Abstract:
A motor vehicle can be modified by interposing a connecting unit between two adjacent portions of the drive chain or the transmission system of the automobile. Transmission system modifying elements can be operatively placed in the transmission system or drive chain and any size and/or dimension differences between the modifying elements and the elements of the motor vehicle being modified are accommodated by the connecting unit whereby off-the-shelf elements can be combined with specialized motor vehicle components to modify that motor vehicle.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    Nearly since its inception, the motor vehicle has been applied to a wide variety of uses and has been subjected to a wide diversity of requirements. For example, some motor vehicles are used for long distance travel while others are used for short trips. Some motor vehicles are used to haul heavy loads over relatively even terrain while others are used to haul loads over very uneven terrain. Still other motor vehicles are used “on road,” that is, on prepared surfaces, while other motor vehicles are used “off road.” 
           [0002]    Still other motor vehicles are used for long, non-stop operation while other motor vehicles are used for stop and go driving. That is, long, non-stop operation may have the vehicle stop only for servicing and/or loading/unloading. On the other hand, some motor vehicles are driven only very short distances between stops, which can be frequent.  
           [0003]    In the past, each type of motor vehicle has been designed for particular objectives associated with that motor vehicle. To this end, the motor vehicle and land vehicle arts contain a vast multitude of special designs for motor vehicles.  
           [0004]    While effective for efficiently operating a motor vehicle, specially designing a motor vehicle for a particular objective has drawbacks. Principal among the drawbacks is the inability of one motor vehicle type to efficiently satisfy a variety of use requirements, especially if the objectives are widely divergent from each other. As technology and the economy expand and advance, more and more uses are being found for motor vehicles. In fact, new uses may even render obsolete objectives that were originally envisioned for a particular type of motor vehicle, while other uses may not have even been specifically envisioned by the motor vehicle designer. Thus, a motor vehicle may be designed and built for an objective that has been rendered obsolete.  
           [0005]    More specifically, with the advance of modern society, in addition to a variety of objectives many motor vehicles that are designed for on-road use are also used off-road. Likewise, a motor vehicle designed and built for continuous use may be used for stop and go operation. However, because many motor vehicles are quite expensive, there is an incentive to use a single motor vehicle in a variety of uses and conditions, even if the uses and conditions are “non-design” uses and/or conditions.  
           [0006]    Forcing a motor vehicle designed and built for one objective to achieve another objective or operate in non-design conditions may not make efficient use of the motor vehicle. In some instances, such non-design use of a motor vehicle can damage the vehicle or even be dangerous.  
           [0007]    Therefore, there is a need for a means and a method for making a motor vehicle adaptable to a wider variety of objectives than previous motor vehicle designs.  
           [0008]    Many motor vehicles, especially modem ones, can be very complex. In some cases, many of the motor vehicle parts are also interconnected to each other in complex ways. Accordingly, re-design and/or modification of modern motor vehicles can be complex and expensive.  
           [0009]    Therefore, there is a need for a means and method for efficiently and economically adapting a motor vehicle to achieve an objective that differs from its design objective.  
           [0010]    More specifically, all motor vehicles have some sort of transmission system for transferring power developed by the engine of the vehicle to the vehicle driving wheels. These transmission systems are often extremely complex and expensive to design and build. Due to these considerations, most transmission systems are carefully designed to meet defined criteria.  
           [0011]    However, due to the above-discussed constraints, some motor vehicle transmissions are being used for non-design purposes with the concomitant drawbacks and problems. While some motor vehicle transmission systems may be designed to be versatile, these transmission systems can be so complex and unique as to be overly expensive and inefficient to service, sometimes even requiring expensive and specialized service personnel, parts and equipment.  
           [0012]    Therefore, there is a need for a means and method for efficiently and effectively adapting a motor vehicle transmission system to meet criteria other than the criteria for which the transmission system was specifically designed and built.  
