Vehicle, control apparatus for vehicle, and control method for vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9849885-B2
Application number	US-201415107230-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 16, 2014
Priority date	Dec 25, 2013
Publication date	Dec 26, 2017
Grant date	Dec 26, 2017

Abstract

In engaging (connecting) a dog clutch by operating a synchromesh mechanism, when there occurs an uplock at the time when a first pressing force is caused to act on a hub sleeve, tooth tips of spline teeth of the hub sleeve contact with tooth tips of spline teeth of a synchronizer ring, and these spline teeth cannot be engaged. However, when a second pressing force is caused to act on the hub sleeve, the uplock is easy to be released. In addition, when torque from an engine is caused to act on the hub sleeve, a displacement is caused to occur in a rotation direction between the mutually contacting spline teeth. Thus, the uplock is reliably released.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A control apparatus for a vehicle, the vehicle including a dog clutch including a synchromesh mechanism, the synchromesh mechanism including a sleeve and a synchronizer ring, the sleeve being pressed against the synchronizer ring by a predetermined pressing force to be synchronized with the synchronizer ring when engagement of the dog clutch is determined, and then the dog clutch being engaged, the control apparatus comprising:
an electronic control unit configured to:
(a) in engaging the dog clutch, cause a first pressing force to act on the sleeve, the first pressing force being required to engage the sleeve with the synchronizer ring;
(b) after causing the first pressing force to act on the sleeve, cause a second pressing force to act on the sleeve, the second pressing force being smaller than the first pressing force, a synchronized state of the sleeve with the synchronizer ring being kept by the second pressing force under a condition that no torque is input to the sleeve; and
(c) while causing the second pressing force to act on the sleeve, input torque from a driving force source of the vehicle to the sleeve.

2. The control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
a first clutch is provided in a power transmission path between the driving force source and the sleeve, and
the electronic control unit is configured to, after causing the second pressing force to act on the sleeve, input torque from the driving force source to the sleeve by starting engagement of the first clutch.

3. The control apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
a continuously variable transmission and a gear mechanism are provided in parallel with each other between an input shaft and an output shaft, torque output from the driving force source is input to the input shaft, the torque is transmitted to the output shaft,
the first clutch and the dog clutch are inserted in a first power transmission path through which torque of the driving force source is transmitted from the input shaft via the gear mechanism to the output shaft,
a second clutch is inserted in a second power transmission path through which torque of the driving force source is transmitted from the input shaft via the continuously variable transmission to the output shaft, the second clutch connects or interrupts the second power transmission path, and
the electronic control unit is configured to, when a power transmission path during traveling is changed from the second power transmission path to the first power transmission path, start engagement of the dog clutch, and, when the second pressing force is caused to act on the sleeve, release the second clutch and engage the first clutch.

4. The control apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
a continuously variable transmission and a gear mechanism are provided in parallel with each other between an input shaft and an output shaft, torque output from the driving force source is input to the input shaft, the torque is transmitted to the output shaft,
the first clutch and the dog clutch are inserted in a first power transmission path through which torque of the driving force source is transmitted from the input shaft via the gear mechanism to the output shaft,
a second clutch is inserted in a second power transmission path through which torque of the driving force source is transmitted from the input shaft via the continuously variable transmission to the output shaft, the second clutch connects or interrupts the second power transmission path, and
the electronic control unit is configured to, while torque of the driving force source is transmitted via the second power transmission path to the output shaft, release the dog clutch.

5. The control apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the electronic control unit is configured to, after inputting torque from the driving force source to the sleeve, cause a pressing force to act on the sleeve, the pressing force being required to engage the sleeve with the synchronizer ring.

6. A control method for a vehicle, the vehicle including a dog clutch and an electronic control unit, the dog clutch including a synchromesh mechanism, the synchromesh mechanism including a sleeve and a synchronizer ring, the sleeve being pressed against the synchronizer ring by a predetermined pressing force to be synchronized with the synchronizer ring when engagement of the dog clutch is determined, and then the dog clutch being engaged, the control method comprising:
(a) in engaging the dog clutch, causing, by the electronic control unit, a first pressing force to act on the sleeve, the first pressing force being required to engage the sleeve with the synchronizer ring;
(b) after causing the first pressing force to act on the sleeve, causing, by the electronic control unit, a second pressing force to act on the sleeve, the second pressing force being smaller than the first pressing force, a synchronized state of the sleeve with the synchronizer ring being kept by the second pressing force under a condition that no torque is input to the sleeve; and
(c) while causing the second pressing force to act on the sleeve, inputting, by the electronic control unit, torque from a driving force source of the vehicle to the sleeve.

7. The control method according to claim 6 , wherein
a first clutch is provided in a power transmission path between the driving force source and the sleeve, the control method further comprising:
after causing the second pressing force to act on the sleeve, inputting, by the electronic control unit, torque from the driving force source to the sleeve by starting engagement of the first clutch.

8. The control method according to claim 7 , wherein
a continuously variable transmission and a gear mechanism are provided in parallel with each other between an input shaft and an output shaft, torque output from the driving force source is input to the input shaft, the torque is transmitted to the output shaft,
the first clutch and the dog clutch are inserted in a first power transmission path through which torque of the driving force source is transmitted from the input shaft via the gear mechanism to the output shaft, and
a second clutch is inserted in a second power transmission path through which torque of the driving force source is transmitted from the input shaft via the continuously variable transmission to the output shaft, the second clutch connects or interrupts the second power transmission path, the control method further comprising:
when a power transmission path during traveling is changed from the second power transmission path to the first power transmission path,

(i) starting engagement of the dog clutch by the electronic control unit, and
(ii) when the second pressing force is caused to act on the sleeve, releasing the second clutch and engaging the first clutch by the electronic control unit.

9. The control method according to claim 8 , further comprising:
while torque of the driving force source is transmitted via the second power transmission path to the output shaft, releasing the dog clutch by the electronic control unit.

10. The control method according to claim 6 , further comprising:
after inputting torque from the driving force source to the sleeve, causing, by the electronic control unit, a pressing force to act on the sleeve, the pressing force being required to engage the sleeve with the synchronizer ring.

11. A vehicle comprising:
a dog clutch including a synchromesh mechanism, the synchromesh mechanism including a sleeve and a synchronizer ring, the sleeve being pressed against the synchronizer ring by a predetermined pressing force to be synchronized with the synchronizer ring when engagem

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Sakamoto Kazuya
• Ayabe Atsushi
• Matsuo Kenji
• Kondo Hiroki
• Fukao Mitsuhiro

Classifications

• B60W2710/083

  Torque · CPC title

• F16D2500/10456

  Synchro clutch · CPC title

• B60W10/02 Primary

  including control of driveline clutches · CPC title

• F16D48/06 Primary

  Control by electric or electronic means, e.g. of fluid pressure · CPC title

• F16D48/066 Primary

  Control of fluid pressure, e.g. using an accumulator (F16D48/062, F16D48/068 take precedence) · CPC title