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US4723644A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Electromagnetic clutch control system for automobiles

Assignee: Subaru Corp
•
Filing: 1985-09-09
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Granted: 1988-02-09
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Expires: 2005-09-09
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Abstract

Abstract A system for controlling an electromagnetic clutch of an engine for a motor vehicle having a transmission. The system has various sensors such as an engine speed sensor, a vehicle speed sensor for detecting low vehicle speed, an accelerator pedal position sensor for detecting the acceleration of the engine, and a selector lever position sensor. The system has a computing unit for determining the clutch current at the beginning of engagement of the electromagnetic clutch. The rate of change of clutch current with respect to engine speed increases as the acceleration of engine speed increases.

Inventors

  • 👤 Ryuzo Sakakiyama

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-31 14:48
CPC Classifications
F; F16; F16D; F16D48/00; F16D48/06; F16D48/068; F16D37/00; F16D37/02; F16D48/064; B; B60; B60W; B60W2510/00; B60W2510/06; B60W2510/0638; B60W2540/00; B60W2540/10; B60W2540/16; F16D2037/001; F16D2037/002; F16D2500/00; F16D2500/10; F16D2500/104; F16D2500/10406; F16D2500/10412; F16D2500/30; F16D2500/302; F16D2500/3022; F16D2500/31; F16D2500/3108; F16D2500/314; F16D2500/31406; F16D2500/3144; F16D2500/3146; F16D2500/31466; F16D2500/70; F16D2500/704; F16D2500/70402; F16D2500/7041; F16D2500/70418

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 5
Claim 1
Independent Claim 186 words
A system for controlling an electromagnetic clutch of an engine for a motor vehicle having a transmission, comprising: engine speed sensing means for producing an engine speed signal dependent on the engine speed of the engine; vehicle speed sensing means for producing a vehicle speed signal in a low vehicle speed range; acceleration determining means responsive to the engine speed signal for producing an accleration signal representing magnitude of acceleration of the engine speed; selector lever position detecting means for producing a selector lever signal when a selector lever of the transmission is positioned at a position other than a neutral position and a parking position; circuit means for supplying clutch current to a magnetizing coil of the electromagnetic clutch for engaging the clutch; control means responsive to the engine speed signal, vehicle speed signal, acceleration signal, and selector lever signal for controlling said circuit means to determine the clutch current at engagement of the electromagnetic clutch, the control means being such that the rate of change of clutch current with respect to engine speed increases as the magnitude of acceleration of the engine speed increases.
Claim 2
Independent Claim 186 words
A system for controlling an electromagnetic clutch of an engine for a motor vehicle having a transmission, comprising: engine speed sensing means for producing an engine speed signal dependent on the engine speed of the engine; vehicle speed sensing means for producing a vehicle speed signal in a low vehicle speed range; acceleration determining means responsive to the engine speed signal for producing an accleration signal representing magnitude of acceleration of the engine speed; selector lever position detecting means for producing a selector lever signal when a selector lever of the transmission is positioned at a position other than a neutral position and a parking position; circuit means for supplying clutch current to a magnetizing coil of the electromagnetic clutch for engaging the clutch; control means responsive to the engine speed signal, vehicle speed signal, acceleration signal, and selector lever signal for controlling said circuit means to determine the clutch current at engagement of the electromagnetic clutch, the control means being such that the rate of change of clutch current with respect to engine speed increases as the magnitude of acceleration of the engine speed increases.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 13 words
The system according to claim 1, wherein the control means comprises a microcomputer.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 35 words
The system according to claim 2 wherein said control means is for reading out a magnitude of the clutch current from a table in accordance with the magnitude of the acceleration of the engine speed.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 77 words
The system according to claim 3, wherein said control means is for controlling the clutch current I(N) according to the value N i , where N is the engine speed and N i is a correcting value equal to N(1+C n ), where C n =C n-1 +Kα, where C n is a coefficient, K is a constant, n is number of engine acceleration measurement repeated at predetermined intervals, and α is acceleration of the engine speed.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3402793A Cited
GB2071803A Cited
US4449617A Cited
US4461374A Cited
US4480732A Cited
US4494641A Cited
US4466521A Cited
US4449620A Cited
US4567969A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1991-02-08 1991-08-10 1992-02-09 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1995-02-08 1995-08-10 1996-02-09 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1999-02-08 1999-08-10 2000-02-09 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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