Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60W—CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OR DIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT
  • B60W10/00—Conjoint control of vehicle sub-units of different type or different function
  • B60W10/04—Conjoint control of vehicle sub-units of different type or different function including control of propulsion units
  • B60W10/06—Conjoint control of vehicle sub-units of different type or different function including control of propulsion units including control of combustion engines
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60W—CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OR DIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT
  • B60W10/00—Conjoint control of vehicle sub-units of different type or different function
  • B60W10/10—Conjoint control of vehicle sub-units of different type or different function including control of change-speed gearings
  • B60W10/11—Stepped gearings
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60W—CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OR DIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT
  • B60W30/00—Purposes of road vehicle drive control systems not related to the control of a particular sub-unit, e.g. of systems using conjoint control of vehicle sub-units
  • B60W30/18—Propelling the vehicle
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60W—CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OR DIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT
  • B60W2510/00—Input parameters relating to a particular sub-units
  • B60W2510/10—Change speed gearings
  • B60W2510/1005—Transmission ratio engaged
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60W—CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OR DIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT
  • B60W2540/00—Input parameters relating to occupants
  • B60W2540/14—Clutch pedal position
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60W—CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OR DIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT
  • B60W2710/00—Output or target parameters relating to a particular sub-units
  • B60W2710/06—Combustion engines, Gas turbines
  • B60W2710/0644—Engine speed
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60W—CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OR DIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT
  • B60W2710/00—Output or target parameters relating to a particular sub-units
  • B60W2710/06—Combustion engines, Gas turbines
  • B60W2710/0666—Engine torque
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60Y—INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO ASPECTS CROSS-CUTTING VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY
  • B60Y2200/00—Type of vehicle
  • B60Y2200/10—Road Vehicles
  • B60Y2200/14—Trucks; Load vehicles, Busses
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
  • F16H—GEARING
  • F16H59/00—Control inputs to control units of change-speed-, or reversing-gearings for conveying rotary motion
  • F16H59/50—Inputs being a function of the status of the machine, e.g. position of doors or safety belts
  • F16H59/56—Inputs being a function of the status of the machine, e.g. position of doors or safety belts dependent on signals from the main clutch
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
  • F16H—GEARING
  • F16H61/00—Control functions within control units of change-speed- or reversing-gearings for conveying rotary motion ; Control of exclusively fluid gearing, friction gearing, gearings with endless flexible members or other particular types of gearing
  • F16H61/70—Control functions within control units of change-speed- or reversing-gearings for conveying rotary motion ; Control of exclusively fluid gearing, friction gearing, gearings with endless flexible members or other particular types of gearing specially adapted for change-speed gearing in group arrangement, i.e. with separate change-speed gear trains arranged in series, e.g. range or overdrive-type gearing arrangements

