Power switchover apparatus for a hybrid vehicle

• US 7,303,504 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2005
• Issued: 12/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Ozeki, Takashi, Kojima, Hiroyuki, Tsukada, Yoshiaki, Nakamura, Kazuhiko, Uchisasai, Hiroaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Estremsky; Sherry
• Assistant Examiner(s): YOUNG, EDWIN
• Application Number:
  US11/168,445
• Publication Number:
  US 20060030454A1
• Time in Patent Office: 888 Days
• Field of Search: 477/3, 477/5, 477/77, 903/930
• US Class Current: 477/5
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/383 One-way clutches or freewheel devices
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/405 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/485 Motor-assist type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/543 the transmission being a continuously variable transmission
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/12 Bikes
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/15 with additional electric power supply with capacitors charged by engine-driven generators B60L50/40; with batteries charged by engine-driven generators B60L50/61
• 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 20/30 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: B60Y 2200/12 Motorcycles, Trikes; Quads; Scooters
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/126 Scooters
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 2202/00 Motorised scooters
• CPC Class Codes: B62M 23/02 characterised by the use of two or more dissimilar sources of power, e.g. transmissions for hybrid motorcycles transmissions for wheeled vehicles using rider propulsion with additional source of power B62M6/00
• CPC Class Codes: B62M 7/12 with the engine beside or within the driven wheel
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/93 Conjoint control of different elements

Abstract

To provide a power switchover apparatus for a hybrid vehicle, which can perform power switchover smoothly. Target follow-up control is started, and when the engine speed reaches a clutch-in speed of a starter clutch, the input power shaft of a continuously variable transmission starts rotation. The speed of the output power shaft also begins to gradually rise in response to the starting of rotation. The engine speed then reaches a target, and transmission ratio raising control of raising the transmission ratio based on the difference between the motor speed of a drive shaft and the speed of a driven side pulley is started. The motor speed Nm of the drive motor and the speed of the driven side power transmission pulley then become equal to each other and the one-way clutch is placed into a connected state. Consequently, the transmission ratio raising control is stopped and normal control is entered.

Claims

1. A power switchover apparatus for a hybrid vehicle, the hybrid vehicle including a starting clutch provided between a crankshaft of an engine and an automatic transmission, a one-way clutch interposed between the automatic transmission and a drive shaft, and a drive motor connected to the drive shaft, wherein, upon starting, the one-way clutch is controlled to idle using the motor as a power source, and thereafter, the one-way clutch is connected to switch over the power source to the engine, said power switchover apparatus for a hybrid vehicle comprising:

target rotational speed setting means for setting a target rotational speed of the engine when the power source is to be switched over from the motor to the engine; and

control means for controlling the engine rotational speed and the transmission ratio of the automatic transmission in response to the target rotational speed, said control means including;

means for controlling the engine rotational speed to follow up the target rotational speed; and

means for controlling the transmission ratio of the automatic transmission to rise until the power of the engine is transmitted to the drive shaft while the engine rotational speed remains following up the target rotational speed.

2. The power switchover apparatus for a hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said target rotational speed setting means sets a first target rotational speed of the engine to be used when the power source is to be switched over from the motor to the engine and a second target rotational speed lower than the first target rotational speed, and said control means controls the engine rotational speed to follow up the second target rotational speed, controls the transmission ratio of the automatic transmission to rise until the power of the engine is transmitted to the drive shaft while said control means controls the engine rotational speed to remain following up the second target rotational speed, and controls the transmission ratio of the automatic transmission so that, after the power of the engine is transmitted to the drive shaft, the engine rotational speed is controlled to follow up the first target value, and the rotational speed of the drive shaft is kept fixed irrespective of the rise of the engine rotational speed.

3. The power switchover apparatus for a hybrid vehicle according to claim 2, wherein said means for raising the transmission ratio of the automatic transmission causes the transmission ratio to be raised after the one-way clutch is placed into a connected state.

4. The power switchover apparatus for a hybrid vehicle according to claim 3, wherein said means for raising the transmission ratio of the automatic transmission decides disconnection or connection of the one-way clutch based on a difference in rotational speed between an output power shaft of the automatic transmission and the drive shaft.

