JP4569120B2 - Auto clutch device for vehicle - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an auto clutch device applied to a vehicle such as a truck.

  In recent years, some vehicles such as trucks have an automatic clutch device that automatically connects and disconnects a friction clutch to reduce the burden on the driver. In this, there are a type in which the transmission automatically shifts with an actuator, and a type in which the transmission is manually shifted as usual.

  In the former, since the time from the shift instruction to the completion of the shift is as long as about 1 second, it is difficult for the driver to understand the shift completion timing, and it is also difficult to understand the accelerator depression timing. For this reason, if the driver performs the accelerator operation at the time of shifting, excessive engine braking or acceleration is generated due to delay or excessive depression of the accelerator at the time of clutch meet after shifting, and the feeling of jerky at shifting is great.

  Therefore, in such a system, it is common to perform full engine control at the time of shifting. The full engine control means that the engine output control necessary for shifting is automatically performed by the engine control unit irrespective of the actual accelerator opening. For example, the control at the time of shifting up is as follows.

      (1) At the start of shifting: Simultaneously with the clutch disengagement, the engine output is reduced to reduce the rotation, and the engine speed is reduced to the target speed.

      (2) When the engine speed has dropped to the target speed: Increase the engine output to a level that can maintain the target speed.

(3) When the clutch is connected to the half-clutch after the shift is completed ... Same as (2)
(4) After clutch synchronization is completed: Gradually return the engine output to match the accelerator opening.

  Since such a full engine control requires a time of at least 0.5 to 1 second, the next shift target gear stage needs to be known at the initial stage of the shift (the shift is generally about 1 second). finish).

  On the other hand, in the latter, the shift target gear disconnection is found immediately before the gear-in, and the shift target gear disconnection is not known in the initial stage of the shift. Therefore, there is generally no time for performing full engine control as in the former, and engine control is not performed. However, since the driver can recognize the gear-in timing in the latter case, it is easy to grasp the accelerator depression timing, and the feeling does not deteriorate so much even without any engine control.

JP-A-63-13835 JP 63-166629 A JP-A-62-37239

  However, when shifting at low gears such as 1st to 2nd speed and 2nd to 3rd speed, the engine brake is strongly applied, so that there is a problem that a large vehicle deceleration occurs due to a slight delay in stepping on the accelerator.

  In addition, when such a large vehicle deceleration occurs, the driver tends to open the accelerator greatly, a rapid acceleration is performed after deceleration by the engine brake, the vehicle is greatly shaken back and forth, and the shift feeling becomes even worse. To do. This problem hardly occurs at the high speed stage side, but frequently occurs at a low speed stage where a strong engine brake is applied and the amplification factor of the engine torque is high.

  One possible solution to this problem is to engage the clutch extremely slowly. Conventionally, this method was used. However, this method places a burden on the clutch, and a vehicle type such as a large vehicle that does not have enough clutch capacity may shorten the clutch life and is difficult to employ.

The present invention is an automatic clutch device for a vehicle combined with a manual transmission mechanically connected to a shift lever, and an accelerator opening sensor for detecting an actual accelerator opening, and input from the accelerator opening sensor. a clutch control unit for outputting a control accelerator opening system which is determined based on the actual accelerator opening degree, and inputs a control accelerator opening from the clutch control unit, an engine control unit for executing engine control based on this ,
When the clutch control unit is in the half-clutch region during automatic clutch engagement after the manual transmission is completed, if the actual accelerator opening is equal to or less than the predetermined opening, the predetermined opening is controlled. and then, the actual accelerator opening is set to the greater than the predetermined opening degree control of the actual accelerator opening degree control accelerator opening during a predetermined time after the clutch is escaped from the half clutch region, the predetermined and the actual accelerator pedal position When the difference from the opening is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, the control accelerator opening is gradually brought closer to the actual accelerator opening, and when the predetermined time has elapsed, the actual accelerator opening is controlled to be the control accelerator opening. is there.

  Further, it is preferable that the shift-up of the manual transmission is at a low gear.

  Moreover, it is preferable that the predetermined opening is determined according to the engine speed.

  According to the present invention, when shifting up the transmission with automatic clutch connection, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of excessive deceleration due to delay in the depression of the accelerator, etc., and to achieve an excellent effect of greatly improving the shift feeling. Is done.

  Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  FIG. 1 shows an overall configuration of a vehicle auto clutch device according to the present embodiment. The auto-clutch device here employs a so-called selective auto-clutch configuration that can be engaged / disengaged manually in addition to automatic clutch engagement / disengagement. This automatic clutch device is combined with a manual transmission that is manually shifted by the driver.

  As shown in the figure, the auto clutch device 1 includes an air pressure supply means 2 for supplying air pressure as a clutch operating pressure. The air pressure supply means 2 is driven by an engine 91 (here, a diesel engine), generates a pneumatic pressure, an air dryer 4 that dries air from the compressor 3, and stores air sent from the air dryer 4. The air tank 5 is mainly composed of a check valve 6 provided on the inlet side of the air tank 5. The air pressure from the air pressure supply means 2 is sent to a booster (clutch booster) 7 as a clutch actuator, and the booster 7 operates the friction clutch 8 to the dividing side A by supplying the air pressure. It has become. Further, the booster 7 is supplied with hydraulic pressure from the master cylinder 10 as will be described in detail later.

  FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing details of the booster 7. As shown in the figure, the booster 7 has a cylinder shell 12 connected to its body 11, and a piston plate (power piston, booster piston) 13 is pneumatically moved into the cylinder shell 12 by a return spring 14. It is urged to the introduction side (left side in the figure). A pneumatic nipple 15 is attached to one end of the cylinder shell 12, and the pneumatic nipple 15 forms an air pressure introduction port and introduces air pressure from the air tank 5 from the air pressure pipe 35 (FIG. 1). When the air pressure is introduced, the piston plate 13 is pushed to the right side. When this happens, the piston plate 13 pushes the piston rod 16, the hydraulic piston 17, and further the push rod 18 to move the clutch lever 8a (FIG. 1). Pushing to the dividing side A, the clutch 8 is disconnected.

