Method of controlling a four wheel drive vehicle

Claim 2

A controlling method of a four wheel drive vehicle having an engine and two front drive wheels and two rear drive wheels, the four wheel drive vehicle including an apparatus for controlling a distribution ratio of driving torque between the front wheels and the rear wheels, the apparatus including a differential gear mechanism, and first and second continuously variable transmissions, the differential gear mechanism receiving an output torque from the engine and distributing the output torque into two output torque lines connected to said two front drive wheels and said two rear drive wheels, respectively, the first continuously variable transmission being located in one of said two output torque lines and connected to the differential gear mechanism, the first continuously variable transmission transmitting a first amount of the output torque to a front driving shaft in said one output torque line, the second continuously variable transmission being located in the other of said two output torque lines and connected to the differential gear mechanism, the second continuously variable transmission transmitting a second amount of the output torque to a rear driving shaft in said other output torque line, said controlling method comprising the steps of: detecting speeds of the front driving shaft and the rear driving shaft; calculating an actual difference in speed between the detected speeds of said front and rear driving shafts; detecting a driving condition of the vehicle which is substantially indicative of the load ratio of loads which act on the front wheels and the rear wheels; and controlling an actual distribution ratio of driving torque between said front and rear drive wheels, so that said actual distribution ratio is substantially in proportion to said load ratio of the front and rear wheels, and such that the detected actual difference in speed between said front and rear driving shafts coincides with a desired value.

Claim 3

The controlling method of claim 1, wherein the desired value is zero.

Claim 4

The controlling method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of: calculating a desired distribution ratio of the driving torque between said front and rear drive wheels, in accordance with the detected driving condition of the vehicle; compensating the calculated desired distribution ratio of the driving torque in accordance with the detected actual difference in speed between said front and rear driving shafts; and controlling the actual distribution ratio of the driving torque such that the actual distribution ratio coincides with the compensated desired distribution ratio.

Claim 5

The controlling method of claim 3, wherein said detected driving condition consists of an acceleration of the vehicle.

Claim 6

The controlling method of claim 4, wherein said apparatus includes means for detecting the acceleration such that the detected acceleration reflects an inclination of the vehicle.

Claim 7

A controlling method of a four wheel drive vehicle having an engine and two front wheels and two rear drive wheels, the four wheel drive vehicle including an apparatus for controlling a distribution ratio of driving torque between the front wheels and the rear wheels, the apparatus including a differential gear mechanism, first and second continuously variable transmissions, and first through fourth detecting means, the differential gear mechanism receiving an output torque from the engine and distributing the output torque into two output torque lines connected to said two front drive wheels and said two rear drive wheels, respectively, the first continuously variable transmission being located in one of said two output torque lines, and connected to the differential gear mechanism, the first continuously variable transmission transmitting a first amount of the output torque to a front driving shaft in said one output torque line, the second continuously variably transmission being located in the other of said two output torque lines and connected to the differential gear mechanism, the second continuously variable transmission transmitting a second amount of the output torque to a rear driving shaft in said other output torque line, said first detecting means detecting an input shaft speed of said first continuously variable transmission, said second detecting means detecting an input shaft speed of said second continuously variable transmission, said third detecting means detecting an output shaft speed of said first continuously variable transmission, said fourth detecting means detecting an output speed of said second continuously variable transmission, said controlling method comprising the steps of: calculating an input shaft speed of said differential gear mechanism in accordance with the detected input shaft speeds of said first and second continuously variable transmission; calculating a difference of the detected output shaft speeds of the output shafts of said first and second continuously variable transmissions; calculating a difference ratio of speeds of the front and rear wheels, with respect to the calculated input shaft speed of said differential gear mechanism, in accordance with said calculated input shaft speed of the differential gear mechanism and the calculated difference of the speeds of the output shafts of the first and second continuously variable transmissions; calculating a desired distribution ratio of driving torque between said front and rear wheels, in accordance with the calculated difference ratio; and detecting a driving condition of the vehicle which is substantially indicative of a load ratio of loads which act on the front wheels and the rear wheels; controlling an actual distribution ratio of driving torque between said front and rear drive wheels, so that said actual distribution ratio is substantially in proportion to said load ratio of the front and rear wheels, and such that the actual distribution ratio coincides with the calculated desired distribution ratio.

