1. A smart card connector adapted to receive and place a smart card in a reading position, said smart card connector comprising:
a contact support;
a plurality of reading contacts attached to the contact support at a terminating end thereof, each of said reading contacts comprising
a contact bulge for contacting a contact pad of the smart card, and
at least one control bulge for pivoting the contact bulge into contact with the contact pad of the smart card; and
a sliding element slidably mounted in said contact support so as to be movable between an initial position and an end position, said sliding element comprising a contact actuating member that engages the at least one control bulge as the sliding element moves toward the end position and presses the contact bulge against the contact pad of the smart card as the smart card reaches its reading position.
2. The smart card connector of claim 1, wherein said smart card, when it is inserted into the smart card connector, slidingly moves said sliding element only in the last millimeters before the smart card reaches its reading position.
3. The smart card connector of claim 2, wherein the last millimeters are 2 millimeters.
4. The smart card connector of claim 1, wherein said contact actuating member includes inclined surfaces formed on the sliding element.
5. The smart card connector of claim 4, wherein said inclined surfaces are formed by recesses.
6. The smart card connector of claim 1, wherein said contact actuating member comprises:
a first recess provided in the sliding element; and
a second recess provided in the sliding element spaced longitudinally from the first recess.
7. The smart card connector of claim 6, wherein said contact actuating member further comprises first and second contact support surfaces adjacent to the first and second recess on the sliding element that support the at least one control bulge and presses the contact bulge against the contact pad of the smart card.
8. The smart card connector of claim 7, wherein, the plurality of reading contacts include first reading contacts and second reading contacts alternately mounted to the contact support, the first reading contacts being shorter than the second reading contacts such that the contact bulges of the first reading contacts project different distances away from the contact support than the contact bulges of the second reading contacts.
9. The smart card connector of claim 8, wherein the sliding element comprises abutment surfaces of the that abut a front edge of the smart card when the smart card reaches its reading position.
10. The smart card connector of claim 1, wherein reset springs are provided as coil springs and are located in the contact support at one side thereof.
11. A smart card connector adapted to receive and place a smart card in a reading position, said smart card connector comprising:
a contact support;
first reading contacts and second reading contacts alternately attached to the contact support at terminating ends thereof, each of the first reading contacts and second reading contacts comprising a contact bulge for contacting a contact pad of the smart card and at least one control bulge for pivoting that reading contact into contact with the contact pad of the smart card, and each of the first reading contacts being shorter than each of the second reading contacts such that a distal end of each first reading contact projects a different distance away from the contact support than a distal end of each second reading contact;
a sliding element reciprocally slidably mounted in said contact support between an initial position and an end position, the sliding element being slidingly moved by the smart card when the smart card is inserted into the smart card connector and comprising
abutment surfaces for abutting a front edge of the smart card,
longitudinal sides, and
guide ribs which form guide chambers that extend inclined with respect to the longitudinal sides for guiding at least the of second reading contacts ;and
a contact actuating member that can be brought into engagement with the at least one control bulge such that the contact bulges of the first reading contacts and second reading contacts will contact corresponding contact pads of the smart card as the smart card reaches its reading position, the contact actuating member comprising
a first inclined surface formed on the sliding element by a first recess,
a second inclined surface formed on the sliding element by a second recess that is spaced longitudinally from the first inclined surface,
first and second contact support surfaces formed on the sliding element adjacent to the first and second recesses, respectively, and with which the first reading contacts and second reading contacts abut when the first reading contacts and second reading contacts are in contact with the corresponding contact pads of the smart card.
12. The smart card connector of claim 11, wherein the contact support comprises transversely spaced guide noses projecting away from a wall of the contact support and forming guide slots for guiding at least the of first reading contacts.
13. The smart card connector of claim 12, wherein the contact support further comprises an upper surface and a bottom surface and forms a sliding element receiving opening that extends between the upper surface and the bottom surface.
14. The smart card connector of claim 13, wherein a cover, is mounted on the upper surface of the contact support.
15. The smart card connector of claim 14, wherein the cover is a resilient metal cover.
16. The smart card connector of claim 15, wherein the metal cover is mounted at snap and card guide noses of the contact support.
17. The smart card connector of claim 16, wherein the first reading contacts and second reading contacts are pressed into the contact support at the terminating ends thereof.
18. The smart card connector of claim 17, wherein each of said first reading contacts and second reading contacts comprises a termination section at the terminating ends thereof, a spring section, a control section with the control bulge, and a contact section with the contact bulge.
