JPS6236892B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an automatic clutch control device that automatically connects and disconnects a clutch in conjunction with the operation of a change lever by a driver.

Generally, this type of automatic clutch combines a fluid coupling with a friction clutch, and the clutch is operated in conjunction with the change lever of a manual transmission so that it can be operated automatically using negative pressure in the engine's intake pipe. There is.

The automatic clutch control device includes a negative pressure actuator connected to the clutch lever of the friction clutch, an electromagnetic switching valve for controlling negative pressure introduced into the actuator, and the change lever, and The valve is constituted by a control switch that operates in conjunction with the movement of the change lever, and the actuator includes:
A two-motion valve having an orifice is provided in a passage communicating the atmospheric chamber of the actuator with the atmosphere, and the piston of the actuator moves in two motions, thereby controlling the connection of the clutch in two motions.

However, the engagement speed of the clutch must be changed between when the change lever is shifted to the first gear and when it is shifted to other shift positions, in other words, from second to fourth gears.

That is, for example, when the car is running at a constant speed, the change lever is moved from 2nd gear to 4th gear by further accelerating.
When shifting up to a gear, it is necessary to increase the engagement speed rapidly in order to prevent the engine from racing, but on the other hand, when shifting the change lever to 1st gear and starting, there is no clutch engagement shock. Therefore, the connection speed must be slow, and when the change lever is downshifted from 2nd gear to 1st gear by decelerating while driving, the 2nd gear and 1st gear in the transmission must be lowered. Since the difference in gear ratio is larger than the difference in gear ratio between 4th gear and 3rd gear or between 3rd gear and 2nd gear, the change lever is moved from 4th gear to 3rd gear. If the clutch is not engaged at a slower speed than when downshifting from 3rd gear to 2nd gear, there is a risk that the clutch will be engaged in a shock similar to when starting.

The present invention was developed in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a control device that can adjust the clutch connection speed according to the driving condition of the vehicle. Negative pressure is provided in the atmosphere opening passage communicating with the atmospheric chamber, which operates in the opening direction when the intake pipe negative pressure of the engine is small, and operates in the closing direction when the intake pipe negative pressure is large, thereby controlling the opening and closing of the atmosphere opening/closing release passage. An actuated control valve is provided, and the control valve is provided with forced closing operation means for forcibly closing the clutch when shifting to the first gear, so that the clutch connection speed is slowed when shifting to the first gear. It is characterized by the following.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below based on the drawings.

The automatic clutch shown in the drawings combines a fluid coupling 1 with a friction clutch 2, and connects and disconnects the clutch 2 with an engine (not shown) by changing gears with a change lever 3 of a manual gear transmission (not shown). ) is automatically operated by utilizing the negative pressure generated in the intake pipe 4 of the clutch 2.
The control device for connecting and disconnecting is the clutch shaft 5.
a negative pressure operated actuator 8 connected via a rod 7 to a clutch lever 6 supported by the clutch lever 6; an electromagnetic switching valve 9 for controlling negative pressure introduced into a negative pressure chamber 81 of the actuator 8; It is comprised of a built-in control switch 10 that operates the switching valve 9 in conjunction with the movement of the lever 3.

Further, in the figure, 11 is a vacuum tank, 12 is a check valve, and the negative pressure chamber 81 of the actuator 8 is communicated with the intake pipe 4 via the switching valve 9 and the check valve 12, and by a negative pressure pipe 13. Due to this communication, the piston 82 of the actuator 8 performs a suction operation, which operates the clutch lever 6 via the rod 7, and the release bearing 14, which moves in conjunction with the operation of the clutch lever 6, moves, causing the diaphragm spring 1 to move.
5 to displace the clutch 2 and engage the clutch 2.

The friction clutch 2 includes a clutch disk 21 spline-coupled to the input shaft 16 of the transmission.
, a clutch wheel 22 fixed to the intermediate shaft 17 connected to the turbine of the fluid coupling 1, and a clutch disc 21 fixed to the intermediate shaft 17, which is connected to the turbine of the fluid coupling 1;
The clutch disc 21 is pressed against the clutch wheel 22 by pressing the pressure plate 23 by the pressing action of the diaphragm spring 15. 2, and conversely, diaphragm spring 1
By eliminating the pressing action of the clutch 5, the clutch 2 is connected and disconnected.

