Abstract: A vehicle speed determining device determines a running speed of a vehicle, on the basis of pulses received from a vehicle speed sensor. A first determination that the running speed of the vehicle has been zeroed is made, if a next pulse has not been received from the sensor, within a predetermined first length of time after the reception of a last pulse from the sensor. A second determination that a period of the next pulse to be received next is abnormally long is made, if said next pulse has not been received within a predetermined second length of time after the reception of the last pulse. If the second determination is made, the first determination is inhibited until the next pulse has been received.

Abstract: A shift control apparatus for an automatic transmission of a motor vehicle is disclosed. The shift control apparatus includes a shift control device for automatically shifting the transmission according to a predetermined shift control pattern, on the basis of a speed of the engine and a currently required output of the engine. When a vehicle driver operates to re-accelerate the vehicle after deceleration with the transmission shifted down to the low-speed gear position, the transmission is shifted up from the lower-speed gear position to the high-speed gear position having the smaller speed reduction ratio than the lower-speed gear position, if a predetermined period of time has not elapsed after the low-speed gear position is established.

Abstract: A strainer is mounted in an oil passage within a valve body constituting the hydraulic control unit of an automatic transmission. The strainer includes a frame (4) fitted into the oil passage, a reticulate member (5) secured to the frame (4) so as to form a barrier across the oil passage, and a permanent magnet (8) secured by press-fitting or by bonding to frame at a position ahead of the reticulate member (5) in terms of the direction of working oil flow. Foreign matter contained in the working oil is removed by the reticulate member (5) while extremely small contaminants exhibiting a magnetic property, such as ferrous chips, that cannot be removed by the reticulate member (5) are removed by the magnet (8).

Abstract: In an automatic transmission control system incorporating the conventional line, throttle, and governor fluid pressure regulation valves, mannual selector valve, and shift valves such as 1/2, 2/3, and 3/4 shift valves, there is further incorporated a modulator fluid pressure control valve which produces a modulator fluid pressure of a predetermined constant level from the line pressure available from a port of the manual selector valve when it is shifted to a lower range, such as, for example, 2 range. The line fluid pressure regulation valve, which is normally boosted by the throttle pressure, is instead boosted by the modulator fluid pressure when the modulator fluid pressure is present while the throttle fluid pressure is very low as at the time when the manual selector valve has been shifted from the D range to the 2 range for effecting rapid deceleration of the vehicle, so as to support the governor pressure, generated from the line pressure, at a high level while the vehicle speed is still high.

Abstract: A rotary power transmission device including a hydraulic torque converter which transmits rotary power between coaxial power input and power output shafts, and a lock up clutch system which also transmits rotary power between the power input and power output shafts, wherein the lock up clutch system includes a rotary shock absorber including a disk shaped plate element and two ring shaped plate elements cooperating with an outer peripheral portion of the disk shaped plate element in an axially superposed manner so as to provide a rotary shock absorber, one of the two ring shaped plate elements being positioned between the other ring shaped plate element and the disk shaped plate element, the assembly of the two ring shaped plate elements and the outer peripheral portion of the disk shaped plate element being positioned in an annular space formed adjacent an outer peripheral portion of the turbine of the hydraulic torque converter, while the radially inner portion of the disk shaped plate element is rotational

Abstract: An improved transverse-mount type driving device for an automobile, having an output gear provided between last and intermediate planetary gear units of an auxiliary speed change gear assembly, the output gear meshing with a driven gear on a transmission shaft which extends parallel with the auxiliary speed change gear assembly and mounts a drive gear at an end proximate of the torque converter for meshing engagement with a differential drive gear which in turn transmits power to right and left axle shafts. A parking gear is provided on the transmission shaft for selective engagement to prevent rotation of the transmission shaft when the automobile is in park.

