METHOD AND CONTROL APPARATUS FOR OPERATING A TRANSMISSION OF A MOTOR VEHICLE

Abstract

A transmission between a drive aggregate and a drive output of a vehicle drivetrain has a hydrodynamic starting element and a powershiftable main transmission with a plurality of forward gears, at least one reversing gear, a transmission input, a transmission output, and frictional shifting elements. In each gear a first number of shifting elements are closed and a second number of shifting elements are open. A downstream range group has at least one interlocking shifting element which can be shifted between a first and second driving ranges. With the drive aggregate running, the vehicle at a standstill or nearly so, the main transmission in neutral, and a shift request received to change the downstream range group, shifting elements of the main transmission are actuated, thereby bracing the transmission input against a transmission housing and decoupling the transmission input from the transmission output. The downstream range group is then shifted.

Claims

1-12. (canceled)

13. A method for operating a transmission (2) arranged in a drivetrain of a motor vehicle between a drive aggregate (1) and a drive output (14), the method comprising: providing the transmission comprising a transmission housing, a hydrodynamic starting element (15, 18), a powershiftable main transmission 2a having a plurality of forward gears, at least one reversing gear, a transmission input, a transmission output, and a plurality of frictional shifting elements (9, 10, 11, 12, 13), wherein in each gear a first number of shifting elements are closed and a second number of shifting elements are open, and a downstream range group (2b) connected downstream from the main transmission (2a) and comprising at least one interlocking shifting element (24, 27) configured to be shifted between a first driving range and a second driving range; receiving a shift request to shift the downstream range group is received when the drive aggregate running, the motor vehicle is at a standstill or in a speed range close to standstill, and the powershiftable main transmission is in neutral; actuating shifting elements (9, 11, 13) of the main transmission (2a) in such manner that the transmission input of the main transmission (2a) is braced against the transmission housing and the transmission input decoupling from the transmission output of the main transmission (2a); and shifting the downstream range group.

14. The method according to claim 13, comprising: shifting the downstream range group (2b) to neutral; detecting that a rotation speed of an output shaft (8) of the main transmission (2a) has reached a shifting rotation speed of the downstream range group (2b); and actuating the interlocking shifting element (24, 27) for engaging a driving range of the downstream range group (2b).

15. The method according to claim 14, comprising: braking the output shaft (8) of the main transmission (2a) by partially closing of at least one further shifting element (10, 12) of the main transmission (2a).

16. The method according to claim 14, comprising: detecting a tooth-on-tooth position at the interlocking shifting element (24, 27) during the engagement of a driving range in the downstream range group (2b); and actuating at least one of the shifting elements (9, 11, 13), by the transmission input of the main transmission (2a) against the transmission housing, so that the output shaft (8) of the main transmission (2a) rotates.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein actuating the shifting element (11, 13) of the main transmission (2a) is performed in a pulsed or saw-toothed manner, thereby resolving the tooth-on-tooth position.

18. The method according to any of claim 14, comprising: determining that a rotation speed of the output shaft (8) of the main transmission (2a) is higher than a maximum permissible shifting rotation speed for engaging the driving range in the downstream range group (2b); and actuating the shifting elements (9, 11, 13), thereby bracing the transmission input of the main transmission (2a).

19. The method according to claim 12, comprising: determining that the said shifting element is free from load or nearly so; engaging a driving range in the downstream range group (2b); and actuating the interlocking shifting element (24, 27) of the downstream range group (2b) for disengaging the driving range.

20. The method according to claim 12, comprising: determining that a transmission condition of the main transmission (2a) has elevated drag losses; and actuating the shifting elements (9, 11, 13), thereby bracing the transmission input of the main transmission (2a).

21. A control unit (28) configured to carry out the method according to claim 12.

22. A computer program product having executable code that when executed by the control unit (28) of claim 21, carries out the method according to claim 12.

23. A transmission (2) of a motor vehicle, comprising a main transmission (2a) and a downstream range group (2b) connected downstream from the main transmission (2a), wherein the transmission (2) comprises a control unit (28) configured to carry out the method according to claim 12.

24. A motor vehicle with a transmission (2) comprising a main transmission (2a) and a downstream range group (2b) connected downstream from the main transmission (2a), wherein the transmission (2) comprises a control unit (28) configured to carry out the method according to claim 12.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] FIG. 1: An example of a drivetrain scheme of a motor vehicle, with an example of a transmission comprising a main transmission and a downstream range group;

[0034] FIG. 2: A shifting matrix of the main transmission in FIG. 1;

[0035] FIG. 3: A possible design of the downstream range group in FIG. 1; and

[0036] FIG. 4: An alternative design of the downstream range group in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] FIG. 1 shows, very schematically, an example of a drivetrain of a motor vehicle. The drivetrain of FIG. 1 comprises a drive aggregate 1, a transmission 2, and a drive output 14, the transmission 2 being connected between the drive aggregate 1 and the drive output 14. The drive aggregate 1 can be, for example, an internal combustion engine or an electric motor.

