WO2011027687A1

WO2011027687A1 - Clutch operation device

Info

Publication number: WO2011027687A1
Application number: PCT/JP2010/064327
Authority: WO
Inventors: 斉士桂; 義和樋口
Original assignee: 株式会社エクセディ
Priority date: 2009-09-03
Filing date: 2010-08-25
Publication date: 2011-03-10
Also published as: JP4852132B2; CN102472331A; DE112010003520T5; JP2011052790A

Abstract

Disclosed is a clutch operation device (1) equipped with a drive motor (2) that generates driving force, a speed reduction mechanism (3), a master cylinder (4), a slave cylinder (5), and a hydraulic circuit (6). The speed reduction mechanism (3) is a mechanism that amplifies the driving force by reducing the amount of drive from the drive motor (2), and is provided with a reduction ratio that gradually increases from the cut-power state to the power transmission state of a clutch device (9). The master cylinder (4), the slave cylinder (5), and the hydraulic circuit (6) transmit the driving force that was amplified by the speed reduction mechanism (3) to the clutch device (9) as a pressing force.

Description

Clutch operating device

The present invention relates to a clutch operating device that operates a clutch device.

In the conventional manual transmission, a clutch device is provided between the engine and the transmission, and the shift lever of the driver's seat and the transmission are mechanically connected by a link mechanism such as a control rod. At the time of shifting, the clutch pedal is depressed to cut off the power transmission between the engine and the transmission by the clutch device and operate the shift lever. For this reason, when frequent shifts are required, a series of operations becomes a heavy burden on the driver.

Therefore, in order to reduce the burden on the driver regarding the shift operation, there has been proposed an automatic transmission that is provided with a clutch actuator that automatically connects and disconnects the clutch device and can perform a shift operation without stepping on the clutch pedal.

JP 2005-48924 A

As a clutch device for the above automatic transmission, a normally closed type is usually used, but in recent years, an automatic transmission using a normally open type clutch device has also been developed.

In the case of the normal open type, the clutch device is disconnected when the vehicle is powered off. When connecting the clutch device, the pressure plate is pressed by the slave cylinder via the lever, and the clutch disk is sandwiched between the pressure plate and the flywheel. As a result, power is transmitted to the input shaft of the transmission via the clutch disk.

Incidentally, unlike the normally closed type, in the normally open type clutch device, the pressing force acting on the clutch disk is determined by the operating force transmitted from the clutch operating device. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, when the pressing force acting on the clutch device from the engagement bearing is taken on the vertical axis and the stroke of the engagement bearing is taken on the horizontal axis, the clutch device is connected from the so-called half-clutch state (power transmission state). In the region up to (hereinafter also referred to as an engagement region), the pressing force increases rapidly.

Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 9, the load of the drive source of the clutch operating device also increases rapidly from the half-clutch state to the power transmission state. For this reason, in order to secure the transmission torque in the power transmission state within an allowable range, the maximum output of the clutch operating device must be determined based on the required pressing force in the power transmission state.

However, if the maximum output of the clutch operating device is determined based on the maximum pressing force, a large-sized device must be selected as a drive source for the clutch operating device, resulting in an increase in cost.

On the other hand, in order to realize smooth clutch engagement operation, a relatively high control resolution is required in the engagement region.

However, as shown in FIG. 8, in the engagement region, the amount of change in the pressing force per unit stroke is large, so that the control resolution is lower than in other regions.

Considering the increase in cost and control resolution, for example, it is conceivable to select a drive source with a small unit drive amount and a large maximum output. However, if the unit drive amount is small, operation in the non-engagement region is unavoidable. The speed becomes slow, and a smooth clutch engagement operation cannot be realized.

That is, the conventional clutch operation device cannot realize a smooth clutch engagement operation while suppressing an increase in cost in a normally open type clutch device.

An object of the present invention is to provide a clutch operating device capable of realizing a smooth clutch engagement operation of a normally open type clutch device while suppressing an increase in cost.

A clutch operating device according to the present invention is a device that switches a clutch device to a power transmission state by applying a pressing force acting on a clutch disk to the clutch device, and includes a drive unit, a speed reduction unit, an intermediate transmission unit, It has. The driving unit generates a driving force. The deceleration unit is a mechanism that amplifies the driving force by decelerating the driving amount of the driving unit, and has a reduction ratio that gradually increases from the power cutoff state to the power transmission state of the clutch device. The intermediate transmission unit transmits the driving force amplified by the reduction unit to the clutch device as a pressing force.

Here, the “reduction ratio” refers to a value obtained by dividing the input drive amount input from the drive unit to the reduction unit by the output drive amount output from the reduction unit.

In this clutch operating device, since the reduction ratio of the speed reduction unit gradually increases from the power cutoff state to the power transmission state of the clutch device, the amount of operation of the clutch device before the clutch device transitions from the power cutoff state to the power transmission state. Gradually decreases. For this reason, when the power transmission is completely cut off, the clutch device can be operated quickly, and when the clutch device switches to the power transmission state, the clutch device can be operated slowly. As a result, in the engagement region from the half-clutch state to the power transmission state, the amount of change in pressing force per unit drive amount can be kept small, and the control resolution in the engagement region without reducing the unit drive amount of the drive unit Can be secured.

In addition, even in the engagement region where the pressing force acting on the clutch disk suddenly increases, the driving force is amplified by the speed reducer so as to follow it. The required pressing force can be sufficiently secured at the portion.

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a clutch operating device capable of realizing a smooth clutch coupling operation of a normally open type clutch device while suppressing an increase in cost.