The switching valve 9 opens when the control switch 10 is closed, opens the negative pressure pipe 13 to the negative pressure chamber 81 of the actuator 8, and introduces negative pressure into the intake pipe. At the same time, the switch 10 is opened, the switching valve 9 is closed, and the atmosphere release passage 91 is opened to open the negative pressure chamber 81.
It is as if the air is opened to the atmosphere.

Further, the piston 82 of the actuator 8 is supported by a diaphragm 83, and the negative pressure chamber 8
When the negative pressure chamber 81 is opened to the atmosphere, the clutch 2 is moved in the direction of the connecting operation (leftward in the figure) by a return spring 84 installed in the clutch 1. The atmospheric chamber 85 of the actuator 8 has an orifice 86a that is open to the atmosphere.
A two-motion valve 86 is provided.
This valve 86 is opened by the movement of the piston 82 due to the negative pressure in the intake pipe, opening the atmospheric chamber 85 to the atmosphere, and after being moved by a predetermined amount during the return movement by the spring 84, it is moved together with the movement of the piston 82. Close the passage 87 and open the atmospheric chamber 8.
5 is communicated with the atmosphere only through the orifice 86a, and the movement of the piston 82 in the clutch connecting direction is controlled by two motions.

In the automatic clutch control device constructed as described above, the present invention connects the atmospheric chamber 85 of the actuator 8 with an atmospheric venting passage 20 communicating with the atmosphere, so that the negative pressure of the engine intake pipe is connected to the atmospheric venting passage 20. A negative pressure operated control valve 30 is provided, which operates in the opening direction when the intake pipe negative pressure is large, and operates in the closing direction when the intake pipe negative pressure is large to control opening and closing of the atmospheric opening/closing passage. A forced closing operation means is provided for forcibly closing the clutch when the change lever 3 is shifted to the first gear, and the control valve 30 is operated in the closing direction when the change lever 3 is shifted to the first gear, thereby slowing down the connection speed of the clutch 2. This is how it was done.

Thus, in the embodiment shown in the figure, the control valve 30
uses a negative pressure operated control valve that opens when the negative pressure in the intake pipe 4 is small and closes when the negative pressure in the intake pipe 4 is large. The control actuator 40 is connected to a control actuator 40 that is operated by negative pressure changes caused by changes in the opening degree of the throttle valve 18 .

The control actuator 40 is a diaphragm 4
A piston 42 supported by 1 is installed inside, and the rod 31 of the control valve 30 is connected to this piston 42.
This rod side chamber 43 is connected to the branch pipe 4 to the negative pressure pipe 13.
4 and the rod side chamber 4.
3 is equipped with a spring 45 for resisting negative pressure, and solenoids 46, 46 are provided in the extending direction of the shaft end of the rod 31 attached to the control valve 30 to forcibly close the rod 31 when shifting to the first gear. A movable iron core 47 is movably inserted into the solenoids 46, 46, and the solenoid 46 is
It is connected to a switch 19 that closes when the change lever 3 is shifted to the first gear, and constitutes forced closing operation means in the present invention.

When the negative pressure in the intake pipe 4 is large, that is, when the opening degree of the throttle valve 18 is below a predetermined value, the piston 42 moves while compressing the spring 45 due to the negative pressure, and closes the control valve 30. On the other hand, when the negative pressure is small, the spring 45 overcomes the negative pressure and moves the piston 42 to open the control valve 30, and also shifts the change lever 3 to the first gear. When the switch 11 is closed, the solenoids 46, 46 forcibly move the movable iron core 47 in the direction of arrow X to press the piston 42, regardless of the magnitude of the negative pressure. By pressing, the piston 42 is moved while compressing the spring 45, for example, even if the negative pressure in the intake pipe 4 is small, and the control valve 30 is closed. Further, when the change lever 3 is shifted to a shift position other than 1st gear, for example to 3rd gear, and the switch 19 is opened, the movable iron core 47 is de-energized and becomes a free state,
The restoring force of the spring 45 moves in the direction of the arrow Y to release the pressure on the piston 42, and as described above, opening and closing are controlled by the magnitude of the negative pressure.

As described above, the control valve 30 shown in the drawings opens and closes due to changes in the negative pressure in the intake pipe 4, and when the change lever 3 is shifted to the first gear, the control valve 30 shown in the drawings is forced to operate independently of changes in the negative pressure in the intake pipe 4. The opening/closing operation of the control valve 30 allows the atmospheric chamber 85 of the negative pressure actuator 8 to be opened to the atmosphere via the atmospheric opening passage 20, in addition to the opening to the atmosphere by the two-motion valve 86. The operating speed of the piston 82 of the actuator 8 and the connecting speed of the clutch 2 are controlled by opening or closing the piston 82 to the atmosphere.

