Measuring and calibrating device for a shift transmission
Patent Information
- Application Number
- EP2023704894
- Authority / Receiving Office
- EP · EP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2022-02-16
- Filing Date
- 2023-02-09
- Publication Date
- 2024-12-25
- Estimated Expiration
- Not applicable · inactive patent
AI Technical Summary
Manual transmissions in heavy commercial vehicles with hydraulic or electrohydraulic systems for shift fork movement are complex, costly, and prone to high wear due to numerous components, while purely electrical drives lack precision without mechanical locking and reset issues.
A calibration device with a rotation angle detection device and computer unit for an electric motor-driven shift Z clutch sleeve, allowing independent measurement and calibration by detecting and storing end angles, enabling precise and reliable electric drive operation, and including a position detection device for enhanced accuracy.
Reduces component and maintenance costs, ensures precise positioning of the shift/clutch mechanism, and allows for frequent calibration of the electric motor, while detecting signs of wear or defects early.
Smart Images
Figure 1.1
Abstract
Description
[0001] Measuring and calibration device for a manual transmission
[0002] Description
[0003] The present disclosure relates to a calibration device and a method for calibrating a manual transmission having two gears and a shift-Z clutch sleeve arranged therebetween, which are each arranged coaxially to one another, wherein the shift-Z clutch sleeve is drivable by an electric motor to selectively engage with one of the two gears.
[0004] According to the state of the art, particularly in the field of manual transmissions in electric drive trains for heavy commercial vehicles (HCVs), manual transmissions with shift Z-clutch sleeves are used, which are moved via shift forks.
[0005] Current concepts primarily use hydraulic or electro-hydraulic systems for shift fork movement. Hydraulic systems are favored because they allow large forces to be delivered in a small installation space, making them ideal for driving the actuating movements of clutch sleeves. This is all the more true since high torques are transmitted in the transmission in heavy commercial vehicles, and the corresponding shift clutch sleeves may have to perform the clutch movement against these high loads. However, hydraulic or semi-hydraulic systems require a large number of components, resulting in a high number of wearing parts and a high weight. This results in high manufacturing, assembly, maintenance, and operating costs.
[0006] Purely electric drives for the shift fork movement are generally not provided, since an electric motor can detect and track its position or angle of rotation relatively while a power supply is present. If there is a power loss (e.g., due to a battery change, component failure, possibly in an automatic start-stop system, or similar), the electric motor "forgets" its current position and angle of rotation, which is thus reset to zero. This position can also be changed at any time, provided no potentially complex mechanical locking of the electric motor is provided.
[0007] The present invention is based on the object of providing a calibration device and a corresponding method that reduce or eliminate problems of the prior art. In particular, it is intended to enable simple and reliable calibration of an electrical adjustment of a shift / clutch sleeve.
[0008] This object is achieved by a calibration device and a calibration method according to the independent claims. Further advantageous embodiments are the subject of the dependent claims.
[0009] More specifically, the object is achieved by a device for measuring and calibrating a manual transmission, which has two gears and a shift-Z clutch sleeve arranged between them, each of which is arranged coaxially with each other, wherein the shift-Z clutch sleeve is drivable by an electric motor to selectively engage with one of the two gears. The calibration device has a rotation angle detection device designed to detect a rotation angle of an electric motor. Furthermore, the calibration device has a computer unit designed to carry out a method for measuring and calibrating, which can be used independently if necessary, with the following steps:
[0010] Driving the electric motor to move the shift Z-clutch sleeve in a first direction,
[0011] Detecting a first final rotation angle of the electric motor via the rotation angle detection device when a movement of the switching Z-clutch sleeve in the first direction is blocked,
[0012] Driving the electric motor to move the shift Z-clutch sleeve in a second direction,
[0013] Detecting a second final rotation angle of the electric motor via the rotation angle detection device when a movement of the shift Z-clutch sleeve in the second direction is blocked, and storing and evaluating the first and second final rotation angles of the electric motor.
[0014] Such a calibration device / method enables the use of a purely electric drive to drive a shift / clutch sleeve. This allows for a reduction in components and costs of a corresponding manual transmission. Precise positioning of the shift / clutch sleeve / an associated shift fork is enabled. The present disclosure is based on the finding that, because the electric actuator / electric motor can be trained according to the calibration method with fixed reference values for its rotational angle position / angle, particularly accurate, simple, and rapid measurement or calibration is possible. This enables the use of an electric motor that requires relatively frequent calibration. Furthermore, such a device / method provides precise measurement of the clutch mechanism / manual transmission.