Schematic configuration diagram of clutch device 9 and clutch operating device 1 Schematic configuration diagram of the drive motor 2 and the speed reduction mechanism 3 The figure which shows the reduction ratio of the toggle mechanism 39 Schematic configuration diagram of master cylinder 4, slave cylinder 5 and hydraulic circuit 6 The figure which shows the relationship between stroke L and pressure P The figure which shows the relationship between the stroke L and the motor load M Invalid stroke calculation processing flowchart Engagement characteristics of clutch device Load characteristics of clutch operating device (conventional) Load characteristics of clutch operating device 1

<Configuration of clutch device>
As shown in FIG. 1, the clutch device 9 is an example of a device for transmitting power from an engine (not shown) to a transmission (not shown), and is fixed to a flywheel 91 of the engine. The clutch device 9 is a so-called normal open type device, and cuts off power transmission from the engine to the transmission when it is not operated via the clutch operating device 1 (described later).

As shown in FIG. 1, the clutch device 9 includes a clutch cover 93, a pressure plate 92, a clutch disk 94, a pressing lever 96, and an engagement bearing 97.

The clutch cover 93 is fixed to the flywheel 91. The pressure plate 92 is supported by the clutch cover 93 so as to be integrally rotatable and movable in the axial direction. The pressure plate 92 is connected to the flywheel 91 by a strap plate 93a so as to move to the opposite side of the clutch disk 94.

The clutch disc 94 is disposed between the flywheel 91 and the pressure plate 92, and is sandwiched between the flywheel 91 and the pressure plate 92 in the axial direction when the clutch device 9 is connected. The pressing lever 96 is a substantially annular plate, and is supported by a clutch cover 93 so as to be elastically deformable in the axial direction. The elastic force of the pressing lever 96 is small, and the force required for elastic deformation is relatively small. The inner peripheral portion of the pressing lever 96 can be pushed in the axial direction by an engagement bearing 97. When the clutch device 9 is connected, the engagement bearing 97 presses the pressure plate 92 in the axial direction via the pressing lever 96. The engagement bearing 97 is driven in the axial direction by the clutch operating device 1. In this clutch device 9, the pressing force acting on the clutch disk 94 via the pressing lever 96 and the pressure plate 92 changes according to the amount of movement of the engagement bearing 97 (the amount of operation of the clutch operating device 1). .

Further, a rotation speed sensor 98 for detecting the rotation speed of the clutch device 9 is provided. The rotation speed sensor 98 is connected to the control device 8 (described later) of the clutch operating device 1.

<Configuration of clutch operating device>
The clutch operating device 1 performs power transmission and disconnection in the clutch device based on an operation signal output from the transmission ECU 99, for example. The clutch operating device 1 can be applied to a plurality of clutch devices having different specifications. Here, the clutch operating device 1 will be described by taking the clutch device 9 as an operation target of the clutch operating device 1 as an example.

As shown in FIG. 1, the clutch operating device 1 includes a drive motor 2 (an example of a drive unit), a speed reduction mechanism 3 (an example of a speed reduction unit), a master cylinder 4, a slave cylinder 5, a hydraulic circuit 6, A lever mechanism 7 and a control device 8 are provided.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the drive motor 2 is a drive source for driving the engagement bearing 97 of the clutch device 9 and applies thrust to the master cylinder 4 via the speed reduction mechanism 3. The drive motor 2 is, for example, a brushless motor, and includes a drive shaft 21 for outputting a drive force, a drive gear 24, an encoder 22 for detecting a rotation angle (an example of a drive amount) of the drive shaft 21, and a motor torque. And a load detection sensor 23 for detection.

The drive gear 24 is fixed to the end of the drive shaft 21 and meshes with the worm wheel 31 of the speed reduction mechanism 3. The encoder 22 and the load detection sensor 23 are electrically connected to the control device 8. The load detection sensor 23 detects the load of the drive motor 2 based on the current value of the drive motor 2. The load detection sensor 23 may be a sensor using a strain gauge or the like.

As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the speed reduction mechanism 3 is generated by the drive motor 2 and a function of converting the rotational motion generated by the drive motor 2 into straight motion and transmitting it to the first piston 42 of the master cylinder 4. A function of amplifying the driving force. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, the speed reduction mechanism 3 includes a worm wheel 31 and a toggle mechanism 39.

The worm wheel 31 is a gear that reduces the rotation of the drive gear 24 and meshes with the drive gear 24. The worm wheel 31 is rotatably supported by, for example, a housing (not shown).

The toggle mechanism 39 is a so-called terminal reduction mechanism, and the reduction ratio changes according to the input drive amount (more specifically, the rotation angle of the drive motor 2 or the rotation angle of the worm wheel 31). Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, the reduction ratio of the toggle mechanism 39 gradually increases from the power cutoff state to the power transmission state of the clutch device 9, and the reduction ratio increases rapidly in the end stroke range Lt. Further, the reduction ratio of the toggle mechanism 39 is gradually increased by the increase ratio from the power cut-off state to the power transmission state. This increase ratio gradually increases from the power cutoff state to the power transmission state. For this reason, the operation of the clutch device 9 becomes smoother when the state of the clutch device 9 shifts from the power cutoff state to the power transmission state.

For example, as shown in FIG. 3, when the reduction ratio of the toggle mechanism 39 in the power cut-off state is set to the reference reduction ratio R0, the increase ratio E in the reduction ratio R is expressed by the following equation (1).

E = R / R0 (1)
As shown in FIG. 2, the toggle mechanism 39 includes a first link member 32, a second link member 33, and a third link member 34. The first end 32 a of the first link member 32 is rotatably connected to the outer peripheral portion of the worm wheel 31. The second end 32 b of the first link member 32 is rotatably connected to the second link member 33 and the third link member 34.

