JPH10238558A - Clutch connection / disconnection device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [PROBLEMS] To eliminate a time delay due to a reaction force cancellation, to start a reaction force cancellation at an optimal timing suitable for a driving state, and to improve an operation feeling of an accelerator pedal. SOLUTION: The present invention relates to a clutch 8 with a shift operation.
Connection / disconnection means 2, 62, 67, 3 for performing automatic connection / disconnection
In the clutch connecting / disconnecting device 1 having 4, 42, 44, 54, 69, 7, 78, 72, a reaction force applying means 2 for applying a reaction force to the accelerator pedal 55 in a return direction when the clutch 8 is automatically disconnected. , 62, 68, 51, 79, 72, 95
Reaction speed control means 93 and 94 for controlling the application speed or release speed of the reaction force, and the reaction time for determining the application time h of the reaction force based on the engine speed and the gear position of the transmission 76. It is provided with decision means 72 and 75.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a clutch connecting / disconnecting device, and more particularly to a clutch connecting / disconnecting device capable of automating a vehicle clutch.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Recently, there has been an increasing demand for automatic shifting of large vehicles such as buses and trucks. Since these vehicles generally have a large vehicle weight and a large load, and use of a fluid torque converter such as that employed in a passenger car as a clutch type leads to a large loss and is disadvantageous in terms of fuel efficiency, so in such a large vehicle, In particular, the friction clutch is automatically connected and disconnected, the output of which is sent to a transmission, and the transmission is also automatically operated, thereby achieving automatic transmission. As a clutch connecting / disconnecting device for automatically operating the clutch, a device provided with a booster (clutch booster) for connecting / disconnecting a friction clutch by supplying and discharging air pressure is generally used.

On the other hand, when the vehicle is started, the operation of the clutch is delicate, and if the operation is to be performed by automatic control, the device becomes complicated and expensive. Therefore, only in this case, a manual operation using a clutch pedal is required. ) There is a system which can be operated so as to simplify the device and reduce the price (so-called semi-auto clutch system). In this case, the hydraulic pressure is supplied and discharged from the master cylinder by operating the clutch pedal, and the supply and discharge of the hydraulic pressure is performed to supply and discharge the pneumatic pressure to and from the booster.

[0004] By the way, at the time of automatic shifting except at the time of starting, air pressure is supplied / discharged to the booster without operating the clutch pedal. Further, when the air pressure is supplied, the booster pushes an internal power piston to operate the clutch in a disconnecting direction.

In the conventional configuration, a passage for sending hydraulic pressure from the master cylinder communicates with a hydraulic cylinder of a booster whose volume changes according to the movement of the power piston. That is, when clutch separation control is performed by the power piston without operating the clutch pedal, when the hydraulic piston (hydraulic piston) moves due to the pushing of the power piston, a negative pressure is generated in the hydraulic passage and air bubbles are mixed in, so that the clutch is disengaged. There is a possibility that the accurate operation of the is difficult.

In order to prevent such a negative pressure from occurring, Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 4-8023 discloses a mechanism for canceling a manual operation and an automatic operation at a hydraulic output portion of a booster.
The change in volume in the hydraulic passage during automatic operation is prevented. However, such a structural change of the booster has to employ a complicated structure with a small space, which leads to an increase in cost and a problem in reliability and durability.

Therefore, the present applicant solves the above-mentioned problem by operating the master cylinder not only by the clutch pedal but also by another driving means (pneumatic or hydraulic) without changing the structure of the booster. The proposal of the clutch connection / disconnection device which can be performed was performed first. (Japanese Patent Application No. 7-176353)

[0008]

However, in such a clutch connecting / disconnecting device, if the accelerator pedal is depressed particularly during automatic disconnection during running, the engine becomes idle and noise, vibration, etc. This causes a problem that ride comfort is deteriorated.

In order to prevent this, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 61-125935, fuel control of the engine is performed when the clutch is automatically disconnected. However, this is a so-called electronic control engine system, which requires a fuel control actuator (electronic governor) and a clutch control ECU.
As such, communication with the engine ECU becomes complicated and expensive. There is also a disadvantage that it cannot be applied to engines other than electronically controlled engines.

Therefore, the present applicant previously applied a reaction force to the return side to the accelerator pedal by a reaction force applying means such as a pneumatic cylinder when the clutch was automatically disengaged, thereby prohibiting the accelerator pedal from being depressed. (Japanese Patent Application No. 7-253773). According to this, it is only necessary to perform pneumatic supply / discharge control by adding a pneumatic cylinder or the like, so that engine control becomes unnecessary and an excessive increase in cost can be avoided.