  On the other hand, a hydraulic path 20 is formed inside the body 11, and a hydraulic inlet of the hydraulic path 20 is formed by a hydraulic nipple 19. One end of a hydraulic pipe 54 is connected to the hydraulic nipple 19. The hydraulic path 20 includes a hole 21 formed on one end (lower end) side of the body flange portion 11a, a hydraulic cylinder (hydraulic cylinder) 22 (formed on the body cylinder portion 11b) that houses the hydraulic piston 17, and a hydrostatic passage. It is mainly formed by the control hole 23 on the other end (upper end) side that communicates with the lick cylinder 22 via the small hole 23a. When hydraulic pressure is introduced from the hydraulic nipple 19, the hydraulic pressure reaches the control hole 23 through the passage and pushes the control piston 24 to the right along the control cylinder 25. As described in detail later, a control valve portion 7a (hydraulic operating valve) for controlling the pneumatic pressure supply to the booster 7 is formed on the upper end side of the body flange portion 11a.

  The control valve portion 7a is defined by a control body portion 26 that protrudes to the right. The control body portion 26 is formed with a control chamber 27 and a pneumatic port 28 that communicate coaxially with the control cylinder 25 described above. A control portion 29 of the control piston 24 is accommodated in the control chamber 27, and a poppet valve 30 is slidably accommodated in the pneumatic port 28. A nipple 31 is attached to the pneumatic port 28, and a pneumatic pipe 67 (FIG. 1) is connected to the nipple 31 so that pneumatic pressure is always supplied.

  Normally, the poppet valve 30 is urged to the left by the air pressure and the poppet spring 32 and closes the communication port 33 that connects the control chamber 27 and the air pressure port 28. Therefore, the air pressure from the nipple 31 is blocked at the position of the poppet valve 30. However, when hydraulic pressure is supplied from the hydraulic pipe 54, the control portion 29 of the control piston 24 pushes the poppet valve 30 to the right side to open the communication port 33. In this case, the pneumatic pressure that has entered the control chamber 27 from the communication port 33 enters the cylinder shell 12 through the pneumatic pipes 34 and 35 (FIG. 1) communicating with the control chamber 27, as will be described in detail later. 13 acts on the air pressure acting surface 13a on the left side and pushes it to the right side to operate the clutch 8 to the dividing side.

  Here, the booster 7 can operate the clutch 8 for a predetermined stroke according to the magnitude of the supplied hydraulic pressure. That is, for example, when the hydraulic pressure is increased by a relatively small value, the piston plate 13 is pushed to the right side by the aforementioned pneumatic action, and the hydraulic piston 17 is pushed to the right side by a predetermined stroke in conjunction with this. . Then, the volume of the hydraulic path 20 increases and the hydraulic pressure in the control hole 23 decreases, and when this happens, a balanced state occurs in which the poppet valve 30 closes the communication port 33 while the control portion 29 of the control piston 24 presses the poppet valve 30. Thus, a predetermined air pressure is maintained in the control chamber 27, the air pressure pipes 34 and 35, and the air pressure introducing chamber 12b on the air pressure acting surface 13a side of the piston plate 13, and the piston plate 13 and the clutch 8 are predetermined. Hold at the stroke position.

  When the hydraulic pressure is completely removed, the hydraulic pressure in the control hole 23 is further lowered, and the control piston 24 is returned to the leftmost original position as shown in the figure. As a result, the control unit 29 is separated from the poppet valve 30 and the open port 36 provided inside the control unit 29 communicates with the control chamber 27 and the like. Then, a part of the retained air pressure is introduced from the open port 36 through the atmospheric pressure port 39 to the atmosphere chamber 12a on the opposite side of the air pressure introduction chamber 12b, thereby pushing the piston plate 13 to the right. However, this time, in cooperation with the return spring 14, it is pushed to the left side on the opposite side, and the clutch 8 is operated to the connection side (left side) B. The remaining air pressure is released to the atmosphere through the breather 37.

  In particular, since the breather 37 has a built-in check valve capable of exhausting only, the atmosphere chamber 12a becomes negative pressure when the clutch is connected, and the connection failure of the clutch 8 occurs. In order to prevent this, it is necessary to guide part of the air pressure to the atmosphere chamber 12 a and to discharge the rest from the breather 37.

  In the booster 7, reference numeral 38 denotes a seal member that oil-tightly partitions the cylinder chamber 12a and the hydraulic cylinder 22, reference numeral 40 denotes an atmospheric pressure port, and reference numeral 41 denotes a bleeder that can release hydraulic oil when loosened. .

  As described above, the control valve unit 7a controls supply / discharge of air pressure to / from the booster 7 based on the signal oil pressure from the master cylinder 10 interlocked with the operation of the clutch pedal 9, and manually connects / disconnects the clutch 8. Execute.

  FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view showing details of the master cylinder 10. As illustrated, the master cylinder 10 has a cylinder body 45 extending in the longitudinal direction. The cylinder body 45 has a cylinder bore 46 with a predetermined diameter inside, and in particular, two pistons 47 and 48 are slidably inserted into the cylinder bore 46. A tip end portion of a push rod 49 to be inserted / removed in accordance with the depression or return operation of the clutch pedal 9 is inserted into one end (left end) opening portion of the cylinder bore 46, and the opening portion is further closed by a dust boot 50. A return spring 52 that urges the first and second pistons 47 and 48 to one end side via the piston cup 51 is provided on the other end side (right side) in the cylinder bore 46. The other end of the cylinder bore 46 is communicated with a hydraulic pressure supply port 53 formed in the cylinder body 45, and a hydraulic pipe 54 shown in FIG. 53a is a check valve.

