Control system for a clutch for a vehicle

• US 4,792,027 A
• Filed: 06/19/1987
• Issued: 12/20/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fuji Heavy Industries Limited (Subaru Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Heavy Industries Limited (Subaru Corp.)
• Inventors: Ohkumo, Hiroya
• Primary Examiner(s): Bonck, Rodney H.
• Application Number:
  US07/065,028
• Time in Patent Office: 550 Days
• Field of Search: 192/0.032, 192/0.076, 192/21.5
• US Class Current: 477/176
• 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 10/107 with endless flexible members
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0241 Clutch slip, i.e. difference between input and output speeds
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0604 Throttle position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0638 Engine speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/021 Clutch engagement state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18 Propelling the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/66 specially adapted for continuously variable gearings control of exclusively fluid gearing F16H61/38
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/66259 using electrical or electronical sensing or control means

Abstract

A system for controlling an electromagnetic clutch for a motor vehicle at starting of the motor vehicle. When the clutch slips and engine speed does not change, a stall signal representing a stall condition is produced. A reference clutch current is provided in accordance with opening degree of a throttle valve of the engine at the stall condition. Clutch current in the stall condition is controlled so as to coincide with the reference clutch current.

Claims

1. A system for controlling an electromagnetic clutch for transmitting power of an engine to driving wheels of a motor vehicle comprising:

first means for providing a clutch current for the clutch which increases with increase of speed of the engine;

detectors for detecting a slipping state of the clutch at start of the vehicle and for producing a slip signal;

second means responsive to the slip signal for producing a stall signal when changing rate of the engine speed at the start of the vehicle is small;

third means responsive to the stall signal for producing a current signal representing a clutch current at that time;

fourth means for providing a reference stall current in accordance with load on the engine;

a comparator for comparing the clutch current represented by the current signal with the reference stall current and for producing an output signal dependent on the difference between both currents; and

fifth means for correcting the current signal in accordance with the output of the comparator so that the clutch current represented by the current signal coincides with the reference stall current.

2. The system according to claim 1 wherein the load on the engine is represented by opening degree of a throttle valve of the engine.

3. The system according to claim 1 wherein the reference stall current is derived from a lookup table storing a plurality of reference stall currents.