Apparatus and method for controlling a torque transmitting system

• US 6,358,186 B1
• Filed: 03/20/1997
• Issued: 03/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co.KG (INA-Holding Schaeffler GmbH & Co. KG)
• Original Assignee: Luk Getriebe-Systeme GmbH
• Inventors: Henneberger, Klaus, Kosik, Franz, Reuschel, Michael, Grass, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Marmor, Charles A
• Assistant Examiner(s): PANG, ROGER L
• Application Number:
  US08/821,001
• Time in Patent Office: 1,825 Days
• Field of Search: 477/79, 477/86, 477/166, 477/168, 477/169, 477/174, 477/175, 477/179, 477/180, 477/904, 477/905, 477/12
• US Class Current: 477/176
• 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 2500/30806 Engaged transmission ratio
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/3101 Detection of a brake actuation by a sensor on the brake brake pedal actuation F16D2500/31426
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/3107 Vehicle weight
• 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 2500/50623 Preventing transmission load change
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/5104 Preventing failures
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/5114 Failsafe
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/70252 Clutch torque
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/7027 Engine speed
• 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

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for controlling a torque transmitting system and the torque transmittable by the torque transmitting system in a power train of a vehicle with a transmission and an engine, and with at least one actuator controllable by a control unit, such as an actuating unit, for operating the torque transmitting system. This is accomplished in that, in at least one operating state, such as starting or acceleration state, the control unit shifts between at least two operating states of the torque transmitting system in which the system transmitting different torques, so that a different, such as a higher or a lower, torque can be selected and transmitted in the respective operating states for providing a different, such as a higher or a lower, torque to power the vehicle.

Claims

1. Apparatus for regulating the transmission of torque by an adjustable automated torque transmitting system in the power train of an acceleratable motor vehicle wherein an energy consuming prime mover is arranged to furnish a variable prime mover torque and has a variable-RPM output element and a transmission is shiftable into a plurality of different gears, one of said system and said transmission being arranged to transmit torque to the other of said system and said transmission, comprising:

a control unit arranged to receive and process a plurality of signals and having an output for processed signals;

means for transmitting to said control unit first signals denoting the acceleration of the vehicle;

means for transmitting to said control unit second signals denoting the positions of a multiple-position member for selecting the rate of energy consumption by the prime mover; and

at least one actuator responsive to said processed signals to regulate the transmission of torque by said system,

said system being adjustable to assume a plurality of conditions when the acceleration of the vehicle is below a predetermined value and said member assumes a predetermined position, said conditions including a first condition in which the magnitude of the torque being transmitted by said system decreases with an attendant rise of the RPM of said output element, and a second condition in which the torque being transmitted by said system increases with attendant rise of the prime mover torque.

2. A method of regulating the transmission of torque by an adjustable automated torque transmitting system in the power train of an acceleratable motor vehicle wherein an energy consuming prime mover is arranged to furnish a variable prime mover torque and has a variable-RPM output element and a transmission shiftable into a plurality of different gears, wherein one of said system and said transmission is arranged to transmit torque to the other of said system and said transmission, wherein a control unit is arranged to receive and process a plurality of signals and has an output for processed signals, and wherein at least one actuator is responsive to signals processed by the control unit to automatically regulate the transmission of torque by said system, comprising the steps of:

generating and automatically transmitting to the control unit signals denoting the condition of the vehicle including generating signals denoting the acceleration of the vehicle and the rate of energy consumption by the vehicle; and

regulating said system to assume a plurality of conditions when the acceleration of the vehicle at a predetermined energy consumption by the prime mover is below a predetermined value, said conditions including

a first condition in which the magnitude of the torque being transmitted by said system decreases at least slightly with attendant rise of the RPM of the output element, and

a second condition in which the torque being transmitted by said system increases with attendant increase of the prime mover torque.

