Vehicle driving arrangement

• US 6,422,333 B1
• Filed: 07/06/2000
• Issued: 07/23/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sauer-Danfoss Holding APS (Bitten Og Mads Clausens Fond)
• Original Assignee: Sauer - Danfoss Holdings A/S
• Inventors: Kjær, Lars, Lindholdt, Per, Flintholm, Asger
• Primary Examiner(s): LERNER, AVRAHAM H
• Application Number:
  US09/611,116
• Time in Patent Office: 747 Days
• Field of Search: 180/197, 180/6.2, 180/6.44, 180/6.48, 180/6.5, 180/233, 180/246, 180/247, 180/242, 701/65, 701/69, 701/74, 701/89, 701/90
• US Class Current: 180/197
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 34/006 Control or measuring arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/02 comprising more than one electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 28/16 responsive to, or preventing, skidding of wheels brake control systems for vehicle drive stability B60T8/1755; arrangements responsive to a speed condition for adjusting wheel braking force B60T8/32; control of vehicle driving stability otherwise than by controlling the propulsion unit only B60W30/02; preventing wheel slippage by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/175 Brake regulation specially adapted to prevent excessive wheel spin during vehicle acceleration, e.g. for traction control safety devices for propulsion unit control responsive to, or preventing, skidding of wheels B60K28/16
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/3205 acceleration B60T8/34, B60T8/52, B60T8/54, B60T8/56, B60T8/58, B60T8/72, B60T8/86, B60T8/88 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2530/16 Driving resistance
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2530/20 Tyre data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/18 Steering angle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/15 Road slope, i.e. the inclination of a road segment in the longitudinal direction
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/105 Output torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/22 Agricultural vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/223 Ridable lawn mowers
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2059/663 Road slope
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 59/52 dependent on the weight of the machine, e.g. change in weight resulting from passengers boarding a bus
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 59/66 Road conditions, e.g. slope, slippery
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/4035 Control of circuit flow
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/472 for achieving a target output torque

Abstract

A vehicle driving arrangement is provided which has at least two driven wheels, the driving torques of which can be individually regulated by a control device, the control device being connected to a sensor arrangement comprising at least one sensor. Using such a driving arrangement, wheel slip is to be prevented. For that purpose, using a signal of the sensor arrangement, the control device continuously ascertains a maximum torque for each wheel, continuously ascertains the driving torque of each wheel and reduces the driving torque by the appropriate amount when the driving torque ascertained no longer complies with a predetermined limit of difference from the maximum torque.

Claims

1. A vehicle driving arrangement having at least two driven wheels, driving torques of which can be individually regulated by a control device, the control device being connected to a sensor arrangement comprising at least one sensor, and in which, using a signal of the sensor arrangement, the control device includes means to continuously ascertain a maximum torque for each wheel where slippage occurs, to continuously ascertain the driving torque of each wheel and to reduce the driving torque for each wheel by an appropriate amount when the driving torque ascertained no longer complies with a predetermined limit of difference from the maximum torque so that slippage does not occur.

2. An arrangement according to claim 1, in which the sensor arrangement includes an inclination sensor.

3. An arrangement according to claim 2, in which the inclination sensor ascertains inclination parallel to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and inclination transverse to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

4. An arrangement according to claim 1, in which the sensor arrangement includes a normal force sensor.

5. An arrangement according to claim 4, in which the normal force sensor comprises a load cell.

6. An arrangement according to claim 4, in which the normal force sensor comprises a pressure transducer which ascertains tire pressure of the driven wheels.

7. An arrangement according to claim 4, in which the normal force sensor also monitors spring behavior of a vehicle spring system.

8. An arrangement according to claim 1, in which the control device is connected to a memory in which vehicle data is located.

9. An arrangement according to claim 8, in which, for predetermined vehicle data-sensor signal combinations, the corresponding maximum torques of the respective wheels are located in the memory in the form of a table.

10. An arrangement according to claim 1, in which the control device is connected to an input device by means of which at least one of ambient and operating parameters can be specified.

11. An arrangement according to claim 1, in which, when the control device reduces the driving torque of one wheel, it increases the driving torque of at least one other wheel.

12. An arrangement according to claim 11, in which the control device produces a warning in an operating situation in which a reduction of the driving torques of all the driven wheels is necessary.

13. An arrangement according to claim 1, in which the control device is connected to a steering angle sensor.

14. An arrangement according to claim 1, in which the vehicle includes auxiliary-power-assisted steering which is connected to the control device, the control device taking the steering behavior of the wheels being steered into consideration when determining the maximum torque.