Apparatus for controlling slip amount of motor vehicle clutch during vehicle starting

• US 5,679,099 A
• Filed: 10/10/1995
• Issued: 10/21/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Maeda, Tomoyuki, Sugihara, Koichi, Kato, Shogo, Taketsuna, Yasuji
• Primary Examiner(s): Marmor, Charles A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rodriguez, Saul
• Application Number:
  US08/541,700
• Time in Patent Office: 742 Days
• Field of Search: 477/70, 477/166, 477/174, 477/175, 477/176, 192/54.3, 192/103 F
• US Class Current: 477/176
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0657 Engine torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/025 Clutch slip, i.e. difference between input and output speeds
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/027 Clutch torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/0644 Engine speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/0666 Engine torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18027 Drive off, accelerating from standstill
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/10412 Transmission line of a vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/3065 Torque of the engine
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/3067 Speed of the engine
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/3068 Speed change of rate of the engine
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/30816 Speed of the input shaft
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/30825 Speed of the output shaft
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/50224 Drive-off
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/7027 Engine speed
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/70282 Time
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/7041 Position
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/70426 Clutch slip
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/7044 Output shaft torque
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 48/066 Control of fluid pressure, e.g. using an accumulator F16D48/062, F16D48/068 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 48/08 Regulating clutch take-up on starting
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2059/142 : of driving resistance calculated from weight, slope, or the like

Abstract

An apparatus for controlling a clutch of a motor vehicle connected to an engine and having a driving and a driven rotating member. The apparatus is capable of controlling an amount of slip of the clutch during starting of the vehicle. The apparatus includes: an engine torque determining device for determining a torque of the engine; a clutch speed monitoring device for determining whether a speed of the driven rotating member has been raised to a level substantially equal to a speed of the engine; a first slip control device for controlling the amount of slip of the clutch such that a clutch torque to be transmitted through the clutch is smaller than the engine torque by a predetermined amount, before the clutch speed monitoring device determines that the speed of the driven rotating member has been raised to the level equal to the engine speed; and a fully engaging device for fully engaging the clutch when the clutch speed monitoring device determines that the speed of the driven rotating member has been raised to the level.

Claims

1. An apparatus for controlling a clutch of a motor vehicle connected to an engine and having a driving and a driven rotating member for transmitting and cutting an output of the engine, said apparatus being capable of controlling an amount of slip of said clutch during starting of the vehicle, said apparatus comprising:

engine torque determining means for determining a torque of said engine;

clutch speed monitoring means for determining whether a speed of said driven rotating member has been raised to a level substantially equal to a speed of said engine;

first slip control means for controlling the amount of slip of said clutch such that a clutch torque to be transmitted through said clutch is smaller than said engine torque by a predetermined first amount, before said clutch speed monitoring means determines that said speed of said driven rotating member has been raised to said level substantially equal to said speed of said engine; and

fully engaging means for fully engaging said clutch when said clutch speed monitoring means determines that said speed of said driven rotating member has been raised to said level.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first slip control means comprises means for determining said predetermined first amount such that said predetermined first amount corresponds to a desired acceleration value of the engine which permits said speed of said engine to be increased while said speed of said driven rotating member of the clutch is increased toward said speed of said engine.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said vehicle includes an automatic transmission having an input shaft connected to said driven rotating member of said clutch, said clutch speed monitoring means comprising a sensor for detecting the speed of the engine and a sensor for detecting a speed of said input shaft as said speed of said driven member.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising vehicle start determining means for determining whether the vehicle is in the process of starting, said first slip control means and said fully engaging means being operable after said vehicle start determining means determines that the vehicle is in the process of starting.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

time lapse determining means for determining whether a predetermined second time has passed after an operation of said first slip control means is initiated; and

second slip control means for controlling the amount of slip of said clutch such that said clutch torque is larger than said engine torque by a predetermined second amount when said time lapse determining means determines that said predetermined second time has passed.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said second slip control means comprises means for determining said predetermined second amount such that said predetermined second amount corresponds to a desired deceleration value of the engine which permits said speed of said driven rotating member to be rapidly increased to said speed of said engine.

7. An apparatus for controlling a clutch of a motor vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

engine speed monitoring means for determining whether said speed of said engine has been lowered below a predetermined lower limit while said clutch is controlled by said second slip control means; and

third slip control means for controlling the amount of slip of said clutch such that said clutch torque is substantially equal to said engine torque after said engine speed monitoring means determines that said speed of said engine has been lowered below said predetermined lower limit.

8. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

target engine acceleration calculating means for calculating a target acceleration of the engine on the basis of said engine torque and said clutch torque;

actual engine acceleration obtaining means for obtaining an actual acceleration of the engine; and

adjusting means for adjusting a drive force for partially engaging said clutch, so as to zero an error between said target acceleration and said actual acceleration of the engine.

9. An apparatus for controlling a clutch of a motor vehicle connected to an engine and having a driving and a driven rotating member for transmitting and cutting an output of the engine, said apparatus being capable of controlling an amount of slip of said clutch during starting of the vehicle, said apparatus comprising:

engine torque determining means for determining a torque of said engine;

clutch speed monitoring means for determining whether a speed of said driven rotating member has been raised to a level substantially equal to a speed of said engine;

first slip control means for controlling the amount of slip of said clutch such that a clutch torque to be transmitted through said clutch is smaller than said engine torque by a predetermined first amount, during an initial first period before said clutch speed monitoring means determines that said speed of said driven rotating member has been raised to said level;

time lapse determining means for determining whether said initial first period has expired;

second slip control means, responsive to said time lapse determining means, for controlling the amount of slip of said clutch such that said clutch torque is larger than said engine torque by a predetermined second amount during a second period following said initial first period before said clutch speed monitoring means determines that said speed of said driven rotating member has been raised to said level; and

fully engaging means for fully engaging said clutch when said clutch speed monitoring means determines that said speed of said driven rotating member has been raised to said level.

10. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said first slip control means comprises means for determining said predetermined second amount such that said predetermined second amount corresponds to a desired acceleration value of the engine which permits the speed of said engine to be increased while the speed of said driven rotating member of said clutch is increased toward said speed of said engine during said initial first period, and said second slip control means comprises means for determining said predetermined second amount such that said predetermined second amount corresponds to a desired deceleration value of said engine which permits the speed of said driven rotating member to be rapidly increased up to the speed of said engine during said second period.

11. An apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising:

engine speed monitoring means for determining whether said speed of said engine has been lowered below a predetermined lower limit while said clutch is controlled by said second slip control means during said second period; and

third slip control means for controlling the amount of slip of said clutch such that said clutch torque is substantially equal to said engine torque after said engine speed monitoring means determines that the speed of said engine has been lowered below said predetermined lower limit.