CN111433065A

CN111433065A - Control device for transaxle

Info

Publication number: CN111433065A
Application number: CN201880077885.1A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 那须刚太; 清水亮; 安部洋则
Original assignee: Mitsubishi Motors Corp
Current assignee: Mitsubishi Motors Corp
Priority date: 2017-12-04
Filing date: 2018-08-29
Publication date: 2020-07-17
Anticipated expiration: 2038-08-29
Also published as: WO2019111456A1; CN111433065B; JPWO2019111456A1; JP6881598B2

Abstract

A transaxle (1) of a hybrid vehicle is provided with clutches (20, 30) provided on at least one of a first power transmission path from a first rotating electric machine (3) to an output shaft (12) and a second power transmission path from an engine (2) to the output shaft (12), and first gears (16M, 11H, 15L) arranged coaxially adjacent to the clutches (20, 30) and having engaged gears (16d, 11d, 15d) engaged with sleeves (22, 32H, 32L) of the clutches (20, 30). when the output shaft (12) is in a stopped state, a control device moves the sleeves (22, 32H, 32L) in a first direction to engage the engaged gears (16d, 11d, 15d) of the first gears (16M, 11H, 15L), and thereafter moves the sleeves (22, 32H, 32L) in a direction opposite to the first direction to adjust the initial positions thereof by a predetermined distance.

Description

Control device for transaxle

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a control device for a transaxle used in a hybrid vehicle equipped with an engine and two rotating electric machines.

Background

Conventionally, among hybrid vehicles equipped with an engine and a rotating electric machine (a motor, a generator, and a motor generator), a vehicle that travels while switching a traveling mode has been put to practical use. The travel mode includes: an EV mode in which the vehicle runs only by a motor using the charged power of the battery, a series mode in which the vehicle runs only by a motor while generating power by driving a generator with an engine, a parallel mode in which the vehicle runs by a motor while running by an engine body, and the like. The switching of the traveling mode is performed by controlling a disconnecting and connecting mechanism on a power transmission path inserted in the transaxle. Examples of the disconnecting and connecting mechanism include a friction clutch (multi-plate clutch) and a dog clutch (see patent documents 1 and 2).

Prior art documents

Patent document

Patent document 1: japanese unexamined patent publication No. 11-190365

Patent document 2: japanese laid-open patent publication No. 2015-224715

Disclosure of Invention

Technical problem to be solved by the invention

Since the transaxle is preferably small in size from the viewpoint of a mounting space on the vehicle, a dog clutch having no synchromesh mechanism is often used when the dog clutch is built in as in patent document 2. In a dog clutch having no synchromesh mechanism, in a state of being synchronized with rotation of an idler gear side which is an engagement target, a sleeve is moved in an axial direction so that spline teeth formed on an inner peripheral surface of the sleeve are engaged with or disengaged from dog teeth of a dog gear which rotates integrally with the idler gear.

The sleeve is moved in the axial direction by an actuator controlled by a control device, and an initial position (hereinafter referred to as "0 point position") is set on the sleeve as a reference at the time of the control. In order to control the sleeve with high accuracy, the control device needs to accurately determine that the sleeve is located at the 0 point position. In other words, if the position of the sleeve can be accurately adjusted to the 0 point position, the dog teeth of the dog gear and the spline teeth of the sleeve can be accurately engaged, and vibration and noise can be prevented from occurring.

The transaxle control device according to the present invention is conceived in view of such a problem, and one of the objects is to reliably adjust the sleeve position to the 0 point position. It is to be noted that the present invention is not limited to this object, and other objects of the present invention are to achieve effects derived from the respective configurations shown in the following embodiments and not obtained by the prior art.

Means for solving the technical problem

(1) The transaxle control device disclosed herein is a transaxle control device of a hybrid vehicle in which an engine, a first rotating electric machine that drives an output shaft on a drive wheel side, and a second rotating electric machine that generates electric power by a driving force of the engine are mounted. The transaxle includes: a clutch provided on at least one of a first power transmission path from the first rotating electric machine to the output shaft and a second power transmission path from the engine to the output shaft; and a first gear disposed coaxially adjacent to the clutch and having an engaged gear engaged with a sleeve of the clutch. Further, when the output shaft is in a stopped state, the control device moves the sleeve in a first direction to engage the sleeve with the engaged gear of the first gear, and then moves the sleeve in a direction opposite to the first direction by a predetermined neutral distance to adjust an initial position of the sleeve.

Note that the neutral distance is a distance from a 0 point position as a reference when the sleeve moves to a position where the teeth of the sleeve mesh with the teeth of the engaged gear. The sleeve is an annular engaging member coupled to a shaft provided with the clutch so as to be rotatable in synchronization with the rotation of the shaft and slidable in the axial direction, and has teeth (spline teeth) provided on an inner circumferential surface side. Further, the first gear is a gear as follows: is supported relatively rotatably with respect to the shaft and meshes with a fixed gear fixed to the other shaft, and transmits power when the sleeve is engaged with the engaged gear.

(2) Preferably, the control device shifts the phase of the sleeve and the engaged gear by using the power of the rotating electric machine when moving the sleeve in the first direction.

(3) Preferably, the control device shifts the phases of the sleeve and the engaged gear in a case where the teeth of the sleeve collide with the teeth of the engaged gear without meshing therewith while the sleeve is being moved in the first direction.

(4) Preferably, the control device determines that the teeth of the sleeve collide with the teeth of the engaged gear and are not engaged when a moving amount at which the sleeve is moved in the first direction and stopped is smaller than a predetermined value.

(5) Preferably, the clutch is provided on the second power transmission path, and the control device shifts the phase of the sleeve and the engaged gear by the power of the second rotating electric machine.

