Toyota Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha

Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha

Aisin-warner Kabushiki Kaisha

Tatsuo Kyushima

Koujiro Kuramochi

Seitoku Kubo

Kunio Morisawa

Akio Numazawa

Masaharu Tanaka

Setsuo Tokoro

Fumitomo Yokoyama

Yoshinari Kuwayama

Toshihiro Katsuda

Isamu Minemoto

Shinji Sekido

Seitok Kubo

A vehicle speed determining device determines a running speed of a vehicle, on the basis of pulses received from a vehicle speed sensor. A first determination that the running speed of the vehicle has been zeroed is made, if a next pulse has not been received from the sensor, within a predetermined first length of time after the reception of a last pulse from the sensor. A second determination that a period of the next pulse to be received next is abnormally long is made, if said next pulse has not been received within a predetermined second length of time after the reception of the last pulse. If the second determination is made, the first determination is inhibited until the next pulse has been received.

Vehicle speed determining device having means for accurate determination

A shift control apparatus for an automatic transmission of a motor vehicle is disclosed. The shift control apparatus includes a shift control device for automatically shifting the transmission according to a predetermined shift control pattern, on the basis of a speed of the engine and a currently required output of the engine. When a vehicle driver operates to re-accelerate the vehicle after deceleration with the transmission shifted down to the low-speed gear position, the transmission is shifted up from the lower-speed gear position to the high-speed gear position having the smaller speed reduction ratio than the lower-speed gear position, if a predetermined period of time has not elapsed after the low-speed gear position is established. Also disclosed is a shift control apparatus including the same shift control device, wherein the engine idling speed is raised from a normal level up to an elevated level when an additional load is applied to the engine, and wherein a shift-down point of the engine speed in the shift control pattern is shifted, in response to a rise in the idling speed to the elevated level, from a first point corresponding the normal level of the idling speed up to a second point corresponding to the elevated level.

Shift control apparatus for shifting up transmission upon

A strainer is mounted in an oil passage within a valve body constituting the hydraulic control unit of an automatic transmission. The strainer includes a frame (4) fitted into the oil passage, a reticulate member (5) secured to the frame (4) so as to form a barrier across the oil passage, and a permanent magnet (8) secured by press-fitting or by bonding to frame at a position ahead of the reticulate member (5) in terms of the direction of working oil flow. Foreign matter contained in the working oil is removed by the reticulate member (5) while extremely small contaminants exhibiting a magnetic property, such as ferrous chips, that cannot be removed by the reticulate member (5) are removed by the magnet (8).

Magnetic oil strainer

In an automatic transmission control system incorporating the conventional line, throttle, and governor fluid pressure regulation valves, mannual selector valve, and shift valves such as 1/2, 2/3, and 3/4 shift valves, there is further incorporated a modulator fluid pressure control valve which produces a modulator fluid pressure of a predetermined constant level from the line pressure available from a port of the manual selector valve when it is shifted to a lower range, such as, for example, 2 range. The line fluid pressure regulation valve, which is normally boosted by the throttle pressure, is instead boosted by the modulator fluid pressure when the modulator fluid pressure is present while the throttle fluid pressure is very low as at the time when the manual selector valve has been shifted from the D range to the 2 range for effecting rapid deceleration of the vehicle, so as to support the governor pressure, generated from the line pressure, at a high level while the vehicle speed is still high. A shift valve, which, for example, is the 2/3 shift valve, which is normally shifted by a balanced between the throttle pressure and the governor pressure, is instead shifted by a balance between the modulator fluid pressure and the governor pressure when the modulator pressure is present and the throttle pressure is very low, so that downshifting to 2nd. gear is prevented until the vehicle speed is reduced to a predetermined value. The modulator fluid pressure is supplied to a friction engaging mechanism which provides engine braking in 2nd. gear.

