EP0059035A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Clutch control system
Assignee: Whitnash PLC
•
Filing: 1982-02-05
•
Granted: —
•
Expires: 2002-02-05
Abstract
Abstract A vehicle electronic control system for a friction clutch (23) having a clutch position signal generator (11, 12,13) which senses the vehicle operating conditions and produces a command signal (C), which dictates the state of engagement of the clutch (23). A clutch actuator control means (17, 18, 19, 21) is responsive to the command signal (C), and includes a transducer (19) that produces a feedback signal (Sp) indicative of clutch position which is fed into a comparator (17) for comparison with the command signal (C). The feedback signal (Sp) is modified by a signal (S w ) derived from a wear compensator (29) to alter the feedback signal as the clutch wears.
Inventors
- 👤 Harry Mellows Windsor
- 👤 Andrew John Mallion
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 20:54
CPC Classifications
B; B60; B60W; B60W30/00; B60W30/18; B60W10/00; B60W10/02; B60W10/04; B60W30/1819; F; F16; F16D; F16D48/00; F16D48/06; F16D48/066; F16D48/068; F16D2500/00; F16D2500/10; F16D2500/104; F16D2500/10406; F16D2500/10412; F16D2500/30; F16D2500/302; F16D2500/3026; F16D2500/3028; F16D2500/306; F16D2500/3067; F16D2500/31; F16D2500/3108; F16D2500/314; F16D2500/31406; F16D2500/3144; F16D2500/316; F16D2500/3166; F16D2500/50; F16D2500/502; F16D2500/5023; F16D2500/70; F16D2500/704; F16D2500/70402; F16D2500/7041; F16D2500/706; F16D2500/70605; F16D2500/7061
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 21
Claim 1
Independent Claim
136 words
A vehicle electronic control system for a rotary transmission clutch (23) having a clutch-position signal generator (11,12,13) which is responsive to vehicle operating parameters and from which a command signal (C) is derived which dictates the state of engagement of the clutch, a clutch actuator control means (17,18,19,21) responsive to the command signal (C) for operation of the clutch and including a comparator (17) that receives the command signal (C) and a transducer (18) responsive to the position of the clutch to produce a feedback signal (Sp) which is fed into the comparator (17) for comparison with the command signal (C), characterised in that the feedback signal (Sp) is modified by a signal (S w ) derived from a wear compensator (29 or 129) so that the feedback signal (Sp) is altered as the clutch wears.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
136 words
A vehicle electronic control system for a rotary transmission clutch (23) having a clutch-position signal generator (11,12,13) which is responsive to vehicle operating parameters and from which a command signal (C) is derived which dictates the state of engagement of the clutch, a clutch actuator control means (17,18,19,21) responsive to the command signal (C) for operation of the clutch and including a comparator (17) that receives the command signal (C) and a transducer (18) responsive to the position of the clutch to produce a feedback signal (Sp) which is fed into the comparator (17) for comparison with the command signal (C), characterised in that the feedback signal (Sp) is modified by a signal (S w ) derived from a wear compensator (29 or 129) so that the feedback signal (Sp) is altered as the clutch wears.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
95 words
A system as claimed in Claim 1, in which the control signal generator (11,12,13) produces an error signal (E) forming an input for an inverting integrator (14) whose output forms the command signal (C), characterised in that the wear compensator (29 or 129) is responsive to the integrator input and output signals (E) and (C) respectively to produce a wear signal (S w ) when the error signal (E) approaches a given error signal value and the command signal (C) has reached a predetermined threshold value, said wear signal being summed with the feedback signal.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
102 words
A system as claimed in Claim 2, characterised in that the wear compensator (29 or 129) comprises a first detect means (31 or 131)respectively, for sensing the given error signal voltage and which produces an output signal for control of the first AND gate (33 or 133) respectively, and a second detect means (32 or 132) respectively, for sensing when the command signal has passed the threshold value and which also produces an output signal for control of the first AND (33 or 133) gate, said first AND (33 or 133) gate controlling a wear signal generator (34,35,36 or 134, 35, 36).
