Vehicle and method for controlling same

• US 9,096,212 B2
• Filed: 10/19/2011
• Issued: 08/04/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Nichiyu Forklift Co., Ltd. (Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Nichiyu Forklift Co., Ltd. (Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Futahashi, Kensuke, Ogawa, Kiyomitsu, Tsuruta, Megumu
• Primary Examiner(s): Holloway, Jason
• Application Number:
  US13/879,749
• Publication Number:
  US 20130204500A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,385 Days
• Field of Search: 701/50
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2006/4825 Electric machine connected or connectable to gearbox input shaft
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2025/026 by a hydraulic transmission
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2026/025 Input devices for controlling electric drive motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/48 Parallel type
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/30 including control of auxiliary equipment, e.g. air-conditioning compressors or oil pumps
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2300/17 Construction vehicles, e.g. graders, excavators
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2556/00 Input parameters relating to data
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/00 Purposes of road vehicle drive control systems not related to the control of a particular sub-unit, e.g. of systems using conjoint control of vehicle sub-units
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/15 Fork lift trucks, Industrial trucks
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 29/02 peculiar to engines driving vehicles; peculiar to engines driving variable pitch propellers
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 29/04 peculiar to engines driving pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/021 Introducing corrections for particular conditions exterior to the engine conjoint control of vehicle sub-units for propelling the vehicle B60W30/18
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/084 State of vehicle accessories, e.g. air condition or power steering
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles

Abstract

In a vehicle and a method of controlling the same, a controller determines whether an idle-stop condition is satisfied or not when an engine is driven, and stops idling of the engine when it is determined that the idle-stop condition is satisfied. In addition, while the idling of the engine is stopped, when an operation order given to a fork driving cylinder by manipulation of a cargo handling lever is received, the controller starts the engine, and switches an oil pump for cargo handling of the fork driving cylinder to an on-load state before an engine revolution number reaches an idling revolution number region.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising:

a hydraulic actuator operated by a hydraulic pressure;

a manipulating end configured to instruct an operation of the hydraulic actuator;

a hydraulic power source configured to apply a hydraulic pressure to the hydraulic actuator;

a motor configured to drive the hydraulic power source and provide a travel-driving force; and

a controller configured to determine whether a predetermined idle-stop condition is satisfied or not while the motor is driven, stop idling of the motor when satisfaction of the idle-stop condition is determined, and start the motor and switch the hydraulic power source of the hydraulic actuator to an on-load state when an operation order given to the hydraulic actuator by manipulation of the manipulating end is received while the idling of the motor is stopped, wherein

the plurality of hydraulic power sources configured to apply a hydraulic pressure to the hydraulic actuator, a hydraulic pressure maintaining device configured to maintain the hydraulic pressure applied to the hydraulic actuator when all of the plurality of hydraulic power sources switch to an unload state, and a hydraulic pressure detector configured to detect the hydraulic pressure applied to the hydraulic actuator are installed in the hydraulic actuator; and

while the idling of the motor is stopped, when an operation order given to the hydraulic actuator is received, the controller starts the motor, acquires a hydraulic pressure applied to the hydraulic actuator maintained by the hydraulic pressure maintaining device using the hydraulic pressure detector, and switches a number of hydraulic power sources based on a magnitude of the hydraulic pressure to the on-load state.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein, while the idling of the motor is stopped, when the operation order with respect to the hydraulic actuator is received, the controller starts the motor, and switches the hydraulic power source of the hydraulic actuator to the on-load state before the motor reaches a predetermined idling revolution number region.

3. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of hydraulic actuators, the manipulating ends corresponding to the plurality of hydraulic actuators, and the hydraulic power sources corresponding to the plurality of hydraulic actuators are provided, and

while the idling of the motor is stopped, among the plurality of hydraulic actuators, when an operation order given to two or more hydraulic actuators is received by the time the motor is started, the controller starts the motor based on a previously received operation order, determines the hydraulic actuator having the order of the highest priority among the two or more hydraulic actuators with reference to a predetermined order of priority, and switches only the hydraulic power source of the hydraulic actuator to the on-load state.

