Vehicle start control device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9261042-B2
Application number	US-201113703803-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 6, 2011
Priority date	Jun 15, 2010
Publication date	Feb 16, 2016
Grant date	Feb 16, 2016

Abstract

A depression force of an accelerator pedal 2 is increased than a base depression force by a predetermined amount when an accelerator opening degree becomes a predetermined accelerator opening degree threshold value at which an engine speed necessary at a start of a vehicle can be obtained by a depression of the accelerator pedal 2 in a state where a clutch 102 is disengaged at the start of the vehicle. With this, at the start of the vehicle, a driver becomes easy to hold the accelerator pedal 2 in a constant accelerator opening degree at which the engine speed necessary at the start can be obtained. It is possible to smoothly engage the clutch 102 , and then to attain the smooth start of the vehicle.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A start control device for a vehicle including a manual transmission, a clutch arranged to connect and disconnect power transmitting from an engine to a driving wheel at a shift operation by the manual transmission, a clutch pedal arranged to operate an engagement and a disengagement of the clutch, and an accelerator opening degree sensor arranged to sense an accelerator opening degree, the vehicle start control device comprising:
an information transmitting indicator configured to inform a driver that a depression of an accelerator pedal becomes an accelerator opening degree at which the clutch pedal is returned when the accelerator opening degree becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined accelerator opening degree threshold value in a state where the clutch is disengaged by a depression of the clutch pedal at a starting of the vehicle from a stop state,
the accelerator opening degree threshold value being corrected in accordance with a running resistance at the starting of the vehicle, and the accelerator opening degree threshold value at a large running resistance being relatively larger than the accelerator opening degree threshold value at a small running resistance.

2. The start control device for the vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the information transmitting indicator is a depression force varying mechanism configured to vary a depression force of the accelerator pedal; and the information transmitting indicator is configured to increase the depression force of the accelerator pedal to a force greater than a base depression force by a predetermined amount when the accelerator opening degree becomes equal to or greater than the accelerator opening degree threshold value.

3. The start control device for the vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the accelerator opening degree threshold value is an accelerator opening degree at which an engine speed necessary at the starting of the vehicle can be obtained.

4. The start control device for the vehicle as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the increase amount of the depression force with respect to the base depression force, which is generated by the depression force varying mechanism, is decreased when a load of the vehicle is large after the engagement of the clutch.

5. The start control device for the vehicle as claimed in claim 4 , wherein it is judged that the load of the vehicle is large when an engine speed immediately after the engagement of the clutch is decreased by a value equal to or greater than a predetermined rotational speed.

6. The start control device for the vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the vehicle start control device comprises an intake air density sensor configured to sense an air density; the accelerator opening degree threshold value is corrected in accordance with an ambient intake air density at the starting of the vehicle; and the accelerator opening degree threshold value at a small intake air density is relatively larger than the accelerator opening degree threshold value at a large intake air density.

7. The start control device for the vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the information transmitting indicator is at least one of a visual indicator and an auditory indicator.

8. The start control device for the vehicle as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the start control device comprises an accelerator sensor configured to sense a gradient of a hill, and wherein the accelerator opening degree threshold value is corrected in accordance with the gradient of the hill, the accelerator opening degree threshold value at a large gradient being relatively larger than the accelerator opening degree threshold value at a small gradient.

9. The start control device for the vehicle as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the start control device comprises a seat pressure sensor configured to sense an increase in a total weight of the vehicle caused by occupants in the vehicle, and wherein the accelerator opening degree threshold value is corrected in accordance with the total weight of the vehicle, the accelerator opening degree threshold value at a large weight being relatively larger than the accelerator opening degree threshold value at a small weight.

10. The start control device for the vehicle as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the depression force varying mechanism comprises a variable friction plate.

Assignees

• Sakaguchi Shigeyuki
• Shiomi Masao
• Omori Masahiro
• Nissan Motor

Inventors

• Sakaguchi Shigeyuki
• Shiomi Masao
• Omori Masahiro

Classifications

• F16D2500/3068

  Speed change of rate of the engine · CPC title

• F16D2500/7101

  Driver alarm · CPC title

• F16D2500/31413

  Clutch pedal position · CPC title

• F16D2500/3121

  Ambient conditions, e.g. air humidity, air temperature, ambient pressure · CPC title

• F16D2500/3144

  Accelerator pedal position · CPC title