Patent GB-1266654-A (GB)
IPC: A61M16/16
Filed: 1970-05-06
Abstract: 1,266,654. Change-speed control. NIPPONDENSO K.K. 6 May, 1970 [7 May, 1969 (2)], No. 21891/70. Heading F2D. An electronic circuit, for controlling ratioestablishing solenoid valves 40 of a pressure-air operated automatic transmission on a motorvehicle, comprises output-speed and enginethrottle responsive signal generating circuits 10, 20, effecting control through a logic circuit 160, memory 170, and electromagnetic valve-drive circuit 180, which last-named includes an AND circuit connected to the memory and a power circuit to feed the valve-solenoids. The main feature of the control is that complete accelerator release does not cause upshift, but the memory 170 maintains the ratio which was established immediately before such release, until the accelerator is again depressed, or for a constant time period, whereupon normal automatic shift control ensues. The same hold effect may also be produced by a fault detector 190 sensing failure in the speed-responsive signal circuit 10. Ratios of the gear, not described, are established by selective energization of five solenoids in a valve unit 40, Fig. 3a, to open valves supplying compressed air to devices for establishing four forward ratios and one reverse. In Fig. 3a three of these ratios and reverse can be directly established by a manual selector switch 30, having also an automatic setting feeding a line 31, whilst in Fig. 3b, not shown, all the ratios can be manually selected. Complete circuit.-An output-speed responsive generator 10, driven by cable from a part of the vehicle, or arranged inside the transmission, produces an electrical output at speed-responsive frequency which is converted to a D.C. output 112 in a converter 112 (not described). A throttle switch 20 (see below) produces three stages of D.C. output 21, 23, by resistor control, feeding a throttle circuit 120 (see below), providing a three-stage output 124, whilst an idle signal line 21 passes to the memory circuit 170 through a lead 179 for the idle hold above referred to. The speed and throttle outputs 112, 124 pass to 1-2; 2-3; and 3-4 shift signal generators 130, 140, 150 respectively, which each comprise a comparator, feed-back and phase inverter (not described). Each signal generator 130 ... 150 has two outputs 133, 134; 143, 144; and 153, 154, and signals a shift when a voltage appears at one output and zero at the other, the order being reversed for up or down shift. Thus a 1-2 upshift is signalled by voltage at 134, zero at 133, whilst 2-1 downshift is by voltage at 133, zero at 134. The six shift signal outputs 133 &c. pass to a logic circuit 160 (not described), which feeds the memory circuit 170 through four inputs 171 ... 174 each of which has a single signal voltage for one ratio, the others being zero, so that the inputs correspond to ratios one to four. The memory circuit 170, described below, has four outputs 175 ... 178, feeding a valve drive circuit 180, the outputs representing ratios in selected on-off pairs as follows. First ratio, signal voltage at outputs 176, 178, zero at 175, 177; second, voltage at 175, 178, zero at 176, 177; third, voltage at 175, 177, zero at 176, 178; fourth, voltage at 176, 177, zero at 175, 178. The four outputs 41 ... 44 of the valve drive circuit 180 individually feed the respective separate ratio selecting solenoid valves of the valve unit 40. Memory circuit, 170, Fig. 9, includes two bistable multi-vibrators 1700, 1700<SP>1</SP>, each comprising two transistors 1702, 1703 and 1704, 1705, which take in shift signals 171 ... 174 from the logic circuit 160, through diodes 1710 ... 1719 and feed outputs 175 ... 178 in selected on-off pairs as above described. When power is initially switched on in a power feed line 1701, transistors 1702, 1704 conduct, whilst 1703, 1705 remain off, due to capacitors 1706, 1707. A first ratio signal is received from the logic circuit 160 as a voltage in line 171 and zero in 172. 174, which causes the transistors 1702, 1704 to remain on and 1703, 1705 off, resulting in voltage signals in the outputs 176, 178 and zero in 175, 177 for first ratio. Second ratio signal, received as a voltage in line 172 only, switches on transistor 1703, keeping on 1704, which cuts off 1702, 1705, providing second ratio voltage signals in outputs 175, 178, zero in 176, 177. Third and fourth ratio signals 175, 177 on, 176, 178 off; and 176, 177 on, 175, 178 off respectively are similarly provided. Accelerator-release ratio hold, constituting the main feature of the invention, is provided as follows. Complete release of the accelerator to idle produces a zero signal voltage in the lead 179, which cuts out a transistor 1709 triggering a transistor 1708 which grounds all the input signal lines through diodes 1720 &c., preserving the memory output signal lines 175 ... 178 in the ratio-condition prevailing before accelerator release. Normal automatic working is resumed after accelerator depression. The same effect is produced by the speed-generator fault detector 190 which also provides a zero signal voltage in the lead 179 when a fault develops in the generator 10. Valve drive circuit, 180, Fig. 10, not shown, has four transistors 1801 ... 1804), each with paired diodes receiving signals from appropriate pairs of the input signal leads 175 ... 178 from the memory circuit, to act as AND circuits, triggering four power transistors (1805 ... 1808) which supply output voltages singly to leads 185 ... 188 energizing the individual ratioselecting solenoid valves of the valve unit 40. Throttle circuit.-In the arrangement above described, the throttle circuit 120, Fig. 5a, and throttle switch 20, Fig. 4, produce three control voltages and the zero accelerator-release signal from an input voltage E v , as follows. In the accelerator release, idle position, shown, there is zero voltage at pedal contact 21, giving the idle hold signal to the memory line 179 for ratio hold as above described. Depressing the accelerator pedal 24 to a "Light" range makes contact 21 feeding the hold line 179 to release the memory circuit 170 for normal shift action. In this range signals are absent from switch contacts 22, 23 and their connected circuit inputs 121, 122 respectively, so that throttle circuit output 124 is at a "Light" voltage determined by the resistors 1254, 1255. On further depression beyond "Light" to "Medium" range, the pedal 24 makes contact 22, providing signal voltage E v  in circuit input 121. The output signal 124 is now at "Medium" voltage determined by resistors 1254, 1255 and 1252. Further depression to "Full" range makes additionally the contact 23 feeding signal voltage E v  additionally to circuit input 122, introducing a last resistor 1253 providing "Full" signal voltage in the output line 124. In a modified throttle circuit, Fig. 5b, not shown, throttle contacts 121, 122 switch in resistors through a transistor circuit including time-delay capacitors which delay the change in resistance for throttle closure for a predetermined time interval, that for moving from full throttle being different from that from normal throttle. The idle setting lead is connected direct to the logic circuit 160 in this form, Fig. 3b, not shown, and when the signal disappears from that lead on complete accelerator release, there is no signal output from the logic circuit.