Abstract:
A transmission system for either a manual shift transmission, an automatic transmission or an automated transmission in which the electrical connections and the pneumatic connections including any ventilation port, for the internal components of the transmission are combined with one another so as to exit the transmission housing via a single unified connection formed in the housing wall of the transmission.

Description:
[0001]    This application claims priority from German patent application serial no. 10 2006 031 444.1 which was filed Jul. 7, 7006. 
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention concerns transmission systems, in particular manual shift transmissions, automatic transmissions or automated transmissions. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    In transmission systems it is common to provide the transmission with electrical connections, hydraulic connections and/or pneumatic connections for a variety of components, such as auxiliary output drives, clutches, transmission brakes, retarders, shift elements, control elements, etc. 
         [0004]    In addition, it is know in the prior art to provide individual components of a transmission system with separate independent venting ports or devices. 
         [0005]    A prior art method and a device, for ventilating a transmission to equalize the air pressures that are interior and exterior with respect to the transmission housing, is known from EP 0 939 250 B1, the U.S. equivalent of which is U.S. Pat. No. 6,015,444 to Craft et al. for an APPARATUS AND SYSTEM FOR VENTING A TRANSMISSION. The known transmission venting device comprises a vertically extending portion having a first end, a second end and an intermediate section extending between the first and second ends. The vertically extending portion includes an axially central passageway, that extends from the first end toward into the intermediate portion, and one or more radially extending passageways, that allow fluid communication from the central passageway to an exterior of the vertically extending portion. 
         [0006]    The first end of the vertically extending portion has a threaded section such that the ventilation device can be screwed into the transmission. In this manner, the venting device enables ventilation from between the interior and exterior of the transmission housing. The dimensions of the axially central passage prevent a film of lubricant from forming across the central passage. The second end of the vertically extending portion has at least one flat surface enabling torque to be applied to the vertically extending portion to assist in connecting the ventilating device with the transmission housing. 
         [0007]    The ventilation device further includes a container portion which is designed to enclose the exterior opening of the radially extending passageway within its interior. The container portion is; fixed on the vertically extending portion pipe and includes at least one opening allowing airflow from the radially extending passageway to the exterior of the ventilation device. The container portion houses a filter within its interior to capture any fluid, mist and/or liquid vapour while allowing air to pass therethrough. This enables the interior of the transmission to ventilate to the outside while preventing the passage of transmission fluids therefrom. 
         [0008]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,004,086 relates to a clutch assembly for a motor vehicle in which a complex actuating unit is provided with a common inlet(s). 
         [0009]    Furthermore, multi-speed transmissions having transmission control elements are known in which a ventilating duct is provided in the housing (see WO 2007/031119 A1). These ducts extend from a transmission recess, formed in the transmission housing to accommodate the transmission control element, to as far as the drive output sensor. The transmission recess also serve as a space for the collection of exhaust air from a pneumatic system of the transmission. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0010]    The purpose of the present invention is to simplify the transmission system by combining the electrical, the hydraulic and/or the pneumatic connections, which enter/exit the transmission, into a single common connector that links the variety of transmission system components that are external of the transmission housing, e.g., one or more pumps, electrical power supplies, air compressor or other pneumatic source(s) to the portions of those components internal of the transmission housing which require such electrical, hydraulic and/or pneumatic input. The common connector may also include a ventilation device that enables a free transfer of air and gases from between the interior and the exterior of the transmission housing. While the ventilation device, at the same time, prevents fluid, dust, dirt or other contaminants and debris from passing between the interior and exterior of the transmission housing. 
         [0011]    The inventive common connector simplifies the design of the transmission system by limiting the number of electrical, hydraulic and/or pneumatic opening provided in the transmission housing which must be adequately sealed. The fewer number of passages in the transmission housing also reduces the risk of leakage of matter, i.e., oil and contaminants leaking from the interior to the exterior of the transmission housing while still permitting proper ventilation of the transmission. Such reduction of the number of passages and ventilation apertures also reduces the costs associated with manufacturing and assembling the transmission and the associated control system. 
