Reverse operation of a vehicle
AssigneeBombardier Recreational Products Inc.
InventorsMarc Gagnon, Jean Daunais
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vehicle has a vehicle body, a seat, an engine, an ECU, a throttle body, a throttle valve, a throttle valve actuator, a throttle operator, and a throttle operator position sensor. A shifter is disposed on the vehicle in proximity to the seat for selecting a vehicle operation direction between a forward direction and a reverse direction. A vehicle operation direction sensor senses the vehicle operation direction. The ECU limits a maximum speed of the vehicle when it operates in the reverse direction. In another aspect, the ECU limits the degree of opening of the throttle valve when it operates in the reverse direction. Methods of controlling an engine are also disclosed.
Claims40
A vehicle comprising:
- a vehicle body;
- a seat for a driver associated with the vehicle body;
- an engine associated with the vehicle body for powering the vehicle, the engine having at least one combustion chamber;
- an electronic control unit (ECU) on the vehicle for controlling operation of the engine;
- a throttle body in fluid communication with the at least one combustion chamber;
- a throttle valve disposed in the throttle body for controlling an amount of air supplied to the at least one combustion chamber;
- a throttle valve actuator operatively connected to the throttle valve and in electronic communication with the ECU;
- a throttle operator disposed on the vehicle in proximity to the seat;
- a throttle operator position sensor for sensing a throttle operator position and in electronic communication with the ECU for sending a signal representative of a throttle operator position to the ECU;
- a shifter disposed on the vehicle in proximity to the seat for selecting a vehicle operation direction between a forward direction and a reverse direction;
- and
- a vehicle operation direction sensor for sensing the vehicle operation direction and in electronic communication with the ECU for sending a signal representative of the vehicle operation direction to the ECU,
- the ECU sending a control signal to the throttle valve actuator based on the throttle operator position signal and the vehicle operation direction signal,
- the throttle valve actuator adjusting a degree of opening of the throttle valve in response to the control signal,
- the control signal causing the throttle valve actuator to adjust the degree of opening of the throttle valve based on the throttle operator position signal up to a first maximum degree of opening of the throttle valve when the vehicle operation direction is a forward direction, and
- the control signal causing the throttle valve actuator to adjust the degree of opening of the throttle valve based on the throttle operator position signal up to a second maximum degree of opening of the throttle valve when the vehicle operation direction is a reverse direction,
- the first maximum degree of opening of the throttle valve being higher than the second maximum degree of opening of the throttle valve.
A method of controlling an engine of a vehicle, the engine having at least one combustion chamber, the vehicle having a throttle operator, a throttle body in fluid communication with the at least one combustion chamber, a throttle valve disposed in the throttle body for controlling an amount of air supplied to the at least one combustion chamber, and a throttle valve actuator operatively connected to the throttle valve for adjusting a degree of opening of the throttle valve, the method comprising:
- sensing a throttle operator position;
- sensing a vehicle operation direction;
- adjusting the degree of opening of the throttle valve based on the throttle operator position up to a first maximum degree of opening of the throttle valve when the vehicle operation direction is a forward direction;
- and
- adjusting the degree of opening of the throttle valve based on the throttle operator position up to a second maximum degree of opening of the throttle valve when the vehicle operation direction is a reverse direction,
- the first maximum degree of opening of the throttle valve being higher than the second maximum degree of opening of the throttle valve.
A vehicle comprising:
- a vehicle body;
- a seat associated with the vehicle body;
- an engine associated with the vehicle body for powering the vehicle, the engine having at least one combustion chamber;
- an electronic control unit on the vehicle for controlling operation of the engine;
- a throttle body in fluid communication with the at least one combustion chamber;
- a throttle valve disposed in the throttle body for controlling an amount of air supplied to the at least one combustion chamber;
- a throttle valve actuator operatively connected to the throttle valve and in electronic communication with the ECU;
- a throttle operator disposed on the vehicle in proximity to the seat;
- a throttle operator position sensor for sensing a throttle operator position and in electronic communication with the ECU for sending a signal representative of a throttle operator position to the ECU;
- a shifter disposed on the vehicle in proximity to the seat for selecting a vehicle operation direction between a forward direction and a reverse direction;
- a vehicle speed sensor for sensing a vehicle speed and in electronic communication with the ECU for sending a signal representative of a vehicle speed to the ECU;
- and
- a vehicle operation direction sensor for sensing the vehicle operation direction and in electronic communication with the ECU for sending a signal representative of a vehicle operation direction to the ECU,
- the ECU sending a control signal to the throttle valve actuator based on the throttle operator position signal, the vehicle speed signal, and the vehicle operation direction signal,
- the throttle valve actuator adjusting a degree of opening of the throttle valve in response to the control signal,
- when the vehicle operation direction is the forward direction, the control signal causing the throttle valve actuator to adjust the degree of opening of the throttle valve based on the throttle operator position, and
- when the vehicle operation direction is the reverse direction, the control signal causing the throttle valve actuator to adjust the degree of opening of the throttle valve based on the throttle operator position signal when the vehicle speed is lower than a predetermined maximum reverse vehicle speed and causing the throttle valve actuator to reduce the degree of opening of the throttle valve when the vehicle speed is higher than the predetermined maximum reverse vehicle speed.
