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US5115896A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Control system for vehicle provided with automatic transmission

Assignee: Mazda Motor Corp
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Filing: 1991-02-27
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Granted: 1992-05-26
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Expires: 2011-02-27
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Abstract

Abstract A vehicle is provided with an engine and an automatic transmission having a lockup mechanism which engages and disengages to directly connect and disconnect input and output shafts of a torque converter of the automatic transmission to and from each other. A control system for such a vehicle has a deceleration detecting circuit which detects that the engine is decelerating based on the engine speed and a throttle opening, and a lockup mechanism control circuit which causes the lockup mechanism to engage when the engine is decelerating and permits the same to disengage when the deceleration of the engine finishes. The control system inhibits the lockup mechanism control circuit from causing the lockup mechanism to disengage in a period in which the engine speed can temporarily fall because of the automatic transmission's shifting into neutral in the process of a downshift.

Inventors

  • 👤 Naoyuki Noguchi
  • 👤 Kazuki Murakami
  • 👤 Eiji Kanehisa
  • 👤 Seiji Makimoto

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-28 17:55
CPC Classifications
F; F16; F16H; F16H61/00; F16H61/14; F16H61/143

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 5
Claim 1
Independent Claim 197 words
A control system for a vehicle provided with an engine and an automatic transmission having a lockup mechanism which engages and disengages to directly connect and disconnect input and output shafts of a torque converter of the automatic transmission to and from each other, the control system comprising a deceleration detecting means which detects that the engine is decelerating based on an engine speed of the engine as detected by an engine speed sensor and a throttle opening as detected by a throttle opening sensor, and a lockup mechanism control means which causes the lockup mechanism to engage when the engine is decelerating and permits the same to disengage when the deceleration of the engine finishes, wherein the improvement comprises: a downshift detecting means which detects that a downshift of the automatic transmission begins to take place, and a lockup release inhibiting means which receives an output of the downshift detecting means and inhibits the lockup mechanism control means from causing the lockup mechanism to disengage in a period in which the engine speed can temporarily fall because of the automatic transmission's shifting into neutral in a process of a downshift detected by the downshift detecting means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 197 words
A control system for a vehicle provided with an engine and an automatic transmission having a lockup mechanism which engages and disengages to directly connect and disconnect input and output shafts of a torque converter of the automatic transmission to and from each other, the control system comprising a deceleration detecting means which detects that the engine is decelerating based on an engine speed of the engine as detected by an engine speed sensor and a throttle opening as detected by a throttle opening sensor, and a lockup mechanism control means which causes the lockup mechanism to engage when the engine is decelerating and permits the same to disengage when the deceleration of the engine finishes, wherein the improvement comprises: a downshift detecting means which detects that a downshift of the automatic transmission begins to take place, and a lockup release inhibiting means which receives an output of the downshift detecting means and inhibits the lockup mechanism control means from causing the lockup mechanism to disengage in a period in which the engine speed can temporarily fall because of the automatic transmission's shifting into neutral in a process of a downshift detected by the downshift detecting means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 39 words
A control system as defined in claim 1 in which said lockup release inhibiting means inhibits the lockup mechanism control means from causing the lockup mechanism to disengage for a preset time interval after a beginning of a downshift.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 70 words
A control system as defined in claim 1 which further comprises a neutral detecting means which detects that said automatic transmission is in neutral and in which said lockup release inhibiting means inhibits the lockup mechanism control means from causing the lockup mechanism to disengage while the neutral detecting means detects that the automatic transmission is in neutral in the process of the downshift detected by the downshift detecting means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 29 words
A control system as defined in claim 1 in which said lockup mechanism control means causes the lockup mechanism to engage in slipping engagement while the engine is decelerating.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US4373619A Cited
US4618041A Cited
JPS601464A Cited
US4640394A Cited
US4783743A Cited
US4730708A Cited
US4957194A Cited
US4953679A Cited
US4940122A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1995-05-26 1995-11-25 1996-05-26 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1999-05-26 1999-11-25 2000-05-26 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2003-05-26 2003-11-25 2004-05-26 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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