Actuator for a transmission modulator valve

Claim 2

A mechanical actuator for a modulator valve of a transmission, said actuator being capable of responding to the linear travel of an operating member associated with the throttle which said linear travel corresponds to movement of said throttle, said actuator capable of providing an output force having a magnitude which varies in a predetermined manner according to the position of the operating member within at least a portion of the total of said linear travel of said operating member during said movement of said throttle, said output force capable of providing at least a portion of an input force for movement of said modulator valve against modulator valve biasing, the maximum length of said movement of said modulator valve by said input force being substantially less than the length of said portion of said total of said linear travel of said operating member, said actuator comprising: a housing capable of being mounted in a fixed relationship to said transmission and of receiving therein said operating member; a lever pivotally mounted within said housing and having an input portion with a first moment arm and an output portion with a second moment arm; said output portion being aligned at said second moment arm with said modulator valve when said housing is mounted at said transmission; means between said input portion of said lever and said operating member located within said housing for converting said position of said operating member within said portion of said total of said travel of said operating member to a normal signal force on said input portion at said first moment arm; and said normal signal force on said input portion causing said output force to be applied to said modulator valve by said output portion with said normal signal force and said output force being directly proportional at a ratio of the length of said second moment arm and said first moment arm.

Claim 3

A mechanical actuator for a modulator valve of a transmission, said actuator being capable of responding to the linear travel of an operating member associated with the throttle which said linear travel corresponds to movement of said throttle, said actuator capable of providing an output force having a magnitude which varies in a predetermined manner according to the position of the operating member within at least a portion of the total of said linear travel of said operating member during said movement of said throttle, said output force capable of providing at least a portion of an input force for movement of said modulator valve against modulator valve biasing, the maximum length of said movement of said modulator valve by said input force being substantially less than the length of said portion of said total of said linear travel of said operating member, said actuator comprising: a housing capable of being mounted in a fixed relationship to said transmission and of receiving therein said operating member; a lever pivotally mounted within said housing and having an input portion with a first moment arm and an output portion with a second moment arm; said output portion being aligned at said second moment arm with said modulator valve when said housing is mounted at said transmission; means between said input portion of said lever and said operating member located within said housing for converting said position of said operating member within said portion of said total of said travel of said operating member to a normal signal force on said input portion at said first moment arm; and said normal signal force on said input portion causing said output force to be applied to said modulator valve by said output portion with said normal signal force and said output force being directly proportional at a ratio of the length of said second moment arm and said first moment arm.

Claim 4

A mechanical actuator for a modulator valve of a transmission, said actuator being capable of responding to the linear travel of an operating member associated with the throttle which said linear travel corresponds to movement of said throttle, said actuator capable of providing an output force having a magnitude which varies in a predetermined manner according to the position of the operating member within at least a portion of the total of said linear travel of said operating member during said movement of said throttle, said output force capable of providing at least a portion of an input force for movement of said modulator valve against modulator valve biasing, the maximum length of said movement of said modulator valve by said input force being substantially less than the length of said portion of said total of said linear travel of said operating member, said actuator comprising: a housing capable of being mounted in a fixed relationship to said transmission and of receiving therein said operating member; a lever pivotally mounted within said housing and having an input portion with a first moment arm and an output portion with a second moment arm; said output portion being aligned at said second moment arm with said modulator valve when said housing is mounted at said transmission; means between said input portion of said lever and said operating member located within said housing for converting said position of said operating member within said portion of said total of said travel of said operating member to a normal signal force on said input portion at said first moment arm; and said normal signal force on said input portion causing said output force to be applied to said modulator valve by said output portion with said normal signal force and said output force being directly proportional at a ratio of the length of said second moment arm and said first moment arm.

Claim 5

A mechanical acutator as set forth in claim 1, wherein said means for converting said position of said operating member within said portion of said total travel to said normal signal force includes a spring having a predetermined rate which said spring is capable of acting on said input portion of said lever to provide said normal signal force corresponding to a spring distortion consistent with a change in the relative distance between said operating member and said input portion.

Claim 6

The mechanical actuator as set forth in claim 2, wherein said total of said travel is greater than said portion of said travel and further including means between said operating member and said spring for allowing said operating member at a location within said total of said travel which is not within said portion of said total of said travel so that said spring will not be distorted.

Claim 7

The mechanical actuator as set forth in claim 1, wherein said spring distortion is by compression and said predetermined rate of said spring is constant.