3. An apparatus for regulating an amount of transmittable torque that can be transmitted from an input side to an output side of an adjustable automated torque-transmitting system in the power train of a motor vehicle, the motor vehicle having an engine generating an engine torque through an output element rotating at a variable engine rpm-rate and a transmission shiftable into a plurality of different gears, said apparatus comprising:

a control unit arranged to receive and process a plurality of input signals and having an output for control signals;

means for transmitting to said control unit a first input signal indicating an acceleration of the motor vehicle;

means for transmitting to said control unit a second input signal indicating a pedal position of an accelerator pedal of the motor vehicle; and

at least one actuator that regulates said amount of transmittable torque in response to one of said control signals;

wherein

A) if said first input signal indicates an acceleration that is too low in relation to said pedal position, the control unit causes the actuator to perform an automatic change between degrees of actuation that correspond to different amounts of transmittable torque, where in a first phase One of said automatic change, the amount of transmittable torque is at least slightly lowered, causing the engine rpm-rate to increase; and

in a first phase Two of said automatic change, the transmittable torque is raised to be higher than before the automatic change, so that a larger amount of engine torque is made available to accelerate the motor vehicle; and

B) if said first input signal indicates an acceleration that is too high in relation to said pedal position, the control unit causes the actuator to perform an automatic change between degrees of actuation that correspond to different amounts of transmittable torque, where in a second phase One of said automatic change, the amount of transmittable torque is at least slightly raised; and

in a second phase Two of said automatic change, the transmittable torque is decreased to be lower than before the automatic change, so that a lesser amount of engine torque is made available to accelerate the motor vehicle.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising means for transmitting to said control unit a third input signal indicating an operating state of the motor vehicle selected from the operating states of take-off and acceleration, wherein the control unit causes the actuator to perform said automatic change if said third input signal is present.

5. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the control unit is further arranged to receive, register and process data sets that include said input signals, sensor signals, values of operating variables, and values of operating parameters, and wherein the control unit causes the actuator to perform said automatic change dependent on said data sets.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the control unit compares at least one of said data sets to at least one prescribed threshold value, said threshold value representing a border between an acceleration that is too low and an acceleration that is too high, and wherein the control unit causes the actuator to perform said automatic change if said comparison indicates that the at least one data set being compared meets at least one of the conditions of having arrived at the threshold and of having passed through the threshold.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein at least one of said data sets is received, registered and processed as a function of time and wherein the control unit causes the actuator to perform said automatic change if said at least one condition has occurred within a predetermined amount of time.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the at least one data set being compared is constituted by the second input signal.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the at least one data set being compared is representative of a transmission input rpm-rate.

10. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein:

if condition A) applies, a target value is set for the transmittable torque to be available after the automatic change that is higher than the current transmittable torque and wherein in the first phase Two of said automatic change, the transmittable torque is raised to said higher target value; and

if condition B) applies, a target value is set for the transmittable torque to be available after the automatic change that is lower than the current transmittable torque and wherein in the second phase Two of said automatic change, the transmittable torque is lowered to said lower target value.

11. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the control unit regulates the transmittable torque to a target torque level M_kset, said target torque level M_kset being a function of the engine rpm-rate and being mathematically described by the equation M_kset=k*f(n_mot).

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the control unit selects the factor k in a range from 0 to k_max and wherein further, the control unit changes said selection of the factor k at the time of said automatic change.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the torque-transmitting system delivers an output torque at the output side and wherein, if condition A) applies, the control unit controls the transmittable torque in such a manner that the output torque is increased.

