Granted Patent B2

US 7,344,477 · App. 11/272,535 · Granted Mar 18, 2008

Abstract

Claims (41)

1. An automatic transmission for a vehicle comprising:

a first engagement element operable between an applied state and a released state;

a first overrunning engagement element operable between an engaged state and an overrunning state;

a controller operable to effectuate a gear shift of the transmission by applying a volume of fluid to said first engagement element to toggle said first engagement element from said released state to said applied state at approximately the same time said first overrunning engagement element is toggled into said overrunning state,

wherein said applied volume of fluid at which said first engagement element assumes its applied state substantially satisfies the following equation:

V F =V L −( k*T )

where V F is said volume, V L is the instantaneous volume at any time, k is a constant, and T is the input torque to the transmission.

2. The automatic transmission of claim 1 , wherein the term (k*T) is substantially equal to zero if the input torque is less than 60 Nm.

3. The automatic transmission of claim 1 , wherein said first engagement element is a multi-plate clutch assembly.

4. The automatic transmission of claim 1 , wherein said overrunning engagement element is an overrunning clutch.

5. A method for controlling operation of an automatic transmission of a vehicle comprising:

engaging an overrunning clutch to drive an output of the transmission;

sensing vehicle and transmission operating conditions;

initiating a shift from a first gear to a second gear based on said operating conditions;

calculating a fill volume, said fill volume a minimum volume required to shift from said first gear to said second gear;

applying fluid pressure to a first multi-plate clutch until reaching said fill volume;

overrunning said overrunning clutch once said fill volume is achieved;

applying fluid pressure at an increasing rate to said multi-plate clutch once said fill volume is achieved until said multi-plate clutch is fully applied; and

maintaining a substantially constant fluid pressure on said multi-plate clutch until a desired output speed is achieved.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein said fill volume is substantially given by the following equation:

V F =V L −( k*T )

where V F is said fill volume, V L is the instantaneous volume at any time, k is a constant, and T is the input torque to the transmission.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the term (k*T) is substantially equal to zero if the input torque is less than 60 Nm.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein an initial rate of fluid pressure applied to said multi-plate clutch upon reaching said fill volume is substantially equal to a rate of fluid pressure experienced during a previous shift when said multi-plate clutch is fully engaged.

9. The method of claim 5 , wherein constant fluid pressure is increased once said desired output speed is achieved.

10. A method for controlling operation of an automatic transmission of a vehicle comprising:

engaging an overrunning clutch to drive an output of the transmission;

sensing vehicle and transmission operating conditions;

initiating a shift from a first gear to a second gear based on said operating conditions, said shift including a fill phase, a torque phase, and a speed phase;

applying fluid pressure at a first rate to a first multi-plate clutch during said fill phase;

overrunning said overrunning clutch once completing said fill phase and achieving a predetermined volume of fluid acting on said multi-plate clutch;

initiating said torque phase upon reaching said predetermined volume of fluid;

applying fluid pressure at a second rate to said multi-plate clutch during said torque phase, said second rate initially equal to an initial rate during said speed phase from a previous shift;

reducing said second rate once said torque phase is complete;

initiating said speed phase; and

applying fluid pressure at a third rate to maintain engagement of said multi-plate clutch during said speed phase.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein said predetermined volume is substantially given by the following equation:

V F =V L −( k*T )

where V F is said fill volume, V L is the instantaneous volume at any time, k is a constant, and T is the input torque to the transmission.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the term (k*T) is substantially equal to zero if the input torque is less than 60 Nm.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein said second rate is substantially equal at the beginning and at the end of the torque phase.

Assignments (20)