JP2006234155A - Vehicle clutch evaluation system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a clutch evaluation system capable of providing users with the degree of severity of the embodiment of the use of a clutch. <P>SOLUTION: A gear state determination part 35 determines at least one of a gear-on state and a gear-off state during the traveling of a vehicle 1. A time counting part 36 counts a gear-off time during which gears are set in off state based on a determination by the gear state determination part 35. A calculation part 37 obtains the cumulative value of the gear-off times counted by the time counting part 36, and dividing the cumulative value by a traveling distance to calculate an evaluation value corresponding to the degree of the severity of the embodiment of the use. the output part of a user terminal 3 outputs the evaluated value calculated by the calculation part 37. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a clutch evaluation system for evaluating the degree of severity of a usage mode of a clutch of a vehicle.

  As a system for monitoring in-vehicle components based on data acquired from a vehicle, a vehicle travel distance (replacement reference travel distance) that serves as a guideline for replacement of parts is obtained in advance, and this replacement reference travel distance and actual travel distance When the actual travel distance reaches the replacement reference travel distance, there is one that notifies the user that it is time to replace the parts.

JP 2003-137079 A JP 2003-346010 A

  However, the degree of wear and deterioration (lifetime) of in-vehicle components varies depending on the severity of usage such as how the mounted vehicle is operated, the application of the vehicle, and the environment in which it is used. For this reason, although it can still be used, the replacement time may be notified based on the travel distance. In this case, the vehicle driver or the like can subjectively estimate the severity of the usage of the in-vehicle component, but cannot objectively evaluate it, and can appropriately determine the replacement time. was difficult.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle clutch evaluation system capable of providing a user with a degree of severity of a usage mode of a vehicle clutch.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, a first aspect of the present invention is a clutch evaluation system for evaluating the degree of severity of a use aspect of a clutch mounted on a vehicle, comprising a gear state determination unit, a time count Unit, a calculation unit, and an output unit.

  The gear state determination unit determines at least one of an in state and an off state of the gear while the vehicle is traveling. The time counting unit counts at least one of a gear-in time when the gear is in the in-state and a gear-off time when the gear is in the off-state based on the determination by the gear state determining unit. The calculation unit obtains an integrated value of the gear-off time based on the time counted by the time counting unit, and calculates an evaluation value corresponding to the severity of the usage mode of the clutch based on the integrated value. The output unit outputs the evaluation value calculated by the calculation unit. The in-gear state of the gear while the vehicle is running is a state in which the clutch is transmitting torque (the clutch is in the engaged state (completely connected state) and the gear stage is not in the neutral state), and is off. The state is a state other than the in state (the clutch is disengaged (non-contact state and half-clutch state that is not completely connected) and the gear is in the neutral state). For example, the ON / OFF state of the clutch pedal is detected. Identify.

  In general, a major factor of clutch wear is a shift from a clutch disengaged state to a contacted state (so-called half-clutch state) performed when the vehicle starts. For this reason, in order to evaluate the severity of the usage mode of the clutch, it is preferable to determine the half-clutch time when the vehicle starts and the absorbed energy of the clutch in the half-clutch state. However, it is difficult to directly detect or calculate the half-clutch time and the absorbed energy of the clutch, which is not practical.

  Here, the gear-off time when the gear is in the off state can be easily obtained compared to the half-clutch time and the absorbed energy of the clutch, and this gear-off time includes the non-contact time during which the clutch is in the non-contact state. Half clutch time and neutral time when the gear is neutral. Of these, the clutch is in the non-contact state during low-speed vehicle travel including vehicle start-up, mainly during the process of changing the gear position (during a shift-up operation or a shift-down operation). The percentage of non-contact time is small. Further, since neutral is rarely used during vehicle driving in normal driving, the proportion of neutral time in the gear-off time is small. In this way, since a large proportion of the gear-off time occupies the half-clutch time, the gear-off time also increases / decreases depending on the increase / decrease of the half-clutch time. In addition, the half-clutch time at the time of a shift change while the vehicle is running is generally shorter than the half-clutch time at the start of the vehicle, and the number of shift-ups and shift-downs between the start and stop of the vehicle is Since there is no significant difference, the gear-off time also increases or decreases depending on the increase or decrease of the half-clutch time when the vehicle starts. For the above reasons, the gear-off time can be used as a substitute value for the half-clutch time when the vehicle starts.

  In the above configuration, the calculation unit calculates an evaluation value corresponding to the severity of the usage mode of the clutch based on the integrated value of the gear-off time based on the above reason, and the output unit outputs the evaluation value. In other words, an evaluation value related to the severity of the clutch usage is obtained indirectly from the gear-off time that can be acquired relatively easily without using the half-clutch time or clutch absorption energy that is difficult to acquire, and this is output to the output unit. Can be provided to the user.

  Further, the evaluation value calculated by the calculation unit does not indicate the degree of wear since the start of use of the clutch, but corresponds to the degree of severity of how the clutch is used. For this reason, it is possible to calculate the evaluation value without requiring information such as a clutch usage history.

  In addition, a user such as a vehicle driver or an operation manager can objectively evaluate the degree of severity of the usage mode of the clutch by knowing the evaluation value output from the output unit. By referring to this, it is possible to appropriately determine the clutch replacement time. In particular, when the use of the vehicle is not common and the usage mode is special, the clutch can be exchanged in a timely manner regardless of the operation time or the operation distance. The output unit includes a display device for displaying the evaluation value, a printer device for printing, and the like.