Abstract: An improved transverse-mount type driving device for an automobile, having an output gear provided between last and intermediate planetary gear units of an auxiliary speed change gear assembly, the output gear meshing with a driven gear on a transmission shaft which extends parallel with the auxiliary speed change gear assembly and mounts a drive gear at an end proximate the torque converter for meshing engagement with a differential drive gear which in turn transmits power to right and left axle shafts.

Abstract: A lockup clutch of a fluid type torque converter apparatus is disposed in parallel to a fluid type torque converter and directly connects an input shaft and an output shaft to each other.

Abstract: A rotary power transmission device including a hydraulic torque converter which transmits rotary power between coaxial power input and power output shafts, and a lock up clutch system which also transmits rotary power between the power input and power output shafts, wherein the lock up clutch system includes a rotary shock absorber including a disk shaped plate element and two ring shaped plate elements cooperating with an outer peripheral portion of the disk shaped plate element in an axially superposed manner so as to provide a rotationally cushioning assembly positioned in an annular space formed adjacent an outer peripheral portion of the turbine of the hydraulic torque converter, while the radially inner portion of the disk shaped plate element is rotationally connected to the power output shaft in parallel with and separately from the turbine, wherein the disk shaped plate is formed with through openings along a radially intermediate annular region thereof for transmitting fluid pressures therethrough.

Abstract: An automatic transmission includes: a gear transmission mechanism which can provide several speed stages according to selective supply of hydraulic pressures from a control system; a hydraulic fluid pump; a torque converter incorporating a lock up clutch which is selectively engaged or disengaged according to selective supply of pressure; a line fluid pressure control valve which receives a supply of pressurized hydraulic fluid from the pump and which provides a supply thereof, regulated to a line pressure level, to the control system; and a torque converter fluid pressure control valve which receives a supply of pressurized hydraulic fluid from the pump, and which provides a supply thereof to the torque converter as a source of torque converter pressure for filling it with hydraulic fluid and for selectively either engaging or disengaging the lock up clutch, this supply of torque converter pressure being regulated to a proper level by the torque converter fluid pressure control valve, when the supply of hydr

Abstract: A fluid pressure control system for controlling an automatic transmission which includes a gear transmission mechanism and several fluid pressure actuated friction engaging mechanisms, selective engagement of which provides various speed stages from the gear transmission mechanism. A line pressure control valve produces a line pressure which increases from a base pressure by an amount proportional to engine load. A throttle pressure control valve produces a throttle pressure which is proportional to engine load. A shift valve selectively switches supply of line pressure to one of the friction engaging mechanisms via a passage, according to the operational conditions of the vehicle. A back pressure accumulator is connected to an intermediate part of the passage.

Abstract: An automatic transmission includes a gear transmission mechanism with first and second friction mechanisms which are alternatively engaged by alternative supply of first and second actuating pressures thereto when the highest speed stage and the next to highest speed stage are alternatively engaged, and a torque converter including a lockup clutch. A transmission control system includes a pressure control system which controls the gear transmission mechanism by selectively supplying those actuating pressures and possibly others, and a lockup clutch control valve which controls the engagement of the lockup clutch. The lockup clutch control valve is switched to its disengage position when it receives neither a first nor a second control pressure, and is switched to an opposite position by supply of either the first or second control pressure, this opposite position being an engage position for the lockup clutch if governor pressure is over a first specified value.

Abstract: A transmission has a gear mechanism which is selected between speeds by selective engagement of a brake including first and second friction plate elements. A piston is driven by pressure in a fluid pressure chamber so as selectively to squeeze the friction plate elements together and engage them. A return spring for releasing this engagement is mounted parallel to the axis of rotation of the brake in a cavity formed in the transmission housing, radially outside the brake, and biases the piston in the release direction. This allows the transmission to be axially shorter than when the return spring is mounted radially inwards of the brake.

Abstract: In a torque transmission apparatus of an automatic transmission for an automotive vehicle, a direct coupling clutch is provided in parallel to a fluid type torque converter.

