Vehicle transmission and a method for controlling transmission actuators in a vehicle transmission

Abstract

A vehicle transmission for commercial vehicles comprises at least one transmission actuator (110) with a shift rod (112) which can be operated by a first actuator (114), and an actuator unit (120) with a second actuator (124). The vehicle transmission further comprises a manual transmission (200) which is designed to engage different gears in a drivetrain of the commercial vehicles by means of the shift rod (112); and a control unit (300) which is designed to control the first actuator (114) and the second actuator (124).

Description

[0001] DESCRIPTION

[0002] Vehicle transmission and a method for controlling transmission actuators in a vehicle transmission

[0003] The present invention relates to a vehicle transmission having a network of transmission actuators, a method for controlling transmission actuators, and in particular to a network of transmission actuator units.

[0004] Conventional manual transmissions typically use transmission actuators of the same type, each with integrated electronics or an attached electronic unit to control the transmission actuators. However, in vehicle construction, and especially in commercial vehicles, manual transmissions are increasingly being used with different types of transmission actuators, which, for example, provide different sizes and different power levels or use different actuators. For example, electromechanical, hydraulic, or even pneumatic transmission actuators can be used in parallel. As commercial vehicles themselves are increasingly electrically powered, there is also a need for electric motor drives. A compressed air supply is no longer mandatory.

[0005] This creates a need for manual transmissions that are as compact as possible, allowing them to be installed on a single vehicle axle, while simultaneously allowing for the widest possible variety of transmission actuators. In particular, space in vehicles is becoming increasingly limited, and the available space needs to be used as efficiently as possible. Conventional transmissions or transmission actuators increasingly fail to meet these requirements, as they are difficult to integrate into such limited installation space.

[0006] At least some of the above-mentioned problems are solved by a vehicle transmission according to claim 1 and a method for controlling transmission actuators according to claim 12. The dependent claims relate to further advantageous embodiments of the subject matter of the independent claims. The present invention relates to a vehicle transmission for commercial vehicles. The vehicle transmission comprises at least one transmission actuator, an actuator unit, a manual transmission, and a control unit. The at least one transmission actuator comprises a transmission actuator with a (first) shift rod operable by a first actuator, and the actuator unit comprises a second actuator. The manual transmission is designed to shift different gears in a drive train of the commercial vehicle by means of the first shift rod. The control unit is designed to control the first actuator and the second actuator.

[0007] The at least one transmission actuator may be a first transmission actuator and the actuator unit may comprise or be at least one of the following components:

[0008] - a second gearbox actuator with a second shift rod,

[0009] - a power transmission unit designed to direct a power flow away from the manual transmission,

[0010] - a valve,

[0011] - a differential lock,

[0012] - a pump,

[0013] - a reduction gear,

[0014] - a hydraulic auxiliary unit.

[0015] The term actuator unit should therefore be understood very broadly, i.e. it can be a second transmission actuator for shifting gears in the manual transmission, but this does not have to be the case. It can also be any other unit. The actuator unit therefore does not need to be used for gear shifting (e.g. in the case of a 2-speed transmission), but can move other rods or shifting elements. The second actuator unit can therefore implement other axial movements with the second actuator, for example in power transmission units (power take-off), oil valves, differential locks. This means that embodiments are also applicable to vehicle transmissions that only comprise a shift rod or only a transmission actuator for shifting gears, but also have other control units or auxiliary units around the transmission. Optionally, embodiments also cover the case where the vehicle transmission has a network of transmission actuators.It goes without saying, however, that the network of transmission actuators doesn't necessarily have to include just two; additional transmission actuators can also be present. Therefore, the control unit can also be configured to control additional actuators or operate auxiliary units.

[0016] For example, the vehicle transmission may include one or more actuator applications coupled to the manual transmission, with the control unit then optionally further configured to selectively control or operate the one or more actuator applications. The one or more actuator applications may include an actuator unit. However, they may also be other components (e.g., those that do not have actuators).

[0017] Optionally, the one or more actuator applications comprise at least one of the following units: a pump, a lubricant pump, a differential lock, a reduction gear, a hydraulic auxiliary unit, a hydraulic pump.

[0018] Optionally, the control unit is an integrated control unit of the transmission actuator. The control unit can also be attached directly to the transmission actuator. However, the control unit can also be located remotely from the transmission actuators and thus control the transmission actuators remotely. According to exemplary embodiments, the control unit can be located anywhere in the vehicle, or an existing control unit can be used for the defined functions.