  In the illustrated state, the clutch pedal 9 is not depressed, and the first and second pistons 47 and 48 are located at their original positions on one end side. In particular, the cylinder body 45 is provided with an air pressure introduction port 55 located between the pistons 47 and 48 at this time. In the master cylinder 10, when a manual operation is performed by the clutch pedal 9, both pistons 47 and 48 are pushed to supply hydraulic pressure. On the other hand, in the case of automatic operation, as will be described in detail later, air pressure is supplied from the air pressure introduction port 55 and only the second piston 48 is appropriately pushed. At this time, the movement of the first piston 47 is restricted by the snap ring 56. At this time, since the first piston 47 does not move, the clutch pedal 9 does not move. 57 is an oil supply nipple connected to an oil supply pipe 59 from a reservoir tank 58 (FIG. 1) of hydraulic oil, and 60 and 61 are a small diameter and a large diameter for supplying oil to the right side of the piston cup 51 and the position of the second piston 48, respectively. Indicates the port.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a pneumatic pipe 62 extends from the air tank 5, a pneumatic pipe 67 branches from a branch 63 of the pneumatic pipe 62, and the pneumatic pipe 67 is a nipple of the booster 7. 31 is connected. On the other hand, the pneumatic piping 62 is connected to a shuttle valve 69, and in particular, two 2-way three-way solenoid valves 78 and 79 (first and second three-way solenoid valves) are provided on the upstream side and the downstream side. It is provided in series. Here, the pneumatic pipe 62 connects the upstream portion 62a connecting the air tank 5 and the upstream three-way solenoid valve 78, the intermediate portion 62b connecting the three-way solenoid valves 78 and 79, and the downstream three-way solenoid valve 79 and the shuttle valve 69. It is divided into the downstream part 62c. A pneumatic pipe 64 is connected to the exhaust side of the upstream three-way solenoid valve 78, a pneumatic pipe 74 (first pneumatic discharge path) is connected to the intermediate portion 62b, and the exhaust side of the downstream three-way solenoid valve 79 is connected. Is connected to a pneumatic pipe 68 (second pneumatic discharge passage).

  The three-way solenoid valves 78 and 79 are switched and controlled by receiving an ON / OFF signal (control signal) from a clutch control unit (hereinafter referred to as clutch ECU) 72 which is an electronic control unit for clutch control. The upstream three-way solenoid valve 78 connects the upstream portion 62a and the intermediate portion 62b to close the pneumatic piping 64 when ON, and connects the intermediate portion 62b and the pneumatic piping 64 to connect the upstream portion 62B when OFF. 62a is closed. The downstream three-way solenoid valve 79 connects the intermediate part 62b and the downstream part 62c to close the pneumatic pipe 68 when ON, and connects the downstream part 62c and the pneumatic pipe 68 to connect the intermediate part 62c when OFF. The part 62b is closed.

  The shuttle valve (double check valve) 69 is a mechanical three-way valve, and connects only one of the pneumatic pipes 62 or 34 to the pneumatic pipe 35 based on the mutual pneumatic pressure difference.

  On the other hand, the pneumatic piping 68 extending from the three-way solenoid valve 79 is connected to the breather 37 of the booster 7 described above. In the middle of the pneumatic pipe 68, the end of the pneumatic pipe 74 extending from the intermediate portion 62b is connected. Further, the end of the pneumatic pipe 64 extending from the three-way solenoid valve 78 is connected to the pneumatic pipe 68 on the downstream side (breather 37 side) of the connecting portion.

  The pneumatic pipe 74 is provided with a throttle portion 66 (first throttle) for throttle the flow path and a check valve 75 for regulating the movement direction of the pneumatic pressure in one direction. The throttle portion 66 is provided on the intermediate portion 62b side, and the check valve 75 is provided on the pneumatic piping 68 side. As will be described later in detail, at the time of air pressure discharge accompanying the automatic clutch connection, exhaust is performed from the air pressure pipe 68 side toward the intermediate portion 62b side. The check valve 75 is positioned on the upstream side. Further, the check valve 75 allows only air pressure or air movement from the pneumatic pipe 68 side to the intermediate portion 62b side, and restricts or prohibits movement in the reverse direction.

  Further, in the pneumatic pipe 68, another throttle part 76 (second throttle) is provided at a position between the connection parts of the pneumatic pipes 74 and 64. The throttle unit 76 has a larger throttle amount than the previous throttle unit 22 and further reduces the flow path area. As will be described later in detail, when the air pressure is discharged due to the automatic clutch connection, the exhaust is performed from the three-way solenoid valve 79 side toward the breather 37 side. It will be located downstream of the connecting portion of the pipe 74.

  Further, as will be described in detail later, the pneumatic pipes 62 and 35 that connect the air tank 5 to the three-way solenoid valves 78 and 79, the shuttle valve 69, and the pneumatic nipple 15 of the booster 7 in order are automatically disconnected when the clutch 8 is automatically disconnected. A first pneumatic supply path a for supplying pneumatic pressure to the booster 7 is formed.

  In addition, pneumatic pipes 62, 67, 34, and 35 that sequentially connect from the air tank 5 to the branch 63, the control valve unit 7a, the shuttle valve 69, and the pneumatic nipple 15 of the booster 7 are provided when the clutch 8 is manually separated. A second air pressure supply path b for supplying air pressure to the booster 7 is formed.

  In particular, a pneumatic pipe 70 is connected to the intermediate portion 62 b of the pneumatic pipe 62, and this pneumatic pipe 70 is a third empty for supplying pneumatic pressure to the master cylinder 10 when the clutch 8 is automatically cut off. A pressure supply path c is formed.