Claim 8

A controlling method of a four wheel drive vehicle having an engine and two front wheels and two rear drive wheels, the four wheel drive vehicle including an apparatus for controlling a distribution ratio of driving torque between the front wheels and the rear wheels, the apparatus including a differential gear mechanism, first and second continuously variable transmissions, and first through fourth detecting means, the differential gear mechanism receiving an output torque from the engine and distributing the output torque into two output torque lines connected to said two front drive wheels and said two rear drive wheels, respectively, the first continuously variable transmission being located in one of said two output torque lines, and connected to the differential gear mechanism, the first continuously variable transmission transmitting a first amount of the output torque to a front driving shaft in said one output torque line, the second continuously variably transmission being located in the other of said two output torque lines and connected to the differential gear mechanism, the second continuously variable transmission transmitting a second amount of the output torque to a rear driving shaft in said other output torque line, said first detecting means detecting an input shaft speed of said first continuously variable transmission, said second detecting means detecting an input shaft speed of said second continuously variable transmission, said third detecting means detecting an output shaft speed of said first continuously variable transmission, said fourth detecting means detecting an output speed of said second continuously variable transmission, said controlling method comprising the steps of: calculating an input shaft speed of said differential gear mechanism in accordance with the detected input shaft speeds of said first and second continuously variable transmission; calculating a difference of the detected output shaft speeds of the output shafts of said first and second continuously variable transmissions; calculating a difference ratio of speeds of the front and rear wheels, with respect to the calculated input shaft speed of said differential gear mechanism, in accordance with said calculated input shaft speed of the differential gear mechanism and the calculated difference of the speeds of the output shafts of the first and second continuously variable transmissions; calculating a desired distribution ratio of driving torque between said front and rear wheels, in accordance with the calculated difference ratio; and detecting a driving condition of the vehicle which is substantially indicative of a load ratio of loads which act on the front wheels and the rear wheels; controlling an actual distribution ratio of driving torque between said front and rear drive wheels, so that said actual distribution ratio is substantially in proportion to said load ratio of the front and rear wheels, and such that the actual distribution ratio coincides with the calculated desired distribution ratio.

Claim 9

The controlling method of claim 6, wherein the apparatus further includes a fifth detecting means for detecting an acceleration of the vehicle, as said driving condition, said method further comprising the steps of: calculating a compensation value in accordance with the detected acceleration of the vehicle; and compensating the desired distribution ratio of driving torque by the calculated compensation value.

Claim 10

The controlling method of claim 7 further comprising the steps of: calculating a feedback value in accordance with a proportional gain, an integral time constant and a differential time constant; and compensating the desired distribution ratio by the calculated feedback value.

Claim 11

The controlling method of claim 8, further comprising the steps of: calculating desired speed ratios of the first and second continuously variable transmissions in accordance with the calculated desired distribution ratio; and controlling the first and second continuously variable transmissions in accordance with the calculated desired speed ratio.

Claim 12

The controlling method of claim 9, further comprising the steps of: calculating actual speed ratios of the first and second continuously variable transmissions in accordance with the detected speeds; and calculating control values for controlling flow control valves and pressure regulation valves of the first and second continuously variable transmissions.

Claim 13

The controlling method of claim 7, further comprising the steps of: calculating a feedback value in accordance with a proportional gain, an integral time constant and a differential time constant; and compensating the calculated distribution ratio by the calculated feedback value.

Claim 14

The controlling method of claim 11, further comprising the steps of: calculating desired speed ratios of the first and second continuously variable transmissions in accordance with the calculated desired distribution ratio; and controlling the first and second continuously variable transmissions in accordance with the calculated desired speed ratios.

Claim 15

The controlling method of claim 12, further comprising the steps of: calculating actual speed ratios of the first and second continuously variable transmissions in accordance with the detected speeds; and calculating control values for controlling flow control valves and pressure regulation valves of the first and second continuously variable transmissions.

Claim 16

The controlling method of claim 7, further comprising the steps of: calculating desired speed ratios of the first and second continuously variable transmissions in accordance with the calculated desired distribution ratio; and controlling the first and second continuously variable transmissions in accordance with the calculated desired speed ratios.

Claim 17

The controlling method of claim 14, further comprising the steps of: calculating actual speed ratios of the first and second continuously variable transmissions in accordance with the detected speeds; and calculating control values for controlling flow control valves and pressure regulation valves of the first and second continuously variable transmissions.

Claim 18

The controlling method claim 7, wherein said fifth detecting means detects said acceleration of the vehicle such that the detected acceleration reflects an inclination of the vehicle.

Claim 19

The controlling method of claim 6, further comprising the steps of: calculating desired speed ratios of the first and second continuously variable transmissions in accordance with the calculated desired distribution ratio; and controlling the first and second continuously variable transmissions in accordance with the calculated desired speed ratios.

Claim 20

The controlling method of claim 17, further comprising the steps of: calculating actual speed ratios of the first and second continuously variable transmissions in accordance with the detected speeds; and calculating control values for controlling flow control valves and pressure regulation valves of the first and second continuously variable transmissions.