A method of controlling an engine of a vehicle, the engine having at least one combustion chamber, the vehicle having a throttle operator, a throttle body in fluid communication with the at least one combustion chamber, a throttle valve disposed in the throttle body for controlling an amount of air supplied to the at least one combustion chamber, and a throttle valve actuator operatively connected to the throttle valve for adjusting a degree of opening of the throttle valve, the method comprising:
- sensing a throttle operator position;
- sensing a vehicle speed;
- sensing a vehicle operation direction;
- when the vehicle operation direction is a forward direction, adjusting the degree of opening of the throttle valve based on the throttle operator position;
- and
- when the vehicle operation direction is a reverse direction, adjusting the degree of opening of the throttle valve based on the throttle operator position when the vehicle speed is lower than a predetermined maximum reverse vehicle speed and reducing the degree of opening of the throttle valve when the vehicle speed is higher than the predetermined maximum reverse vehicle speed.
A vehicle comprising:
- a vehicle body;
- a seat associated with the vehicle body;
- an engine associated with the vehicle body for powering the vehicle, the engine having at least one combustion chamber;
- an electronic control unit on the vehicle for controlling an operation of the engine;
- a throttle body in fluid communication with the at least one combustion chamber;
- a throttle valve disposed in the throttle body for controlling an amount of air supplied to the at least one combustion chamber;
- a throttle valve actuator operatively connected to the throttle valve and in electronic communication with the ECU;
- a throttle operator disposed on the vehicle in proximity to the seat;
- a throttle operator position sensor for sensing a throttle operator position and in electronic communication with the ECU for sending a signal representative of a throttle operator position to the ECU;
- a shifter disposed on the vehicle in proximity to the seat for selecting a vehicle operation direction between a forward direction and a reverse direction;
- a vehicle speed sensor for sensing a vehicle speed and in electronic communication with the ECU for sending a signal representative of a vehicle speed to the ECU;
- and
- a vehicle operation direction sensor for sensing the vehicle operation direction and in electronic communication with the ECU for sending a signal representative of a vehicle operation direction to the ECU,
- the ECU sending a control signal to the throttle valve actuator based on the throttle operator position signal, the vehicle speed signal, and the vehicle operation direction signal,
- the throttle valve actuator adjusting a degree of opening of the throttle valve in response to the control signal,
- when the vehicle operation direction is the forward direction, the control signal causing the throttle valve actuator to adjust the degree of opening of the throttle valve based on the throttle operator position when the vehicle speed is lower than a predetermined maximum forward vehicle speed and causing the throttle valve actuator to reduce the degree of opening of the throttle valve when the vehicle speed is higher than the predetermined maximum forward vehicle speed;
- and
- when the vehicle operation direction is the reverse direction, the control signal causing the throttle valve actuator to adjust the degree of opening of the throttle valve based on the throttle operator position signal up to a maximum degree of opening of the throttle valve.
A method of controlling an engine of a vehicle, the engine having at least one combustion chamber, the vehicle having a throttle operator, a throttle body in fluid communication with the at least one combustion chamber, a throttle valve disposed in the throttle body for controlling an amount of air supplied to the at least one combustion chamber, and a throttle valve actuator operatively connected to the throttle valve for adjusting a degree of opening of the throttle valve, the method comprising:
- sensing a throttle operator position;
- sensing a vehicle speed;
- sensing a vehicle operation direction;
- when the vehicle operation direction is the forward direction, adjusting a degree of opening of the throttle valve based on the throttle operator position when the vehicle speed is lower than a predetermined maximum forward vehicle speed and reducing the degree of opening of the throttle valve when the vehicle speed is higher than the predetermined maximum forward vehicle speed;
- and
- when the vehicle operation direction is the reverse direction, adjusting the degree of opening of the throttle valve based on the throttle operator position signal up to a maximum degree of opening of the throttle valve.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.