Hybrid Vehicle

• US 6,227,997 B1
• Filed: 06/02/1999
• Issued: 05/08/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Fujisawa, Yutaka, Harada, Chiaki
• Primary Examiner(s): ESTREMSKY, SHERRY LYNN
• Application Number:
  US09/323,884
• Time in Patent Office: 706 Days
• Field of Search: 477/5, 477/13, 477/87, 192/3.56, 192/3.63
• US Class Current: 477/5
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2006/268 Electric drive motor starts the engine, i.e. used as starter motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/442 Series-parallel switching type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/543 the transmission being a continuously variable transmission
• 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 10/08 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 20/40 Controlling the engagement or disengagement of prime movers, e.g. for transition between prime movers power-up or power-down of the driveline B60W30/192
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18036 Reversing
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/10475 Magnetic field, e.g. electro-rheological, magnetisable particles
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/1066 Hybrid
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/1088 CVT
• 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 2500/7041 Position
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/70418 Current
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/66 : specially adapted for continuously variable gearings control of exclusively fluid gearing F16H61/38
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 : Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/918 : Continuously variable
• 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 hybrid vehicle is driven by an engine and/or motor by tightening and releasing a clutch interposed between the engine and a transmission. A selector lever position is detected, and a clutch current is interrupted when the selector lever is not in a range for forward motion. In this way, the clutch current is forcibly interrupted when the vehicle is not moving forward, so tightening of the clutch is definitively prevented even if a clutch current control CPU operates incorrectly.

Claims

1. A hybrid vehicle which is equipped with an engine and a motor as a power source, comprising:

a transmission connected to said motor,

a clutch interposed between said engine and motor,

drive wheels connected to said transmission,

a selector lever for selecting an operating mode from plural modes of said transmission, said operating modes comprising a forward running mode,

a sensor for detecting a position of said selector lever, and

a clutch current interrupting circuit for forcibly interrupting a current output to said clutch when said selector lever is in a position corresponding to a mode other than said forward running mode.

2. A hybrid vehicle as defined in claim 1, wherein said operating modes of said transmission further comprise a parking mode, a reverse running mode and a neutral mode.

3. A hybrid vehicle as defined in claim 1 further comprising:

a generator connected to said engine and

a determining circuit for determining to use said engine only for power generation,

wherein said clutch current interrupting circuit forcibly interrupts current output to said clutch also when said determining circuit determines to use said engine only for power generation.