US 4,576,263 A · Clutch control

Abstract

An automatic clutch control system for controlling a vehicle master clutch (14) drivingly interposed a throttle controlled engine (12) and a change gear transmission (10) having a clutch protection portion (70) to prevent the clutch from destructively overheating due to excessive slipping is provided. The clutch protection portion (70) includes a device for maintaining a variable parameter simulating clutch operating temperature (110) and devices (104 and 116) for causing said variable parameter to be increased and decreased, respectively, at first and second rates selected to simulate clutch heating and cooling rates, respectively. A signal generating device (126) is responsive to the simulated value exceeding a predetermined limit to generate a clutch protection output singal (84) effective to cause the clutch to be operated in a non-slipping, preferably fully engaged, mode of operation. The devices (104 and 116) for causing the numerical value to be increased or decreased are actuated in response to sensed and/or calculated inputs (72, 74, 76, 78 and 82). The device (126) for generating the clutch protection signal may be reset to a non-signal generating condition in response to selected sensed and/or calculated inputs thereto.

Claims40

Dependent claims

An automatic control system for automatically operating a vehicle master clutch interconnected between a throttle controlled engine and a change gear transmission, said control system including means for receiving sensed or calculated input signals indicative of clutch, engine and transmission operating conditions and means for providing output signals to command the operation of said clutch to a first fully engaged condition, a second fully disengaged condition and a third partially engaged condition, said control system including means for simulating the current operating temperature of the clutch operating surfaces including means for increasing the simulated temperature at a first rate in response to predetermined sensed excessive clutch slippage conditions and means for decreasing the simulated temperature at a second rate in response to the absence of said predeterined excessive sensed clutch slippage conditions.

An override protection control system for an automatic clutch control of the type automatically controlling a vehicle master clutch drivingly interposed a throttle controlled engine and a change gear transmission, said master clutch having a first fully engaged mode, a second fully disengaged mode and a third partially engaged mode, said automatic clutch control having an information processing unit for receiving a plurality of input signals including (1) an input signal indicative of engine speed and (2) and input signal indicative of throttle controlling means position, said processing unit including means for processing said input signals in accordance with predetermined logic rules and for generating operational output signals whereby said master clutch is operated in accordance with said logic rules, said override control system comprising;

means for maintaining an override value indicative of simulated current clutch friction surface operating temperature including means for increasing said override value in response to first sensed conditions at a first rate, means for decreasing said override value in response to second sensed conditions at a second rate and means for generating an override output signal when said override value equals a predetermined reference value.

An improved automatic clutch control system of the type automatically controlling a vehicle master clutch interposed a throttle controlled engine and a change gear transmission, said master clutch having a first fully engaged operational mode, a second fully disengaged operational mode and a third partially engaged operational mode, said automatic clutch control system having an information processing unit for receiving a plurality of input signals including (1) an input signal indicative of engine speed, (2) an input signal indicative of throttle controlling means position, (3) an input signal indicative of transmission input shaft speed and (4) an input signal indicative of the shifted condition of the transmission, said processing unit including means for processing said input signals in accordance with predetermined logic rules and for generating output signals whereby said master clutch is operated in accordance with said logic rules, said improvement comprising;

means for calculating a simulated current master clutch operating temperature including means for maintaining a simulated numerical value indicative of the simulated current clutch operating temperature, means for increasing said simulated numerical value at a first predetermined rate in response to input and/of calculated signals indicating that the throttle position is greater than a predetermined percentage of wide open throttle, the difference between engine speed and transmission input shaft speed is greater than a predetermined value and that said transmission is not in neutral, means for decreasing said simulated numerical value at a second predetermined rate in response to the absence of at least one of said sensed and/or calculated signals indicating that the throttle position exceeds said predetermined percentage of wide open throttle, that engine speed exceeds transmission input shaft speed by said predetermined value or that said transmission is not in neutral.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Clutch control

Life of this patent

Clutch control

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims40