阅读说明：本技术 具有热交换器旁通筒的汽车变速器 (Automotive transmission with heat exchanger bypass cartridge ) 是由 A·C·毛雷尔 G·A·杰克逊 于 2020-03-04 设计创作，主要内容包括：一种能够被组装为无冷却器式变速器和具有油冷却器的变速器的变速器,包括壳体和润滑系统。油通道系统包括油通道,所述油通道具有从所述壳体延伸出的油出口开口和延伸到所述壳体中的油入口开口。旁通流动通道与所述油出口开口和所述油入口开口连通地设置在所述壳体中。在无冷却器配置中,一对插塞被相应地插入所述油出口开口和所述油入口开口中以封闭所述油出口开口和所述油入口开口,使得油通过所述旁通流动通道从所述油出口开口流动到所述油入口开口。在具有油冷却器的变速器配置中,外部油冷却器连接到所述油出口开口和所述油入口开口。(A transmission that can be assembled into a coolerless transmission and a transmission having an oil cooler includes a housing and a lubrication system. The oil channel system comprises an oil channel having an oil outlet opening extending out from the housing and an oil inlet opening extending into the housing. A bypass flow passage is provided in the housing in communication with the oil outlet opening and the oil inlet opening. In a coolerless configuration, a pair of plugs are inserted into the oil outlet opening and the oil inlet opening, respectively, to close the oil outlet opening and the oil inlet opening such that oil flows from the oil outlet opening to the oil inlet opening through the bypass flow passage. In a transmission configuration with an oil cooler, an external oil cooler is connected to the oil outlet opening and the oil inlet opening.)

1. A transmission, the transmission comprising:

a housing;

an input shaft and an output shaft disposed in the housing and drivingly connected to each other by a plurality of gears disposed in the housing;

a lubrication system including an oil pan, an oil pump, and an oil passage system for directing oil from the oil pan to various components of the transmission;

the oil gallery system includes an oil gallery having an oil outlet opening extending out from the housing and an oil inlet opening extending into the housing, wherein a bypass flow gallery is disposed in the housing in communication with the oil outlet opening and the oil inlet opening.

2. The transmission of claim 1, further comprising a heat exchanger having an inlet passage connected to the oil outlet opening, the heat exchanger having an outlet passage connected to the oil inlet opening.

3. The transmission of claim 2, further comprising a cooler bypass assembly disposed in the oil outlet opening, the bypass assembly including an oil cooler bypass spool valve biased by a spring to a first position to at least restrict flow through the bypass flow passage.

4. A transmission as recited in claim 3, wherein the oil cooler bypass spool valve is movable to a second position against the force of the spring to fully open the bypass flow passage.

5. The transmission of claim 4, wherein the cooler bypass assembly further comprises a cartridge body having a passage extending axially therethrough, wherein the oil cooler bypass spool valve and the spring are disposed in the passage in the cartridge body.

6. A transmission as recited in claim 5, wherein the cartridge body further includes at least one radially extending opening aligned with the bypass flow passage.

7. The transmission of claim 6, wherein the cooler bypass spool includes a first portion that aligns with the at least one radially extending opening when the cooler bypass spool is in the first position.

8. The transmission of claim 7, wherein the passage of the cartridge body comprises: a first reduced diameter inner shoulder portion defining a spring seat of the spring; and a second inner shoulder portion forming a stop portion for an increased diameter portion of the cooler bypass spool.

9. The transmission of claim 5, wherein the cartridge body is supported within the oil outlet opening by a fitting received in the oil outlet opening and extending to an exterior of the housing.

10. The transmission of claim 1, further comprising a pair of plugs adapted to close the oil outlet opening and the oil inlet opening.

11. A transmission that can be assembled as a coolerless transmission and a transmission having an oil cooler, the transmission comprising:

a housing;

an input shaft and an output shaft disposed in the housing and drivingly connected to each other by a plurality of gears disposed in the housing;

a lubrication system including an oil pan, an oil pump, and an oil passage system for directing oil from the oil pan to various components of the transmission;

the oil gallery system includes an oil gallery having an oil outlet opening extending out from the housing and an oil inlet opening extending into the housing, wherein a bypass flow gallery is disposed in the housing in communication with the oil outlet opening and the oil inlet opening;

wherein in a coolerless configuration, a pair of plugs are inserted into the oil outlet opening and the oil inlet opening to close the oil outlet opening and the oil inlet opening such that oil flows from the oil outlet opening to the oil inlet opening through the bypass flow channel; and is

Wherein in a transmission configuration with an oil cooler, a heat exchanger is connected to the oil outlet opening and the oil inlet opening.

