Patent GB-1444641-A (GB)
Title: Throttle valve for automotive transmission control system
IPC: F16H61/04
Filed: 1974-07-16
Abstract: 1444641 Change speed gear NISSAN MOTOR CO Ltd 16 July 1974 [26 July 1973] 31410/74 Heading F2D In an automotive automatic transmission having fluid-pressure-engaged ratio-establishing friction clutches and brakes, with shift-points and pressure level controlled in part by a throttle valve, the said valve comprises a first valve 108 producing a first regulated pressure 210 responsive to engine intake depression 236, and a second, or modifier, valve 230, responsive to said first regulated pressure 210 to produce a second regulated pressure 220, which acts on differential lands of the first valve 108 at 214, whereby the response characteristic of the first valve is changed, so that the rate of change in the level of the first regulated pressure 210 varies with intake depression. In the form shown the pressure finally regulated to the throttle pressure line 224 varies in three differently rated linear stages, Fig. 3, whilst in Fig. 4, not shown, in which the modifier valve is arranged parallel to the first valve, the throttle pressure varies in two stages. Function summary.-A manual ranging valve 102 has settings PRND321, D providing automatic shifts between four ratios by 1-2, 2-3 and 3-4 shift valves 112, 114, 116 responding to amplified output speed responsive   governor pressure and throttle pressure. Kickdown is by a solenoid valve 120, acting through a kickdown valve 124 and downshift valve 118, to reduce amplified governor pressure to basic governor pressure, thereby reducing all the shift speeds. The solenoid valve 120 is also energized on engine throttle closure, to act through an idling valve 122 to upshift all the valves in Drive only and thus engage fourth ratio to reduce the effect of idle drag of a driving torque converter and also to reduce line pressure in reverse to ensure soft entry into reverse. A throttle back-up valve 138 operates on an amplifier piston 106 below the main regulator valve 104 to substitute line pressure loading for throttle pressure loading when manual ranges are established. A second ratio pressure reducing valve 126 reduces pressure applied to a second ratio two-way brake servo 28<SP>1</SP> in manual settings to produce smooth engine braking. Gear arrangement.-Three reduced ratios, direct drive and one reverse are provided by three identically sized sun-ring planet trains 32, 34, 36, connected as shown, and controlled by two input clutches, one, 22, engaged in all forward ratios, the other, 20, for reverse and direct drive; four brakes 24, 26, 28, 30 and two one-way brakes 38, 40 acting as follows. In Drive, first ratio uses the one-way brake 38; second the one-way brake 40 held by applying the brake 30; third the two way brake 24; and fourth both clutches 20, 22. Reverse is by clutch 20 and brake 26. In manual second and first, two-way brakes 28, 26 are shunted across the one-way brakes 40, 38 respectively. The servo 24<SP>1</SP> for the third-ratio brake 24 has an apply side 24<SP>1</SP>a and release side 24<SP>1</SP>b. Fluid pressure supply and regulation.-A single input driven pump 58 supplies a system main 146, line pressure in which is controlled by a differentially landed main regulator valve 104, loaded upwards for a pressure increase, by a spring 148 and amplifier piston 106. In D and all other forward settings, a line 168 is fed with line pressure 146 by the manual valve 102, and loads the regulator downwards for pressure decrease, by acting at the top 150, at 152 and at 154, through a shuttle valve 136, and upwards, for pressure increase, at 164 on differential lands of the amplifier piston 106. The regulator valve is also loaded upwards, for pressure increase, by throttle pressure 224 regulated through a throttle back-up valve 138 to a line 170, acting at 166 below the amplifier piston 106. In manual settings 3, 2 and 1 the manual valve 102 supplies line pressure 146 through a port 176 and line 198 to depress the throttle back-up valve 138 thereby substituting line pressure for throttle pressure 224 in a line 170 acting at 166 upwards below the amplifier piston 106, thus increasing regulated pressure and making it independent of throttle pressure. In R setting the line 168 is exhausted at the manual valve 102, and, with the engine idling, hysteresis pressure 344, produced by a hysteresis valve 128, (see below) passes through a solenoid valve 120, energized by accelerator release as described below, idling valve 122 (position shown), line 364 and shuttle valve 136 to the regulator port 154, thereby reducing regulated pressure for soft engagement of reverse. With reverse established and the engine throttle opened, throttle pressure 224, 170 raises the idling valve 122, exhausting the regulator port 154, to produce augmented pressure.  The second ratio pressure reducing valve 126 acts as described below. Control pressures.