JP4968013B2 - Shift control device for motorcycle - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a motorcycle shift control device, and more particularly to a motorcycle shift control device that detects a turning state of a vehicle based on a difference in rotational speed between front and rear wheels and prohibits automatic shift.

  Conventionally, in a shift control device that automatically shifts a transmission according to a vehicle speed or an engine speed, it is known that automatic shift is prohibited when the vehicle is turning (cornering).

Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which automatic shifting is prohibited in an automatic transmission control device for a four-wheel vehicle by detecting that the vehicle is turning based on a difference in rotational speed between left and right wheels. Has been.
JP 2007-107667 A

  However, the shift control device of Patent Document 1 detects a turning state based on a difference in rotational speed between the left and right wheels of a four-wheeled vehicle. Such a turning state is detected only for front and rear wheels arranged in front and rear of the vehicle body. It has not been studied to be applied to a motorcycle having

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and to provide a shift control device for a motorcycle that detects a turning state based on a difference in rotational speed between the front and rear wheels of the motorcycle and prohibits automatic shift. There is to do.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a shift control device for a motorcycle, wherein a control unit that automatically shifts the transmission according to at least the vehicle speed, and a rotational speed that detects a difference in rotational speed between the front wheels and the rear wheels. Difference detecting means, and the controller determines that the vehicle is turning when the rotational speed of the front wheel is greater than the rotational speed of the rear wheel and the rotational speed difference exceeds a predetermined value. The first feature is that automatic shifting is prohibited.

  Further, the control unit has a second feature in that the automatic shift is prohibited when the difference in rotational speed exceeds a predetermined value and the vehicle speed falls below a predetermined value.

  Furthermore, a steering angle detecting means for detecting a steering angle of the front wheels is provided, and the control unit prohibits the automatic shift when the difference in rotational speed exceeds a predetermined value and the steering angle exceeds a predetermined value. The point has the third feature.

  According to the first feature, when the rotation speed of the front wheels is greater than the rotation speed of the rear wheels and the difference between the rotation speeds exceeds a predetermined value, the control unit determines that the vehicle is turning and prohibits the automatic shift. Therefore, it is possible to detect the turning state by utilizing the characteristic of the motorcycle that a difference occurs in the rotational speeds of the front and rear wheels during turning, and to prohibit the shifting operation during turning. Thereby, it becomes possible to improve the feeling during turning. Further, since it is possible to determine that the vehicle is turning by detecting the rotational speeds of the front and rear wheels without using a lateral G sensor or the like, it is possible to suppress an increase in the number of parts, production costs, and production man-hours.

  According to the second feature, since the control unit prohibits automatic gear shifting when the difference in rotational speed exceeds a predetermined value and the vehicle speed falls below the predetermined value, the rotational speed of the front and rear wheels during turning with a small turning radius. By utilizing the characteristics of the motorcycle that the difference between the two is large and the vehicle speed tends to be low, it is possible to reliably detect such a turning state and prohibit automatic transmission of the transmission.

  According to the third feature, the steering angle detection means for detecting the steering angle of the front wheels is provided, and the control unit prohibits automatic shift when the difference in rotational speed exceeds a predetermined value and the steering angle exceeds a predetermined value. Therefore, when turning with a small turning radius, using the characteristics of a motorcycle that the difference in rotational speed between the front and rear wheels is large and the steering angle tends to be large, such a turning state is reliably detected and the transmission is Automatic shifting can be prohibited.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram of an automatic manual transmission (hereinafter referred to as AMT) as an automatic transmission applied to a motorcycle and its peripheral devices. The AMT 16 connected to the engine 11 is driven and controlled by a clutch hydraulic device 17 and an AMT control unit 18 as a shift control device. The engine 11 has a throttle body 19 of a throttle-by-wire type, and the throttle body 19 is provided with a motor 20 for opening and closing the throttle.

