Vehicle and control method thereof

A vehicle comprising:

• a prime mover;
• a pair of right and left wheels;
• a clutch disposed in a driving force transmission path between the prime mover and the pair of right and left wheels;
• and
• a controller configured or programmed to cause the clutch to transition from a half-engaged state to an engaged state when a difference in rotational velocity between input and output sides of the clutch falls within a predetermined range in the half-engaged state of the clutch;
• wherein
• the controller executes a moving start control to increase an output rotational velocity of the prime mover and cause the clutch to transition to the engaged state when a first condition is satisfied in the half-engaged state of the clutch;
• the first condition includes at least one requirement that a duration of the half-engaged state of the clutch is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold period of time, that an amount of heat released from the clutch is greater than or equal to a predetermined heat released threshold, and that a start command is received from a switch;
• the prime mover includes an internal combustion engine;
• and
• the threshold period of time and/or the heat released threshold are changed in accordance with a throttle opening degree of the prime mover.

A vehicle comprising:

• a prime mover;
• a pair of right and left wheels;
• a clutch disposed in a driving force transmission path between the prime mover and the pair of right and left wheels;
• and
• a controller configured or programmed to cause the clutch to transition from a half-engaged state to an engaged state when a difference in rotational velocity between input and output sides of the clutch falls within a predetermined range in the half-engaged state of the clutch;
• wherein
• the controller executes a moving start control to increase an output rotational velocity of the prime mover and cause the clutch to transition to the engaged state when a first condition is satisfied in the half-engaged state of the clutch;
• a transition speed of the clutch is able to be changed;
• the prime mover includes an internal combustion engine;
• and
• the controller is configured or programmed to change the transition speed of the clutch in accordance with a throttle opening degree of the prime mover.

A vehicle comprising:

• a prime mover;
• a pair of right and left wheels;
• a clutch disposed in a driving force transmission path between the prime mover and the pair of right and left wheels;
• and
• a controller configured or programmed to cause the clutch to transition from a half-engaged state to an engaged state when a difference in rotational velocity between input and output sides of the clutch falls within a predetermined range in the half-engaged state of the clutch;
• wherein
• the controller executes a moving start control to increase an output rotational velocity of the prime mover and cause the clutch to transition to the engaged state when a first condition is satisfied in the half-engaged state of the clutch;
• when a third condition is satisfied, and when the difference in the rotational velocity between the input and output sides of the clutch does not fall in the predetermined range even by executing the moving start but the third condition is satisfied, the controller executes again the moving start control, the third condition including a requirement that the half-engaged state has not been completed;
• and
• the third condition further includes at least one requirement that a duration of the half-engaged state is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold period of time, that the output rotational velocity of the prime mover is less than or equal to a predetermined rotational velocity threshold, and that a vehicle velocity is less than or equal to a predetermined vehicle velocity threshold.

A method of controlling a clutch for a vehicle, the method comprising:

• causing the clutch to transition from a half-engaged state to an engaged state when a difference in rotational velocity between input and output sides of the clutch falls within a predetermined range in the half-engaged state of the clutch;
• and
• executing a moving start control when a first condition is satisfied in the half-engaged state of the clutch;
• and
• during the moving start control, causing the clutch to transition toward a disengaged state to increase an output rotational velocity of the prime mover, and causing the clutch to transition to the engaged state when the output rotational velocity is increased;
• wherein
• the first condition includes a requirement that an amount of heat released from the clutch is greater than or equal to a predetermined heat released threshold;
• and
• a transition speed of the clutch toward the engaged state is larger than a transition speed of the clutch toward the disengaged state during the moving start control.