Control apparatus for vehicle drive-force transmitting apparatus

A control apparatus for a drive-force transmitting apparatus that is to be provided in a vehicle having a drive force source and drive wheels,

• wherein the drive-force transmitting apparatus includes:
• an input rotary member to which a drive force is to be transmitted from the drive force source;
• an output rotary member from which the drive force is to be outputted to the drive wheels;
• a gear mechanism configured to provide at least one gear ratio;
• and
• a continuously-variable transmission mechanism including a primary pulley, a secondary pulley and a transfer element that is looped over the primary and secondary pulleys, and configured to provide a variable gear ratio that is lower than at least one of the at least gear ratio provided by the gear mechanism,
• wherein the drive-force transmitting apparatus defines a plurality of drive-force transmitting paths that are provided in parallel with each other between the input rotary member and the output rotary member,
• wherein the plurality of drive-force transmitting paths include a first drive-force transmitting path, through which the drive force is to be transmitted by the gear mechanism in a first state in which the first drive-force transmitting path is established in the drive-force transmitting apparatus,
• wherein the plurality of drive-force transmitting paths include a second drive-force transmitting path, through which the drive force is to be transmitted by the continuously-variable transmission mechanism in a second state in which the second drive-force transmitting path is established in the drive-force transmitting apparatus, and
• wherein said control apparatus comprises:
• a transmission shifting control portion configured to control the gear ratio of the continuously-variable transmission mechanism, and to set a target gear ratio that is a target value of the gear ratio of the continuously-variable transmission mechanism during a switching control operation that is executed to switch from one of the first and second states to the other of the first and second states, such that, when the drive wheels are not being slipped, the target gear ratio is set to a highest gear ratio that is a highest value of the gear ratio of the continuously-variable transmission mechanism, and such that, when the drive wheels are being slipped, the target gear ratio is set to an actual gear ratio that is an actual value of the gear ratio at a point of time at which the drive wheels start being slipped.