19. The smart card connector of claim 18, wherein the termination section comprises a termination tongue and subsequent thereto a mounting section that is of a \u201cU\u201d shape and comprises detent teeth.
20. The smart card connector according to claim 19, wherein the mounting sections formed by the reading contacts are provided with harpoon-shaped noses.
21. The smart card connector according to claim 20, wherein the first reading contacts and second reading contacts are, in the area of the spring section, inclined with respect to the termination section so as to extend in an inclined direction in the smart card connector, and the contact bulges of adjacent reading contacts are located behind each other on a line parallel to a direction of insertion of the smart card.
22. The smart card connector as set forth in claim 21, wherein the first reading contacts and second reading contacts are lifted from below an insert plane when the smart card is inserted into the smart card connector, said insert plane being defined by a surface of the smart card connector that supports the smart card.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A control system that generates one of a normal mode and a hot mode signal to control operation of a transmission, comprising:
a calculator calculates a predicted temperature of a torque converter;
a comparator that compares said predicted temperature to a threshold temperature; and
a timer that generates one of said normal mode and said hot mode signals based on said predicted temperature and said threshold temperature.
2. The control system of claim 1 wherein said hot mode signal is generated when said predicted temperature is greater than said threshold temperature for a threshold time.
3. The control system of claim 1 wherein said normal mode signal is generated when said predicted temperature is lower than said threshold temperature for a threshold time.
4. The control system of claim 1 further comprising a controller that operates said transmission to reduce slipping of said torque converter based on said hot mode signal.
5. The control system of claim 1 wherein said calculator calculates said predicted temperature based on work loss through said torque converter, flow rate through said torque converter, a heat transfer coefficient for air and a heat transfer coefficient for oil flowing through said torque converter.
6. The control system of claim 5 wherein said calculator calculates said work loss based on a speed ratio, an input torque into said torque converter and an output torque from said torque converter.
7. The control system of claim 6 wherein said calculator calculates said speed ratio based on an engine speed signal and a transmission speed signal.
8. The control system of claim 6 wherein said calculator calculates said input torque based on an engine speed signal and a K-factor.
9. The control system of claim 8 wherein said K-factor is determined from a look-up table based on said speed ratio.
10. The control system of claim 6 wherein said output torque is based on said input torque and a torque ratio.
11. The control system of claim 10 wherein said torque ratio is determined from a look-up table based on said speed ratio.
12. The control system of claim 5 wherein said calculator determines said flow rate from a look-up table based on a line pressure signal and an engine speed signal.
13. The control system of claim 5 wherein said calculator calculates said heat transfer coefficient of air based on a speed ratio and a locked state of a torque converter clutch.
14. A control system that operates a transmission in one of a normal mode and a hot mode, comprising:
a torque converter that transfers drive torque from an engine to said transmission; and
a controller that calculates a predicted temperature of said torque converter based on a thermal model of said torque converter, that compares said predicted temperature to a threshold temperature and that operates said transmission in one of said normal mode and said hot mode based on said predicted temperature and said threshold temperature.
15. The control system of claim 14 wherein said transmission is operated in said hot mode when said predicted temperature is greater than said threshold temperature for a threshold time.
16. The control system of claim 14 wherein said controller operates said transmission from said hot mode to said normal mode when said predicted temperature is lower than said threshold temperature for a threshold time.
17. The control system of claim 14 wherein when in said hot mode said controller operates said transmission to reduce slipping of said torque converter.
18. The control system of claim 14 wherein said thermal model is based on work loss through said torque converter, flow rate through said torque converter, a heat transfer coefficient for air and a heat transfer coefficient for oil flowing through said torque converter.
19. The control system of claim 18 further comprising calculating said work loss based on a speed ratio, an input torque into said torque converter and an output torque from said torque converter.
20. The control system of claim 19 further comprising:
an engine speed sensor that generates an engine speed signal;
a transmission speed sensor that generates a transmission speed signal; and
wherein said speed ratio is calculated based on a said engine speed signal and said transmission speed signal.
21. The control system of claim 19 further comprising an engine speed sensor that generates an engine speed signal, wherein said input torque is based on said engine speed signal and a K-factor.
22. The control system of claim 21 wherein said K-factor is determined from a look-up table based on said speed ratio.
23. The control system of claim 19 wherein said output torque is based on said input torque and a torque ratio.
24. The control system of claim 23 wherein said torque ratio is determined from a look-up table based on said speed ratio.