[0015] Preferably, the computer unit is integrated into the electric motor, or the electric motor is a so-called electric smart actuator. In particular, the manual transmission is part of an electric drive train for a vehicle, in particular a heavy commercial vehicle (HCV). In particular, the computer unit is designed to detect that a vehicle in which the shifting device is installed is stationary before the calibration is performed. A blockage of the shift-coupling sleeve (sleeve) is detected, in particular, when the electric motor can no longer be rotated / operated for a parameterizable period of time.
[0016] The calibration device preferably further comprises a position detection device, which is designed separately from the rotation angle detection device and is designed to detect a position of the shift / clutch sleeve relative to at least one of the two gears and to compare it with the rotation angle of the electric motor. This increases the accuracy of the rotation angle detection of the electric motor and enables a plausibility check of the same. At the same time, the use of the rotation angle detection device to detect the rotation angle of the electric motor, particularly during later operation of the manual transmission, can avoid high computational effort and associated costs that would arise if the position detection device were used alone. The position detection device can, for example, have a permanent magnet attached to the shift / clutch sleeve and / or a component moved thereby.At the beginning of the process, the computing unit preferably assumes an unknown travel of the shift / clutch sleeve. This helps avoid errors caused by play and stiffness in the mechanism that decouple the measured positions from each other.
[0017] Preferably, the computer unit is configured to read the position detection device before driving the electric motor in order to detect a starting position of the shift-Z-clutch sleeve, and subsequently drive the electric motor, wherein a drive direction of the electric motor is adjusted depending on the starting position of the shift-Z-clutch sleeve. This makes it possible to optimize a travel path during calibration of the electric motor and thus minimize the calibration time.
[0018] Preferably, the computer unit is further configured to calculate a maximum movement distance of the shift / clutch sleeve based on the first and second end positions and compare it with a stored distance between the gears. This essentially corresponds to an additional plausibility check. This ensures that the calibration was performed correctly and that the shift / clutch sleeve could be fully engaged with both gears. The distance is determined based on the specific design and / or based on an initial measurement and stored in a memory module of the computer unit.
[0019] Preferably, the computer unit is further configured to issue a warning message if the maximum movement distance is greater than the stored distance. Further preferably, the warning message initiates an investigation into signs of wear and / or mechanical defects in the manual transmission. This makes it possible to detect such signs of wear and / or defects particularly early and to take appropriate action. Preferably, the computer unit is further configured to repeat the preceding steps if the maximum movement distance is smaller than the stored distance. Thus, even in the event of premature blockage of the gearshift / clutch sleeve, for example, if engagement claws of the sleeve come into contact with engagement claws of the relevant gear, the process can be repeated and completed.In particular, a certain number of such repetitions are carried out and, if the maximum movement distance is still less than the stored distance at the last repetition, a further warning message is issued or an investigation is initiated with regard to wear and / or mechanical defects in the manual transmission.
[0020] Preferably, the computer unit is configured to drive an electric drive motor, which drives the vehicle's drivetrain, at an oscillating speed. In other words, simultaneously with the movement of the switching actuator / sleeve by the electric motor, the driving electric drive motor is initially specified, in torque- or speed-controlled control mode, with a slight positive torque / speed for a specific period of time and then with a slight negative torque / speed for the same specific period of time. This results in a differential speed at the clutch teeth / engagement claws of the sleeve or gears, which is advantageous during an engagement / coupling process of the sleeve with the gears.
[0021] Preferably, the computer unit is configured to detect the start of a voltage supply to the electric motor and subsequently initiate the calibration process. Thus, the electric motor can be calibrated automatically and operated precisely at all times.
[0022] Preferably, the shift-Z clutch sleeve is driven purely electrically.
[0023] Preferred embodiments are shown in the figures.
[0024] Fig. 1 schematically shows a manual transmission device according to a preferred embodiment of the invention. Fig. 2 shows a flowchart of a calibration method according to a preferred embodiment of the invention.
[0025] Fig. 1 schematically shows a manual transmission device 1 with two gears 2 arranged coaxially with one another in an axial direction. On their mutually facing end faces, the gears 2 each have first claws 4. Arranged coaxially between the gears 2 is a shift-Z-clutch sleeve 6, which is displaceable along the axial direction. The shift-Z-clutch sleeve 6 has second claws 5 on each of its end faces. If the shift-Z-clutch sleeve 6 is axially displaced by a first distance a, starting from a central position between the gears 2, the end faces of the first and second claws 4, 5 lie in a plane transverse to the axial direction. If the first and second claws 4, 5 meet, a movement of the switching Z-clutch sleeve 6 is blocked and a corresponding final rotation angle of an electric motor that drives the switching Z-clutch sleeve 6 is detected.Alternatively, the first and second claws 4, 5 slide into each other as the sleeve 6 continues to move, so that the shift-Z-clutch sleeve 6 is displaced from the central position by a second distance of b, and a corresponding final rotation angle is detected. A permanent magnet 7 can be attached radially outward to the shift-Z-clutch sleeve 6 as part of a position detection device, which detects an absolute position of the shift sleeve relative to the gears 2.
