Method of and apparatus for regulating crawling movements of motor vehicles
First Claim
1. In a motor vehicle, a power train comprising a prime mover;
- a transmission system shiftable into a plurality of different gears;
an automated torque transmitting system actuatable to assume engaged and disengaged conditions as well as partly engaged conditions for transmission of torque at a rate which, when said transmission system is in one of said gears and said torque transmitting system assumes at least one of said partly engaged conditions, results in a crawling movement of the vehicle; and
means for operating said automated system including a signal receiving and signal transmitting control unit and means for actuating said automated system for transmission of torque at said rate in response to signals from said control unit to repeatedly ensure predetermined crawling movements of the vehicle, said system being arranged to transmit torque which is changeable between a first value and a second value and at least one of (a) the torque of said prime mover and (b) the rise of torque being transmitted by said prime mover at least approximating a predeterminable value when the torque being transmitted by said system at least approximates said second value.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A power train in a motor vehicle has an automated clutch which is operated by a control unit by way of an actuator. The control unit receives signals from various parts of the engine, from the brake or brakes and from the transmission; such signals are processed and transmitted to the clutch by way of the actuator so that, when the vehicle is to carry out a crawling movement, the torque being transmitted by the then partly engaged clutch is properly related to the engine torque to ensure a predictable crawling movement of the vehicle regardless of eventual shifts of the operating point of the clutch and/or fluctuations of other parameters of the engine, transmission and/or clutch. The crawling movement can begin when the brake(s) is or are idle, the gas pedal is not depressed, and the engine is running; and crawling movement begins in response to shifting of the transmission into gear.
40 Citations
52 Claims
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1. In a motor vehicle, a power train comprising a prime mover;
- a transmission system shiftable into a plurality of different gears;
an automated torque transmitting system actuatable to assume engaged and disengaged conditions as well as partly engaged conditions for transmission of torque at a rate which, when said transmission system is in one of said gears and said torque transmitting system assumes at least one of said partly engaged conditions, results in a crawling movement of the vehicle; and
means for operating said automated system including a signal receiving and signal transmitting control unit and means for actuating said automated system for transmission of torque at said rate in response to signals from said control unit to repeatedly ensure predetermined crawling movements of the vehicle, said system being arranged to transmit torque which is changeable between a first value and a second value and at least one of (a) the torque of said prime mover and (b) the rise of torque being transmitted by said prime mover at least approximating a predeterminable value when the torque being transmitted by said system at least approximates said second value. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
- a transmission system shiftable into a plurality of different gears;
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4. In a motor vehicle, a power train comprising an energy consuming, variable-speed, variable torque transmitting prime mover;
- at least one brake engageable to influence the speed of the vehicle;
a member operable to regulate the admission of energy to said prime mover;
a transmission shiftable into a plurality of gears;
an automated torque transmitting system actuatable to assume engaged and disengaged conditions as well as partly engaged conditions;
means for operating said system including a signal receiving, processing and transmitting control unit, and means for actuating said system in response to signals from said control unit; and
means for transmitting to said control unit signals denoting the condition of said at least one brake, the condition of said member, and changes of torque being transmitted by at least one of said prime mover and said system, said control unit comprising means for comparing torques being transmitted by said system with torques being transmitted by said prime mover and for causing, in the disengaged condition of said at least one brake and in the non-operated condition of said member, said system to assume that one of said partly engaged conditions in which the vehicle is crawling in response to shifting of said transmission into one of said gears with a resulting change of torque being transmitted by said system from a first value to a second value, at least one of (a) the torque of said prime mover and (b) the rise of torque being transmitted by said prime mover at least approximating a predeterminable value when the torque being transmitted by said system at least approximates said second value. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
- at least one brake engageable to influence the speed of the vehicle;
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42. In a motor vehicle, a power train comprising an energy consuming, variable-speed variable torque transmitting prime mover;
- at least one brake engageable to influence the speed of the vehicle;
a member operable to regulate the admission of energy to said prime mover;
a transmission shiftable into a plurality of gears;
an automated torque transmitting system actuatable to assume engaged and disengaged conditions as well as partly engaged conditions;
means for operating said system including a signal receiving, processing and transmitting control unit, and means for actuating said system in response to signals from said control unit; and
means for transmitting to said control unit signals denoting the condition of said member, and the torque being transmitted by said prime mover in the at least substantially disengaged and in at least partially engaged conditions of said system, said control unit comprising means for causing, in the disengaged condition of said at least one brake and in the non-operated condition of said member, said system to assume that one of a plurality of partly engaged conditions in which the vehicle is crawling in response to shifting of said transmission into one of said gears with a resulting rise of torque being transmitted by said system from a first value to a higher second value which is reached when a difference between the torques being transmitted by said prime mover in said at least one substantially disengaged and said at least one partly engaged conditions of said system assumes a preselected value. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45)
- at least one brake engageable to influence the speed of the vehicle;
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46. A method of varying the condition of an automated torque transmitting system which has engaged and disengaged conditions and a plurality of partly engaged conditions and is installed in a power train of a motor vehicle wherein the power train further comprises a torque transmitting prime mover, a transmission shiftable into a plurality of gears, means for operating the torque transmitting system including a signal receiving and signal transmitting control unit and actuating means arranged to effect changes in the condition of the torque transmitting system in response to signals from the control unit, and means for transmitting to the control unit first signals denoting the torque being transmitted by the prime mover and second signals denoting differences between varying torques Mk1 and Mk2 being transmitted by the torque transmitting system on the one hand and varying torques being transmitted by the prime mover on the other hand, comprising the steps of:
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ascertaining the torque Mmot1 being transmitted by the prime mover in at least substantially disengaged condition of the torque transmitting system; shifting the transmission into gear to effect a crawling movement of the vehicle in response to a change in the condition of the torque transmitting system to a partly engaged condition with attendant rise of the torque being transmitted by the torque transmitting system from a first to a second value while each vehicle brake is disengaged and the gas pedal is idle; ascertaining the torque Mmot2 of the prime mover during said shifting of the transmission into gear; thereafter increasing the torque being transmitted by the prime mover; comparing the difference Mk2-Mk1 with the difference Mmot2-Mmot1; and raising Mk2 until one of Mmot2-Mmot1 and Mmot2 matches a preselected torque. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52)
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Specification