Patent GB-1379177-A (GB)
Title: Device for automatically controlling a gearbox
IPC: B60W30/18
Filed: 1972-03-29
Abstract: 1379177 Change-speed control SOC ANON AUTOMOBILES CITROEN 29 March 1972 [5 April 1971] 14845/72 Heading F2D An automatic control between at least the two highest ratios (e.g. 4 and 5) of a stepped change-speed gear on a motor-vehicle comprises a source of electromagnetic radiation such as a light source 2a, a receiver element 3a, such as a light-sensitive cell, both on a body 1 fast for movement with a shaft 5, turned proportionately by an engine-throttle control 7, and an interposed opaque screen 19 turned by a spring-opposed magnetic coupling 14 in accordance with the speed of a shaft T, representing vehicle or engine speed, and having a window 18, which, at predetermined speeds and throttle openings, permits communication between the light source 2a and receiver 3a, producing a signal for an electronic circuit 4, energizing an electrically operated valve C, establishing upshift. Downshift, at a lower speed, is produced when the window 18 communicates a second light source 2b with a second receiver 3b, phase-displaced from the upshift pair 2a, 3a. A second elongated window 21 communicates a further fixed source 2c with a fixed receiver 3c, to produce a signal for latching a manual shift lever in highest ratio to prevent downshift above a safe road speed. The linkage from the engine throttle 7 to the shaft 5 includes a movement amplifier 8 (a pair of friction gear wheels), and a lost-motion pin- and-slot connection 11, 12, which latter delays movement of the body 1 until a predetermined throttle opening is reached. The block diagram (Fig. 2, not shown), of an electronic control circuit comprises circuits (22, 28) generating positive pulses when energized by the respective up or down shift receivers 3a, 3b, and operating a bi-stable circuit (23) controlling a relay (25) to energize the electrically operated valve (26) for 4-5 upshift, such energization being possible only when a switch (27) is closed in fourth ratio setting of the manual shift lever. The receiver 3c electromagnetically latches the shift lever in fourth ratio setting when an AND circuit (29) receives a signal from the receiver 3c at the same time as one from the energized winding (26) of the shift valve, indicating that fifth ratio is established. To prevent undesired 4-5 upshift by momentary closure of the engine throttle, the upshift circuit is subject to time delay, and also when, during downgrade engine-braking in fourth ratio, a switch (32) is closed by accelerator release to prevent delivery of an upshift pulse to the bi-stable shift circuit (23).  A modified screen, Fig. 6, not shown, provides for holding fifth ratio in spite of additional throttle opening up to a relatively low predetermined speed. The light receivers are now radially spaced and each has its own arcuateslotted window. The 4-5 upshift line is unaffected as from Fig. 1, but the 5-4 downshift line (f, Fig. 5, not shown) is now interrupted at an intermediate speed, and downshift requires an increased throttle opening up to that speed. In thus form a capacitor (32a, Fig. 2, not shown), across the throttle-close switch (32) delays upshift, which is further delayed by opaque zones in the window slots of the screen. In the above embodiments the shift lines up and down are parallel and hence hysteresis is constant. In Fig. 7, not shown, the downshift line (i) has a lesser slope than that (g) of upshift, the lines converging, so that hysteresis is linearly reduced with increase in speed and throttle opening. This effect is obtained in Fig. 8, not shown, in which light receivers (103a, 103b) are carried on separate sectors such as 15, Fig. 1, the upshift sector (115a) being operated by the same throttle linkage as in Fig. 1, whilst the downshift sector (115b) is driven by the upshift sector through a similar linkage including a multiplier gear, so that the downshift sector turns through an angle different from that of the upshift. In Fig. 9, not shown, there is a single light source (202) on the axis of an apertured cylinder (219) turned by the speed source, and the receivers (203a, 203b) are carried radially outside the cylinder by a cylindrical segment (16), turned by the throttle. The cylinder carries illuminated numbers showing vehicle speed.