The first end portion 33a of the second link member 33 is rotatably supported by the housing via, for example, a pin 36 fixed to the housing. The second end 33 b of the second link member 33 is rotatably connected to the first end 34 a of the third link member 34. The second end 34 b of the third link member 34 is inserted into the recess 42 a of the first piston 42 of the master cylinder 4. In a state where the coupling of the clutch device 9 is released, the second link member 33 and the third link member 34 are bent to the opposite side to the worm wheel 31. The second end portion 32b of the first link member 32 is rotatably connected to the connecting portion between the second end portion 33b and the first end portion 34a.

For example, as shown in FIG. 2, when the worm wheel 31 rotates in the R2 direction, the connecting portion of the second link member 33 and the third link member 34 is pulled by the first link member 32. As a result, the second link member 33 and the third link member 34 are stretched between the pin 36 and the first piston 42, and a rightward thrust acts on the first piston 42. At this time, since the rotation of the drive gear 24 is decelerated by the worm wheel 31, the load of the drive motor 2 can be further reduced as compared with the thrust acting on the first piston 42.

As shown in FIG. 4, the master cylinder 4 includes a first cylinder 41, a first piston 42 inserted in the first cylinder 41, a reservoir tank 43 provided in the first cylinder 41, a spring 47, A piston 45 and a pressing member 46 are provided. A first hydraulic chamber 44 is formed by the first cylinder 41 and the first piston 42, and a reservoir tank 43 is connected to the first hydraulic chamber 44. A hydraulic circuit 6 is connected to the first hydraulic chamber 44.

A spring 47 is disposed between the first piston 42 and the pressing member 46 in a pre-compressed state. The spring 47 presses the first piston 42 against the third link member 34. As a result, the third link member 34 and the first piston 42 move together.

The flow path 41b connecting the first hydraulic chamber 44 and the reservoir tank 43 is normally closed by an elongated sub-piston 45, but when the pressure in the first hydraulic chamber 44 becomes lower than the reservoir tank 43, the reservoir The hydraulic oil can flow from the tank 43 into the first hydraulic chamber 44. Specifically, the spring 47 presses the pressing member 46 against the first cylinder 41. For example, a cone spring (not shown) is provided between the pressing member 46 and the sub piston 45, and the cone spring presses the sub piston 45 against the periphery of the opening of the flow path 41b. As a result, when a force that overcomes the elastic force of the cone spring in the flow path 41b acts on the sub-piston 45, the sub-piston 45 moves to the left with respect to the first cylinder 41, and the sub-piston 45 moves to the periphery of the opening of the flow path 41b. Get away from. Thus, a check valve is realized by the sub piston 45 and the cone spring.

4, the slave cylinder 5 includes a second cylinder 51, a second piston 52 inserted into the second cylinder 51, a spring 57, and a rod 59. A second hydraulic chamber 54 is formed by the second cylinder 51 and the second piston 52, the hydraulic circuit 6 is connected to the second hydraulic chamber 54, and a pressure gauge 53 (an example of a detection sensor) is connected. Has been. A spring 57 is disposed in the second hydraulic chamber 54. The spring 57 presses the rod 59 against the end of the lever 71 of the lever mechanism 7 via the second piston 52. Accordingly, the end portions of the second piston 52, the rod 59, and the lever 71 are moved together.

As shown in FIG. 1, the lever mechanism 7 is a mechanism for transmitting the thrust of the slave cylinder 5 to the engagement bearing 97 at a predetermined lever ratio, and has a lever 71. The lever 71 is provided with a pin 72, and the lever 71 rotates around the pin 72. Since the pin 72 is disposed closer to the engagement bearing 97 than the center of the lever 71, the stroke of the slave cylinder 5 is decelerated by the lever mechanism 7 and transmitted to the engagement bearing 97, but the thrust of the slave cylinder 5 is transmitted to the lever mechanism. 7 is amplified.

As shown in FIG. 1, the hydraulic circuit 6 includes a main oil passage 61, a sub oil passage 63, and a switching valve 62 (an example of a switching unit). The main oil passage 61 connects a reservoir tank 43 (an example of a tank) and a switching valve 62. The sub oil passage 63 connects the first hydraulic chamber 44 of the master cylinder 4, the second hydraulic chamber 54 of the slave cylinder 5, and the switching valve 62. The switching valve 62 is a normally open type electromagnetic switching valve and is controlled by the control device 8. When the current is not flowing through the solenoid, the switching valve 62 connects the main oil passage 61 and the sub oil passage 63. When the current is flowing through the solenoid, the switching valve 62 is connected to the main oil passage 61 and the sub oil passage 63. And shut off. For this reason, when the power supply of the vehicle is OFF, the pressure in the main oil passage 61 is released to the reservoir tank 43, and the clutch device 9 is in a power cut-off state.

The master cylinder 4, the slave cylinder 5, the hydraulic circuit 6 and the lever mechanism 7 constitute an intermediate transmission unit that transmits the driving force of the driving motor 2 to the clutch device 9 as a pressing force. Further, the switching valve 62 and the control device 8 constitute an adjustment unit that converts the drive amount (rotation angle of the drive shaft 21) of the drive motor 2 into an operation amount (stroke of the slave cylinder 5) by the transmission unit.

<Configuration of control device>
The control device 8 controls the drive motor 2 and the switching valve 62 based on the outputs of the encoder 22, the load detection sensor 23 and the pressure gauge 53. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, the control device 8 includes a motor control unit 81 that controls the drive motor 2, and a stroke control unit that controls the switching valve 62 based on the outputs of the load detection sensor 23 and the pressure gauge 53. 82 (an example of an adjustment control unit).

