Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Other

William L Cousins

Bradford W Bur

Christopher G Benson

David J Howe

Greg Alan Weeter

James M Partyka

Shachindra Dongaonkar

David A Craig

Steven R Stuve

Todd W Rooney

Mark Pickhard

Glenn W Hoefflin

Charles M Tomlinson

Kevin O'Connor

Eric Thomas Carlson

Michael Partridge

Donald Eugene Forton

Kristopher Villegas

Binu Jose Kochucheruvil

Ronald G Mattise

Alex Kwon

Richard D Nixon

A hydraulic clutch system that enables automatic emergency braking (AEB) and remote start of a manual transmission vehicle. The hydraulic clutch system includes a piston-operated hydraulic cylinder or other accumulator to store a charge of hydraulic fluid that can be selectively routed to the clutch and discharged under electronic control to thereby disengage the clutch independently of any operator input via the clutch pedal. By doing so, the system can provide an improved AEB response that slows or stops the vehicle without stalling the engine. The system may also be used to provide remote start capability to the vehicle by automatically disengaging the clutch as part of a remote start sequence of operations.

Hydraulic clutch system for automatic emergency braking and remote starting of manual transmission vehicles

A method for detecting and mitigating excessive clutch disc wear for a manual transmission includes determining if a clutch pedal position is depressed greater than or equal to a first predetermined pedal position threshold and if the vehicle speed is less than or equal to a predetermined vehicle speed threshold. The method further includes determining if the clutch pedal position is depressed greater than or equal to a second predetermined pedal position threshold when the clutch pedal position is depressed less than the first predetermined pedal position threshold. The method still further includes calculating a clutch disc heat flux value and a clutch disc surface temperature. The method further includes displaying an alert/warning and a remedial action message to a vehicle operator when the clutch disc surface temperature is greater than or equal to a predetermined surface temperature threshold.

Method for detecting and mitigating excessive clutch disc wear in manual transmissions

A synchronizer for a transmission of a motor vehicle is provided. The synchronizer includes a sleeve and a blocker ring. The sleeve includes sleeve spline teeth and advanced sleeve spline teeth. The blocker ring includes blocker spline teeth. The sleeve spline teeth and blocker spline teeth are each asymmetrical and have a blunt tip, a first angled side, and a second angled side. The first and second angled sides have different angular relationships to a longitudinal axis of the teeth.

Synchronizer having asymmetric blocker and sleeve teeth

In a vehicle having a manual transmission, various sensors such as pedal and gearshift position sensors and accelerometers provide data to a control module such as an engine control module. The control module includes a microprocessor which calculates derivatives, i.e., the rate of change (first derivative) or the rate of change of the rate of change (second derivative) of the data from the sensors. Based on these derivatives, the microprocessor classifies the current driving activity into one of two, three or more modes, for example, track, sport and touring. During a shift, from the data from the gearshift sensor, the microprocessor determines whether an upshift or downshift is imminent or in progress and decreases or increases the engine speed to achieve zero or negligible cross clutch speed differential upon clutch engagement, rapidly if in the first (track) mode, less rapidly in the second (sport) mode and less rapidly still in the third (touring) mode.

Manual transmission active speed matching

A remote start vehicle system for a vehicle is provided. The system includes a remote start requester configured to request that the engine be started. The remote start requester is operable to request that the engine be started when the remote start requester is located outside of the vehicle. A control module is configured to cause the engine to be started upon request from the remote start requester. A sensor assembly is configured to sense a neutral gear state of the transmission, where the neutral gear state indicates whether the transmission is in neutral. The sensor assembly is configured to communicate the neutral gear state to the control module. The control module is configured to prevent the engine from being started if the neutral gear state indicates that the transmission is not in neutral. A method of remotely starting an engine is also provided.

Remote start for manual transmissions

A clutch for a manual or automatic transmission according to the present invention includes an axial fan or turbine disposed on a shaft extending between the clutch and the transmission. Air is supplied to the turbine through one or more radial passageways between the clutch and transmission housings and is provided through an annular passageway around the shaft. Air from the annular passageway is then dispersed generally radially between the clutch plates or disks and other clutch components to absorb and carry away heat generated during clutch operation.