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a drive unit for motor vehicles, comprising an internal combustion engine, a disc clutch manually operated by a clutch pedal, a gearbox connectable to the engine crankshaft via the disc clutch, an electronic control unit for controlling engine torque and engine speed, and a first sensor coupled to the control unit, said sensor sensing and providing signals to the control unit representing a released and a depressed clutch pedal, respectively.
• the correct starting gear speed is usually first gear or a crawl gear. If the transmission has a main group and an additional group in the form of a spUtter group, the high or low position in the splitter group can be selected depending on the load. If the gearbox also has a range group, the low range should always be engaged when the clutch pedal is released for engaging the clutch after the vehicle has coasted slowly with the clutch disengaged.
• the driver In a vehicle with a gearbox, which in addition to the main group, has both a splitter group and a range group, the driver thus has three staffing functions to keep track of. It has been shown that, particularly in certain driving situations, for example when the vehicle has been braked down to low speed at a crossing or a traffic circle and the clutch has been disengaged, that the driver not infrequently retains the previously selected gear, which is now too high in view of the vehicle speed after braking, in a subsequent engagement and acceleration, in order to not have to shift. Especially in fully loaded heavy vehicles, this manner of driving wears down the clutch in a much shorter time than otherwise.
• the purpose of the present invention is to achieve a drive unit of the type described by way of introduction, which, without using any automatic shifting function, automatically limits the possibilities for the driver to use a manner of driving which will result in abnormally high clutch wear.
• a second sensor is coupled to the control unit, said sensor sensing and providing signals to the control unit indicating whether a gear higher than a predetermined gear is selected in the gearbox, and that the control unit is arranged to limit the maximum engine torque when the first sensor indicates that the clutch pedal is depressed and the second sensor indicates that a higher gear than said predetermined gear is selected.
• Said predetermined gear can be first gear or second gear, depending on the number of gear ratios in the gearbox.
• the torque limitation leder till /hor inte vad du valtf ⁇ r ord/tiiQ result that, if a gear is selected which is higher than the predetermined gear, the available engine torque will not be sufficient to accelerate the vehicle and the driver will thus be forced to shift down, at least to said predetermined gear.
• Gearboxes for heavy trucks often consist of a main group, usually four or five forward gears, a splitter group connected on the input side of the main group and providing a low and a high speed for each gear in the main group, and a range group which is connected to the output side of the main group and which provides an ad- ditional low and high range for each gear in the main group.
• a number of known gearboxes of this type have today sensors which sense and provide signals to the control unit, representing the shift position in the splitter group and the range group.
• the recommended starting gear i.e. the predeteraiined gear pre-programmed in the control unit of such a gearbox, can be first gear in the main group, high in the splitter group and low in the range group.
• the existing sensors in the split and range groups can thus be used for the torque-limiting function as well according to the present invention, which means that it is sufficient in this type of gearbox to add a single additional sensor, i.e. one which senses the gear position in the transmission main group.
• control unit is also arranged to limit the maximum permissible engine speed to a level below the maximum rpm of the engine, if a gear higher than the predetermined gear is selected and the clutch pedal is depressed. Since the load on the clutch is depending on lutel ⁇ mnat av dig? /Has, transmitted engine torque and the difference in rotational speed, this further reduces the wear on the clutch.
• 1 designates a six-cylinder internal combustion engine, e.g. a diesel engine, the crankshaft 2 of which is coupled to a disc clutch (not shown), the plate of which is joined to the input shaft into a gearbox generally designated 4, which consists of a main portion 5, a splitter portion 6 and a range portion 7.
• the main portion 5 is preferably a four-ratio-stepped gearbox, while the range portion 7 is preferably a two-ratio planet group providing low and high ranges, with each ratio in the main group being represented.
• the splitter portion 6 is a two-ratio gearbox, often integrated into the main portion, with high and low diffeiing relatively little in ratio.
• the splitter portion 6 and the range portion 7 are each provided in a known manner with sensors 8 and 9, respectively, which sense and indicate by a signal to an electronic control unit 10 whether low or high is engaged in the splitter portion 6 and the range portion 7, respectively.
• the main portion 5 is also provided with a sensor 11, which senses and provides a signal to the control unit 10 at least when a gear other that a predeteraiined gear is selected in the main portion 4.
• the predetermined gear can be first gear in a four-speed main group and it is sufficient that the sensor 11 is disposed to provide a signal to the control unit 10 which indicates that first gear is not selected, but, as an alternative, it is also possible to arrange a sensor which provides four different signals, each indicating a spe- cif ⁇ c ratio.
• 12 designates a portion of an instrument panel of a vehicle. Underneath the panel that . is an accelerator 13, a brake pedal 14 and a clutch pedal 15, all pivotally mounted.
• the clutch pedal 15 is associated with a sensor 16, which signals to the control unit 10 whether the clutch pedal 15 is released or depressed.
• the engine torque is always limited if the sensor 16 indicates a depressed clutch pedal 15 and the sensor 9 indicates high range selected in the range portion, regardless of the selections in the splitter portion and the main portion, i.e. even if the lowest gear is selected in the main portion.
• the sensor 11 is a sensor which provides a specific signal for each gear in the main portion 5, it is possible that the combination of "low” in the splitter portion and a higher gear that first gear in the main portion, e.g. second gear, together with a depressed clutch pedal will not trigger torque limitation.
• the maximum level of the available limited engine torque is selected so that it is sufficiently high to make it possible to start the vehicle at "high” in the sphtter portion and a higher gear than first gear in the main portion, when the vehicle is unloaded.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
• Transportation (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Automation & Control Theory (AREA)
• Control Of Transmission Device (AREA)
• Control Of Vehicle Engines Or Engines For Specific Uses (AREA)

Priority Applications (1)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=20282310

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (3)

Cited By (2)

Citations (5)

• 2000
  • 2000-12-20 SE SE0004727A patent/SE518029C2/sv unknown
• 2001
  • 2001-12-19 AU AU2002216560A patent/AU2002216560A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2001-12-19 WO PCT/SE2001/002827 patent/WO2002049870A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation

Patent Citations (5)

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