The motor control unit 81 controls the drive motor 2 based on an operation signal output from the transmission ECU 99 (FIG. 1) according to the state of the vehicle, for example. When the control device 8 receives the operation signal, the motor control unit 81 controls the drive motor 2 so that the drive shaft 21 of the drive motor 2 rotates by a set angle. The motor control unit 81 can detect the rotation angle of the drive shaft 21 by counting the pulses output from the encoder 22. The motor control unit 81 can stop the drive motor 2 when the drive shaft 21 rotates by a set angle by monitoring the output pulse of the encoder 22. The set angle is stored in advance in a memory (not shown) provided in the control device 8.

Further, when a clutch release signal is output from the transmission ECU 99, the control device 8 controls the drive motor 2 so that the drive shaft 21 of the drive motor 2 rotates to the opposite side by a set angle. Thereby, the rotational position of the drive shaft 21 can be returned to the initial position.

The stroke control unit 82 adjusts the stroke of the slave cylinder 5 (an example of the moving distance of the second piston 52 and an operation amount) so that the pressing force of the pressure plate 92 does not change greatly due to dimensional error or dimensional change. Specifically, the stroke control unit 82 calculates an appropriate stroke (an example of an appropriate operation amount) based on the detection results of the pressure gauge 53 and the load detection sensor 23. The appropriate stroke means an appropriate stroke as the stroke of the slave cylinder 5.

The difference between the appropriate stroke and the maximum stroke Lmax of the slave cylinder 5 is called an invalid stroke ΔL. As will be described later, in order to adjust the stroke of the slave cylinder 5 to an appropriate stroke, the stroke controller 82 controls the switching valve 62 so that the slave cylinder 5 does not operate by the invalid stroke ΔL during operation of the master cylinder 4. . For example, when the main oil passage 61 is connected to the reservoir tank 43 by the switching valve 62, hydraulic oil flows from the main oil passage 61 to the reservoir tank 43, so that the straight movement of the first piston 42 is not transmitted to the second piston 52. . When the main oil passage 61 is shut off from the reservoir tank 43 by the switching valve 62, the straight movement of the first piston 42 is transmitted to the second piston 52 by the hydraulic oil in the main oil passage 61. That is, by adjusting the opening / closing timing of the switching valve 62, the length of the invalid stroke ΔL can be adjusted, and the stroke of the slave cylinder 5 can be adjusted to an appropriate stroke. That is, only a part of the rotation angle (drive amount) in the rotation range (total drive range) of the drive shaft 21 by the drive motor 2 is the stroke (operation amount) of the slave cylinder 5 by the master cylinder 4, the slave cylinder 5 and the hydraulic circuit 6. ).

<Outline of stroke adjustment>
Generally, in a clutch device, aged deterioration such as wear of a clutch disk occurs, or a dimensional error occurs for each product. For example, in the case of the clutch device 9 shown in FIG. 1, when the clutch disc 94 is worn, the position of the pressure plate 92 with respect to the flywheel 91 at the time of clutch engagement approaches the flywheel 91 side.

However, since the stroke of the slave cylinder 5 is usually constant, if the position of the pressure plate 92 at the time of power transmission approaches the flywheel 91 side, the stroke of the slave cylinder 5 becomes insufficient, and the pressure lever 96 moves to the pressure plate 92. It becomes difficult to transmit the pressing force. As a result, depending on the worn state of the clutch disc 94, the pressing force of the pressure plate 92 decreases.

Therefore, in this clutch operating device 1, the stroke of the slave cylinder 5 is automatically adjusted so as to keep the pressing force at an appropriate level. Here, an outline of the stroke adjustment method will be described.

In the manufacturing stage of the clutch operating device 1, the stroke and position of the slave cylinder 5 are adjusted so that the required pressing force can be ensured with the maximum wear amount of the clutch disk and the maximum stroke of the slave cylinder 5. Next, during actual operation, the stroke of the slave cylinder 5 is adjusted according to the wear state of the clutch disk. When adjusting the stroke, an appropriate stroke of the slave cylinder 5 is calculated based on data stored in the control device 8 in advance, and the opening / closing of the switching valve 62 is switched by the control device 8 based on the calculated appropriate stroke.

As described above, the automatic adjustment of the stroke of the slave cylinder 5 is performed.

<Stroke calculation data>
Here, data for stroke calculation will be described. As data for stroke calculation, data shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 can be considered.

For example, the data shown in FIG. 5 shows the relationship between the wear amount of the clutch disk 94, the stroke L of the slave cylinder 5 and the pressure P in the second hydraulic chamber 54, and is obtained in advance by design or experiment. Lines A1 to A4 shown in FIG. 5 are approximate curves of data obtained experimentally or experimentally, and approximate expressions corresponding to the lines A1 to A4 are stored in the memory of the control device 8 in advance.

When the pressure P of the second hydraulic chamber 54 of the slave cylinder 5 is taken on the vertical axis and the stroke L of the second cylinder 51 is taken on the horizontal axis, the pressure P and the stroke L in the state where the wear amount of the clutch disk 94 is maximized. The relationship between the pressure P and the stroke L in the initial state in which the clutch disk 94 is not worn at all is represented by the line A1. Further, when the wear amount of the clutch disk 94 is changed to obtain the relationship between the stroke L and the pressure P, for example, the relationship between the stroke L and the pressure P is as shown by lines A2 and A3.

In other words, if the stroke L and the pressure P are known, the wear amount of the clutch disk can be roughly grasped based on the data shown in FIG. 5, and the slave disk can be determined from the obtained wear amount of the clutch disk and the target pressure. An appropriate stroke of the cylinder 5 can be obtained. The data shown in FIG. 5 is stored in the memory of the control device 8.