5. The power switchover apparatus for a hybrid vehicle according to claim 2, wherein said means for raising the transmission ratio of the automatic transmission starts to raise the transmission ratio when the starting clutch is connected.

6. The power switchover apparatus for a hybrid vehicle according to claim 2, wherein said means for raising the transmission ratio of the automatic transmission starts to raise the transmission ratio when the engine rotational speed reaches the second target rotational speed.

7. The power switchover apparatus for a hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said means for raising the transmission ratio of the automatic transmission causes the transmission ratio to be raised after the one-way clutch is placed into a connected state.

8. The power switchover apparatus for a hybrid vehicle according to claim 7, wherein said means for raising the transmission ratio of the automatic transmission decides disconnection or connection of the one-way clutch based on a difference in rotational speed between an output power shaft of the automatic transmission and the drive shaft.

9. The power switchover apparatus for a hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said means for raising the transmission ratio of the automatic transmission starts to raise the transmission ratio when the engine rotational speed reaches the target rotational speed.

10. The power switchover apparatus for a hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said means for raising the transmission ratio of the automatic transmission starts to raise the transmission ratio when the starting clutch is connected.

11. A power switchover apparatus for a hybrid vehicle, comprising:

a target rotational speed setting device, said target rotational speed setting device setting a target rotational speed of an engine when a power source of the hybrid vehicle is to be switched over from a motor to the engine; and

a control, said control controlling a rotational speed of the engine and a transmission ratio of an automatic transmission in response to the target rotational speed, controlling the engine rotational speed to follow up the target rotational speed and controlling the transmission ratio of the automatic transmission to rise until the power of the engine is transmitted to a drive shaft while the engine rotational speed remains following up the target rotational speed.

12. The power switchover apparatus for a hybrid vehicle according to claim 11, wherein said target rotational speed setting device sets a first target rotational speed of the engine to be used when the power source is to be switched over from the motor to the engine and a second target rotational speed lower than the first target rotational speed, and said control controls the engine rotational speed to follow up the second target rotational speed, controls the transmission ratio of the automatic transmission to rise until the power of the engine is transmitted to the drive shaft while said control controls the engine rotational speed to remain following up the second target rotational speed, and controls the transmission ratio of the automatic transmission so that, after the power of the engine is transmitted to the drive shaft, the engine rotational speed is controlled to follow up the first target value, and the rotational speed of the drive shaft is kept fixed irrespective of the rise of the engine rotational speed.

13. The power switchover apparatus for a hybrid vehicle according to claim 12, wherein said control, that controls the transmission ratio of the automatic transmission to rise, causes the transmission ratio to be raised after a one-way clutch is placed into a connected state.

14. The power switchover apparatus for a hybrid vehicle according to claim 13, wherein said control, that controls the transmission ratio of the automatic transmission to rise, decides disconnection or connection of the one-way clutch based on a difference in rotational speed between an output power shaft of the automatic transmission and the drive shaft.

15. The power switchover apparatus for a hybrid vehicle according to claim 12, wherein said control, that controls the transmission ratio of the automatic transmission to rise, starts to raise the transmission ratio when a starting clutch is connected.

16. The power switchover apparatus for a hybrid vehicle according to claim 12, wherein said control, that controls the transmission ratio of the automatic transmission to rise, starts to raise the transmission ratio when the engine rotational speed reaches the second target rotational speed.

17. The power switchover apparatus for a hybrid vehicle according to claim 11, wherein said control, that controls the transmission ratio of the automatic transmission to rise, causes the transmission ratio to be raised after a one-way clutch is placed into a connected state.

18. The power switchover apparatus for a hybrid vehicle according to claim 17, wherein said control, that controls the transmission ratio of the automatic transmission to rise, decides disconnection or connection of the one-way clutch based on a difference in rotational speed between an output power shaft of the automatic transmission and the drive shaft.

19. The power switchover apparatus for a hybrid vehicle according to claim 11, wherein said control, that controls the transmission ratio of the automatic transmission to rise, starts to raise the transmission ratio when the engine rotational speed reaches the target rotational speed.

20. The power switchover apparatus for a hybrid vehicle according to claim 11, wherein said control, that controls the transmission ratio of the automatic transmission to rise, starts to raise the transmission ratio when a starting clutch is connected.