Control apparatus for vehicular drive system

• US 20070105679A1
• Filed: 05/26/2006
• Published: 05/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Inoue, Yuji, Tabata, Atsushi, Kamada, Atsushi
• Granted Patent: US 7,503,870 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 475/5
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/02 comprising more than one electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/365 with the gears having orbital motion
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/40 characterised by the assembly or relative disposition of components
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/445 Differential gearing distribution type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/543 the transmission being a continuously variable transmission
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/547 the transmission being a stepped gearing
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/08 including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/115 with planetary gears
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/00 Control systems specially adapted for hybrid vehicles hybrid vehicle design, B60K6/00; electric vehicles B60L
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/30 Control strategies involving selection of transmission gear ratio control of change speed gearings, together with other vehicle sub-units B60W10/10; HEV transmission gearing B60K6/36; gearings and control thereof F16H
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/19 Improvement of gear change, e.g. by synchronisation or smoothing gear shift
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2200/0043 the gear ratios comprising four forward speeds
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2200/0047 the gear ratios comprising five forward speeds
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2200/2007 with two sets of orbital gears
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2200/201 with three sets of orbital gears
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2200/2046 with six engaging means
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2200/2048 with seven engaging means
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 3/66 composed of a number of gear trains without drive passing from one train to another
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 3/728 with means to change ratio in the mechanical gearing
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles

Abstract

A control apparatus for a vehicular drive system including a continuously-variable transmission portion operable as an electrically controlled continuously variable transmission, and a step-variable transmission portion, the continuously variable transmission portion having a differential mechanism operable to distribute an output of an engine to a first electric motor and a power transmitting member, and a second electric motor disposed in a power transmitting path between the power transmitting member and a drive wheel of a vehicle. The control apparatus including a differential-state limiting device provided in the differential mechanism, and operable to limit a differential function of the differential mechanism, for limiting an operation of the continuously-variable transmission portion as the electrically controlled continuously variable transmission, and an electric-motor control portion for controlling a drive-force assisting operation to generate an assisting drive force to drive the vehicle during a shifting action of the step-variable transmission portion, in different manners depending upon whether the continuously-variable transmission portion is placed in a continuously-variable shifting or a non-continuously-variable shifting state.

Claims

1. A control apparatus for a vehicular drive system including a continuously-variable transmission portion operable as an electrically controlled continuously variable transmission, and a step-variable transmission portion, said continuously variable transmission portion having a differential mechanism operable to distribute an output of an engine to a first electric motor and a power transmitting member, and a second electric motor disposed in a power transmitting path between the power transmitting member and a drive wheel of a vehicle, said step-variable transmission portion constituting a part of said power transmitting path, said control apparatus comprising:

a differential-state limiting device provided in said differential mechanism, and operable to limit a differential function of said differential mechanism, for limiting an operation of said continuously-variable transmission portion as said electrically controlled continuously variable transmission; and

an electric-motor control portion for controlling a drive-force assisting operation to generate an assisting drive force to drive the vehicle during a shifting action of said step-variable transmission portion, in different manners depending upon whether said continuously-variable transmission portion is placed in a continuously-variable shifting state in which said continuously-variable transmission portion is operable as said electrically controlled continuously variable transmission, or a non-continuously-variable shifting state in which the continuously-variable transmission portion is not operable as said electrically controlled continuously variable transmission.

2. The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said electric-motor control portion controls the drive-force assisting operation such that an amount of said assisting drive force is larger in the non-continuously-variable shifting state of said continuously-variable transmission portion than in the continuously-variable shifting state.

3. The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said electric-motor control portion initiates the drive-force assisting operation at an earlier point of time when said continuously-variable transmission portion is placed in the non-continuously-variable shifting state than when the continuously-variable transmission portion is placed in the continuously-variable shifting state.

4. The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an output shaft of said step-variable transmission portion is operatively connected to an electric motor, and said drive-force assisting operation is performed by said electric motor operatively connected to the output shaft of said step-variable transmission portion.

5. The control apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said electric motor operatively connected to the output shaft of said step-variable transmission portion is said second electric motor.

6. The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said electric-motor control portion is operable to determine an amount of said assisting drive force, and a moment of initiation of said drive-force assisting operation, so as to obtain substantially the same shifting response in the continuously-variable shifting state and the non-continuously-variable shifting state of the continuously-variable transmission portion

7. The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said differential-state limiting device is operable to place said differential mechanism in a differential state in which the differential mechanism has the differential function, for thereby placing said continuously-variable transmission portion in the continuously-variable shifting state in which the continuously-variable transmission portion is operable as said electrically controlled continuously variable transmission, and to place the differential mechanism in a non-differential state in which the differential function of the differential mechanism is limited, for thereby placing the continuously-variable transmission portion in the non-continuously-variable shifting state in which the operation of the continuously-variable transmission portion as the electrically controlled continuously variable transmission is limited.

8. The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said differential mechanism has a first element connected to said engine, a second element connected to said first electric motor and a third element connected to said power transmitting member, and said differential limiting device is operable to place said differential mechanism in a differential state in which said first, second and third elements of said differential mechanism are rotatable relative to each other, and to place the differential mechanism in a non-differential state in which said first, second and third elements are rotatable as a unit, or said second element is held stationary.

9. The control apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said differential limiting device includes a clutch operable to connect any two of said, first, second and third elements of said differential mechanism to each other for rotating the first, second and third elements as a unit, and/or a brake operable to fix the second element to a stationary member for holding said second element stationary.

10. The control apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said differential limiting device includes both of said clutch and brake, and said clutch and brake are released to place said differential mechanism in said differential state in which at least said second and third elements are rotatable at respective different speeds, and in which the differential mechanism is operable as an electrically controlled differential device, said clutch being engaged to permit said differential mechanism to be operable as a transmission having a speed ratio of 1, or said brake being engaged to permit the differential mechanism to be operable as a speed-increasing transmission having a speed ratio lower than 1.

11. The control apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said differential mechanism is a planetary gear set, and said first element is a carrier of the planetary gear set, and said second element is a sun gear of the planetary gear set, while said third element is a ring gear of the planetary gear set.

12. The control apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said planetary gear set is of a single-pinion type.

13. The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an overall speed ratio of the vehicular drive system is defined by a speed ratio of said continuously-variable transmission portion and a speed ratio of said step-variable transmission portion.

14. The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said transmission portion is a step-variable automatic transmission portion.