Torque converter clutch engagement pressure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10107390-B2
Application number	US-201615258541-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 7, 2016
Priority date	Sep 7, 2016
Publication date	Oct 23, 2018
Grant date	Oct 23, 2018

Abstract

A vehicle may include a controller configured to, in response to an accelerator pedal release and an expected regenerative braking event, increase an engagement pressure of a torque converter clutch prior to occurrence of the event to a threshold that is based on a regenerative braking torque estimate associated with the event such that during the event, the clutch transfers more torque than the converter.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle comprising:
a controller configured to, in response to accelerator pedal release and an expected regenerative braking event, increase an engagement pressure of a torque converter clutch prior to occurrence of the event to a threshold that is based on a regenerative braking torque estimate associated with the event such that during the event, the clutch transfers more torque than the converter.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the regenerative braking torque estimate is based on a difference between an average road grade and a current road grade.

3. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the regenerative braking torque estimate is based on a headway range and a rate of change thereof.

4. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the regenerative braking torque estimate is based on a predicted deceleration rate.

5. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein presence of the expected regenerative braking event arises from a difference between an average road grade and a current road grade.

6. The vehicle of claim 5 , wherein a duration associated with the average road grade begins with the accelerator pedal release.

7. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein presence of the expected regenerative braking event arises from an adaptive cruise control headway range.

8. The vehicle of claim 7 , wherein presence of the expected regenerative braking event further arises from a rate of change of the adaptive cruise control headway range.

9. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein presence of the expected regenerative braking event arises from a predicted deceleration rate.

10. The vehicle of claim 9 , wherein presence of the expected regenerative braking event further arises from a difference between the average deceleration rate and the predicted deceleration rate.

11. A vehicle comprising:
a torque converter having a bypass clutch; and
a controller configured to, in response to accelerator pedal release and a predicted regenerative braking event, increase an engagement pressure of a torque converter clutch prior to occurrence of the event to a threshold that is based on a regenerative braking torque prediction associated with the event such that during a portion of the event, the clutch transfers all torque associated with the event.

12. The vehicle of claim 11 , wherein the regenerative braking torque prediction is based on a current velocity of the vehicle and a difference between an average road grade and a current road grade.

13. The vehicle of claim 11 , wherein the regenerative braking torque prediction is based on a headway range and a rate of change thereof.

14. The vehicle of claim 11 , wherein the regenerative braking torque prediction is based on a predicted deceleration rate.

15. The vehicle of claim 11 , wherein presence of the predicted regenerative braking event arises from a difference between an average road grade and a current road grade.

16. The vehicle of claim 15 , wherein a duration associated with the average road grade begins with the accelerator pedal release.

17. The vehicle of claim 11 , wherein presence of the predicted regenerative braking event arises from an adaptive cruise control headway range.

18. The vehicle of claim 17 , wherein presence of the predicted regenerative braking event further arises from a rate of change of the adaptive cruise control headway range.

19. The vehicle of claim 11 , wherein presence of the predicted regenerative braking event arises from a predicted deceleration rate.

20. A method comprising:
in response to an accelerator pedal release, increasing, by a controller, an engagement pressure of a torque converter clutch prior to occurrence of an expected regenerative braking event to a threshold that is based on a regenerative braking torque estimate associated with the event.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Zhao Yanan
• Nefcy Bernard D
• Kuang Ming Lang

Classifications

• B60W20/14

  in conjunction with braking regeneration · CPC title

• B60W2540/10

  Accelerator pedal position · CPC title

• B60K2006/4825

  Electric machine connected or connectable to gearbox input shaft · CPC title

• B60L2240/14

  Acceleration · CPC title

• B60L15/2009

  for braking · CPC title