The AMT 16 includes a multi-stage transmission gear 21, a first clutch 22, a second clutch 23, a shift drum 24, and a shift control motor 25 that rotates the shift drum 24. A number of gears constituting the transmission gear 21 are coupled or loosely fitted to the main shaft 26, the counter shaft 27, and the transmission gear output shaft 28, respectively. The main shaft 26 includes an inner main shaft 26 a and an outer main shaft 26 b, the inner main shaft 26 a is coupled to the first clutch 22, and the outer main shaft 26 b is coupled to the second clutch 23. The main shaft 26 and the counter shaft 27 are provided with sleeves (not shown) that can be displaced in the axial direction of the main shaft 26 and the counter shaft 27, respectively, and cam sleeves (not shown) formed on these sleeves and the shift drum 24. Further, the end portions of the shift forks 29 are engaged with each other.

  A primary drive gear 31 is coupled to the output shaft of the engine 11, that is, the crankshaft 30, and the primary drive gear 31 is meshed with a primary driven gear 32. The primary driven gear 32 is connected to the inner main shaft 26 a via the first clutch 22 and is connected to the outer main shaft 26 b via the second clutch 23.

  A counter shaft output gear 33 coupled to the counter shaft 27 is engaged with an output driven gear 34 coupled to the transmission gear output shaft 28. A drive sprocket 35 is coupled to the transmission gear output shaft 28, and a driving force is applied to a rear wheel WR (see FIG. 2) as a drive wheel via a drive chain (not shown) wound around the drive sprocket 35. Is transmitted. Further, in the AMT 16, there are provided an engine speed sensor 36 disposed opposite to the outer periphery of the primary driven gear 32 and a gear position sensor 38 for detecting the current gear position based on the rotational position of the shift drum 24. Yes. The throttle body 19 is provided with a throttle sensor 47 that outputs a throttle opening signal.

  The clutch hydraulic device 17 includes an oil tank 39 and a conduit 40 for feeding the oil in the oil tank 39 to the first clutch 22 and the second clutch 23. A pump 41 and a valve 42 are provided on the conduit 40, and a regulator 44 is disposed on a return conduit 43 connected to the conduit 40. The valve 42 has a structure capable of individually applying oil pressure to the first clutch 22 and the second clutch 23. The valve 42 is also provided with an oil return conduit 45.

  The AMT control unit 18 includes a mode switch 49 for switching between automatic shift (AT) mode and manual shift (MT) mode, and a shift select switch 50 for instructing upshift (UP) or downshift (DN). It is connected. The AMT control unit 18 includes a microcomputer (CPU), and controls the valve 42 and the shift control motor 25 in accordance with the output signals of the sensors and switches, so that the gear position of the AMT 16 can be switched automatically or semi-automatically. It is configured to be able to.

  When the AT mode is selected, the AMT control unit 18 automatically switches the transmission gear 21 according to information such as the vehicle speed, the engine speed, and the throttle opening. On the other hand, when the MT mode is selected, the AMT control unit 18 shifts the select switch 50. In accordance with the operation, the transmission gear 21 is shifted up or down. Even when the MT mode is selected, auxiliary automatic shift control for preventing engine overspeed and stall can be set.

  In the clutch hydraulic device 17, hydraulic pressure is applied to the valve 42 by the pump 41, and the hydraulic pressure is controlled by the regulator 44 so that the hydraulic pressure does not exceed the upper limit value. When the valve 42 is opened by an instruction from the AMT control unit 18, hydraulic pressure is applied to the first clutch 22 or the second clutch 23, and the primary driven gear 32 is connected to the inner main shaft via the first clutch 22 or the second clutch 23. 26a or the outer main shaft 26b. When the valve 42 is closed and the application of hydraulic pressure is stopped, the first clutch 22 and the second clutch 23 are connected to the inner main shaft 26a and the outer main shaft 26b by a built-in return spring (not shown). It will be urged in the direction to cut off.

