Hydraulic clutch system for automatic emergency braking and remote starting of manual transmission vehicles

A hydraulic clutch system having electronically-actuated automatic clutch disengagement for use in a manual transmission vehicle, comprising:

• a hydraulic cylinder having a supply of hydraulic fluid therein;
• a clutch pedal operatively connected to the hydraulic cylinder so as to force at least some of the hydraulic fluid out of the hydraulic cylinder and thereby pressurize the hydraulic fluid when the clutch pedal is depressed;
• an accumulator storing a charge of the hydraulic fluid and having a piston biased so as to force at least some of the hydraulic fluid out of the accumulator and thereby pressurize the hydraulic fluid;
• a clutch that couples an engine of the vehicle to a transmission of the vehicle and that disengages the engine from the transmission in response to receiving the pressurized hydraulic fluid from either the hydraulic cylinder or the accumulator;
• a distribution valve interconnected between the hydraulic cylinder, accumulator, and clutch so as to selectively route the hydraulic fluid among the hydraulic cylinder, accumulator, and clutch;
• wherein the distribution valve is electronically operated to switch between a first state in which the hydraulic cylinder is in fluidic communication through the distribution valve with the clutch, a second state in which the accumulator is in fluidic communication with the clutch, and a third state in which the hydraulic cylinder is in fluidic communication with the accumulator;
• wherein, when the distribution valve is in the first state, the hydraulic clutch system is operable in a first mode in which the clutch may be operated by a driver of the manual transmission vehicle using the clutch pedal, and when the distribution valve is in the second state, the hydraulic clutch system is operable in a second mode in which the clutch is disengaged by the pressurized hydraulic fluid from the accumulator independently of any driver input to the clutch pedal, and when the distribution valve is in the third state, the hydraulic clutch system is operable in a third mode in which depressing the clutch pedal by the driver recharges the accumulator with pressurized hydraulic fluid.

A method of automatic clutch disengagement for use in a manual transmission vehicle, wherein the method is carried out by a vehicle having an engine, a manual transmission, and a hydraulic clutch system that includes a clutch connected between the engine and the transmission and a clutch pedal that can be manually depressed by a vehicle driver to disengage the clutch, the method comprising the steps of:

• receiving a remote start command and setting or confirming setting of an electronic brake on the vehicle;
• receiving a clutch disengagement command at a clutch system controller;
• determining, based on one or more hydraulic clutch system state indicators, that the hydraulic clutch system is in a proper state for clutch disengagement;
• disengaging the clutch using pressurized hydraulic fluid supplied by an accumulator of the hydraulic clutch system independently of any driver input on the clutch pedal;
• and
• starting the engine and thereafter recharging the accumulator with hydraulic fluid pressurized by the driver using the clutch pedal.