Procedure for the detection of the direction of rotation and secondary side of a starting clutch

A method for the determination of the direction of rotation of the secondary side of an automatic and controllable starting clutch (16) of a motor vehicle (10), which is instigated by an actuator (24) and connected to a transmission input shaft (21), in comparison to a primary side of the clutch (16) which is bound to a crank shaft (19) of a drive motor, the method comprising the steps of:

• determining a primary speed of rotation (UPrim) of the primary side and a secondary speed of rotation (USek) of the starting clutch (16), if the secondary speed of rotation (USek) is greater than the primary speed of rotation (UPrim), the actuator (24) acts in the closure direction, whereby the degree of closure of the starting clutch (16) will be adjusted, dependent upon the acceleration of the secondary speed of rotation (USek);
• producing a specified value for a speed of rotation (USoll) for a driving motor (14), the specified value representing the secondary speed of rotation (USek), as long as this exceeds the value of the primary speed of rotation (UPrim);
• regulating the speed of rotation (UPrim) of the internal combustion motor to the specified value (USoll);
• detecting the same direction of rotation of the primary side and the secondary said of the starting clutch (16) if the primary speed of rotation (UPrim) and the secondary speed of rotation (USek) are found to be equivalent within a preselected period of time;
• and
• detecting different directions of the primary side and the secondary side of the starting clutch (16), if the speed of rotation of the primary side of the starting clutch (16) lies below an idling speed of rotation (ULeer) of the same.

A method of detecting a rotational direction of a secondary side of a starting clutch (16), which is connected to a transmission input shaft (21), the starting clutch (16) being a mechanical, centrifugal clutch of a motor vehicle, in comparison to a primary side of a starting clutch (16), which is in connection with a crank shaft (19) of a drive motor, the method comprising the steps of:

• determining a speed of rotation a primary side (UPrim) and a speed of rotation of a secondary side (USek) of the starting clutch (16);
• increasing a speed of rotation of the drive motor for a predetermined period of time (Δt), up to a predetermined value which is dependent on an acceleration of the secondary speed of rotation (USek), to establish a certain clutch torque (Mkuppel), if the rotational speed of the secondary side (USek) is greater than the rotational speed of the primary side (Uprim);
• determining the primary side and the secondary side of the starting clutch (16) have equal directions of rotation when the primary speed of rotation (UPrim) and the secondary speed of rotation (USek) equal one another during the predetermined time period, and
• determining a decline in the speed of rotation of the primary side (UPrim) of the starting clutch (16), that is to say, the speed of rotation of the internal combustion engine (UPrim) or the clutch torque (MKuppel) when rotation the primary side and the secondary side of the starting clutch (16) have different directions.