Retarder control

Claim 2

In a hydrodynamic retarder, a stator chamber having stator blades, an inlet connected to a radial inner portion and an outlet connected to a radial outer portion; a rotor rotatably mounted in said stator chamber and pumping fluid from said inlet to said outlet during rotor rotation; cooler means including an inlet and an outlet and providing a pressure drop therebetween; a sump; source means connected to said sump and said cooler means supplying fluid from said sump under pressure to said cooler means; a low pressure regulator valve connected to said cooler outlet to regulate cooler outlet pressure at a low value and exhaust excess fluid to said sump; retarder on off valve means operative in off position to connect said retarder outlet and retarder inlet to exhaust and in on position connecting said retarder outlet to said cooler inlet and said cooler outlet to said retarder inlet; retarder pressure regulator valve means connected to said retarder inlet and said retarder outlet and having biasing means including manual control means movable from a retarder off position to a full retarding demand position for increasing retarding demand and outlet pressure responsive control means connected to said retarder outlet; said biasing means operative in response to said manual control means increasing retarding demand to increase the force of said biasing means and to decrease the force of the biasing means as a function of retarder outlet pressure and said regulator valve means regulating said retarder inlet pressure at increasing pressure values as a function of increasing bias force to provide retarder torque increasing with retarding demand and increased with speed at a rate reduced with increasing speed.

Claim 3

The hydrodynamic retarder defined in claim 1 and said regulator valve means providing retarder torque increasing with retarding demand and increasing with speed at low speeds and increasing with speed at a lower rate at higher speeds.

Claim 4

The Hydrodynamic retarder defined in claim 1 and said regulator valve means regulating retarder inlet pressure and providing retarder torque increasing with retarding demand and increasing with speed at less than a square curve value in response to retarder outlet pressure.

Claim 5

The hydrodynamic retarder defined in claim 1 and said regulator valve means providing retarder torque increasing with retarding demand and increasing with speed at a high rate at low speed and high retarding demand and increasing with speed at a lower rate at higher speeds.

Claim 6

The hydrodynamic retarder defined in claim 1 and said regulator valve means providing retarder torque increasing with retarding demand and increasing on a first square speed curve at low speed and changed in response to retarder outlet pressure at a mid speed and pressure point to operate on a second square speed curve to provide linearly increasing torque over a larger speed range.

Claim 7

The hydrodynamic retarder defined in claim 1 and said retarder outlet having a pressure limiting valve to limit the retarder torque at a substantially linear maximum value.

Claim 8

The hydrodynamic retarder defined in claim 1 wherein said manual control means controls both said retarder on off valve means and said retarder pressure regulator valve means and includes a manually controlled member movable from an off position through a range of increasing retarder capacity demand positions operative in retarder off position to position said retarder on off control valve means in retarder off position and operative on movement through said range of increasing retarder capacity positions to position and maintain said retarder on off control valve means in retarder on position and to control said retarder regulator valve means to increase the regulated pressure with increasing retarder capacity demand positions of said manually controlled member.

Claim 9

The hydrodynamic retarder defined in claim 7 and said manual control means including first solenoid means to position said retarder on off control valve means and second solenoid means to control said retarder regulator valve means, an electric power source, a switch controlled by said manually controlled member operative in retarder off position to control said first solenoid means to position said retarder on off control valve means in off position and to control said second solenoid means to control said regulator valve means for minimum pressure regulation and on movement through said range of retarder on positions to control said first solenoid to position said retarder on off control valve means in on position and to control said second solenoid valve means to increase the pressure regulated by said regulator valve means with retarder capacity demand.

Claim 10

In a hydrodynamic retarder, a stator chamber having stator blades, an inlet connected to a radial inner portion and an outlet connected to a radial outer portion; a rotor rotatably mounted in said stator chamber and pumping fluid from said inlet to said outlet during rotor rotation; a cooler having an inlet and an outlet and providing a pressure drop therebetween; a sump; source means connected to said sump and said cooler inlet supplying fluid from said sump under pressure to said cooler inlet through said cooler to said cooler outlet; a low pressure regulator valve connected to said cooler outlet to regulate cooler outlet pressure at a low value and source pressure at a high value and exhaust excess fluid to said sump; retarder on off valve means operative in off position to connect said retarder outlet and retarder inlet to exhaust and maintain said source connected through said cooler and low pressure regulator valve to said sump and in on position connecting said retarder outlet to said cooler inlet and said cooler outlet to said retarder inlet; retarder pressure regulator valve means connected to said retarder inlet and said retarder outlet and having biasing means including manual control means movable from a retarder off position to a fUll retarding demand position for increasing retarding demand and outlet pressure responsive control means connected to said retarder outlet; said biasing means operative in response to said manual control means increasing retarding demand to increase the force of said biasiing means and to decrease the force of the biasing means as a function of retarder outlet pressure and said regulator valve means regulating said retarder inlet pressure at increasing pressure values as a function of increasing bias force to provide retarder torque increasing with retarding demand and increased with speed at a rate reduced with increasing speed.

