CVT system having discrete selectable speed ranges

• Main Authors: THOMSON NORVAL P, MARTINEZ ALBERTO
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 31.07.2008
• Subjects: BLASTING; CALCULATING; COMPUTING; CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE ORDIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; COUNTING; ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING; ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GEARING; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVEFUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; HEATING; INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO ASPECTS CROSS-CUTTING VEHICLETECHNOLOGY; LIGHTING; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICS; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TOTHE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL; TRANSPORTING; VEHICLES IN GENERAL; WEAPONS

A continuously variable transmission control system is disclosed. The control system has a first operator input device to receive operator input and produce a corresponding first signal indicative of a selected one of a plurality of available predetermined discrete machine travel speed ranges. The control system also has a second operator input device to receive operator input and produce a corresponding second signal indicative of desired machine travel. The control system also has a power source operatively coupled to drive a continuously-variable transmission, and a controller configured to regulate at least one of an output of the power source and an output of the continuously variable transmission in response to the first and second signals such that an actual machine travel speed remains within the selected one of the plurality of predetermined discrete machine travel speed ranges.