  The air pressure pipe 70 is connected to the air pressure introduction port 55 of the master cylinder 10 and supplies air pressure to the back side of the second piston 48. A three-way solenoid valve 80 (third three-way solenoid valve) is provided in the middle of the pipe 70, and the three-way solenoid valve 80 controls supply and discharge of air pressure to the master cylinder 10. A pneumatic pipe 73 is connected to the exhaust side of the three-way solenoid valve 80, and the end of the pneumatic pipe 73 is connected to a downstream portion 62 c of the pneumatic pipe 62. A check valve 43 is provided in the middle of the pneumatic piping 73. The check valve 43 allows only the movement of the pneumatic pressure from the three-way solenoid valve 80 side to the downstream portion 62c side, and restricts or prohibits the movement in the reverse direction. To do. Then, the action of the internal spring allows the movement of the air pressure only when the air pressure on the three-way solenoid valve 80 side is larger than the air pressure on the downstream portion 62c side.

  The three-way solenoid valve 80 is ON / OFF controlled by the clutch ECU 72. When ON, the upstream side (air tank 5 side) and the downstream side (master cylinder 10 side) of the pneumatic pipe 70 are connected or communicated, and the pneumatic pipe 73 is connected. Closed. When OFF, the downstream side of the pneumatic piping 70 and the pneumatic piping 73 are connected, and the upstream side of the pneumatic piping 70 is closed. Thus, when ON, the pneumatic pressure supply to the master cylinder 10 is allowed, and when OFF, the pneumatic pressure is discharged from the master cylinder 10 and sent to the pneumatic piping 62 through the pneumatic piping 73. As described above, the downstream side of the pneumatic pipe 70 and the pneumatic pipe 73 constitute an air pressure discharge path for the master cylinder.

  Such an auto clutch device 1 is combined with a manual transmission 76. The manual transmission 76 is mechanically connected to the shift lever 95 via a link or the like, and is manually shifted by the driver. The shift lever 95 is provided with a shift knob that can be slightly swung (swinged). When a shift operating force of a certain level or more is applied to the shift knob, the shift knob swings with respect to the shift lever and is built in the shift knob. The switch 77 is turned on. This ON signal is taken into the clutch ECU 72 as a shift instruction signal, and this is used as a signal to start automatic clutch disengagement which will be described later. The shift knob is normally kept in a neutral position by a spring incorporated therein. As a result, the switch 77 is normally OFF.

  Here, an air pressure assist 71 as a shift assist device is interposed between the shift lever 95 and the transmission 76. This operates when air pressure is introduced, generates an assist force based on the air pressure, and reduces the shift lever operating force. A pneumatic pipe 65 branched from the pneumatic pipe 67 is connected to the pneumatic assister 71 in order to introduce the pneumatic pressure. The pneumatic pipe 65 is a three-way solenoid valve 90 that is ON / OFF controlled by the clutch ECU 72. Is provided. The clutch ECU 72 turns on / off the three-way solenoid valve 90 in response to the ON / OFF of the switch 77, operates the pneumatic assister 71 at the time of shifting by the driver to generate a shift assist force, and pneumatic pressure at times other than at the time of shifting. The shift assist force is released by deactivating the assister 71 to achieve shift interlock.

  The engine 91 is controlled by an engine control unit (hereinafter referred to as an engine ECU) 99 as an electronic control unit for engine control. The engine ECU 99 determines the optimum fuel injection amount and fuel injection timing based on the current engine operating state (mainly engine speed and accelerator opening), and controls the electronic governor of the fuel injection pump 92 in accordance with this. To do. The engine speed is detected by an engine speed sensor 93, and this detection signal is sent to the engine ECU 99 and the clutch ECU 72, respectively.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 5, an actual accelerator opening (actual accelerator opening) is detected by an accelerator opening sensor 82 provided in the accelerator pedal 75, which is not sent to the engine ECU 99 but sent to the clutch ECU 72. It is done. The clutch ECU 72 processes the actual accelerator opening as appropriate to obtain the control accelerator opening, and outputs this to the engine ECU 99. Therefore, the engine ECU 99 executes engine control based on the control accelerator opening. The clutch ECU 72 normally outputs the actual accelerator opening by replacing it with the control accelerator opening, but outputs a value different from the actual accelerator opening as the control accelerator opening when a predetermined condition is satisfied as will be described later.

  In addition, the clutch ECU 72 includes an idle switch 83 provided on the accelerator pedal 75, an emergency switch 84 provided near the shift lever 95, a vehicle speed sensor 85 provided near the output shaft of the transmission 76, and the air tank 5. A pressure switch 86, a pedal switch 87 and a clutch pedal stroke sensor 89 provided on the clutch pedal 9, a clutch stroke sensor 88 provided on the clutch 8, and the like are connected. The clutch ECU 72 is also connected to an input rotation sensor 94 for detecting the input rotation speed of the transmission 76 and a gear position switch (not shown) for detecting the current gear position in the transmission 76. The input rotation sensor 94 directly detects the rotation of the first counter gear of the transmission 76. Based on this, the clutch ECU 72 calculates the input shaft rotational speed of the transmission 76, that is, the output-side rotational speed of the clutch 8 by calculation.

  Next, the operation of the above apparatus will be described. Note that FIG. 4 shows energization patterns (ON / OFF patterns) of the solenoid valves 78, 79, and 80 in each clutch mode. In this case, the normal time means a manual operation, and at this time, all the solenoid valves 78, 79, 80 are turned off. The solenoid valve 90 is energized and controlled independently of these, and will be described later.

  First, the manual dividing operation of the clutch 8 is performed as follows. When the clutch pedal 9 is depressed, hydraulic pressure is supplied from the master cylinder 10, and this hydraulic pressure operates the control valve portion 7a to connect or communicate the pneumatic pipes 67 and 34 as described above. When this happens, the air pressure in the pipe 34 switches the shuttle valve 69 to reach the pipe 35 and moves to the air pressure introduction chamber 12 b of the booster 7. Then, the piston plate 13 is pushed to disconnect the clutch 8. At this time, the clutch 8 can be divided by an appropriate amount in accordance with the operation of the clutch pedal 9. At this time, the clutch ECU 72 determines that the manual operation is performed by a signal input (ON signal) from the pedal switch 87, and keeps the three-way solenoid valves 78, 79, and 80 OFF.