Claim 11

In a hydrodynamic retarder, a stator chamber having stator blades, an inlet connected to a radial inner portion and an outlet connected to a radial outer portion; a rotor rotatably mounted in said stator chamber and pumping fluid from said inlet to said outlet during rotor rotation; a cooler having an inlet and an outlet and providing a pressure drop therebetween; a sump; source means connected to said sump and said cooler inlet supplying fluid from said sump under pressure to said cooler inlet through said cooler to said cooler outlet; a low pressure regulator valve connected to said cooler outlet to regulate cooler outlet pressure at a low value and source pressure at a high value and exhaust excess fluid to said sump; retarder on off valve means operative in off position to connect said retarder outlet and retarder inlet to exhaust and maintain said source connected through said cooler and low pressure regulator valve to said sump and in on position connecting said retarder outlet to said cooler inlet and said cooler outlet to said retarder inlet; retarder pressure regulator valve means connected to said retarder inlet and said retarder outlet and having biasing means including manual control means movable from a retarder off position to a fUll retarding demand position for increasing retarding demand and outlet pressure responsive control means connected to said retarder outlet; said biasing means operative in response to said manual control means increasing retarding demand to increase the force of said biasiing means and to decrease the force of the biasing means as a function of retarder outlet pressure and said regulator valve means regulating said retarder inlet pressure at increasing pressure values as a function of increasing bias force to provide retarder torque increasing with retarding demand and increased with speed at a rate reduced with increasing speed.

Claim 12

The hydrodynamic retarder defined in claim 9 and said regulator valve means providing retarder torque increasing with retarding demand and increasing with speed at low speeds and increasing with speed at a lower rate at higher speeds.

Claim 13

The hydrodynamic retarder defined in claim 9 and said regulating valve means providing retarder torque increasing with retarding demand and increasing with speed at a high rate at low speed and high retarding demand and increasing with speed at a lower rate at higher speeds.

Claim 14

The hydrodynamic retarder defined in claim 9 and said regulator valve means providing retarder torque increasing with retarding demand and increasing on a first square speed curve at low speed and changed in response to retarder outlet pressure at a mid speed and pressure point to operate on a second square speed curve to provide linearly increasing torque over a larger speed range.

Claim 15

The hydrodynamic retarder defined in claim 12 and said retarder outlet having a pressure limiting valve to limit the retarder torque at a substantially linear maximum value.

Claim 16

In a hydrodynamic retarder, a stator chamber having stator blades, an inlet connected to a radial inner portion and an outlet connected to a radial outer portion; a rotor rotatably mounted in said stator chamber and pumping fluid from said inlet to said outlet during rotor rotation; a cooler having an inlet and an outlet and providing a pressure drop therebetween; a sump; source means connected to said sump and said cooler inlet supplying fluid from said sump under pressure to said cooler inlet through said cooler to said cooler outlet; a low pressure regulator valve connected to said cooler outlet to regulate cooler outlet pressure at a low value and source pressure at a high value and exhaust excess fluid to said sump; retarder on off valve means operative in off position to connect said retarder outlet and retarder inlet to exhaust and maintain said source connected through said cooler and low pressure regulator valve to said sump and in on position connecting said retarder outlet to said cooler inlet and said cooler outlet to said retarder inlet; on off solenoid valve means connected to said source means and said retarder on off valve operative when energized to place said retarder on off valve in on position and when deenergized in off position; retarder pressure regulator valve means connected to said retarder inlet and said retarder outlet and having biasing means and biasing solenoid valve means connected to said source means and said biasing means operative in response to progressively increased energization of said biasing solenoid valve means to increase the force of said biasing means and to decrease the force of said biasing means as a function of increasing retarder outlet pressure; said regulator valve means regulating said retarder inlet pressure at increasing pressure values not greater than said low valve of cooler outlet pressure as a function of increasing bias force to provide retarder torque increasing with speed and biasing solenoid energization and decreasing with increasing retarder outlet pressure; manual control means connected to said on off solenoid valve means and said biasing solenoid valve means operative in a retarder off position to deenergize both solenoid valve means and on movement through a range of retarder on Positions continuously energizing said on off solenoid valve means and progressively increasing the energization of said biasing solenoid vlave means.

