HYDRAULIC RETARDER AND CONTROL APPARATUS

Abstract: A hydraulic retarder (10) has a control valve mechanism (24) with a pressure regulator valve (26) for controlling the pressure of the fluid delivered to the hydraulic retarder as a function of operator demand and an operating parameter of the hydraulic retarder. The pressure regulator valve has an opening pressure bias that is determined by a retarder signal valve (52) which is responsive to an operator input and a closing pressure bias determined by the outlet pressure of the hydraulic retarder.

Description: This invention relates to hydraulic retarder and control apparatus of the kind defined in the preamble of claim 1. Such an apparatus is known, for example, from US-A-4,836,341. It is an object of this invention to provide an improved hydraulic retarder and control apparatus, wherein the inlet pressure to the hydraulic retarder is controlled as a function of operator demand and an operating parameter of the hydraulic retarder. To this end, a hydraulic retarder and control apparatus in accordance with the present invention is characterised by the features specified in the characterising portion of claim 1. The present invention provides an improved hydraulic retarder and control apparatus, wherein a pressure regulator valve limits the inlet pressure to the hydraulic retarder in response to a bias pressure proportional to the outlet pressure of the hydraulic retarder. The present invention may also provide an improved control for a hydraulic retarder, wherein the pressure regulator valve also has an initial closing bias pressure proportional to the inlet pressure of the hydraulic retarder. The present invention may further provide an improved hydraulic retarder and control apparatus, wherein a pressure regulator valve is selectively operable to control the inlet pressure to the hydraulic retarder, and wherein the pressure regulator valve has an opening bias pressure proportional to an operating parameter of the hydraulic retarder. The present invention may also provide an improved hydraulic retarder and control apparatus, wherein the control apparatus has a retarder signal valve for providing a variable input bias pressure to a pressure regulator valve which controls the inlet pressure to the hydraulic retarder, and further wherein the retarder signal valve is responsive to an operator brake operation to control the input bias between a minimum value and a maximum value, and also wherein the maximum value is attained prior the engagement of the vehicle friction brakes. The present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the following description, and the accompanying drawing, in which the sole figure is a schematic representation of a hydraulic retarder and control apparatus incorporating the present invention. A conventional hydraulic retarder 10 has a stator portion 12, a rotor portion 14, a retarder inlet port 16 and a retarder outlet port 18. The hydraulic retarder 10 is effective, when pressurized, to retard the rotary motion of a shaft 20 which may be either an input shaft or an output shaft of a conventional transmission, not shown, of a motor vehicle. The retarder inlet port 16 is connected to receive hydraulic fluid through a retarder inlet or feed passage 22 which is connected with a flow control valve 24 and a pressure regulator valve 26. The flow control valve 24 is a conventional control valve which is used to control the fluid from a conventional hydraulic torque converter 28, to and from a conventional cooler 30 and to a lubrication delivery passage 32. The flow control valve 24 has a valve bore 34 in which is slidably disposed a valve spool 36 having a number of lands. The valve bore 34 is in fluid communication with a retarder outlet passage 38, a cooler inlet passage 40, a converter outlet passage 42, the lubrication delivery passage 32, a cooler outlet passage 44, the retarder inlet passage 22 and a pair of exhaust passages. The flow control valve 24 also includes a bias spring 46 and a control chamber 48. The control chamber 48 is connected with an opening bias passage 50 which when pressurized will move the valve spool 36 against the bias spring 46 to a pressure set position. In the spring set position shown, the retarder outlet passage 38 is connected to exhaust, the converter outlet passage 42 is connected to the cooler inlet passage 40, the cooler outlet passage 44 is connected to the lubrication delivery passage 32 and the retarder inlet passage 22 is connected with exhaust. Thus, in the spring set position, the hydraulic retarder 10 cannot be pressurized and will not impose a braking load on the shaft 20. In the pressure set position, the flow control valve 24 is effective to connect the retarder inlet passage 22 with the cooler outlet passage 44, the retarder outlet passage 38 to the cooler inlet passage 40, and the converter outlet passage 42 to the lubrication delivery passage 32. Thus, in the pressure set position, the flow control valve 24 will direct fluid from the hydraulic retarder 10 to the cooler 30 and back to the hydraulic