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

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11766902-B2
Application number	US-202017101580-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 23, 2020
Priority date	Feb 19, 2018
Publication date	Sep 26, 2023
Grant date	Sep 26, 2023

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:
wheels including a first front wheel, a second front wheel, a first rear wheel, and a second rear wheel;
first, second, third, and fourth friction brakes associated with the first front wheel, the second front wheel, the first rear wheel, and the second rear wheel, respectively;
a powerplant configured to power all of the wheels; and
a controller programmed to, during a line-lock mode:
(i) apply the first brake such that the first front wheel is inhibited from rotating and the third brake such that the first rear wheel inhibited from rotating, and (ii) simultaneously, spin the second front wheel and the second rear wheel via the powerplant, and
subsequently (i) apply the second brake such that the second front wheel is inhibited from rotating and apply the fourth brake such that the second rear wheel inhibited from rotating and (ii) simultaneously, spin the first front wheel and the first rear wheel such that all of the wheel are warmed during the line-lock mode.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the first front wheel and the first rear wheel are on opposite sides of the vehicle.

3. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the first front wheel and the first rear wheel are on a same side of the vehicle.

4. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the spinning of the second front wheel and the spinning of the first front wheel further includes receiving a driver-demanded torque signal and commanding the powerplant to produce the driver-demanded torque.

5. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further programmed to command powerplant torque to idle in response to a timer expiring to reduce the spinning.

6. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further programmed to release the first and third brakes in response to expiration of a timer.

7. The vehicle of claim 1 further comprising:
a front differential drivably connected to the front wheels;
a rear differential drivably connected to the rear wheels; and
a driveshaft connecting between the front differential and the rear differential.

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

9. A vehicle comprising:
an engine configured to power front and rear wheels; and
a controller programmed to, in response to line-lock mode being activated,
for a first time window, 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, and
for a second time window that is subsequent to the first time window, brake the second front wheel and the second rear wheel while powering the first front wheel and the first rear wheel.

10. The vehicle of claim 9 , wherein the first front wheel and the first rear wheel are on opposite sides of the vehicle.

11. The vehicle of claim 9 , wherein the first front wheel and the first rear wheel are on a same side of the vehicle.

12. The vehicle of claim 9 , wherein the powering of the second front wheel and the powering the first front wheel further includes receiving a driver-demanded torque signal and commanding the engine to produce the driver-demanded torque.

13. The vehicle of claim 9 , wherein the controller is further programmed to release brakes associated with the wheels in response to expiration of a timer.

14. A vehicle comprising:
wheel assemblies each including a wheel, an electric machine, and a brake; and
a controller programmed to, responsive to line-lock mode being activated,
during a first phase, apply the brakes of a first, a third, and a fourth of the wheel assemblies and energize the electric machine of a second of the wheel assemblies such that the vehicle remains in a same location, and
during a second phase, apply the brakes of the second, the third, and the fourth of the wheel assemblies and energize the electric machine of the first wheel assembly such that the vehicle remains in the same location.

15. The vehicle of claim 14 , wherein the controller is further programmed to, during a third phase, apply the brake of the first and second wheel assemblies and energize the electric machine of the third of the wheel assemblies.

16. The vehicle of claim 15 , wherein the controller is further programmed to, during a fourth phase, apply the brake of the first and second wheel assemblies and energize the electric machine of the fourth of the wheel assemblies.

17. The vehicle of claim 14 , wherein the second phase follows the first phase.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Sanborn Ethan D
• Fritz James

Classifications

• B60C99/003 Primary

  Tyre heating arrangements · 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

• B60T8/175

  Brake regulation specially adapted to prevent excessive wheel spin during vehicle acceleration, e.g. for traction control (safety devices for propulsion unit control responsive to, or preventing, skidding of wheels B60K28/16) · CPC title

• B60T8/1766

  Proportioning of brake forces according to vehicle axle loads, e.g. front to rear of vehicle · CPC title