When the change lever 10 is shifted to the first gear and the vehicle is started, the control valve 30 is pushed in the direction of the arrow X in the figure by the movable iron core 47.
The atmosphere opening passage 20 is closed, and even if the negative pressure in the intake pipe 4 becomes small by erroneously depressing the accelerator greatly, the control valve 3
0 does not move in the direction of arrow Y.

Therefore, the piston 82 of the actuator 8
is controlled only by the two-motion valve 86, and as a result, the engagement speed of the clutch 2 is slow and there is no possibility of occurrence of a coupling shock.

Also, when the vehicle speed slows down during driving and the change lever 3 is downshifted to the first gear, the piston 82 of the actuator 8 is controlled only by the 2-motion valve 86 and the clutch is closed, as in the case of starting. Since the connection speed of 2 is slow, no connection shock is caused.

Next, when the change lever 3 is shifted from 2nd speed to 4th speed, the movable iron core 47
As a result, the control valve 30 is opened and closed depending on the magnitude of the intake pipe negative pressure. That is, for example, when driving at high speed and further accelerating to shift from 3rd gear to 4th gear, the throttle valve 18 is wide open and the negative pressure in the intake pipe 4 is reduced. The control valve 30 is opened, and the air in the atmospheric chamber 85 of the actuator 8 is discharged from both the two-motion valve 86 and the atmospheric opening passage 20 which is open to the atmosphere, and the connection speed of the clutch 2 is The faster the engine starts, the more you can prevent the engine from racing.

In the above configuration, it is preferable that the branch pipe 44 communicating with the negative pressure pipe 13 is provided with a restriction 44a.

Further, although the orifice 86a is provided in the two-motion valve 86, it can also be used as the control valve 30. In this case, the opening degree of the control valve 30 when closed is not 0%, but the orifice 86a is provided with the orifice 86a. The opening degree corresponds to that of the orifice 86a.

Furthermore, when the change lever 3 is shifted to the first gear, solenoids 46, 46 are electrically controlled as means for controlling the closing operation of the control valve 30, but mechanical control is performed using a control wire. It may be controlled.

Therefore, according to the present invention, the intake pipe negative pressure is used except when shifting to the first gear, and the clutch connection speed can be adjusted in accordance with the magnitude of the intake pipe negative pressure. When shifting to 1st gear where a shock occurs, that is, when shifting the change lever to 1st gear to start, or when downshifting to 1st gear when the vehicle speed becomes slow while driving, the intake pipe negative pressure Regardless of the change in speed, that is, regardless of the amount of depression of the accelerator pedal, the clutch engagement speed can be forcibly slowed down, and clutch engagement shock will not occur even if the accelerator pedal is depressed too much by mistake. Connection shocks can always be reliably prevented.

Moreover, when shifting to a gear other than 1st gear, the clutch connection speed can be adjusted using the intake pipe negative pressure, so when the throttle valve is opened wide to shift up, the clutch connection speed can be increased, and the engine speed can be increased. It is possible to reliably prevent engine racing, and during downshifts to suppress the opening of the throttle valve, the connection speed of the clutch can be slowed down in accordance with the negative pressure in the intake pipe, and the connection shock can be eliminated. When shifting to a gear other than gear, the clutch can be automatically engaged at the optimum engagement speed in response to the negative pressure in the intake pipe.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawing is a schematic sectional view showing an embodiment of the present invention. 2...Friction clutch, 3...Change lever,
4... Intake pipe, 8... Actuator, 30...
Control valve, 40... Control actuator, 46...
solenoid.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An automatic clutch control device that automatically connects and disconnects a friction clutch using a negative pressure actuator that operates in conjunction with the speed change operation of a change lever, which communicates with the atmospheric chamber of the actuator. A negative pressure operated control valve is provided in the atmosphere opening passage, which operates in the opening direction when the negative pressure in the intake pipe of the engine is small, and operates in the closing direction when the intake pipe negative pressure is large, thereby controlling the opening and closing of the atmospheric opening/closing passage. , the control valve is provided with a forced closing operation means for forcibly closing the control valve when shifting to the first gear, and the friction clutch is connected at a slow speed when shifting to the first gear. Automatic clutch control device.