Claim 8

A mechanical actuator as set forth in claim 1 further including means for selectively responding to said linear travel of said operating member in either of two directions which might be selected to correspond to said movement of said throttle to said actuator.

Claim 9

A mechanical actuator as set forth in claim 1, wherein said first moment arm and said second moment arm are angularly disposed at about 90*.

Claim 10

A mechanical acutator as set forth in claim 6, further including means for selectively responding to said linear travel of said operating member in either of two directions which might be selected to correspond to said movement of said throttle to said actuator.

Claim 11

A mechanical actuator as set forth iN claim 7, wherein said means for said selectively responding to said linear travel of said operating member includes means for selectively relocating the axis of said lever and for selectively reversing the direction in which said normal signal force will be applied to said input portion.

Claim 12

A mechanical actuator for a modulator valve of a transmission, said actuator being capable of responding to the linear travel of an operating member associated with the throttle which said linear travel corresponds to movement of said throttle by providing an output force which provides at least a portion of an input force for movement of said modulator valve against modulator valve biasing, said modulator valve having a maximum length of movement substantially less than said length of the total of said travel of said operating member during said movement of said throttle, said mechanical actuator comprising: a housing capable of being fixedly mounted to said transmission, said housing having an inlet fitting for receiving said operating member therein and an outlet fitting aligned with said modulator valve when said housing is mounted to said transmission; a lever pivotally mounted within said housing and having an input portion with a first moment arm and an output portion with a second moment arm, said first and second moment arms being disposed at about a right angle with respect to each other, said input portion being aligned with said inlet fitting for alignment with said operating member, said output portion being aligned with said outlet fitting for alignment with said modulator valve; a spring having a constant rate and capable of being mounted between said input portion and said operating member for compression when said operating member is in a location within a predetermined portion of a total of said linear travel, said compression providing a normal signal force on said input portion at said first moment arm which said normal signal force directly corresponds to a position of said operating member within said portion of said total of said linear travel; and said normal signal force on said input portion causing said output force to be applied to said modulator valve by said output portion with said normal signal force and said output force being directly proportional at a ratio of the length of said second moment arm and said first moment arm.

Claim 13

A mechanical actuator for a modulator valve of a transmission, said actuator being capable of responding to the linear travel of an operating member associated with the throttle which said linear travel corresponds to movement of said throttle by providing an output force which provides at least a portion of an input force for movement of said modulator valve against modulator valve biasing, said modulator valve having a maximum length of movement substantially less than said length of the total of said travel of said operating member during said movement of said throttle, said mechanical actuator comprising: a housing capable of being fixedly mounted to said transmission, said housing having an inlet fitting for receiving said operating member therein and an outlet fitting aligned with said modulator valve when said housing is mounted to said transmission; a lever pivotally mounted within said housing and having an input portion with a first moment arm and an output portion with a second moment arm, said first and second moment arms being disposed at about a right angle with respect to each other, said input portion being aligned with said inlet fitting for alignment with said operating member, said output portion being aligned with said outlet fitting for alignment with said modulator valve; a spring having a constant rate and capable of being mounted between said input portion and said operating member for compression when said operating member is in a location within a predetermined portion of a total of said linear travel, said compression providing a normal signal force on said input portion at said first moment arm which said normal signal force directly corresponds to a position of said operating member within said portion of said total of said linear travel; and said normal signal force on said input portion causing said output force to be applied to said modulator valve by said output portion with said normal signal force and said output force being directly proportional at a ratio of the length of said second moment arm and said first moment arm.

Claim 14

A mechanical actuator as set forth in claim 9, further including a lost motion fitting capable of being positioned between said spring and said operating member to allow initial movement of said operating member within said total of said linear travel before being within said portion of said total of said linear travel so that said normal force will not be produced by initial movement of said throttle.

Claim 15

A mechanical actuator as set forth in claim 9, wherein said output force is within a range of zero to about 12.5 pounds, said normal signal force is within a range of zero to about 5 pounds, said total of said linear travel of said operating member is about 1.5 inches, and said maximum length of said movement of said modulator valve is about 0.005 inches.

Claim 16

A mechanical actuator as set forth in claim 9, when said lever may selectively be mounted at one of two locations within said housing so that said normal signal force may be applied in a selected one of two opposite directions corresponding to the direction of initial movement of said operating member for initial movement of said throttle.

Claim 17

A mechanical actuator as set forth in claim 9, wherein said lever includes means for compensating for variations in the distance between said actuator and the position of said modulator valve within said transmission at which said modulator biasing is greater than said input force to thereby prevent movement of said modulator valve.