The data shown in FIG. 6 shows the relationship between the wear amount of the clutch disk 94, the stroke L of the slave cylinder 5, and the motor load M of the drive motor 2, and is obtained in advance by design or experiment. Lines A11 to A14 shown in FIG. 6 are approximate curves of data obtained by design or experiment. When the motor load M of the drive motor 2 is taken on the vertical axis and the stroke L of the second cylinder 51 is taken on the horizontal axis, the relationship between the motor load M and the stroke L in the state where the wear amount of the clutch disk 94 is maximized is a line. The relationship between the motor load M and the stroke L in the initial state represented by A14 and the clutch disk 94 not being worn at all is represented by a line A11. Further, when the amount of wear of the clutch disk 94 is changed and the relationship between the stroke L and the motor load M is obtained, for example, the relationship between the stroke L and the motor load M is as indicated by lines A12 and A13.

In other words, if the stroke L and the motor load M are known, the wear amount of the clutch disk can be roughly grasped based on the data shown in FIG. 6, and from the obtained wear amount of the clutch disk and the target load, The appropriate stroke of the slave cylinder 5 can be obtained. The data shown in FIG. 6 is stored in the memory of the control device 8.

<Initial setting of stroke>
In consideration of wear of the clutch disc, the position of the second piston 52 of the slave cylinder 5 is adjusted at the manufacturing stage using an adjusting clutch device. Specifically, a mechanism for adjusting the position of the second piston 52 of the slave cylinder 5 or the length of the rod 59 so that the pressing force of the pressure plate is maintained at an appropriate level even when the clutch disk is most worn. Adjust (not shown). The clutch device for adjustment is provided with a clutch disk that has been completely worn out (a clutch disk having the maximum amount of wear).

During adjustment, the master cylinder 4 is driven by the drive motor 2 and the pressure plate 92 is pressed by the slave cylinder 5 via the lever mechanism 7. When the adjustment clutch disk is sandwiched between the pressure plate 92 and the flywheel, the pressure P in the second hydraulic chamber 54 increases. At this time, as shown in FIG. 5, the stroke L of the slave cylinder 5 is adjusted by adjusting the stroke of the slave cylinder 5 (or the position of the slave cylinder 5 with respect to the lever mechanism 7) so that the pressure P becomes the reference pressure P0. Is the maximum stroke Lmax (that is, when the amount of wear of the clutch disk is maximum), the necessary pressing force can be ensured.

However, as shown in FIG. 5, when the pressure P at the same stroke L is compared, the pressure obtained from the line A1 corresponding to the initial state is greater than the pressure obtained from the line A4 where the wear amount of the clutch disk 94 is maximum. Also gets higher. As the pressure P increases, the pressing force also increases. As a result, the motor load M of the drive motor 2 also increases more than necessary.

Therefore, in this clutch operating device 1, the stroke of the slave cylinder 5 is automatically adjusted so that the pressing force is substantially constant regardless of the wear of the clutch disk.

<Stroke calculation method>
Here, a method for calculating the stroke will be described.

When the stroke of the slave cylinder 5 is automatically adjusted, an appropriate stroke according to the wear state of the clutch disk is calculated by the control device 8 using the data shown in FIGS.

Specifically, during actual operation, the pressure of the slave cylinder 5 is detected by the pressure gauge 53, and the output of the pressure gauge 53 is stored in the memory of the control device 8 as the detected pressure Pd. As shown in FIG. 5, the stroke controller 82 calculates four pressures Pc1 to Pc4 based on the current stroke Ls and the approximate expression of the lines A1 to A4. The stroke control unit 82 compares the calculated four pressures Pc1 to Pc4 with the detected pressure Pd, and selects a line corresponding to the pressure closest to the detected pressure Pd from the lines A1 to A4.

For example, when the line A2 is selected, the stroke control unit 82 calculates the stroke Lp based on the approximate expression of the line A2 and the reference pressure P0.

Further, the motor load M of the drive motor 2 is detected by the load detection sensor 23, and the output of the load detection sensor 23 is stored in the memory of the control device 8 as the detection load Md. As shown in FIG. 6, the stroke controller 82 calculates four motor loads Mc1 to Mc4 based on the current stroke Ls and the approximate expression of the lines A11 to A14. The stroke control unit 82 compares the calculated four motor loads Mc1 to Mc4 with the detected load Md, and selects a line corresponding to the motor load M closest to the detected load Md from the lines A11 to A14.

For example, when the line A12 is selected, the stroke control unit 82 calculates the stroke Lm based on the approximate expression of the line A12 and the reference load M0. The calculated stroke Lm is temporarily stored in the memory of the control device 8.

Furthermore, the stroke control unit 82 calculates an appropriate stroke based on the strokes Lp and Lm. Specifically, when the absolute value of the difference between the strokes Lp and Lm is equal to or less than a predetermined value δL, the stroke control unit 82 sets the stroke Lp to a new stroke Ls. The reason why the pressure P is given priority over the motor load M is that the pressure P of the slave cylinder 5 close to the clutch device 9 in the driving force transmission path is more accurate as an index of the pressing force than the motor load M.

On the other hand, when the absolute value of the difference between the strokes Lp and Lm is larger than the predetermined value δL, the stroke control unit 82 compares the strokes Lp and Lm and sets the longer stroke to the new stroke Ls. Here, the reason why the longer stroke is selected is that it is easy to ensure a large pressing force as compared with the shorter stroke.

The stroke control unit 82 calculates the invalid stroke ΔL by subtracting the new set stroke Ls from the stroke Lmax. Based on the invalid stroke ΔL, the operation timing of the switching valve 62 is adjusted by the stroke controller 82. Specifically, a relational expression between the invalid stroke ΔL and the rotation angle of the drive motor 2 is stored in advance in the stroke control unit 82, and the stroke control unit 82 calculates the rotation angle from the calculated invalid stroke ΔL and the relational expression. Is calculated. The opening / closing timing of the switching valve 62 is adjusted using the calculated rotation angle.