However, in the one proposed here,
Since air pressure is supplied and discharged instantaneously to the pneumatic cylinder,
The reaction feeling was suddenly felt, the feet were pushed up, and the reaction force suddenly came off.

The pneumatic pressure supplied to the pneumatic cylinder is:
This is due to an air tank mounted on a normal large vehicle, and its value is higher than necessary. Therefore, there is a problem that the pneumatic pressure is not easily released from the pneumatic cylinder and the release of the reaction force is delayed.

[0013]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a clutch connecting / disconnecting device having automatic connecting / disconnecting means for automatically connecting / disconnecting a clutch in accordance with a gear shift operation. Reaction force applying means for applying a reaction force to the reaction force, reaction force speed control means for controlling the application speed or release speed of the reaction force, and the application time of the reaction force based on the engine speed and the gear position of the transmission. And a reaction force time determining means.

According to this, by the reaction force speed control means,
It becomes possible to control the application speed or release speed of the reaction force,
The degree of reaction force generation can be made closer to the human sense, and the operation feeling can be greatly improved. Further, the reaction time determining means can optimally determine the reaction force application time in accordance with the driving state of the vehicle, thereby preventing a time delay in canceling the reaction force and enabling the reaction force to be canceled at an optimal timing. become.

It is preferable that the reaction time determining means further determines the reaction force application time based on the accelerator pedal opening.

[0016]

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram showing a clutch connecting / disconnecting device according to the present invention. The clutch connecting / disconnecting device 1 has pneumatic supply means 2 for supplying pneumatic pressure. The pneumatic supply means 2
A compressor 3 driven by the engine 91 to generate air pressure (air pressure); an air dryer 4 for drying air from the compressor 3; an air tank 5 for storing air sent from the air dryer 4; And a check valve 6 provided on the main body. The air pressure from the air pressure supply means 2 is boosted by a booster (clutch booster).
7, the booster 7 operates the friction clutch 8 to the separating side (left side) A by supplying the pneumatic pressure. The booster 7 is also supplied with hydraulic pressure from the master cylinder 10 or the air master cylinder 42, which will be described in detail later.

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view showing details of the booster 7. The booster 7 is configured in the same manner as in the prior art,
Is drawn left and right reversed. As shown in the drawing, the booster 7 has a cylinder shell 12 connected to a body 11 thereof, and a piston plate (power piston, booster piston) 13 is pneumatically driven by a return spring 14 in the cylinder shell 12. It is provided to be urged toward the introduction side (left side in the figure). A pneumatic nipple 15 is attached to one end of the cylinder shell 12.
5 forms an air pressure introduction port, and introduces air pressure from the air tank 5 from the air pressure pipe 34 (FIG. 1). When air pressure is introduced, the piston plate 13 is pushed to the right, and when this occurs, the piston plate 13 pushes the piston rod 16, the hydraulic piston 17, and the push rod 18 to move the clutch lever 8a (FIG. 1). Push to the splitting side A to split the clutch 8.

On the other hand, a hydraulic passage 20 communicating with a hydraulic nipple 19 serving as a hydraulic inlet is formed inside the body 11. The hydraulic passage 20 includes a hole 21 formed at one end (lower end) of the body flange portion 11a, a hydraulic cylinder (hydraulic cylinder) 22 that accommodates the hydraulic piston 17 (formed on the body cylinder portion 11b), and a hydraulic cylinder. It is mainly formed by the control hole 23 on the other end (upper end) side communicating with the lick cylinder 22 via the small hole 23a. When the hydraulic pressure of the hydraulic piping 54 (FIG. 1) is introduced from the hydraulic nipple 19, the hydraulic pressure passes through the above passage and passes through the control hole 23.
And pushes the control piston 24 rightward along the control cylinder 25. Thus, the body flange portion 11a
As will be described in detail later, a control valve section 7a (hydraulic actuated valve) for controlling the supply of pneumatic pressure to the booster 7 is formed on the upper end side.

The control valve portion 7a is defined by a control body portion 26 protruding rightward. A control chamber 27 and a pneumatic port 28 are formed in the control body 26 so as to communicate coaxially with the control cylinder 25 described above. The control section 27 of the control piston 24 is provided in the control chamber 27.
However, a poppet valve 30 is slidably accommodated in the pneumatic port 28. Nipple 3 in pneumatic port 28
The nipple 31 is provided with a pneumatic piping 67.
(FIG. 1) is connected and air pressure is always supplied.

