Dual clutch transmission mechanism and start control method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9051975-B2
Application number	US-201113988562-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 21, 2011
Priority date	Nov 22, 2010
Publication date	Jun 9, 2015
Grant date	Jun 9, 2015

Abstract

A transmission control device includes even-numbered and odd-numbered transmission gears selected via a shift mechanism and causes the torque capacities of two clutches to be transitioned to a certain proportion until the clutch rotation speed difference of a low-speed gear-side clutch reaches 0 or approximately 0, sets the torque capacity of the clutch on the low-speed gear side to be the total torque capacity of both clutches, and sets the torque capacity of the clutch on the high-speed gear side to 0. The heat load on the clutch at the time when the vehicle starts to move is reduced and the durability thereof is improved, and the clutch can be made smaller and lighter.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A dual clutch transmission apparatus comprising:
a first clutch that transmits or blocks a torque from a crankshaft to a first main shaft;
a second clutch that transmits or blocks a torque from the crankshaft to a second main shaft;
an output shaft to which the torque on the first main shaft is transmitted through an odd-numbered transmission gear mechanism including odd-numbered transmission gears, and to which the torque on the second main shaft is transmitted through an even-numbered transmission gear mechanism including even-numbered transmission gears;

a transmission mechanism that changes meshing between the odd-numbered transmission gears in the odd-numbered transmission gear mechanism and the even-numbered transmission gears in the even-numbered transmission gear mechanism; and
a transmission control unit programmed to change a transmission path for the torque by controlling the transmission mechanism, the first clutch, and the second clutch; wherein
at a start of moving a vehicle, in a state in which a predetermined odd-numbered transmission gear and a predetermined even-numbered transmission gear are selected, the transmission control unit is programmed to change torque capacities of the first and second clutches while maintaining the torque capacities in a constant proportion until a clutch rotational speed difference in a clutch, among the first clutch and the second clutch, on a lower transmission gear side becomes zero or close to zero, thereafter to set the torque capacity of the clutch on the lower transmission gear side to a sum of the torque capacities of the first and second clutches, and also to set the torque capacity of a clutch, among the first clutch and the second clutch, on a higher transmission gear side to zero.

2. The dual clutch transmission apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the constant proportion is set according to a gear ratio of the selected odd-numbered transmission gear and the selected even-numbered transmission gear.

3. The dual clutch transmission apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the lower transmission gear is a first gear, and the higher transmission gear is a second gear.

4. A motorcycle comprising:
the dual clutch transmission apparatus according to claim 1 .

5. A start control method for a dual clutch transmission apparatus including a first clutch that inputs a torque transmitted from a crankshaft to a first main shaft, and that outputs the torque to a drive wheel through an odd-numbered transmission gear mechanism including odd-numbered transmission gears, and a second clutch that inputs a torque transmitted from the crankshaft to a second main shaft, and that outputs the torque to the drive wheel through an even-numbered transmission gear mechanism including even-numbered transmission gears, the method comprising:
a step of selecting a predetermined odd-numbered transmission gear in the odd-numbered transmission gear mechanism and a predetermined even-numbered transmission gear in the even-numbered transmission gear mechanism;

a step of controlling the first clutch and the second clutch and changing torque capacities of the first and second clutches while maintaining the torque capacities of the first and second clutches in a constant proportion until a clutch rotational speed difference in a clutch, among the first clutch and the second clutch, on a lower transmission gear side becomes zero or close to zero; and
a step of setting the torque capacity of the clutch, among the first clutch and the second clutch, on the lower transmission gear side to a sum of the torque capacities of the first and second clutches and setting the torque capacity of a clutch, among the first clutch and the second clutch, on a higher transmission gear side to zero when the clutch rotational speed difference is zero or close to zero.

Assignees

• Arai Katsuhiro
• Yamaha Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Arai Katsuhiro

Classifications

• F16H2061/023

  Drive-off gear selection, i.e. optimising gear ratio for drive off of a vehicle · CPC title

• F16D2500/70426

  Clutch slip · CPC title

• F16D48/08

  Regulating clutch take-up on starting · CPC title

• B60Y2300/428

  Reducing clutch wear · CPC title

• B60Y2300/186

  Excessive wear or burn out of friction elements, e.g. clutches · CPC title