           [0013]    However, some motor vehicles have space and size constraints which make it difficult to efficiently adapt the transmission system thereof from meeting a design objective to meeting a new objective. For example, a motor vehicle having a body sized and designed to operate off-road may have small spacings and closely dimensioned elements. As such, this type of motor vehicle may be very difficult to adapt to a new objective.  
           [0014]    Therefore, the is a need for a means and method for efficiently adapting motor vehicles having tight spacings and dimensions to meet new objectives.  
           [0015]    Moreover, in many motor vehicles, especially small ones, the sizes of the components of the engine thereof can be unique and difficult to match. Thus, if such an engine is to be modified to meet a new objective or use any elements used to effect the modification must be sized to match the elements of the existing motor vehicle. This can be expensive, especially if the motor vehicle has specially designed parts.  
           [0016]    It would most efficient if a motor vehicle can be efficiently modified using standard, off-the-shelf, type items for the modification. However, as above discussed, this may be difficult, especially if the motor vehicle being modified uses specialized parts that may not have a size that can be readily matched using off-the-shelf type modifying parts.  
           [0017]    Therefore, there is a need for a means and method for efficiently adapting motor vehicles having tight spacings and dimensions to meet new objectives and uses yet which can efficiently accommodate specialized part sizes on the motor vehicle being modified without requiring the parts being used to modify the motor vehicle to be specialized.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0018]    These, and other objectives, are met by a means and a method which modifies a motor vehicle using off-the-shelf type parts. More particularly, the means and method of the present invention modifies the transmission system of a motor vehicle. Most specifically, the means and method of the present invention modifies a standard transmission system to operate in the manner of an automatic transmission system. That is, a clutch mechanism of the motor vehicle can be engaged and left engaged during stop and go driving.  
           [0019]    This is achieved by placing a fluid coupling assembly between a flywheel assembly of a motor vehicle and a clutch mechanism of that motor vehicle. However, in the event that the dimensions of the interplaced fluid coupling assembly do not match those dimensions of the flywheel assembly, the present invention also contemplates the placement of a connecting unit between the fluid coupling assembly and the flywheel assembly. The connecting unit has one portion thereof connected to the flywheel assembly and has that one portion sized and dimensioned to match the size and dimensions of the flywheel assembly of the motor vehicle, and another portion thereof connected to the fluid coupling assembly and has that another portion sized and dimensioned to match the size and dimension of the fluid coupling assembly which is being used to modify the motor vehicle transmission system.  
           [0020]    Using a fluid coupling assembly and a connecting unit permits any motor vehicle to be efficiently modified, or retrofitted, to have a standard transmission system operate in the manner of an automatic transmission system. That is, once the clutch assembly is engaged, it can remain engaged even when the motor vehicle is stopped but idling. Still further, using a connecting unit permits the retrofit fluid coupling assembly to be used in association with a variety of flywheel assemblies even if the dimensions of the flywheel assembly of the motor vehicle being modified do not match the dimensions of the fluid coupling assembly.  
           [0021]    In this manner, a motor vehicle, even a specialized motor vehicle having specialized parts, can be efficiently modified to meet new objectives and uses, even using standard, off-the-shelf, elements to modify the motor vehicle.  
         TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0022]    The present invention relates to the general art of motor vehicles, and to the particular field of modifying or retrofitting motor vehicles, and specifically to the field of modifying a transmission system of a motor vehicle.  
         OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION  
         [0023]    It is a main object of the present invention to provide a means and a method for making a motor vehicle adaptable to a wider variety of objectives than previous motor vehicle designs.  
           [0024]    It is another object of the present invention to provide a means and method for efficiently and economically adapting a motor vehicle to achieve an objective that differs from its design objective.  
           [0025]    It is another object of the present invention to provide a means and method for efficiently and effectively adapting a motor vehicle transmission system to meet criteria other than the criteria for which the transmission system was specifically designed and built.  
