Rough terrain vehicle

• US 10,202,124 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2017
• Issued: 02/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Sakamoto, Naoki
• Primary Examiner(s): Lewis, Tisha D
• Application Number:
  US15/474,517
• Publication Number:
  US 20170282924A1
• Time in Patent Office: 684 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/02 including control of driveline clutches
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/04 including control of propulsion units
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/10 including control of change-speed gearings
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2050/146 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2300/185 Off-road vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0208 Clutch engagement state, e.g. engaged or disengaged
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0604 Throttle position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0638 Engine speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/1005 Transmission ratio engaged
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/10 Accelerator pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/12 Brake pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/16 Ratio selector position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/021 Clutch engagement state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/0644 Engine speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18036 Reversing
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18045 Rocking, i.e. fast change between forward and reverse
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18136 Engine braking
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/1884 : Avoiding stall or overspeed of the engine
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 40/105 : Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 : Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention

Abstract

A determination unit in an ECU of a rough terrain vehicle determines a reverse running state in a case that an engine rotational speed of an engine decreases when a traveling drive force is generated in the rough terrain vehicle. Further, if the determination unit determines occurrence of the reverse running state, the ECU refers to a clutch hydraulic pressure map, and sets a target hydraulic pressure so as to decrease gradually over time.

Claims

1. A rough terrain vehicle comprising:

a forward/reverse movement command unit configured to issue a command for forward or reverse movement;

a traveling drive unit configured to generate a traveling drive force in a direction commanded by the forward/reverse movement command unit responsive to an operation amount of an accelerator pedal, by transmitting an output of an engine to vehicle wheels; and

a determination unit configured to determine whether or not the vehicle is in a reverse running state in which traveling is taking place in a direction opposite to the direction commanded by the forward/reverse movement command unit;

wherein the determination unit determines the reverse running state in a case that an engine rotational speed of the engine decreases when the traveling drive force is generated.

2. The rough terrain vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

a clutch configured to transmit the output of the engine; and

a control unit configured to control the clutch;

wherein if the determination unit determines the reverse running state, the control unit refers to a clutch hydraulic pressure map in which there is indicated a relationship between the engine rotational speed and a hydraulic pressure of the clutch, and decreases the hydraulic pressure of the clutch gradually accompanying a decrease in the engine rotational speed.

3. The rough terrain vehicle according to claim 2, wherein:

the clutch hydraulic pressure map is a map defined by a relationship between the engine rotational speed, an estimated engine rotational speed which is estimated on basis of a vehicle velocity of the rough terrain vehicle, and the hydraulic pressure of the clutch; and

within the clutch hydraulic pressure map, the hydraulic pressure of the clutch is set so as to decrease accompanying a decrease in the engine rotational speed, and to increase accompanying an increase in the estimated engine rotational speed.

4. The rough terrain vehicle according to claim 3, wherein, within the clutch hydraulic pressure map, the hydraulic pressure of the clutch is set so as to decrease accompanying a decrease in a difference between the engine rotational speed and a target value of the engine rotational speed in an idling state, and to increase accompanying an increase in the estimated engine rotational speed.

5. The rough terrain vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the estimated engine rotational speed is calculated from a rotational speed of the vehicle wheels of the rough terrain vehicle, and a gear ratio of a transmission equipped with the clutch.