Hybrid vehicle

Details Hybrid vehicle Hybrid vehicle

1996-10-09

2001-05-29

Vanaman, Frank (Department: 3611)

Motor vehicles

Power

Electric

C180S065310

Reexamination Certificate

active

06237709

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a hybrid vehicle including a gasoline engine and an electric motor capable of applying an assist force to the gasoline engine.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the control of the gasoline engine, it is conventionally known that when a knocking is generated due to a low octane value of a gasoline, the ignition timing of the gasoline engine is retarded to protect the engine and thereafter, the ignition timing is gradually advanced.
However, if the ignition timing is retarded when the octane value of the gasoline is low, from the viewpoint that the engine is preferentially protected, the output torque from the engine is reduced due to the retarding of the ignition timing and an intrinsic engine output is not obtained when the gasoline is of a low octane value, as compared with the case where the gasoline is of a preset octane value is used, as shown in FIG.
5
. Particularly, when a driver unconsciously uses a gasoline of an octane value lower than the preset octane value, the following problem is encountered: the ignition timing remains retarded and the degradation in drivability is generated without the driver being conscious thereof.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a hybrid vehicle wherein the drivability can be prevented from being degraded even when a gasoline of a low octane value is used.
To achieve the above object, according to the present invention, there is provided a hybrid vehicle comprising: a gasoline engine; an electric motor capable of applying an assist force to the gasoline engine; a knock sensor mounted on the gasoline engine; and an electric motor control means for controlling the electric motor so as to increase the assist force applied to the gasoline engine in response to detection of a knocking by the knock sensor.
With such arrangement, even if a driver unconsciously uses a gasoline of an octane value lower than the preset octane value, the assist force applied to the gasoline engine by the electric motor is increased in response to the detection of a knocking, and the drivability will not be degraded that the driver will be conscious of.
According to another aspect and feature of the present invention, the ignition timing of the gasoline engine by an ignitor is retarded in response to the detection of a knocking by the knock sensor. Thus, when the knocking is generated, the ignition timing can be retarded to protect the gasoline engine.
With the above arrangement, when the knocking is generated, the ignition timing is retarded to protect the engine.
According to a further aspect and feature of the present invention, the increment of the assist force of the electric motor by the control of the electric motor control means is determined in accordance with a retarded amount of the ignition timing by the control of an ignitor control means. Thus, the travel performance intrinsically possessed by the hybrid vehicle can be maintained at substantially the same level.
With the above arrangement, it is possible to keep the intrinsic traveling property of the hybrid vehicle at a substantially constant level.
The above and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.


REFERENCES:
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patent: 5224565 (1993-07-01), Tamura et al.
patent: 5335744 (1994-08-01), Takasuka et al.
patent: 5343970 (1994-09-01), Severinsky
patent: 5359308 (1994-10-01), Sun et al.
patent: 5559703 (1996-09-01), Iwata et al.
patent: 5664635 (1997-09-01), Koga et al.
patent: 5697466 (1997-12-01), Moroto et al.
patent: 5771478 (1998-06-01), Tsukamoto et al.
patent: 5842534 (1998-12-01), Frank

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