All-wheel drive line lock for warming tires during track usage

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10875367-B2
Application number	US-201815898783-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 19, 2018
Priority date	Feb 19, 2018
Publication date	Dec 29, 2020
Grant date	Dec 29, 2020

Abstract

A vehicle includes a powerplant, such as an engine, configured to power front and rear wheels, and a controller. The controller is programmed to, brake a first of the front wheels and a first of the rear wheels while powering a second of the front wheels and a second of the rear wheels to warm those tires, and subsequently brake the second front wheel and the second rear wheel while powering the first front wheel and the first rear wheel to warm those tires.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle comprising:
a powerplant;
front and rear wheels;
a drivetrain arranged to selectively route power from the powerplant to the front and rear wheels; and
a controller programmed to, responsive to line-lock mode being activated,
i) for a first time window, brake the front wheels and actuate the drivetrain to disconnect the front wheels from the powerplant and to drivably connect the rear wheels with the powerplant, and
ii) for a second time window that is subsequent to the first time window, brake the rear wheels and actuate the drivetrain to disconnect the rear wheels from the powerplant and to drivably connect the front wheels with the powerplant.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the drivetrain includes a center differential configured to receive power from the powerplant and selectively route the power to the front and rear wheels.

3. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the first time window ends in response to a number of rotation of the front wheels exceeding a threshold.

4. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the first time window ends in response to a timer exceeding a threshold.

5. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further programmed to command powerplant torque to idle in response to the first time window expiring.

6. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the powerplant is an engine.

7. A vehicle comprising:
an engine;
front and rear wheels;
a drivetrain arranged to selectively route power from the engine to the front and rear wheels; and
a controller programmed to, responsive to line-lock mode being activated,
i) for a first time window, brake the front wheels and actuate the drivetrain to disconnect the front wheels from the powerplant and to drivably connect the rear wheels with the powerplant, and
ii) for a second time window, that follows the first time window, brake the rear wheels and actuate the drivetrain to disconnect the rear wheels from the powerplant and to drivably connect the front wheels with the powerplant.

8. The vehicle of claim 7 , wherein the drivetrain includes a center differential configured to receive power from the engine and selectively route the power to the front and rear wheels.

9. The vehicle of claim 7 , wherein the first time window ends in response to a number of rotation of the front wheels exceeding a threshold.

10. The vehicle of claim 7 , wherein the first time window ends in response to a timer exceeding a threshold.

11. The vehicle of claim 7 , wherein the controller is further programmed to command engine torque to idle in response to the first time window expiring.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Sanborn Ethan D
• Fritz James

Classifications

• B60T8/3205

  acceleration (B60T8/34, B60T8/52, B60T8/54, B60T8/56, B60T8/58, B60T8/72, B60T8/86, B60T8/88 take precedence) · CPC title

• B60T8/1769

  specially adapted for vehicles having more than one driven axle, e.g. four-wheel drive vehicles · CPC title

• B60T2201/14

  Electronic locking-differential · CPC title

• B60C11/0311

  Patterns comprising tread lugs arranged parallel or oblique to the axis of rotation · CPC title

• B60T7/12 Primary

  for automatic initiation; for initiation not subject to will of driver or passenger {(limiting speed of vehicles other than rail vehicles B60K31/00)} · CPC title