CN101067426A

CN101067426A - Dual function holding device operable under a system power loss condition

Info

Publication number: CN101067426A
Application number: CN 200710107752
Authority: CN
Inventors: 布雷特·埃林·斯文斯加德; 赛义德·阿夫贾尔·霍塞恩
Original assignee: Globe Motors Inc
Current assignee: Globe Motors Inc
Priority date: 2006-05-01
Filing date: 2007-04-29
Publication date: 2007-11-07
Also published as: JP2007298170A; CA2584942A1; MX2007005203A

Abstract

An electric clutch actuator capable of operating in two power loss conditions. For a condition where a normally engaged clutch is disengaged during a system power loss and the desired action is for the clutch to remain in the disengaged positional state, a holding device moves to a power off activated position to prevent movement of an actuator for the clutch. For a condition where the clutch is disengaged during a system power loss and the desired action is for the clutch to move to an engaged positional state, a motor in the electric clutch actuator is used as a generator to convert the potential energy of a clutch pressure spring into electrical energy to provide energy for powering the holding device to remain deactivated, permitting movement of the clutch actuator to the engaged position. Maintaining the holding device deactivated permits the clutch to move to the engaged position and thereby allows vehicle engine braking to be used during a power loss of the system.

Description

The dual function holding device that can under the system power supply loss condition, operate

Technical field

The present invention relates to a kind of clutch control device, particularly relate to a kind of clutch control device that comprises maintenance equipment, this maintenance equipment can be operated and pin the clutch control device so that clutch is remained on open position, perhaps can operate allowing the clutch control device that clutch is moved to operating position.

Background technique

The application requires to apply on May 1st, 2006, and application number is 60/796,473 U.S. Provisional Application No., comprises the content of this application by reference at this.

In vehicle, preferably can provide a kind of failsafe mode of operation for the clutch under loss of power (for example providing the system power supply of the power supply to lose) condition to the clutch control device with electrical braking clutch.Remain static down at vehicle, throw-out-of clutch or open and motor is in when under the situation in the running loss of power taking place is guaranteed that preferably loss of power does not cause the clutch control device to make clutches engaged or close, and is caused that vehicle starts forward.

Alternatively, if vehicle be in the motion and the electrical braking clutch when having thrown off (for example in the middle of gearshift) loss of power takes place, clutch preferably moves to the engaging position.For example, when the vehicle descending, thereby under the loss of power condition, preferably provide the engagement of clutch that driving wheel is connected to motor, so that engine braking can reduce the speed of vehicle.Under this condition, must be able to control clutch and make it move to the engaging position from disengaged position.

Therefore as seen, according to the working state of vehicle, need two kinds of opposite clutch situations for Vehicular system loss of power situation.

Summary of the invention

According to an aspect of the present invention, a kind of control device that is used for clutch is provided, this control device comprises motor and receives the transmission system of importing from the rotation of this motor that wherein the motion of this transmission system makes clutch move between engagement positio and disengaged position.Control device also comprises maintenance equipment, is used for keeping under the first loss of power condition this control device transmission system to be still in the precalculated position, and is used for discharging this control device transmission system to move under the second source loss condition.Rotation output by this transmission system under the second source loss condition drives this motor.

According to a further aspect in the invention, a kind of device is provided in the vehicle with the Power Train that comprises the clutch between motor and follower, this device comprises the control device that is used for this clutch, and this control device comprises motor and is the power supply of motor power supply.The control device transmission system receives the rotation input from this motor, and wherein the motion of this transmission system makes clutch move between engagement positio and disengaged position.Maintenance equipment keeps this transmission system to be still in the precalculated position under the first loss of power condition, and be used under the second source loss condition, discharging this transmission system to move, when the described first loss of power condition comprises stationary vehicle and described throw-out-of clutch from the power loss of power supply, when described second source loss condition is included in vehicle movement and described throw-out-of clutch from the power loss of power supply.Rotation output by transmission system under the second source loss condition drives this motor.

