Ford Motor Company Limited

Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Larry T Brown

Marvin Paul Kraska

Walter Joseph Ortmann

Davorin David Hrovat

Lee-Fei Chen

Stanley L Pierce

Edward Albert Bos

Pramod Kumar Jain

Paul Timothy Early

Alan David Richardson

A multiple-ratio transmission with planetary gearing and a friction clutch and brake for controlling relative motion of the gearing to establish multiple driving ratios between an internal combustion engine and vehicle traction wheels, the clutch and brake include a forward drive clutch and a reverse drive clutch for establishing torque flow paths through the gearing. The forward drive clutch establishes a torque flow path through the gearing from the engine through a torque output element of the transmission during vehicle startup in forward drive range, and the reverse clutch establishes a corresponding torque flow path during startup in reverse. A mechanical connection between the torque input shaft of the gearing and the crankshaft is characterized by minimal rotating mass, thereby reducing the inertia of rotating mass of the elements of the transmission.

Converterless multiple-ratio automatic transmission

A powertrain assembly for an automotive vehicle having an interanal combustion engine and transmission gearing for delivering engine torque to traction wheels of a vehicle. An electric induction motor is situated in the torque flow path between the engine and the transmission. The induction motor complements engine torque which permits the engine to be turned off when the vehicle is at rest, thereby improving fuel economy and rendering undesirable exhaust gas emissions from the internal combustion engine. The torque multiplication that would normally be available from a hydrokinetic torque converter in the transmission is essentially replaced with auxiliary launch torque supplied by the induction motor during vehicle startup. The vibration damping function of a hydrokinetic torque converter during engine idle is also performed by the induction motor. Therefore, a hydrokinetic torque converter in the transmission in not necessary. The induction motor, during those operating modes of the vehicle when induction motor torque is not required to deliver driving torque, functions as an alternator during periods of regenerative braking with the internal combustion engine inactive and with the vehicle in a coast mode.

Hybrid vehicle powertrain and control therefor

A fuel delivery system for delivering fuel from a fuel tank to an internal combustion engine includes a fuel pump disposed within the tank and an accumulator communicating between the fuel pump and the engine for storing a volume of fuel under pressure. The system also includes a fuel pump control means for controlling the output of fuel flow from the fuel pump. The control means selectively causes the fuel pump output flow to either supply fuel to both the engine and the accumulator or bypass fuel at a lower pressure while fuel is supplied by the accumulator alone, thereby reducing the average power demand of the pump.

Fuel delivery system

A system for controlling a downshift in an automatic transmission having a torque converter includes friction elements for alternately producing a drive connection between components of a planetary gear set and disengaging the connection, a valve body adapted to connect a source of high pressure hydraulic fluid to the friction elements, a solenoid for controlling operation of the hydraulic valves, a microprocessor having a memory containing control algorithms, sensors producing signals representing the speed of the transmission output shaft and turbine shaft, a sensor producing a signal representing the position of an engine throttle, the control algorithms controlling a downshift of the transmission.

Gearshift controller for automatic transmission

A system for controlling engagement of forward drive and reverse drive when a gear selector lever is moved from park or neutral position and for adapting the control on the basis of the slip across the oncoming friction element includes an automatic transmission, gearing friction elements that control the gearing, a valve body containing shift valve solenoids for operating the shift valves and control algorithms executed by a microprocessor, a gear selector lever, a throttle position sensor, shaft speed sensors, and transmission input and output shafts. The clutch pressure increases linearly under the control of a closed-loop system. A control algorithm senses when the closed-loop control is operative and automatically changes the period during which clutch pressure is maintained at a high magnitude prior to engagement so that the resulting gear change is smooth and occurs at maximum speed.

Adaptive control for automatic transmission engagement

An automatic transmission for an automotive vehicle having an automatic ratio control wherein provision is made for disengaging a forward-drive clutch which forms a part of the torque flow path from an engine to the torque input element of multiple-ratio gearing and for disengaging the forward-drive clutch when the vehicle is stopped and the vehicle engine is idling and wherein provision is made for engaging the clutch to condition the transmission for torque delivery, the engagement being controlled by an electronic microprocessor as part of a closed control loop, thereby minimizing inertia torque disturbances when the clutch is engaged upon the initiation of the vehicle acceleration mode from a standing start.

Automatic transmission control and strategy for neutral idle

A control for a torque converter transmission having a pressure-operated torque input clutch that establishes and disestablishes a torque flow path between an engine and torque input elements of a multiple-ratio transmission comprising a solenoid-operated clutch control and an electronic controller and clutch control valve structure whereby the clutch pressure is regulated in a closed loop manner as the controller responds to turbine speed changes to effect a controlled pressure buildup in the clutch when clutch engagement is desired so that the rate of engagement corresponds to an optimum calibrated rate to eliminate harshness in clutch engagement and also to prevent an undesirable transient engine speed increase during start-up.

