Torque indicating device and vehicle including same

• US 9,248,741 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2012
• Issued: 02/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Ikushima, Yoshihiro, Shimizu, Satoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): FREJD, RUSSELL WARREN
• Application Number:
  US14/440,434
• Publication Number:
  US 20150336457A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,169 Days
• Field of Search: 701/87, 701/88, 701/89, 180/233, 180/248, 477/35
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 17/34 for driving both front and rear wheels, e.g. four wheel drive vehicles arrangement or mounting of control devices for changing number of driven wheels B60K23/08
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 17/3462 with means for changing distribution of torque between front and rear wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 17/348 having differential means for driving one set of wheels, e.g. the front, at one speed and the other set, e.g. the rear, at a different speed B60K17/346 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 17/351 comprising a viscous clutch
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 17/354 having separate mechanical assemblies for transmitting drive to the front or to the rear wheels or set of wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 23/0808 for varying torque distribution between driven axles, e.g. by transfer clutch
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/167 Vehicle dynamics information
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/167 Vehicle dynamics information
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2370/52 Control of displays
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/00 Instruments specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement of instruments in or on vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/28 characterised by the type of the output information, e.g. video entertainment or vehicle dynamics information; characterised by the purpose of the output information, e.g. for attracting the attention of the driver
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/81 for controlling displays
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/119 including control of all-wheel-driveline means, e.g. transfer gears or clutches for dividing torque between front and rear axle B60W10/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/30 Wheel torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/105 Output torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2720/30 Wheel torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/025 related to comfort of drivers or passengers
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 50/14 Means for informing the driver, warning the driver or prompting a driver intervention
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2200/0017 specially adapted for four-wheel-driven vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems

Abstract

Disclosed is a torque indicating device including: a first indicating section that indicates a torque transmitted to primary drive wheels of a vehicle; and a second indicating section that indicates a torque transmitted to secondary drive wheels of the vehicle. The second indicating section indicates a quantity that is less than or equal to the quantity indicated by the first indicating section.

Claims

1. A torque indicating device, comprising:

a first indicating section that indicates a torque transmitted to a primary drive wheel of a vehicle; and

a second indicating section that indicates a torque transmitted to a secondary drive wheel of the vehicle,

wherein;

the second indicating section indicates a quantity that is less than or equal to a quantity indicated by the first indicating section;

the quantity indicated by the first indicating section is varied with a variation in the torque transmitted to the primary drive wheel;

the quantity indicated by the second indicating section is varied with a variation in the torque transmitted to the secondary drive wheel; and

the quantity indicated by the second indicating section has an upper limit that is, when either one or both of the quantity indicated by the first indicating section and the quantity indicated by the second indicating section is/are to be varied, controlled not to exceed the quantity indicated by the first indicating section, so that the quantity indicated by the second indicating section is less than or equal to the quantity indicated by the first indicating section.

4. A vehicle, comprising the torque indicating device as set forth in claim 1.

2. A torque indicating device, comprising:

a first indicating section that indicates a torque transmitted to a primary drive wheel of a vehicle; and

a second indicating section that indicates a torque transmitted to a secondary drive wheel of the vehicle,

wherein;

the second indicating section indicates a quantity that is less than or equal to a quantity indicated by the first indicating section;

the quantity indicated by the first indicating section is varied with a variation in the torque transmitted to the primary drive wheel;

the quantity indicated by the second indicating section is varied with a variation in the torque transmitted to the secondary drive wheel; and

when either one or both of the quantity indicated by the first indicating section and the quantity indicated by the second indicating section is/are to be varied, control is performed to prohibit the quantity indicated by the second indicating section from exceeding the quantity indicated by the first indicating section, so that the quantity indicated by the second indicating section is less than or equal to the quantity indicated by the first indicating section.

3. A torque indicating device, comprising:

a first indicating section that indicates a torque transmitted to a primary drive wheel of a vehicle; and

a second indicating section that indicates a torque transmitted to a secondary drive wheel of the vehicle,

wherein;

the second indicating section indicates a quantity that is less than or equal to a quantity indicated by the first indicating section;

the quantity indicated by the first indicating section is derived from a ratio of the torque on the primary drive wheel to a total torque that is a sum of the torque on the primary drive wheel and the torque on the secondary drive wheel, and the quantity indicated by the second indicating section is derived from a ratio of the torque on the secondary drive wheel to the total torque;

the ratio of the torque on the primary drive wheel to the total torque and the ratio of the torque on the secondary drive wheel to the total torque each have a maximum value that is set to 0.5, and a map-referencing criterion torque is calculated from the torque on the secondary drive wheel;

a primary-drive-wheel-map-referencing torque is calculated from the ratio of the torque on the primary drive wheel to the total torque and the map-referencing criterion torque, and the quantity indicated by the first indicating section is derived using the primary-drive-wheel-map-referencing torque; and

a secondary-drive-wheel-map-referencing torque is calculated from the ratio of the torque on the secondary drive wheel to the total torque and the map-referencing criterion torque, and the quantity indicated by the second indicating section is derived using the secondary-drive-wheel-map-referencing torque.