Automatic transmission system having a variable speed changing point

Claim 2

An automatic transmission system having a plurality of speed changing regions and including: a transmission unit equipped with an input shaft, a torque converter including a pump operatively connected with the input shaft of said transmission unit and a turbine, speed changing gear means including an input shaft operatively connected with said turbine and frictionally engaging means for accomplishing the selective meshing engagement of gears in the speed changing gear means, a source of fluid pressure, and a hydraulic actuating circuit including a gear position setting valve and a distributing valve for distributing hydraulic fluid from said source to said frictionally engaging means for controlling said frictionally engaging means; said system further comprising first signal generating means, connected to said torque converter pump for generating a signal which is proportional to the rotating speed of said pump, second signal generating means connected to said torque converter turbine for generating a signal which is proportional to the rotating speed of said turbine, an operating circuit including a first revolution variable setting operating circuit connected to said first signal generating means for generating an electrical signal when the signal from said first signal generating means satisfies one of a plurality of settings, a second revolution variable setting operating circuit connected to said second signal generating means for generating an electrical signal when the signal from said second signal generating means satisfied one of a plurality of settings and a variable setting slip operating circuit operative by receiving the electrical output signals from said first and second signal generating means for generating a signal when the ratio between the rotating speeD of said pump and the rotating speed of said turbine satisfies one of a plurality of settings, a logic circuit operative in response to output signals from said operating circuit to actuate the distributing valve in said hydraulic actuating circuit, and switch means connected with operating circuit for changing each one of the settings of said first and second revolution setting operating circuits and said slip operating circuit to another depending on the position of said switch means to effect selection of said speed changing regions.

Claim 3

An automatic transmission system for use with an engine for a vehicle, comprising: a transmission unit equipped with an input shaft and an output shaft, a torque converter including a torque converter pump operatively connected with the input shaft of said transmission unit and a torque converter turbine having an output shaft, speed changing gear means including gears for establishing at least a plurality of forward gear ratios and being connected to said turbine output shaft and including frictionally engaging means for accomplishing the selective meshing engagement of gears in the speed changing gear means of said transmission unit for changing the operative gear ratio of said gears, a source of fluid pressure, and a hydraulic actuating circuit including a gear position setting valve and a distributing valve for distributing hydraulic fluid from said source to said frictionally engaging means for controlling said frictionally engaging means; first signal generating means connected to said torque converter pump for generating a signal which is proportional to engine speed, second signal generating means connected to one of said output shafts for generating a signal which is proportional to vehicle speed, a first revolution setting operating circuit having a plurality of first selectable circuits for effecting different minimum engine speed shift up settings and a plurality of second selectable circuits for effecting different maximum engine speed shift down settings and being connected to said first signal generating means for generating an electrical shift up signal when engine speed exceeds a selected one of said minimum engine speed shift up settings and for generating an electrical shift down signal when engine speed goes below a selected one of said maximum engine speed shift down settings, a second revolution setting operating circuit having a plurality of first selectable circuits for effecting different minimum vehicle speed shift up settings and a plurality of second selectable circuits for effecting different maximum vehicle speed shift down settings and being connected to said second signal generating means for generating an electrical shift up signal when vehicle speed exceeds a selected one of said minimum vehicle speed shift down settings and for generating an electrical shift down signal when said vehicle speed goes below a selected one of said maximum vehicle speed shift down settings, means, including a plurality of torque converter slip ratio determining circuits each having a respective selectable circuit for selecting as between a plurality of slip ratio settings and being connected to both of said generating means, for producing a plurality of complete selectable sets of shift up and down signals for all said forward gear ratios, said plurality of selectable circuits of said first and second revolution setting operating circuits and each of said slip ratio determining circuits being divided into a plurality of sets of selectable circuits with each set containing a different selectable circuit from each of said first and second operating circuits and each of said ratio determining circuits, multiple position switch means connected to each of the said selectable circuits for selecting any one set thereof, and means including logic circuits adapted to be operatively connected to outputs of said selectable circuits and to said distributing valve for operating on the said shift up and down signals resulting form the instant selected complete set of selectable circuits respectively to cause actuation of said distributing valve for an automatic shift up and down in said forward gear ratios.

Claim 4

An automatic transmission system for use with an engine for a vehicle, comprising: a transmission unit equipped with an input shaft and an output shaft, a torque converter including a torque converter pump operatively connected with the input shaft of said transmission unit and a torque converter turbine having an output shaft, speed changing gear means including gears for establishing at least a plurality of forward gear ratios and being connected to said turbine output shaft and including frictionally engaging means for accomplishing the selective meshing engagement of gears in the speed changing gear means of said transmission unit for changing the operative gear ratio of said gears, a source of fluid pressure, and a hydraulic actuating circuit including a gear position setting valve and a distributing valve for distributing hydraulic fluid from said source to said frictionally engaging means for controlling said frictionally engaging means; first signal generating means connected to said torque converter pump for generating a signal which is proportional to engine speed, second signal generating means connected to one of said output shafts for generating a signal which is proportional to vehicle speed, a first revolution setting operating circuit having a plurality of first selectable circuits for effecting different minimum engine speed shift up settings and a plurality of second selectable circuits for effecting different maximum engine speed shift down settings and being connected to said first signal generating means for generating an electrical shift up signal when engine speed exceeds a selected one of said minimum engine speed shift up settings and for generating an electrical shift down signal when engine speed goes below a selected one of said maximum engine speed shift down settings, a second revolution setting operating circuit having a plurality of first selectable circuits for effecting different minimum vehicle speed shift up settings and a plurality of second selectable circuits for effecting different maximum vehicle speed shift down settings and being connected to said second signal generating means for generating an electrical shift up signal when vehicle speed exceeds a selected one of said minimum vehicle speed shift down settings and for generating an electrical shift down signal when said vehicle speed goes below a selected one of said maximum vehicle speed shift down settings, means, including a plurality of torque converter slip ratio determining circuits each having a respective selectable circuit for selecting as between a plurality of slip ratio settings and being connected to both of said generating means, for producing a plurality of complete selectable sets of shift up and down signals for all said forward gear ratios, said plurality of selectable circuits of said first and second revolution setting operating circuits and each of said slip ratio determining circuits being divided into a plurality of sets of selectable circuits with each set containing a different selectable circuit from each of said first and second operating circuits and each of said ratio determining circuits, multiple position switch means connected to each of the said selectable circuits for selecting any one set thereof, and means including logic circuits adapted to be operatively connected to outputs of said selectable circuits and to said distributing valve for operating on the said shift up and down signals resulting form the instant selected complete set of selectable circuits respectively to cause actuation of said distributing valve for an automatic shift up and down in said forward gear ratios.

