Method and apparatus for control of transmission breathing

Claim 2

In an automatic transmission, a housing for said transmission, a transmission lubricant fill in said housing subject to oxidation providing a medium for the transfer of power and for lubricating and operating said transmission, a transmission breather passage extending through the wall of said housing, and transmission suppressor valve means for said transmission in said breather passage to permit air pressure to build up inside of said housing until a predetermined pressure is reached and to subsequently open to allow said air to flow from said transmission housing to the atmosphere outside of said transmission housing and for subsequently permitting a vacuum to occur inside said housing until a predetermined vacuum has been obtained and thereafter to open to allow air to flow into said transmission from said outside atmosphere, said valve means having a surrounding outer container, an air tight connection securing said container to said valve means, an enclosed reservoir of gas, and passage means connecting said reservoir and said container so that said transmission will take in gas from said reservoir in response to predetermined vacuum within said housing and so that said transmission will exhaust gas from said transmission into said reservoir in response to predetermined pressure within said housing.

Claim 3

In an automatic transmission, a housing for said transmission, a transmission lubricant fill in said housing subject to oxidation providing a medium for the transfer of power and for lubricating and operating said transmission, a transmission breather passage extending through the wall of said housing, and transmission breathing suppressor valve means for said transmission in said breather passage to permit air pressure to build up inside of said housing until a predetermined pressure is reached and to subsequently open to allow said air to flow from said transmission housing to the atmosphere outside of said transmission housing and for subsequently closing and permitting a vacuum to occur inside said housing until a predetermined vacuum has been obtained and thereafter to open to allow air to flow into said transmission from said outside atmosphere, wherein said valve means has a valve body with first and second passages therethrough, a first flap valve for said first passage internally of said valve means for controlling the intake of air from said atmosphere and a second flap valve for said second passage external of said valve body for controlling the exhaust of air from said transmission.

Claim 4

In an automatic transmission, a housing for said transmission, a transmission lubricant fill in said housing subject to oxidation providing a medium for the transfer of power and for lubricating and operating said transmission, a transmission breather passage extending through the wall of said housing, and transmission breathing suppressor valve means for said transmission in said breather passage to permit air pressure to build up inside of said housing until a predetermined pressure is reached and to subsequently open to allow said air to flow from said transmission housing to the atmosphere outside of said transmission housing and for subsequently closing and permitting a vacuum to occur inside said housing until a predetermined vacuum has been obtained and thereafter to open to allow air to flow into said transmission from said outside atmosphere, wherein said valve means has a valve body with first and second passages therethrough, a first flap valve for said first passage internally of said valve means for controlling the intake of air from said atmosphere and a second flap valve for said second passage external of said valve body for controlling the exhaust of air from said transmission.

Claim 5

In an automatic transmission having a housing with a liquid lubricant fill therein subject to oxidation providing a fluid medium for transferring power in said transmission and for lubricating the components of said transmission, a breather passage formed through the wall of said housing to allow the flow of gas therethrough, and transmission breathing suppressor valve means operatively disposed in said passage to permit the flow of gas from said transmission through said breather passage only after a predetermined gas pressure has built up within said transmission to thereby retard the oxidation of said lubricant and for permitting the flow of gas into said transmission after a predetermined vacuum occurs within said housing, said valve means comprising a valve body having a valve slit formed therein, and said valve slit being defined by adjacent walls in said body which normally close on one another and which open when there is a predetermined pressure within said housing to exhaust gas from said housing and which open when there is a predetermined vacuum within said trAnsmission to intake gas into said housing.

Claim 6

In an automatic transmission having a housing with a liquid lubricant fill therein subject to oxidation providing a fluid medium for transferring power in said transmission and for lubricating the components of said transmission, a breather passage formed through the wall of said housing to allow the flow of gas therethrough, and transmission breathing suppressor valve means operatively disposed in said passage to permit the flow of gas from said transmission through said breather passage only after a predetermined gas pressure has built up within said transmission to thereby retard the oxidation of said lubricant and for permitting the flow of gas into said transmission after a predetermined vacuum occurs within said housing, said valve means comprising a valve body having a valve slit formed therein, and said valve slit being defined by adjacent walls in said body which normally close on one another and which open when there is a predetermined pressure within said housing to exhaust gas from said housing and which open when there is a predetermined vacuum within said trAnsmission to intake gas into said housing.

Claim 9

In an automatic transmission having a hydrodynamic torque transmitting unit and a change-speed gear unit and a housing for said transmission, a transmission lubricant fill in said housing subject to oxidation for providing a medium for the transfer of power through said hydrodynamic torque transmitting unit and for lubricating and operating said transmission, a transmission breather passage extending through the wall of said housing, one-way transmission breather valve means for said transmission operatively disposed in said breather passage for permitting only the exhaust of gas from the interior of said housing and operative to permit gas pressure to build up inside of said housing in response to operation of said transmission until a predetermined gas pressure is reached and to subsequently open to allow said gas to flow only outwardly through said passage from said transmission housing to the atmosphere outside of said transmission, said transmission having said torque transmitting unit and said gear unit contained within said housing, and seal means for sealing the lubricant fill in said housing and for permitting the limited intake of air into said transmission housing in response to a predetermined vacuum within said transmission housing and the closure of said breather passage by said valve means.

