Electro-magnetic clutch control system for automobiles

• US 4,401,199 A
• Filed: 03/13/1981
• Issued: 08/30/1983
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/1980
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fuji Heavy Industries Limited (Subaru Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Heavy Industries Limited (Subaru Corp.)
• Inventors: Takano, Toshio, Mihashi, Kazutaka, Arasawa, Kohichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Krizmanich, George H.
• Application Number:
  US06/243,672
• Time in Patent Office: 900 Days
• Field of Search: 192/0.052, 192/0.076, 192/0.075, 192/0.07, 192/0.073, 192/21.5, 192/0.092, 192/0.033, 192/103 R, 74/701, 74/866
• US Class Current: 477/80
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/00 Safety devices for propulsion-unit control, specially adapted for, or arranged in, vehicles, e.g. preventing fuel supply or ignition in the event of potentially dangerous conditions for electrically-propelled vehicles B60L3/00; road vehicle drive control systems for purposes not related to the control of a particular sub-unit B60W30/00; drive control systems specially adapted for autonomous road vehicles B60W60/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0638 Engine speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/10 Accelerator pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2037/001 Electric arrangements for clutch control
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2037/002 characterised by a single substantially axial gap in which the fluid or medium consisting of small particles is arranged
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/1022 Electromagnet
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/10475 Magnetic field, e.g. electro-rheological, magnetisable particles
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/30404 Clutch temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/3067 Speed of the engine
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/3108 Vehicle speed
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/3144 Accelerator pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/31466 Gear lever
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/70418 Current
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/7103 Acoustic alarms
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/7105 Inhibit control automatically
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 37/02 the particles being magnetisable
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 48/064 Control of electrically or electromagnetically actuated clutches F16D48/062, F16D48/068 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 48/068 using signals from a manually actuated gearshift linkage

Abstract

A system for controlling an electromagnetic clutch of an internal combustion engine mounted on a vehicle, in accordance with the engine speed and vehicle speed. The electro-magnetic clutch has a drive member secured to a crankshaft of the internal combustion engine, a magnetizing coil provided in the drive member, and a driven member adjacent said drive member. A shift lever switch produces a signal during the operation of a shift lever for the transmission. A speed sensor detects the speed of said vehicle producing a signal when the speed exceeds a predetermined value, and a clutch hold switch produces a signal when the speed of the engine exceeds a predetermined value. Both signals are fed to a control circuit. The control circuit maintains current through the magnetizing coil when the speed sensor and the clutch hold switch produce respective output signals.

Claims

1. A system for controlling an electro magnetic clutch of an internal combustion engine mounted on a vehicle, which has a drive member secured to a crankshaft of said internal combustion engine, a magnetizing coil provided in said drive member, a driven member adjacent said drive member, a transmission secured to said driven member having multi-stage change gears, and a shift lever for operating said transmission, comprising

a shift lever switch means for producing a signal during the operation of said shift lever for disconnecting the magnetizing coil;

a sensor means for detecting the speed of said vehicle and for producing a signal when the speed exceeds a predetermined value;

a clutch hold switch means for producing a signal when the speed of the engine exceeds a predetermined value; and

control means for overriding said shift lever switch means keeping current flowing through said magnetizing coil when said sensor means and said clutch hold switch means produce respectively output signals.

2. A system for controlling an electromagnetic clutch of an internal combustion engine mounted on a vehicle according to claim 1 wherein said clutch hold switch is a switch means operated by an accelerator pedal of said vehicle when the accelerator pedal is depressed a predetermined degree.