Torsional damping using a torque convertor bypass clutch

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9393947-B2
Application number	US-201313788158-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 7, 2013
Priority date	Mar 7, 2013
Publication date	Jul 19, 2016
Grant date	Jul 19, 2016

Abstract

A method for controlling a clutch driveably connected to an engine and vehicle wheels includes stopping fuel supply to an engine cylinder, provided a misfire occurs in the cylinder, producing slip across the clutch, resuming fuel supply to the engine cylinder, provided engine speed and engine load remain below reference limits, and adjusting a state of the clutch without reference to engine misfiring.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for controlling a clutch driveably connected to an engine and vehicle wheels, comprising:
(a) stopping fuel supply to an engine cylinder, provided a misfire occurs in the cylinder;
(b) producing slip across said clutch, with a magnitude of the slip produced across said clutch referenced to a number of misfiring cylinders to which fuel supply has been stopped;
(c) resuming fuel supply to the engine cylinder, provided engine speed and engine load remains below reference limits;
(d) adjusting a state of said clutch without reference to engine misfiring.

2. A method of claim 1 wherein step (a) includes maintaining fuel supply stopped to the engine cylinder for a length of a first period.

3. A method of claim 1 , comprising using diagnostics on-board the vehicle to detect a rate of engine misfiring greater than a reference misfire rate, before executing step (a).

4. A method of claim 3 , wherein the rate of engine misfiring is detected with reference to engine crankshaft-based acceleration.

5. A method of claim 3 , wherein the rate of engine misfiring is detected using spark plug ionization.

6. A method of claim 3 , wherein the rate of engine misfiring is detected using a pressure transducer producing a signal representing pressure within the cylinder.

7. A method of claim 1 wherein step (b) includes determining a magnitude of the slip produced across said clutch with reference to slip requests related to operation of a torque converter bypass clutch of the vehicle.

8. A method of claim 1 wherein step (b) includes determining a magnitude of the slip produced across said clutch with reference to a firing pattern of multiple cylinders to which fuel supply has been stopped.

9. A method of claim 1 wherein step (b) includes determining a magnitude of the slip produced across said clutch with reference to a gear in which a transmission of the vehicle is operating, and a temperature of fluid in the transmission.

10. A method of claim 1 wherein step (c) includes determining that engine speed and load have remained below the reference limits for a length of a first period.

11. A method for controlling a bypass clutch of a torque converter driveably connected to an engine through a transmission to vehicle wheels, comprising:
(a) stopping fuel supply to engine cylinders in which a misfire occurs;
(b) producing slip across the clutch, with a magnitude of the slip produced across said clutch referenced to a firing pattern of multiple cylinders to which fuel supply has been stopped;
(c) resuming fuel supply to said engine cylinders provided engine speed and engine load remains below reference limits;
(d) adjusting a state of the clutch without reference to engine misfiring.

12. A method of claim 11 wherein step (a) includes maintaining fuel supply to said cylinders stopped for a length of a first period.

13. A method of claim 11 , comprising using diagnostics on-board the vehicle to detect a rate of engine misfiring greater than a reference misfire rate before executing step (a).

14. A method of claim 13 , wherein the rate of engine misfiring is detected by one of reference to engine crankshaft-based acceleration, using spark plug ionization, or using a pressure transducer producing a signal representing pressure within the cylinder.

15. A method of claim 11 wherein step (b) includes determining a magnitude of the slip produced across said clutch with reference to slip requests related to operation of the bypass clutch.

16. A method of claim 11 wherein step (b) further includes determining a magnitude of the slip produced across said clutch with reference to a number of misfiring cylinders to which fuel supply has been stopped.

17. A method of claim 11 wherein step (b) includes determining a magnitude of the slip produced across said clutch with reference to a gear in which a transmission of the vehicle is operating, and a temperature of fluid in the transmission.

18. A method of claim 11 wherein step (c) includes determining that engine speed and load have remained below the reference limits for a length of a first period.

19. A method for controlling a clutch driveably connected to an engine and vehicle wheels, comprising:
stopping fuel supply to an engine cylinder and producing slip across said clutch, provided a rate of misfire greater than a reference misfire rate occurs in the cylinder;
resuming fuel supply to the engine cylinder, provided engine speed and engine load remains below reference limits;
adjusting a state of said clutch without reference to engine misfiring.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Glugla Chris P
• Baskins Robert S

Classifications

• B60W10/06

  including control of combustion engines · CPC title

• B60W30/20

  Reducing vibrations in the driveline · CPC title

• B60W10/02 Primary

  including control of driveline clutches · CPC title

• Y10T477/79

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• B60W2030/206

  related or induced by the engine · CPC title