  On the other hand, when the hydraulic pressure is released by the return operation of the clutch pedal 9 during the manual connection operation of the clutch 8, the pneumatic pipe 34 and the atmospheric pressure port 39 are brought into communication by the operation of the control valve portion 7a. If it becomes like this, the air pressure of the air pressure introduction chamber 12b will be introduce | transduced into the atmospheric chamber 12a via the piping 35 and 34, and the connection of the clutch 8 is achieved by this. Even during this connection, the clutch ECU 72 keeps the three-way solenoid valves 78, 79, and 80 OFF because the pedal switch 87 remains ON.

  As can be seen here, the control valve section 7 a receives a hydraulic signal (pilot hydraulic pressure) from the master cylinder 10 and communicates the pneumatic pipe 34 with either the pneumatic pipe 67 or the atmospheric pressure port 39. It functions as follows. Further, the pneumatic supply means 2, the second pneumatic supply path b, the booster 7, the control valve unit 7a, the master cylinder 10 and the hydraulic passages 54 and 20 are manually operated to manually connect and disconnect the clutch by operating the clutch pedal. The connecting / disconnecting means is configured.

  In particular, in this device, the clutch 8 is connected only by manual operation when the vehicle starts. This greatly simplifies control and eliminates the need for complicated clutch control at the start.

  Next, the automatic connection / disconnection operation of the clutch 8 will be described. First, the outline will be briefly described.

  When the driver operates the shift lever, the shift lever switch 77 is turned ON, and this ON signal is output to the clutch ECU 72 as a shift signal, and the clutch ECU 72 turns on the three-way solenoid valves 78 and 80, and then continues to the three-way. The solenoid valve 79 is turned on. When this happens, the air pressure is supplied to the air pressure introduction chamber 12b of the booster 7 through the first air pressure supply path a at a relatively high speed (in a short time), whereby the clutch 8 is immediately disconnected. (Clutch sudden disconnection). Thereafter, when the shift operation is completed by the driver's shift lever operation, a gear-in signal is sent from the gear position switch of the transmission 76. In response to this, the clutch ECU 72 turns off the three-way solenoid valves 78 and 80 and keeps the electromagnetic switching valve 79 on, for example, and introduces part of the air pressure in the air pressure introduction chamber 12b into the atmosphere chamber 12a and the rest breather 37. The clutch 8 is connected at a relatively high speed (clutch high-speed contact or rapid contact), and the shift is completed.

  As described in detail later, the pneumatic supply means 2, the first pneumatic supply path a, the booster 7, the three-way solenoid valves 78 and 79, the pneumatic discharge path (pneumatic pipes 35, 62, 64, 68, 74) and the clutch ECU 72 constitute automatic connection / disconnection means for executing automatic connection / disconnection of the clutch 8 by inputting a predetermined signal.

  By the way, referring to FIG. 2, especially when the clutch 8 is automatically separated, the hydraulic piston 17 moves to the right, so that the volume of the hydraulic cylinder 22 filled with hydraulic oil is increased. 20 and the hydraulic pipe 54 and the like (also collectively referred to as the hydraulic passage) may cause a negative pressure and bubbles may be mixed into the hydraulic oil.

  Therefore, in the present apparatus 1, when the clutch 8 is automatically cut off, the three-way solenoid valves 78 and 80 are turned on, air pressure is supplied to the master cylinder 10 through the pneumatic pipes 62 and 70, and the second piston 48 is appropriately pushed. Thus, the inside of the hydraulic passage is appropriately pressurized. In this way, negative pressure in the hydraulic passage can be prevented in advance. At this time, since the pneumatic pressure can be immediately supplied to the master cylinder 10, there is no delay in the generation of hydraulic pressure, and negative pressure in the hydraulic passage can be completely prevented.

  In particular, in the present apparatus 1, since the pneumatic pipe 70 is connected between the three-way solenoid valves 78, 79 of the pneumatic pipe 62, the pneumatic pressure supply to the booster device 7 is higher than the pneumatic pressure supply to the master cylinder 10. Can be delayed. That is, when the clutch 8 is automatically separated, the three-way solenoid valves 78 and 80 are first turned ON, and the three-way solenoid valve 79 is turned ON with a predetermined time difference (for example, 50 ms). Then, after sufficient hydraulic pressure is generated from the master cylinder 10 (that is, after preloading is performed), the operation of the booster 7 (movement of the piston plate 13) can be started. As a result, the generation of hydraulic pressure by the master cylinder 10 is accelerated, and the negative pressure in the hydraulic passage can be completely prevented. It should be noted that since the generation of hydraulic pressure tends to be delayed at extremely low temperatures (for example, −20 ° C. or less), this configuration is very advantageous at this time.

  On the other hand, at the time of automatic connection operation of the clutch 8, in this device, three types of clutch connection speeds can be selected by the combination of ON / OFF of the three-way solenoid valves 78 and 79 (see FIG. 4).

  That is, when the three-way solenoid valve 78 is OFF and the three-way solenoid valve 79 is ON as in the above example, the air pressure in the air pressure introduction chamber 12b of the booster 7 is the air pressure pipe 35, the shuttle valve 69, the downstream portion. 62c, three-way solenoid valve 79, intermediate portion 62b, three-way solenoid valve 78, pneumatic piping 64, pneumatic piping 68, and breather 37 are sequentially moved. Since there is no throttle part in the middle of the path, the movement is performed quickly, and the movement of the pneumatic pressure that has entered the pneumatic piping 74 from the intermediate part 62b is restricted by the check valve 75. Most of the air pressure reaching the breather 37 is introduced into the atmosphere chamber 12 a of the booster 7. As a result, the piston plate 13 of the booster 7 returns to the original position at a relatively high speed by the action of air pressure in addition to the urging force of the return spring 14 and the return spring (not shown) of the clutch 8, 8 is connected at a relatively high speed (clutch high speed connection). Then, the excess air pressure is released from the breather 37 to the atmosphere.