The further aspect according to the present invention provides a kind of control device that is used for clutch, and this control device comprises casing, comprises the motor of stator and rotor, is connected to the axle and the maintenance equipment of the rotor of this motor.This maintenance equipment comprises the main body that comprises electromagnet, and wherein this axle rotatably passes main body.The engagement of this axle is inserted in maintenance equipment rotor so that should maintenance equipment rotor and this axle rotatablely move together, this maintenance equipment rotor is supported with respect to this longitudinal movement.Armature this main body and should maintenance equipment rotor between, this axle is by this armature.Spring is used for this armature is setovered so that should engage to prevent rotatablely moving of this with this casing by maintenance equipment rotor towards the direction of leaving this main body between this main body and this armature.Controller is provided, is used to control the electric power that provides to this motor from power supply.This controller comprises and being used in response at least one device of the first and second loss of power conditions that controller is kept the control mode that drives this motor in response to the described first loss of power condition; And controller switches to another control mode that produces electric power from motor in response to the second source loss condition.

Description of drawings

Although specification is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings for detailed description of the present invention and can be understood the present invention better to particularly point out and clear to have advocated that the claim of right of the present invention done summary, identical reference character refers to same element in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is the system block diagram that comprises electric clutch control device of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is the cross-sectional view of the assembly of the electric clutch control device that comprises in the ECA casing;

Fig. 3 is the cross-sectional view of the clutch that can control of electric clutch control device;

Fig. 4 is the schematic representation of a part of circuit that is used for controlling the motor of electric clutch control device;

Fig. 5 is the average retarding torque of the motor when different electromotor velocity and the diagram of peak phase electric current;

Fig. 6 is the phase diagram that circuit shown in Figure 4 switches based on the control dutycycle of the bus voltage execution of measuring.

Embodiment

Following about detailed description of preferred embodiment in, with reference to accompanying drawing, wherein described and can implement certain preferred embodiment of the present invention by example explanation rather than in the mode of restriction as this specification part.Needs understanding also can be used other embodiment and can change under prerequisite without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

With reference to figure 1, example has illustrated the skeleton diagram according to the electric clutch control device (ECA) 10 of principles of construction of the present invention.Show among the figure that ECA 10 is included in the vehicle, be used for controlling the clutch of the power transmission system of vehicle.ECA 10 comprises electronic controller 12, and electronic controller 12 comprises control mechanism 14, is connected to the software 16 of control mechanism 14, by the power electronics devices 18 of for example field effect transistor (FET) of software 16 controls.ECA 10 is connected to the power circuit of vehicle, and this circuit comprises Vehicular battery 20 and vehicle ignition device 22.To comprise from the signal from vehicle transmission system of the signal that transmits ECU 24, engine speed sensor 26 and other sensor 28 and import ECA 10, handle to be used to control the output of controller 12 by ECA 10 as input signal.

The output of electronic controller 12 comprises voltage output, be used to DC not with the maintenance equipment 34 of the stator 30 of brush permanent magnet motor 32, operation on the motor rotor 36 of motor 32, receive sensor circuit board 38 power supplies of signal of the serviceability of indication motor 32.

ECA 10 further comprises the epicyclic train 40 of reception from the output of motor rotor 36.Epicyclic train 40 comprises gear reducer, and this gear reducer produces the output of the braking that is used for solenoidoperated cluthes control device 98.

With reference to figure 2, the said modules of ECA 10 is included in the ECA casing 44.Motor 32 comprises the outer, stationary part, and this outer, stationary portion branch comprises that carrying wrapping wire 48 limits the stator stack 46 of stator 30.Motor rotor 36 is positioned at stator 30 and comprises permanent magnetic portion, and the action of a magnetic field of the stator 30 that is generated by the electric current that provides under the control of controller 12 makes motor rotor 36 produce rotation in known manner in this permanent magnetic portion.Be described as comprising that not being with brush permanent magnet motor 32, the principles described herein also can use band to brush permanent magnet motor realizes although need to understand the present invention.

Motor rotor 36 is fixedly mounted in the rotor shaft 50 of the rotation output that is used to provide motor 32.Rotor shaft 50 extends through maintenance equipment 34, and maintenance equipment 34 comprises braking device casing 68, armature plate (armature plate) 60 and the coil groups 74 of surrounding maintenance equipment rotor 56.Spline element (splinemember) 52 is installed on the motor reel 50 regularly, and comprises the outer surface that limits a plurality of splines 54.On spline element 52, support maintenance equipment rotor 56, keep equipment rotor 56 to comprise the internal surface of a plurality of splines 58 that the spline 54 of qualification and spline element 52 meshes.Thereby maintenance equipment rotor 56 can along spline element 52 move axially and and spline element 52 engagement and rotor shaft 50 rotate together.Armature plate 60 is positioned on maintenance equipment rotor 56 limits and comprises around spline element 52 and and spline element 52 out of mesh holes 62.