(6) Preferably, the clutch has a high-speed side clutch and a low-speed side clutch, the high-speed side clutch and the low-speed side clutch being provided on the second power transmission path and configured to perform disconnection and connection of power transmission and high-low speed switching, and the control device sequentially performs adjustment of the initial positions of both the high-speed side clutch and the low-speed side clutch.

(7) Preferably, when the main power supply of the vehicle is cut off, the control device starts moving the sleeve in the first direction to adjust the initial position of the sleeve.

(8) Preferably, the clutch is provided on the first power transmission path, and the control device shifts the phase of the sleeve and the engaged gear by the power of the first rotating electric machine.

(9) Preferably, the clutches are provided on the first power transmission path and the second power transmission path, respectively, and the control device shifts phases of the sleeve of the clutch and the engaged gear on the first power transmission path by power of the first rotating electrical machine.

Effects of the invention

According to the disclosed transaxle control device, the initial position of the sleeve can be reliably adjusted (set) to the 0 point position by appropriately providing the neutral distance.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a plan view illustrating an internal configuration of a vehicle on which a transaxle and a control device according to an embodiment are mounted.

Fig. 2 is a schematic side view of a powertrain including the transaxle of fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a skeleton diagram showing a power train provided with the transaxle of fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a diagram for explaining the content of the sleeve adjustment control performed by the control device of fig. 1; fig. 4 (a) shows a state where the initial position Ps deviates from the 0-point position Pn; fig. 4 (b) shows the control contents when the clutch is engaged without causing gear interference; fig. 4 (c) shows the control contents when the gear interference occurs.

Fig. 5 is a flowchart example of the socket adjustment control executed by the control device of fig. 1.

Detailed Description

A transaxle control device according to an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. The embodiments described below are merely examples, and it is not intended to exclude various modifications or technical applications that are not explicitly described in the embodiments below. The respective configurations of the present embodiment can be implemented by being variously modified within a range not departing from the gist thereof. Further, selection can be made as necessary, or appropriate combinations can be made.

[1. Overall constitution ]

The control device 5 of the transaxle 1 of the present embodiment is applied to a vehicle 10 shown in fig. 1. The vehicle 10 is a hybrid vehicle equipped with an engine 2, a motor 3 (an electric motor, a first rotating electric machine) for running, and a generator 4 (a generator, a second rotating electric machine) for generating electric power. The generator 4 is coupled to the engine 2 and is operable independently of the operating state of the motor 3. In addition, three running modes, i.e., an EV mode, a series mode, and a parallel mode, are prepared in the vehicle 10. These running modes are alternatively selected by the control device 5 according to the vehicle state, the running state, the driver's request output, and the like, and the engine 2, the motor 3, and the generator 4 are used in different types.

The EV mode is a running mode in which the vehicle 10 is driven by only the motor 3 using the charging power of a driving battery, not shown, with the engine 2 and the generator 4 stopped. The EV mode is selected when the traveling load, the vehicle speed, and the battery charge level are low. The series mode is a running mode in which the generator 4 is driven by the engine 2 to generate electric power while the vehicle 10 is driven by the motor 3 using the electric power. The series mode is selected when the running load, the vehicle speed, and the battery charge level are low. The parallel mode is a running mode in which the vehicle 10 is driven mainly by the engine 2 and the driving of the vehicle 10 is assisted by the motor 3 as necessary, and the parallel mode is selected when the running load and the vehicle speed are high.

The engine 2 and the motor 3 are connected in parallel to the drive wheels 8 via the transaxle 1, and the power of each of the engine 2 and the motor 3 is transmitted to the drive wheels 8 independently from different power transmission paths. That is, the engine 2 and the motor 3 are driving sources for driving an output shaft 12 on the side of the drive wheels 8, which will be described later. The generator 4 and the drive wheels 8 are connected in parallel to the engine 2 via the transaxle 1, and the power of the engine 2 is transmitted to the generator 4 in addition to the drive wheels 8.

The transaxle 1 is a power transmission device in which a final reduction gear (final reduction gear) including a differential gear (differential device, hereinafter referred to as "differential 18") and a transmission (reduction gear) are integrated, and incorporates a plurality of mechanisms that perform power transmission between a drive source and a driven device. The transaxle 1 of the present embodiment is configured to be capable of switching between high and low speeds (switching between high and low speeds), and when running in the parallel mode, the control device 5 switches between the high-speed gear stage and the low-speed gear stage in accordance with a running state, a requested output, and the like.

The engine 2 is an internal combustion engine (gasoline engine, diesel engine) using gasoline and light oil as fuel. The engine 2 is a so-called transverse engine disposed transversely such that the direction of a crankshaft 2a (a rotation axis) coincides with the vehicle width direction of the vehicle 10, and the engine 2 is fixed to the right side surface of the transaxle 1. The crankshaft 2a is disposed in parallel with a drive shaft 9 of the drive wheel 8. The operating state of the engine 2 is controlled by the control device 5.

Both the motor 3 and the generator 4 of the present embodiment are motor generators (motor/generators) having both a function as an electric motor and a function as a generator. The motor 3 mainly functions as an electric motor to drive the vehicle 10, and functions as a generator during regeneration. The generator 4 functions as a motor (starter) when the engine 2 is started, and generates electric power with engine power when the engine 2 is operated. Inverters (not shown) for converting a direct current and an alternating current are provided around (or in) the motor 3 and the generator 4, respectively. The rotational speeds of the motor 3 and the generator 4 are controlled by controlling the inverters. The operating states of the motor 3, the generator 4, and the inverters are controlled by the control device 5.