12. The transmission of claim 11, wherein in a transmission configuration having an oil cooler, a cooler bypass assembly is disposed in the oil outlet opening, the bypass assembly including an oil cooler bypass spool valve biased by a spring to a first position to at least restrict flow through the bypass flow passage.

13. A transmission as recited in claim 12, wherein the oil cooler bypass spool valve is movable to a second position against the force of the spring to fully open the bypass flow passage.

14. The transmission of claim 13, wherein the cooler bypass assembly further comprises a cartridge body having a passage extending axially therethrough, wherein the oil cooler bypass spool valve and the spring are disposed in the passage in the cartridge body.

15. A transmission as recited in claim 14, wherein the cartridge body further includes at least one radially extending opening aligned with the bypass flow passage.

16. The transmission of claim 15, wherein the cooler bypass spool includes a first portion that aligns with the at least one radially extending opening when the cooler bypass spool is in the first position.

17. The transmission of claim 16, wherein the passage of the cartridge body comprises: a first reduced diameter inner shoulder portion defining a spring seat of the spring; and a second inner shoulder portion forming a stop portion for an increased diameter portion of the cooler bypass spool.

18. The transmission of claim 14, wherein the cartridge body is supported within the oil outlet opening by a fitting received in the oil outlet opening and extending to an exterior of the housing.

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to an automotive transmission having a heat exchanger bypass cartridge that allows the transmission to be used with an external cooler or as a coolerless transmission.

Background

This section provides background information related to the present disclosure that does not necessarily constitute prior art.

Without being limited to a particular field of technology, the present disclosure relates to transmissions configured for coupling to a prime mover, and more particularly to transmissions for vehicle applications including truck applications.

The transmission plays a crucial role in transferring the power provided by the prime mover to the final load. The transmission is used to provide a speed ratio change between a prime mover output (e.g., a rotating shaft) and a load transmission input (e.g., a rotating shaft coupled to wheels, a pump, or other device responsive to the rotating shaft). The ability to provide selectable speed ratios allows the transmission to amplify torque, maintain prime mover and load speeds within desired ranges for the device, and selectively disconnect the prime mover from the load under certain operating conditions.

There are many conflicting constraints and operating requirements for a transmission. For example, the transmission must be able to provide the required torque multiplication range while still meeting the input torque requirements of the system. Additionally, from an overall system perspective, the transmission represents a consumer device-the space occupied by the transmission, weight, and interfacing requirements of the transmission are all consumer aspects to the system designer. Transmission systems are highly complex and they take a long time to design, integrate and test; therefore, the transmission is often required to meet the expectations of the system integrator over previous or historical transmissions. For example, it may be desirable in the long term to reduce the space occupied by the transmission, but for a given system design it may be more desirable to occupy the same space as, or as close as possible to, the previous generation transmission.

Previously known high output transmissions require a cooler to protect the components and fluid of the transmission from overheating in response to heat generated in the transmission. However, improvements in transmission design, materials and lubrication systems have made it possible to manufacture high output transmissions without the need for a cooler. Since some applications of transmissions may not require an oil cooler, while other applications of the same transmission may benefit from having an oil cooler, it is desirable to provide a system for retrofitting a transmission to be manufactured as a coolerless transmission or a transmission having an oil cooler.

Disclosure of Invention

This section provides a general summary of the disclosure, and is not a comprehensive disclosure of its full scope or all of its features.

A transmission that can be assembled into a coolerless transmission and a transmission having an oil cooler includes a housing and a lubrication system. The oil channel system comprises an oil channel having an oil outlet opening extending out from the housing and an oil inlet opening extending into the housing. A bypass flow passage is provided in the housing in communication with the oil outlet opening and the oil inlet opening. In the coolerless configuration, a pair of plugs are inserted into the oil outlet opening and the oil inlet opening to close the oil outlet opening and the oil inlet opening such that oil flows from the oil outlet opening to the oil inlet opening through the bypass flow passage. In a transmission configuration with an oil cooler, the exterior heat exchanger is connected to the oil outlet opening and the oil inlet opening.

Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein. The description and specific examples in this summary are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

Drawings

The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only of selected embodiments and not all possible implementations, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a transmission having an external cooler and a heat exchanger bypass cartridge according to the principles of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a schematic exploded perspective view of a transmission having a heat exchanger bypass cartridge according to the principles of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of a transmission lubrication passage in a coolerless configuration;

FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration of the transmission lubrication passages in a configuration having a bypass cartridge connected to an oil cooler and to an external heat exchanger and closing the bypass passages;

FIG. 5 is a schematic illustration of transmission lubrication passages in a configuration with a partially open bypass passage having a bypass cartridge connected to an oil cooler, connected to an external heat exchanger; and is

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of transmission lubrication passages in a configuration with a fully open bypass passage having a bypass cartridge connected to an oil cooler, connected to an external heat exchanger.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

Detailed Description

Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The example embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and will fully convey the scope of the disclosure to those skilled in the art. Numerous specific details are set forth such as examples of specific components, devices, and methods to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that specific details need not be employed, as example embodiments may be employed in many different forms; and such specific details are not to be interpreted as limiting the scope of the disclosure. In some example embodiments, well-known processes, well-known device structures, and well-known technologies are not described in detail.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular example embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" may be intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The terms "comprises," "comprising," "including," and "having" are inclusive and therefore specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. Unless specifically stated to be performed in a sequential order, the method steps, processes, and operations described herein should not be construed as necessarily requiring their performance in the particular order discussed or illustrated. It should also be understood that additional or alternative steps may be employed.

When an element or layer is referred to as being "on," "engaged to," "connected to" or "coupled to" another element or layer, it can be directly on, engaged, connected or coupled to the other element or layer or intervening elements or layers may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being "directly on," "directly engaged to," "directly connected to" or "directly coupled to" another element or layer, there may be no intervening elements or layers present. Other words used to describe the relationship between elements should be interpreted in a similar manner (e.g., "between …" versus "directly between …", "adjacent" versus "directly adjacent", etc.). As used herein, the term "and/or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

Referring to FIG. 1, an example transmission 10 includes: a housing 12 and an input shaft 14, the input shaft 14 configured to be coupled to a prime mover; an intermediate shaft 16 on which a first plurality of gears 18A-18E are mounted on the intermediate shaft 16; and a main shaft 20, on which a second plurality of gears 22A-22D are mounted on the main shaft 20. The input shaft has an input gear 15, which input gear 15 is in driving engagement with a gear 18A of an intermediate shaft 16. A shift actuator (not shown) can selectively couple the input shaft 14 to the main shaft 20 by rotatably coupling at least one of the first plurality of gears 18B-18E to the countershaft 16 and/or the second plurality of gears 22A-22D to the main shaft 20, and wherein the countershaft 16 and the main shaft 20 are positioned at least partially within the housing. Additional planetary gear assemblies 24 may be used to provide additional gear reduction.

It should be noted that the transmission may have various forms of manual transmission, automated manual transmission, and automatic transmission. In the illustrated embodiment, an automated manual transmission is provided schematically illustrating a single countershaft 16. It should be understood that a dual countershaft system may be utilized. Additionally, the transmission 12 housing may be made of steel or aluminum, and the number of gears on the countershaft 16 and main shaft 20 may vary.

The transmission 10 includes a lubrication system including an oil pan 32, an oil pump 34, and an oil passage system 36, the oil passage system 36 for directing oil from the oil pan 32 to various components of the transmission (bearings and gears). The transmission 10 can be assembled as a coolerless transmission and optionally as a transmission with an oil cooler 40. In particular, the oil channel system 36 comprises: an oil outlet opening 42, the oil outlet opening 42 communicating with the oil pump 34 and extending from the housing 12; and an oil inlet opening 44, the oil inlet opening 44 extending into the housing 12.

As shown in fig. 2-5, the oil outlet opening 42 and the oil inlet opening 44 may be provided in a housing component, such as a case 46, which may comprise a distal case or an intermediate case of the transmission housing 12. Alternatively, the oil outlet opening 42 and the oil inlet opening 44 may be provided in alternative structures of the transmission housing 12. As best shown in fig. 2-5, a bypass flow passage 50 extends within case 46 from oil outlet opening 42 to oil inlet opening 44.

In the coolerless transmission configuration, as shown in fig. 3, the oil outlet opening 44 and the oil inlet opening 44 are each plugged by a threaded plug 52, the threaded plugs 52 being inserted into the threaded ends 54 of each of the outlet opening 42 and the inlet opening 44. In this configuration, oil from the oil pump 34 is directed through the bypass flow passage 50 to the remainder of the oil passage system 36 to lubricate the various components (bearings and gears) of the transmission 10 without cooling the oil.