Coil groups 74 comprises and being installed on the braking device casing 68 and and the main body 76 of braking device casing 68 and ECA casing 44 maintenance static relations.Main body 76 comprises first annular region 78 that wherein comprises the electromagnet that comprises coil 80, and second annular region 82 that wherein comprises pressure spring 84.One end of spring 84 is engaged in the internal surface of second annular region 82, and the other end of spring 84 is engaged on the armature plate 60 with towards the direction biased electrical pin plate 60 that leaves coil groups 74 with keep equipment rotor 56.Armature plate 60 comprises the engaging surface 70 of first contact surface 71 that is used to engage maintenance equipment rotor 56, keeps equipment rotor 56 further to comprise second contact surface 72 of the braking surface 73 that is used for engage brake apparatus housing 68.In the state that maintenance equipment 34 is disabled, armature plate 60 biasing maintenance equipment rotors 56 make second contact surface 72 frictionally be engaged in braking surface 73, thereby stop or stoping maintenance equipment rotor 56 and rotor shaft 50 to rotate.

Main body 76 is preferably formed by the magnetic material of for example steel, and and coil 80 insulation.Similarly, armature plate 60 comprises magnetic material.Coil 80 is connected to power electronics devices 18, thereby so that conduction of current is generated electromagnetic field by coil 80 in main body 76 in the working state of maintenance equipment 34.In the working state of maintenance equipment 34, on the contrary armature plate 60 is pulled to main body 76 with the power of spring 84, make maintenance equipment rotor 56 from the frictional engagement of braking device casing 68 throw off, thereby make rotor shaft 50 to rotatablely move with respect to braking device casing 68.

Central gear 86 is fixedly installed in the end of rotor shaft 50 away from motor 32, and the part of the rotor shaft 50 of contiguous central gear 86 is by being installed in the bearing 88 in the main body 76 and being supported by this bearing 88.Central gear 86 is parts of epicyclic train 40, and a plurality of planetary pinions in the planetary gear set 90 that is connected to a series of additional

planetary gear set

92 and 94 provide and import and rotatablely move.Epicyclic train 40 provides the gear reduction from rotor shaft to ECA output shaft 96, thus the much lower and corresponding increase of output torque at output shaft 96 places of the output speed of output shaft 96 than the input speed of rotor shaft 50.

With reference to figure 3, output shaft 96 is connected to the clutch control device 98 of clutch 100 as input.Illustrated clutch 100 comprises the clutch casing 102 that is connected to motor (figure does not show) arbor 103, and engine crankshaft 103 is used to drive clutch casing 102 and rotatablely moves.Intermediate plate (intermediate plate) 104 and pressure plate 106 are subjected to supporting to rotate with clutch casing 102.Clutch casing 102 comprises engaging surface 108, and intermediate plate 104 comprises pair of engaging surface 110 and 112, and pressure plate 106 comprises engaging surface 114.First follower plate 116 is between engaging surface 108 and 110, and second follower plate 118 is between engaging surface 112 and 114.First and second follower plates 116 and 118 comprise the passage that has spline 120 and 122 separately respectively, are used to mesh the splined section 124 of input shaft 126.

Disengagement collar 128 is subjected to supporting carrying out axial motion with respect to input shaft 126, and the far-end of engagement disengagement yoke 130, and disengagement yoke 130 is installed as and is used for carrying out pivoting action on clutch casing 102.By pressure spring or spring 132 disengagement collar 128 is setovered to the engaging position, make disengagement yoke 130 press to pressure plate 106, thereby follower plate 116 and 118 is clipped between each engaging surface 108,110 and 112,114, makes the rotation of input shaft 126 and clutch casing 102 rotate together.It may be noted that just and describe clutch 100 for purposes of illustration, the present invention is not limited to use this particular clutch.

