Pumps – Condition responsive control of pump drive motor – With control of pump drive transmission
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-21
2001-09-11
Tyler, Cheryl J. (Department: 3746)
Pumps
Condition responsive control of pump drive motor
With control of pump drive transmission
C417S016000, C417S034000, C062S236000, C062S133000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06287081
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND
The present invention relates to a control apparatus for a hybrid compressor that is installed in an air conditioning system mounted in a hybrid vehicle, wherein the compressor may be driven by at least two driving means that include an engine and a motor. Examples of hybrid vehicles include an idle-stop vehicle which has no idle running state and the like. The hybrid compressor may be provided with two driving means, one achieved through a driving force obtained via linkage with the engine and the other achieved through a driving force imparted by a dedicated motor.
Hybrid compressors in the prior art include the one disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Publication No. H6-87678. In this hybrid compressor, which obtains a driving force either through linkage with the engine or through a battery operated motor, the compression unit is driven as it is selectively linked with these two drive sources. More specifically, when the engine is in a driving state, the driving force is obtained by linking a rotary shaft of the engine through an electromagnetic clutch, whereas when the engine is in a stopped state, the driving force is obtained through the rotation of the motor.
However, when switching from motor drive to engine drive or switching from engine drive to motor drive in the hybrid compressor described above, there is a problem in that the switching of the drive source cannot be carried out smoothly due to different rotation rates and different rotation torques of the two drive sources. There is another problem in that the difference between the rotation rates of the two drive sources causes noise when the electronic clutch engages.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a control apparatus for a hybrid compressor that achieves a smooth shift between the two drive sources of the hybrid compressor.
Accordingly, a control apparatus for a hybrid compressor according to the present invention which is employed to control a hybrid compressor comprising a rotating shaft (i.e. rotary shaft), a compression unit having a compression space whose volumetric capacity is caused to change by the rotation of the rotating shaft, an electromagnetic clutch that links a pulley to which the rotation of an engine is communicated and the rotating shaft as appropriate to communicate the rotation of the engine to the rotating shaft and a motor unit achieved by providing a rotor secured to the rotating shaft and a stator facing opposite the rotor, to constitute a portion of a freezing cycle installed in an airconditioning system is provided with a means for engine operation decision-making that makes a decision with respect to the operating state of the engine, a means for airconditioning system operation decision-making that makes a decision with respect to the operating state of the airconditioning system, a means for motor unit drive that drives a motor unit, a means for electromagnetic clutch drive that links a pulley with the rotating shaft or cuts off the pulley from the rotating shaft by turning the electromagnetic clutch on/off, a means for engine drive that drives the engine and a means for stop control that cuts off the linkage between the pulley and the rotating shaft by turning off the electromagnetic clutch via the means for electromagnetic clutch drive after starting up the motor unit via the means for motor unit drive, and then stops the drive of the engine via the means for engine drive, if the means for engine operation decision-making decides that the engine is to stop operation and the means for airconditioning system operation decision-making decides that the airconditioning system is to sustain operation.
Thus, since the means for stop control first drives the motor unit via the means for motor unit drive and then turns off the electromagnetic clutch via the means for electromagnetic clutch drive as the rotation rate of the compression unit becomes lower, if the means for engine operation decision-making decides that the engine is to be stopped and the means for airconditioning system operation decision-making decides that the airconditioning system is to sustain operation, the leading edge torque at the motor unit can be reduced to achieve a smooth shift from engine drive to motor drive.
In addition, in the control apparatus for a hybrid compressor according to the present invention, which is further provided with a means for engine rotation rate detection that detects the rotation rate of the engine, the means for stop control engages the motor unit in operation via the means for motor unit drive when the rotation rate of the engine detected by the means for engine rotation rate detection has decreased to a first specific rotation rate, and cuts off the linkage of the pulley and the rotating shaft via the means for electromagnetic clutch drive when the rotation rate of the engine has further decreased to a second specific rotation rate lower than the first specific rotation rate.
Since the means for stop control engages the motor unit in operation via the means for motor unit drive when the rotation rate of the engine detected by the means for engine rotation rate detection has decreased to the first specific rotation rate and then turns off the electromagnetic clutch via the means for electromagnetic clutch drive when the rotation rate of the engine has further decreased to the second specific rotation rate lower than the first specific rotation rate, the electromagnetic clutch can be turned off with a high degree of reliability after the motor unit is engaged in operation. In addition, the time lag between the point in time at which the means for motor unit drive starts to drive the motor and the point in time at which the electromagnetic clutch is cut off by the means for electromagnetic clutch drive may be set by providing a timer that starts upon the start of motor drive and measures the length of time elapsed to ensure that the electromagnetic clutch is turned off with a specific time lag after the motor unit is engaged in operation.
Furthermore, the first specific rotation rate may be set at a value that is higher than the engine idling rotation rate by a specific value with the second specific rotation rate set at the idling rotation rate. Alternatively, the first specific rotation rate may be set at a target rotation rate to be achieved at the compression unit through the motor unit, with the second specific rotation rate set at a rotation rate lower than the target rotation rate by a specific value.
The control apparatus for a hybrid compressor according to the present invention may further comprise a means for compression unit rotation rate detection that detects the actual rotation rate of the compression unit, a means for target discharge quantity calculation that performs an arithmetic operation to determine the quantity of discharge achieved by the compression unit based upon a heat load factor, a means for motor target rotation rate setting that sets a target rotation rate for the compression unit to be achieved through the motor unit based upon the target discharge quantity calculated by the means for target discharge quantity calculation, a means for motor unit drive decision-making that judges whether said motor unit is operating at said motor target rotation rate set by said means for motor target rotation rate setting, a means for engine rotation rate setting that sets a target rotation rate for the compression unit to be achieved through the engine based upon the target discharge quantity calculated by the means for target discharge quantity calculation, a means for engine rotation rate detection that detects the actual rotation rate of the engine, a means for estimated rotation rate calculation that performs an arithmetic operation to determine an estimated rotation rate of the compression unit that corresponds to the actual rotation rate detected by the means for engine rotation rate detection, a means for target rotation rate comparison that starts up the motor unit via the means for motor unit driv
Irie Kazuhiro
Tamegai Masahiko
Tyler Cheryl J.
Wenderoth , Lind & Ponack, L.L.P.
Zexel Corporation
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