In the configuration of the transmission having the oil cooler 40, as shown in fig. 1 and 4 to 6, a cooler bypass cartridge assembly 60 is disposed in the oil outlet opening 42 and is fastened therein by a cooler outlet fitting 62, the cooler outlet fitting 62 being threadedly connected to the threaded end 54 of the oil outlet opening 42. The cooler inlet fitting 64 is connected to the threaded end 54 of the oil inlet opening 44. The cooler outlet fitting 62 is connected to the oil cooler 40 by a conduit 68 in the form of a hose, tube, pipe or other passage, and the cooler inlet fitting 64 is connected to the oil cooler 40 by a conduit 68 in the form of a hose, tube, pipe or other passage.

Referring to fig. 4-6, the cooler bypass cartridge assembly 60 includes a cartridge body 70, a cooler bypass spool valve 72, and a spring 74. The cartridge body 70 may include a hollow axial passage 76 extending therethrough and an outer surface having a distal larger diameter portion 70A, which larger diameter portion 70A is received in a corresponding larger diameter outer portion 42A of the outlet opening 42 to prevent the cartridge assembly 60 from being installed in an incorrect manner. The hollow axial passage 76 includes a multi-step inner surface 78, the multi-step inner surface 78 having: a minimum diameter portion 80 at the distal end; a first increased diameter shoulder portion 82, the first increased diameter shoulder portion 82 transitioning to an intermediate diameter portion 84; a second increased diameter shoulder portion 86, the second increased diameter shoulder portion 86 transitioning to a maximum diameter portion 88. The cartridge body 70 includes a plurality of radial passages 90, the plurality of radial passages 90 extending through the maximum diameter portion 88 and being aligned with the bypass flow passage 50 in the installed condition. The cooler bypass spool valve 72 is disposed within the cartridge body 70 and is biased by a spring 74 to an extended position covering the radial passage 90 and thereby closing the bypass flow passage 50. The cooler bypass spool valve 72 has a hollow passage 92 extending axially therethrough.

The lubricating oil flowing through the oil passage system 36 is guided into the cooler bypass spool 72 through the hollow passage 92 and is guided to the oil cooler 40. The oil then returns to the transmission 10 through the cooler inlet fitting 64 and the oil inlet opening 44. The spring 74 seats against the shoulder portion 82 and the end of the spool valve 72. The spool valve 72 includes a shoulder portion 94 that engages the shoulder 86. As shown in FIG. 4, a stop ring 96 or other stop structure is disposed in the inner surface 78 of the cartridge body 70 and serves as a stop for the cooler bypass spool 72. As the pressure against the end of the spool 72 increases, the spool 72 moves against the biasing force of the spring 74 to partially expose the radial passage 90, as shown in fig. 5. Thus, as the pressure in the oil passage system 36 increases, as shown in FIG. 6, the spool valve 72 moves to further open the radial passages 90 to allow pressurized oil to bypass the oil cooler 40 so that oil can flow through both the cooler 40 and the bypass passage 50.

The heat exchanger bypass valve cartridge assembly 60 can be externally installed and serviced to add heat exchanger capability to the transmission device that provides the ability to flow oil to the heat exchanger. The design minimizes the cost of the base transmission 10 by not adding additional structure to the transmission 10. Thus, the transmission 10 of the present disclosure may be utilized in either a cooler-less configuration (fig. 3) or a configuration including an oil cooler 40 (fig. 4-6). The present disclosure minimizes the cost of the basic transmission unit that is expected to not require a heat exchanger/oil cooler. The bypass valve cartridge assembly 60 minimizes pressure drop in the lubrication circuit and improves fuel economy when the transmission 10 does not require an oil cooler 40. This means that the oil-free cooler unit can be upgraded to use the oil cooler 40 if the application is changed with respect to its originally intended implementation. The design will help prevent oil overcooling when used with air in an oil cooler. As the oil cools, the bypass valve cartridge assembly 60 will respond to the increased pressure of the more viscous cooler oil and will act as a pressure limiting device to automatically deliver less oil to the oil cooler 40. The bore 92 through the spool valve 72 acts as a flow control device. As the flow through the spool valve hollow passage 92 increases, the pressure drop across the spool valve 72 increases. This increased pressure drop increases the net force acting to open the spool valve 72, and the spool valve 72 begins to move in the opening direction to expose the radial passages 90 to allow oil to bypass the oil cooler via the bypass flow passages 50. The design will help limit the maximum lubrication oil pressure observed at the pump 34 when the oil cooler 40 is in place. Further, the design of the present disclosure may be utilized in many different transmission configurations.

The foregoing description of the embodiments has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure. Individual elements or features of a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particular embodiment, but, where appropriate, are interchangeable and can be used in a selected embodiment, even if not explicitly shown or described. The individual elements or features may also be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the disclosure, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the disclosure.