AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

Abstract

Automatic transmission (201), including: a transmission mechanism (40) arranged in a transmission mechanism housing chamber (4) and comprising a plurality of gear shifting elements; a coupling (30) which is arranged and configured in a coupling housing chamber (3), to connect and / or disconnect the power transmission from a drive source to the gear mechanism(40); a first control unit (260) in which a first hydraulic control valve (62, 63) is housed, which is configured to control the transmission mechanism (40), further comprising an actuator (270) for actuating the gear shifting elements, wherein the actuator (270) is arranged in the clutch housing chamber (3), wherein the first control unit (260) is arranged in the clutch housing chamber (3).

Description

Technical field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an automatic transmission. State of the art

[0002] An automatic transmission is known in which a first valve body, which accommodates a control valve for controlling a clutch, is arranged in a clutch housing chamber and a second valve body, which accommodates a control valve for controlling the gear shifting, is arranged in a transmission mechanism housing chamber (e.g. see patent literature (hereinafter referred to as “PTL”) 1). List of quotations Patent literature

[0003] JP 2007 - 263 359 A describes an automatic transmission in which the first valve body is located in the clutch housing chamber and the second valve body is located in the transmission mechanism housing chamber.

[0004] WO 2017 / 170 082 A1 discloses an automatic transmission comprising a transmission mechanism arranged in a transmission mechanism housing chamber and featuring a plurality of gear-shifting elements. A clutch is arranged in a clutch housing chamber and configured to connect the power transmission from a drive source to the transmission mechanism. A first control unit houses a first hydraulic control valve configured to control the transmission mechanism. The first control unit is located in both the transmission mechanism chamber and the clutch housing chamber.

[0005] US 7 644 638 B2 shows an actuator integrated into a control unit.

[0006] The JP S62-210 129 A shows an automatic transmission with a second control unit located on the front of a transmission housing. Brief description of the invention: Technical problem

[0007] Since, in the automatic transmission described in JP 2007 - 263 359 A, the first valve body is located in the clutch housing chamber and the second valve body in the transmission mechanism housing chamber, an oil passage connecting the two valve bodies increases in length, leading to the problem of the automatic transmission increasing in size.

[0008] One purpose of the present disclosure is therefore to provide an automatic transmission that can prevent an increase in size. Solution to the problem

[0009] An automatic transmission according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes: a transmission mechanism arranged in a transmission mechanism housing chamber and comprising a plurality of gear-shifting elements; a clutch arranged in a clutch housing chamber and configured to connect and / or disconnect the power transmission from a drive source to the transmission mechanism; and a first control unit comprising a first hydraulic control valve configured to control the transmission mechanism, the first control unit being arranged in the clutch housing chamber. Advantageous effects of the invention

[0010] According to the automatic transmission of the present disclosure, it is possible to prevent an increase in size. Brief description of the drawings Fig. Figure 1A is a schematic cross-sectional view of an automatic transmission according to a first embodiment; Fig. 1B is a cross-sectional view along 1B-1B of Fig. 1A; Fig. 1C is a cross-sectional view along 1C-1C of Fig. 1A; Fig. Figure 2 is a diagram representing a hydraulic circuit from an oil pump to a gear shift control actuator; Fig. Figure 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an automatic transmission according to a second embodiment; and Fig. Figure 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an automatic transmission according to a third embodiment. Description of the embodiments

[0011] In the following, embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the embodiments described below are only exemplary and the present disclosure is not limited to these embodiments. Furthermore, the left and right directions are referred to as the "front-back direction" or "axial direction," while the left side is referred to as the "front" and the right side as the "back." Fig. 1A, Fig. 3 and Fig. 4 is designated. (First embodiment)

[0012] Fig. Figure 1A is a schematic cross-sectional view of an automatic transmission 1 according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. The automatic transmission 1 includes a torque converter 20 coupled to a drive source (not shown), a clutch 30, a transmission mechanism 40, a second control unit (or clutch control unit) 50, a first control unit (or gearshift control unit) 60, and an actuator (or gearshift control actuator unit) 70.

