Control system for vehicular drive unit

• US 5,735,770 A
• Filed: 11/22/1996
• Issued: 04/07/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Tsuzuki, Shigeo, Omote, Kenji
• Primary Examiner(s): Wright, Dirk
• Application Number:
  US08/754,996
• Time in Patent Office: 501 Days
• Field of Search: 477/2, 477/5
• US Class Current: 477/5
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/365 with the gears having orbital motion
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/48 Parallel type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/547 the transmission being a stepped gearing
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/02 including control of driveline clutches
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/08 including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/10 including control of change-speed gearings
• 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 2510/083 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/10 Change speed gearings
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18027 Drive off, accelerating from standstill
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2200/0043 the gear ratios comprising four forward speeds
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 3/725 with means to change ratio in the mechanical gearing
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/04 Smoothing ratio shift
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/903 having energy storing means, e.g. battery, capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/91 Orbital, e.g. planetary gears
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/919 Stepped shift
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/945 Characterized by control of gearing, e.g. control of transmission ratio
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/946 Characterized by control of driveline clutch

Abstract

A control system for a vehicular drive unit including an engine 1, a motor/generator 2, a transmission 4, and a planetary gear 30 connected to the engine through a starting clutch 31 and to the motor/generator and the transmission. The control system includes a motor drive control acting as a program in an ECU 70 for driving the motor/generator in a predetermined direction prior to the application of the starting clutch at a split starting time of a vehicle, when the starting clutch is applied to interlock the engine and the motor/generator through the planetary gear to output a reaction of an engine output torque to the motor/generator.

Claims

1. A control system for a drive unit of a vehicle comprising:

an engine;

a motor/generator;

a transmission;

a planetary gear connected to said engine through a starting clutch, to said motor/generator and to said transmission; and

a motor drive controller driving said motor/generator in a predetermined direction prior to the application of said starting clutch at a split starting time of the vehicle, when said starting clutch is applied to interlock said engine and said motor/generator through said planetary gear to output a reaction of an engine output torque to said motor/generator.

2. The control system for a vehicular drive unit according to claim 1,

wherein said motor drive controller changes the drive force of said motor/generator in accordance with an inertia torque of said motor/generator.

3. The control system for a vehicular drive unit according to claim 2,

wherein said motor drive controller changes the drive force of said motor/generator such that the RPM of a rotary component of said planetary gear, as connected to said engine, synchronizes with the engine RPM.

4. A control system for a vehicular drive unit of a vehicle comprising:

engine means for supplying driving power to said vehicle;

motor/generator means for driving the engine in a drive state and generating electric power in a driven state;

transmission means for driving wheels of said vehicle;

planetary gear means for connecting said engine, through a starting clutch, to said motor/generator means and to said transmission means;

motor drive means for driving said motor/generator means in a predetermined direction prior to the application of said starting clutch at a split starting time of a vehicle, when said starting clutch is applied to interlock said engine means and said motor/generator means through said planetary gear means to output a reaction of an engine means output torque to said motor/generator means.

5. The control system for a vehicular drive unit according to claim 4, wherein said motor drive means changes the drive force of said motor/generator means in accordance with an inertia torque of said motor/generator means.

6. The control system for a vehicular drive unit according to claim 5, wherein said motor drive means changes the drive force of said motor/generator means such that the RPM of a rotary component of said planetary gear means, as connected to said engine means, synchronizes with the engine means RPM.

7. A method of controlling a vehicular drive unit of a vehicle comprising the steps of:

supplying driving power to said vehicle with an engine;

driving the engine in a drive state and generating electric power from said engine in a driven state with a motor/generator;

driving the wheels of said vehicle with a transmission of said vehicle;

connecting said engine, through a starting clutch, to said motor/generator and to said transmission with a planetary gear;

driving said motor/generator in a predetermined direction prior to the application of said starting clutch at a split starting time of the vehicle, when said starting clutch is applied to interlock said engine and said motor/generator through said planetary gear to output a reaction of an engine output torque to said motor/generator.

8. The method of controlling a vehicular drive system according to claim 7, wherein the step of driving said motor/generator further includes changing the drive force of said motor/generator in accordance with an inertia torque of said motor/generator.

9. The method of controlling a vehicular drive system according to claim 8, wherein the step of driving said motor/generator further includes changing the drive force of said motor/generator such that the RPM of a rotary component of said planetary gear, as connected to said engine, synchronizes with the engine RPM.