The motor 3 of the present embodiment is formed in a cylindrical shape having a rotation shaft 3a as a center axis, and the motor 3 is fixed to the left side surface of the transaxle 1 in a posture in which the bottom surface thereof faces the transaxle 1 side. The generator 4 of the present embodiment is formed in a cylindrical shape having the rotary shaft 4a as the center axis, and the generator 4 is fixed to the left side surface of the transaxle 1 in a posture in which the bottom surface thereof faces the transaxle 1 side, as in the motor 3. Note that fig. 2 is a side view of the power train 7 viewed from the left side. The power train 7 includes an engine 2, a motor 3, a generator 4, and a transaxle 1. Note that the engine 2 is omitted in fig. 2.

A power switch 6 for switching between a disconnected state and a connected state of a main power supply of the vehicle 10 is provided in a vehicle compartment of the vehicle 10. When the power switch 6 is turned ON, the main power supply of the vehicle 10 is connected (READY-ON state), and when the power switch 6 is turned OFF, the main power supply of the vehicle 10 is cut OFF (READY-OFF state). The vehicle 10 is provided with a control device 5 that collectively controls various devices mounted on the vehicle 10.

[2. transaxle ]

Fig. 3 is a skeleton diagram of a power train 7 including the transaxle 1 of the present embodiment. As shown in fig. 2 and 3, six shafts 11 to 16 are provided in parallel with each other in the transaxle 1. Hereinafter, the rotating shaft connected coaxially with the crankshaft 2a is referred to as an input shaft 11.

Similarly, the rotating shafts coaxially connected to the drive shaft 9, the rotating shaft 3a of the motor 3, and the rotating shaft 4a of the generator 4 are referred to as an output shaft 12, a motor shaft 13, and a generator shaft 14. The rotating shaft disposed on the power transmission path between the input shaft 11 and the output shaft 12 is referred to as a first counter shaft 15, and the rotating shaft disposed on the power transmission path between the motor shaft 13 and the output shaft 12 is referred to as a second counter shaft 16. Both end portions of the six shafts 11 to 16 are pivotally supported by the housing 1C via bearings, not shown. Note that openings are formed in the side surfaces of the housing 1C on the respective shafts of the input shaft 11, the output shaft 12, the motor shaft 13, and the generator shaft 14 to connect the crankshaft 2a, the drive shaft 9, the rotary shaft 3a, and the rotary shaft 4a on the outside of the housing 1C.

Three power transmission paths are formed inside the transaxle 1. Specifically, as shown by the two-dot chain line in fig. 2, a power transmission path (hereinafter referred to as "first path 51") from the motor 3 to the output shaft 12 via the motor shaft 13, a power transmission path (hereinafter referred to as "second path 52") from the engine 2 to the output shaft 12 via the input shaft 11, and a power transmission path (hereinafter referred to as "third path 53") from the engine 2 to the generator shaft 14 via the input shaft 11 are formed. Here, the first path 51 and the second path 52 are power transmission paths for driving, and the third path 53 is a power transmission path for generating power.

The first path 51 (first power transmission path) is a path related to power transmission from the motor 3 to the drive wheels 8, and is responsible for power transmission of the motor 3. The motor shaft 13 and the second counter shaft 16 are provided on the first path 51, and a first dog clutch 20, which will be described later, that blocks and connects power transmission is interposed in the middle of the first path 51. The second path 52 (second power transmission path) is a path related to power transmission from the engine 2 to the drive wheels 8, and is responsible for power transmission during operation of the engine 2. The input shaft 11 and the first sub-shaft 15 are provided on the second path 52, and a second dog clutch 30 (an engine-side dog clutch), which will be described later, that performs disconnection and connection of power transmission and high-low speed switching is interposed in the middle of the second path 52. The third path 53 (third power transmission path) is a path related to power transmission from the engine 2 to the generator 4, and is responsible for power transmission at the time of engine start and power transmission at the time of power generation by the engine 2.

Next, the structure of transaxle 1 will be described in detail with reference to fig. 3. Note that, in the following description, the "fixed gear" refers to a gear provided integrally with a shaft and incapable of rotating relative to the shaft. Further, the "idler gear" refers to a gear that is pivotally supported so as to be relatively rotatable with respect to the shaft.

The input shaft 11 is provided with a fixed gear 11a, a high-speed second dog clutch 30 (hereinafter referred to as "high-speed side dog clutch 30H"), an idle gear 11H (first gear), and a fixed gear 11L in this order from the side closer to the engine 2, and the first sub-shaft 15 is provided with a fixed gear 15a, a fixed gear 15H, an idle gear 15L (first gear), and a low-speed second dog clutch 30 (hereinafter referred to as "low-speed side dog clutch 30L") in this order from the side closer to the engine 2.

The fixed gear 11a of the input shaft 11 always meshes with a fixed gear 14a provided to the generator shaft 14. That is, the input shaft 11 and the generator shaft 14 are coupled by two fixed

gears

11a and 14a, and power can be transmitted between the engine 2 and the generator 4. Further, the fixed gear 15a of the first sub-shaft 15 always meshes with a ring gear 18a of a differential 18 provided to the output shaft 12.

The idle gear 11H and the fixed gear 11L provided on the input shaft 11 have different numbers of teeth and always mesh with the fixed gear 15H and the idle gear 15L provided on the first counter shaft 15, it is to be noted that the fixed gear 15H and the idle gear 15L of the first counter shaft 15 also have different numbers of teeth, in the present embodiment, the idle gear 11H has a larger number of teeth than the fixed gear 11L, the idle gear 11H meshes with the fixed gear 15H having a smaller number of teeth to form a high-speed gear stage, and conversely, the fixed gear 11L having a smaller number of teeth meshes with the idle gear 15L having a larger number of teeth to form a low-speed gear stage.