Transmission control system with protection against excessively high

A rotary power transmission device including a hydraulic torque converter which transmits rotary power between coaxial power input and power output shafts, and a lock up clutch system which also transmits rotary power between the power input and power output shafts, wherein the lock up clutch system includes a rotary shock absorber including a disk shaped plate element and two ring shaped plate elements cooperating with an outer peripheral portion of the disk shaped plate element in an axially superposed manner so as to provide a rotary shock absorber, one of the two ring shaped plate elements being positioned between the other ring shaped plate element and the disk shaped plate element, the assembly of the two ring shaped plate elements and the outer peripheral portion of the disk shaped plate element being positioned in an annular space formed adjacent an outer peripheral portion of the turbine of the hydraulic torque converter, while the radially inner portion of the disk shaped plate element is rotationally connected to the power output shaft in parallel with the turbine, wherein more than two circumferentially elongated slot shaped apertures are formed in the middle ring shaped plate element, through each of which a pin rotatably supporting an annular bearing element is passed and mounted at its opposite ends to the other ring shaped plate element and the disk shaped plate element with the annular bearing element being engaged with either a radially inner or a radially outer arcuate edge of the slot shaped aperture.

Torque converter lock up clutch rotary shock absorber with inner plate

An improved transverse-mount type driving device for an automobile, having an output gear provided between last and intermediate planetary gear units of an auxiliary speed change gear assembly, the output gear meshing with a driven gear on a transmission shaft which extends parallel with the auxiliary speed change gear assembly and mounts a drive gear at an end proximate of the torque converter for meshing engagement with a differential drive gear which in turn transmits power to right and left axle shafts. A parking gear is provided on the transmission shaft for selective engagement to prevent rotation of the transmission shaft when the automobile is in park.

Automobile transmission with output shaft parallel to crank shaft and

An improved transverse-mount type driving device for an automobile, having an output gear provided between last and intermediate planetary gear units of an auxiliary speed change gear assembly, the output gear meshing with a driven gear on a transmission shaft which extends parallel with the auxiliary speed change gear assembly and mounts a drive gear at an end proximate the torque converter for meshing engagement with a differential drive gear which in turn transmits power to right and left axle shafts.

Driving device for automobiles

A lockup clutch of a fluid type torque converter apparatus is disposed in parallel to a fluid type torque converter and directly connects an input shaft and an output shaft to each other. The lockup clutch comprises first and second disc elements disposed midway of a drive force transmission line in an axially spaced relation and an opposing relation to each other, and connected to each other by fastening members in a manner that the relative rotation of one disc element to another is impeded; a third disc element disposed between the first and second disc elements and rotatable relative to the first and second disc elements; compression coil springs adapted to act as shock absorbers when the first and second disc elements are rotated relative to the third disc element; slots of a predetermined length running in the third disc in the circumferential direction thereof and receiving therein the fastening members, respectively; and spacers formed independently of the fastening members and fitted on the intermediate outer peripheral portions of the fastening members, which intermediate portions are inserted in the slots, respectively.

Fluid type torque converter apparatus

A rotary power transmission device including a hydraulic torque converter which transmits rotary power between coaxial power input and power output shafts, and a lock up clutch system which also transmits rotary power between the power input and power output shafts, wherein the lock up clutch system includes a rotary shock absorber including a disk shaped plate element and two ring shaped plate elements cooperating with an outer peripheral portion of the disk shaped plate element in an axially superposed manner so as to provide a rotationally cushioning assembly positioned in an annular space formed adjacent an outer peripheral portion of the turbine of the hydraulic torque converter, while the radially inner portion of the disk shaped plate element is rotationally connected to the power output shaft in parallel with and separately from the turbine, wherein the disk shaped plate is formed with through openings along a radially intermediate annular region thereof for transmitting fluid pressures therethrough.

Torque converter lock up clutch shock absorber with pressure

An automatic transmission includes: a gear transmission mechanism which can provide several speed stages according to selective supply of hydraulic pressures from a control system; a hydraulic fluid pump; a torque converter incorporating a lock up clutch which is selectively engaged or disengaged according to selective supply of pressure; a line fluid pressure control valve which receives a supply of pressurized hydraulic fluid from the pump and which provides a supply thereof, regulated to a line pressure level, to the control system; and a torque converter fluid pressure control valve which receives a supply of pressurized hydraulic fluid from the pump, and which provides a supply thereof to the torque converter as a source of torque converter pressure for filling it with hydraulic fluid and for selectively either engaging or disengaging the lock up clutch, this supply of torque converter pressure being regulated to a proper level by the torque converter fluid pressure control valve, when the supply of hydraulic fluid from the hydraulic fluid pump is plentiful, diverting therefrom an overflow flow of hydraulic fluid, which, when available, is supplied to the lubricating system of the gear transmission mechanism, to which the torque converter hydraulic fluid pressure is also always supplied via a throttle element.