  Furthermore, by using the evaluation value as a reference for determining the accuracy of the driving operation, it is possible to urge the driver of the vehicle to drive to extend the life of the clutch.

  The neutral time may be counted and integrated, the integrated value of the neutral time may be subtracted from the integrated value of the gear off time, and the evaluation value may be calculated based on the subtracted value. As a result, the influence of the neutral time on the gear-off time can be removed, and a more suitable evaluation value can be obtained.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vehicle clutch evaluation system according to the first aspect, comprising: a vehicle speed detection unit that detects a vehicle speed of the vehicle; and a gear stage detection unit that detects a gear stage of the gear. . The time counting unit is based on the determination by the gear state determination unit, the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed detection unit, and the gear stage detected by the gear stage detection unit, and the vehicle speed is within a predetermined low vehicle speed range excluding the stop state. In addition, the gear-in time or the gear-off time when the gear stage is a predetermined gear stage including the lowest gear stage is counted.

  In the above configuration, the time counting unit counts the gear-in time or the gear-off time when the vehicle speed is within a predetermined low vehicle speed range excluding the stopped state and the gear is a predetermined gear including the lowest gear. To do. The reason for limiting the time counting range in this way is that most of the half-clutch state at the start of the vehicle is generated at a predetermined gear stage including the lowest gear stage within the low vehicle speed range. Accordingly, the ratio of the half-clutch time at the start of the vehicle in the gear-off time is increased as compared with the case where the gear-in time or the gear-off time is counted for the entire time during vehicle operation, so that a more favorable evaluation value can be obtained. it can.

  Moreover, since the amount of data processed by the calculation unit is reduced as compared with the case where the gear-in time or the gear-off time is counted for the entire time during vehicle operation, the load on the calculation unit can be reduced.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vehicle clutch evaluation system according to the first aspect, wherein a vehicle speed detection unit that detects a vehicle speed of the vehicle, an engine rotation number detection unit that detects the rotation number of the engine, and The gear position determination for determining the gear position of the gear based on the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed detecting section, the engine speed detected by the engine speed detecting section, and predetermined gear ratio data set in advance for each engine. A section. The time counting unit is based on the determination by the gear state determination unit, the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed detection unit and the determination by the gear step determination unit, and the vehicle speed is within a predetermined low vehicle speed range excluding the stop state and the gear step. Is a gear-in time or a gear-off time in a case where the predetermined gear stage including the lowest gear stage is counted.

  In the above configuration, as in the second aspect, the ratio of the half-clutch time at the start of the vehicle in the gear-off time increases, so that a more preferable evaluation value can be obtained. Moreover, since the amount of data processed by the calculation unit is reduced as compared with the case where the gear-in time or the gear-off time is counted for the entire time during vehicle operation, the load on the calculation unit can be reduced.

  Furthermore, since a highly versatile engine speed detector is used instead of the gear stage detector of the second aspect, the applicable vehicle range is wider than that of the second aspect.

  Moreover, the 4th aspect of this invention is a clutch evaluation system of the said any one of the said 1st-3rd vehicle, Comprising: The clutch state detection part which detects the connection / disconnection state of a clutch is provided. The gear state determination unit determines that the gear is in the in-state when the clutch state detection unit detects that the clutch is in the engaged state, or the gear state when the clutch state detection unit detects that the clutch is in the disengagement state. Is determined to be off.

  In the above configuration, it is possible to determine the gear in state or off state by providing a highly versatile clutch state detection unit.

  In the fourth aspect, the gear state determination unit may determine that the gear is in the in-state when the clutch state detection unit detects that the clutch is in the engaged state, and the time counting unit The operation time of the vehicle within the vehicle speed range may be counted, and the gear-in time when the gear is in the in-gear state at the predetermined gear stage may be counted within the low vehicle speed range, and the arithmetic unit subtracts the gear-in time from the operation time The time may be integrated as the gear-off time.

  Here, the operation time of the vehicle and the gear-in time during which the gear is in the in-gear state at each gear stage are highly versatile information used when providing information related to the shift operation. Therefore, according to the above configuration, the gear-off time can be calculated using highly versatile information.

  The vehicle clutch evaluation system may include a travel distance detection unit that detects a travel distance of the vehicle, and the calculation unit divides the integrated value of the gear-off time by the travel distance detected by the travel distance detection unit. You may calculate by.

  In the above configuration, the evaluation value is obtained by dividing the integrated value of the gear-off time by the travel distance of the vehicle. Therefore, even if the travel distance is different, the evaluation is performed by comparing the degree of severity of the clutch usage mode. can do.

  In the vehicle clutch evaluation system, the evaluation value calculated by the calculation unit is stored and stored as an evaluation value for relative comparison, and the evaluation value calculated by the calculation unit is stored in the data storage unit. A report information generating unit that generates report information for displaying a report that can be compared with an evaluation value for relative comparison, and the output unit generates report information generated by the report information generating unit. May be output.

  In the above configuration, users such as vehicle drivers and operation managers are represented in a state where the evaluation value of the clutch can be compared with the evaluation value for relative comparison using the report information output from the output unit. By displaying the report and viewing the report, it is possible to objectively evaluate the degree of severity of the clutch usage, and to appropriately determine the clutch replacement time with reference to the evaluation. .

