Vehicle travel control device

• US 9,650,046 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2012
• Issued: 05/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Jonggap, Mitsuyasu, Masaki, Kuroki, Rentaro, Hirai, Takuya, Matsunaga, Masaki, Kido, Yasunari, Suzuki, Takeaki, Kogure, Takayuki, Okamura, Yukari, Sato, Akihiro, Kinoshita, Yusuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Scott, Jacob S
• Application Number:
  US14/439,295
• Publication Number:
  US 20150284004A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,658 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/02 including control of driveline clutches
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/026 of lock-up clutches
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2030/18081 With torque flow from driveshaft to engine, i.e. engine being driven by vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2030/1809 Without torque flow between driveshaft and engine, e.g. with clutch disengaged or transmission in neutral
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2030/203 related or induced by the clutch
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18072 Coasting
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/20 Reducing vibrations in the driveline
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2300/18066 Coasting
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2300/18075 with torque flow from driveshaft to engine, i.e. engine being driven by vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2300/18083 without torque flow between driveshaft and engine, e.g. with clutch disengaged or transmission in neutral
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 48/02 Control by fluid pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2061/146 for smoothing gear shift shock
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 59/76 Number of cylinders operating
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/14 Control of torque converter lock-up clutches
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/143 using electric control means
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/60 Other road transportation technologies with climate change mitigation effect

Abstract

A running control device of a vehicle includes an engine, a clutch separating the engine and wheels, and a torque converter with a lockup clutch transmitting power of the engine toward the wheels, the running control device of a vehicle is configured to execute a neutral inertia running mode that is an inertia running mode performed while the engine and the wheels are separated and a cylinder resting inertia running mode performed by stopping operation in at least some of cylinders of the engine while the engine and the wheels are coupled, the lockup clutch has a weak engagement force while the neutral inertia running mode is performed as compared to while the cylinder resting inertia running mode is performed.

Claims

1. A running control device of a vehicle including an engine, a clutch separating the engine and wheels, and a torque converter with a lockup clutch transmitting power of the engine toward the wheels, the running control device of a vehicle being configured to execute a neutral inertia running mode that is an inertia running mode performed while the engine and the wheels are separated and a cylinder resting inertia running mode performed by stopping operation in at least some of cylinders of the engine while the engine and the wheels are coupled,

the lockup clutch having a weaker engagement force while the neutral inertia running mode is performed as compared to while the cylinder resting inertia running mode is performed.

2. The running control device of a vehicle of claim 1, wherein

the lockup clutch is released while the neutral inertia running is performed, and wherein the lockup clutch is engaged while the cylinder resting inertia running is performed.

3. The running control device of a vehicle of claim 1, wherein the cylinder resting inertia running is inertia running performed by stopping fuel supply to the engine while the engine and the wheels are coupled and by stopping operation of at least one of pistons and intake/exhaust valves of at least some of the cylinders of the engine.

4. The running control device of a vehicle of claim 1, wherein the neutral inertia running is inertia running performed with fuel supply to the engine stopped to stop rotation, or inertia running performed with the engine supplied with fuel and operated, while the engine and the wheels are separated.