  The shift control motor 25 rotates the shift drum 24 in accordance with an instruction from the AMT control unit 18. When the shift drum 24 rotates, the shift fork 29 is displaced in the axial direction of the shift drum 24 according to the shape of the cam groove formed on the outer periphery of the shift drum 24, and the clutch is moved to move the gears on the counter shaft 27 and the main shaft 26. Is changed, and the transmission gear 21 is shifted up or down.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the AMT control unit and its peripheral devices according to an embodiment of the present invention. The same reference numerals as those described above denote the same or equivalent parts. The AMT control unit 18 includes a shift control command unit 60 in which a shift map 61 is stored, a shift prohibited state detecting unit 62, and a rotational speed difference detecting unit 63. The shift control command unit 60 as a control unit is based on the output signals of the engine speed sensor 36, the throttle sensor 47, the gear position sensor 38, and the vehicle speed information, and according to the shift map 61 including a three-dimensional map and the like. The valve 42 is configured to be driven.

  A steering handle 3 for steering a front wheel WF as a driven wheel is pivotally supported in front of the body frame 4 of the motorcycle 1, and the rear of the swing arm connected to the rear side of the body frame 4. A rear wheel WR as a drive wheel is pivotally supported at the end. A steering angle sensor 54 as a steering angle detection means is attached in the vicinity of the rotation axis of the steering handle 3. The steering angle sensor 54 can detect the rotation angle of the rotation shaft of the steering handle 3 using a volume switch, a magnetic sensor, an optical sensor, or the like.

  In the present embodiment, the steering angle of the front wheel WF refers to an angle generated between the traveling direction of the front wheel WF and the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body when viewed from the upper surface of the vehicle body. A front fork that rotatably supports the rotating shaft of the steering handle 3 and the front wheel WF is usually attached to the motorcycle body frame 4 so as to be inclined rearward. As a result, there is a slight difference between the rotation angle detected by the steering angle sensor 54 and the actual steering angle, but this difference can be easily calculated based on the design dimensions.

  The motorcycle shift control apparatus according to this embodiment includes a first sensor 51 that detects the rotational speed of the front wheel WF and a second sensor 52 that detects the rotational speed of the rear wheel WR, and the rotational speed. The difference detecting means 63 is configured to detect a difference in rotational speed between the front and rear wheels. Note that the vehicle speed during normal travel may be detected by either the first or second sensor. The first sensor 51 and the second sensor 52 are preferably non-contact sensors that can measure the passing interval of a pickup unit attached to a wheel using a hall element or the like. The rotational speed of the rear wheel WR may be measured by a sensor that detects the rotational speed of the transmission gear inside the AMT 16 instead of the second sensor 52.

  A motorcycle that travels only with front and rear wheels arranged in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body travels in a straight line at a speed higher than a certain level, and is most stable when the vehicle body is upright. On the other hand, in cornering, the vehicle body inclination angle (bank angle) and the steering angle of the front wheels WF change to various states depending on the combination of the vehicle speed and the cornering radius. For this turning, for example, high-speed turning with a large body bank, right / left turn at an intersection or low / medium-speed turning at U-turn, and steering the steering wheel while using the driving force of the engine This includes up to pushing and turning.

  In a normal automatic transmission, regardless of whether or not the vehicle is turning, gears are sequentially changed according to the vehicle speed and the engine speed. However, there is a desire to improve the running feeling by fixing the gear stage during turning. In the motorcycle shift control device according to the present embodiment, in order to deal with the above-described problems, when the rotational speeds of the front and rear wheels are detected and a predetermined rotational speed difference is detected between the front and rear wheels, the vehicle is turning. This is characterized in that it is determined that the automatic transmission of the transmission is prohibited.

