# US 11,305,753 B2 · Hybrid vehicle

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- Number: US 11,305,753 B2
- Document ID: US11305753B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/676,494
- Filed: 2019-11-07
- Published: 2020-06-18
- Granted: 2022-04-19
- Earliest claimed: 2018-12-12
- Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
- Applicants: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
- Inventors: Keigo Matsubara; Ayumu Sagawa
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11305753B2

## CPC

- B60K 6/48: Parallel type
- B60W 20/40: Controlling the engagement or disengagement of prime movers, e.g. for transition between prime movers {(power-up or power-down of the driveline B60W30/192)}
- B60K 17/02: characterised by arrangement, location, or kind of clutch
- B60W 10/02: including control of driveline clutches
- B60W 10/06: including control of combustion engines
- B60W 10/08: including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
- B60K 2006/4825: {Electric machine connected or connectable to gearbox input shaft}
- B60W 2510/1075: fluid pressure, e.g. oil pressure
- Y02T 10/62: Hybrid vehicles
- B60K: ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN VEHICLES
- B60W: CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OR DIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION

## Abstract

A hybrid vehicle includes an engine, a switching valve, and an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit configured to perform switching from the engine travel mode to the EV travel mode through a first stage to start the filling control when it is determined that the possibility is high that the engine stop condition will be established afterwards while the engine travel mode is selected, a second stage to start the clutch release control by switching the switching valve to the second state in response to establishment of the engine stop condition, and a third stage to stop operation of the engine after completion of the clutch release control.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A hybrid vehicle comprising:
an engine;
a motor provided in a power transmission path from the engine to a wheel;
a clutch provided between the engine and the motor in the power transmission path;
an oil pressure generator configured to generate a clutch engagement oil pressure;
a pressure regulating valve configured to apply pressure regulation to the clutch engagement oil pressure according to an electric power supply amount and output an oil pressure regulated, the pressure regulating valve configured to stop output of the oil pressure in response to a stoppage of electric power supply;
a first oil passage serving as an oil passage for supplying the clutch engagement oil pressure generated by the oil pressure generator to the clutch;
a second oil passage serving as an oil passage for supplying the oil pressure output by the pressure regulating valve to the clutch;
a switching valve configured to switch between a first state to connect the first oil passage to the clutch and interrupt connection of the second oil passage to the clutch, and a second state to connect the second oil passage to the clutch and interrupt connection of the first oil passage to the clutch; and
an electronic control unit configured to perform travel control of the hybrid vehicle by selecting one travel mode from a plurality of travel modes including an engine travel mode in which the hybrid vehicle travels by transmitting power of the engine to the wheel, and an EV travel mode in which the hybrid vehicle travels by power of the motor in a state where the engine is stopped,
the electronic control unit configured to switch the travel mode to the EV travel mode when a predetermined engine stop condition is established while the engine travel mode is selected,
the electronic control unit configured to, while the EV travel mode is selected, maintain a released state of the clutch by setting the switching valve to the second state in a state where electric power supply to the pressure regulating valve is stopped, and configured to, while the engine travel mode is selected, maintain an engaged state of the clutch by setting the switching valve to the first state in a state where electric power supply to the pressure regulating valve is stopped,
the electronic control unit configured to determine whether or not, although the engine stop condition is currently not established, a possibility is high that the engine stop condition will be established afterwards,
the electronic control unit configured to perform filling control to supply electric power to the pressure regulating valve to increase the oil pressure in the second oil passage in a state where the switching valve is set to the first state,
the electronic control unit configured to perform clutch release control to release the clutch while performing oil pressure control by the pressure regulating valve in a state where the switching valve is set to the second state, and
the electronic control unit configured to perform switching from the engine travel mode to the EV travel mode through a first stage to start the filling control when it is determined that the possibility is high that the engine stop condition will be established afterwards while the engine travel mode is selected, a second stage to start the clutch release control by switching the switching valve to the second state in response to establishment of the engine stop condition, and a third stage to stop operation of the engine after completion of the clutch release control.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the electronic control unit is configured to, when the engine stop condition is established before the pressure increase of the second oil passage by the filling control is completed, delay the start of the clutch release control in the second stage until the pressure increase of the second oil passage is completed.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the electronic control unit is configured to, when the clutch release control is started in the second stage, increase motor torque while decreasing shaft torque of the engine.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the electronic control unit is configured to, when the engine stop condition is established in a state where it is not determined that the possibility is high that the engine stop condition will be established afterwards while the engine travel mode is selected, perform switching from the engine travel mode to the EV travel mode through a fourth stage to start the filling control in response to establishment of the engine stop condition, a fifth stage to start the clutch release control by switching the switching valve to the second state in response to completion of the pressure increase of the second oil passage by the filling control, and a sixth stage to stop operation of the engine after completion of the clutch release control.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein:
the electronic control unit is configured to, when a predetermined engine start condition is established while the EV travel mode is selected, perform start control to start the engine in a state where the switching valve is set to the second state and electric power is supplied to the pressure regulating valve; and
the electronic control unit is configured to, when the engine stop condition is established while performing the start control, start the clutch release control in response to establishment of the engine stop condition.