[0038] The transmission 2 comprises a main transmission 2a which provides a number of forward gears and a reversing gear, and a downstream range group 2b connected downstream from the main transmission 2a on the drive input side, which provides a first driving range and a second diving range. The first driving range can correspond to a slow driving range and the second gear to a fast driving range. The first driving range can be an all-wheel driving range and the second driving range can be a non-all-wheel driving range.

[0039] Between the drive aggregate 1 and the transmission 2, namelyin the example embodiment shownbetween the drive aggregate 1 and the main transmission 2a, there is connected a hydrodynamic starting element with a converter 15 and a converter bridging cutch 18. A converter comprises a turbine 16, wherein the turbine 16 in the example embodiment shown is coupled rotationally fixed to an input shaft 7 of the main transmission 2a. In addition, a converter 15 comprises a pump 17. The pump 17 is coupled rotationally fixed to the drive aggregate 1. The structure of such a converter 15 is known to those familiar with the subject, to whom this is addressed.

[0040] Between the main transmission 2a of the transmission 2 and the drive output 14 is connected the downstream range group 2b of the transmission 2, this downstream range group 2b being coupled to a drive output shaft 8 of the main transmission 2a.

[0041] In the example embodiment shown, the main transmission 2a of the transmission 2 comprises a plurality of gearsets 3, 4, 5, and 6, and a plurality of frictional shifting elements 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13 which co-operate with the said gearsets 3, 4, 5, and 6, wherein the two shifting elements 9 and 10 are also called shifting elements A and B, respectively, and wherein the shifting elements 11, 12, and 13 are also called shifting elements C, D, and E, respectively. The shifting elements A and B and also the shifting elements C, D, and E are frictional shifting elements in each case, namely, such that the shifting elements A and B are brakes and the shifting elements C, D, and E are clutches. The shifting elements A and B are disk brakes and the shifting elements C, D, and E are disk clutches.

[0042] In FIG. 1 a control unit 28 is also shown, which serves to actuate the shifting elements A, B, C, D, E of the main transmission 2a and of the downstream range group 2b. Thus, the control unit 28 enables the shifting elements of the transmission 2 to be selectively opened and closed. Thereby, the gear appropriate for the respective situation or the gear called for by a driver of the vehicle is engaged. For that purpose, the requisite information is sent to the control unit 28 by way of the control unit's input. The control unit 28 processes this information and emits corresponding signals for actuating the shifting elements of the transmission 2 by way of the control unit's output. However, it is also conceivable for respective control units of their own to be associated with the main transmission 2a and with the downstream range group 2b, which enable the actuation of the shifting elements in the respective parts of the transmission. These control units can then communicate with one another, for example by way of a CAN (Controller Area Network) data bus.

[0043] Among other things and only as an example, the information signals v_FZG, c_HG and n_AB are sent to the control unit 28. The information signal v_FZG is a speed of the motor vehicle, by way of which a standstill or a speed range close to standstill of the motor vehicle can be recognized. The speed signal v_FZG can be determined, for example, by a speed sensor or from the rotation speed of the output shaft of the downstream range group. The information c_HG is a temperature signal that represents the transmission temperature of the main transmission 2a. The temperature signal c_HG can be determined, for example, by a temperature sensor of the transmission 2. The information n_AB is a rotation speed signal that represents the rotation speed at the output shaft 8 of the main transmission 2a. The control unit 28 is also informed of a shift request to shift the downstream range group 2b when that is called for by the driver of the motor vehicle or by the control unit.

[0044] Usually, the shifting elements of the main transmission 2a are actuated by a pressure medium. For that purpose, each shifting element A, B, C, D, E of the main transmission 2 is associated with an actuation piston that can be acted upon individually by the pressure of the pressure medium. For this, the valves associated with the actuation pistons are operated by the control unit 28. As the pressure medium, with the main transmission 2a shown in FIG. 1 the lubricant of the main transmission 2a (transmission oil) is usually used.