[0013] The automatic transmission 1 includes a housing 10, which contains the torque converter 20, the clutch 30, and the transmission mechanism 40. The housing 10 is a component with an essentially cylindrical shape, formed as a single unit, for example, by aluminum die casting. It should be noted that the housing 10 can be configured such that separately formed parts are coupled together, rather than being formed as a single unit.

[0014] The housing 10 encloses a peripheral wall 11, which has a substantially cylindrical shape. The front end in the axial direction of the housing 10 (left end in Fig. 1A) is open. The central section of the housing 10 in the axial direction is provided with a partition 12 which is substantially perpendicular to the axial direction, and the housing 10 is divided in the front and rear directions by the partition 12.

[0015] Furthermore, a clutch control unit 50 is arranged between the front end and the partition 12 of the housing 10, which extends in one direction substantially perpendicular to the axial direction, and the housing 10 is divided in the front-back direction by the clutch control unit 50.

[0016] The torque converter 20 is housed in the torque converter housing chamber 2, which is surrounded by the peripheral wall 11 and the clutch control unit 50. The clutch 30 is housed in the clutch housing chamber 3, which is surrounded by the peripheral wall 11, the clutch control unit 50, and the partition 12. The transmission mechanism 40 is housed in the transmission mechanism housing chamber 4, which is surrounded by the peripheral wall 11 and the partition 12.

[0017] The torque converter 20 transmits power from the drive source to the clutch 30. The torque converter 20 includes a pump coupled to the output shaft 21 of the drive source, a turbine coupled to the input shaft 31 of the clutch 30, a stator, and a bypass clutch for direct coupling of the pump and the turbine.

[0018] In Fig. Figure 1A shows only the external form of the torque converter 20; the representation of the internal structure of the torque converter 20 is omitted. Furthermore, the torque converter 20 can be a fluid coupling without a stator, or one without a lock-up clutch. The torque converter 20 can also be omitted entirely.

[0019] The clutch 30 connects and / or disconnects the transmission of the power transmitted via the torque converter 20 to the transmission mechanism 40. The clutch 30 is a hydraulically actuated multi-plate wet clutch. It should be noted that the clutch 30 is not limited to a hydraulically actuated multi-plate wet clutch.

[0020] In the present embodiment, the transmission mechanism 40, which is arranged at a subsequent stage of the clutch 30, is a dual-clutch transmission comprising a first input shaft 41 and a second input shaft 42. Therefore, the clutch 30 has a first clutch for connecting and / or disconnecting the power transmission from the input shaft 31 to the first input shaft 41 of the transmission mechanism 40 and a second clutch for connecting and / or disconnecting the power transmission from the input shaft 31 to the second input shaft 42 of the transmission mechanism 40. Fig. Figure 1A shows only the outer form of the coupling 30, and the representation of the inner structure of the coupling 30 is omitted.

[0021] The clutch control unit 50 is attached to a mounting section 13, which projects from the peripheral wall 11 on the inner diameter side, using a fastening device such as a bolt. The mounting section 13 extends around the entire circumference. The attachment of the clutch control unit 50 to the mounting section 13 forms the clutch housing chamber 3.

[0022] The clutch control unit 50 is provided with a through-hole that penetrates in the axial direction. The input shaft 31 of the clutch 30 is inserted through the through-hole and mounted so that it is rotatable relative to the clutch control unit 50.

[0023] In the clutch control unit 50, a plurality of valves are arranged for controlling the operation of the lock-up clutch of the torque converter 20, the operation of the clutch 30 and the supply of lubricating oil to the clutch 30, and a hydraulic oil passage is formed through which the hydraulic oil flows.

[0024] The hydraulic oil pumped from the oil pan 52 by the oil pump 51 is supplied to the hydraulic oil passage of the clutch control unit 50. The oil pump 51 is provided as an integral component at the rear of a lower section of the clutch control unit 50. Thus, the oil pump 51 is located at the front relative to the clutch 30 in the clutch housing chamber 3.

[0025] The transmission control unit 60 is described with reference to Fig. 1A and Fig. 1B described. Fig. 1B is a cross-sectional view along 1B-1B of Fig. 1A. The transmission control unit 60 is attached to the front surface of the partition 12 by a fastening device such as a bolt. That is, the gearshift control unit 60 is located in the clutch housing chamber 3.