  The evaluation value for relative comparison is acquired by a plurality of evaluation values generated and stored based on operation data acquired in the past by the in-vehicle terminal device of the same vehicle, or by in-vehicle terminal devices of other vehicles. It is possible to use a plurality of evaluation values generated based on the operation data, evaluation values generated based on virtual operation data for driving that should be set separately, and the like. When using an evaluation value based on past operation data of the same vehicle for relative comparison, it is possible to evaluate the severity of clutch usage by comparing past driving with current driving. When using evaluation values based on vehicle operation data for relative comparison purposes, it is possible to evaluate the degree of severity of clutch usage compared to other driver's driving, and the target driving When the evaluation value based on the virtual operation data is used for relative comparison, it is possible to evaluate the severity of the usage mode of the clutch as compared with the ideal operation. Therefore, by using these evaluation values for relative comparison, it is possible to encourage the driver to operate the clutch more effectively and to make the clutch replacement time corresponding to the driving state of the vehicle. Can be judged more appropriately.

  According to the clutch evaluation system according to the present invention, the user objectively evaluates the degree of severity of the clutch usage mode by obtaining an evaluation value corresponding to the degree of severity of the clutch usage mode. Can do.

  DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  1 is a block diagram schematically showing the entire clutch evaluation system according to the first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram schematically showing the in-vehicle terminal device of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a user terminal of FIG. 4 is a block diagram schematically showing the apparatus, FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the relationship between the clutch state and the gear state, FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the vehicle speed detection process, FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the gear stage detection process, and FIG. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a travel distance detection process, FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a gear-off time counting process, FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a report information generation process, and FIG. 11 is a displayed evaluation report. It is a schematic diagram which shows an example.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a clutch evaluation system according to the present invention includes an in-vehicle terminal device 2 mounted on each of a plurality of vehicles 1, a user terminal device 3 operated by a user, and a system that provides this clutch evaluation system. And a center device 4 as a relay management device provided in the operating company. In the center device 4, information (for example, a vehicle body number) for specifying all the vehicles that receive the clutch evaluation system is registered in advance. Further, the user is related to the vehicle 1 such as a driver of the vehicle 1, an operation manager when the vehicle 1 is managed by a delivery company, a mechanic of the vehicle 1, and a seller of the vehicle 1. Various people are included, and the user terminal device 3 includes all fixed terminal devices and portable terminal devices that can be operated by the user.

  The in-vehicle terminal device 2 and the user terminal device 3 have a basic function as a computer, and the center device 4 has a basic function as a server.

  Each in-vehicle terminal device 2 and the center device 4, and the user terminal device 3 and the center device 4 are communicably connected via a predetermined network 5. The center device 4 is connected to the in-vehicle terminal device 2 and the user terminal device 3. Relay the transmission and reception of information to and from. The in-vehicle terminal device 2, the user terminal device 3, and the center device 4 may be connected via the same network. However, in the present embodiment, each in-vehicle terminal device 2 and the center device 4 have a mobile phone line. The user terminal device 3 and the center device 4 are connected to each other via an internet line network so that wireless communication is possible via the used packet communication network. Although not particularly illustrated, the center device 4 is connected to user terminal devices 3 of a plurality of delivery companies and in-vehicle terminal devices 2 of a plurality of vehicles 1 managed by the delivery companies.

  In this clutch evaluation system, each in-vehicle terminal device 2 sequentially acquires operation data related to the clutch mounted on the vehicle 1 and transmits the acquired operation data to the center device 4 at a predetermined timing. Based on the operation data transmitted from the in-vehicle terminal device 2, the center device 4 counts and integrates the gear-off time during which the gear is turned off while the vehicle is running, and from the accumulated value, the clutch device within a predetermined period is counted. An evaluation value corresponding to the severity of the usage mode is calculated. This evaluation value does not directly represent the life of the clutch, but is information representing the degree of severity of how the clutch is used, which changes depending on how the vehicle 1 is operated. It is calculated according to a predetermined arithmetic expression.

  Here, the reason why the evaluation value is calculated based on the gear-off time will be described.

  First, the in-gear state of the gear while the vehicle is running is a state in which the clutch is transmitting torque (the clutch is in the engaged state (completely connected state) and the gear stage is not in the neutral state), and is off. The state is a state other than the in state (the clutch is disengaged (non-contact state and half-clutch state that is not completely connected) and the gear is in the neutral state). For example, the ON / OFF state of the clutch pedal is detected. Identify.

  In general, a major factor of clutch wear is a shift from a clutch disengaged state to a contacted state (so-called half-clutch state) performed when the vehicle starts. Therefore, in order to evaluate the severity of the usage mode of the clutch, it is preferable to obtain the half-clutch time when starting the vehicle and the absorbed energy of the clutch in the half-clutch state. However, it is difficult to directly detect or calculate the half-clutch time and the absorbed energy of the clutch, which is not practical.

