Drive apparatus for hybrid vehicle and control method and control device thereof

• US 7,347,803 B2
• Filed: 10/26/2005
• Issued: 03/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Yamaguchi, Yasuo, Kobayashi, Yasuhiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Estremsky; Sherry
• Assistant Examiner(s): YOUNG, EDWIN
• Application Number:
  US11/257,998
• Publication Number:
  US 20060089232A1
• Time in Patent Office: 881 Days
• Field of Search: 477/5, 477/167
• US Class Current: 477/5
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2006/268 Electric drive motor starts the engine, i.e. used as starter motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/48 Parallel type
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2054 by controlling transmissions or clutches
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/423 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/486 Operating parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/507 Operating parameters
• 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 10/06 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 2510/0275 Clutch torque
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/10412 Transmission line of a vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/1045 Friction clutch
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/1066 Hybrid
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/3115 Vehicle wheel speed
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/3144 Accelerator pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/70406 Pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/7044 Output shaft torque
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/70458 : Engine torque
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 : Engine management systems
• 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 903/946 : Characterized by control of driveline clutch

Abstract

A drive apparatus for a hybrid vehicle is provided with a motor, a clutch that transmits and cuts off a driving force between the motor and an engine, and a control device that performs an operation control for the motor and the clutch. If there is an engine start request during driving of a wheel by the motor, the control device increases an operating pressure of the clutch to start the transmission of torque from the motor to the engine side, and detects a transmission torque to be transmitted via the clutch. The control device also performs a control that sets an output torque of the motor as equal to a torque that is the sum of the transmission torque and a request torque for wheel driving, which is determined based upon an accelerator opening.

Claims

1. A drive apparatus for a hybrid vehicle, comprising:

a motor;

a clutch that transmits and cuts off a driving force between the motor and an engine; and

a control device that performs an operation control for the motor and the clutch, wherein the control device;

increases an operating pressure of the clutch to start a transmission of torque from the motor to the engine side and detects a transmission torque to be transmitted via the clutch if there is an engine start request during driving of a wheel by the motor, and

performs a control that sets an output torque of the motor as equal to a torque that is the sum of the transmission torque and a request torque for wheel driving, which is determined based upon an accelerator opening, wherein the detection of the transmission torque is performed by calculating the transmission torque based upon an operating pressure of the clutch.

2. The drive apparatus for a hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the control device changes a degree of increase in the operating pressure of the clutch based upon one or both of an accelerator opening and an accelerator opening change speed, in the case of an engine start request during driving of the wheel by the motor to increase the operating pressure of the clutch.

3. The drive apparatus for a hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the control device performs a feedback control that increases the operating pressure of the clutch depending on a difference between a motor-side rotational speed and an engine-side rotational speed of the clutch, and changes a control gain thereof based upon one or both of the accelerator opening and the accelerator opening change speed, in the case of an engine start request during driving of the wheel by the motor to increase the operating pressure of the clutch.

4. The drive apparatus for a hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the control device performs a feedback control that increases the operating pressure of the clutch depending on a difference between an engine-side rotational speed of the clutch and a predetermined target rotational speed, and changes the target rotational speed based upon one or both of the accelerator opening and the accelerator opening change speed, in the case of an engine start request during driving of the wheel by the motor to increase the operating pressure of the clutch.

5. A control method of a drive apparatus for a hybrid vehicle having a motor and a clutch that transmits and cuts off a driving force between the motor and an engine, the control method comprising:

increasing an operating pressure of the clutch to start the transmission of torque from the motor to the engine side;

detecting a transmission torque to be transmitted via the clutch if there is an engine start request during driving of a wheel by the motor; and

performing a control that sets an output torque of the motor as equal to a torque that is the sum of the transmission torque and a request torque for wheel driving, which is determined based upon an accelerator opening, wherein the detection of the transmission torque is performed by calculating the transmission torque based upon an operating pressure of the clutch.

6. A drive apparatus for a hybrid vehicle that performs a control during driving of a wheel by a motor to increase an operating pressure of a clutch that transmits and cuts off a driving force between the motor and an engine, and transmits torque from the motor to the engine side to start the engine, wherein:

a transmission torque to be transmitted via the clutch is detected based upon the operating pressure of the clutch,

an output torque of the motor is calculated as the sum of the transmission torque and a request torque for wheel driving, which is determined based upon an accelerator opening, and

the detection of the transmission torque is performed by calculating the transmission torque based upon an operating pressure of the clutch.