  The rotational speed difference detecting means 63 compares the information obtained from the first sensor 51 that detects the rotational speed of the front wheel WF and the second sensor 52 that detects the rotational speed of the rear wheel WR, and compares the rotational speed difference between the front and rear wheels. Is calculated. When it is detected that the rotational speed of the front wheel WF is larger than the rotational speed of the rear wheel WR and the rotational speed difference exceeds a predetermined value, the shift prohibition state detection means 62 is in a state where the shift should be prohibited. This is transmitted to the shift control command unit 60 and the shift operation is prohibited. The steering angle sensor 54 that inputs an output signal to the shift prohibition state detection means 62 will be described later.

  FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a state when the motorcycle is turning. This figure shows a state in which the steering handle 3 of the motorcycle 1 is steered to the left and the vehicle is turning counterclockwise with the steering angle α generated on the front wheel WF. At this time, since the distance between the axles is maintained between the center of the front wheel WF and the center of the rear wheel WR, the front wheel passage trajectory TF of the front wheel WF and the rear wheel passage trajectory TR of the rear wheel WR pass on the same line. Disappear. Accordingly, a difference occurs between the front wheel turning radius A, which is the distance from the turning center C to the front wheel passage locus TF, and the rear wheel turning radius B, which is the distance from the turning center C to the rear wheel passage locus TR, and the rear wheel passage locus TR. The rotational speed of the front wheel WF passing through the front wheel passage locus TF is larger than the rotational speed of the rear wheel WR passing through. By utilizing this characteristic, it is possible to detect that the vehicle is turning by detecting a difference in rotational speed between the front and rear wheels. Such a difference in turning radius between the front and rear wheels is particularly large when the vehicle speed is low and the steering angle α is large, and the difference in rotational speed between the front and rear wheels increases as the difference in turning radius increases. The present invention is characterized in that the characteristic of the motorcycle is used to detect that the vehicle is turning based on the difference between the rotational speeds of the front and rear wheels, and automatic shift during turning is prohibited.

  FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a flow of automatic shift prohibiting control according to an embodiment of the present invention. When the rotational speeds of the front and rear wheels are detected by the first sensor 51 and the second sensor 52 in step S1, the difference in rotational speed between the front and rear wheels is calculated by the rotational speed difference detecting means 63 in step S2. In step S3, it is determined whether or not the rotational speed of the front wheel WF is greater than that of the rear wheel WR and the rotational speed difference exceeds a predetermined value (for example, 5 km / h in terms of vehicle speed). Then, the process proceeds to step S4. In step S4, it is determined whether or not the vehicle speed has fallen below a predetermined value (for example, 10 km / h) by the shift prohibition state detection means 62. If an affirmative determination is made, the process proceeds to step S5. If a negative determination is made in steps S3 and S4, the process returns to step S1. In step S5, a shift prohibition command is issued to the shift control command unit 60. When the shift operation of the AMT 16 is prohibited by prohibiting the drive of the shift control motor 25 and the valve 42, a series of automatic shift prohibition control is completed. It becomes. It should be noted that, when automatic shifting is prohibited, when the vehicle returns from the turning traveling state to the normal traveling state, it can be set to switch to the normal automatic shifting control. Further, the determination as to whether or not the vehicle is turning may be made only in step S3.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a flow of automatic shift prohibiting control according to a modification of the embodiment of the present invention. This modification is characterized in that the magnitude of the steering angle is added to the determination condition during turning. When the motorcycle travels with the same turning radius, the bank angle increases while the steering angle decreases as the vehicle speed increases. If this characteristic is utilized, it is possible to accurately detect that the vehicle is turning at a low vehicle speed by detecting the magnitude of the steering angle, and to prohibit the shift operation of the automatic transmission. .