Normally, the poppet valve 30 is urged to the left by pneumatic pressure and a poppet spring 32, and closes a communication port 33 that connects the control chamber 27 and the pneumatic port 28. Therefore, the air pressure from the nipple 31 is cut off at the position of the poppet valve 30. However, when hydraulic pressure is supplied from the hydraulic piping 54, the control unit 29 of the control piston 24 pushes the poppet valve 30 to the right to open the communication port 33. When this happens, the air pressure that has entered the control chamber 27 from the communication port 33 is
The cylinder shell 12 enters the above-described cylinder shell 12 through a pneumatic pipe 34 (indicated by a phantom line) communicating with the control chamber 27, and acts on the pneumatic action surface 13a on the left side of the piston plate 13 to push it to the right. Is operated to the dividing side.

Here, the booster 7 can operate the clutch 8 for a predetermined stroke according to the magnitude of the supplied hydraulic pressure. That is, for example, when the hydraulic pressure is increased by a relatively small value, the piston plate 13 is pushed rightward by the above-described pneumatic action, and in conjunction with this, the hydraulic piston 17 is pushed rightward by a predetermined stroke. . Then, the volume of the hydraulic passage 20 increases and the hydraulic pressure in the control hole 23 decreases, and when this occurs, a balance state occurs in which the poppet valve 30 closes the communication port 33 while the control unit 29 of the control piston 24 presses the poppet valve 30. Accordingly, a predetermined air pressure is held in the control chamber 27, the air pressure pipe 34, and the air pressure introduction chamber 12b on the air pressure acting surface 13a side of the piston plate 13, and the piston plate 13 is held at a predetermined stroke position. , The clutch 8 is held at a predetermined half-clutch position.

When the hydraulic pressure is completely released, the control hole 2
3, the control piston 24 is returned to the leftmost home position as shown. In this case, the control unit 29 is separated from the poppet valve 30, and the open port 36 provided inside the control unit 29 communicates with the control room 27 and the like. Then, most of the held air pressure is introduced from the open port 36 through the atmospheric pressure port 39 into the cylinder chamber 12a on the opposite side of the air pressure introduction chamber 12b, whereby the piston plate 13
The air pressure, which had pushed the right side of the clutch, now cooperated with the return spring 14 and pushed it to the left side on the opposite side.
To the connection side (left side) B. And the remaining air pressure is
It is opened to the atmosphere through the breather 37.

In the booster 7, reference numeral 38 denotes a seal member for partitioning the cylinder chamber 12a and the hydraulic cylinder 22 in an oil-tight manner, reference numeral 40 denotes an atmospheric pressure port, and reference numeral 41 denotes an air vent of hydraulic oil when loosened. Breeder.

As shown in FIG. 1, a hydraulic pipe 54 is provided with a shuttle valve or a double check valve (hereinafter referred to as D.
CV (referred to as CV) 69, two more hydraulic lines 43, 44 extend from the DCV 69, one of which is connected to the master cylinder 10 and the other is connected to the air master cylinder 42. The master cylinder 10 has a normal structure, that is, when the driver operates the clutch pedal 9, the internal piston moves via the push rod 49, thereby supplying and discharging the hydraulic pressure from the hydraulic supply unit 53. is there.

FIG. 4 is a schematic vertical sectional view showing the structure of the air master cylinder 42. This pushes the internal pneumatic piston 45 with the pneumatic pressure sent from the pneumatic piping 62, similarly to the booster 7 described above. Thus, the hydraulic piston 46 is pushed to supply the hydraulic pressure to the hydraulic piping 44. The pneumatic piston 45 and the hydraulic piston 46 are urged to return by return springs 47 and 48, and the pneumatic piston 45 is
The inside of the chamber on the pushing side (left side) is breathed to the outside through the communication hole 50.

As shown in FIG. 1, the hydraulic oil stored in the reservoir tank 58 is supplied to the master cylinder 10 and the air master cylinder 42 through oil supply pipes 59a and 59b.

The DCV 69 utilizes the pressure difference of the hydraulic pressure from the master cylinder 10 and the air master cylinder 42 to
The switching of the hydraulic path is performed automatically and mechanically. That is, if the hydraulic pressure is sent from the master cylinder 10,
The hydraulic lines 43 and 54 are connected, and the hydraulic line 44 is shut off. On the other hand, when hydraulic pressure is sent from the air master cylinder 42, the hydraulic piping 44, 54 is connected, and the hydraulic piping 43 is shut off. In this way, if hydraulic pressure is supplied from any of them, the hydraulic pressure is sent to the booster 7 to operate the booster 7 on the dividing side A as described above.

When the master cylinder 10 is operated by operating the clutch pedal 9, manual connection and disconnection of the clutch 8 is achieved. On the other hand, when the supply of air pressure to the air master cylinder 42 is controlled, the automatic operation of the clutch 8 is performed. The connection is achieved.