The idle gear 11H disposed coaxially adjacent to the high-speed side dog clutch 30H has a dog gear 11d (engaged gear) integrally provided on the right side of the tooth surface portion meshing with the fixed gear 15H of the first sub-shaft 15, the idle gear 15L disposed coaxially adjacent to the low-speed side dog clutch 30L has a dog gear 15d (engaged gear) integrally provided on the left side of the tooth surface portion meshing with the fixed gear 11L of the input shaft 11, dog teeth 11t are provided at the tip end portion (radially outer end portion) of the dog gear 11d, and dog teeth similar to the dog teeth 11t are also provided at the tip end portion of the dog gear 15d (not shown).

The high-speed side dog clutch 30H and the low-speed side dog clutch 30L are both provided on the second path 52, and switch between a high-speed gear stage and a low-speed gear stage by controlling the power cut-off and connection state of the engine 2. the high-speed side dog clutch 30H has a hub 31H fixed to the input shaft 11 and an annular sleeve 32H that is coupled to the hub 31H (input shaft 11) so as to be slidable in the axial direction without relatively rotating with respect to the hub 31H.

The sleeve 32H is slid in the axial direction by controlling an actuator (not shown) (e.g., a servo motor) by the control device 5. A stroke sensor 45a for detecting the amount of movement (stroke amount) of the sleeve 32H is provided near the sleeve. Further, spline teeth 32t that mesh with the dog teeth 11t of the dog gear 11d are provided on the radially inner side of the sleeve 32H. The sleeve 32H meshes (engages) with the dog gear 11d by the spline teeth 32t meshing with the dog teeth 11 t. In this state, the driving force from the engine 2 is transmitted to the output shaft 12 via the high-

speed gear pair

11H, 15H. Conversely, when the spline teeth 32t of the sleeve 32H and the dog teeth 11t of the dog gear 11d are separated, the idle gear 11H is in an idle state, and the high-speed side power transmission in the second path 52 is cut off.

Similarly, the low-speed side dog clutch 30L includes a hub 31L fixed to the first sub-shaft 15 and an annular sleeve 32L coupled so as to be incapable of rotating relative to the hub 31L (first sub-shaft 15) and slidable in the axial direction, and the sleeve 32L also slides in the axial direction by controlling an actuator (not shown) by the control device 5, and detects the amount of movement (stroke amount) thereof by the stroke sensor 45b, spline teeth (not shown) that mesh with the spline teeth of the dog gear 15d are provided on the radially inner side of the sleeve 32L, the sleeve 32L meshes (engages) with the dog gear 15d by the spline teeth, and in this state, the driving force from the engine 2 is transmitted to the output shaft 12 by the pair of low-speed side gears 11L and 15L, and conversely, when the spline teeth of the sleeve 32L and the spline teeth of the dog gear 15d are separated, the idle gear 15L is in a state, and the low-speed side dog gear 52 is in a state, and the sleeve 5832 is controlled to be described later.

A first dog clutch 20, an idler gear 16M (first gear), a parking gear 19, and a fixed gear 16a are provided on the second counter shaft 16 in this order from the side close to the engine 2. The fixed gear 16a always meshes with the ring gear 18a of the differential 18. The parking gear 19 is an element constituting a parking lock device, and when the driver selects the P range, the parking gear 19 engages with a parking pawl (not shown) to prohibit rotation of the second counter shaft 16 (i.e., the output shaft 12).

The idler gear 16M has a larger number of teeth than the fixed gear 13a provided on the motor shaft 13, and is always meshed with the fixed gear 13 a. The idle gear 16M has a dog gear 16d (engaged gear) integrally provided on the right side of the tooth surface portion meshing with the fixed gear 13 a. The dog gear 16d has, at its distal end portion, dog teeth (not shown) similar to the dog teeth 11t of the above-described dog gear 11 d.

The first dog clutch 20 includes a hub 21 fixed to the second counter shaft 16 and an annular sleeve 22 coupled to the hub 21 (second counter shaft 16) so as to be axially slidable without relative rotation. The control device 5 controls an actuator (not shown) to cause the sleeve 22 to slide in the axial direction, and the stroke sensor 45c detects the amount of movement (stroke amount) of the sleeve. Spline teeth (not shown) similar to the spline teeth 32t of the sleeve 32H are provided on the radially inner side of the sleeve 22. The sleeve 22 is meshed (engaged) with the dog gear 16d of the idler 16M by spline teeth of the sleeve 22 meshing with the dog gear 16 d.

In a state where the sleeve 22 is meshed (engaged) with the dog gear 16d, the driving force from the motor 3 is transmitted to the output shaft 12. Conversely, when the spline teeth of the sleeve 22 are separated from the dog gear 16d of the idle gear 16M, the idle gear 16M is in an idle state, and the power transmission of the first path 51 is cut off. In the present embodiment, the sleeve 22 is engaged with the dog gear 16d when the motor 3 is operated (in the on state), and the sleeve 22 is controlled to the neutral position when the motor 3 is stopped (in the off state). The "neutral position" referred to herein is a position at which the sleeve and the dog gear are separated from each other, and may be the same position as the 0-point position described later or may be a predetermined range including the 0-point position.

[3. summary and constitution of control ]

In the transaxle 1, the control of the initial position Ps of the

adjustment sleeves

32H and 32L is performed when the output shaft 12 is in a stopped state, and this control is hereinafter referred to as "sleeve adjustment control". sleeve adjustment control is performed by the control device 5 when the output shaft 12 is stopped (that is, during a stop of the vehicle 10). in the present embodiment, a case where sleeve adjustment control is performed on the

sleeves

32H and 32L of the second dog clutch 30 provided on the second path 52 will be described.

