Interrelated power delivery controls – including engine control – Clutch control – Condition responsive control
Reexamination Certificate
1998-11-13
2001-02-13
Estremsky, Sherry (Department: 3681)
Interrelated power delivery controls, including engine control
Clutch control
Condition responsive control
C192S1030FA
Reexamination Certificate
active
06186925
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to electronic control systems for managing the operation of an internal combustion engine and other drive train components, and more specifically to systems for controlling such components so as to protect one or more drive train components from excessive engine inertial forces.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Systems for controlling output torque of an internal combustion engine are known and one such system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,738,606 to Bellinger which is assigned to the assignee of the present invention, and the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. One aspect of the Bellinger system is directed to control strategies for limiting engine output torque to the lowest value of the maximum input torque capacities of any of a number of drivetrain components. As a result, engine output torque is limited to the maximum input torque capacity of the weakest of the drivetrain components, thereby protecting all drivetrain components from excessive forces resulting from applied engine output torque.
Under certain vehicle operating conditions, the engine may also possesses substantial engine inertial torque which, if not properly accounted for, may also exceed the maximum input torque capacities of one or more of the drivetrain components. Thus, while systems such as that described in the '606 Bellinger reference may protect drivetrain components from excessive applied engine torque, no systems are known to exist that employ control strategies for protecting one or more of the drivetrain components from excessive engine inertial torque.
As an example of one vehicle operating condition wherein excessive engine inertial torque may damage drivetrain components, consider a tractor-trailer combination backing up to a loading dock in a low gear. If the vehicle operator errs and runs the back of the trailer into the dock, the wheels (as well as the various drivetrain components such as one or more transmissions, tailshaft, drive axle, clutch, etc.) stop rotating, yet the engine still possesses inertia. These rotational inertial forces possessed by the engine are accordingly transferred from the engine output drive shaft directly to the now locked drivetrain. These inertial forces may be substantial and could exceed the maximum input torque capacities of any one or more of the drivetrain components, thus resulting in excessive wear and/or drivetrain damage.
What is therefore needed is a system for protecting drivetrain components from excessive engine inertial torque. Such a system should ideally be operable to determine conditions wherein engine inertial torque is applied to the drivetrain, and implement a control strategy whereby the one or more drivetrain components are protected under conditions wherein the engine inertial torque may be excessive.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The foregoing shortcomings of the prior art are addressed by the present invention. In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a system for protecting one or more drive train components from excessive engine inertial forces comprises a drive train including an internal combustion engine coupled by a clutch to a number of additional drive train components, wherein the clutch is responsive to a disengagement signal to automatically disengage the engine from the number of additional drive train components, means for determining an acceleration rate of the drive train and producing an acceleration value corresponding thereto, and a control computer comparing the acceleration value with at least one acceleration threshold corresponding to a maximum acceleration capacity of one of the number of additional drive train components, the control computer producing the disengagement signal if the acceleration value exceeds the at least one acceleration threshold.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a method of protecting one or more of a number of additional drive train components from excessive engine inertial forces in a drive train including an internal combustion engine coupled to the number of additional drive train components, comprises the steps of determining an acceleration rate of the drive train, comparing the acceleration rate with at least one acceleration threshold corresponding to a maximum acceleration capacity of one of the number of additional drive train components, and automatically disengaging the engine from the number of additional drive train components if the acceleration rate exceeds the at least one acceleration threshold.
In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, a system for protecting one or more drive train components from excessive engine inertial forces comprises a drive train including an internal combustion engine coupled by a clutch to a number of additional drive train components, the clutch responsive to a disengagement signal to disengage the engine from the number of additional drive train components, means for determining an acceleration rate of the drive train and producing an acceleration value corresponding thereto, and a control computer determining an engine inertial torque based on at least the acceleration value and comparing the engine inertial torque with at least one torque threshold corresponding to a maximum torque capacity of one of the number of additional drive train components, the control computer producing the disengagement signal if the engine inertial torque exceeds the at least one torque threshold.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, a method of protecting one or more of a number of additional drive train components from excessive engine inertial forces in a drive train including an internal combustion engine coupled to the number of additional drive train comprises the steps of determining an acceleration rate of the drive train, determining an engine inertial torque based on at least the acceleration rate, comparing the engine inertial torque with at least one torque threshold corresponding to a maximum torque capacity of one of the number of additional drive train components, and automatically disengaging the engine from the number of additional drive train components if the engine inertial torque exceeds the at least one torque threshold.
These and other objects of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiment.
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Society of Automotive Engineers, SAE J1939/21, pp. 1-35 (Jul. 1998).
Society of Automotive Engineers, SAE J1939/31, pp. 1-17 (Dec. 1997).
Baker & Daniels
Cummins Engine Company, Inc.
Estremsky Sherry
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