  When any of the three-way solenoid valves 78 and 79 is OFF, the pneumatic pressure discharged from the booster 7 is the pneumatic pipe 35, the shuttle valve 69, the downstream portion 62c, the three-way solenoid valve 79, the pneumatic pipe 68, The main movement is through a route of the pneumatic pipe 74, the intermediate portion 62b, the three-way solenoid valve 78, the pneumatic pipe 64, the pneumatic pipe 68, and the breather 37. Here, in the pneumatic piping 74, air pushes open the check valve 75 and then passes through the throttle portion 66. At this time, since the amount of restriction of the restricting portion 66 is relatively small (the flow path area is large), the air is only slightly decelerated. A part of the air in the pneumatic pipe 68 does not branch to the pneumatic pipe 74 and reaches the throttle section 76 as it is, but the throttle amount is relatively large (the flow path area is small). The passing speed is lower than that in the previous restricting portion 66. Thus, the air that has passed through the throttle portion 76 merges with the air that has flowed through the pneumatic pipe 64, and as a result, the discharge speed of the pneumatic pressure is a throttle having a flow area that is the sum of the flow areas of the throttles 76 and 66. It is almost equal to the speed when passing through. The air pressure is moved to the breather 37 at medium speed, and the return speed of the piston plate 13 and the connection speed of the clutch 8 are also medium speed (clutch medium speed contact).

  Further, when the three-way solenoid valve 78 is ON and the three-way solenoid valve 79 is OFF, the pneumatic pressure discharged from the booster 7 is the pneumatic pipe 35, shuttle valve 69, downstream portion 62c, three-way solenoid valve 79, pneumatic pipe. 68 and the breather 37. Here, although there is a flow that branches from the pneumatic pipe 68 to the pneumatic pipe 74, the movement of the flow is restricted by the check valve 75 for the following reason. That is, since the three-way solenoid valve 78 is ON, the air pressure of the air tank 5 is moved along the path of the upstream part 62a, the three-way solenoid valve 78, the intermediate part 62b, and the pneumatic pipe 74. Then, the air pressure holds the check valve 75 in the closed state, thereby prohibiting the movement of the flow in the backward flow direction. On the other hand, since the pneumatic piping 68 has a throttle portion 76 having a large throttle amount, the flow in the pipe 68 is greatly decelerated by the throttle portion 76 and reaches the breather 37. Eventually, the discharge speed of the air pressure is determined by the throttle section 76, and the air pressure is moved to the breather 37 at a low speed, so that the return speed of the piston plate 13 and the connection speed of the clutch 8 also become low (clutch low speed contact).

  In this way, three types of clutch engagement speeds can be selected by the two three-way solenoid valves 78 and 79, and in particular, two types of slow contact speeds such as medium speed and low speed can be selected to increase the degree of freedom of control. As a result, the optimum connection speed can be switched in any driving mode, the clutch connection shock can be reduced, and it is possible to cope with changes over time such as clutch wear, and tuning becomes easy.

  In particular, there are 2 × 2 = 4 combinations of ON / OFF of the two solenoid valves, and the device 1 uses all of them. This avoids an increase in cost without increasing the number of solenoid valves. The installation space for the output port of the clutch ECU 72 and the solenoid valve is also minimal, and an increase in failure mode can be prevented and reliability can be maintained. Furthermore, since only the pneumatic circuit is devised, there is no increase in cost and space.

  By the way, when the clutch 8 is automatically connected, there is substantially no air flow that flows into the pneumatic pipe 70 from the intermediate portion 62b of the pneumatic pipe 62. This is because the three-way solenoid valve 80 is turned off simultaneously with the switching of the solenoid valves 78 and 79 as described above.

  That is, when the three-way solenoid valve 80 is turned off, the movement of the air pressure toward the master cylinder 10 is prohibited, and at the same time, the air pressure is discharged from the master cylinder 10. Then, the discharged air pressure passes through the check valve 43 through the air pressure pipe 73 and then merges with the air pressure discharged from the booster 7 in the downstream portion 62 c of the air pressure pipe 62. After this merging, the same route as the previous pneumatic discharge route will be followed.

  In this way, the air pressure discharged from the master cylinder 10 (master cylinder exhaust pressure) can be made equal to the air pressure discharged from the booster device 7 (boost device exhaust pressure). These exhaust pressures can be synchronized, and the exhaust speeds of each other can be naturally adjusted. In particular, the check valve 43 can always maintain the master cylinder exhaust pressure at a value higher than the booster exhaust pressure, and the discharge speed on the master cylinder 10 side can always be delayed from the exhaust speed on the booster 7 side. As a result, the second piston 48 of the master cylinder 10 can be kept in a pressurized state during clutch engagement without any special adjustment for adjusting the discharge speed, thereby completely preventing negative pressure in the hydraulic passage. become able to.

  On the other hand, this configuration is also characterized in that two three-way solenoid valves 78 and 79 are provided in series with the pneumatic piping 62. That is, for example, assume that the upstream three-way solenoid valve 78 continues to be ON due to a trouble such as a short circuit. In this case, if the three-way solenoid valve 79 on the downstream side is turned OFF, the air pressure from the upstream three-way solenoid valve 78 can be shut off and the air pressure can be discharged from the booster 7, thereby automatically connecting the clutch 8. After that, the clutch can be engaged / disengaged by manual operation.

  Also, suppose that the downstream three-way solenoid valve 79 continues to be turned on due to a short circuit or other trouble. Similarly, in this case, if the upstream three-way solenoid valve 78 is turned off, the air pressure from the air tank 5 is shut off at that position, and the air pressure from the booster 7 is discharged through the pipes 64 and 68. The clutch 8 can be automatically connected. Thereafter, the clutch can be connected / disconnected by manual operation. In addition, it is necessary to turn off the three-way solenoid valve 80 in synchronization with the exhaust of the booster 7 and execute the exhaust on the master cylinder side.

