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US 9,493,164 B2Granted
Method for increasing vacuum production for a vehicle
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsRalph Wayne Cunningham, Ross Dykstra Pursifull
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods and systems for providing vacuum to a vehicle are described. In one example, a method adjusts an application force of a transmission clutch in response to a request for additional vacuum.
Claims19
A method for operating a vehicle powertrain, comprising:
- reducing torque delivered from an engine to vehicle wheels via reducing a torque transferred via a clutch in response to a vehicle being engaged in a forward gear and traveling downhill;
- and
- generating vacuum via an ejector coupled to an intake system of the engine.
A method for operating a vehicle powertrain, comprising:
- delivering a first torque from an engine to wheels of a vehicle when the vehicle is stopped in the absence of a request for vacuum;
- and
- delivering a second torque from the engine to the wheels of the vehicle when the vehicle is stopped in response to a request for additional vacuum, the second torque less than the first torque, wherein additional vacuum is supplied by an ejector.
A system for operating a vehicle powertrain, comprising:
- an engine having an intake;
- an ejector coupled to the engine intake and a vacuum reservoir;
- a transmission coupled to the engine that includes an electrically actuated clutch;
- and
- a controller including executable instructions stored in a non-transitory medium to reduce an application force of the electrically actuated clutch in response to a request for vacuum.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.