Turbine speed controller for an automatic transmission

In a powertrain including an engine controlled by the position of the throttle valve, a hydrodynamic torque converter and multiple ratio automatic transmission connected to the drive wheels of the vehicle, a solenoid-operated hydraulic valve supplies pressurized fluid to engage and release the clutch that controls torque transfer between an offgoing clutch and an oncoming clutch. The position of the throttle valve and the speed of the engine are applied as input to a mathematical model programmed in algorithmic form for execution by a digital microprocessor. The engine produces a signal representing net torque output by the engine and torque converter, which signal is applied as input to an inverse mathematical model of the solenoid-operated valve that supplies hydraulic fluid to the controlling clutch. The unique relationship of phase to gain, the frequency response of the solenoid valve, is inverted within the frequency range of interest to remove the effects of delay. Torque converter turbine speed error is determined as it is applied as input to a PID compensated feedback control, whose output is summed with the inverse of the solenoid valve frequency response to produce a duty cycle supplied to the solenoid that controls pressure in the transmission friction element.

Automatic transmission gearshift control having feedforward response of

A powertrain including an engine controlled by the position of a throttle valve, a hydrodynamic torque converter having a bypass clutch, multiple ratio automatic transmission connected to the drive wheels of the vehicle, a solenoid-operated hydraulic valve that supplies pressurized fluid to engage and release the bypass clutch, is controlled by operation of a feedforward control system. An engine math model produces a signal representing the net torque output by the engine, which signal is applied as input to an inverse mathematical model of the solenoid-operated valve that supplies hydraulic fluid to the bypass clutch. The unique relationship of phase to gain, the frequency response of the solenoid valve, is inverted to remove the effects of delay and transient rise time. Torque converter slip error determined as the difference between torque converter impeller speed and turbine speed, is applied as input to a PID compensated feedback control whose output is summed with the inverse of the solenoid valve frequency response to produce a duty cycle supplied to the solenoid of the bypass pressure hydraulic valve.

Feedforward control for automatic transmission torque converter bypass

A method for controlling the transfer of load from one friction element to another friction element while making a gear ratio change in an automatic transmission. The synchronous engine speed is increased by slipping the offgoing clutch. A constant is calculated from known speed ratios of the gear set, engine inertia, the difference in engine speed from synchronous speed and a constant that corresponds to the output torque at the end of the torque phase of the gear ratio shift. The time rate of change of the offgoing clutch torque is calculated and the clutch pressures are changed in accordance with the calculated torque slope.

Transmission clutch loop transfer control

A continuously variable belt-driven transmission includes a hydraulic torque converter, a variable diameter displaceable input pulley, a variable diameter displaceable output pulley, forward and reverse planetary gearing, a differential mechanism and half shafts driven from the differential mechanism. A slipping lockup clutch is hydraulically actuated to connect and disconnect selectively the impeller and turbine of the torque converter. The radial position of the drive belt that engages the input and output pulleys is determined by selectively pressurizing and venting a cylinder to move displaceable sheaves of a pulley. Hydraulically actuated clutches are selectively engageable to produce forward drive or reverse drive from the output pulley to the differential mechanism. Various sensors produce electric signals as input to a microprocessor indicate the position of the engine throttle, the magnitude of engine speed, primary pulley speed, secondary pulley speed, converter lockup clutch pressure, belt load pressure, line pressure and the position of a PRNDL gear selector. A valve body hydraulically actuates, in accordance with the output produced by the computer, the forward clutch, the reverse clutch, the torque converter lockup clutch and the displaceable sheaves of the input pulley and output pulley. An electronic feedback system controls the slip, engagement and disengagement of the torque converter lockup clutch.

Transmission clutch closed loop slip controller and method

A control system for transferring torque from a first, offgoing clutch to a second, oncoming clutch while a gear shift is being made includes speed sensors for determining the speeds of the engine shaft and the output shaft of the transmission, a gear selector position indicator, a throttle position indicator and a gear ratio sensor. Solenoid operated valves open and close a source of high pressure fluid to the clutches, whose engagement and disengagement holds the gear elements of the transmission by means of which the various speed ratios are produced. An electronic computer is supplied with the digital equivalent of the shaft speeds, the position of the gear selector and of the throttle. The engine speed-output shaft speed ratio is used as a feedback signal on the basis of which an error between its value and a commanded value is determined. An equation for determining the duty cycle is repetitively calculated and its value converted to a pulse width modulated electrical current that is applied to the solenoid windings. The equation corrects a previously calculated duty cycle with the feedback error value.

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Dearborn, MI, United States of America

Larry T Brown