Transmission clutch with improved cooling

A system for a vehicle includes an active fuel management (AFM) module, an expected engine speed determination module, and a disabling module. The AFM module selectively cuts off fuel to at least one cylinder of an engine and maintains valves of the at least one cylinder in closed positions. The expected engine speed determination module determines an expected engine speed based on a position of a shift lever of a manual transmission measured using a position sensor module. The disabling module selectively disables the AFM module based on the expected engine speed.

Active fuel management systems and methods for vehicles with a manual transmission

A system according to the principles of the present disclosure includes a selected gear module and a shift indicator module. The selected gear module determines a selected gear of a manual transmission. The shift indicator module monitors vehicle speed and the selected gear and generates a shift indicator signal based on the vehicle speed and the selected gear, the shift indicator signal indicating when to shift to one of first gear and reverse gear.

System and method for controlling loads on a manual transmission based on a selected gear of the manual transmission

A clutch assembly includes a housing, a clutch pack disposed within the housing and concentrically about a shaft, a clutch slave cylinder disposed between the clutch pack and the housing and concentrically about the shaft, and an energy control plate disposed between the clutch slave cylinder and the housing and concentrically about the shaft. The clutch slave cylinder and the energy control plate are generally secured to the housing with a set of fasteners.

Clutch assembly with an energy control plate

A system according to the principles of the present disclosure includes an engine speed module and a downshift indicator module. The engine speed module determines an engine speed when a clutch is engaged with a dual mass flywheel. The downshift indicator module generates a downshift indicator signal when the engine speed is less than a first speed, the downshift indicator signal indicating when to downshift a manual transmission.

System and method for controlling loads on a dual mass flywheel attached to an engine based on engine speed

The present invention provides a gear absolute position sensor assembly (GAPS) that senses the current absolute, position of the shift lever of a manual transmission. The sensor assembly provides data to an associated electronic controller such as an engine control module (ECM) regarding the current position of the shift lever, such as an engaged gear. The sensor assembly preferably comprises at least one Hall effect or other type of magnetic field (proximity) sensors in combination with an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) which is supplied with data from the sensors, decodes the output of the sensors and provides an output identifying a specific engaged gear or neutral for use by vehicle or engine management electronics. The sensors are mounted proximate the shift linkage at a location where they can sense both rotation and translation.

Gear absolute position sensor for manual transmissions

The present invention provides a gear absolute position sensor assembly (GAPS) that senses the current absolute, position of the shift lever of a manual transmission. The sensor assembly provides data to an associated electronic controller such as an engine control module (ECM) regarding the current position of the shift lever, such as an engaged gear. The sensor assembly preferably comprises two Hall effect or other type of magnetic field (proximity) sensors in combination with an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) which is supplied with data from the sensors, decodes the output of the sensors and provides an output identifying a specific engaged gear or neutral for use by vehicle or engine management electronics. The sensors are mounted proximate the shift linkage at a location where they can sense both rotation and translation.

Gear absolute position sensor for manual transmission

Self-adjusting clutches for automotive vehicles include a hydraulic cylinder as part of a clutch linkage connecting a clutch foot pedal to a clutch plate biased by a clutch spring to urge a friction disk into engagement with a flywheel of an engine. The hydraulic cylinder has a housing with a stop thereon that engages a bracket fixed to the vehicle when the clutch is engaged under the bias of the clutch spring. A piston within the housing is connected through a linkage in the form of a cable or rod assembly to the clutch. As the clutch wears, the piston is pulled toward the clutch for elongating the hydraulic cylinder to compensate for clutch wear by adjusting the length of the clutch linkage. A valve within the hydraulic cylinder is connected to the clutch pedal and is closed upon pressing the clutch pedal to retain the elongated length of the hydraulic cylinder and thus the adjusted length of the clutch linkage while the clutch is disengaged.

Growing community of inventors

Ortonville, MI, United States of America

William L Cousins