Transmission with torque converter and lock up clutch with lubrication

An automatic transmission includes a gear transmission mechanism with first and second friction mechanisms which are alternatively engaged by alternative supply of first and second actuating pressures thereto when the highest speed stage and the next to highest speed stage are alternatively engaged, and a torque converter including a lockup clutch. A transmission control system includes a pressure control system which controls the gear transmission mechanism by selectively supplying those actuating pressures and possibly others, and a lockup clutch control valve which controls the engagement of the lockup clutch. The lockup clutch control valve is switched to its disengage position when it receives neither a first nor a second control pressure, and is switched to an opposite position by supply of either the first or second control pressure, this opposite position being an engage position for the lockup clutch if governor pressure is over a first specified value. The first control pressure is provided when governor pressure is higher than a second specified value higher than the first specified value and also the first actuating pressure is present; and the second control pressure is provided, if governor pressure is over the first value, when the throttle pressure is lower than a third specified value and also the second actuating pressure is present.

Fail safe automatic transmission lock up clutch control system

A fluid pressure control system for controlling an automatic transmission which includes a gear transmission mechanism and several fluid pressure actuated friction engaging mechanisms, selective engagement of which provides various speed stages from the gear transmission mechanism. A line pressure control valve produces a line pressure which increases from a base pressure by an amount proportional to engine load. A throttle pressure control valve produces a throttle pressure which is proportional to engine load. A shift valve selectively switches supply of line pressure to one of the friction engaging mechanisms via a passage, according to the operational conditions of the vehicle. A back pressure accumulator is connected to an intermediate part of the passage. Back pressure is supplied to a back pressure chamber of the accumulator by a fluid pressure control means which receives supply of line pressure and outputs a pressure which, when engine load is medium, is approximately equal to line pressure, but which, when engine load is small or is large, is substantially lower than line pressure. Thereby, the performance of the accumulator for cushioning over abrupt engagement of the friction engaging mechanism is more suitably tailored to the torque characteristics of the engine of the vehicle, and gear shift shock is accordingly reduced.

Transmission control system with modified back pressure accumulator

A transmission has a gear mechanism which is selected between speeds by selective engagement of a brake including first and second friction plate elements. A piston is driven by pressure in a fluid pressure chamber so as selectively to squeeze the friction plate elements together and engage them. A return spring for releasing this engagement is mounted parallel to the axis of rotation of the brake in a cavity formed in the transmission housing, radially outside the brake, and biases the piston in the release direction. This allows the transmission to be axially shorter than when the return spring is mounted radially inwards of the brake.

Radially outward return spring for transmission brake

In a torque transmission apparatus of an automatic transmission for an automotive vehicle, a direct coupling clutch is provided in parallel to a fluid type torque converter. The direct coupling clutch comprises; a first clutch element connected to an input shaft or an output shaft; a first circular coupling element engaging a second clutch element disposed in an opposing relation to the first clutch element, in a manner to effect the relative movement to the second clutch element in the axial direction alone thereof; second and third circular coupling elements coupled to each other at a spacing from each other, with the first circular coupling element interposed therebetween, and adapted to rotate relative to the first circular coupling element through a given angle; and compression coil springs retained in the first circular coupling element and engaging the second and third circular coupling elements, thereby absorbing shock due to the relative rotation of the first circular coupling element to the second and third circular coupling elements; the compression coil springs having a surface hardness nearly equal to the surface hardness of the compression-coil-spring retaining portions of the first circular element and the engaging portions of the second and third circular elements.

Torque transmission apparatus including direct coupling clutch and

In a transmission for automobiles including; a housing containing planetary gear units respectively having at least three revolving elements, such as ring gears, sun gears and a carrier; an input shaft connected to one of the revolving elements of the planetary gear units, and an output shaft connected to another one of the three revolving elements of the planetary gear units and rotatably supported on the input shaft through the medium of a first antifriction bearing means consisting of an inner race, an outer race and a roller; the improvements comprising; a face of the input shaft substantially vertical with respect to the axis of the assembly, one of the inner and outer races of the first antifriction bearing means being adapted to engage the face of the input shaft; a second antifriction bearing means disposed between the input shaft and the housing so as to support the input shaft rotatably and consisting of an inner race, an outer race and a roller, and a pressure means screwed with the end of said input shaft; the pressure means being adapted to apply pressure to the first antifriction bearing means via the inner race of the second antifriction bearing means.

Growing community of inventors

Toyota, Japan

Tatsuo Kyushima