Apparatus for controlling slip amount of motor vehicle clutch during vehicle starting

An apparatus for controlling a clutch of a motor vehicle connected to an engine and having a driving and a driven rotating member for transmitting and cutting an output of the engine, said apparatus being capable of controlling an amount of slip of said clutch during starting of the vehicle, said apparatus comprising:

• engine torque determining means for determining a torque of said engine;
• clutch speed monitoring means for determining whether a speed of said driven rotating member has been raised to a level substantially equal to a speed of said engine;
• first slip control means for controlling the amount of slip of said clutch such that a clutch torque to be transmitted through said clutch is smaller than said engine torque by a predetermined first amount, during an initial first period before said clutch speed monitoring means determines that said speed of said driven rotating member has been raised to said level;
• time lapse determining means for determining whether said initial first period has expired;
• second slip control means, responsive to said time lapse determining means, for controlling the amount of slip of said clutch such that said clutch torque is larger than said engine torque by a predetermined second amount during a second period following said initial first period before said clutch speed monitoring means determines that said speed of said driven rotating member has been raised to said level;
• and
• fully engaging means for fully engaging said clutch when said clutch speed monitoring means determines that said speed of said driven rotating member has been raised to said level.