25. The control system of claim 18 further comprising:
a pressure sensor that generates a line pressure signal;
an engine speed sensor that generates an engine speed signal; and
wherein said flow rate is determined from a look-up table based on said line pressure signal and said engine speed signal.
26. The control system of claim 18 further comprising a torque converter clutch that is operable in a locked mode and an unlocked mode, wherein said heat transfer coefficient of air is determined based on a speed ratio and a mode of said torque converter clutch.
27. A method of cooling a torque converter of a transmission that is operable in a first mode and a second mode, comprising:
calculating a predicted temperature of said torque converter based on a thermal model of said torque converter while said transmission is operating in said first mode;
comparing said predicted temperature to a threshold temperature; and
operating said transmission in one of said first mode and said second mode based on said predicted temperature and said threshold temperature.
28. The method of claim 27 wherein said transmission is operated in said second mode when said predicted temperature is greater than said threshold temperature for a threshold time.
29. The method of claim 27 further comprising switching operation of said transmission from said second mode to said first mode when said predicted temperature is lower than said threshold temperature for a threshold time.
30. The method of claim 27 wherein when in said second mode said transmission is operated to reduce slipping of said torque converter.
31. The method of claim 27 wherein said thermal model is based on work loss through said torque converter, flow rate through said torque converter, a heat transfer coefficient for air and a heat transfer coefficient for oil flowing through said torque converter.
32. The method of claim 31 further comprising calculating said work loss based on a speed ratio, an input torque into said torque converter and an output torque from said torque converter.
33. The method of claim 32 further comprising calculating said speed ratio based on a pump speed and a turbine speed.
34. The method of claim 33 further comprising calculating said input torque based on a pump speed and a K-factor.
35. The method of claim 34 wherein said K-factor is determined from a look-up table based on said speed ratio.
36. The method of claim 32 further comprising calculating said output torque based on said input torque and a torque ratio.
37. The method of claim 36 wherein said torque ratio is determined from a look-up table based on said speed ratio.
38. The method of claim 31 wherein said flow rate is determined from a look-up table based on transmission line pressure and engine speed.
39. The method of claim 31 wherein said heat transfer coefficient of air is determined based on a speed ratio and a state of a torque converter clutch.
40. A vehicle operable in one of a normal mode and a hot mode, comprising:
a transmission;
a torque converter that transfers drive torque from an engine to said transmission; and
a controller that calculates a predicted temperature of said torque converter based on a thermal model of said torque converter, that compares said predicted temperature to a threshold temperature and that operates said vehicle in said hot mode if said predicted temperature is greater than said threshold temperature for a first threshold time period.
41. The vehicle of claim 40 wherein said controller switches operation of said vehicle from said hot mode to said normal mode if said predicted temperature is less than said threshold temperature a second threshold time period.
42. The vehicle of claim 40 wherein when in said hot mode said controller operates said transmission to reduce slipping of said torque converter.
43. The vehicle of claim 40 wherein said thermal model is based on work loss through said torque converter, flow rate through said torque converter, a heat transfer coefficient for air and a heat transfer coefficient for oil flowing through said torque converter.
44. The vehicle of claim 43 further comprising calculating said work loss based on a speed ratio, an input torque into said torque converter and an output torque from said torque converter.
45. The vehicle of claim 44 further comprising:
an engine speed sensor that generates an engine speed signal;
a transmission speed sensor that generates a transmission speed signal; and
wherein said speed ratio is calculated based on a said engine speed signal and said transmission speed signal.
46. The vehicle of claim 44 further comprising an engine speed sensor that generates an engine speed signal, wherein said input torque is based on said engine speed signal and a K-factor.
47. The vehicle of claim 46 wherein said K-factor is determined from a look-up table based on said speed ratio.
48. The vehicle of claim 44 wherein said output torque is based on said input torque and a torque ratio.
49. The vehicle of claim 48 wherein said torque ratio is determined from a look-up table based on said speed ratio.
50. The vehicle of claim 43 further comprising:
a pressure sensor that generates a line pressure signal;
an engine speed sensor that generates an engine speed signal; and
wherein said flow rate is determined from a look-up table based on said line pressure signal and said engine speed signal.
51. The vehicle of claim 43 further comprising a torque converter clutch that is operable in a locked mode and an unlocked mode, wherein said heat transfer coefficient of air is determined based on a speed ratio and a mode of said torque converter clutch.