  On the other hand, the gear-off time when the gear is turned off can be easily obtained compared to the half-clutch time and the absorbed energy of the clutch, and this gear-off time includes a non-contact time when the clutch is in a non-contact state, Half-clutch time and neutral time when the gear is neutral are included. Of these, the clutch is in the non-contact state during low speed running including when the vehicle 1 is starting, mainly because the gear stage is changed (during upshifting or downshifting). The percentage of non-contact time in time is small. Further, since neutral is rarely used during vehicle driving in normal driving, the proportion of neutral time in the gear-off time is small. In this way, since a large proportion of the gear-off time in the low speed region occupies the half-clutch time, the gear-off time also increases / decreases depending on the increase / decrease in the half-clutch time. In addition, the half-clutch time at the time of a shift change while the vehicle is running is generally shorter than the half-clutch time at the start of the vehicle, and the number of shift-ups and shift-downs between the start and stop of the vehicle is Since there is no significant difference, the gear-off time also increases or decreases depending on the increase or decrease of the half-clutch time when the vehicle starts. Therefore, it is allowed to use the gear-off time as a substitute value for the half-clutch time at the time of starting the vehicle, and an evaluation value corresponding to the severity of the usage mode of the clutch can be calculated based on the gear-off time.

  Further, the center device 4 generates report information for using the generated evaluation value more effectively. This report information is information for displaying a report representing the generated evaluation value in a state that can be compared with the evaluation value for relative comparison. In the present embodiment, as evaluation values for relative comparison, a plurality of evaluation values calculated in advance based on a plurality of virtual operation data of driving to be targeted are used. The report information is transmitted from the center device 4 to the user terminal device 3 when report request information is transmitted from the user terminal device 3 in response to an input instruction from the user.

  As shown in FIG. 2, each vehicle 1 includes a vehicle speed detection unit 31, a gear stage detection unit 32, a clutch state detection unit 33, and a travel distance detection unit that are each an operation data detection unit in addition to the in-vehicle terminal device 2. 34. The vehicle speed detection unit 31 detects the vehicle speed of the vehicle 1. The gear stage detection unit 32 detects the gear stage (gear position) of the transmission gear. In this embodiment, a case where the gear stage is 1st speed, 2nd speed, 3rd speed, 4th speed, 5th speed, and N (neutral) will be described. In addition, although omitted about R (reverse), it is also possible to include this. The travel distance detector 34 detects the travel distance of the vehicle 1.

  The clutch state detection unit 33 detects the connection / disconnection state of the clutch. Here, the engagement state of the clutch means a state where the clutch is completely engaged, and the disengagement state of the clutch means a non-contact state of the clutch and a half-clutch state where the clutch is not completely connected. The clutch state detection unit 33 may directly detect the clutch state, or may indirectly detect the clutch state by detecting depression of the clutch pedal. In addition, the operation data detection unit may be provided in the vehicle 1 as an individual sensor. However, when the engine control computer has acquired the detection values, it is preferable to use the engine control computer as the operation data detection unit. is there.

  The in-vehicle terminal device 2 includes a control unit 7 and a transmission / reception unit 9. The control unit 7 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and includes an operation data acquisition unit 10. The operation data acquisition unit 10 sequentially acquires the detection signals output from the vehicle speed detection unit 31, the gear position detection unit 32, the clutch state detection unit 33, and the travel distance detection unit 34 as operation data, and transmits the detection signal from the transmission / reception unit 9 to the center. Transmit to device 4.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the center device 4 includes a center control unit 11, a transmission / reception unit 12, and a data storage unit 13. The transmission / reception unit 12 transmits / receives information to / from the in-vehicle terminal device 2 and the user terminal device 3 via the network 5.

  The transmission / reception unit 12 receives operation data transmitted from the in-vehicle terminal device 2 of each vehicle 1. The center control unit 11 sequentially accumulates and stores the operation data received by the transmission / reception unit 12 in the data storage unit 13. At this time, operation data is memorize | stored in the state linked | related with the object vehicle which is the supply source, and data acquisition date.

  The data storage unit 13 stores in advance an arithmetic expression for calculating an evaluation value representing the degree of severity of the usage mode of the clutch based on predetermined operation data acquired from the vehicle 1. As will be described later, in the present embodiment, the gear-off time counted by the time counting unit 36 to be described later is integrated by such an arithmetic expression.

  The center control unit 11 includes a CPU and includes a gear state determination unit 35, a time counting unit 36, and a calculation unit 37.

  Each time the transmission / reception unit 12 receives new operation data and the operation data is stored in the data storage unit 13, the gear state determination unit 35 sequentially determines the clutch connection / disconnection state newly stored from the data storage unit 13. It is determined that the gear is in the off state when reading and the clutch are in the disengaged state. On the contrary, when the clutch is in the engaged state, it may be determined that the gear is in the in-state.

  Here, the relationship between the clutch state and the gear state will be described with reference to FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 4, when the gear stage is 1st to 5th gear, the gear is turned off when the clutch is disengaged, and the gear is turned on when the clutch is engaged. Further, when the gear stage is neutral, the gear is turned off regardless of whether the clutch is in the disengaged state or the engaged state.

  When the gear state determination unit 35 determines that the gear is in an off state, the time counting unit 36 sequentially reads out the newly accumulated vehicle speed and gear stage from the data accumulation unit 13, and the vehicle speed of the vehicle 1 is in a stopped state. Except for a predetermined low gear speed range (for example, greater than 0 km / h to 15 km / h or less) and a predetermined gear stage (for example, first speed, second speed, And the third speed), the time (gear off time) during which the state continues is counted, and the counted value is stored in the data storage unit 13. When the gear state determination unit 35 determines the gear in state, the time counting unit 36 may count the time when the gear state determination unit 35 determines that the gear is not in the in state. .

