shift element ( 15 ),
the other of the sun gear ( 7 ) and the ring gear ( 6 ) being either directly drivingly connected to a drive shaft ( 10 ) of the drive motor ( 1 ) or directly drivingly connected to the drive shaft ( 10 ) of the drive motor ( 1 ) via a torsional vibration damper ( 2 ),
the second functional wheel ( 12 , 12 ′) being disposed so as to be rotatable and being connected to the planet carrier ( 8 ), and the planet carrier ( 8 ) being either connected or connectable to a transmission input shaft ( 16 ) of the vehicle transmission ( 3 , 3 ′, 19 , 20 , 21 ),
when the first and the second functional wheels ( 11 , 11 ′; 12 , 12 ′) of the hydrodynamic transfer element ( 5 , 5 ′) respectively function as an impeller and a turbine, either a start-up function or a driving function can be set, and
when the first and the second functional wheels ( 11 , 11 ′; 12 , 12 ′) of the hydrodynamic transfer element ( 5 , 5 ′) respectively function as a rotor and a stator, a retarder function of a hydrodynamic retarder can be set.

2. The start-up and retarder element according to claim 1 , wherein the first functional wheel ( 11 , 11 ′) is directly drivingly connected to the sun gear ( 7 ), the second functional wheel ( 12 , 12 ′) is drivingly connected to the planet carrier ( 8 ), and the ring gear ( 6 ) is drivingly connected to the drive shaft ( 10 ) of the drive motor ( 1 ).

3. The start-up and retarder element according to claim 1 , wherein the first functional wheel ( 11 , 11 ′) is directly connected to the ring gear ( 6 ), the second functional wheel ( 12 , 12 ′) is connected to the planet carrier ( 8 ), and the sun gear ( 7 ) is connected to the drive shaft ( 10 ) of the drive motor ( 1 ).

4. The start-up and retarder element according to claim 1 , wherein the hydrodynamic transfer element ( 5 ′) comprises a third functional wheel ( 18 ), which is disposed between the first functional wheel ( 11 ′) and the second functional wheel ( 12 ′) such that a hydrodynamic torque converter, in which the first, the second and the third functional wheels ( 11 ′, 12 ′, 18 ) function as the impeller, the turbine and a stator is simulated when the start-up or driving function is implemented.

5. The start-up and retarder element according to claim 1 , wherein the planet carrier ( 8 ) is shiftably connectable to the transmission input shaft ( 16 ) by a first clutch (K 1 ), and the sun gear ( 7 ) or the ring gear ( 6 ) that is connected to the drive shaft ( 10 ) of the drive motor ( 1 ) is shiftably connectable to the transmission input shaft ( 16 ) by a second clutch (K 2 ).

6. The start-up and retarder element according to claim 1 , wherein the sun gear ( 7 ) or the ring gear ( 6 ) that is connected to the drive shaft ( 10 ) of the drive motor ( 1 ) and the planet carrier ( 8 ) are couplable to one another by an input-side clutch (K 0 ).

7. A method of operating a start-up and retarder element, disposed in a drive train of a vehicle along a power flow between a drive motor ( 1 ) and a vehicle transmission ( 3 , 3 ′, 19 , 20 , 21 ), the start-up and retarder element comprises a hydrodynamic transfer element ( 5 , 5 ′) and a planetary gear set ( 4 ), the hydrodynamic transfer element ( 5 , 5 ′) comprises at least a first functional wheel ( 11 , 11 ′) and a second functional wheel ( 12 , 12 ′) which together form a working chamber ( 13 ), the working chamber ( 13 ) is fillable with fluid, in a controllable manner, in order to set a hydrodynamic transfer torque, and the planetary gear set ( 4 ) has a ring gear ( 6 ), a sun gear ( 7 ), and a planet carrier ( 8 ) which supports a plurality of planetary gears ( 9 ), the first functional wheel ( 11 , 11 ′) is disposed so as to be rotatable and is directly drivingly connected to one of the ring gear ( 6 ) or the sun gear ( 7 ), the first functional wheel ( 11 , 11 ′) is fixable to a stationary component ( 14 ) by only a single shift element ( 15 ), the other of the sun gear ( 7 ) or the ring gear ( 6 ) is either directly drivingly connected to a drive shaft ( 10 ) of the drive motor ( 1 ), or directly drivingly connected to the drive shaft ( 10 ) of the drive motor ( 1 ) via torsional vibration damper( 2 ),the second functional wheel ( 12 , 12 ′) is disposed so as to be rotatable and is connected to the planet carrier ( 8 ), and the planet carrier ( 8 ) is either connected or connectable to a transmission input shaft ( 16 ) of the vehicle transmission ( 3 , 3 ′, 19 , 20 , 21 ), when the first and the second functional wheels ( 11 , 11 ′; 12 , 12 ′) of the hydrodynamic transfer element ( 5 , 5 ′) respectively function as an impeller and a turbine, either a start-up function or a driving function can be set, and when the first and the second functional wheels ( 11 , 11 ′; 12 , 12 ′) of the hydrodynamic transfer element ( 5 , 5 ′) respectively function as a rotor and a stator, a retarder function of a hydrodynamic retarder can be set, the method comprising the steps of:
building up a hydrodynamic transfer torque in order to implement a start-up procedure by filling the working chamber ( 13 ) of the transfer element ( 5 , 5 ′);
driving one of the ring gear ( 6 ) or the sun gear ( 7 ), as the drive element of the planetary gear set ( 4 ), via the drive motor ( 1 );
fixing the other of the sun gear ( 7 ) or the ring gear ( 6 ), that is connected to the first functional wheel ( 11 , 11 ′) and is fixable on the stationary component ( 14 ) by the shift element ( 15 ), via the engagement of the shift element ( 15 ) when a speed of rotation of the planetary gear set element crosses zero; and
driving the transmission input shaft ( 16 ) with the planet carrier ( 8 ), which is connected to the second functional wheel ( 12 , 12 ′) in a rotationally fixed manner, and functions as the driven element of the planetary gear set ( 4 ).

8. The method according to claim 7 , further comprising, after the shift element ( 15 ) is engaged, reducing the hydrodynamic transfer torque by at least partially draining the working chamber ( 13 ), and correspondingly reducing the drive torque of the drive motor ( 1 ).

9. The method according to claim 7 , further comprising, during a braking procedure with a fixed first functional wheel ( 11 , 11 ′), building up the hydrodynamic transfer torque, which is effective as braking torque, by at least partially filling the working chamber ( 13 ).

10. The method according to claim 7 , further comprising, during a stopping procedure, building up the hydrodynamic transfer torque by at least partially filling the working chamber ( 13 ),
correspondingly increasing a drive torque of the d

Assignees

• Zahnradfabrik Friedrichshafen

Inventors

• Borntrager Kai
• Kaltenbach Johannes

Classifications

• B60T1/062

  acting on transmission parts · CPC title

• F16D57/04

  with blades causing a directed flow, e.g. Föttinger type · CPC title

• B60T10/02

  with hydrodynamic brake · CPC title

• F16H3/006

  power being selectively transmitted by parallel flow paths, e.g. dual clutch transmissions · CPC title

• B60T1/087

  in hydrodynamic, i.e. non-positive displacement, retarders · CPC title