As described above, the appropriate stroke of the slave cylinder 5 corresponding to the wear state of the clutch disk is calculated.

<Technical significance of invalid stroke>
Here, the technical significance of the invalid stroke will be supplemented. As shown in FIG. 5, in the initial state indicated by line A1, if the second piston 52 is driven by the stroke Ls, the pressure P in the second hydraulic chamber 54 becomes the reference pressure P0. Therefore, if the driving amount of the drive motor 2 is simply reduced and the stroke L of the second piston 52 is changed to the stroke Ls, the pressing force is likely to be secured.

However, since the terminal speed reduction mechanism in which the speed reduction ratio increases rapidly near the end of the stroke (stroke range Lt shown in FIG. 3) is adopted in the speed reduction mechanism 3, if the drive amount of the drive motor 2 is reduced, The stroke range Lt with a large reduction ratio cannot be used effectively, and the output of the drive motor 2 needs to be increased in order to ensure the pressing force.

Therefore, by securing the drive amount of the drive motor 2 by an amount corresponding to the maximum stroke Lmax, and using the switching valve 62, the invalid stroke ΔL is set in a stroke range with a small reduction ratio (a range other than the stroke range Lt). The stroke range with a large reduction ratio can be utilized to the maximum, and the pressing force can be ensured without increasing the load of the drive motor 2 more than necessary.

<Operation of clutch operating device>
The operation of the clutch operating device 1 described above will be described.

As shown in FIG. 1, when transmitting power, the clutch operating device 1 pushes the pressing lever 96 toward the flywheel 91, and the clutch disc 94 is sandwiched between the flywheel 91 and the pressure plate 92. At this time, the switching valve 62 is closed by the control device 8, and the driving force of the driving motor 2 is transmitted to the pressure plate 92 via the speed reduction mechanism 3, the master cylinder 4, the slave cylinder 5, and the lever mechanism 7. .

In this state, when an operation signal is detected from the transmission ECU 99, the motor control unit 81 controls the drive motor 2 so that the drive shaft 21 rotates in the direction in which the clutch device 9 is disengaged.

When the worm wheel 31 is rotationally driven in the R1 direction by the drive motor 2, the first link member 32 rises and the driving force transmitted from the speed reduction mechanism 3 to the master cylinder 4 is released. When the driving force is released, the first piston 42 moves to the left side by the elastic force of the spring 57, and accordingly, the second piston 52 also moves to the left side. When the second piston 52 moves to the left side, the engagement bearing 97 is pushed back to the right side by the pressing lever 96 and the strap plate 93a, and the pressure plate 92 moves to the side opposite to the flywheel 91. As a result, the holding of the clutch disk 94 by the pressure plate 92 and the flywheel 91 is released, and the power transmission from the engine to the transmission is interrupted.

The drive amount (rotation angle of the drive shaft 21) by the drive motor 2 is adjusted by the motor control unit 81 based on the output pulse of the encoder 22. After the drive by the drive motor 2 is started, the motor controller 81 starts counting the output pulses of the encoder 22, and when the number of count pulses reaches the number of pulses corresponding to the maximum stroke Lmax, the motor controller 81 causes the drive motor 2 to Is stopped. When the drive motor 2 stops, the pressure plate 92 stops at the power cut-off position, and the release operation of the clutch device 9 is completed. As the drive motor 2 stops, the switching valve 62 is switched from the closed state to the open state by the stroke control unit 82.

When a shift change is performed by the transmission ECU 99 and an operation signal for connecting the clutch device 1 is output, the motor control unit 81 drives the speed reduction mechanism 3 by the drive motor 2 by a drive amount corresponding to the maximum stroke Lmax. At this time, since the worm wheel 31 is rotationally driven in the R2 direction by the drive motor 2, the first link member 32 is pulled downward, and the third link member 34 gradually moves the first piston 42 of the master cylinder 4 to the right side. Press to. As a result, the first piston 42 moves to the right side, but the switching valve 62 is in the open state, so that the hydraulic oil flowing out from the first hydraulic chamber 44 does not flow into the second hydraulic chamber 54, It flows into the reservoir tank 43 through the oil passage 63. For this reason, while the switching valve 62 is kept open, the second piston 52 remains stopped.

On the other hand, when driving by the drive motor 2 is started, the output pulses of the encoder 22 are counted by the motor control unit 81. The switching valve 62 remains open until the count pulse number reaches the pulse number corresponding to the invalid stroke ΔL. When the number of count pulses reaches the number of pulses corresponding to the invalid stroke ΔL, a control signal is transmitted from the motor control unit 81 to the stroke control unit 82, and the switching valve 62 is switched from the open state to the closed state by the stroke control unit 82. As a result, the hydraulic oil that has flowed out of the first hydraulic chamber 44 as the first piston 42 moves flows into the second hydraulic chamber 54 without escaping to the reservoir tank 43, and the second piston 52 of the slave cylinder 5 moves to the right. To start. When the second piston 52 moves to the right side, the lever 71 of the lever mechanism 7 rotates around the pin 72, and the engagement bearing 97 is pushed into the flywheel 91 side by the lever 71. As a result, when the pressure plate 92 is pushed to the flywheel side by the engagement bearing 97 through the pressing lever 96 and the stroke of the slave cylinder 5 reaches the maximum stroke Lmax, the clutch disc 94 is located between the pressure plate 92 and the flywheel 91. Sandwiched between.