[0019] Optionally, the actuator unit can only be controlled by the control unit. For example, the actuator unit does not need to have its own control electronics. Alternatively, it is also possible for the actuator unit to have its own control electronics, but these are deactivated so that control is only carried out by the control unit (or one). Optionally, the transmission actuator is a high-power actuator with a power consumption above a predetermined power, and the actuator unit is a low-power actuator with a power consumption of less than the predetermined power. The predetermined power consumption can be, for example, 200 W, 500 W, or 1000 W. In addition to the control unit, the transmission actuators can contain corresponding power electronics.

[0020] Optionally, the transmission actuator and / or the actuator unit each comprise a sensor unit. The respective sensor unit can be configured to measure at least one of the following variables:

[0021] - a rotation angle of the first shift rod,

[0022] - a rotation angle of the second shift rod,

[0023] - an axial position of the first shift rod,

[0024] - an axial position of the second shift rod,

[0025] - a state of the first actuator,

[0026] - a state of the second actuator, wherein the control unit is configured to detect sensor signals from the respective sensor unit and, based thereon, to control the transmission actuator and the actuator unit. Detecting the axial position is particularly important when gear shifting occurs via a linear displacement of the shift rod (e.g., with pneumatic actuators). The state of the actuator can, for example, be an activation or deactivation (e.g., whether a valve is open or closed; whether a differential lock is engaged or not).

[0027] Optionally, the first actuator and / or the second actuator is one of the following actuators: an electro-mechanical actuator, an electro-pneumatic actuator, a hydraulic actuator, a linear magnetic actuator.

[0028] Embodiments also relate to a commercial vehicle with a vehicle transmission as described above. The commercial vehicle can, in particular, be a truck having a drive axle and an electric motor for propulsion. In these electrically powered commercial vehicles, the manual transmission can optionally be mounted on the drive axle or between the electric motor and the drive axle.

[0029] Embodiments also relate to a method for controlling at least one transmission actuator and an actuator unit in a vehicle transmission. The at least one transmission actuator comprises a first shift rod operable by a first actuator, and the actuator unit comprises a second actuator. The first shift rod is coupled to a manual transmission. The method comprises (optionally) controlling the first actuator and the second actuator by only one control unit in order to shift different gears in a drive train of a commercial vehicle using the first shift rod.

[0030] Optionally, the method comprises at least one of the following steps, which are also carried out by the control unit:

[0031] - Deactivation of electronics in the gearbox actuator or in the actuator unit,

[0032] - detecting sensor signals from the transmission actuator and / or the actuator unit in order to control the transmission actuator and / or the actuator unit based on the detected sensor signals,

[0033] - Control of actuator applications that are coupled to the manual transmission,

[0034] - Activate / deactivate a pump or a gear reduction or a differential lock or a valve or a hydraulic unit or a pneumatic unit or another actuator.

[0035] This method, or at least parts thereof, may also be implemented or stored in the form of instructions or commands in software or on a computer program product, wherein stored instructions are capable of carrying out the steps according to the method when the method is run on a processor. Therefore, the present invention also relates to a computer program product or to a machine-readable storage medium having software code (software instructions) stored thereon, which is configured to carry out one of the methods described above when the software code is executed by a processing unit. The processing unit may be any form of computer or control unit having a corresponding microprocessor capable of executing software code.

[0036] Embodiments solve problems of conventional manual transmissions in that the individual transmission actuators do not need to have separate integrated control units, but can be controlled by a central control unit, which can also be located remotely from the transmission. Advantageously, the central control unit is housed in one of the transmission actuators. A high-performance transmission actuator, for example, can be used for this purpose. The (central) control unit can assume control of all transmission actuators and optionally also control existing actuator applications. The actuator applications are additional units (e.g. pumps, additional actuators, reduction gears, differential lock, etc.) that can be driven using the power provided by the transmission.

[0037] The embodiments of the present invention will be better understood from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings of the various embodiments, which, however, should not be construed to limit the disclosure to the specific embodiments, but are for explanation and understanding only.

[0038] Fig. 1 schematically shows a vehicle transmission according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0039] Fig. 2 shows a schematic flow diagram for a method for controlling transmission actuators in vehicle transmissions according to embodiments.

