Automatic Transmission Neutral Warm-Up Using Synchromesh Coupling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing automatic transmission warming-up methods face challenges in efficiently warming up the lubricant oil when the shift position is in neutral, either requiring additional components or taking excessive time to complete the warming process.
Innovation Solution
An automatic transmission system with rotary shafts, gears, synchromesh mechanisms, a lubricant oil reservoir, and a control section that detects shift positions and actuates synchromesh mechanisms to couple rotary shafts and gears, allowing the clutch to engage and agitate the lubricant oil even in neutral position, thereby accelerating the warming process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a separate oil pump is installed to enable warming-up in neutral position, then warming-up capability in neutral position is improved, but device complexity and installation cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The existing synchromesh mechanisms, originally designed solely for gear coupling, are made to serve dual functions: gear coupling during operation and lubricant oil agitation during warming-up. By actuating these existing mechanisms in neutral position, the system achieves warming-up capability without adding separate dedicated components, thus improving reliability while avoiding increased device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The warming-up function is merged with the existing gear coupling mechanisms. The synchromesh mechanisms that normally couple gears are also used to agitate lubricant oil during warming-up by rotating gears in neutral position. This consolidation eliminates the need for separate warming-up components, reducing both device complexity and installation cost while maintaining warming-up capability
2Device complexity
If gear rotation is waited until after vehicle startup to warm up lubricant oil, then device complexity is reduced, but warming time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The synchromesh mechanisms are actuated in neutral position before vehicle startup to rotate gears and agitate lubricant oil, performing the warming-up action in advance. This preliminary action ensures that lubricant oil is adequately warmed before the vehicle begins operation, reducing warming time without requiring additional components or increasing device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The existing gear train and synchromesh mechanisms serve dual purposes: they perform both their primary function of gear coupling and the secondary function of lubricant oil agitation for warming-up. By utilizing the self-rotating capability of gears through synchromesh actuation in neutral position, the system achieves warming-up without external assistance or additional components, thereby reducing warming time while maintaining simplicity
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables rapid warming-up of the lubricant oil before vehicle startup, eliminating the need for additional components and reducing warming time, while maintaining efficient operation across various shift positions.
Implementation Method 1
a method of increasing the temperature of the lubricant oil by agitating the lubricant oil with a rotating gear
Data Source
AI summary
An automatic transmission of the present invention is provided with: a plurality of rotating shafts; a plurality of gears; a plurality of synchronizing mechanisms including an output-side synchronizing mechanism; a lubricating oil storage part that stores a lubricating oil which is drawn upward by rotation of the gears; a shift position detection unit that detects which of a plurality of shift positions, including a neutral position, has been selected; and a control unit which, if the neutral position has been detected by the shift position detection unit, causes a synchronizing mechanism other than the output-side synchronizing mechanism to operate, and brings a clutch into a connected state after coupling a rotating shaft other than an output shaft and a gear other than an output-side gear.