  As described above, when the three-way solenoid valves 78 and 79 are provided in series, even if a trouble occurs on one side, the air pressure supply control can be stopped on the other side, exhaust can be performed, and the clutch 8 can be shifted to the connected state. As a result, the clutch can be connected / disconnected by a manual operation, a reliable fail-safe operation is achieved, and traveling is also possible, thereby reliably improving the reliability of the apparatus. In particular, since both of them are three-way solenoid valves, it is advantageous in that the exhaust passage (pneumatic piping 64 or 68) can be switched compared to the case of using a two-way solenoid valve. The above-described fail safe, exhaust speed (clutch connection speed) switching, and air pressure supply / discharge control of the master cylinder 10 can be provided by the two solenoid valves. And it is very advantageous in terms of cost. When the three-way solenoid valve 80 continues to be turned on, the upstream three-way solenoid valve 78 may be turned off.

  Various modifications are conceivable as examples of such modifications. For example, the arrangement of the throttle portion 66 and the check valve 75 can be reversed, and the throttle 76 is completely closed, so that the clutch can be connected at low speed. Alternatively, clutch disengagement can be maintained.

  Next, the main features of this apparatus will be described in detail.

  As described above, this device is an automatic clutch device combined with a manual transmission. For this reason, if engine control is not performed at all at the time of shifting, a large vehicle deceleration may occur due to a slight delay in the accelerator pedaling at a low gear stage such as the 1st to 2nd speeds and the 2nd to 3rd speeds. There is a problem that the acceleration is generated and the vehicle is greatly shaken back and forth, and the shift feeling is deteriorated.

  Therefore, in this apparatus, the engine control is performed as described below at the time of shifting at the low speed gear stage to solve the above problem.

  FIG. 6 shows how the clutch stroke and the accelerator opening change when the gear is shifted up at a low gear. (a) shows the change of the clutch stroke, and (b) to (d) show the change of the accelerator opening. As will become clear later, (b) is an example when the accelerator pedal is depressed late and the amount of depression is small, (c) is an example when the accelerator pedal is depressed quickly and many times, and (d) is an accelerator halfway. This is an example when stepping on a lot.

As shown in (a), the clutch starts automatic disconnection simultaneously with the start of shifting (shift lever switch 77 is ON) (time t ₁ ), and is held at that position for a while after reaching the complete disconnection position. During this time, the driver performs gear disengagement, selection, and gear-in operation, and when a gear-in signal is sent from the gear position switch, automatic connection is started (time t ₂ ). The connection is initially made at a high speed, but is switched to a loose connection when the clutch stroke reaches the half clutch region start point P. When the clutch stroke reaches the half-clutch region end point Q, the connection speed is again switched to the rapid contact, and thereafter the connection is continued to the complete contact position. The half clutch region start point P and end point Q are learned values stored in the clutch ECU 72 in advance.

  In (b) to (d), the broken line indicates the actual accelerator opening, the thin solid line indicates the control accelerator opening, and the thick solid line indicates (actual accelerator opening) = (control accelerator opening). Each opening is shown. As can be seen from the figure, the actual accelerator opening and the control accelerator opening may differ only in the half-clutch region and some time thereafter. Only at this time, the excessive deceleration occurrence prevention control according to the present invention is performed. In other cases, the actual accelerator opening is directly replaced with the control accelerator opening, and the control according to the present invention is not performed.

First, (b) is taken as an example. When the driver shifts up, the driver returns the accelerator pedal simultaneously with the start of the gear release operation (time t ₁ ). Then, the state of being returned to is kept until the gear is engaged, and after the gear-in is completed, the accelerator pedal is started to be depressed.

  However, in the auto clutch, the driver does not know how far the clutch is connected. Therefore, as in this example, although the clutch has entered the half-clutch area, the accelerator pedal is not depressed at all (delayed), or the accelerator pedal is not depressed enough to generate sufficient engine output (depression) Small amount). When clutch meet is performed in such a state that the engine output is not sufficiently increased, excessive deceleration (engine braking) occurs.

Therefore, here, a predetermined opening Ac ₀ is set in advance so as not to cause an excessive deceleration, and when there is a delay in stepping or the amount of depression is small, the predetermined opening Ac ₀ is set as a control accelerator opening. Therefore, the engine output is increased and clutch meet is performed to prevent excessive deceleration. Specifically, the clutch ECU72 is, makes a comparison between the actual accelerator opening and a predetermined opening degree Ac ₀ from the moment it enters the half clutch region, when the actual accelerator opening is a predetermined opening degree Ac ₀ below its predetermined opening Ac ₀ is the control accelerator opening. As a result, the engine output is increased from the initial half-clutch region, and excessive deceleration is prevented.

On the other hand, in the example of (c), the accelerator pedal is already fully depressed before the clutch enters the half-clutch region. That actual accelerator opening degree is greater than a predetermined opening degree Ac _0. Therefore, at this time, the clutch ECU 72 outputs the actual accelerator opening as it is to the engine ECU 99 as the control accelerator opening.

The example (d) shows a case where the accelerator pedal depression timing is delayed, but the accelerator pedal is fully depressed halfway in the clutch area. At this time, the predetermined opening Ac ₀ is set as the control accelerator opening at the beginning of the half-clutch region, and the actual accelerator opening is set as the control accelerator opening at the latter half of the half-clutch region where the actual accelerator opening exceeds the predetermined opening Ac ₀ .

  By the way, in the example of (b), there is a relatively large difference between the control accelerator opening and the actual accelerator opening, that is, a difference of a predetermined value ΔAc or more when the half clutch region is released (Q point). At this time, if the control accelerator opening is suddenly returned to the actual accelerator opening, the engine output drops suddenly, and there is a risk of a jerky feeling.

  Therefore, at this time, the control accelerator opening is controlled so as to gradually approach the actual accelerator opening. By doing so, a jerky feeling can be prevented and the shift feeling can be further improved.