As described above, based on the data shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, an appropriate stroke suitable for the wear state of the clutch disk is calculated by the stroke control unit 82, and the clutch operating device 1 operates with the calculated stroke. The pressure P is maintained at or near the reference pressure P0, and the pressing force is maintained at an appropriate level.

When the clutch disc 94 is sandwiched between the flywheel 91 and the pressure plate 92, power is transmitted from the engine to the transmission via the clutch device 9.

As described above, the clutch device 9 is operated by the clutch operating device 1.

<Stroke calculation operation>
In this clutch operating device 1, the stroke controller 82 calculates an appropriate stroke according to a dimensional error or a dimensional change under a predetermined condition (for example, once a day, after the vehicle is stopped, after the engine is stopped), and the set stroke Ls. The invalid stroke ΔL is updated under predetermined conditions.

For example, as shown in FIG. 7, when the appropriate stroke is calculated, it is confirmed by the stroke control unit 82 whether or not the clutch device 9 is in a connected state (S1). The state of the clutch device 9 is determined by the stroke control unit 82 based on the operation signal output from the transmission ECU 99 or the output of the encoder 22. The calculation of the stroke is preferably performed when the rotational speed V of the clutch device 9 is low. This is because when the rotational speed V of the clutch device 9 is high, the influence of vibration of each member, pulsation of hydraulic pressure, and the like increases. Therefore, if the clutch device 9 is in the connected state, the stroke control unit 82 compares the rotational speed V of the clutch device 9 detected by the rotational speed sensor 98 with a preset reference value V0 (S2).

When the rotational speed V is higher than the reference value V0, steps S1 and S2 are repeated, and the connected state of the clutch device 9 and the rotational speed V are monitored by the stroke control unit 82. When the rotation speed V is equal to or less than the reference value V0, the stroke is calculated by the stroke control unit 82 according to the stroke calculation method described above.

Specifically, in order to grasp the pressing force acting on the clutch disk 94, the pressure P is detected by the pressure gauge 53, and the motor load M of the drive motor 2 is detected by the load detection sensor 23 (S3, S4). . The detection results of the pressure gauge 53 and the load detection sensor 23 are transmitted to the control device 8 and stored in a memory (not shown) of the control device 8.

Next, an appropriate stroke based on the detected pressure Pd is calculated by the stroke control unit 82 based on the data shown in FIG. 5, the detected pressure Pd, and the current set stroke Ls. Specifically, a calculation formula is selected from the data shown in FIG. 5 using the detected pressure Pd and the current set stroke Ls (S5). For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the pressures Pc1 to Pc4 corresponding to the stroke Ls are calculated by the stroke controller 82 using the approximate expression of the lines A1 to A4. The stroke controller 82 compares the pressures Pc1 to Pc4 with the detected pressure Pd, and the stroke controller 82 selects the line corresponding to the pressure closest to the detected pressure Pd from the lines A1 to A4. The stroke Lp is calculated based on the approximate expression of the selected line and the detected pressure Pd, and the calculated stroke Lp is stored in the memory (S5).

Furthermore, based on the data shown in FIG. 6, the detected load Md, and the current set stroke Ls,
The stroke controller 82 calculates a proper stroke based on the detected load Md. Specifically, an approximate expression is selected from the data shown in FIG. 6 using the detected load Md and the current set stroke Ls (S6). For example, as shown in FIG. 6, loads Mc1 to Mc4 corresponding to the stroke Ls are calculated by the stroke control unit 82 using approximate equations corresponding to the lines A11 to A14. The stroke control unit 82 compares the loads Mc1 to Mc4 with the detected load Md, and the stroke control unit 82 selects a line corresponding to the load closest to the detected load Md from the lines A11 to A14. The stroke Lm is calculated based on the approximate expression of the selected line and the detected load Md, and the calculated stroke Lm is stored in the memory (S6).

Based on the calculated strokes Lp and Lm, the stroke control unit 82 calculates an appropriate stroke. Specifically, when the absolute value of the difference between the strokes Lp and Lm is equal to or smaller than a predetermined value δL, the pressure P of the slave cylinder 5 close to the clutch device 9 in the driving force transmission path is accurate as an index of the pressing force. Therefore, the stroke control unit 82 selects the stroke Lp as an appropriate stroke, and the stroke Lp is set to a new stroke Ls (S7, S8).

On the other hand, when the absolute value of the difference between the strokes Lp and Lm is larger than the predetermined value δL, the stroke control unit 82 compares the strokes Lp and Lm, the longer stroke is selected as the appropriate stroke, and the selected stroke Is set to a new stroke Ls (S7 to S10).

<Characteristics of clutch operating device>
Thus, in this clutch operating device 1, since the speed reduction ratio of the speed reduction mechanism 3 (more specifically, the toggle mechanism 39) gradually increases from the power cutoff state to the power transmission state of the clutch device 9, the clutch device 9 When shifting to the power transmission state, the operation amount of the clutch device 9 gradually decreases. Specifically, in a state where the power transmission in the clutch device 9 is completely cut off, the pressure plate 92 moves quickly, and the pressure plate 92 and the flywheel 91 are sandwiched between the pressure plate 92 and the flywheel 91 at the stage where the pressure plate 92 is sandwiched. 92 can be moved slowly. That is, in the clutch operating device 1, a smooth operation of the clutch device 9 can be realized.

Further, the pressing force transmitted to the clutch device 9 by the speed reduction mechanism 3 gradually increases from the power cutoff state to the power transmission state of the clutch device 9. For this reason, in the power transmission state in which a large pressing force is required, the load on the drive motor 2 can be reduced.