Clutch control device 98 comprises the brake arm 134 that rotates together with the rotation of output shaft 96.One end 136 of brake arm 134 is positioned at the position of exterior case surface 138 joints that are used for and throw off bearing 140, throws off bearing 140 and disengagement collar 128 engagements.When output shaft 96 is rotated counterclockwise, as shown in Figure 3, the end 136 of brake arm engages with exterior case surface 138, promote disengagement collar 128 towards the direction of leaving clutch casing 102, make clutch 100 throw off thereby make engaging surface 108,110 and 112,114 break away from from follower plate 116 and 118.The counterrotating of output shaft 96, promptly clockwise direction rotates, and can cause the joint of clutch 100.

For clutch 100 is thrown off or joint, must make 34 activities of maintenance equipment allow output shaft 96 rotation and mobile clutch control devices 98.Under the condition that system power supply is lost, and be not used under the situation of accessory power supply of maintenance equipment 34, when loss of power, output shaft 96 can be locked in its current location.This normally expects under the first loss of power condition that clutch 100 is thrown off in stationary vehicle, to prevent that engaging the vehicle that causes owing to clutch during losing in system power supply is unexpected starts forward.On the other hand, be in during system power supply is lost at vehicle under the second source loss condition of motion and clutch 100 disengagements, usually expectation allows clutch 100 to engage, and makes vehicle deceleration to utilize engine braking, if particularly vehicle is all the more so when descending.As mentioned above, the present invention provides controller at these two kinds of system power supply loss conditions for maintenance equipment 34 and motor 32.

With reference to figure 4, example has illustrated the inverter circuit 142 of the electric current that is used to be controlled to motor 32, and the motor 32 of institute's example is for using the three-phase permanent brushless motor of pulsewidth modulation (PWM) control.Circuit 142 comprises three high pressure side FET Q1, Q3, Q5 and three low voltage side FET Q2, Q4, Q6, thereby these FET are realized the control of motor 32 by software 16 controls.Keep at needs under the first system power supply loss condition of current location of clutch 100, for example when stationary vehicle, thus controller 12 with 100% dutycycle open three low voltage side FET Q2, Q4, Q6 will work under the Terminal of motor short circuit pattern together.If motor rotor 36 is in rotation, because the terminal of short circuit can generate counterelectromotive force (being the vector sum of impedance and synchronous reactance) on motor inductance.The circulating current that obtains in motor winding 48 can produce anti-torque to reduce counterelectromotive force.In other words, thus can generate retarding torque makes the motor deceleration of motion.

With reference to figure 5, example has illustrated the average retarding torque of motor 32 under the different electromotor velocities and the example of peak phase electric current.Because the synchronous reactance of motor 32, i.e. motor angle speed * motor inductance, Peak current is almost saturated when high-speed.Synchronous reactance accounts for leading role with respect to motor inductance when high-speed, thereby electric current becomes saturated when high-speed.Correspondingly, even the permission of the effect of synchronous reactance also can three Terminal of motor of short circuit when high electromotor velocity.

Keep to make maintenance equipment 34 inactions under the first loss of power condition of current clutch position in expectation, and the magnetic field that the coil groups 74 that can provide circuit (figure does not show) to make maintenance equipment 34 generates disappears fast.If motor rotor 36 is still in rotation, motor brake torque meeting makes the speed of motor rotor 36 be reduced to the rotation of the further brake motor rotor 36 of maintenance equipment rotor 56 meetings and the speed that keeps rotor shaft 50 can not be further rotated.That is, keep equipment rotor 56 rotor shaft 50 can be remained on the fixed position so that output shaft 96 and control device 98 are maintained disengaged position, against the power operation of pressure spring 132 with disengagement collar 128, thereby clutch 100 maintains disengaged position.

In expectation clutch 100 is moved to from disengaged position under the second system power supply loss condition of engagement positio, for example when vehicle moves, controller 12 is therein for the predetermined brake portion (D of dutycycle _BThereby) open three low voltage side FET Q2, Q4, Q6 together with the Terminal of motor short circuit, and for the residue regenerating section (D of dutycycle _R), promptly equal 1-D _BThe part of dutycycle close under the pattern of all FET and work.Following will the detailed description in detail under the second source loss condition, provides feasible maintenance equipment 34 activities to rotate time enough and engage to allow clutch 100 to discharge rotor shaft 50.During the rotation of rotor shaft 50, at the brake portion D of dutycycle _BDuring this time can with the above-mentioned first loss of power condition under identical mode apply retarding torque from motor 32, at the residue regenerating section D of dutycycle _RTo provide regenerated energy from motor 32 during this time.

