Patent ID: 8919299

Claim:
A thermal management unit for a vehicle powertrain component, said thermal management unit comprising: a temperature controlled multi-port valve having a sensor adapted to sense a temperature of a lubricant used by the powertrain component; a discrete lubricant cooler adapted to input and cool the lubricant, and output the cooled lubricant to a first port of the valve; and a heat exchanger adapted to input the lubricant and heated coolant from an engine via different ports, use the heated coolant to heat the lubricant, and output the heated lubricant to a second port of the valve, said valve having at least a first configuration during a first state whereby heated lubricant is passed to the powertrain component, a second configuration during a second state whereby cooled lubricant is passed to the powertrain component, and a third configuration during a third state whereby a fixed temperature mixture of the cooled and heated lubricants is passed to the powertrain component, and wherein the first state is initiated and maintained when a temperature of the lubricant is below a first predetermined temperature, the second state is initiated and maintained when the temperature of the lubricant is above a second predetermined temperature and the third state is initiated and maintained while the temperature of the lubricant is between the first and second predetermined temperatures.