When the transmission / reception unit 12 receives the report request information from the user terminal device 3, the calculation unit 37 receives the gear-off time (T _gear-off ), the travel distance, and the calculation formula (ΣT _gear-off / travel distance) from the data storage unit 13. The gear-off time is integrated according to the read-out calculation formula, and the integrated value is divided by the travel distance. Next, the calculated evaluation value is stored in the data storage unit 13, the evaluation value for relative comparison is read from the data storage unit 13, and the calculated evaluation value can be compared with many evaluation values for relative comparison The report information for displaying the report represented by is generated. The transmission / reception unit 12 transmits the report information generated by the center control unit 11 to the user terminal device 3. Note that the calculation unit 37 may perform calculation based on an arithmetic expression before receiving report request information, and accumulate the calculated data.

  As illustrated in FIG. 3, the user terminal device 3 includes a control unit 16, a transmission / reception unit 17, an input unit 18, an output unit 19, and a storage unit 20. The transmission / reception unit 17 transmits / receives information to / from the outside via the network 5. The input unit 18 has a keyboard and receives report request information setting and transmission instruction input from the user. The control unit 16 includes a CPU, and generates report request information in response to an input from the user to the input unit 18. The transmission / reception unit 24 transmits the report request information generated by the control unit 16 to the center device 4.

  Further, when the transmission / reception unit 17 receives report information from the center device 4, the control unit 16 stores the report information in the storage unit 20 and outputs it to the output unit 19. The output unit 19 includes a display device for displaying report information, a printer device for printing, and the like. The user can recognize the contents of the evaluation by looking at the evaluation report output and displayed from the output unit 19.

  FIG. 11 shows an example of an evaluation report displayed based on the report information.

  The display content of the evaluation report shown in FIG. 11 includes a description that the evaluation target is a clutch (part name: clutch), a vehicle name (such as a vehicle body number) that identifies the vehicle, and a degree of severity of usage. Visually expressed evaluation map 30, initial registration date, survey month, cumulative mileage, monthly average mileage, overall average value of evaluation values, evaluation value of this vehicle, position of severity, Cumulative usage time and monthly average usage time are included.

  The horizontal axis of the evaluation chart 30 is an evaluation value, and the vertical axis is the number of vehicles (the number of evaluation values used for relative comparison). In the evaluation chart 30, a histogram (frequency distribution) 21 representing the distribution of all evaluation values for relative comparison and an average value 22 of all evaluation values are displayed. Further, the evaluation chart 30 is divided into a plurality of regions 23 to 27 indicating the existence ratio (20% in this example) of evaluation values for relative comparison. For example, when the total number of evaluation values for relative comparison is 100, the number of evaluation values for relative comparison included in each of the areas 23 to 27 is 20. In addition, by displaying the areas 23 to 27 in different colors, the display becomes easier to see. Furthermore, on the horizontal axis of the evaluation chart 30, a point 28 indicating the position of the evaluation value (the evaluation value) of the vehicle to be evaluated is displayed.

  The initial registration date is the date when the vehicle was first registered to use this evaluation system, and the survey month is the month when the operation data that is the basis of the evaluation was acquired. Is the total of the mileage after the initial registration, the monthly average mileage is a value obtained by dividing the cumulative mileage by the registration period (number of months), and the overall average value of the evaluation values is the average value 22 The evaluation value of this vehicle is the numerical display of the evaluation value, the cumulative usage time is the total vehicle usage time after the first registration, and the monthly average usage time is cumulative It is the value obtained by dividing the usage time by the registration period (months). As the vehicle usage time, engine driving time, traveling time, and the like are used.

  Further, the strict position is a display in which a deviation value or a presence ratio of the evaluation value with respect to all evaluation values for relative comparison is converted into 100% display.

  Next, the processing of this clutch evaluation system will be described separately for operation data detection processing, gear-off time counting processing, and report information generation processing.

  In the operation data detection process, a vehicle speed detection process shown in FIG. 5, a gear position detection process shown in FIG. 6, a clutch state detection process shown in FIG. 7, and a travel distance detection process shown in FIG. 8 are executed.

  In the vehicle speed detection process shown in FIG. 5, the vehicle speed is detected by the vehicle speed detection unit 31 of the vehicle 1 (step S1), and the detected vehicle speed is transmitted as operation data to the center device 4 and stored in the data storage unit 13 ( Step S2).

  In the gear speed detection process shown in FIG. 6, the gear speed detection unit 32 of the vehicle 1 detects the gear speed (step S <b> 3), and the detected gear speed is transmitted to the center device 4 as operation data to the data storage unit 13. Accumulated (step S4).

  In the clutch state detection process shown in FIG. 7, the clutch state detection unit 33 of the vehicle 1 detects the clutch engagement / disengagement state (step S5), and the detected state is transmitted to the center device 4 as operation data and is stored in the data storage unit. 13 (step S6).

  In the travel distance detection process shown in FIG. 8, the travel distance detection unit 34 of the vehicle 1 detects the travel distance (step S7), and the detected travel distance is transmitted to the center device 4 as operation data to be a data storage unit. 13 (step S8).