The transaxle 1 of the present embodiment does not include a position sensor for directly detecting the position of the

sleeves

32H and 32L, but includes

stroke sensors

45a and 45b that are less expensive than the position sensors, the

stroke sensors

45a and 45b being detection means for detecting the amount of movement of the

sleeves

32H and 32L, a 0 point position Pn (initial position) as a reference when the sleeves are moved by the actuator is set in advance for the

sleeves

32H and 32L, and the control device 5 of the present embodiment moves the

sleeves

32H and 32L to desired positions by giving an instruction to the actuator about the movement direction and amount from the initial position Ps.

The desired position is, for example, a position at which the spline teeth 32t of the sleeve 32H mesh with the dog teeth 11t of the dog gear 11d, that is, a position at which each of the

sleeves

32H, 32L and the adjacent dog gears 11d, 15d engage, the desired position is hereinafter referred to as an "engaged position Pe". in the present embodiment, since the second dog clutch 30 is provided on the high speed side and the low speed side, the distance from the 0 point position Pn to the engaged position Pe is predetermined for each of the

sleeves

32H, 32L. therefore, when the

sleeves

32H, 32L are engaged with the

dog clutches

11d, 15d, the control device 5 transmits a predetermined command value (moving direction and moving amount) to the actuator.

However, when the position (i.e., initial position Ps) of the

sleeve

32H, 32L before movement does not coincide with the 0 point position Pn due to some abnormality as shown in fig. 4 (a), it is difficult for the transaxle 1 of the present embodiment to move the

sleeve

32H, 32L to the engagement position Pe. with high accuracy, and the control device 5 adjusts the initial position Ps of the

sleeve

32H, 32L while the output shaft 12 is stopped, and reliably makes the position of the

sleeve

32H, 32L coincide with the 0 point position, which is sleeve adjustment control, as shown enlarged in fig. 3, the 0 point position Pn is set to, for example, the axial center point of each of the

hub

31H, 31L, and it is necessary to point out that "the 0 point position Pn" is the initial position Ps "when the initial position Ps of the

sleeve

32H, 32L before movement coincides with the 0 point position Pn.

In the present embodiment, the vehicle 10 is exemplified in which the EV mode is selected when the running load and the vehicle speed are low, that is, when the vehicle 10 is at a start or a stop, and therefore, in the stopped state of the output shaft 12, the sleeve 22 of the first dog clutch 20 is engaged with the dog gear 16d, and the sleeve adjustment control is not performed on the sleeve 22 of the first dog clutch 20.

When the output shaft 12 is stopped (while the vehicle 10 is stopped), for example, when the power switch 6 of the vehicle 10 is turned OFF to cut OFF the main power supply of the vehicle 10 (that is, when the vehicle 10 is in a READY-OFF state). The output shaft 12 is also stopped before the power switch 6 of the vehicle 10 is turned on to connect the main power supply of the vehicle 10 and start driving, or when the vehicle 10 is stopped and power is not generated by the generator 4 due to signal waiting, crossing waiting, or the like during driving of the vehicle 10. Therefore, the sleeve adjustment control can be performed also in these cases.

Specifically, as shown in fig. 4 (b), the control device 5 controls the actuator of the high-speed-side sleeve 32H to move the sleeve 32H from the initial position Ps to the dog gear 11d of the idle gear 11H so that the spline teeth 32t mesh with the dog teeth 11t, and at this time, since the sleeve 32H is located at the engagement position Pe, the sleeve 32H is moved from the engagement position Pe in the reverse direction (in the direction away from the dog gear 11d as indicated by a black arrow in the drawing) by a preset neutral distance Dn to adjust the position of the sleeve 32H, and hereinafter, the direction in which the clutch is engaged (for example, the direction in which the sleeve 32H faces the dog gear 11 d) is referred to as a "first direction", and the direction opposite to the first direction (that is, the direction in which the clutch is disengaged) is referred to as a "second direction".

The control device 5 may determine that the vehicle 10 is stopped (that is, the output shaft 12 is in a stopped state) by a vehicle speed sensor or a wheel speed sensor (both not shown), or may determine that the vehicle 10 is stopped (that is, the output shaft 12 is in a stopped state) or may determine that the vehicle 10 is in an on-off state of a main power supply of the vehicle 10, and the neutral distance Dn is the "distance from the 0 point position Pn to the engagement position Pe" described above and is set in advance for the

sleeves

32H and 32L, that is, the sleeve 32H is stopped at a position separated by the neutral distance Dn from a position where the spline teeth 32t and the dog teeth 11t mesh (the engagement position Pe described above), and therefore the position of the sleeve 32H is reliably aligned with the 0 point position.

Note that, if the sleeve 32H abuts against a member located at the destination of the sliding movement, the sleeve 32H stops at the position of the abutment and is no longer moved. Therefore, the main reason why the sliding movement of the sleeve 32H is ended is: as shown in fig. 4 (b), the spline teeth 32t are engaged with the tooth insert 11t (that is, the engaged position Pe is reached), or as shown in fig. 4 (c), the spline teeth 32t collide with the tooth insert 11t and are not engaged (that is, gear interference occurs). Note that the position of the sleeve 32H at which the gear interference occurs is referred to as "gear interference position Pb". The control device 5 of the present embodiment determines the main cause when the sleeve 32H stops based on the distance (amount of movement) from the initial position Ps to the position at which the sleeve 32H stops.