The ECA controller bus comprises controller bus capacitor 144, sees Fig. 2, is used for keeping in the normal power-up operation of ECA controller 12 energy of the amount of being stored, and is used for the regenerating section D in dutycycle _RThe middle regenerated energy that receives and store from motor 32.Under the system power supply loss condition, utilize the energy that is stored in the capacitor 144 to provide power supply to ECA controller 12 and maintenance equipment 34.Capacitor 144 can be stored enough energy, comprises the extra regenerated energy that receives from motor 32, maintains active state output shaft 96 and clutch control device 98 are rotated to the engagement positio of engaging clutch 100 will keep equipment 34.That is, in the rotation of output shaft 96 and rotor shaft 50, along with clutch 100 under the pressure of spring 132 when engagement positio moves, at the regenerating section D of dutycycle _RMotor rotor 36 can rotate the regenerated energy that offers capacitor with generation.Regenerated energy can continue to contribute to any energy that is stored in the capacitor 144, will keep equipment 34 to maintain active state, the end clutch 100 that the continuation rotation of permission output shaft 96 and clutch control device 98 is moved in disengagement collar 128 under the influence of the energy of storage in spring 132 engages fully.

Can be based on the regenerated energy that provides and need be used for making the balance between the quantity of power of the movable and operation ECA controller 12 of maintenance equipment 34 to increase or reduce bus voltage V _BusWith reference to figure 6, described based on the bus voltage V that measures _BusThe phase diagram of control dutycycle.Especially, when the second source loss condition begins with the brake portion D of dutycycle _BBe initially set to 0.95 (D _R=0.05).If V _BusGreater than 20V, with D _BBe increased to 0.97 also correspondingly with dutycycle regenerating section D _RBe reduced to 0.03.If work as with D _BBe set to 0.97 o'clock V _BusBe lower than 18V, with D _BBe set to 0.95 once more.If work as with D _BBe set to 0.97 o'clock V _BusGreater than 30V, with D _BIncrease to 0.99 also correspondingly with dutycycle regenerating section D _RBe reduced to 0.01.If work as with D _BBe set to 0.99 o'clock V _BusBe lower than 28V, with D _BBe set to 0.97 once more.

As seen ECA 10 can satisfy above-mentioned two kinds of loss of power conditions.Clutch 100 is thrown off and expectation clutch 100 remains under the loss of power condition of its current position state during system power supply is lost, and maintenance equipment 134 can move to it and close the motion of inactive position with the control device 98 that prevents clutch 100.Clutch 100 is thrown off and is expected that clutch 100 moves under the loss of power condition of engagement positio state during system power supply is lost, use ECA motor 32 as generator, maintenance equipment 134 provides energy so that its maintenance activity in order to open for electric energy comes with the potential energy converting and energy of clutch pressure spring 132.Thereby keep the maintenance equipment 134 movable clutches 100 that allow and move to engagement positio and permission use vehicle engine braking in system power supply is lost.

Although described specific embodiment of the present invention, those skilled in the art can carry out various other changes and modification under the prerequisite that does not depart from spirit and scope of the invention.Claim of the present invention is intended to contain all variation and modification in the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. control device that is used for clutch comprises:

Motor;

Reception is from the transmission system of the rotation input of described motor, and the motion of wherein said transmission system makes clutch move between engagement positio and disengaged position;

Maintenance equipment is used for keeping under the first loss of power condition described transmission system to be still in the precalculated position, and is used for discharging described transmission system to move under the second source loss condition; With

Rotation output by described transmission system under described second source loss condition drives described motor.

2. control device according to claim 1, against the power work of the clutch spring in the described clutch, and described clutch spring provides the power input to described transmission system to wherein said transmission system under described second source loss condition during from the described rotation input of described motor.

3. control device according to claim 1, wherein said maintenance equipment is operated by electromotive force, output maintains releasing state with described maintenance equipment thereby described motor produces electric power under described second source loss condition, allows the rotation of described transmission system.

