IP Library Granted Patent US 11,242,926
Granted Patent B2
US 11,242,926 · App. 17/084,147 · Granted Feb 8, 2022

System, method, and apparatus for operating a high efficiency, high output transmission

Inventors: Thomas Connolly (Portage, MI); Joseph Paul Fumer (Ann Arbor, MI); Sipei Chen (Novi, MI); Jeff Hawarden (Rossendale, GB); Ian Daniel McKenzie (Kalamazoo, MI); Christopher DeBoer (Kalamazoo, MI)
Assignee: EATON CUMMINS AUTOMATED TRANSMISSION TECH., LLC
F16H59/0204B60W10/02B60W10/11B60W30/19B60W50/00F16D25/126F16H3/091F16H3/64F16H37/046F16H57/02004F16H61/0021F16H61/0213F16H61/06F16H61/08G08B13/00G08B27/00H04B10/0775H04J3/125B60W2050/0058B60W2510/0275B60W2510/0283B60W2510/107B60W2710/021B60W2710/022B60W2710/025B60W2710/1005F16H3/16F16H3/78F16H57/021F16H57/032F16H57/043F16H57/0423F16H57/0441F16H57/0471F16H57/0478F16H57/0484F16H57/0494F16H59/38F16H59/40F16H59/72F16H61/04F16H61/143F16H61/682F16H61/705F16H63/24F16H2057/0206F16H2059/725F16H2061/2853F16H2061/308F16H2063/005F16H2063/3093
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,242,926
App. No.
17/084,147
Granted
Feb 8, 2022
Kind
B2
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. A shift actuator selectively couples the input shaft to the main shaft by rotatably coupling 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 controller controls the shift actuator utilizing an actuating pulse and an opposing pulse.

Claims (42)

1. An apparatus, comprising: a shift control logic configured to:

provide a first opposing pulse command of a plurality of opposing pulse commands, 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 pneumatic shift actuator of a transmission in a shift direction;

provide a first actuating pulse command of a plurality of actuating pulse commands, the first actuating pulse command comprising a second predetermined 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 pneumatic shift actuator in the shift direction;

determine that a synchronizer engagement is imminent, and upon determination, interrupt the first actuating pulse command and provide a second actuating pulse command after a predetermined event; and

release pressure in the first closed volume and the second closed volume in response to determining a shift completion event.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined event is a response to a timing of the shift control logic provisioning of the plurality of actuating pulse commands and the plurality of opposing pulse commands.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined event is a response to a pulse timing of the plurality of actuating pulse commands and the plurality of opposing pulse commands.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined event is a response to a timing after the pneumatic shift actuator disengages from a previously engaged gear.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined event is a response to an expiration of a predetermined opposing pulse delay time.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined event is a response to a shift actuator rail position that provides a scheduled amount of opposition to the shift actuator.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined event is a response to a shift rail velocity.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the shift control logic is further configured to modulate the first actuating pulse command in response to a previously determined gear departure position value.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the modulation is based on a filtering, rate limited, or debounced updating of the previously determined gear departure position value.

10. A system, comprising:

a transmission having a pneumatic shift actuator; and

a controller, comprising:

a shift control logic configured to:

provide a first opposing pulse command of a plurality of opposing pulse commands, 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 pneumatic shift actuator of a transmission in a shift direction;

provide a first actuating pulse command of a plurality of actuating pulse commands, the first actuating pulse command comprising a second predetermined 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 pneumatic shift actuator in the shift direction;

determine that a synchronizer engagement is imminent, and upon determination, interrupt the first actuating pulse command and provide a second actuating pulse command after a predetermined event; and

release pressure in the first closed volume and the second closed volume in response to determining a shift completion event.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the predetermined event is a response to a timing of the shift control logic provisioning of the plurality of actuating pulse commands and the plurality of opposing pulse commands.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the predetermined event is a response to a pulse timing of the plurality of actuating pulse commands and the plurality of opposing pulse commands.

13. The system of claim 10 , wherein the predetermined event is a response to a timing after the pneumatic shift actuator disengages from a previously engaged gear.

14. The system of claim 10 , wherein the predetermined event is a response to an expiration of a predetermined opposing pulse delay time.

15. The system of claim 10 , wherein the predetermined event is a response to a shift actuator rail position that provides a scheduled amount of opposition to the shift actuator.

16. The system of claim 10 , wherein the predetermined event is a response to a shift rail velocity.

17. The system of claim 10 , wherein the shift control logic is further configured to modulate the first actuating pulse command in response to a previously determined gear departure position value.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the modulation is based on a filtering, rate limited, or debounced updating of the previously determined gear departure position value.

19. A method, comprising:

providing a first opposing pulse command of a plurality of opposing pulse commands, 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 pneumatic shift actuator of a transmission in a shift direction;

providing a first actuating pulse command of a plurality of actuating pulse commands, the first actuating pulse command comprising a second predetermined 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 pneumatic shift actuator in the shift direction;

determining that a synchronizer engagement is imminent, and upon determination, interrupting the first actuating pulse command and providing a second actuating pulse command after a predetermined event; and

releasing pressure in the first closed volume and the second closed volume in response to determining a shift completion event.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the predetermined event comprises one or more of:

a response to a timing of a shift control logic provisioning of the plurality of actuating pulse commands and the plurality of opposing pulse commands;

a response to a pulse timing of the plurality of actuating pulse commands and the plurality of opposing pulse commands;

a response to a timing after the pneumatic shift actuator disengages from a previously engaged gear;

a response to an expiration of a predetermined opposing pulse delay time;

a response to a shift actuator rail position that provides a scheduled amount of opposition to the shift actuator; and

a response to a shift rail velocity;

wherein the shift control logic is further configured to modulate the first actuating pulse command in response to a previously determined gear departure position value, and wherein the modulation is based on a filtering, rate limited, or debounced updating of the previously determined gear departure position value.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 3, 2022
From: KAWALE, SUJAY; CONNOLLY, THOMAS; GRIFFITHS, JUSTIN KEITH; FURNER, JOSEPH PAUL; CHEN, SIPEI; HAWARDEN, JEFF; WANG, YEIDEI; MAURER, ADAM CHRISTOPHER; SMITH, CARL CHRISTOPHER; MCKENZIE, IAN DANIEL; PAULS, RYAN; DAVID, WILLIAM A.; BUSDIECKER, MATTHEW R.; DEBOER, CHRISTOPHER
To: EATON CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 058529/0385 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 3, 2022
From: EATON INTELLIGENT POWER LIMITED
To: EATON CUMMINS AUTOMATED TRANSMISSION TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 058529/0716 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 3, 2022
From: EATON CORPORATION
To: EATON INTELLIGENT POWER LIMITED
Reel/Frame 058603/0613 →
Continuity (5)
Continuation 16596440 · Oct 8, 2019
Continuation 15663201 · Jul 28, 2017
Provisional Application 62465021 · Feb 28, 2017
Provisional Application 62438201 · Dec 22, 2016
Related Publication 20210041019A1 · Feb 11, 2021