Hybrid vehicle clutch control device

• US 9,096,224 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2012
• Issued: 08/04/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Terakawa, Tomomitsu, Hosoi, Yasuhiro, Kitamura, Yuichiro, Suzuki, Yoshihide
• Primary Examiner(s): Burgess, Ramya
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, LILLIAN T
• Application Number:
  US13/983,479
• Publication Number:
  US 20130310217A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,243 Days
• Field of Search: 477/86
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2006/4808 Electric machine connected or connectable to gearbox output shaft
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/48 Parallel type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/547 the transmission being a stepped gearing
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2009 for braking
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2054 by controlling transmissions or clutches
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/40 DC to AC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/12 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/421 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/423 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/441 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/443 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/507 Operating parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/80 Time limits
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/145 Structure borne vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/14 for vehicles propelled by ac motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/02 including control of driveline clutches
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/023 Fluid clutches
• 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: B60Y 2400/4242 : of dry type
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2048/026 : The controlling actuation is directly performed by the pressure source, i.e. there is no intermediate valve for controlling flow or pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/1066 : Hybrid
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/1083 : Automated manual transmission
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/3026 : Stroke
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/3067 : Speed of the engine
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/30808 : Detection of transmission in neutral
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/30816 : Speed of the input shaft
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/3108 : Vehicle speed
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/31426 : Brake pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/3166 : Detection of an elapsed period of time
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/5016 : Shifting operation, i.e. volume compensation of the master cylinder due to wear, temperature changes or leaks in the cylinder
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/7041 : Position
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/7044 : Output shaft torque
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 2500/70488 : Selection of the gear ratio
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 29/005 : with a fluid pressure piston driven by an electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 48/0206 : in a system with a plurality of fluid-actuated clutches
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 48/066 : Control of fluid pressure, e.g. using an accumulator F16D48/062, F16D48/068 take precedence
• 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: Y02T 90/16 : Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/902 : Prime movers comprising electrical and internal combustion motors

Abstract

The clutch control device for a hybrid vehicle comprises an engine, an automated manual transmission, a clutch device and a clutch actuator concluding an output rod and a master cylinder which generates a hydraulic pressure therein by closing an idle port in response to the stroke of the output rod, a slave cylinder in fluid communication with the master cylinder through a passage and controlling the clutch device to be in engagement state or disengagement state operated by the hydraulic pressure generated by the master cylinder and a clutch engagement state holding control portion for temporarily holding the clutch device to be in the engagement state by operating the master cylinder to close the idle port after the engagement state under the vehicle being running under a motor drive mode continued for a predetermined time.

Claims

1. A clutch control device for a hybrid vehicle comprising:

an automated manual transmission which transmits a rotation of an input shaft adapted to be rotated by an engine torque outputted from an engine mounted on the hybrid vehicle to a drive wheel of the vehicle by changing a rotation speed of the input shaft to a plurality of speed stages with a plurality of speed change ratios;

a motor connected to the drive wheel of the vehicle;

a clutch device for engaging the output shaft of the engine with the input shaft of the automated manual transmission or disengaging the output shaft of the engine from the input shaft of the automated manual transmission and controlling a clutch torque transmitted to the input shaft of the automated manual transmission from the output shaft of the engine to be a target clutch torque;

a clutch actuator including an output rod displaced by an actuator and a master cylinder generating a hydraulic pressure therein by closing an idle port communicating with a reservoir by a displacement of the output rod;

a slave cylinder in communication with the master cylinder through a communication passage and operated by the hydraulic pressure generated by the master cylinder to operate the clutch device to be in engagement state or in disengagement state; and

a clutch engagement state holding control portion for holding the clutch device to be temporarily in engagement state by operating the master cylinder to be moved in an idle port opening direction when the disengagement state of the clutch device continues for a predetermined time period.

2. The clutch control device for a hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the clutch engagement state holding control portion returns the clutch device from a clutch engagement holding state to a clutch disengagement holding state, after the predetermined time period for the disengagement state of the clutch device passed.

3. The clutch control device for the hybrid vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the clutch engagement state holding control portion holds the clutch device to be in the engagement state after shifting the automated manual transmission to a neutral position when the vehicle is running with the motor and the engine is rotated for driving auxiliaries of the vehicle.

4. The clutch control device for the hybrid vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the automated manual transmission is shifted to a speed stage before shifting to the neutral position after the clutch device has been returned to be in the clutch disengagement holding state.

5. The clutch control device for the hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the clutch engagement state holding control portion holds the clutch device to be in the engagement state under a condition that the vehicle is stopped while the vehicle is running with the motor.

6. The clutch control device for the hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the clutch engagement state holding control portion holds the clutch device to be in the engagement state after shifting the automated manual transmission to a neutral position when the vehicle is running with the motor and the engine is rotated for driving auxiliaries of the vehicle.

7. The clutch control device for the hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the master cylinder closes the idle port when the clutch device is held to be in the disengagement state.

8. The clutch control device for the hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the clutch engagement state holding control portion holds the clutch device to be temporarily in the engagement state under a condition that the vehicle is running with the motor by moving the master cylinder from a position in which the idle port is closed to a position in which the idle port is open, thereby placing the communication passage in fluid communication with the reservoir in which an operation oil for the clutch device is reserved such that a change of the clutch torque due to thermal expansion or contraction of the operation oil in the communication passage does not occur.

9. A clutch control device comprising:

an automated manual transmission configured to transmit a rotation of an input shaft to a drive wheel by changing a rotation speed of the input shaft to a plurality of speed stages with a plurality of speed change ratios;

a clutch device for engaging an output shaft with the input shaft or disengaging the output shaft from the input shaft and controlling a clutch torque transmitted to the input shaft from the output shaft to be a target clutch torque;

a clutch actuator including an output rod displaced by an actuator and a master cylinder generating a hydraulic pressure therein by closing an idle port communicating with a reservoir by a displacement of the output rod;

a slave cylinder in communication with the master cylinder through a communication passage and operated by the hydraulic pressure generated by the master cylinder to operate the clutch device to be in engagement state or in disengagement state; and

a clutch engagement state holding control portion for, when the disengagement state of the clutch device continues for a predetermined time period, holding the clutch device to be temporarily in engagement state by moving the master cylinder from a position in which the idle port is closed to a position in which the idle port is open, thereby placing the communication passage in fluid communication with the reservoir.

10. The clutch control device for a hybrid vehicle according to claim 9, wherein the clutch engagement state holding control portion returns the clutch device from a clutch engagement holding state to a clutch disengagement holding state, after the predetermined time period for the disengagement state of the clutch device passed.

11. The clutch control device for the hybrid vehicle according to claim 10, wherein the automated manual transmission is shifted to a speed stage before shifting to the neutral position after the clutch device has been returned to be in the clutch disengagement holding state.