[0026] As in Fig. 1A and Fig. As shown in Figure 1B, the gearshift control unit 60 is arranged radially outside the clutch 30. In particular, the gearshift control unit 60 is arranged on a top side of the clutch 30. As shown in Fig. 1A and Fig. As shown in Figure 1B, the gearshift control unit 60 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape.

[0027] A multitude of valves are arranged in the gearshift control unit 60, including a pressure control valve for controlling the supply of hydraulic oil to the gearshift control actuator unit 70 for actuating gearshift elements of the transmission mechanism 40, a changeover valve, and / or the like. Furthermore, a hydraulic oil passage is formed in the gearshift control unit 60 through which the hydraulic oil flows.

[0028] The hydraulic oil passage of the clutch control unit 50 and the hydraulic oil passage of the gearshift control unit 60 are connected to each other via an oil passage line 61 located in the clutch housing chamber 3. The hydraulic oil supplied by the oil pump 51 flows via the clutch control unit 50 and the oil passage line 61 to the gearshift control unit 60.

[0029] The gear shift control actuator unit 70 is described with reference to Fig. 1A and Fig. 1C described. Fig. 1C is a cross-sectional view along 1C-1C of Fig. 1A. The gearshift control actuator unit 70 is attached to the rear surface of the partition 12 by a fastening device such as a bolt. That is, the gearshift control actuator unit 70 is located in the transmission mechanism housing chamber 4.

[0030] As in Fig. 1A and Fig. As shown in Figure 1C, the gearshift control actuator unit 70 is arranged such that it axially overlaps the gearshift control unit 60. Further details are as shown in Figure 1C. Fig. 1A and Fig. Figure 1C shows an axial cross-sectional shape of the gearshift control actuator unit 70, which is essentially arc-shaped (or essentially L-shaped) and surrounds the transmission mechanism 40.

[0031] In the gearshift control actuator unit 70, a piston is arranged for axially moving a shift fork (not shown) attached to the shift rod 71, and a hydraulic oil passage is formed through which the hydraulic oil flows.

[0032] The hydraulic oil passage of the gearshift control unit 60 and the hydraulic oil passage of the gearshift control actuator unit 70 are connected to each other via the oil passage 72 provided in the partition 12. The hydraulic oil from the gearshift control unit 60 is supplied to each piston oil chamber in the gearshift control actuator unit 70.

[0033] With reference to Fig. 2 In this section, a hydraulic circuit is briefly described which extends from the oil pump 51 to the gear shift control actuator unit 70.

[0034] The hydraulic oil pumped from the oil pan 52 by the oil pump 51 is regulated to a line pressure by the line pressure control valve 54. The hydraulic oil, regulated to the line pressure, is then supplied to the clutch actuation control circuit 6, the clutch lubrication control circuit 7, and the gear shift control circuit 8, respectively.

[0035] As in Fig. As shown in Figure 2, the line pressure control valve 54, the clutch actuation control circuit 6, and the clutch lubrication control circuit 7 are provided in the clutch control unit 50. Furthermore, among the components forming the shift control circuit 8, a plurality of pressure control valves 62 and a plurality of changeover valves 63 are provided in the gear shift control unit 60, and a plurality of pistons 73 are provided in the gear shift control actuator unit 70.

[0036] As described above, according to the first embodiment, the gearshift control unit 60, in which the valves for carrying out the gearshift control are arranged, is located in the clutch housing chamber 3. Thus, the gearshift control unit 60 can be located near the clutch control unit 50, which makes it possible to shorten the oil passage line connected between the two units. Therefore, it is possible to prevent an increase in the size of the automatic transmission 1.

[0037] Furthermore, according to the first embodiment, the gearshift control unit 60 is arranged radially outside the clutch 30. This makes it possible to prevent an increase in the axial length of the clutch housing chamber 3.

[0038] Furthermore, according to the first embodiment, the gearshift control unit 60 is attached to the front surface of the partition 12. Thus, the oil passage connecting the gearshift control unit 60 and the gearshift control actuator unit 70 can be provided within the partition 12.