retarder 10. The fluid pressure in the opening bias passage 50 is determined by a retarder signal valve 52 which includes a valve bore 54, a valve spool 56, a brake control plug 58 and a retard control plug 60. The valve bore 54 is a step diameter bore having a large diameter portion 62 and a small diameter portion 64. The valve spool 56 has a small diameter land 66 slidably disposed in the small diameter portion 64 and a large diameter land 68 slidably disposed in the large diameter portion 62. The space between the small and large diameter lands 66 and 68 is in continuous fluid communication with the opening bias passage 50, and selectively and alternatively, is in fluid communication with a main pressure passage 70 and an exhaust passage. The main pressure passage 70 is in fluid communication with a source of fluid pressure 72, such as a conventional control pump, through an orifice or restriction 74. The main pressure passage 70 is also in continuous communication through an orifice or restriction 76 with a conventional accumulator 78. Fluid pressure from main pressure passage 70 will operate on the differential area between the small and large diameter lands 66 and 68 to urge the valve spool 56 upward, as viewed in the drawing, until the exhaust passage is opened. The pressure level between the small and large diameter lands 66 and 68 will be maintained at a value to control the valve spool 56 at this position. The brake control plug 58 has disposed adjacent thereto a control chamber 80 which is selectively pressurized by actuation of the vehicle brakes by the vehicle operator. Pressure in control chamber 80 will impose a downward bias on the valve spool 56 resulting in an increase in pressure between the small and large diameter lands 66 and 68 and therefore an increase in the pressure in opening bias passage 50. Thus, the pressure in opening bias passage 50 can be controlled to an amount proportional to the pressure in the vehicle brake system. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the pressure in the control chamber 80 can be in the range of 0 to 48.26 kPa (zero (0) to seven (7) psi) prior to the vehicle brakes being engaged. In this range of brake pressure, the pressure in opening bias passage 50 will be controlled in the range of 0 to 1103 kPa (zero (0) to 160 psi). The pressure proportions are determined by the diameter of the brake control plug 58 and the differential area between the small and large diameter lands 66 and 68. This range of pressure allows the operator to control vehicle deceleration through the hydraulic retarder 10 prior the actual engagement of the service brakes. Therefore, if the vehicle deceleration is sufficient, the service brakes will not have to be applied. If increased deceleration is desired, the operator will apply more force to the brake control which will result in the service brakes being applied in addition to the hydraulic retarder operation. Under these conditions, the hydraulic retarder 10 is employed by the operator in all braking instances. At times, the operator will desire to use the hydraulic retarder 10 only for controlling the vehicle speed. The retard control plug 60 is provided for such instances. When hydraulic retarder action is requested by the operator, a chamber 82 adjacent the retard control plug 60 will be pressurized. This imposes a downward bias on the valve spool 56 which is countered by an increase in pressure between the small and large diameter lands 66 and 68. When hydraulic retarder operation only is requested, a fixed pressure is applied to the retard control plug 60 which will result in the pressure in opening bias passage 50 being established at the maximum value of 1103 kPa (160 psi). The request for retardation is imposed on the pressure regulator valve 26 and the flow control valve 24 through the opening bias passage 50. As described above, the flow control valve 24 is operable to direct fluid in a substantially closed circuit which includes the hydraulic retarder 10. The inlet pressure to the hydraulic retarder 10, during retard operation, is established and controlled by the pressure regulator valve 26 which includes a valve bore 90, a valve spool 92, a bias spring 94, an opening bias chamber 96 and a closing bias chamber 98. The valve bore 90 is in communication with the retarder inlet passage 22, a pressure feed passage 100 and an exhaust passage. The opening bias chamber 96 is in continuous communication with the opening bias passage 50 and the closing bias chamber 98 is in communication with the retarder outlet passage 38. In the alternative, the closing bias chamber 98 can be maintained in communication with the retarder inlet passage 22. However, it is believed that a truer retardation pressure is obtained if the bias is proportional to the outlet pressure of the hydraulic retarder 10. The valve spool 92 has spaced lands 102 and 104 which are slidably disposed in the valve bore 90 and are positioned to provide selective communication between the retarder inlet passage 22 and exhaust, in the spring set position shown, and between