Control system for four-wheel-drive vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9376014-B2
Application number	US-201414505850-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 3, 2014
Priority date	Oct 7, 2013
Publication date	Jun 28, 2016
Grant date	Jun 28, 2016

Abstract

A control system includes a transfer. The transfer is disposed in a power transmission path between the driving power source and primary driving wheels and distributes dynamic power of the driving power source to the secondary drive wheels. A driving power transmission shaft transmits the dynamic power of the driving power source distributed by the transfer to the secondary drive wheels. A clutch mechanism is disposed in a power transmission path between the transfer and the driving power transmission shaft. A electronic control unit engages at least one of a first and second clutches and then engages the clutch mechanism on the basis of a steering state at the time of switching from a two-wheel-drive traveling state in which the clutch mechanism and the first and second clutches are disengaged to a four-wheel-drive traveling state in which the clutch mechanism and the first and second clutches are engaged.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A control system for a four-wheel-drive vehicle including a driving power source, primary drive wheels, secondary drive wheels, and a rotation member, the control system comprising:
a transfer connected to the rotation member that is a part of a first power transmission path between the driving power source and the primary driving wheels, the transfer configured to distribute dynamic power of the driving power source to the secondary drive wheels;
a driving power transmission shaft configured to transmit the dynamic power of the driving power source distributed by the transfer to the secondary drive wheels;
a clutch mechanism disposed in a second power transmission path between the rotation member and the driving power transmission shaft, the clutch mechanism configured to cut off and set up the second power transmission path;
a first clutch disposed in a third power transmission path between the driving power transmission shaft and a left wheel of the secondary drive wheels, the first clutch configured to change a transmission torque;
a second clutch disposed in a fourth power transmission path between the driving power transmission shaft and a right wheel of the secondary drive wheels, the second clutch configured to change a transmission torque;
an electronic control unit configured to switch, on the basis of a vehicle traveling state, between a two-wheel-drive traveling state in which the clutch mechanism, the first clutch, and the second clutch are disengaged and a four-wheel-drive traveling state in which the clutch mechanism, the first clutch, and the second clutch are engaged, and
the electronic control unit configured, when switching from the two-wheel-drive traveling state to the four-wheel-drive traveling state, to control the clutch mechanism so as to engage the clutch mechanism after controlling at least one of the first clutch and the second clutch so as to engage the at least one of the first clutch and the second clutch on the basis of a steering state.

2. The control system according to claim 1 , wherein the electronic control unit is configured to control the clutch mechanism so as to engage the clutch mechanism and then to control both of the first clutch and the second clutch so as to generate the transmission torque in both of the first clutch and the second clutch on the basis of the steering state.

3. The control system according to claim 2 , wherein the transmission torque generated in both of the first clutch and the second clutch after the electronic control unit controls the clutch mechanism to engage the clutch mechanism is a predetermined transmission torque based on a steering angle.

4. The control system according to claim 2 , wherein the transmission torque generated in both of the first clutch and the second clutch after the electronic control unit controls the clutch mechanism to engage the clutch mechanism is a transmission torque that transmits the dynamic power of the driving power source to the secondary drive wheels so as to cause vehicle behavior to approximate a target vehicle turn based on a steering angle.

5. The control system according to claim 1 , wherein the clutch mechanism is a dog clutch.

6. The control system according to claim 1 , wherein, when the four-wheel-drive vehicle is steered, the electronic control unit is configured to control one of the first clutch and the second clutch, having a turn closer to a turn corresponding to steering than the other one of the first clutch and second clutch, so as to engage the one of the first clutch and the second clutch before controlling the clutch mechanism so as to engage the clutch mechanism.

7. The control system according to claim 1 , wherein, when the four-wheel-drive vehicle is steered, the electronic control unit is configured to determine whether the steering state is an understeering state or an oversteering state and to control one of the first clutch and the second clutch, which suppresses the determined understeering state or the determined oversteering state more than the other one of the first clutch and the second clutch, so as to engage the one of the first clutch and second clutch before controlling the clutch mechanism so as to engage the clutch mechanism.

8. The control system according to claim 1 , wherein the electronic control unit is configured, when the four-wheel-drive vehicle is not steered, to control both of the first clutch and the second clutch so as to engage both of the first clutch and the second clutch before controlling the clutch mechanism so as to engage the clutch mechanism.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Maeda Yoshinori

Classifications

• B60K17/344

  having a transfer gear · CPC title

• B60K2023/043

  Control means for varying left-right torque distribution, e.g. torque vectoring · CPC title

• B62D11/003

  Electric or electronic control systems · CPC title

• B60K2023/0833

  for adding torque to the rear wheels · CPC title

• B60K23/08 Primary

  for changing number of driven wheels {, for switching from driving one axle to driving two or more axles (B60K17/3515 takes precedence)} · CPC title