As shown in FIG. 9, the gear-off time counting process is executed every time the transmission / reception unit 12 of the center device 4 receives operation data from the in-vehicle terminal device 2. When the center device 4 receives the operation data (step S11), it is determined based on the received operation data whether or not the gear is in the off state (step S12). When the gear is in the off state, the vehicle 1 It is determined whether the vehicle speed is within a low vehicle speed range of more than 0 km / h and not more than 15 km / h (step S13). If the vehicle speed is within the low vehicle speed range, the gear stage is 1st speed, 2nd speed, or It is determined whether or not the speed is any of the third speed (step S14). When the gear stage is either the first speed, the second speed, or the third speed, counting of the _gear off time T _{gear off} is started (step S14). After step S15, the process returns to step S11. If counting of the _gear- off time T _gear- off has already been executed, the counting is continued in step S15. Further, when it is determined in step S12 that the gear is not in the off state, when it is determined in step S13 that the vehicle speed of the vehicle 1 is not within the low vehicle speed range, or in step S14, the gear stage is 1st speed, 2nd speed, Alternatively, if it is determined that the speed is not any of the third speed, the process proceeds to step S16, the gear-off time T _gear- off counted in step S15 is accumulated in the data accumulation unit 13, and the present process is terminated.

As shown in FIG. 10, the report information generation process is executed each time the transmission / reception unit 12 of the center device 4 receives report request information from the user terminal device 3. When the center device 4 receives the report request information (step S21), the travel distance of the vehicle, the arithmetic expression (ΣT _{gear off} / travel distance), and the gear off time (T _{gear off} ) counted in the gear off time counting process are data. The evaluation value is read from the accumulating unit 13 and an evaluation value is calculated according to an arithmetic expression (ΣT _{gear off} / travel distance) (step S22). Then, the calculated evaluation value is stored in the data storage unit 13 (step S23), the evaluation value for relative comparison is read from the data storage unit 13 (step S24), report information is generated, and the user terminal device 3 And is output from the output unit 19 (step S25), and this process ends.

  According to the present embodiment, by looking at the evaluation report, it is possible to objectively evaluate the degree of severity of the usage state of the clutch, and to appropriately determine the clutch replacement time with reference to such evaluation. it can. In particular, when the use of the vehicle 1 is not common and the usage mode is special, the clutch can be exchanged in a timely manner regardless of the operation time or the operation distance.

  In the evaluation chart 30 of the evaluation report, the existence ratio (regions 23 to 27) of all evaluation values for relative comparison, the average value 22, and the histogram 21 are shown together with the evaluation value (point 28) to be evaluated. Therefore, the user can easily visually grasp the degree of severity of the usage mode of the clutch.

  Further, by using the evaluation value as a reference for determining the accuracy of the driving operation, it is possible to urge the driver of the vehicle 1 to drive to extend the life of the clutch.

  Further, by using the evaluation value as a reference for judging the accuracy of the driving operation, the operation manager reduces the severity of the usage mode and extends the life of the clutch to the driver of the vehicle 1. Can drive the driver.

  In addition, as an evaluation value for relative comparison, an evaluation value generated based on virtual operation data of a target operation that should be set separately is used. The severity of the aspect can be evaluated.

  Further, a value obtained by dividing the integrated value of the gear-off time by the travel distance is output from the output unit 19 of the user terminal device 3 as an evaluation value corresponding to the degree of severity of the clutch usage mode. In other words, an evaluation value related to the severity of the clutch usage is obtained indirectly from the gear-off time that can be acquired relatively easily without using the half-clutch time or clutch absorption energy that is difficult to acquire, and this is output to the output unit. 19 can be provided to the user.

  Further, the evaluation value does not indicate the degree of wear from the start of use of the clutch, but corresponds to the degree of severity of how the clutch is used. For this reason, it is possible to calculate the evaluation value without requiring information such as a clutch usage history.

  In addition, the time counting unit 36 counts the gear-in time or the gear-off time when the vehicle speed is within a predetermined low vehicle speed range excluding the stop state and the gear is a predetermined gear including the lowest gear. . The reason for limiting the time counting range in this way is that most of the half-clutch state at the start of the vehicle is generated at a predetermined gear stage including the lowest gear stage within the low vehicle speed range. Accordingly, the ratio of the half-clutch time at the start of the vehicle in the gear-off time is increased as compared with the case where the gear-in time or the gear-off time is counted for the entire time during vehicle operation, so that a more favorable evaluation value can be obtained. it can.

  Moreover, since the data amount which the calculating part 37 processes reduces compared with the case where the gear-in time or gear-off time is counted for all the time at the time of vehicle operation, the load of the calculating part 37 can be reduced.

  Further, the clutch state detection unit 33 for detecting the gear in state or the off state is a highly versatile component, so that the range of vehicle types to which this evaluation system can be applied can be expanded.

  In addition, since the evaluation value is calculated by dividing the integrated value of the gear-off time by the travel distance of the vehicle, even if the travel distance is different, the degree of severity of the clutch usage mode is compared. Can be evaluated.