           [0026]    It is another object of the present invention to provide a means and method for efficiently adapting motor vehicles having tight spacings and dimensions to meet new objectives.  
           [0027]    It is another object of the present invention to provide a means and method for efficiently adapting motor vehicles having tight spacings and dimensions to meet new objectives and uses yet which can efficiently accommodate specialized part sizes on the motor vehicle being modified without requiring the parts being used to modify the motor vehicle to be specialized.  
           [0028]    Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein are set forth, by way of illustration and example, certain embodiments of this invention.  
           [0029]    The drawings constitute a part of this specification and include exemplary embodiments of the present invention and illustrate various objects and features thereof.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0030]    [0030]FIG. 1 illustrates one type of motor vehicle that can be modified according to the teaching of the present invention.  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 2 is a schematic of a transmission system that has been modified according to the teaching of the present invention.  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 3 is a top view of a housing or protective casing used in the connecting unit used to adapt the transmission system of a motor vehicle according to the teaching of the present invention.  
         [0033]    [0033]FIG. 4 is a side view of the housing shown in FIG. 3.  
         [0034]    [0034]FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the housing of the connecting unit of the present invention.  
         [0035]    [0035]FIG. 6 is an end view of the housing of the connecting unit of the present invention.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0036]    As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention, which may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed structure.  
         [0037]    As discussed above, some motor vehicles are designed for one purpose, such as being driven “on road” for long distances, or the like. The motor vehicle M shown in FIG. 1 is illustratative of such vehicles. Motor vehicle M is a small truck having a standard transmission.  
         [0038]    However, as was also discussed above, it would be useful if motor vehicles, such as motor vehicle M could be modified to meet new objectives, yet without undue expense and difficulty. However, as also mentioned above, motor vehicles such as truck M may have tight tolerances and transmission parts that may be special sizes that may be difficult to match. This makes retrofitting, or modifying, motor vehicles such as truck M difficult and expensive. This may preclude the use of off-the-shelf elements being used in modifying the motor vehicle to meet the new objectives. This may be especially true of a transmission system that has many complex parts that are interfit with each other and may have small tolerances and tight spacings.  
         [0039]    The present invention comprises a means and a method for effecting the modification or retrofit of motor vehicles such as motor vehicle M in a manner that permits off-the-shelf elements to be used in the modification.  
         [0040]    Broadly, the modification is effected by spacing the clutch mechanism of a transmission of the motor vehicle from the flywheel assembly of that motor vehicle and placing the parts required for the modification or adaptation in the gap formed between the flywheel assembly and the clutch mechanism. The modifying parts are then coupled to the appropriate portions of the existing transmission system, and a connecting unit is used to couple the transmission system elements and modifying parts together with the connecting unit being sized to connect to the appropriate parts of the transmission system. In this manner, even if off-the-shelf elements are used as the modifying parts and such off-the-shelf elements do not match the sizes of the transmission system being modified, the difference in sizes can be accommodated by variations in the housing of the connecting unit.  
         [0041]    For example, if the flywheel assembly has one size and shape and the modifying parts have another size and shape, the connecting unit can have a size and shape at one end thereof that matches the size and shape of the flywheel assembly so the connecting unit will connect to the flywheel assembly in a secure manner at the one end of that connecting unit, with the connecting unit having another size and shape at the other end thereof that matches the size and shape of the clutch assembly of the motor vehicle so that end can be securely connected to the clutch mechanism. The connecting unit will thus have two sizes, which may differ from each other, that will permit the connecting unit to account for any differences in sizes and shapes between the modifying parts and the parts being modified. Even different shapes can be accommodated in this manner.  
         [0042]    In this manner, many different parts can be used to modify a motor vehicle whereby a wide variety of adaptations can be effected. This will permit a motor vehicle to be modified in a wide variety of ways to meet a wide variety of objectives, even if the motor vehicle has not been originally designed to meet such new objectives.  
