Hybrid vehicle

• US 6,846,265 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2003
• Issued: 01/25/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2002
• 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: Kitano, Kazuhiko, Yamamoto, Kazuhisa, Ishikawa, Yutaka
• Primary Examiner(s): PANG, ROGER L
• Application Number:
  US10/395,105
• Publication Number:
  US 20030186778A1
• Time in Patent Office: 672 Days
• Field of Search: 477/35, 477174-175, 477/180, 180/65.4
• US Class Current: 477/3
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/485 Motor-assist type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/547 the transmission being a stepped gearing
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/441 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/486 Operating parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/02 including control of driveline clutches
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/026 of lock-up 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 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 2510/0208 Clutch engagement state, e.g. engaged or disengaged
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0604 Throttle position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0638 Engine speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/1015 Input shaft speed, e.g. turbine speed
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/143 using electric control means
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/917 with transmission for changing gear ratio
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/919 Stepped shift
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/946 Characterized by control of driveline clutch
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/947 Characterized by control of braking, e.g. blending of regeneration, friction braking

Abstract

In a hybrid vehicle, power is transmitted via a torque converter provided with a lock-up clutch, and a force input through wheels during deceleration is transmitted to the motor via the torque converter so that a regenerative operation may be carried out by the motor to convert deceleration energy into regenerative energy. The hybrid vehicle includes a throttle opening degree detection unit which detects an opening degree of the throttle; a lock-up clutch engaging state determination unit which determines an engaged state of the lock-up clutch; and a lock-up clutch engagement control unit which controls an engagement of the lock-up clutch. The lock-up clutch engagement control unit, if the throttle opening degree detection unit detects a completely closed state of the throttle, controls the lock-up clutch so as to be engaged regardless of an engaged state of the lock-up clutch determined by the lock-up clutch engaging state determination unit.

Claims

1. A hybrid vehicle including an engine and a motor capable of generating power as a source of power, in which power from at least one of said engine and said motor is transmitted to an output shaft via a torque converter provided with a lock-up clutch and a transmission to be used as a driving force for the vehicle, and a force input through wheels during a deceleration mode of the vehicle is transmitted to said motor via said torque converter and said transmission so that a regenerative operation is carried out by said motor to convert deceleration energy into regenerative energy, said hybrid vehicle comprising:

a throttle opening degree detection unit which detects an opening degree of said throttle;

a lock-up clutch engaging state determination unit which determines a an engaged state of said lock-up clutch;

a lock-up clutch engagement control unit which controls an engagement and non-engagement of said lock-up clutch;

a transmission input shaft revolution rate detection unit which detects a revolution rate of an input shaft of said transmission;

a motor revolution rate detection unit which detects a revolution rate of said motor; and

a motor control unit which drives said motor based on a revolution rate as a target value,

wherein, when said throttle opening degree detection unit detects a completely closed state of said throttle,

said motor control unit carries out a synchronizing control in which the revolution rate of said motor is controlled so as to be synchronized with the revolution rate of said input shaft of said transmission, which is detected by said transmission input shaft revolution rate detection unit, and

said lock-up clutch engagement control unit controls said lock-up clutch so as to be engaged regardless of an engaged state of said lock-up clutch determined by said lock-up clutch engaging state determination unit.

2. A hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said lock-up clutch engagement control unit controls said lock-up clutch so as to be engaged if said lock-up clutch engaging state determination unit determines that said lock-up clutch is in a non-engagement state.

3. A hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising:

a lock-up clutch revolution rate synchronization determination unit which determines synchronization of the revolution rate of said motor with the revolution rate of said input shaft of said transmission, wherein said motor control unit terminates the synchronizing control when it is determined by said lock-up clutch revolution rate synchronization determination unit that synchronization is achieved.

4. A hybrid vehicle according to claim 3, wherein said lock-up clutch revolution rate synchronization determination unit determines whether or not synchronization is achieved based on whether a value satisfies a predetermined condition, said value being obtained by comparing the revolution rate of the input shaft of the transmission, which is detected by said transmission input shaft revolution rate detection unit, with the revolution rate of said motor, which is detected by said motor revolution rate detection unit.

5. A hybrid vehicle according to claim 3, wherein said lock-up clutch revolution rate synchronization determination unit determines that synchronization is achieved when a predetermined time period has elapsed since a start of the synchronizing control by said motor control unit.

6. A hybrid vehicle according to claim 3, further comprising:

a regeneration allowance determination unit which determines allowance and non-allowance of the regenerative operation by said motor, wherein said regeneration allowance determination unit allows the regenerative operation when it is determined by said lock-up clutch revolution rate synchronization determination unit that synchronization is achieved.

7. A hybrid vehicle according to claim 4, further comprising:

a regeneration allowance determination unit which determines allowance and non-allowance of the regenerative operation by said motor, wherein said regeneration allowance determination unit allows the regenerative operation when it is determined by said lock-up clutch revolution rate synchronization determination unit that synchronization is achieved.

8. A hybrid vehicle according to claim 5, further comprising:

a regeneration allowance determination unit which determines allowance and non-allowance of the regenerative operation by said motor, wherein said regeneration allowance determination unit allows the regenerative operation when it is determined by said lock-up clutch revolution rate synchronization determination unit that synchronization is achieved.

9. A hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein when said throttle opening degree detection unit detects a completely closed state of said throttle, said motor control unit terminates the synchronizing control if said lock-up clutch engaging state determination unit determines that said lock-up clutch is engaged.