Motor vehicles – With means responsive to speed of vehicle for maintaining... – Including electrically actuated servomechanism
Patent
1988-03-09
1989-08-15
Marmor, Charles A.
Motor vehicles
With means responsive to speed of vehicle for maintaining...
Including electrically actuated servomechanism
36442401, 36443107, 123350, B60K 3104
Patent
active
048566098
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a constant-speed running control device for vehicles which automatically keeps a constant running speed of a vehicle.
BACKGROUND ART
Conventional constant-speed running control devices for vehicles are of the constitution as illustrated in FIG. 1(a). This drawing gives a block diagram showing this type of prior-art constant-speed running control device for vehicles disclosed in for example Laid-Open Japanese Pat. No. Sho 58-39311. In this drawing, 1 indicates a SET switch which enables a driver to set the start of constant-speed running; 2 is a CANCEL switch which is operated by operation of a brake system (not illustrated), allowing cancellation of constant-speed running; and 3 is a vehicle speed sensor for sensing running speed of the vehicle. It, comprising a rotary body 3a which has four magnetic poles and is driven by means of a meter cable (not illustrated) for transmitting rotation of a transmission (not illustrated) and a reed switch 3b, outputs a pulse-train signal at a frequency proportional to the running speed.
Turning on the main switch 5, which functions as a power switch for supplying electric power from the battery 4 for vehicle, provides the electric power to the control device 6, which will then operate. The control device 6 includes an operational processing circuit 6a of a microcomputer, for example, therewithin. It inputs signals from the SET switch 1, the CANCEL switch 2 and the vehicle-speed sensor 3, and outputs various control signals, after performing various processing operations, to make automatic control to keep a vehicle running speed v.sub.s at a target speed v.sub.r.
A throttle actuator 7 is a motor-driven throttle actuator disposed in an intake passage 8 of an engine (not illustrated). Receiving various signals from the control device 6, it opens and closes a throttle valve 9 in interlock with an accelerator pedal (not illustrated).
This throttle actuator 7 drives the throttle valve 9 through a wire 7b connected to a link 7a which is turned by a motor (not illustrated).
The angle of rotation of the link 7a corresponding to the opening of this throttle valve 9 is sensed by a built-in potentiometer (not illustrated), and given as a throttle position signal to the control device 6.
The link 7a and the motor are connected by means of a magnetic clutch (not illustrated); the connected state is controlled by a magnetic clutch signal from the control device 6.
Next the operation of a conventional constant-speed running control device of the above-mentioned constitution for vehicles is as follows. First, when the main switch is turned on by a driver, the power is supplied from the battery 4 to start the operation of the control device 6, thus processing the output of the vehicle-speed sensor 3. This vehicle-speed sensor 3 outputs a pulse-train signal having a frequency proportional to a running speed v.sub.s at which the vehicle is traveling. The control device 6 measures the period of this pulse, thereby determining the running speed v.sub.s.
When the driver operates the SET switch 1, a signal from this switch is given to the control device 6, and the running speed v.sub.s at this time is stored as the target speed v.sub.r ; thus the control of constant-speed running is started.
Henceforth, the control device 6 compares an actual running speed v.sub.s changing every second, with the target speed v.sub.r, and outputs a control signal to drive the throttle actuator 7 and control the opening of the throttle valve 9 so that the vehicle can travel at the target speed v.sub.r.
Namely, when the actual running speed v.sub.s is slower than the target speed v.sub.r, the control device 6 will output a THROTTLE OPEN CONTROL DRIVE signal to open the throttle valve 9 to a specific amount of opening, and reversely when the actual running speed v.sub.s is higher, a THROTTLE CLOSE CONTROL DRIVE signal will be outputted to close the throttle valve 9 to a specific amount of opening, and therefore the vehicle can travel at a constant speed without
REFERENCES:
patent: 4202424 (1980-05-01), Sakakibara et al.
patent: 4451888 (1984-05-01), Kuno et al.
patent: 4467428 (1984-08-01), Caldwell
patent: 4620519 (1986-11-01), Nagao et al.
patent: 4646861 (1987-03-01), Kawaya
patent: 4707792 (1987-11-01), Naitou
patent: 4739485 (1988-04-01), Hayashi
Johnson Brian L.
Marmor Charles A.
Mitsubishi Denki & Kabushiki Kaisha
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