Claim 17

In a hydrodynamic retarder, a stator chamber having stator blades, an inlet connected to a radial inner portion and an outlet connected to a radial outer portion; a rotor rotatably mounted in said stator chamber and pumping fluid from said inlet to said outlet during rotor rotation; a cooler having an inlet and an outlet and providing a pressure drop therebetween; a sump; source means connected to said sump and said cooler inlet supplying fluid from said sump under pressure to said cooler inlet through said cooler to said cooler outlet; a low pressure regulator valve connected to said cooler outlet to regulate cooler outlet pressure at a low value and source pressure at a high value and exhaust excess fluid to said sump; retarder on off valve means operative in off position to connect said retarder outlet and retarder inlet to exhaust and maintain said source connected through said cooler and low pressure regulator valve to said sump and in on position connecting said retarder outlet to said cooler inlet and said cooler outlet to said retarder inlet; on off solenoid valve means connected to said source means and said retarder on off valve operative when energized to place said retarder on off valve in on position and when deenergized in off position; retarder pressure regulator valve means connected to said retarder inlet and said retarder outlet and having biasing means and biasing solenoid valve means connected to said source means and said biasing means operative in response to progressively increased energization of said biasing solenoid valve means to increase the force of said biasing means and to decrease the force of said biasing means as a function of increasing retarder outlet pressure; said regulator valve means regulating said retarder inlet pressure at increasing pressure values not greater than said low valve of cooler outlet pressure as a function of increasing bias force to provide retarder torque increasing with speed and biasing solenoid energization and decreasing with increasing retarder outlet pressure; manual control means connected to said on off solenoid valve means and said biasing solenoid valve means operative in a retarder off position to deenergize both solenoid valve means and on movement through a range of retarder on Positions continuously energizing said on off solenoid valve means and progressively increasing the energization of said biasing solenoid vlave means.

Claim 18

The hydrodynamic retarder defined in claim 14 and a pressure limiting valve connected to said retarder outlet to limit maximum retarder outlet pressure and retarder torque.

Claim 19

The hydrodynamic retarder defined in claim 14 and said biasing solenoid valve means including a plurality of solenoid valves each operative on energization to increase the force of said biasing means and said manual control means operative on movement through said range of retarder on positions progressively energizing additional solenoid valves.

Claim 20

The hydrodynamic retarder defined in claim 14 and said biasing solenoid valve means being a variable force solenoid valve operative on variable energization to progressively increase the force of said biasing means and said manual control means operative on movement through said range of retarder on positions to progressively increase the energization of said variable force solenoid valve.

Claim 21

The hydrodynamic retarder defined in claim 14 and said regulator valve means providing retarder torque increasing with retarding demand and increasing with speed at a high rate at low speed and high retarding demand and increasing with speed at a lower rate at higher speeds.

Claim 22

The hydrodynamic retarder defined in claim 14 and said regulator valve means providing retarder torque increasing with retarding demand and increasing on a first square speed curve at low speed and changed in response to retarder outlet pressure at a mid speed and pressure point to operate on a second square speed curve to provide linearly increasing torque over a larger speed range.

Claim 23

In a hydrodynamic retarder, a stator chamber having stator blades, an inlet connected to a radial inner portion and an outlet connected to a radial outer portion; a rotor rotatably mounted in said stator chamber and pumping fluid from said inlet to said outlet during rotor rotation; a cooler having an inlet and an outlet and providing a pressure drop therebetween; a sump; pump means connected to said sump and said cooler inlet supplying fluid from said sump under pressure; retarder on off valve means connected to said retarder outlet and retarder inlet operative in off position to exhaust said stator chamber and in on position connecting said retarder outlet and said pump means to said retarder inlet; on off solenoid means connected to said retarder on off valve operative when selectively energized and deenergized to place said retarder on off valve in the on and the off position; retarder pressure regulator valve means connected to said retarder stator chamber to control retarder pressure and capacity and having biasing means and biasing solenoid means connected to said biasing means operative in response to controlled energization to increase the force of said biasing means; said regulator valve means regulating pressure at increasing pressure values as a function of increasing bias force; manual control means connected to said on off solenoid means and said biasing solenoid means operative in a retarder off position to control energization of both solenoid means to position said retarder on off control valve means in off position and said regulator valve means in minimum pressure regulating position and on movement through a range of retarder on positions to control energization of said on off solenoid means to position said retarder on off control valve means in on position and to control the energization of said biasing solenoid means to progressively increase the pressure regulated by said regulator valve means.

Claim 24

In a hydrodynamic retarder, a stator chamber having stator blades, an inlet connected to a radial inner portion and an outlet connected to a radial outer portion; a rotor rotatably mounted in said stator chamber and pumping fluid from said inlet to said outlet during rotor rotation; a cooler having an inlet and an outlet and providing a pressure drop therebetween; a sump; pump means connected to said sump and said cooler inlet supplying fluid from said sump under pressure; retarder on off valve means connected to said retarder outlet and retarder inlet operative in off position to exhaust said stator chamber and in on position connecting said retarder outlet and said pump means to said retarder inlet; on off solenoid means connected to said retarder on off valve operative when selectively energized and deenergized to place said retarder on off valve in the on and the off position; retarder pressure regulator valve means connected to said retarder stator chamber to control retarder pressure and capacity and having biasing means and biasing solenoid means connected to said biasing means operative in response to controlled energization to increase the force of said biasing means; said regulator valve means regulating pressure at increasing pressure values as a function of increasing bias force; manual control means connected to said on off solenoid means and said biasing solenoid means operative in a retarder off position to control energization of both solenoid means to position said retarder on off control valve means in off position and said regulator valve means in minimum pressure regulating position and on movement through a range of retarder on positions to control energization of said on off solenoid means to position said retarder on off control valve means in on position and to control the energization of said biasing solenoid means to progressively increase the pressure regulated by said regulator valve means.