  The evaluation value for relative comparison is acquired by a plurality of evaluation values generated and stored based on operation data acquired in the past by the in-vehicle terminal device of the same vehicle, or by in-vehicle terminal devices of other vehicles. It is possible to use a plurality of evaluation values generated based on the operation data, evaluation values generated based on virtual operation data for driving that should be set separately, and the like. When using an evaluation value based on past operation data of the same vehicle for relative comparison, it is possible to evaluate the severity of clutch usage by comparing past driving with current driving. When using evaluation values based on vehicle operation data for relative comparison purposes, it is possible to evaluate the degree of severity of clutch usage compared to other driver's driving, and the target driving When the evaluation value based on the virtual operation data is used for relative comparison, it is possible to evaluate the severity of the usage mode of the clutch as compared with the ideal operation. Therefore, by using these evaluation values for relative comparison, it is possible to encourage the driver to operate the clutch more effectively and to make the clutch replacement time corresponding to the driving state of the vehicle. Can be judged more appropriately.

  Also, the time (neutral time) when the gear stage is in the neutral position is counted and integrated, the integrated value of the neutral time is subtracted from the integrated value of the gear off time, and the evaluation value is calculated based on this subtracted value. You may comprise. As a result, the influence of the neutral time on the gear-off time can be removed, and a more suitable evaluation value can be obtained.

  Further, the output unit 19 of the user terminal device 3 may be provided in the in-vehicle terminal device 2 or the center device 4, and further, the gear state determination unit 35, the time counting unit 36, and the data storage unit 13 of the center device 4 are installed in the in-vehicle unit. You may provide in the terminal device 2. FIG.

  In addition, as evaluation values for relative comparison, evaluation values of clutches of other vehicles, or a plurality of evaluation values generated and stored based on operation data acquired in the past by the in-vehicle terminal device 2 of the same vehicle may be used. Good. When the evaluation value of the clutch of another vehicle is used for relative comparison, it is possible to evaluate the degree of severity of the clutch usage mode compared to the driving of other drivers, and to determine the past of the same vehicle. When the evaluation value based on the operation data is used for relative comparison, it is possible to evaluate the severity of the clutch usage by comparing the past operation with the current operation.

  Furthermore, the vehicles registered in the center device 4 are classified in advance according to their use, displacement, weight, etc., and the evaluation values used for relative comparison are obtained from the vehicles of the classification to which the vehicle to be evaluated belongs. You may limit to. As a result, the degree of severity of the usage mode of the clutch can be accurately evaluated according to the characteristics of the vehicle on which the clutch is mounted.

  Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described.

  This embodiment is different from the first embodiment in how to obtain the gear-off time and the evaluation value, and the other configurations are the same. Therefore, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted. Is omitted.

In this embodiment, when the clutch state detection unit 33 of the vehicle 1 detects that the clutch is in the engaged state and the center device 4 receives such operation data, the gear state determination unit 35 of the center device 4 It is determined that it is in a state. The time counting unit 36 is configured to count the operating time of the vehicle 1 in the low vehicle speed range (T _all), the low vehicle speed range gears in is in state at a predetermined gear gear-time (T _gear-) Count. The said operation time ( _Tall ) is the operation time in all the gear steps including both the connection / disconnection state of a clutch. Furthermore, gear-time (T _{gear-engaging)} is a gear when the clutch is in contact state is counted is determined that the in-state. Calculation unit 37, the operating time _{(T all)} from the gear-engaging time period obtained by subtracting the (T _gear-) integrated as Giyaofu time (oT _Giyaofu = ΣT _all = ΣT _{gear-engaging)} calculation formula (oT _Giyaofu / mileage) The evaluation value is calculated according to

Thus, the reason why the time calculated by the above arithmetic expression (oT _Giyaofu = ΣT _all -ΣT _{gear-engaging)} can be a basis for calculating the evaluation value will be described below.

First, since the clutch engagement state is the gear in state, for example, the low vehicle speed range is set to more than 0 km / h and not more than 15 km / h, and the predetermined gear stage is 1st speed, 2nd speed, and 3rd speed. If set, the time calculated by the above arithmetic expression (oT _Giyaofu = ΣT _all -ΣT _{gear-engaging)} is to become the total time of the shifting operation time Giyaofu time and neutral time in total gear (neutral time) . Of this total time, the neutral time and the shift operation time have little effect on the evaluation value for the above-mentioned reasons, and the low speed driving at the 4th and 5th speeds during the gear-off time at all gear stages is the normal operation. Since this rarely occurs sometimes, this has little effect on the evaluation value. Accordingly, the time calculated by the above arithmetic expression (oT _Giyaofu = ΣT _all -ΣT _{gear-engaging),} it can be used as a substitute value for Giyaofu time in 1-speed to 3-speed, the half-clutch time start time as a result of a substitute Can be used as a value.

  Here, the operation time of the vehicle 1 and the gear-in time when the gear is in the in-gear state at each gear stage are, for example, as described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-106210 when providing information regarding a shift operation. Highly versatile information used. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the gear-off time can be calculated using highly versatile information.

  Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described.

  This embodiment relates to the configuration of the in-vehicle terminal device 2 and, as shown in FIG. 12, an engine rotation detection unit 41 is provided in place of the gear stage detection unit 32 of the first embodiment and the control unit 7 has a gear stage determination. The part 42 is provided, and the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

  The engine speed detection unit 41 detects the engine speed, and the gear position determination unit 42 detects the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed detection unit 31, the engine speed detected by the engine speed detection unit 41, and a predetermined preset value for each engine. The gear position of the gear is determined based on the gear ratio data. That is, in the present embodiment, the position of the gear stage is not directly detected, but is indirectly obtained from the vehicle speed and the engine speed. The transmission / reception unit 9 transmits the gear stage determined by the gear stage determination unit 42 to the center device 4. In the center device 4, based on the gear state (in state or off state) determined by the gear state determination unit 35, the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed detection unit 31, and the gear stage determined by the gear stage determination unit 42, The time counting unit 36 counts the gear-in time or the gear-off time when the vehicle speed of the vehicle 1 is within a predetermined low vehicle speed range excluding the stop state and the gear is a predetermined gear including the lowest gear.