14. A method of regulating an amount of transmittable torque that can be transmitted from an input side to an output side of an adjustable automated torque-transmitting system in the power train of a motor vehicle, the motor vehicle comprising an engine generating an engine torque through an output element rotating at a variable engine rpm-rate, a transmission shiftable into a plurality of different gears, and a control unit arranged to receive and process a plurality of data sets that include a first input signal indicating an acceleration of the motor vehicle, a second input signal indicating a pedal position of an accelerator pedal of the motor vehicle, and a third input signal indicating an operating state of the motor vehicle selected from the operating states of take-off and acceleration;

the method comprising the steps of;

a) determining the operating state from the third input signal;

b) determining from the first and second input signals if the acceleration is within a prescribed range in relation to said pedal position; and

c1) if the acceleration is too low, issuing a first control signal that will cause the actuator to perform an automatic change between degrees of actuation that correspond to different amounts of transmittable torque, in such a manner that in a first phase One of said automatic change, the amount of transmittable torque is at least slightly lowered, causing the engine rpm-rate to increase; and

in a first phase Two of said automatic change, the transmittable torque is raised to be higher than before the automatic change, so that a larger amount of engine torque is made available to accelerate the motor vehicle;

c2) if the acceleration is too high, issuing a second control signal that will cause the actuator to perform an automatic change between degrees of actuation that correspond to different amounts of transmittable torque, in such a manner that in a second phase One of said automatic change, the amount of transmittable torque is at least slightly increased; and

in a second phase Two of said automatic change, the transmittable torque is decreased to be lower than before the automatic change, so that a lesser amount of engine torque is made available to accelerate the motor vehicle.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the third input signal indicates said operating state by signaling to the control unit at least one of a depressed state of the accelerator pedal, a non-activated state of a vehicle brake, and an engaged state of one of the gears of the transmission.

16. The method according to claim 14, within the control unit is arranged to receive and process at least one of said plurality of data sets as a function of time, so that said at least one data set represents a measure for at least one of vehicle speed and vehicle acceleration;

wherein the method further comprises the steps of prescribing a magnitude of a threshold value and of comparing said at least one data set to said threshold value.

17. An apparatus for regulating an amount of transmittable torque that can be transmitted from an input side to an output side of an adjustable automated torque-transmitting system in the power train of a motor vehicle, the motor vehicle having an engine generating an engine torque through an output element rotating at a variable engine rpm-rate and a transmission shiftable into a plurality of different gears, said apparatus comprising:

a control unit arranged to receive and process a plurality of input signals and having an output for control signals;

means for transmitting to said control unit a first input signal indicating an acceleration of the motor vehicle;

means for transmitting to said control unit a second input signal indicating a pedal position of an accelerator pedal of the motor vehicle; and

at least one actuator that regulates said amount of transmittable torque in response to one of said control signals;

wherein if said first input signal indicates an acceleration that is too low in relation to said pedal position, the control unit causes the actuator to perform an automatic change between degrees of actuation that correspond to different amounts of transmittable torque, where in a first phase of said automatic change, the amount of transmittable torque is at least slightly lowered, causing the engine rpm-rate to increase; and

in a second phase of said automatic change, the transmittable torque is raised to be higher than before the automatic change, so that a larger amount of engine torque is made available to accelerate the motor vehicle.

18. An apparatus for regulating an amount of transmittable torque that can be transmitted from an input side to an output side of an adjustable automated torque-transmitting system in the power train of a motor vehicle, the motor vehicle having an engine generating an engine torque through an output element rotating at a variable engine rpm-rate and a transmission shiftable into a plurality of different gears, said apparatus comprising:

a control unit arranged to receive and process a plurality of input signals and having an output for control signals;

means for transmitting to said control unit a first input signal indicating an acceleration of the motor vehicle;

means for transmitting to said control unit a second input signal indicating a pedal position of an accelerator pedal of the motor vehicle; and

at least one actuator that regulates said amount of transmittable torque in response to one of said control signals;

wherein if said first input signal indicates an acceleration that is too high in relation to said pedal position, the control unit causes the actuator to perform an automatic change between degrees of actuation that correspond to different amounts of transmittable torque, where in a first phase of said automatic change, the amount of transmittable torque is at least slightly raised; and

in a second phase of said automatic change, the transmittable torque is decreased to be lower than before the automatic change, so that a lesser amount of engine torque is made available to accelerate the motor vehicle.