CONTROL DEVICE FOR POWER TRANSMISSION DEVICE FOR VEHICLE

• US 20110127095A1
• Filed: 08/28/2009
• Published: 06/02/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Iwase, Yuji, Imamura, Tatsuya, Imai, Keita, Kumazaki, Kenta, Tabata, Atsushi, Matsubara, Tooru
• Granted Patent: US 8,342,274 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/65.285
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/445 Differential gearing distribution type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/48 Parallel type
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/02 including control of driveline clutches
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/105 of electric type
• 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 20/40 Controlling the engagement or disengagement of prime movers, e.g. for transition between prime movers power-up or power-down of the driveline B60W30/192
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2530/211 Fuel quality, e.g. water content due to age of fuel
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2530/213 Fuel type
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2037/0873 with switching, e.g. to change ranges
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles

Abstract

When an engine is driven on a different type of fuel (for example, ethanol-containing fuel) from a reference fuel (for example, gasoline) and the engine torque is thus greater than that produced when the engine is driven on the reference fuel, a differential state control device expands a non-differential range compared to that at the time when the reference fuel is used. Thus, in the case where a plurality of types of fuel including the reference fuel are supplied to the engine, the advantage of switching a power distribution mechanism between a differential enabled state and a non-differential state can be fully utilized in correspondence with engine torque characteristics which may vary in accordance with the type of fuel for the engine. As a result, the fuel consumption rate can be reduced in correspondence with the plurality of types of fuel supplied to the engine, for example.

Claims

1. A control device for a power transmission device for a vehicle comprising:

an electrical differential part that has a differential mechanism that is coupled between an internal combustion engine and a driving wheel and an electric motor that is coupled to the differential mechanism for power transmission, the electrical differential part controlling a differential state of the differential mechanism by controlling an operating state of the motor;

a differential restriction device that is capable of selectively switching the differential mechanism between a non-differential state in which a differential action of the differential mechanism is disabled and a differential enabled state in which the differential action of the differential mechanism is enabled; and

a differential state control device that, in the case where the internal combustion engine is driven on a different type of fuel from a reference fuel prescribed as a fuel for driving the internal combustion engine and an output torque of the internal combustion engine is thus greater than the output torque of the internal combustion engine produced when the internal combustion engine is driven on the reference fuel, expands a non-differential range, on the basis of which the differential restriction device determines to switch the differential mechanism into the non-differential state, compared to the non-differential range for use when the internal combustion engine is driven on the reference fuel,

wherein in expanding the non-differential range, a switching boundary line is deviated to an increased output torque.

2. The control device for a power transmission device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein a second electric motor is coupled to a power transmission shaft, which transmits an output of the differential mechanism, to apply torque to the power transmission shaft.

3. The control device for a power transmission device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the differential state control device expands the non-differential range as the output torque of the internal combustion engine becomes greater due to a difference in the type of fuel.

4. The control device for a power transmission device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the output torque, of the internal combustion engine is detected on the basis of a reaction torque of the electric motor against the output torque of the internal combustion engine.

5. The control device for a power transmission device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the output torque of the internal combustion engine is detected in the case where an amount of fuel in a fuel tank of the vehicle has increased.

6. The control device for a power transmission device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the output torque of the internal combustion engine is detected in the case where a cap that closes a fuel filler for the fuel tank of the vehicle has been opened.

7. The control device for a power transmission device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein an automatic transmission part is provided in a part of a power transmission path from the internal combustion engine to the driving wheel.

8. The control device for a power transmission device for a vehicle according to claim 7, wherein the automatic transmission part is a speed shift transmission part that is capable of changing its transmission ratio stepwise.

9. The control device for a power transmission device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the electrical differential part functions as a continuously variable transmission that is capable of continuously varying its transmission ratio in the differential enabled state.

10. The control device for a power transmission device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the differential restriction device as a differential state switching device switches the differential mechanism to the non-differential state, using an engagement of a mechanical coupling device, by disenabling the rotation of a certain rotary element among a plurality of rotary elements or causing the whole of the plurality of rotary elements to movie in unitary rotation.