Interrelated power delivery controls – including engine control – Transmission control – With clutch control
Reexamination Certificate
2000-11-17
2003-03-11
Parekh, Ankur (Department: 3681)
Interrelated power delivery controls, including engine control
Transmission control
With clutch control
C477S083000, C477S105000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06530861
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for controlling an engine equipped with a synchronous mesh-type automatic transmission mounted on an automobile. More particularly, the invention relates to a device for controlling an engine equipped with a synchronous mesh-type automatic transmission which decreases shock at the time of changing the speed, and improves the response and drive feeling at the time of changing the speed.
2. Prior Art
FIG. 5
is a diagram schematically illustrating the constitution of a general device for controlling an engine equipped with a synchronous mesh-type automatic transmission.
In
FIG. 5
, an engine
1
is equipped with an intake pipe la and an exhaust pipe
1
b
, and each cylinder in the engine
1
is provided with a fuel injection valve and an ignition means (not shown).
As is well known, further, the engine
1
is provided with a temperature sensor (not shown) for detecting the temperature of the cooling water, and a crank shaft of the engine is provided with a reference position sensor and a crank angle sensor (not shown) that works as a rotation sensor.
A throttle valve
2
is provided in the intake pipe
1
a
to set the amount of the air taken in by the engine
1
, the throttle valve
2
being driven by a throttle actuator
3
having a motor.
The throttle valve
2
is further provided with a throttle opening sensor
4
for detecting the throttle opening degree &thgr;.
An automatic transmission
5
having a clutch
5
a
and a transmission
5
b
is connected to the output side of the engine
1
. Wheels (not shown) of the automobile are coupled to the engine
1
through the automatic transmission
5
.
Shafts of the automatic transmission
5
are provided with an engine rotation sensor
6
that detects the input rotational speed as the engine rotational speed Ne and with a vehicle speed sensor
7
that detects the output rotational speed of the automatic transmission
5
as the output rotational speed.
An accelerator pedal and a gear shift lever operated by a driver are provided with an accelerator opening sensor
8
for detecting the accelerator opening degree &agr; and with a shift position sensor
9
for detecting the shift position GS, respectively.
Detection signals (engine rotational speed Ne, throttle opening degree &thgr;, etc.) of the sensors representing the operation conditions of the engine are input to a controller
10
constituted by an ECU (electronic control unit).
Based upon the input data representing the operation conditions, the controller
10
controls the fuel injection valve and ignition means in the engine
1
, controls the throttle actuator
3
, and controls the clutch
5
a
and transmission
5
b
in the automatic transmission
5
.
The controller
10
includes an MPU
11
that constitutes a main body of the controller
10
, a memory
12
that operates together with the MPU
11
, an input port
13
for receiving data detected by various sensors, and an output port
14
for producing control signals.
The controller
10
controls the actuator that is related to the engine
1
based upon data representing the operation conditions and detected by the sensors.
That is, the controller
10
controls the fuel injection valve and ignition means in the engine
1
as well as the throttle actuator
3
that drives the throttle valve
2
, and further controls the clutch
5
a
and the transmission
5
b
in the automatic transmission
5
, so that the output torque of the engine
1
is transmitted to the wheels.
Further, in the device for controlling the engine equipped with a synchronous mesh-type automatic transmission as shown in
FIG. 5
, in general, the clutch
5
a
is disconnected at the time of changing the speed, and the clutch
5
a
is connected again after the rotational speed Ne of the engine is brought into agreement with the synchronizing rotational speed Ns relative to the clutch
5
a.
That is, the controller
10
includes clutch disconnection means for disconnecting the clutch
5
a
at the time of changing the speed of the engine
1
, synchronizing rotational speed-operating means for operating a synchronizing rotational speed Ns of the engine rotational speed Ne that comes into agreement with the output rotational speed of the clutch
5
a
(input rotational speed of the transmission
5
b
), and clutch re-connection means for connecting the clutch
5
a
again at a moment when the engine rotational speed Ne comes into agreement with the synchronizing rotational speed Ns.
In a conventional device for controlling the engine equipped with the synchronous mesh-type automatic transmission disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 9921/1990, for example, the throttle opening degree &thgr; is so controlled that the engine rotational speed Ne maintains a synchronizing rotational speed Ns relative to the clutch
5
a
during the period from when the clutch is disconnected for changing the speed until when the clutch is connected again.
FIGS. 6 and 7
are timing charts illustrating the operation for changing the speed using the conventional device disclosed in the above publication, wherein
FIG. 6
illustrates the operation during the acceleration (while being shifted up) and
FIG. 7
illustrates the operation during the deceleration (while being shifted down).
Referring to
FIG. 6
, when the driver operates a gear shift lever, the controller
10
detects the up-shifting state during the acceleration based upon the engine rotational speed Ne and the shift position GS, and disconnects the clutch
5
a.
In order to bring the engine rotational speed Ne into agreement with the synchronizing rotational speed Ns (see a dotted line in
FIG. 6
) relative to the clutch
5
a
, the controller
10
so actuates the throttle actuator
3
that the throttle opening degree &thgr; is brought to the fully closed side thereby to lower the engine rotational speed Ne.
The synchronizing rotational speed Ns can be inversely operated by the synchronizing rotational speed operating means in the controller
10
by being replaced by the engine rotational speed Ne based on, for example, the vehicle speed Vr and the shift position GS.
The throttle opening degree &thgr; while the clutch
5
a
is being disconnected is set to a target opening degree for equalizing the engine rotational speed Ne to the synchronizing rotational speed Ns.
As shown in
FIG. 6
, therefore, the engine rotational speed Ne converges to the synchronizing rotational speed Ns with the lapse of time.
Thereafter, at a moment when it is detected that the engine rotational speed Ne is brought into agreement with the synchronizing rotational speed Ns, the controller
10
connects the clutch
5
a
again and gradually increases the throttle opening degree &thgr;.
This executes the acceleration control operation depending upon the accelerator opening degree &agr; requested by the driver, reduces the shock of connection of the clutch at the time of changing the speed, and prevents deterioration in the drive feeling.
Referring to
FIG. 7
, when a down-shifting state is detected during the deceleration, the controller
10
disconnects the clutch
5
a
, so actuates the throttle actuator
3
that the throttle opening degree &thgr; is brought to the fully opened side to increase the engine rotational speed Ne, so that the engine rotational speed Ne is brought into agreement with the synchronizing rotational speed Ns (see a dotted line in FIG.
7
).
Thereafter, at a moment when it is detected that the engine rotational speed Ne is brought into agreement with the synchronizing rotational speed Ns, the controller
10
connects the clutch
5
a
again and gradually decreases the throttle opening degree &thgr;.
This executes the deceleration control operation depending upon the accelerator opening degree &agr; requested by the driver, reduces the shock of connection of the clutch at the time of changing the speed, and prevents deterioration in the drive feeling.
In the device for controlling the engine equipped with the synchronous me
Mitsubishi Denki & Kabushiki Kaisha
Parekh Ankur
Sughrue & Mion, PLLC
LandOfFree
Device for controlling an engine equipped with a synchronous... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Device for controlling an engine equipped with a synchronous..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Device for controlling an engine equipped with a synchronous... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3004384