  According to the present embodiment, the highly versatile engine speed detector 41 is used in place of the gear stage detector 32 of the first embodiment, so that the range of vehicle types to which this evaluation system can be applied is expanded. Can do.

  The gear stage determination unit 42 may be provided in the center device 4.

  The present invention can be applied to various vehicle clutch evaluation systems.

It is a block diagram showing typically the whole clutch evaluation system concerning a 1st embodiment of the present invention. It is a block diagram which shows typically the vehicle-mounted terminal device of FIG. It is a block diagram which shows typically the user terminal device of FIG. It is a figure which shows the relationship between the state of a clutch, and the state of a gear. It is a flowchart which shows a vehicle speed detection process. It is a flowchart which shows a gear stage detection process. It is a flowchart which shows a clutch state detection process. It is a flowchart which shows a travel distance detection process. It is a flowchart which shows the count process of a gear-off time. It is a flowchart which shows report information generation processing. It is a schematic diagram which shows an example of the displayed evaluation report. It is a block diagram which shows typically the vehicle-mounted terminal device of 3rd Embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

1: Vehicle 2: In-vehicle terminal device 3: User terminal device 4: Center device 5: Network 13: Data storage unit 19: Output unit 31: Vehicle speed detection unit 32: Gear speed detection unit 33: Clutch state detection unit 34: Travel distance Detection unit 35: gear state determination unit 36: time counting unit 37: calculation unit

Claims (7)

A clutch evaluation system for evaluating the degree of severity of a usage mode of a clutch mounted on a vehicle,
A gear state determination unit that determines at least one of an in state and an off state of the gear while the vehicle is running;
Based on the determination by the gear state determination unit, a time counting unit that counts at least one of a gear-in time when the gear is in an in-state or a gear-off time when the gear is in an off state;
An arithmetic unit that obtains an integrated value of the gear-off time based on the time counted by the time counting unit, and calculates an evaluation value corresponding to the degree of severity of use of the clutch based on the integrated value;
An output unit that outputs the evaluation value calculated by the calculation unit;
A vehicle clutch evaluation system comprising: The vehicle clutch evaluation system according to claim 1,
A vehicle speed detector for detecting the vehicle speed of the vehicle;
A gear engagement detection unit for detecting at least a gear engagement state of the gear,
The time counting unit is configured to determine whether the vehicle speed of the vehicle is a predetermined low value except a stop state based on the determination by the gear state determination unit, the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed detection unit, and the gear stage detected by the gear stage detection unit. The vehicle clutch evaluation system characterized in that the gear-in time or the gear-off time is counted when the predetermined gear stage including the lowest gear stage is within a vehicle speed range. The vehicle clutch evaluation system according to claim 1,
A vehicle speed detector for detecting the vehicle speed of the vehicle;
An engine speed detector for detecting the engine speed;
A gear for determining the gear position of the gear based on the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed detector, the engine speed detected by the engine speed detector, and predetermined gear ratio data set in advance for each engine. A stage determination unit,
The time counting unit is configured so that the vehicle speed of the vehicle is within a predetermined low vehicle speed range excluding the stop state based on the determination by the gear state determination unit, the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed detection unit, and the determination by the gear stage determination unit. And the gear-in time or the gear-off time when the gear stage is a predetermined gear stage including the lowest gear stage is counted. A vehicle clutch evaluation system according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
A clutch state detection unit for detecting the connection / disconnection state of the clutch;
The gear state determining unit determines that the gear is in an in-state when the clutch state detecting unit detects that the clutch is in an engaged state, or the clutch state detecting unit when the clutch is in a disengaged state. When the vehicle is detected, it is determined that the gear is in an off state. The vehicle clutch evaluation system according to claim 4,
The gear state determination unit determines that the gear is in an in state when the clutch state detection unit detects that the clutch is in an engaged state,
The time counting unit counts the operation time of the vehicle within the low vehicle speed range, and counts a gear-in time during which the gear is in an in-state at the predetermined gear stage within the low vehicle speed range,
The said calculating part integrates the time which subtracted the said gear-in time from the said operation time as the said gear-off time. The clutch evaluation system of the vehicle characterized by the above-mentioned. A vehicle clutch evaluation system according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
A travel distance detector for detecting the travel distance of the vehicle;
The calculation unit calculates the evaluation value by dividing the integrated value of the gear-off time by the travel distance detected by the travel distance detection unit. A vehicle clutch evaluation system according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
A data storage unit in which the evaluation value calculated by the arithmetic unit is stored and stored as an evaluation value for relative comparison;
A report information generating unit for generating report information for displaying a report representing the evaluation value calculated by the arithmetic unit in a state comparable to the evaluation value for relative comparison stored in the data storage unit;
The output unit outputs the report information generated by the report information generation unit. A vehicle clutch evaluation system, characterized in that:

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