[0045] FIG. 2 shows a shifting matrix for the main transmission 2a of the transmission 2 in FIG. 1. From FIG. 2 it can be seen that with the main transmission 2a of the transmission 2 in FIG. 1 a total of eight frictional and hence traction-force-transmitting forward gears D1 to D8 and one frictional and hence traction-force-transmitting reversing gear R can be obtained. In each of these traction-force-transmitting gears D1 to D8 and R, a defined first number of shifting elements, namely, three shifting elements of the main transmission 2a are closed, whereas on the other hand a defined second number of shifting elements, namely, two shifting elements of the main transmission 2a are in each case open in each traction-force-transmitting and hence frictional gear.

[0046] The shifting elements of the main transmission 2a which are closed in each respective frictional and hence traction-force-transmitting gear, are indicated by spots in FIG. 2. For example, in forward gear D1 of the main transmission 2a the shifting elements A, B, and C are closed and in forward gear D2 of the main transmission 2a the shifting elements A, B, and E are closed. In the reversing gear R of the main transmission 2a the shifting elements A, B, and D are closed. The shifting elements that are closed in forward gears D3, D4, D5, D6, D7, and D8 of the main transmission 2a can be seen in the same way in the shifting matrix of FIG. 2.

[0047] As already stated, the downstream range group 2b is connected between the output shaft 8 of the main transmission 2a and the drive output 14 of the downstream range group 2b. In this case, as shown as an example in FIG. 3, the downstream range group 2b can be made such that as in FIG. 3 the downstream range group 2b comprises a planetary gearset 20 and an interlocking shifting element 24. The output shaft 8 of the main transmission 2a is coupled to a sun gear of the planetary gearset 20. The drive output 14 is coupled to a web 23 of the planetary gearset 20 by way of an output shaft 19 of the downstream range group 2b. Depending on the shift position of the interlocking shifting element 24, a ring gear 22 of the planetary gearset 20 is either fixed to the housing in the slow driving range L or coupled to the web 23 in the fast driving range S.

[0048] FIG. 4 shows an alternative design of the downstream range group 2b which, otherwise than in FIG. 3, is not of planetary design but rather of spur gear design. Thus, the downstream range group 2b in FIG. 4 comprises two spur gear stages 25 and 26, and an interlocking shifting element 27. Depending on the shift position of the interlocking shifting element 27, the output shaft 8 of the main transmission 2a is coupled to the output shaft 19 of the downstream range group 2b either by way of the spur gear stage 25 or by way of the spur gear stage 26.

[0049] The invention now relates to a method for shifting the downstream range group 2b of the transmission 2 in a safe and reliable manner. For this, it is provided that when, with its drive aggregate 1 running, the motor vehicle is at a standstill or in a range close to a standstill, the powershiftable main transmission 2a is in neutral, and a shift request to shift the downstream range group 2b is received, shifting elements 9, 11, and 13 of the main transmission 2a are actuated in such manner that the transmission input of the main transmission 2a is braced against the transmission housing. Thus, in the main transmission 2a of the transmission 2 in FIG. 1, in order to brace the transmission input of the main transmission 2a, the shifting element 9 in the form of a disk brake, the shifting element 11 in the form of a disk clutch, and the shifting element 13 in the form of a disk clutch are fully closed. Consequently, the transmission input of the main transmission 2a is braced against the transmission housing, whereas the transmission input and the transmission output of the main transmission 2a are decoupled from one another. In that way, despite the drag losses in the main transmission 2a, on the one hand the output shaft 8 of the main transmission 2a can be synchronized to a rotation speed at which the downstream range group 2b can be shifted from neutral into a driving range, and on the other hand the interlocking shifting element 24, 27 of the downstream range group 2b becomes free from load or almost so, in order to disengage a driving range of the downstream range group 2b.

[0050] Thus, a shift of the downstream range group 2b of the transmission 2 can take place reliably, quietly, and with little wear.

INDEXES

[0051] 1 Drive aggregate [0052] 2 Transmission [0053] 2a Main transmission [0054] 2b Downstream range group [0055] 3 Gearset [0056] 4 Gearset [0057] 5 Gearset [0058] 6 Gearset [0059] 7 Input shaft of the main transmission [0060] 8 Output shaft of the main transmission [0061] 9 Shifting element A [0062] 10 Shifting element B [0063] 11 Shifting element C [0064] 12 Shifting element D [0065] 13 Shifting element E [0066] 14 Drive output [0067] 15 Converter [0068] 16 Turbine [0069] 17 Pump [0070] 18 Converter bridging clutch [0071] 19 Output shaft of the downstream range group [0072] 20 Planetary gear system [0073] 21 Sun gear [0074] 22 Ring gear [0075] 23 Web [0076] 24 Shifting element [0077] 25 Spur gear stage [0078] 26 Spur gear stage [0079] 27 Shifting element [0080] 28 Control unit