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
57 words
A system as claimed in Claim 3, characterised in that the second detect means (32 or 132) is an amplifier connected between the command signal (C) and a first AND gate (33 or 133) respectively, and is triggered to open and the first AND gate by the command signal voltage reaching or passing its predetermined threshold value.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
78 words
A system as claimed in Claim 3 or Claim 4, characterised in that the wear signal generator comprises an oscillator (34 or 134) that is switched on and off by the first AND gate (33 or 133) respectively, a binary counter (35) that counts the number of oscillations for which the AND gate is open, and a digital analogue converter (36) that produces a wear signal (S w or dSW 1 ) commensurate with the number of counts.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
108 words
A system as claimed in any one of Claim 3 to 5, characterised in that the given error signal value is zero and the first detect means is a detect zero (31) connected between the error signal (E) and the first AND gate (33) and comprising two amplifiers (41 and 42) connected in parallel to a second AND gate, said amplifiers each being connected to the error signal (E) by a different polarity input and being triggered at difference voltages so as to create a narrow signal band about zero for which the second AND gate is open thereby opening the first AND gate only within said band.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
26 words
A system as claimed in Claim 6, characterised in that the second AND gate connected to the two amplifiers is combined with the first AND gate.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
59 words
A system as claimed in any one of Claims 2 to 7, characterised in that a throttle position sensor (40) produces a throttle signal (V T ) indicative of the vehicle throttle opening and which is combined with the wear signal(S W ) so as to further reduce feedback signal (Sp) when the clutch is engaged at full throttle.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
59 words
A system as claimed in any one of Claims 3 to 7, and Claim 8 when dependant upon Claim 3, characterised in that the first AND gate (33 or 133) respectively receives a signal from a vehicle gearbox logic circuit (27) so that the first AND gate (133) is only open when the gearbox logic has selected first gear..
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
57 words
A system as claimed in any one of Claims 3 to 7 and Claim 8 when dependant upon Claim 3 and Claim 9, characterised in that the first AND gate (33 or 133) receives a signal from a road speed sensor (28) so that the AND (33 or 133) is only open upto a predetermined road speed.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
37 words
A system as claimed in Claim 4, characterised in that the first detect means (131) comprises a first threshold detector (151) whose output goes high when the error signal (E) falls to or below a predetermined value.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
34 words
A system as claimed in Claim 11, characterised in that the first threshold detector (151) has an automatic switch off device (152,153,154) which makes its output go low after a predetermined lapsed time period.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
94 words
A system as claimed in Claim 12, characterised in that the switch-off device comprises a capacitor (152) connected to the output of the first detector (151) and a second threshold detector (153) whose input is connected to said output and which acts in the inverting sense so that its output goes low when the capacitor (152) is fully charged, and the output of the second detector (153) is also connected to the output of the first detector (151) so as to pull the first detector oucput low, when the second detector output is low.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
34 words
A system as claimed in Claim 13, characterised in that the capacitor (152) has a switch connected (154) thereto so that said capacitor discharges (152) when the first threshold detector (151) output goes low.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
16 words
A system as claimed in Claim 14, characterised in that the switch (154) is a transistor.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
71 words
A system as claimed in any one of Claims 3, 4 and Claims 9 to 15 when dependant upon Claim 3 to Claim 4, characterised in that a throttle signal generator (40) produces a throttle signal (V T ) indicative of throttle opening and said signal (V T ) is combined with the command signal (C) take-off for the second detect means (132) so as to modify the input signal thereto.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
72 words
A system as claimed in any one of Claims 3, 4, and 9 to 16 when dependant upon Claim 3 or Claim 4, characterised in that a throttle signal generator (40) produces a throttle signal (V T )-indicative of throttle opening and said signal (V T ) is connected to the first AND gate (133) via a differentiator (138) so that sudden decreases in throttle opening closes the first AND gate (133).
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
106 words
A system as claimed in Claim 1, characterised in that the feedback signal (Sp) is modified by a coarse position signal(dSW2) produced by coarse positional means which comprises a desired clutch position reference signal generator (147) connected to an input of a comparator (146), whose other input is connected to the feedback signal (Sp) and whose output is connected to an AND gate (144) for control of a compensator signal generator (134,35,36) for modification of the feedback signal, the comparator (146) closing the AND gate (144) and stopping the compensator signal (dsW 2 ) when the feedback signal approaches the value of the desired position signal.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
27 words
A system as claimed in Claim 18, characterised in that the AND gate (144) is also controlled by a timer (145) operated by the vehicle ignition switch.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
56 words
A system as claimed in Claim 18 or Claim 19, when combined with a system as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 17, characterised in that said coarse position signal (dSW 2 ) is summed with the wear signal (dSW 2 ) prior to the combined signal being utilised to modify the feedback signal.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
Maintenance schedule is calculated for granted US utility patents.