[0039] Furthermore, according to the first embodiment, the oil pump 51 for supplying the hydraulic oil to the gearshift control unit 60 is located in the clutch housing chamber 3. This eliminates the need for an oil pan in the transmission mechanism housing chamber 4, thus preventing an increase in the size of the transmission mechanism housing chamber 4. It also shortens the oil passage from the oil pump 51 to the gearshift control unit 60.

[0040] Furthermore, according to the first embodiment, the clutch control unit 50 for controlling the clutch 30 is arranged at a front side relative to the clutch 30, and the oil pump 51 is provided as an integral part of the clutch control unit 50. Thus, the oil pump 51, clutch control unit 50, and gearshift control unit 60 can be arranged side by side, thereby shortening the oil passage. (Second embodiment)

[0041] Fig. Figure 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an automatic transmission 101 according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the configurations of a gearshift control unit and a gearshift control actuator unit. The components that are identical to those of the first embodiment are designated with the same reference numbers, and their names and functions are the same. Accordingly, a detailed description of these components has been omitted.

[0042] In the second embodiment, all components forming the gearshift control circuit 8 (in particular the pressure control valve 62, the changeover valve 63, and the piston 73) are arranged in the gearshift control unit 160. The gearshift control unit 160 is formed by integrating the gearshift control unit 60 and the gearshift control actuator unit 70 from the first embodiment into a single unit.

[0043] For the sake of simplicity, in the following, a section in which the pressure control valve 62 and the changeover valve 63 are arranged in the gear shift control unit 160 shall be referred to as "first section 164" and a section in which the piston 73 is arranged shall be referred to as "second section 165".

[0044] The partition 112 of the housing 110 is provided with a hole 114 through which the first section 164 is inserted from the rear to the front. The gearshift control unit 160 is inserted into the hole 114 and secured to the partition 112 by a fastening device, such as a bolt, thereby fixing the gearshift control unit 160 to the housing 110.

[0045] In the automatic transmission 101, which is configured in the manner described above, of the components forming the gear shift control circuit 8, the pressure control valve 62 and the changeover valve 63 are arranged in the clutch housing chamber 3, and the piston 73 is arranged in the transmission mechanism housing chamber 4.

[0046] As described above, according to the second embodiment, the first section 164 is arranged in the clutch housing chamber 3, in which the valves for carrying out the gearshift control in the gearshift control unit 160 are arranged. Thus, the gearshift control unit 160 can be arranged close to the clutch control unit 50, which makes it possible to shorten the oil passage line connected between the two units. Therefore, it is possible to prevent an increase in the size of the automatic transmission 101.

[0047] Furthermore, according to the second embodiment, the first section 164 of the gearshift control unit 160 is arranged radially outside the clutch 30. This makes it possible to prevent an increase in the axial length of the clutch housing chamber 3.

[0048] Furthermore, according to the second embodiment, the gearshift control unit 160 penetrates the partition 112 and is attached to the partition 112. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide an oil passage between the first section 164 and the second section 165 of the gearshift control unit 160 in the partition 112. (Third embodiment)

[0049] Fig. Figure 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an automatic transmission 201 according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure. The third embodiment differs from the first and second embodiments in the configurations of a gearshift control unit and a gearshift control actuator unit. The components that are identical to those of the first embodiment are designated with the same reference numbers, and their names and functions are the same. Therefore, a detailed description of them is omitted.

[0050] In the third embodiment, in addition to the gearshift control unit 260, the gearshift control actuator unit 270 is also arranged in the clutch housing chamber 3. The gearshift control actuator unit 270 is attached directly to the gearshift control unit 260 at its rear. It should be noted that the gearshift control actuator unit 270 can be arranged circumferentially adjacent to the gearshift control unit 260.

[0051] The partition 212 of the housing 210 is provided with a hole 214 through which the shift rod 271 is inserted, extending rearward from the gearshift control actuator unit 270. By attaching the shift control actuator unit 270 to the front surface of the partition 212, the shift control unit 260 and the gearshift control actuator unit 270 are secured to the housing 210.