[0026] Fig. 2 shows a block diagram of a calibration method according to the present disclosure. First, a counter i = 1 is set. In a first step S1, a check is made to determine whether the counter i is less than a maximum counter number. If not, an error message E is output. If yes, in a second step S2, the electric motor is operated with positive speed control, i.e., moved into a gear or toward one of the gears 2. If the electric motor cannot be moved any further for a certain time, a block or end position is detected in a third step S3, and a corresponding angle of rotation is detected and stored as a first end angle of rotation.
[0027] Subsequently, in a fourth step S4, the electric motor is operated with negative speed control, i.e., it is moved into a gear or toward the other of the gears 2. If the electric motor cannot be moved any further for a certain time, a second block or a second end position is detected in a fifth step S5, and a corresponding angle of rotation is detected and stored as a second end angle of rotation.
[0028] Subsequently, in a sixth step S6, a distance im that the sleeve 6 has traveled is calculated based on the first and second final rotation angles. The distance is compared with a stored value for the distance between the gears 2. If this distance is greater than the distance taking into account a certain tolerance range (e.g. distance > b), an error message E is output. If the distance is less than the distance taking into account the tolerance range (e.g. distance < a), the counter is incremented by 1 (i = i + 1 ) and the process is repeated starting from the first step S1. If the distance corresponds to the distance or is within the tolerance range, the process is terminated.
[0029] List of reference symbols
[0030] 1 manual transmission device
[0031] 2 gears
[0032] 4 first claws
[0033] 5 second claws
[0034] 6 Shift-Z clutch sleeve
[0035] 7 Permanent magnet / position detection device
Claims
Claims 1. Device for measuring and calibrating a gearbox comprising two gears (2) and a shift-clutch sleeve arranged between them (6) has which are each arranged coaxially to each other, wherein the switching coupling sleeve (6) can be driven by an electric motor to selectively engage with one of the two gears (2), wherein the calibration device has a rotation angle detection device configured to detect a rotation angle of an electric motor and a computing unit configured to perform the following steps: - Driving the electric motor to move the switching coupling sleeve (6) in a first direction (S2), - Detecting a first end rotation angle of the electric motor via the rotation angle detection device when movement of the switching coupling sleeve (6) in the first direction is blocked (S3), - Driving the electric motor to move the switching coupling sleeve (6) in a second direction (S4), - Detecting a second end rotation angle of the electric motor via the rotation angle detection device when movement of the switching coupling sleeve (6) in the second direction is blocked (S3), and - Storing and evaluating the first and second end rotation angles of the electric motor.
2. Device according to claim 1, furthermore a position detection device (7), which is designed separately from the angle detection device and is designed to detect a position of the switching coupling sleeve (6) relative to at least one of the two gears and to compare it with the angle of rotation of the electric motor.
3. Device according to claim 2, wherein the computer unit is configured to read out the position detection device before driving the electric motor in order to detect a starting position of the switching coupling sleeve (6), and subsequently to drive the electric motor, wherein a The direction of travel of the electric motor is set depending on the starting position of the switching / clutch sleeve (6).
4. Device according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the computer unit is further configured to calculate a maximum movement distance of the switching coupling sleeve (6) based on the first and second end positions and to compare it with a stored distance between the gears.
5. Device according to claim 4, wherein the computer unit is further configured to issue a warning message if the maximum movement distance is greater than the stored distance.
6. Device according to one of claims 4 and 5, wherein the computing unit is further configured to repeat the preceding steps if the maximum movement distance is less than the stored distance.
7. Device according to one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the transmission is part of a drive train of a vehicle with a drive electric motor and the computer unit is configured to drive the drive electric motor of the drive train at an oscillating speed.
8. Device according to one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the computer unit is configured to detect the start of a voltage supply to the electric motor and subsequently to perform the calibration procedure.
9. Device according to one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the switching coupling sleeve (6) is driven purely electrically.
10. Method for measuring and calibrating a gearbox comprising two gears and a shift-coupling sleeve (6) arranged between them, each being arranged coaxially to the other, wherein the shift-coupling sleeve (6) can be driven by the electric motor to selectively engage with one of the two gears, comprising the following steps: - Driving the electric motor to move the switching coupling sleeve (6) in a first direction (S2), - Detecting a first end rotation angle of the electric motor via the rotation angle detection device when movement of the switching coupling sleeve (6) in the first direction is blocked (S3), - Driving the electric motor to move the switching coupling sleeve (6) in a second direction (S4), - Detecting a second end rotation angle of the electric motor via the rotation angle detection device when movement of the switching coupling sleeve (6) in the second direction is blocked (S3), and - Storing and evaluating the first and second end rotation angles of the electric motor.