[0040] Fig. 1 schematically shows a vehicle transmission as it can be used in commercial vehicles (e.g., trucks) according to exemplary embodiments or is designed for this application. The vehicle transmission comprises one (or more) transmission actuators 110, an actuator unit 120, a manual transmission 200, a control unit 300, and optional actuator applications 410, 420, 430. According to exemplary embodiments, the transmission actuator 110 and the actuator unit 120 are coupled to the manual transmission 200 or are mounted there.

[0041] The transmission actuator 110 can be a first transmission actuator, and the actuator unit 120 can be a second transmission actuator, both forming a network of transmission actuators. However, according to further embodiments, the actuator unit 120 can also be any other unit, such as one of the following:

[0042] - a power transmission unit designed to direct a power flow away from the manual transmission,

[0043] - a (controllable) valve,

[0044] - a differential lock,

[0045] - a pump,

[0046] - a reduction gear,

[0047] - a hydraulic auxiliary unit,

[0048] - a combination of these.

[0049] For example, it is assumed below that the actuator unit 120 is a second transmission actuator. The network of transmission actuators 110, 120 therefore comprises (at least) a first transmission actuator 110 and a second transmission actuator 120. The first transmission actuator 110 comprises a first shift rod 112, which couples to a first actuator 114. The second transmission actuator 120 comprises, for example, a second shift rod 122, which couples to a second actuator 124. The manual transmission 200 is designed to shift different gears in a drive train of the commercial vehicle by means of the first shift rod 112 and the second shift rod 122. The first / second shift rods 112, 122 therefore represent connections between the transmission actuators 110, 120 and the manual transmission 200 and, when activated, cause a rotational movement or an axial movement (linear movement) for shifting in the transmission 100.

[0050] Activation occurs via the respective actuator, which can be driven by an electric motor, hydraulically, or pneumatically to effect the rotary movement or the linear movement. According to embodiments, shift forks can be provided that shift the gears in the manual transmission 200 upon activation of the shift rods 112, 122. Therefore, according to embodiments, the network of transmission actuators 110, 120 can be driven electromechanically (e.g., via an electric motor), electropneumatically, hydraulically (e.g., via a solenoid valve), linearly magnetically, or via a hydraulic pump.

[0051] If the actuator unit 120 is not a second transmission actuator, the exemplary second shift rod 122 may be a coupling rod between the manual transmission 200 and the actuator unit 120 (for example, to activate a differential lock or to selectively tap power from the manual transmission).

[0052] According to the exemplary embodiment shown, the manual transmission 200 is coupled to a plurality of actuator applications 410, 420, 430. The actuator applications can be various units that utilize the power provided by the manual transmission 200 to perform further actions. For example, the actuator applications 410, 420, 430 can be hydraulic pumps or other units. Likewise, lubricant pumps, a reduction gear, or a differential lock can be embodied, for example, as an actuator application 410, 420, 430 on the manual transmission 200. The actuator applications 410, 420, 430 can, in particular, utilize the energy available in the manual transmission 200.

[0053] According to embodiments, the control unit 300 is provided to control the transmission actuators 110, 120 and optionally also the various actuator applications 410, 420, 430. Embodiments allow, in particular, that only one control unit 300 is used for control. If additional controls or electronic components are present, they can also be deactivated. According to embodiments, for example, the control unit 300 can switch off any other electronic components or other units that may be present. To enable this, the control unit 300 can, for example, be programmed such that it can control all existing actuators itself, so that corresponding control signals from the control unit 300 activate the first actuator 114 and the second actuator 124 (e.g., for shifting gears) and / or other actuators / units.The control unit 300 can optionally also be integrated into a power electronics system. However, according to embodiments, it is also possible for a separation between the power electronics and the control unit 300. According to embodiments, the control unit 300 can be integrated into one of the transmission actuators 110, 120 or directly attached thereto. Integration should be understood, in particular, to mean that a common housing is used. This has the advantage that the number of components can be reduced through integration. According to embodiments, therefore, several transmission actuators 110, 120 use only one common power electronics system or the one control unit 300.

[0054] According to further exemplary embodiments, one of the two transmission actuators 110, 120, e.g., the first transmission actuator 110, comprises power electronics that can be used, for example, for all transmission actuators 110, 120. Thus, only one power electronics unit is required, which is housed in only one transmission actuator 110, but which also operates the other transmission actuators 120. The exemplary first transmission actuator 110 with the integrated power electronics can be a high-power transmission actuator that has a power consumption of more than a predetermined power (e.g., 200 W, 500 W, 1000 W). The other transmission actuators can, for example, be operated in the low-power range, wherein powers of less than the predetermined power are provided. It is understood that the distinction between high-power actuators and low-power actuators can also be made differently.