4. The vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of hydraulic actuators, the manipulating ends corresponding to the plurality of hydraulic actuators, and the hydraulic power sources corresponding to the plurality of hydraulic actuators are provided, and

while the idling of the motor is stopped, among the plurality of hydraulic actuators, when an operation order given to two or more hydraulic actuators is received by the time the motor is started, the controller starts the motor based on a previously received operation order, determines the hydraulic actuator having the order of the highest priority among the two or more hydraulic actuators with reference to a predetermined order of priority, and switches only the hydraulic power source of the hydraulic actuator to the on-load state.

5. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of hydraulic actuators, the manipulating end corresponding to the plurality of hydraulic actuators, and the hydraulic power sources corresponding to the plurality of hydraulic actuators are provided,

a hydraulic pressure maintaining device and a hydraulic pressure detector are installed at the at least one hydraulic actuator among the plurality of hydraulic actuators, wherein when the one hydraulic actuator transitions to an unload state from the on-load state, the hydraulic pressure maintaining device maintains a hydraulic pressure applied to one hydraulic actuator, and the hydraulic pressure detector detects a hydraulic pressure applied to the one hydraulic actuator, and

while the idling of the motor is stopped, when an operation order given to two hydraulic actuators including the one hydraulic actuator among the plurality of hydraulic actuators is received by the time the motor is started, the controller starts the motor based on a previously received operation order, acquires a hydraulic pressure applied to the one hydraulic actuator maintained by the hydraulic pressure maintaining device using the hydraulic pressure detector, and switches only the hydraulic power source of any one hydraulic actuator of the two hydraulic actuators to the on-load state according to a magnitude of the hydraulic pressure.

6. The vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of hydraulic actuators, the manipulating end corresponding to the plurality of hydraulic actuators, and the hydraulic power sources corresponding to the plurality of hydraulic actuators are provided,

a hydraulic pressure maintaining device and a hydraulic pressure detector are installed at the at least one hydraulic actuator among the plurality of hydraulic actuators, wherein when the one hydraulic actuator transitions to an unload state from the on-load state, the hydraulic pressure maintaining device maintains a hydraulic pressure applied to one hydraulic actuator, and the hydraulic pressure detector detects a hydraulic pressure applied to the one hydraulic actuator, and

while the idling of the motor is stopped, when an operation order given to two hydraulic actuators including the one hydraulic actuator among the plurality of hydraulic actuators is received by the time the motor is started, the controller starts the motor based on a previously received operation order, acquires a hydraulic pressure applied to the one hydraulic actuator maintained by the hydraulic pressure maintaining device using the hydraulic pressure detector, and switches only the hydraulic power source of any one hydraulic actuator of the two hydraulic actuators to the on-load state according to a magnitude of the hydraulic pressure.

7. A method of controlling a vehicle comprising a hydraulic actuator operated by a hydraulic pressure, a manipulating end configured to instruct an operation of the hydraulic actuator, a hydraulic power source configured to apply a hydraulic pressure to the hydraulic actuator, and a motor configured to drive the hydraulic power source and provide a travel-driving force, wherein the plurality of hydraulic power sources configured to apply a hydraulic pressure to the hydraulic actuator, a hydraulic pressure maintaining device configured to maintain the hydraulic pressure applied to the hydraulic actuator when all of the plurality of hydraulic power sources switches to an unload state, and a hydraulic pressure detector configured to detect the hydraulic pressure applied to the hydraulic actuator are installed at the hydraulic actuator,

the method comprising:

an idling-stop process of determining whether a predetermined idle-stop condition is satisfied when the motor is driven, and stopping idling of the motor when it is determined that the idle-stop condition is satisfied; and

an idling-stop release process of starting the motor, acquiring a hydraulic pressure applied to the hydraulic actuator maintained by the hydraulic pressure maintaining device using the hydraulic pressure detector, and switching a number of the hydraulic power source based on a magnitude of the hydraulic pressure to an on-load state when an operation order given to the hydraulic actuator by manipulation of the manipulating end is received while the idling of the motor is stopped.

8. The method of controlling the vehicle according to claim 7, wherein, in the idling-stop release process, while the idling of the motor is stopped, when the operation order given to the hydraulic actuator is received, the motor is started, and before the motor reaches a predetermined idling revolution number, the hydraulic power source of the hydraulic actuator switches to the on-load state.