Specifically, as shown on the left side in fig. 4 (b) and (c), the determination is made based on whether or not the movement amount D (patterned arrow in the figure) of the sleeve 32H detected by the stroke sensor 45a is equal to or greater than the predetermined value X. The predetermined value X is set in advance to a value that allows the engagement and gear interference of the sleeve 32H to be discriminated even if the initial position Ps of the sleeve 32H is shifted from the 0 point position Pn as shown in fig. 4 (a). That is, as shown in fig. 4 (b), since the amount of movement D is equal to or greater than the predetermined value X when the sleeve 32H has moved to the engaged position Pe, the control device 5 determines that the spline teeth 32t are engaged with the jaw teeth 11t when "D ≧ X". On the contrary, as shown in fig. 4 (c), since the amount of movement D is smaller than the predetermined value X when the sleeve 32H moves only to the gear interference position Pb, the control device 5 determines that "gear interference is generated" when "D < X".

When moving the sleeve 32H in the first direction, the control device 5 rotates the input shaft 11 by the power of the generator 4 to shift the phase between the sleeve 32H and the dog gear 11 d. In the present embodiment, since the hub 31H is fixed to the input shaft 11 and the sleeve 32H is provided so as not to be relatively rotatable with respect to the hub 31H, the sleeve 32H is rotated by rotating the input shaft 11. That is, when moving the sleeve 32H, the controller 5 applies torque to the generator 4 to rotate the sleeve 32H, and changes the phase of the sleeve 32H to shift the phase of the dog gear 11 d. This suppresses the occurrence of gear interference between the spline teeth 32t and the jaw teeth 11 t.

The control device 5 of the present embodiment operates the generator 4 when it is determined that the gear interference has occurred, rotates the sleeve 32H via the input shaft 11, changes the phase, and then moves the sleeve 32H in the first direction again. At this time, when the sleeve 32H moves, the sleeve 32H is moved until the sleeve 32H stops (that is, until the engagement position Pe), and when the sleeve 32H does not move, the sleeve 32H is rotated again by the input shaft 11, and the sleeve 32H is slid and moved after the phase between the sleeve 32H and the dog gear 11d is shifted. Note that the rotation direction of the input shaft 11 may be one direction, or may be switched in a short cycle. Further, the sleeve 32H may be rotated by operating the generator 4 from before it is determined that the gear interference is generated (for example, when the sleeve 32H starts to move).

When the control device 5 finishes adjusting the high-speed side sleeve 32H, the same control is applied to the low-speed side sleeve 32L, that is, the actuator of the low-speed side sleeve 32L is controlled to move the sleeve 32L toward the dog gear 15D of the idle gear 15L (i.e., in the first direction), and when the sleeve 32L is stopped, it is determined whether or not the movement amount D detected by the stroke sensor 45b is equal to or greater than a predetermined value X.

On the other hand, if D < X, it is determined that the spline teeth collide with the dog teeth and are not engaged (gear interference occurs), the generator 4 is operated to rotate the input shaft 11, and the idle gear 15L engaged with the fixed gear 11L is rotated, thereby shifting the phase between the sleeve 32L 0 and the dog gear 15D, and thereafter, the sleeve 32L is moved in the first direction, at this time, the sleeve 32L is moved to move the sleeve 32L to stop the sleeve 32L, and if the sleeve 32L is not moved, the idle gear 15L is rotated again by the input shaft 11, and after the phase between the sleeve 32L and the dog gear 15D is shifted, the sleeve 32L is slid.

[4. procedure ]

Fig. 5 is a flowchart for explaining the content of the above-described sleeve adjustment control. This flow is executed by the control device 5 when the main power supply of the vehicle 10 is turned off (that is, when the output shaft 12 is in a stopped state). It is assumed that information detected by the stroke sensors 45a to 45c is transmitted to the control device 5 at any time.

First, the sleeve 32H on the high speed side is moved in the first direction (toward the idle gear 11H) (step S1), and it is determined whether or not the sleeve 32H has stopped (step S2). The actuator is controlled until the sleeve 32H stops, and when the sleeve 32H stops, it is determined whether or not the movement amount D detected by the stroke sensor 45a is equal to or larger than a predetermined value X (step S3). If D is equal to or greater than X, it is determined that the spline teeth 32t are engaged with the jaw teeth 11t, and the sleeve 32H is moved in the second direction by the neutral distance Dn and stopped (step S4).

On the other hand, in step S3, if D < X, the process proceeds to step S5, where the generator 4 is driven, and the sleeve 32H is rotated via the input shaft 11 by the power of the generator 4. Thereby, the relative phase between the sleeve 32H and the dog gear 11d is shifted, and then the sleeve 32H is moved in the first direction again (step S6). Then, it is determined whether or not the sleeve 32H has moved (step S7), and if the sleeve 32H has not moved, the process returns to step S5. On the other hand, when the sleeve 32H has moved, it is determined whether the sleeve 32H has stopped (step S8), and the actuator is controlled until the sleeve 32H stops (that is, until the spline teeth 32t mesh with the tooth insert 11 t). Then, when the sleeve 32H is stopped, the process of step S4 is performed.

When the adjustment of the high-speed side sleeve 32H is completed, the low-speed side sleeve 32L is adjusted (steps S9 to S16), that is, the low-speed side sleeve 32L is moved in the first direction (toward the idle gear 15L) (step S9), and it is determined whether the sleeve 32L has stopped (step S10), the actuator is controlled until the sleeve 32L stops, and if the sleeve 32L stops, it is determined whether the moving amount D detected by the stroke sensor 45b is equal to or greater than a predetermined value X (step S11), and if D is equal to or greater than X, it is determined that the spline teeth and the dog teeth have engaged with each other, and the sleeve 32L is moved by the neutral distance Dn in the second direction and stopped (step S12).