         [0012]    The present invention relates to a transmission assembly comprising: a transmission housing; a plurality of transmission elements being located within the transmission housing and at least some of the plurality of transmission elements require at least one of an electrical connection, a hydraulic connection and a pneumatic connection to facilitate operation thereof; a side wall of the transmission housing having a common connector provided therein, and each one of the plurality of transmission elements, which require at least one of an electrical connection, a hydraulic connection and a pneumatic connection, to facilitate operation thereof, being coupled to the common connector to facilitate operation and control of the transmission via at least one control component located outside the transmission housing. 
     
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0013]      FIG. 1  is a diagrammatic illustration of a prior art transmission having separate electric, air and/or hydraulic connections for the associated transmission components such as an auxiliary output drive, a retarder, a shift element or control elements; 
           [0014]      FIG. 2  is a diagrammatic illustration of a transmission, according to the teachings of the present invention, having a single connector for supplying any necessary electrical, hydraulic and/or pneumatic connection(s) to the associated transmission element(s); 
           [0015]      FIG. 3  is a diagrammatic illustration of a second embodiment of a transmission having a single connector to facilitate connection of any necessary electrical, hydraulic and/or pneumatic connection(s) to the associated transmission element(s); and 
           [0016]      FIG. 4  is a diagrammatic illustration of one embodiment of the single connector according to the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0017]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , therein is shown a diagrammatic illustration of a conventional transmission assembly  10  of the prior art that is associated with a motor  10 M and includes a transmission housing  12  and one or more associated or related transmission components or elements, such as a transmission shift element(s)  14 A, a transmission control elements  14 B, transmission cooling paths  14 C, an auxiliary output drive  14 D, a retarder  14 E, and so on. As indicated, a conventional transmission assembly  10  of the prior art includes a plurality of separate connectors  16 A- 16 E including a gas vent  16 F, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,015,444, extending through corresponding openings in transmission housing  12  to provide separate electrical, hydraulic and/or pneumatic connections for the various transmission components or elements  14 . 
         [0018]    To overcome this drawback of having a plurality of separate component openings in the transmission housing of the prior designs, the inventive transmission system of the present invention combines the variety of electrical connections, and hydraulic and/or pneumatic connections for the various transmission system components or elements into a single connection through the exterior transmission housing wall  22 . These components include, for example, an auxiliary output drive(s), a retarder(s), a shift element(s), a control element(s), a starting element, a transmission brake(s), a transmission clutch(es), etc. The respective connections for each of these transmission system components or elements can be combined into a single common connector  26  which supplies all of the necessary electrical, hydraulic and/or pneumatic connections, for all of the internal transmission elements, via this single common connector  26 . 
         [0019]    In addition, the individual vents needed for adequate ventilation of the transmission and the transmission system components and/or for equalization of the internal pressures and the external pressures of each of the transmission and the transmission system components can be combined and vented through a single central vent. 
         [0020]      FIG. 2  is a diagrammatic illustration of a transmission assembly  20 , of the present invention, that includes a transmission housing  22  and a plurality of associated or related transmission elements, such as a transmission shift element(s)  24 A, a transmission control element(s)  24 B, a transmission cooling path(s)  24 C, an auxiliary output drive(s)  24 D, a retarder(s)  24 E, and so on. In accordance with the present invention, however, the transmission assembly  20  includes at least one combined connector  26  that provides all of the associated electrical, hydraulic and/or pneumatic connections, for the various transmission elements  24 A-E, via a single common connector  26  provided in the transmission housing wall  22 . 
         [0021]    According to the present invention (see  FIGS. 3 and 4 ), the combined or common connector  26  generally includes a single vent  28  that facilitates transmission and/or equalization of a gas and/or air pressure within the transmission. As there is only a single opening within the transmission housing  22  that communicates with the supply devices, such as a hydraulic pump, an air compressor, an air pump or some other hydraulic or pneumatic source  32 , a power supply  34 , etc., which are located outside of the transmission  20 , only that single unified common connection  26  must be adequately sealed, in a conventional manner, to facilitate the supply of all of the necessary electrical, hydraulic and/or pneumatic inputs to the various internal transmission system components and elements  24 A-E. The central vent  28  can be optimally designed, for example, as a hose vent an inlet/outlet end  58  which is located within the cabin or other enclosed compartment of the vehicle. It will be appreciated, however, that a given transmission assembly may possibly include two or more combined or common connectors  26  if the design of the transmission assembly  20  prevents the use of only a single combined connector  26 , with the resulting advantageous accruing from a reduction in the number of connections and openings into the transmission assembly housing  12 . 
