Control apparatus for hybrid vehicle

• US 6,377,883 B1
• Filed: 08/03/2000
• Issued: 04/23/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Ueda, Kazuhiro, Aoki, Shigeru, Shimabukuro, Eijiro, Tatara, Yusuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuchlinski, Jr., William A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hernandez, Olga
• Application Number:
  US09/631,387
• Time in Patent Office: 628 Days
• Field of Search: 701/51, 701/53, 701/57, 701/62, 701/64, 477/3, 477/5, 477/7, 477/8, 477/13, 477/15, 477/34, 477/39, 477/70, 477/79, 477/80
• US Class Current: 701/51
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/22 characterised by apparatus, components or means specially adapted for HEVs
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/48 Parallel type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/543 the transmission being a continuously variable transmission
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2009 for braking
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/421 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/445 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/486 Operating parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/145 Structure borne vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/02 including control of driveline clutches
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/04 including control of propulsion units
• 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 20/30 Control strategies involving selection of transmission gear ratio control of change speed gearings, together with other vehicle sub-units B60W10/10; HEV transmission gearing B60K6/36; gearings and control thereof F16H
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0676 Engine temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/081 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/1005 Transmission ratio engaged
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/66254 controlling of shifting being influenced by a signal derived from the engine and the main coupling
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 : Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/903 : having energy storing means, e.g. battery, capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/909 : Gearing
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/951 : Assembly or relative location of components

Abstract

By preventing engagement of an engaging part (clutch) under appropriate conditions, it is possible to effectively avoid the so-called surging phenomenon. When there is an engaging directive for the clutch, the rotational speed of the engaging element positioned at the output shaft side of the drive/regeneration motor (the clutch output rotational speed) is detected, and the gear ratio of the CVT is detected, and when the product of the rotational speed of the engaging element and the gear ratio of the CVT is equal to or below a predetermined value, complete engagement between the engaging elements is prevented, and control is conducted which makes the gear ratio large.

Claims

1. A control apparatus applied to hybrid vehicles which are provided with an internal combustion engine, a continuously variable transmission, and an electric motor, where an output shaft of said internal combustion engine is connected to an input side of said continuously variable transmission, and an output side of said continuously variable transmission is connected to an output shaft of said electric motor via an engaging part comprising a pair of engaging elements which are freely engageable and disengageable, and the output shaft of said electric motor is connected to a drive force transmission device coupled to the drive wheels, comprising:

an engaging element controller for controlling engagement and disengagement operations of said engaging elements,

a rotational speed detector for detecting the rotational speed of, among said engaging elements, at least that engaging element positioned at the output shaft side of said electric motor,

a gear ratio detector for detecting a gear ratio of said continuously variable transmission, and

a gear ratio controller for controlling the gear ratio of said continuously variable transmission, wherein

control is conducted so that, when the product of the rotational speed of the engaging element positioned at the output shaft side of said electric motor and the gear ratio of said continuously variable transmission is equal to or below a predetermined value, complete engagement of said engaging elements is prohibited, and said gear ratio is increased.

2. A control apparatus for hybrid vehicles in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a required output calculator for calculating output required of said internal combustion engine is provided, wherein

as said calculated output increases in size, said predetermined value is set so as to be increased.