On the other hand, in step S11, if D < X, the process proceeds to step S13, the generator 4 is driven, and the idle gear 15L is rotated by the power of the generator 4, whereby the relative phase between the sleeve 32L and the dog gear 15D is shifted, then the sleeve 32L is moved again in the first direction (step S14), then it is determined whether the sleeve 32L has moved (step S15), if the sleeve 32L has not moved, the process returns to step S13, on the other hand, if the sleeve 32L has moved, it is determined whether the sleeve 32L has stopped (step S16), the actuator is controlled until the sleeve 32L stops (that is, until the spline teeth mesh with the dog teeth), and then, if the sleeve 32L stops, the process of step S12 is performed.

[5. action, Effect ]

(1) In the control device 5 of the transaxle 1 described above, when the output shaft 12 is in the stopped state, the

sleeves

32H and 32L are moved in the first direction to engage with the dog gears 11d and 15d of the

idle gears

11H and 15L, and then the

sleeves

32H and 32L are moved in the second direction by the neutral distance Dn., and the neutral distance Dn in the present embodiment is set in advance to a distance from the 0 point position Pn to the engaged position Pe, so that the initial position Ps of the

sleeves

32H and 32L can be reliably adjusted (set) to the 0 point position Pn., and therefore the

sleeves

32H and 32L can be prevented from being erroneously engaged with the respective teeth of the dog gears 11d and 15d or from being erroneously disengaged from the teeth, and clutch control can be performed with high accuracy.

(2) In the above-described control device 5, when the

sleeves

32H, 32L are moved in the first direction, the relative phases of the

sleeves

32H, 32L and the dog gears 11d, 15d are shifted by the power of the generator 4, so that the occurrence of gear interference can be suppressed, that is, the teeth of the

sleeves

32H, 32L and the teeth of the dog gears 11d, 15d are easily engaged, and the positions of the

sleeves

32H, 32L can be quickly adjusted.

(3) Further, since the generator 4 is operated after it is determined that gear interference is generated when the

sleeves

32H and 32L are being moved, the spline teeth and the jaw teeth can be engaged with each other with minimum power, and the positions of the

sleeves

32H and 32L can be quickly adjusted.

(4) Since the controller 5 determines whether or not there is gear interference based on whether or not the movement amount D of the

sleeves

32H and 32L is equal to or greater than the predetermined value X, the determination can be performed using the

stroke sensors

45a and 45b, which are less expensive than the position sensors.

(5) The above-described sleeve position control is performed when the main power supply of the vehicle 10 is cut off by turning off the power switch 6, and thus the vehicle 10 can be made to proceed more quickly than when the vehicle 10 is performed immediately before proceeding (when the main power supply of the vehicle 10 is connected).

(6) In the vehicle 10 described above, the EV mode is selected immediately before the stop, and therefore the second dog clutch 30 on the engine 10 side is released, and therefore, the clutch control in the next driving cycle can be performed with high accuracy by adjusting the positions of the

sleeves

32H, 32L of the second dog clutch 30 as described above.

(7) Note that, in the transaxle 1 described above, the second dog clutch 30 is provided on the second path 52, and the high-speed gear stage and the low-speed gear stage are switched according to the running state, the requested output, and the like when running in the parallel mode. That is, in the parallel mode, since the power of the engine 2 can be transmitted (output) by being switched to two stages, the travel mode can be increased, and effects such as improvement in driving experience and improvement in fuel consumption can be obtained, thereby improving vehicle merchantability.

Further, since the second dog clutch 30 is constituted by the high-speed side dog clutch 30H and the low-speed side dog clutch 30L, and the

sleeves

32H and 32L are provided in the

respective dog clutches

30H and 30L, the gear ratios are not limited, that is, the gear ratios of the high-speed gear stage and the low-speed gear stage can be freely set, and further, in the vehicle 10, since the power of the engine 2 and the power of the motor 3 can be individually output, the lack of torque at the time of high-low speed switching can be compensated for by the power of the motor 3, and thus, the shift shock can be suppressed, and the necessity of making a high-low speed switching promptly is reduced, so that the constitution of the second dog clutch 30 can be simplified.

In the above-described embodiment, the second dog clutch 30 having no synchromesh mechanism is used for switching between the high-speed gear stage and the low-speed gear stage, so that downsizing and space saving can be achieved. Further, since the clutch mechanism using no hydraulic pressure is not used, an oil pump is not required, and further, resistance loss can be reduced, and high efficiency can be expected.

Note that, in the transaxle 1 described above, the first dog clutch 20 is also provided on the first path 51, and when running in the parallel mode, the motor 3 can be disengaged from the output shaft 12 by releasing the first dog clutch 20 without assistance from the motor 3. This can avoid the interlocking rotation of the motor 3, suppress power consumption, and reduce loss.

[6. other ]

For example, the position of the low-speed side sleeve 32L may be adjusted first, or the positions of both the

sleeves

32H and 32L may be adjusted at the same time, or whether or not the spline teeth and the dog teeth collide and are not engaged while the

sleeves

32H and 32L are moving in the first direction may be determined using a parameter other than the movement amount D detected by the

stroke sensors

45a and 45b, or the high-speed side sleeve 32H and the low-speed side sleeve 32L may be controlled by the same actuator.

The transaxle 1 is an example, and the configuration is not limited to the above. For example, in the transaxle 1 described above, the second dog clutch 30 is provided on the input shaft 11 and the first sub-shaft 15, respectively, but one second dog clutch may be provided on one of the

shafts

11, 15. For example, a high-speed dog gear may be disposed on one side of the second dog clutch provided on the input shaft 11 in the axial direction, a low-speed dog gear may be disposed on the other side, and a sleeve of the second dog clutch may be engaged with both the dog gears.