[0055] According to embodiments, either the first transmission actuator 110 or the second transmission actuator 120 can be selectively controlled. According to further embodiments, however, it is also possible for both transmission actuators 110, 120 to be controlled in parallel or simultaneously, as long as this does not lead to a contradiction in the switching behavior. The individual transmission actuators 110, 120 can, in particular, be operated independently of one another, for which purpose the separate actuators 114, 124 are controlled accordingly by the one control unit 300. According to further embodiments, sensor units 116, 126 are present in the transmission actuators 110, 120, which can, for example, measure an angle of rotation (angular position) or an (axial) position. The angle of rotation of the shift rods 112, 122 can, for example, indicate an activation or a specific switching position of the shift rod 112, 122.For example, a first gear can be engaged at a first angular position of the shift rod 112, 122, and a second gear can be engaged at a second angular position. For this purpose, gates can be formed on the shift rod 112, 122, with which shift forks couple, which then engage the individual gears. The actuators 114, 124 can, for example, comprise electric motors that cause the rotations of the shift rods 112, 122. According to further embodiments, the actuators 114, 124 comprise valves (e.g., solenoid valves) or piston assemblies or other pneumatically or hydraulically operable actuators.

[0056] Fig. 2 shows a schematic flowchart for a method for controlling at least one transmission actuator 110 and an actuator unit 120 in vehicle transmissions of commercial vehicles, as previously described according to exemplary embodiments. The method is executed by the control unit 300 and comprises at least the step:

[0057] - Controlling S110 the first actuator 114 and the second actuator 124 in order to switch different gears in a drive train of a commercial vehicle by means of the first shift rod 112.

[0058] Optionally, the following steps (shown in dashed lines) can be performed by the control unit:

[0059] - Deactivation S120 of an electronics in the transmission actuator 110 and / or in the actuator unit 120,

[0060] - detecting S130 sensor signals from the transmission actuator 110 and / or from the actuator unit 120 in order to control the transmission actuator 110 and / or the actuator unit 120 based on the detected sensor signals, - controlling S140 actuator applications 410, 420, 430 that are coupled to the manual transmission 200,

[0061] - Activation / deactivation S150 of a pump or a gear reduction or a differential lock or a valve or a hydraulic unit or a pneumatic unit or another actuator.

[0062] It is understood that the control unit can also perform additional functions, and the list here is intended only as examples. In particular, all of the previously described functions of the control unit can be implemented as additional optional process steps. Furthermore, it is understood that the order in which they are listed does not necessarily imply a specific order in which the process steps are executed. The steps can also be performed in a different order, or only some of the process steps are executed.

[0063] The method may also be computer-implemented, i.e., it may be implemented by instructions stored on a storage medium capable of performing the steps of the method when run on a processor (e.g., in the control unit). The instructions typically comprise one or more instructions, which may be stored in various ways on different media in or peripheral to the control unit (having a processor), which, when read and executed by the control unit, cause the control unit to perform functions, functionalities, and operations necessary to carry out a method according to the present invention.

[0064] Examples offer the following advantages:

[0065] Many different transmission actuators and / or control units 110, 120 can be combined with one another—not only electromotive or hydraulic actuators, but also pneumatic and other actuators. In this way, an entire network of transmission actuators and / or control units 110, 120 can be formed. In particular, the size and performance of the transmission actuators / actuator units 110, 120 can also vary, so that very small actuators can be combined with large actuators. Furthermore, it is possible for the network of transmission actuators / actuator units 110, 120 to be implemented in a very small installation space. For example, the transmission actuators / actuator units 110, 120 or the manual transmission 200 can be integrated into a drive axle itself, which, in addition to the drive electric motor, also includes the vehicle transmission, brakes, and other assemblies.It is also possible for the transmission actuator / actuator units 110, 120 and / or the manual transmission 200 to be flexibly accommodated at any other location along the drive train from an electric motor to the drive axle, since the individual components can be made smaller than is possible with conventional transmission actuators for vehicle transmissions.

[0066] The features of the invention disclosed in the description, the claims and the figures may be essential for the realization of the invention both individually and in any combination.