Claim 5

In an automatic transmission system for use with an engine for a vehicle and of the type including a transmission unit equipped with a torque converter, speed changing gear means including gears for establishing at least a plurality of forward gears ratios and being connected to said torque converter and including frictionally engaging means for accomplishing the selective meshing engagement of gears in the speed changing gear means of said transmission unit for changing the operative gear ratio of said gears, and means for automatically controlling said frictionally engaging means upon receipt of shift signals; the improvement comprising; first signal generating means for generating a signal which is proportional to engine speed, second signal generating means for generating a signal which is proportional to vehicle speed, a first revolution setting operating circuit having a plurality of first selectable circuits for effecting different minimum engine speed shift up settings and a plurality of second selectable circuits for effecting different maximum engine speed shift down settings and being connected to said first signal generating means for generating an electrical shift up signal when engine speed exceeds a selected one of said minimum engine speed shift up settings and for generating an electrical shift down signal when engine speed goes below a selected one of said maximum engine speed shift down settings, a second revolution setting operating circuit having a plurality of first selectable circuits for effecting different minimum vehicle speed shift up settings and a plurality of second selectable circuits for effecting different maximum vehicle speed shift down settings and being connected to said second signal generating means for generating an electrical shift up signal when vehicle speed exceeds a selected one of said minimum vehicle speed shift down settings and for generating an electrical shift down signal when said vehicle speed goes below a selected one of said maximum vehicle speed shift down settings, means, including a plurality of torque converter slip ratio determining circuits each having a respective selectable circuit for selecting as between a plurality of slip ratio settings and being connected to both of said generating means, for producing a plurality of complete selectable sets of shift up and down signals for all said forward gear ratios, said plurality of selectable circuits of said first and second revolution setting operating circuits and each of said slip ratio determining circuits being divided into a plurality of sets of selectable circuits with each set containing a different selectable circuit from each of said first and second operating circuits and each of said ratio determining circuits, multiple position switch means connected to each of the said selectable circuits for selecting any one set thereof, and means including logic circuits adapted to be coupled to said selectable circuits for operating on the said shift up and down signals resulting from the instant selected set of selectable circuits respectively to develop automatic shift up and down signals for connection with said controlling means to cause changes in said forward gear ratios.

Claim 6

In an automatic transmission system for use with an engine for a vehicle and of the type including a transmission unit equipped with a torque converter, speed changing gear means including gears for establishing at least a plurality of forward gears ratios and being connected to said torque converter and including frictionally engaging means for accomplishing the selective meshing engagement of gears in the speed changing gear means of said transmission unit for changing the operative gear ratio of said gears, and means for automatically controlling said frictionally engaging means upon receipt of shift signals; the improvement comprising; first signal generating means for generating a signal which is proportional to engine speed, second signal generating means for generating a signal which is proportional to vehicle speed, a first revolution setting operating circuit having a plurality of first selectable circuits for effecting different minimum engine speed shift up settings and a plurality of second selectable circuits for effecting different maximum engine speed shift down settings and being connected to said first signal generating means for generating an electrical shift up signal when engine speed exceeds a selected one of said minimum engine speed shift up settings and for generating an electrical shift down signal when engine speed goes below a selected one of said maximum engine speed shift down settings, a second revolution setting operating circuit having a plurality of first selectable circuits for effecting different minimum vehicle speed shift up settings and a plurality of second selectable circuits for effecting different maximum vehicle speed shift down settings and being connected to said second signal generating means for generating an electrical shift up signal when vehicle speed exceeds a selected one of said minimum vehicle speed shift down settings and for generating an electrical shift down signal when said vehicle speed goes below a selected one of said maximum vehicle speed shift down settings, means, including a plurality of torque converter slip ratio determining circuits each having a respective selectable circuit for selecting as between a plurality of slip ratio settings and being connected to both of said generating means, for producing a plurality of complete selectable sets of shift up and down signals for all said forward gear ratios, said plurality of selectable circuits of said first and second revolution setting operating circuits and each of said slip ratio determining circuits being divided into a plurality of sets of selectable circuits with each set containing a different selectable circuit from each of said first and second operating circuits and each of said ratio determining circuits, multiple position switch means connected to each of the said selectable circuits for selecting any one set thereof, and means including logic circuits adapted to be coupled to said selectable circuits for operating on the said shift up and down signals resulting from the instant selected set of selectable circuits respectively to develop automatic shift up and down signals for connection with said controlling means to cause changes in said forward gear ratios.