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Clutch control apparatus

  • US 4,091,902 A
  • Filed: 05/11/1976
  • Issued: 05/30/1978
  • Est. Priority Date: 05/12/1975
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. An apparatus for controlling a clutch assembly of a driveline of an automotive vehicle having a manually operated power transmission system, said clutch assembly being operative between a fully coupled condition and a fully uncoupled condition through an allowance disengagement range in which the clutch assembly is initiated into motion to couple but stays uncoupled and a partial torque transmission range in which the clutch is partially coupled, comprising a clutch actuating mechanism including a control chamber contractable and expansible between a maximum-volume condition producing said fully coupled condition in the clutch assembly and a minimum-volume condition producing said fully uncoupled condition in the clutch assembly, an electrically operated valve arrangement including a vacuum port for providing communication between said control chamber and a source of vacuum and a plurality of air ports each for providing communication between said control chamber and the open air, said vacuum port being open to develop vacuum in the control chamber for causing the control chamber to contract toward said minimum-volume condition, said air ports having different cross sectional areas and being selectively opened to admit atmospheric air into said control chamber at different rates for causing the control chamber to expand at different rates and accordingly driving the clutch assembly at different velocities toward said fully coupled condition, and an electric control circuit including stationary switch means responsive to transition of the clutch assembly between said allowance disengagement range and said partial torque transmission range and throttle-valve position responsive means responsive to variation in the opening degree of the throttle valve of the mixture supply system of the vehicle engine, said control circuit being operative to cause said valve arrangement to close said vacuum port in response to predetermined conditions in which the clutch assembly is to be coupled, said control circuit being further operative to cause the air port with the largest sectional area to open and communicate with said control chamber when the clutch assembly is operating in said allowance disengagement range and to close in response to the transition of the clutch assembly from the allowance disengagement range to the partial torque transmission range and causing the remaining air ports to selectively open and communicate with said control chamber in response to variation in the throttle opening degree detected by said throttle responsive means when the clutch assembly is engaging.

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