Abstract: In a transmission for automobiles including; a housing containing planetary gear units respectively having at least three revolving elements, such as ring gears, sun gears and a carrier; an input shaft connected to one of the revolving elements of the planetary gear units, and an output shaft connected to another one of the three revolving elements of the planetary gear units and rotatably supported on the input shaft through the medium of a first antifriction bearing means consisting of an inner race, an outer race and a roller; the improvements comprising; a face of the input shaft substantially vertical with respect to the axis of the assembly, one of the inner and outer races of the first antifriction bearing means being adapted to engage the face of the input shaft; a second antifriction bearing means disposed between the input shaft and the housing so as to support the input shaft rotatably and consisting of an inner race, an outer race and a roller, and a pressure means screwed with the end of said inp

Abstract: An automatic transmission includes a gear transmission mechanism with several friction engaging mechanisms. Selective supply of actuating pressure to these mechanisms selectively provides different speed stages from the transmission, including a directly connected speed stage and an overdrive speed stage. A driver operated manual selector valve can be set to several forward ranges including a "D" range, and produces a lower range pressure when any forward range except for "D" range is selected thereon. A kickdown pressure is produced when the accelerator pedal of the vehicle is depressed beyond a predetermined amount. An electrically operated pressure control device produces a holddown pressure signal according to operating conditions of the vehicle.

Abstract: A rotary power transmission device includes a torque converter, which transmits rotary power between coaxial power input and power output shafts, and a lock up clutch between the power input and power output shafts, which includes first and second plate elements which can be biased towards or away from one another. The first clutch plate element is connected to the power input shaft. In a generally annular space defined between the outer part of the generally toroidal torque converter and the outer part of the second clutch plate element there is disposed a rotary damper which rotationally couples together the second clutch plate element and the power output shaft and provides a certain amount of rotary damping therebetween.

Abstract: A fluid pressure control system for controlling an automatic transmission which includes a gear transmission mechanism and several fluid pressure actuated friction engaging mechanisms, selective engagement of which provides various speed stages from the gear transmission mechanism. A line pressure valve produces a line pressure which increases from a base pressure by an amount proportional to engine load. A throttle pressure valve produces a throttle pressure which is proportional to engine load. A shift valve selectively switches supply of an actuating pressure to one of the friction engaging mechanisms via a passage, according to the operational condition of the vehicle. The actuating pressure is supplied by a fluid pressure control system which receives supply of line pressure and which outputs a pressure which, when engine load is medium, is approximately equal to line pressure, but which, when engine load is small or is large, is substantially lower than line pressure.

Abstract: In an automatic transmission including sun gears, ring gears and a carrier for rotatably supporting a pinion on a shaft, the pinion being adapted to mesh with the sun gear and the ring gear; the improvements comprising a hub extending radially outside of the ring gear and having a friction surface in part of the outer peripheral wall thereof and external spline teeth provided in the other part of the outer peripheral wall, the hub being attached to the carrier; a friction element adapted to engage a cylindrical outer race fitted on internal spline-teeth of a transmission housing and the friction face of the hub; a plurality of first friction plates axially, slidably fitted on the external spline teeth of the hub; and a plurality of second friction plates axially, slidably fitted on the internal spline-teeth of the transmission housing, the first and second friction plates disposed one after another.

Abstract: An automatic transmission, including a transmission casing and a transaxle casing formed with connecting flanges and joined together by means of these connecting flanges, with a torque converter and a differential gear mechanism being mounted in the transaxle case, while a hydraulic fluid pump mounted with its input shaft coaxial with and directly drivingly connected to the power input shaft of the torque converter, a gear transmission mechanism, and a hydraulic fluid pressure control device are mounted in the transmission casing, except for a governor hydraulic fluid pressure regulating valve which is mounted in the transaxle casing, the hydraulic fluid circuit connections between the hydraulic fluid pressure control device and the governor hydraulic fluid pressure regulating valve being provided through ports opening in the mutually abutting faces of the connecting flanges.