         [0043]    The best mode for carrying out the present invention includes adapting a standard transmission in a motor vehicle, such as vehicle M to operate in the manner of an automatic transmission. That is, even though the transmission system is a standard transmission system, the vehicle engine can be left on and idling while the vehicle is stopped without specifically operating the clutch assembly of the motor vehicle.  
         [0044]    To this end, attention is directed to FIG. 2 in which a portion of a motor vehicle transmission system is illustrated. The invention provides a means and a method for modifying this transmission whereby a clutch mechanism can be engaged, and remain engaged, even during idling of the engine. Thus, the transmission system includes a flywheel assembly  12  having a flywheel  14  and mounted on an engine (not shown) by a mounting flange  16 . Flywheel assembly  12  and the engine associated therewith operate in the manner usual to such assemblies, and thus will not be further discussed as those skilled in the motor vehicle art will understand how such an assembly will operate and function.  
         [0045]    The motor vehicle transmission system further includes a clutch mechanism  20  having a clutch disc (not shown) adjacent to a pressure plate  22  and operatively connected to the remainder of the transmission system. The clutch assembly is known to those skilled in the art and thus will not be discussed. The remainder of the transmission system is usual to motor vehicles and thus will not be discussed. A transmission housing  24  is also indicated in FIG. 2.  
         [0046]    The specific mode of the invention being described adapts a transmission system by including a fluid coupling assembly  30  between flywheel assembly  12  and clutch mechanism  20  so the clutch can remain engaged during engine idling. Fluid coupling assembly  30  transmits torque to the clutch according to the amount of torque applied to the fluid coupling. That is, until torque on the fluid coupling reaches a preset level, torque is not passed on to the clutch mechanism. In this manner, the engine can idle, but at a speed that produces torque that is below the preset level associated with the fluid coupling, and such torque will not be passed on to the remaining portions of the transmission system and the system will operate as though the clutch mechanism were disengaged, when, in fact, the clutch mechanism is still engaged. Those skilled in the art will understand how the fluid coupling assembly operates and thus the exact operation of the fluid coupling assembly will not be described.  
         [0047]    As above discussed, fluid coupling assembly  30  may have a size and shape that does not exactly match the size and shape of flywheel assembly  12 . Accordingly, the present invention includes spacing flywheel assembly  12  from clutch mechanism  20  to define a gap  32  between the flywheel assembly and the clutch mechanism  20  and locating a connecting unit  40  in gap  32  and interposed between flywheel assembly  12  and clutch mechanism  20 . More specifically, with regard  144  to the specific embodiment shown in FIGS.  2 - 4 , but most specifically in FIG. 2, connecting unit  40  is located between flywheel  14  and fluid coupling assembly  30 .  
         [0048]    Connecting unit  40  includes one end  42  that is sized and shaped to match the size and shape associated with flywheel assembly  12  so end  42  of connecting unit  40  can be securely fixed to the flywheel assembly. Connecting unit  40  also includes a second end  44  that is sized and shaped to match the size and shape associated with clutch mechanism  20  and fluid coupling assembly  30  so end  44  of connecting unit  40  can be securely fixed to the transmission system adjacent to the clutch mechanism and/or the fluid coupling assembly. End  42  may have a size and shape that is different from the size and shape of end  44 . In fact, such a difference in size would be expected since fluid coupling assembly  30  may be an off-the-shelf item and flywheel  14  may be specially sized for the particular motor vehicle associated therewith. Of course, the present invention also includes the situation where ends  42  and  44  are identical as well.  