         [0022]    With reference to  FIG. 3 , a second embodiment of the invention is shown. According to this embodiment, one end of the transmission  20  is coupled, in a conventional manner, to an engine or motor  36  to provide driving power to the transmission  20 , while the opposite end of the transmission  20  is coupled, in a conventional manner, to a drive shaft  38  for driving a pair of wheels  40  of the vehicle V, for example, in a conventional manner. According to this embodiment, the transmission controller  44  is mounted externally of the transmission housing  22  but directly communicates with the interior space S of the transmission, via a sealed interface I with the transmission housing  22 , so that any necessary electrical, hydraulic and/or pneumatic lines or connections C can be made with the interior space S of the transmission  20  via that sealed interface I. Alternatively, it is possible for the transmission controller  44  to be located completely within the transmission housing  22 . 
         [0023]    According to this embodiment, both a power take off (PTO)  46  and a retarder  48 , for example, are each mounted partially externally of the transmission housing  22 , in a conventional manner, so as to communicate directly with the interior space S of the transmission  20 , via a sealed interface I with the transmission housing  22 , so that any necessary electrical, hydraulic and/or pneumatic line(s) or connection(s) C can be made with the interior space S of the transmission via the respective sealed interfaces I. As with the previously embodiment, the interior space S of the transmission also accommodates a plurality of conventional transmission components or elements, for example, a central connection  50 , one or more transmission shift element(s)  52 , the transmission controller  44 , a transmission cooling path(s) (not separately numbered), an auxiliary output drive(s)  46 , a retarder(s)  48 , a transmission clutch  54 , a transmission brake  56 , etc. 
         [0024]    Each of the necessary transmission components or elements, e.g., the transmission controller  34 , the power table off  36 , the retarder  38 , the transmission shift element(s)  52 , the a transmission controller  44 , the transmission cooling path(s), any auxiliary output drive(s)  46 , the transmission clutch  54 , the transmission brake  56 , etc., which require one of an electrical, a hydraulic and/or a pneumatic connection(s) C are each coupled, either directly or indirectly, with the common connector  26  to facilitate the supply of electrical power and/or hydraulic and/or pneumatic fluid thereto. 
         [0025]      FIG. 4  is a diagrammatic enlarged illustration showing one embodiment of the single common connector  26 , according to the present invention, mounted to the wall of the transmission. As can be seen in this figure, the common connector  26  has a plurality of electrical pins  62  which facilitate the supply of electrical power to the various internal transmission elements contained within the transmission  20 , e.g., each electrical pin is connected, via internal wires within the transmission, to the desired transmission element. In addition, the common connector  26  includes a (pneumatic) fluid supply inlet  60  which is connected, either directly or via the central connection  50 , to the desired transmission element(s) to supply pneumatic fluid thereto and a single vent  28  is provided for venting the supplied pneumatic fluid from the transmission after use thereof. 
         [0026]    According to one aspect of the invention, the outlet/inlet end  58  of a hose vent, coupled to the central single vent  28  of the common connector  26 , communicates with either a passenger compartment or some other enclosed compartment or cabin PC of the vehicle V so as to shelter the outlet/inlet end  58  of the single vent  28  from the exterior environment and reduce the possibility of any contaminant(s) or debris entering into the transmission via the single vent  28 . 
         [0027]    The inventive transmission system is beneficial in that assembly and installation in the vehicle is simplified. Additionally, the reliability of the total transmission system is enhanced since there is only a single unified connection for the various transmission components. 
         [0028]    Since certain changes may be made in the above described common connector, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention herein involved, it is intended that all of the subject matter of the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted merely as examples illustrating the inventive concept herein and shall not be construed as limiting the invention.