[0052] It should be noted that the hole 214 can be formed in such a way that it fits into the outer shape of the gearshift control actuator unit 270, so that the gearshift control actuator unit 270 is attached to the partition 212 in a state in which it is inserted into the hole 214. Additionally, in a case where the gearshift control unit 260 and the gearshift control actuator unit 270 are arranged adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction, the gearshift control unit 260 can be attached to the front surface of the partition 212.

[0053] As described above, according to the third embodiment, the gearshift control unit 260, in which the valves for carrying out the gearshift control are arranged, is located in the clutch housing chamber 3. Thus, the gearshift control unit 260 can be located near the clutch control unit 50, thereby making it possible to shorten the oil passage line connected between the two units. This makes it possible to avoid increasing the size of the automatic transmission 201.

[0054] Furthermore, according to the third embodiment, the gearshift control actuator unit 270, in which the actuator for performing the gearshift control is located, is also arranged in the clutch housing chamber 3. The gearshift control actuator unit 270 is also directly attached to the gearshift control unit 260. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide an oil passage in the partition 212 connecting the gearshift control unit 260 and the gearshift control unit 270.

[0055] In the first to third embodiments described above, a dual-clutch transmission (DCT) having two clutches was described as an example, but the present disclosure is not limited to this case. The present disclosure is also applicable to automatic transmissions such as an automatic mechanical transmission (AMT) having a single clutch.

[0056] This application is based on Japanese patent application No. 2018-165804, filed on September 5, 2018, the contents of which form part of this description by reference. Industrial applicability

[0057] According to the automatic transmission of the present disclosure, it is possible to prevent enlargement, and the industrial applicability is considerable. List of reference symbols 1, 101, 201 automatic transmission 2 Torque converter housing chamber 3 Clutch housing chamber 4 Gear mechanism housing chamber 6 Clutch actuation control circuit 7 Clutch lubrication control circuit 8-speed shift control circuit 10, 110, 210 cases 11 Peripheral wall 12, 112, 212 Partition wall 13 Fastening section 114, 214, Hole 20 torque converters 21 Output shaft 30 Clutch 31 Input shaft 40 Gear mechanism 41 First wave of entries 42 Second input wave 50 First control unit (or clutch control unit) 51 Oil pump 52 Oil pan 54 Line pressure control valve 60, 160, 260, First control unit (or gear shift control unit) 61 Oil passage line 62 Pressure control valve 63 Diverter valve 164 First Section 165 Second Section 70, 270 Actuator (or gear shift control actuator unit) 71, 271 Shift rod 72 Oil passage 73 pistons

Claims

Automatic transmission (201), comprising: a transmission mechanism (40) arranged in a transmission mechanism housing chamber (4) and comprising a plurality of gear-shifting elements; a clutch (30) arranged in a clutch housing chamber (3) and configured to connect and / or disconnect the power transmission from a drive source to the transmission mechanism (40); a first control unit (260) comprising a first hydraulic control valve (62, 63) configured to control the transmission mechanism (40), further comprising an actuator (270) for actuating the gear-shifting elements, wherein the actuator (270) is arranged in the clutch housing chamber (3), and wherein the first control unit (260) is arranged in the clutch housing chamber (3). Automatic transmission (201) according to claim 1, wherein the first control unit (260) is provided on a radially outer side of the clutch (30). Automatic transmission (201) according to claim 1, wherein the first control unit (260) is attached to a partition (212) which serves as a partition between the transmission mechanism housing chamber (4) and the clutch housing chamber (3). Automatic transmission (201) according to claim 1, further comprising an oil pump (51) which supplies the first control unit (260) with hydraulic oil, wherein the oil pump (51) is arranged at a front side relative to the clutch (30) in the clutch housing chamber (3). Automatic transmission (201) according to claim 4, further comprising a second control unit (50) arranged and configured at a front side relative to the clutch (30) to control the clutch (30), wherein the oil pump (51) of the second control unit is provided as an integral part. Automatic transmission (201) according to claim 5, further comprising an oil flow line (61) which is connected between the second control unit (50) and the first control unit (260), wherein the hydraulic oil of the first control unit (260) is supplied via the second control unit and the oil flow line (61).

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