         [0049]    Connecting unit  40  includes a protective casing or housing  46  bolted adjacent to end  44  to transmission housing  24  by bolts such as bolt  48 , and bolted adjacent to end  42  to flywheel assembly  12  by bolts such as bolt  50 . As shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and  4 , ends  42  and  44  are cylindrical in shape with end  42  being modified to include a portion  51  that accommodates starter  52  and starter motor  54 . Cylindrical ends  42  and  44  are connected together by central portion  58  that is hourglass shaped to connect cylindrical ends  42  and  44  together even if those ends have sizes that differ from each other. Housing  46  can also be modified to accommodate other elements of the motor vehicle engine as will occur to those skilled in the art based on the teaching of the present disclosure.  
         [0050]    Connecting unit  40  further includes the elements necessary to operatively drivingly couple flywheel assembly  12  to fluid coupling assembly  30  whereby power from the flywheel assembly is applied to the fluid coupling assembly via connecting unit  40 . Connecting unit  40  can thus be viewed as a drive coupling. To this end, the specific mode of the invention shown in FIG. 2 includes a connecting shaft  60  fixed to flywheel  14  at one end  62  of connecting shaft  60  and fixed to fluid coupling assembly  30  at second end  64  of connecting shaft  60 . Connecting shaft  60  is rotatable with flywheel  14  and transmits that rotation to fluid coupling assembly  30 . Connecting shaft  60  is rotatably mounted in housing  58  by a ball bearing assembly  66  that includes a cage  68  with ball races  70  and  72 . Cage  68  can be fixed to housing  58  by a bolt  74  and balls such as roller ball  76 , are included in assembly  66 .  
         [0051]    Connecting shaft  60  is fixed to flywheel  14  by a unit  80  that includes a plate  82  fixed to flywheel  14  by bolts, such as bolt  84  and a cage  86  fixed to plate  82  as by bolts such as bolt  88  or the like. Cage  86  further includes a spider-like portion  90  that is attached to end  62  of shaft  60  in a manner that causes shaft end  62  to rotate with flywheel  14 . One form of cage  86  includes block  92  fixed to spider-like portion  90  for rotation therewith and which has internal splines  94  engaged with external splines  96  on end  62  to couple end  62  to spider-like portion  90  so shaft  60  rotates with flywheel  14 . The other end  64  of shaft  60  is fixed to fluid coupling assembly  30  by bolts  98  fixing shaft  60  to a plate  100  of the fluid coupling assembly so the appropriate portions of fluid coupling assembly  30  will rotate with shaft  60 . Such rotation is applied to the appropriate portions of fluid coupling assembly so at torques associated with the motor vehicle engine as applied to shaft  60  by flywheel  14  that are below a preset value will not cause rotation of appropriate portions of clutch mechanism  20 . In this manner, when engine torque or rotation as manifested by rotation of flywheel  14  are below a preset value, power will not be applied to driving wheels associated with the motor vehicle. As such, the motor vehicle will remain stationary even though the motor is operating and the clutch is engaged.  
         [0052]    In this manner, motor vehicle M can include a standard transmission system but can be used for stop and go driving, such as would be associated with deliveries, meter readers, gardening grounds keeping, and the like.  
         [0053]    The method of adapting or retrofitting a motor vehicle according to the present invention comprises: spacing flywheel assembly  12  of a motor vehicle from clutch mechanism  20  of the motor vehicle to define gap  32  between the flywheel assembly and the clutch mechanism; placing fluid coupling assembly  30  in the gap and operatively connecting the fluid coupling assembly to clutch mechanism  20 . The method further includes placing connecting unit  40  in gap  32  and connecting the connecting unit to the flywheel assembly and to the clutch mechanism so rotation of flywheel  14  is transmitted to the fluid coupling assembly by the operative driving connection between the clutch mechanism and the flywheel assembly via the connecting unit. The method further includes matching the size of portion  42  of connecting unit  40  to the size of flywheel assembly  12  and matching the size of portion  44  of connecting unit  40  to the size of either clutch mechanism  20  or fluid coupling assembly  30  as appropriate.  
         [0054]    It is to be understood that while certain forms of the present invention have been illustrated and described herein, it is not to be limited to the specific forms or arrangement of parts described and shown.