Here, the predetermined opening degree Ac ₀ is calculated according to the map of FIG. This map uses the engine speed as a parameter and is stored in advance in the clutch ECU 72. As can be seen from the figure, the predetermined opening degree Ac ₀ increases proportionally from the idling rotational speed Ni (here, 500 (rpm)) and becomes constant at or above the predetermined rotational speed _NH (here, 1500 (rpm)). Thus, the speed change feeling can be further improved by changing the predetermined opening degree Ac ₀ in accordance with the engine speed.

  FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing such control contents. This flow is repeatedly executed by the clutch ECU 72 every predetermined time.

  As shown in the figure, the clutch ECU 72 first determines in step 701 whether or not the transmission 76 has been shifted up from the output of the gear position switch. If not, the process proceeds to step 708, and if it is, the process proceeds to step 702. In step 702, it is determined whether or not the clutch is automatically engaged. If not, the process proceeds to step 708, and if it is engaged, the process proceeds to step 703. In step 703, it is determined from the output value of the clutch stroke sensor 88 whether or not the clutch is currently in the half-clutch region. If it is in the half-clutch region, the process proceeds to step 704. If it is not in the half-clutch region, the process proceeds to step 708.

In step 704 compares the predetermined opening Ac ₀ read from the map of the actual accelerator opening degree and Figure 8. Actual accelerator opening degree when the predetermined opening degree Ac ₀ hereinafter as a control accelerator opening the predetermined opening Ac ₀ proceeds to step 705, and outputs it to the engine ECU99. Actual accelerator opening degree is a predetermined opening degree Ac ₀ greater than when output to engine ECU99 replaced intact control accelerator opening the actual accelerator opening proceeds to step 706.

  Except during the half-clutch control for upshifting, the routine proceeds to step 708, where it is determined whether or not the difference between the control accelerator opening and the actual accelerator opening is greater than or equal to a predetermined value. Specifically, it is determined whether or not (control accelerator opening) − (actual accelerator opening) ≧ ΔAc is established, and if not, the routine proceeds to step 706, where the actual accelerator opening is used as the control accelerator opening as it is. . When it is established, the routine proceeds to step 709, where the control accelerator opening is controlled to gradually approach the actual accelerator opening.

  As described above, according to the present apparatus, when shifting up at a low gear, it is possible to eliminate extreme engine braking caused by delay in stepping on the accelerator when the clutch is automatically connected, and subsequent vehicle forward / backward swing due to excessive depression of the accelerator. And the shift feeling can be greatly improved.

  Here, the purpose of this control is only to prevent extreme engine braking, so that it is not necessary to open the accelerator as much as in the prior art, and therefore dangerous modes such as popping out due to excessive engine rotation can be easily avoided. Further, such control is auxiliary and does not need to be controlled with such an accurate value, so the control itself is simple and tuning can be easily performed.

  When this control was actually carried out, the feeling of upshifting at low speeds was greatly improved by tuning in a short time (about 20 minutes).

  By the way, since it is common that the engine control is not performed in the combination of the manual transmission and the auto clutch device, the accelerator opening sensor 82 and the engine ECU 99 are directly connected as shown by a broken line in FIG. On the other hand, since this apparatus performs engine control, the clutch ECU 72 is interposed between the accelerator opening sensor 82 and the engine ECU 99. In terms of hardware, such a simple change is sufficient, and the cost increase associated with the change can be avoided.

  The embodiment of the present invention is not limited to the above. For example, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the engine control is executed from the time when the clutch enters the half-clutch region. However, depending on the engine response, the engine control is executed before the clutch connection start time, for example. May be. Further, although the present embodiment has been illustrated only for the case of upshifting, similar logic can be used for downshifting. Furthermore, the present invention may be applied not only to a low speed stage but also to a high speed stage shift. A parameter other than the engine speed may be used as the calculation parameter for the predetermined opening. A common rail type can also be adopted as a configuration of a fuel injection device capable of engine control.

1 is an overall configuration diagram of an auto clutch device. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows a booster. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows a master cylinder. It is a table | surface which shows the electricity supply pattern of each three-way solenoid valve with respect to each clutch mode. It is a figure which shows the hardware constitutions for engine control. It is a time chart which shows the mode of a change with a clutch stroke and an accelerator opening. It is a flowchart which shows the content of excessive deceleration generation | occurrence | production prevention control. It is a calculation map of a predetermined opening degree.

Explanation of symbols

1 Auto clutch device 8 Clutch 72 Clutch control unit 76 Manual transmission 77 Shift lever switch 82 Accelerator opening sensor 95 Shift lever 99 Engine control unit Ac ₀ Predetermined opening ΔAc Predetermined value

Claims (3)

In a vehicle auto clutch device combined with a manual transmission mechanically coupled to a shift lever,
An accelerator opening sensor for detecting an actual accelerator opening degree, and the clutch control unit for outputting a control accelerator opening system which is determined based on the actual accelerator opening degree input from the accelerator opening sensor, from the clutch control unit An engine control unit that inputs a control accelerator opening and executes engine control based on the opening;
When the clutch control unit is in the half-clutch region during automatic clutch engagement after the manual transmission is completed, if the actual accelerator opening is equal to or less than the predetermined opening, the predetermined opening is controlled. and then, the actual accelerator opening is set to the greater than the predetermined opening degree control of the actual accelerator opening degree control accelerator opening,
If the difference between the actual accelerator opening and the predetermined opening is greater than or equal to a predetermined value during a predetermined time after the clutch is released from the half-clutch region, the control accelerator opening is gradually brought closer to the actual accelerator opening. An automatic clutch device for a vehicle that performs control so that an actual accelerator opening is a control accelerator opening when the predetermined time has elapsed . 2. The automatic clutch device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the shift of the manual transmission is performed at a low gear . The automatic clutch device for a vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the predetermined opening is determined according to an engine speed .

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