Power transfer system with clutch protection through interaction with other vehicle systems
AssigneeMagna Powertrain of America, Inc.
InventorBenjamin Northrup
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A power transfer assembly for a motor vehicle includes a clutch protection system to prevent damage to an actively-controlled multi-plate mode clutch of the power transfer assembly. The clutch protection system includes a transfer case control module (TCCM) and an engine control module (ECM) configured to regulate the distribution of torque applied from an engine to front and rear output shafts of the power transfer assembly. The TCCM is in operable communication with the engine control module ECM, wherein TCCM is configured to detect slip in the actively-controlled multi-plate friction clutch and to communicate with the ECM to selectively reduce the output torque of the engine in response to detected slip.
Claims20
In a motor vehicle having a powertrain normally transmitting drive torque to a primary driveline, a power transfer assembly operable to selectively transmit drive torque to a secondary driveline, the power transfer assembly comprising:
- an actively-controlled multi-plate friction clutch;
- a power-operated clutch actuator operable to apply a clutch engagement force to the actively-controlled multi-plate friction clutch to regulate distribution of torque to the secondary driveline;
- an engine control module configured to regulate the output torque of the powertrain;
- and
- a transfer case control module in operable communication with the power-operated clutch actuator, the transfer case control module being in operable communication with the engine control module, and wherein transfer case control module is configured to detect slip in the actively-controlled multi-plate friction clutch and to communicate with the engine control module to request a reduction of the output torque of the powertrain in response to detected slip in the actively-controlled multi-plate friction clutch.
In a motor vehicle having a powertrain normally transmitting drive torque from an engine to a primary driveline, a power transfer assembly operable to selectively transmit drive torque to a secondary driveline, the power transfer assembly comprising:
- an actively-controlled multi-plate friction clutch;
- a power-operated clutch actuator operable to apply a clutch engagement force to the actively-controlled multi-plate friction clutch to regulate distribution of torque to the secondary driveline;
- an engine control module configured to regulate an output torque of the engine;
- and
- a transfer case control module in operable communication with the power-operated clutch actuator, the transfer case control module being in operable communication with the engine control module, and wherein transfer case control module is configured to detect slip in the actively-controlled multi-plate friction clutch and to communicate with the engine control module to request a reduction of the output torque of the engine in response to detected slip in the actively-controlled multi-plate friction clutch.
A method of controlling a powertrain of a motor vehicle comprising:
- regulating a distribution of drive torque between a primary driveline and a secondary driveline by an actively-controlled multi-plate friction clutch in a power transfer assembly;
- detecting a slip condition in the actively-controlled multi-plate friction clutch by a transfer case control module as a difference in rotational speed between output shafts coupled to corresponding ones of the primary driveline and the secondary driveline;
- reducing an output torque of an engine to the power transfer assembly in response to detecting slip in the power transfer assembly.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.