  Since the flow of the flowchart of FIG. 5 is the same as that of FIG. 4 except for step S13, a part of the description is omitted for the same parts. When the rotational speeds of the front and rear wheels are detected in step S10, a difference in rotational speed between the front and rear wheels is calculated in step S11. In step S12, it is determined whether the rotational speed of the front wheel is greater than that of the rear wheel and the rotational speed difference exceeds a predetermined value. If the determination is affirmative, the process proceeds to step S13. In step S13, it is determined whether or not the steering angle detected by the steering angle sensor 54 exceeds a predetermined value (for example, 30 degrees) by the shift prohibition state detection means 62. If the determination is affirmative, the process proceeds to step S14. . If a negative determination is made in steps S12 and S13, the process returns to step S10. In step S14, a shift prohibition command is issued to the shift control command unit 60, whereby the series of automatic shift prohibition control ends. In this modification, not only the difference between the rotational speeds of the front and rear wheels but also the determination of the front wheel steering angle is added to the determination condition as to whether or not the vehicle is turning, so that only the rear wheel WF is locked by sudden braking. And the like can be prevented from being erroneously determined as turning.

  As described above, according to the motorcycle shift control apparatus according to the present invention, focusing on the difference in rotational speed between the front wheels and the rear wheels during turning, the rotational speed of the front wheels is greater than the rotational speed of the rear wheels. In addition, when the difference in rotational speed exceeds a predetermined value, it is determined that the vehicle is turning, and automatic shifting is prohibited. Therefore, the front and rear wheels are not provided without newly installing a device such as a lateral G sensor. It is possible to determine that the vehicle is making a turn based on the rotation speed and prohibit the speed change operation during the turn. This makes it possible to keep the gear stage constant during turning and improve the running feeling.

  The configuration of the motorcycle and the automatic transmission, the configuration of the rotational speed sensor and the steering angle sensor of the front and rear wheels, and the like are not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made. For example, the automatic transmission may be a continuously variable transmission using a combination of a pulley and a belt. Also, various values can be set for the values of the rotational speed difference between the front and rear wheels, the vehicle speed, the steering angle of the front wheels, etc., for which the prohibition of automatic shifting is executed, according to the vehicle body configuration of the motorcycle.

1 is a system configuration diagram of an automatic manual transmission and its peripheral devices according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the AMT control unit which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention, and its peripheral device. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing a state of the motorcycle during turning. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the automatic transmission prohibition control which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the automatic transmission prohibition control which concerns on the modification of one Embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Motorcycle, 3 ... Steering handle, 16 ... Automatic transmission (AMT), 25 ... Shift control motor, 42 ... Valve, 51 ... 1st sensor, 52 ... 2nd sensor, 54 ... Steering angle sensor (steering angle) Detection means), 60 ... Shift control command section (control section), 62 ... Shift prohibition state detection means, 63 ... Rotational speed difference detection means, WF ... Front wheel, WR ... Rear wheel, α ... Steering angle

Claims (2)

In the transmission control device for the motorcycle (1) ,
A control unit (18) for automatically shifting the transmission (16) according to at least the vehicle speed;
A rotational speed difference detecting means (63) for detecting a difference in rotational speed between the front wheel (WF) and the rear wheel (WR) ;
When the rotational speed of the front wheel (WF) is greater than the rotational speed of the rear wheel (WR) and the difference between the rotational speeds exceeds a predetermined value, the control unit (18) determines that the vehicle is turning. Prohibiting the automatic shifting ,
When the difference in rotational speed exceeds a predetermined value, the control unit (18) next determines whether or not the vehicle speed falls below a predetermined value. If the vehicle speed falls below a predetermined value, the control unit (18) A shift control apparatus for a motorcycle, which prohibits a shift, and does not prohibit the automatic shift when the vehicle speed is not lower than a predetermined value . Steering angle detection means (54) for detecting the steering angle of the front wheel (WF),
When the difference between the rotational speeds exceeds a predetermined value, the control unit (18) next determines whether or not the steering angle is below a predetermined value, and if the steering angle is below the predetermined value, The shift control device for a motorcycle according to claim 1 , wherein the automatic shift is prohibited, and the automatic shift is not prohibited when the steering angle is not less than a predetermined value .

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