Claim 10

In an automatic transmission having a hydrodynamic torque transmitting unit and a change-speed gear unit and a housing for said transmission, a transmission lubricant fill in said housing subject to oxidation for providing a medium for the transfer of power through said hydrodynamic torque transmitting unit and for lubricating and operating said transmission, a transmission breather passage extending through the wall of said housing, one-way transmission breather valve means for said transmission operatively disposed in said breather passage for permitting only the exhaust of gas from the interior of said housing and operative to permit gas pressure to build up inside of said housing in response to operation of said transmission until a predetermined gas pressure is reached and to subsequently open to allow said gas to flow only outwardly through said passage from said transmission housing to the atmosphere outside of said transmission, said transmission having said torque transmitting unit and said gear unit contained within said housing, and seal means for sealing the lubricant fill in said housing and for permitting the limited intake of air into said transmission housing in response to a predetermined vacuum within said transmission housing and the closure of said breather passage by said valve means.

Claim 11

The automatic transmission defined in claim 5 wherein said valve means extends from said breather passage and projects outwardly from said transmission housing, said valve means having a movable external valve element operable to permit the passage of gas from said housing to the atmosphere in response to a predetermined gas pressure within said housing and to positively block the passage of air through said breather passage to the interior of said housing from said atmosphere.

Claim 12

In a transmission, an input and an output, a power transmitting gear unit, a housing for said gear unit, said input extending into said housing and being drivingly connected to said gear unit, said output being operatively connected to said gear unit and extending out of said housing, said housing containing a liquid lubricant for lubricating said gear unit and containing a gas above the normal liquid level of said lubricant, a breather passage extending into the housing and terminating above the level of said liquid lubricant for pneumatically connecting the interior of said housing with the atmosphere exterior of said housing, a one-way valve operatively disposed in said passage to permit a portion of the gas inside of said housing to be exhausted to the atmosphere in response to a rise in gas pressure within said housing to at least a predetermined positive gas pressure and for completely sealing said passage to prevent the passage of air into said housing through said passage in response to a gas pressure within said housing lower than said predetermined gas pressure, said housing having lubricant sealing means through which air may bleed into said housing from the atmosphere in response to the sealing of said breather passage by said valve means and when there is a sufficient negative gas pressure within said housing.

Claim 13

In a transmission, an input and an output, a power transmitting gear unit, a housing for said gear unit, said input extending into said housing and being drivingly connected to said gear unit, said output being operatively connected to said gear unit and extending out of said housing, said housing containing a liquid lubricant for lubricating said gear unit and containing a gas above the normal liquid level of said lubricant, a breather passage extending into the housing and terminating above the level of said liquid lubricant for pneumatically connecting the interior of said housing with the atmosphere exterior of said housing, a one-way valve operatively disposed in said passage to permit a portion of the gas inside of said housing to be exhausted to the atmosphere in response to a rise in gas pressure within said housing to at least a predetermined positive gas pressure and for completely sealing said passage to prevent the passage of air into said housing through said passage in response to a gas pressure within said housing lower than said predetermined gas pressure, said housing having lubricant sealing means through which air may bleed into said housing from the atmosphere in response to the sealing of said breather passage by said valve means and when there is a sufficient negative gas pressure within said housing.

Claim 14

In a power transmitting device having a gear unit, a housing for said gear unit, a liquid lubricant contained in said transmission for lubricating said gear unit and containing a gas above the normal liquid level of said lubricant, a transmission air breather passage extending completely through the wall of said housing to form a passage above the level of said lubricant for pneumatically connecting the interior of said housing and the gas contained therein with the atmosphere outside of said housing, a one-way valve operatively disposed in said passage to permit a part of the gas in said housing to be exhausted to the exterior of said housing in response to a rise in gas pressure within said housing to a pressure equal to or greater than a predetermined gas pressure and for completely sealing said passage to prevent the passage of air into said housing through said passage when the gas pressure in said housing is below said predetermined pressure, an annular input shaft means extending into said housing drivingly connected to said gear unit, annular output shaft means operatively connected to said gear unit and extending out of said housing, and annular sealing means within said housing for contacting at least one of said shaft means for sealing said liquid lubricant within said housing through which air can feed into said housing from the exterior of said housing in response to the sealing of said breather passage by said one-way valve means and in response to the establishment of a predetermined vacuum within said housing.

Claim 15

In a power transmitting device having a gear unit, a housing for said gear unit, a liquid lubricant contained in said transmission for lubricating said gear unit and containing a gas above the normal liquid level of said lubricant, a transmission air breather passage extending completely through the wall of said housing to form a passage above the level of said lubricant for pneumatically connecting the interior of said housing and the gas contained therein with the atmosphere outside of said housing, a one-way valve operatively disposed in said passage to permit a part of the gas in said housing to be exhausted to the exterior of said housing in response to a rise in gas pressure within said housing to a pressure equal to or greater than a predetermined gas pressure and for completely sealing said passage to prevent the passage of air into said housing through said passage when the gas pressure in said housing is below said predetermined pressure, an annular input shaft means extending into said housing drivingly connected to said gear unit, annular output shaft means operatively connected to said gear unit and extending out of said housing, and annular sealing means within said housing for contacting at least one of said shaft means for sealing said liquid lubricant within said housing through which air can feed into said housing from the exterior of said housing in response to the sealing of said breather passage by said one-way valve means and in response to the establishment of a predetermined vacuum within said housing.