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Fly-by-wire control for multi-speed planetary transmissionFly-by-wire control for multi-speed planetary transmission description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20090258756, Fly-by-wire control for multi-speed planetary transmission. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/045,141, filed Apr. 15, 2008, which is incorporated herein by this reference in its entirety. The present invention relates generally to automatic transmissions for automotive vehicles, and more particularly, to an electro-hydraulic control for a multi-speed planetary transmission. Many types of multi-speed transmissions are available for motor vehicles. One such type is a six-speed planetary transmission having clutch-to-clutch shifting controls, as disclosed by Polak in U.S. Pat. No. 4,070,927. A higher number of forward speed ratios may be desirable to increase the operating range of the vehicle engine, improve shift quality, improve fuel economy, or for other reasons. For example, seven- and eight-speed automatic transmissions have now been developed. A number of potential challenges to commercial availability of higher-order transmissions exist; however, including increased size, complexity and cost of such transmissions. The clutches or other shift mechanisms of automatic transmissions are typically controlled by electro-hydraulic systems in which electronic controls selectively actuate hydraulic valves, which control the distribution of pressurized fluid to engage and disengage the shift mechanisms upon command. Examples of prior electro-hydraulic control systems are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,827,806; 5,601,506; 5,616,093; 6,520,881; and 7,140,993, all of which are issued to Long et al. According to one aspect of the present invention, a fly-by-wire control for a vehicle transmission having more than six forward speeds is provided. The control includes a plurality of electro-hydraulic trim valve systems configured to receive electrical signals and selectively communicate pressurized fluid to a number of transmission shift mechanisms, wherein the number of transmission shift mechanisms is greater than the number of electro-hydraulic trim valve systems, and at least one logic valve in selective fluid communication with at least one of the trim valve systems and with at least one of the transmission shift mechanisms. The control may include first, second, third and fourth trim valves, first and second logic valves, and a plurality of passages configured to selectively fluidly couple the first, second, third and fourth trim valves and the first and second logic valves to first, second, third, fourth and fifth transmission shift mechanisms. The first and second trim valves and the first and second logic valves may control the first, second and third transmission shift mechanisms, and the third and fourth trim valves may control the fourth and fifth transmission shift mechanisms. The control may include an electronic control and first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth actuators may be actuatable by the electronic control, wherein the first, second, third and fourth actuators selectively provide output pressure to the first, second, third and fourth trim valves, respectively, and the fifth and sixth actuators selectively provide output pressure to the first and second logic valves, respectively. The first and second actuators may be normally high solenoids. The fifth and sixth actuators may be normally low, on/off solenoids. A seventh actuator may provide output pressure to a torque converter flow valve to selectively control application of a torque converter clutch. A reduced engine load at stop subsystem may be operably coupled to the torque converter flow valve. The reduced engine load at stop subsystem may selectively disengage a torque converter pump clutch from a drive unit of the vehicle. A boost valve may be in fluid communication with at least one trim valve system and at least one of the logic valves. According to another aspect of the present invention, a fly-by-wire control for an automatic transmission of a vehicle is provided. The control includes at least one trim valve system configured to selectively distribute fluid pressure to at least one transmission shift mechanism, a first logic valve operable to selectively distribute fluid pressure to a first transmission shift mechanism, a second logic valve operable to selectively distributed fluid pressure to second and third transmission shift mechanisms, first and second actuators configured to selectively receive electrical signals from a controller and cause fluid pressure to be applied to the first and second logic valves, respectively, and a plurality of passages selectively fluidly coupling the first and second logic valves to each other, including a first passage configured to selectively communicate control pressure from one of the logic valves to the other logic valve and a second passage configured to selectively communicate main pressure from one of the logic valves to the other logic valve. The control may include a check valve in fluid communication with the first passage. The transmission may include reverse, neutral, and first through eighth forward ranges, and the passages and the check valve may be configured such that in the event of a power failure, the neutral and reverse ranges fail to the neutral range, the first, second, third and fourth forward ranges fail to the third forward range, and the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth forward ranges fail to the sixth forward range. The passages selectively fluidly coupling the first and second logic valves to each other may be arranged such that the first and second logic valves have a first configuration in which both the first and second logic valves are in the pressure set position while the second logic valve distributes fluid pressure to the second shift mechanism and the trim valve system distributes fluid pressure to a fourth transmission shift mechanism, and the first and second logic valves may have a second configuration in which the first logic valve is in the spring set position, the second logic valve is in the pressure set position, the second logic valve distributes fluid pressure to the second shift mechanism and the trim valve system distributes fluid pressure to the fourth transmission shift mechanism. Where the transmission may include a reverse range, a neutral range, and a plurality of forward ranges, the control may include at least two trim valve systems, and the passages selectively fluidly coupling the first and second logic valves to each other may be configured such that when the vehicle is in the neutral range, only one trim valve system is activated. Where the transmission may include a reverse range, a neutral range, and first through eighth forward ranges, the passages selectively fluidly coupling the first and second logic valves to each other may be configured such that the first logic valve distributes fluid pressure to the first transmission shift mechanism when the vehicle is in the first, second, or third forward range, the second logic valve distributes fluid pressure to the second transmission shift mechanism when the vehicle is in the fourth, fifth, or sixth forward range, and the second logic valve distributes fluid pressure to the third transmission shift mechanism when the vehicle is in the sixth, seventh or eight forward range. According to another aspect of the present invention, a fly-by-wire control for an automatic transmission of a vehicle is provided. The control includes a plurality of trim valves, a plurality of logic valves in selective fluid communication with at least one of the trim valves and with a plurality of transmission shift mechanisms, and a plurality of pressure switches operably coupled to the trim valves and the logic valves to detect the position of each of the trim valves and the logic valves, wherein the number of pressure switches equals the number of trim valves and logic valves. The control may include first, second, third and fourth trim valves and first and second logic valves, first, second, third and fourth pressure switches in fluid communication with the first, second, third and fourth trim valves, respectively, and fifth and sixth pressure switches in fluid communication with the first and second logic valves. The first, second, third, and fourth pressure switches may be activated when fluid pressure is applied to the first, second, third, and fourth trim valves, respectively, the fifth pressure switch may be actuated when the first logic valve is in the spring set position, and the sixth pressure switch may be activated when the second logic valve is in the pressure set position. The pressure switches may be operable to detect changes in the positions of the trim valves and the logic valves corresponding to single range shifts, double range shifts, and reverse directions. Patentable subject matter may include one or more features or combinations of features shown or described anywhere in this disclosure including the written description, drawings, and claims. Continue reading about Fly-by-wire control for multi-speed planetary transmission... 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