-Throttle pressure is produced by the throttle and modifier valves 108, 110, as above described. Governor pressure 262 is produced by outputrotated primary and secondary valves the latter 142 loaded outwardly by a spring 266 and centrifugal force and inwardly by line pressure 146, to provide a regulated supply 260 to the primary valve 140, which is loaded inwardly by a spring in opposition to centrifugal force, and serves only to cut off communication between the regulated secondary line 260 and the governor pressure output line 262 below a predetermined speed, thereby zeroizing governor pressure. Before communicating with the shift valves 112, 114, 116, basic governor pressure 262 is amplified in a line 294 by a differentially landed, spring-loaded, downshift valve 118, which regulates line pressure 146 by governor pressure loading to produce amplified governor pressure 294, which it feeds through a shuttle valve 130 to a common upshift loading line 294a, 478, 450, 420 of all the shift valves. During a kickdown shift this downshift valve 118 is forced by line pressure supplied at 280, fully downwards to substitute basic governor pressure 262 for amplified governor pressure in the line 294, thereby reducing the upshift loading on all the shift valves to produce successive downshifts. Hysteresis pressure 344 of a constant value, higher than governor pressure, is regulated from line 146 by the hysteresis valve 128, which has spring loading only. This pressure 344 is supplied to act downwards on differential lands of the 2-3 and 3-4 shift valves 114, 116 in their downshifted positions only, to constitute, in part, a controlled up-down hysteresis. This pressure also acts through the solenoid and idling valves 120, 122 on the main regulator 104 as above described. Shift valves.-The 1-2, 2-3 and 3-4 shift valves 112, 114, 116 are loaded upwards for upshift by the common governor line 294a, which receives amplified governor pressure 294 for normal shifts and basic governor pressure 262 for kickdown; and downwards for downshift by throttle pressure 224 above all the spools, and in the 1-2 valve 112 at 408 to a differential land, this latter being blocked at 1-2 upshift. The 2-3 and 3-4 valves 114, 116 are additionally loaded downwards by hysteresis pressure 344, which is blocked on upshift. In manual setting the respective shift valves are held down by line pressure 146 supplied through respective manual valve lines 176, 184 and 178, for 3, 2 and 1, to act on differential lands of the shift valves. Kickdown and manual downshift.-The only kickdown effect on the 1-2 valve 112 is by reduction of amplified to basic governor pressure, but the 2-3 and 3-4 valves additionally use hysteresis pressure 344, each valve being formed of two separate spools, e.g. 456, 456<SP>1</SP> for the 3-4 valve 116, spring-loaded apart. For downshift by the manual selector valve 102 these spools are forced apart, 456 up, 456<SP>1</SP> down, by the respective manual pressure line 176, 184, the lower spools controlling the pressure to the respective brake supply lines 454, 202, immediate downshift at excessive speed being prevented by governor pressure. For kickdown, the constant hysteresis pressure 344 is supplied through the solenoid valve 120, kickdown valve 124 and line 292 to act downwards on differential lands of the upper spools of the upshifted shift valves. Kickdown takes effect as follows. Closure of a switch 333 on full accelerator depression energizes a solenoid 332 of the solenoid valve 120, to retract a plunger 332a, thus exhausting an upper chamber in which hysteresis pressure 344, supplied through a restrictor 316, had been previously effective, thus permitting a spring to raise the valve spool (position shown,) which then supplies hysteresis pressure 344 to the kickdown valve 124, which, biased by throttle pressure 224 now at its maximum value, occupies an upper position and feeds the hysteresis pressure 344 to the kickdown line 292 of the shift valves 114, 116, which, at the same time shifts down the downshift valve 118, substituting basic for amplified governor pressure in the common upshift load line 294a of all the shift valves. Second ratio pressure reducing valve 126 is arranged to receive manual 2 pressure 184, 202 from the manual valve 102, in which it provides a spring-opposed load for the reducing valve 126 which then regulates a reduced pressure direct from line 396 which receives line pressure 146 through the downshifted 2-3 valve 114 and upshifted 1-2 valve 112. Idling valve 122 is normally maintained in an upper position by throttle pressure 224 supplied to a line 170 through the regulating throttle back-up valve 138, and in this position closes a line 330 communicating with the solenoid valve 120, so as not to affect the supply of hysteresis pressure 344 to the kickdown valve line 308 during kickdown. At engine idle, reduced throttle pressure permits a spring to depress the idling valve 122 to the position shown. At the same time, full accelerator release again closes the switch 333 to energize th