The sleeve adjustment control described above can be applied to the transaxle configured as described above. For example, when the output shaft 12 is in a stopped state, the sleeve is moved to the high-speed-side dog gear, and when the high-speed-side dog gear is engaged with the sleeve, the stroke sensor detects the amount of movement up to that point (the distance from the initial position to the high-speed-side engagement position). Next, the sleeve is moved to the low-speed-side dog gear, and when the low-speed-side dog gear is engaged with the sleeve, the stroke sensor detects the amount of movement up to that point (the distance from the high-speed-side engagement position to the low-speed-side engagement position). Then, a value half of the latter detection value (movement amount) is calculated as a neutral distance, and the sleeve is moved in the reverse direction (i.e., toward the high speed side) by the neutral distance. This enables the sleeve to be reliably adjusted to the 0 point position.

It should be noted that the transaxle 1 may be provided with a position sensor that directly detects the position of the

sleeve

32H or 32L in addition to the stroke sensor, and even in such a transaxle, the sleeve position cannot be accurately detected even when the position sensor fails, and therefore the sleeve adjustment control described above may be performed to adjust the sleeve to the 0 point position.

In the sleeve adjustment control, the positions of the

sleeves

32H and 32L of the second dog clutch 30 on the second path 52 are adjusted, but instead of or in addition to this, the position of the sleeve 22 of the first dog clutch 20 on the first path 51 may be adjusted, that is, the sleeve adjustment control is not limited to the second dog clutch 30 for high-low speed switching, but may be applied to a dog clutch (for example, the first dog clutch 20) that switches between disconnection and connection of power transmission, and when applied to the first dog clutch 20, it is preferable to change the phase of the idler gear 16M (first gear) by the power of the motor 3 (first rotating electrical machine) to facilitate engagement between the spline teeth of the sleeve 22 and the dog teeth of the dog gear 16d (engaged gear).

The transaxle 1 has a high-speed gear stage and a low-speed gear stage, which are switched by the second dog clutch 30, but the sleeve adjustment control described above may be applied to dog clutches used for transaxles other than two-stage switching type transaxles.

Note that the relative positions of the engine 2, the motor 3, and the generator 4 with respect to the transaxle 1 are not limited to the above. The arrangement of the six shafts 11 to 16 in the transaxle 1 may be set according to their relative positions. The arrangement of the gears of the respective shafts provided in the transaxle 1 is also an example, and is not limited to the above.

Description of the reference numerals

1 speed changing drive axle

2 engines

3 Motor (Motor, first rotating electrical machine)

4 generators (generator, second rotating electrical machine)

5 control device

8 driving wheel

10 vehicle

11 input shaft

11d jaw gear (engaged gear)

11H idler gear (first gear)

11t tooth set (teeth of tooth set)

12 output shaft

15 first countershaft

15d jaw gear (engaged gear)

15L idler gear (first gear)

16d jaw gear (engaged gear)

16M idler gear (first gear)

20 first dog clutch (clutch)

22 sleeve

30 second dog clutch (Engine side clutch, clutch)

30H high-speed side claw clutch (engine side clutch, clutch)

30L Low-speed side claw clutch (Engine side clutch, clutch)

32H, 32L sleeve

32t spline teeth (Sleeve teeth)

51 first path (first power transmission path)

52 second route (second Power Transmission route)

Dn neutral distance

D amount of movement (amount of travel)

Position of Pb gear interference

Pe bonding position

Pn 0 point location

Ps initial position

X specified value

Claims

1. A control device for a transaxle, which is used in a hybrid vehicle having an engine, a first rotating electric machine that drives an output shaft on a drive wheel side, and a second rotating electric machine that generates electric power by a driving force of the engine, is characterized in that,

the transaxle includes:

a clutch provided on at least one of a first power transmission path from the first rotating electric machine to the output shaft and a second power transmission path from the engine to the output shaft; and

a first gear disposed coaxially adjacent to the clutch and having an engaged gear engaged with a sleeve of the clutch,

when the output shaft is in a stopped state, the control device moves the sleeve in a first direction to engage the sleeve with the engaged gear of the first gear, and then moves the sleeve in a direction opposite to the first direction by a predetermined neutral distance to adjust an initial position of the sleeve.

2. The transaxle control device of claim 1,

the control device shifts the phase of the sleeve and the engaged gear by using the power of the rotating electric machine when moving the sleeve in the first direction.

3. The transaxle control device of claim 2 wherein,

the control device shifts the phases of the sleeve and the engaged gear in a case where the teeth of the sleeve collide with the teeth of the engaged gear without meshing therewith while the sleeve is being moved in the first direction.

4. The transaxle control device of claim 3 wherein,

when the amount of movement when the sleeve is moved in the first direction and stopped is smaller than a predetermined value, the control device determines that the teeth of the sleeve collide with the teeth of the engaged gear and are not engaged with each other.

5. The transaxle control device according to any one of claims 2 to 4,

the clutch is provided on the second power transmission path,

the control device shifts the phase of the sleeve and the engaged gear by the power of the second rotating electric machine.

6. The transaxle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5,

the clutch has a high-speed side clutch and a low-speed side clutch, which are provided on the second power transmission path for performing disconnection and connection of power transmission and high-low speed switching,

the control device sequentially performs adjustment of the initial positions of both the high-speed side clutch and the low-speed side clutch.

7. The transaxle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6,

when the main power supply of the vehicle is cut off, the control device starts moving the sleeve in the first direction to adjust the initial position of the sleeve.

8. The transaxle control device according to any one of claims 2 to 4,

the clutch is provided on the first power transmission path,

the control device shifts the phase of the sleeve and the engaged gear by the power of the first rotating electric machine.

9. The transaxle control device of claim 5 wherein,

the clutches are provided on the first power transmission path and the second power transmission path respectively,

the control device shifts the phase of the sleeve of the clutch and the engaged gear on the first power transmission path by using the power of the first rotating electric machine.