[0067] LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS

[0068] 110, 120 Gearbox actuators or control units

[0069] 112, 122 Shift rods 114, 124 Actuators

[0070] 116, 126 sensors

[0071] 200 manual transmissions

[0072] 300 control unit

[0073] 410, 420,430 actuator applications

Claims

PATENT CLAIMS 1 . Vehicle transmission for commercial vehicles, characterized by: at least one transmission shifter (110) comprising a shift rod (112) operable by a first actuator (114); an actuator unit (120) with a second actuator (124); a manual transmission (200) configured to shift different gears in a drive train of the commercial vehicle by means of the shift rod (112); and a control unit (300) configured to control the first actuator (114) and the second actuator (124).

2. Vehicle transmission according to claim 1, characterized in that the actuator unit (120) is one of the following or comprises at least one of the following components: - a second gear actuator with a second shift rod (122), - a power transmission unit designed to direct a power flow away from the manual transmission (200), - a valve, - a differential lock, - a pump, - a reduction gear, - a hydraulic auxiliary unit.

3. Vehicle transmission according to claim 1 or claim 2, further comprising one or more actuator applications (410, 420, 430) coupled to the manual transmission (200), characterized in that the control unit (300) is further configured to selectively control the one or more actuator applications (410, 420,430).

4. Vehicle transmission according to claim 3, characterized in that the one or more actuator applications (410, 420, 430) comprise at least one of the following units: a pump, a lubricant pump, a differential lock, a reduction gear, a hydraulic auxiliary unit, a hydraulic pump.

5. Vehicle transmission according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the control unit (300) is an integrated control unit of the transmission actuator (110) or is directly attached to the transmission actuator (110).

6. Vehicle transmission according to claim 5, characterized in that the actuator unit (120) can only be controlled by the control unit (300).

7. Vehicle transmission according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the transmission actuator (110) is a high-power actuator with a power consumption above a predetermined power and the actuator unit (120) is a low-power actuator with a power consumption of less than the predetermined power, wherein the predetermined power consumption is 200 W or 500 W or 1000 W.

8. Vehicle transmission according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the transmission actuator (110) and / or the actuator unit (120) each has a sensor unit (116, 126), wherein the respective sensor unit (116, 126) is designed to measure at least one of the following variables: a rotation angle of the shift rod (112), a rotation angle of the second shift rod (122), an axial position of the shift rod (112), an axial position of the second shift rod (122), a state of the first actuator (114) and / or a state of the second actuator (124), wherein the control unit (300) is designed to detect sensor signals of the respective sensor unit (116, 126) and, based thereon, to control the transmission actuator (110) and the actuator unit (120).

9. Vehicle transmission according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first actuator (114) and / or the second actuator (124) is one of the following actuators: an electro-mechanical actuator, an electro-pneumatic actuator, hydraulic actuator, linear magnetic actuator.

10. Commercial vehicle, characterized by a vehicle transmission according to one of the preceding claims.

11. Commercial vehicle according to claim 10, which is a truck and has a drive axle and an electric motor for driving, characterized in that the gearbox (200) is mounted on the drive axle or between the electric motor and the drive axle.

12. A method for controlling at least one transmission actuator (110) and an actuator unit (120) in a vehicle transmission, wherein the at least one transmission actuator (110) has a shift rod (112) operable by a first actuator (114), and the actuator unit (120) comprises a second actuator (124), wherein the first shift rod (110) is coupled to a manual transmission (200), characterized by Controlling (S110) the first actuator (114) and the second actuator (124) by only one control unit (300) in order to switch different gears in a drive train of a commercial vehicle by means of the shift rod (112).

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that the only one control unit (300) carries out at least one of the following steps: - Deactivation (S120) of an electronics in the gearbox actuator (110) or in the actuator unit (120), - detecting (S130) sensor signals from the transmission actuator (110) and / or from the actuator unit (120) in order to control the transmission actuator (110) and / or the actuator unit (120) based on the detected sensor signals, - controlling (S140) actuator applications (410, 420, 430) coupled to the manual transmission (200), - Activation (S150) of a pump or a gear reduction or a differential lock or a valve or a hydraulic unit or a pneumatic unit or another actuator, - Deactivation (S160) of a pump or a gear reduction or a differential lock or a valve or a hydraulic unit or a pneumatic unit or another actuator.

14. Computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions which, when the method is executed by a data processing unit, cause the Data processing unit carries out the method according to claim 12 or claim 13.

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