4. control device according to claim 3, comprise the controller that is used to control the electric power that provides to described motor from power supply, described controller switches to another control mode that generates electric power in response to described second source loss condition from described motor from the control mode of electric power is provided to described motor.

5. control device according to claim 1, wherein said clutch is arranged in the Power Train of vehicle, the described first loss of power condition comprises stationary vehicle and described throw-out-of clutch, and described second source loss condition comprises vehicle movement and described throw-out-of clutch.

6. control device according to claim 1, wherein said maintenance equipment comprises rotatable rotor, this rotatable rotor is biased to the stationary part of described control device by spring and engages, and is static to keep described transmission system.

7. control device according to claim 6, wherein said maintenance equipment comprise powering up and discharge the electromagnet that described rotor is rotated, and allow the motion of described transmission system.

8. control device according to claim 7, wherein described motor generates electric power so that described electromagnet is powered up under described second source loss condition.

9. control device according to claim 8 wherein powers up described electromagnet during the normal power supply operational condition of described motor, and wherein described motor being powered makes described clutch move between engagement positio and disengaged position.

10. in the vehicle with the Power Train that comprises the clutch between motor and follower, the control device that is used for described clutch comprises:

Motor;

Power supply for described motor power supply;

Reception is from the transmission system of the rotation input of described motor, and the motion of wherein said transmission system makes described clutch move between engagement positio and disengaged position;

Maintenance equipment, be used under the first loss of power condition, keeping described transmission system to be still in the precalculated position, and be used under the second source loss condition, discharging described transmission system to move, the described first loss of power condition comprises when described vehicle is static and described throw-out-of clutch the power loss from described power supply, and described second source loss condition is included in described vehicle when being throw-out-of clutch motion and described from the power loss of described power supply; With

11. control device according to claim 10, wherein said clutch moves to described engagement positio from described disengaged position during described second source loss condition.

12. control device according to claim 11, against the power work of the clutch spring in the described clutch, and described clutch spring provides the power input to described transmission system to wherein said transmission system under described second source loss condition during from the described rotation input of described motor.

13. control device according to claim 10, wherein said maintenance equipment comprises rotatable rotor, and this rotatable rotor is biased to the stationary part of described control device by spring and engages, and is static to keep described transmission system.

Discharge the electromagnet that described rotor is rotated 14. control device according to claim 13, wherein said maintenance equipment comprise being powered up by described power supply, allow the motion of described transmission system.

15. control device according to claim 14, wherein described motor generates electric power so that described electromagnet is powered up during described second source loss condition.

16. a control device that is used for clutch comprises:

Casing;

The motor that comprises stator and rotor;

Be connected to the axle of the described rotor of described motor;

Maintenance equipment comprises:

The main body that comprises electromagnet, described axle rotatably passes described main body;

Maintenance equipment rotor, described axle engagement is inserted in the described maintenance equipment rotor, so that described maintenance equipment rotor and described axle rotatablely move together, described maintenance equipment rotor is supported with respect to the longitudinal movement of described axle;

Armature between described main body and described maintenance equipment rotor, described axle passes described armature;

Spring between described main body and described armature, thus be used for described armature is prevented rotatablely moving of described axle towards the direction biasing of leaving described main body so that described maintenance equipment rotor engages with described casing;

Controller is used to control the electric power that provides to described motor from power supply;

Described controller comprises the device that is used in response to first and second at least one loss of power condition of loss of power condition;

Described controller is kept the control mode that drives described motor in response to the described first loss of power condition;

Described controller switches to another control mode that produces electric power from described motor in response to described second source loss condition.

17. control device according to claim 16, the described electromagnet that wherein electric power that generates during the described second source loss condition is offered described maintenance equipment is rotated to discharge described axle.

18. control device according to claim 16, wherein described maintenance equipment prevents described axle rotation during the described first loss of power condition.

19. control device according to claim 16, wherein said control device is connected to clutch, described clutch comprises that with the clutch spring of described clutch towards the engagement positio biasing rotation of described axle makes moves to throw off described clutch against the power of described clutch spring.

20. control device according to claim 19, wherein said clutch is arranged in the Power Train of vehicle, the described first loss of power condition comprises that described vehicle is static and described throw-out-of clutch, and described second source loss condition comprises that described vehicle is motion and described throw-out-of clutch.