the retarder inlet passage 22 and the pressure feed passage 100, in the pressure set position. The pressure set position is established during retardation by the pressure in the opening bias passage 50 which operates on the end of the valve spool 92 in the opening bias chamber 96. Pressure in the opening bias chamber 96 imposes an opening bias on the valve spool 92 thereby permitting communication between the pressure feed passage 100 and the valve bore 90. During the initial opening of the pressure regulator valve 26, the pressure in the valve bore 90 between the lands 102 and 104 is directed through a restricted passage 106 formed in the valve spool 92. This restricted passage 106 will admit fluid to the closing bias chamber 98 to prevent "overshoot" of the valve spool 92. In other words, the initial opening speed of the pressure regulator valve 26 is controlled. During retard operation, the pressure regulator valve 26 opens to permit high pressure fluid from the accumulator 78 to enter and charge the hydraulic retarder 10. Simultaneously, the flow control valve 24 is manipulated to redirect fluid from the retarder outlet port 18 to the retarder inlet port 16 thereby reducing the inlet flow requirements of the hydraulic retarder 10. When the hydraulic retarder 10 reaches operating pressure, the closing bias in closing bias chamber 98 will move the valve spool 92 against the opening bias and reduce the amount of inlet flow supplied by the accumulator 78. The accumulator 78 will only supply fluid as required by leakage from the system. As this flow requirement is less than the amount of fluid that can be supplied by the source of fluid pressure 72 to the accumulator 78, the accumulator 78 will be fully recharged in preparation for the next retardation request. By selective control of the vehicle operating parameters; that is, retarder control, brake control or throttle control, the opening bias pressure at pressure regulator valve 26 is controlled. The retarder control and throttle control will generally be used to establish a fixed bias pressure and therefor substantially constant inlet and outlet pressures for the hydraulic retarder. The brake control will generally be utilized to establish a range of bias pressures, as explained above, to permit a more controlled use of the hydraulic retarder and to extend the life of the service brakes. The control can also provide a variable bias, if desired. The control inputs to the valves may generate the control pressure by way of solenoid valves, if desired. The solenoid valves can be controlled in a well known manner to respond to electrical signals to establish the desired output pressure signals.

Claims: A hydraulic retarder and control apparatus in a motor vehicle having a cooler (30) and friction brake actuator means, the apparatus comprising a source (72) of fluid pressure; a flow control valve (24) for selectively directing fluid to and from the cooler and to and from inlet (16) and outlet (18) ports of the hydraulic retarder (10); and an accumulator (78) in fluid communication with the source of fluid pressure; characterised by a pressure regulator valve (26) in fluid communication with the hydraulic retarder, the source of fluid pressure and with the accumulator for selectively controlling the fluid pressure to the hydraulic retarder; by signal valve means (52) responsive to a vehicle operating parameter for connecting the source of fluid pressure to an opening bias means (96) on the pressure regulator valve for connecting the accumulator and the source with the inlet port of the hydraulic retarder and to the flow control valve for directing fluid from the hydraulic retarder to the cooler and from the cooler to the inlet port of the hydraulic retarder; and by closing bias means (98) responsive to a retarder fluid pressure signal for urging the pressure regulator valve in a closing direction, the pressure regulator valve being operable in response to pressure at the opening and closing bias means to connect the accumulator with the hydraulic retarder to initiate filling of the hydraulic retarder, and the pressure regulator valve being operable to discontinue fluid flow from the accumulator to the hydraulic retarder when the retarder pressure signal is at and above a pressure level determined by the pressure at the opening and closing bias means on the pressure regulator valve. A hydraulic retarder and control apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which the motor vehicle has a retarder actuator, wherein the signal valve means (52) is responsive to the retarder actuator and the friction brake actuator means. A hydraulic retarder and control apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the signal valve means (52) is responsive to the friction brake actuator means at a pressure level determined by the friction brake actuator means.

Inventors: BITNER, JOHN RICHARD, KLEMEN, DONALD, ORDO, JAMES PATRICK
Applicants: GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION
Application year: 1990
Main classification: B60T10
IPC codes: F16D57, B60T1, F16D65