For example, as shown in FIG. 10, when the load of the drive motor 2 is taken on the vertical axis and the drive amount (rotation amount) of the drive motor 2 is taken on the horizontal axis, the load in the engagement region can be obtained by using the speed reduction mechanism 3. Can be suppressed to the level indicated by the line X2 or the line X1. As compared with the conventional characteristic shown in FIG. 9, it can be seen that the maximum load is significantly reduced.

As described above, in the clutch operating device 1, the operation of the clutch device 9 can be smoothly performed and an increase in the load of the drive motor 2 can be suppressed. That is, by providing the speed reduction mechanism 3, it is possible to realize a smooth clutch engagement operation while suppressing an increase in cost.

Further, since the stroke Ls is periodically calculated and updated according to the wear state of the clutch disk, the stroke L is automatically adjusted according to a dimensional change such as a dimensional error or wear of the clutch disk 94, and the clutch disk. The pressing force acting on 94 can be maintained at an appropriate level. That is, in this clutch operating device 1, the performance of the clutch device 9 can be stabilized.

[Other Embodiments]
The specific configuration of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

(A)
Although the toggle mechanism 39 is employed as the speed reduction mechanism 3, any other mechanism may be used as long as the speed reduction ratio increases near the end of the stroke. As the terminal speed reduction mechanism, in addition to the toggle mechanism, a cam mechanism, a crank mechanism, a cardan circular pin applied gear mechanism, a variable rack / pinion mechanism, a belt mechanism, an elliptical gear mechanism, and the like can be considered.

(B)
Further, the reduction ratio of the toggle mechanism 39 is shown in FIG. 3, but the reduction ratio of the reduction mechanism 3 is not limited to the characteristics shown in FIG. For example, the speed reduction mechanism 3 may have such characteristics that the speed reduction ratio increases at a constant rate from the power cutoff state to the power transmission state.

(C)
In the above-described embodiment, the master cylinder 4 and the slave cylinder 5 are mounted on the clutch operating device 1, but the master cylinder 4 and the slave cylinder 5 may not be provided. For example, the third link member 34 of the speed reduction mechanism 3 may directly press the lever 71 of the lever mechanism 7.

(D)
Although the above-described clutch operating device 1 has a function of adjusting the invalid stroke ΔL, the clutch device 9 can be smoothly operated as long as the speed reduction mechanism 3 is provided even if this function is not provided. An increase in the load of the drive motor 2 can be suppressed.

(E)
In the above-described embodiment, both the pressure P and the motor load M are detected, and the appropriate stroke and the invalid stroke ΔL are calculated based on both. However, only one of the pressure P and the motor load M is used. Alternatively, the invalid stroke ΔL may be calculated.

(F)
Although a method of detecting a current value is adopted as a method of detecting the motor load M, other methods such as a method using a strain gauge may be used.

(G)
The means for detecting the pressure P is not limited to the pressure gauge 53, and may be a pressure switch, for example.

(H)
Although the engagement bearing 97 is pressed by the slave cylinder 5 via the lever mechanism 7, the lever mechanism 7 may be omitted.

The present invention is useful in the field of clutch operating devices that operate clutch devices.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Clutch operating device 2 Drive motor (an example of a drive part)
22 Encoder 23 Load detection sensor 3 Deceleration mechanism (an example of a deceleration unit)
39 Toggle mechanism 4 Master cylinder 41 Cylinder 42 Piston 43 Reservoir tank 44 Hydraulic chamber 45 Sub-piston 46 Holding member 47 Spring 5 Slave cylinder 51 Cylinder 52 Piston 53 Pressure gauge (an example of a detection sensor)
54 Hydraulic chamber 6 Hydraulic circuit 61 Main oil passage 62 Switching valve (an example of switching section)
63 Sub oil passage 7 Lever mechanism 8 Control device 81 Motor controller 82 Stroke controller (an example of adjustment controller)
9 Clutch device

Claims

A clutch operating device that switches the clutch device to a power transmission state by applying a pressing force acting on the clutch disc to the clutch device,
A driving unit for generating a driving force;
A mechanism for amplifying the driving force by decelerating the driving amount of the driving unit, and having a reduction ratio that gradually increases from a power cutoff state to a power transmission state of the clutch device;
An intermediate transmission unit that transmits the driving force amplified by the deceleration unit to the clutch device as the pressing force;
A clutch operating device comprising:
The reduction ratio is gradually increased by an increase ratio from the power cutoff state to the power transmission state.
The clutch operating device according to claim 1.
The increase ratio gradually increases from the power cutoff state to the power transmission state.
The clutch operating device according to claim 2.
The speed reduction part has a toggle mechanism,
The clutch operating device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.
An adjustment unit for adjusting an operation amount transmitted from the intermediate transmission unit to the clutch device;
The clutch operating device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.
The adjustment unit is capable of adjusting the operation amount so that only a part of the drive amount in the entire drive range by the drive unit is converted into the operation amount by the intermediate transmission unit.
The clutch operating device according to claim 5.
The intermediate transmission unit is
A first cylinder, a first piston that is inserted into the first cylinder and receives the driving force generated by the driving unit, and a first hydraulic chamber formed by the first cylinder and the first piston. A master cylinder,
A second cylinder, a second piston that is inserted into the second cylinder and applies the driving force to the clutch device as the pressing force, a second hydraulic chamber formed by the second cylinder and the second piston, A slave cylinder having
A main oil passage connecting the first hydraulic chamber and the second hydraulic chamber,
The clutch operating device according to any one of claims 1 to 6.
The adjustment unit includes a tank connected to the main oil passage, a switching unit that switches connection and disconnection between the tank and at least one of the first hydraulic chamber, the second hydraulic chamber, and the main oil passage; have,
The clutch operating device according to claim 7.