In this pneumatic supply control, an electromagnetic switching valve 78 provided in the pneumatic pipe 62 is controlled by the clutch controller 72.
Achieved by ON / OFF control. When the switching valve 78 is ON, the upstream side (air tank 5 side) communicates with the downstream side (air master cylinder 42 side) to allow pneumatic supply.
In the case of F, the upstream side is shut off and the downstream side is opened to the atmosphere, and the air pressure of the air master cylinder 42 is discharged to the outside. Therefore, when the switching valve 78 is turned on, the hydraulic pressure is supplied from the air master cylinder 42 to disconnect the clutch 8, and when the switching valve 78 is turned off, the air master cylinder 42 is turned off.
And the clutch 8 is connected.

As described above, the master cylinder 10, the hydraulic piping 43, 54, the DCV 69, the booster 7, the pneumatic supply means 2, and the pneumatic piping 62, 67, 34 The manual connection / disconnection means for performing the manual connection / disconnection of No. 8 is constructed.

On the other hand, the pneumatic supply means 2 and the pneumatic pipes 62 and 6
7, 34, air master cylinder 42, hydraulic piping 44, 5
4. The DCV 69, the booster 7, the switching valve 78, and the controller 72 constitute an automatic connection / disconnection unit for performing automatic connection / disconnection of the clutch 8 in response to a speed change operation described later in detail.

Referring to FIG. 1, the air pressure pipe 62 connecting the air tank 5 and the air master cylinder 42 is provided with four branches 63, 64, 65, 66 in the middle thereof. The pneumatic piping 67 is connected to the third branch 65 from the upstream side.

In particular, the end of the pneumatic pipe 68 connected to the second branch 64 is connected to the air cylinder 51. The air cylinder 51 is disposed on the push side or the back side of the accelerator pedal 55, and has its rod 56 extending toward the accelerator pedal 55. When the air pressure is introduced, the air cylinder 51 moves the internal piston 5.
2 is moved upward to move the accelerator pedal 55 to the return side.
5 is held in a complete return position, that is, an idle position. That is, the air cylinder 51 substantially applies a reaction force toward the return side to the accelerator pedal 55 by introducing pneumatic pressure.

Whether or not the reaction force is applied to the accelerator pedal 55 is switched by ON / OFF control of the same electromagnetic switching valve 79 provided in the pneumatic piping 68 by the controller 72. That is, if the electromagnetic switching valve 79 is turned ON,
Air pressure is supplied to the air cylinder 51 and the accelerator pedal 5
When a reaction force is applied to the air cylinder 5 and turned OFF, the air pressure is discharged from the air cylinder 51, and the accelerator pedal 55 can move freely.

In particular, throttles 93 and 94 are provided on the supply side and the discharge side of the electromagnetic switching valve 79, respectively.
That is, one throttle 93 is provided in a portion of the pneumatic pipe 68 that connects the electromagnetic switching valve 79 and the air cylinder 51, and the other throttle is a pneumatic pipe 95 for exhaust connected to the electromagnetic switching valve 79. It is provided in. The amount of the throttle 94 on the discharge side is made larger than the amount of the throttle 93 on the supply side, so that the passage in the pipe 95 is narrower than the passage in the pipe 68. The throttles 93 and 94 are connected to the electromagnetic switching valve 7.
9 can also be incorporated. By providing the throttles 93 and 94 in this manner, the moving speed of the air pressure becomes slow, and the application and release of the reaction force are performed relatively slowly.

Further, in the pneumatic piping 62, the first branch 63 is connected to a gear shift unit (hereinafter referred to as GSU) 71 through a pneumatic piping 70,
6 is connected to a shift lever device 74 via a pneumatic pipe 73. These are transmissions (transmission) 76
, And these are electrically connected to a transmission controller 75. The transmission controller 7
Reference numeral 5 is connected to the clutch controller 72 via a bus cable or the like. These controllers 72 and 75
A controller that controls the device 1 collectively is configured.

The GSU 71 is an actuator for executing a shift operation of the transmission 76 based on a control signal from the controller 75. Its configuration is as shown in FIG.

In this case, the shift rod 76a of the transmission 76 is moved in the orthogonal direction by the two air cylinders 77a, 77b to change the speed of the transmission 76, that is, to change the gear position. And the air cylinder 77
a, 77b are electromagnetic switching valves 80a, 8
0b is ON / OFF controlled, and each shift position (R (reverse), 1 (first speed), 2 (second speed), ..., 5 (fifth speed),
A stroke operation corresponding to N1 (neutral 1),..., N3 (neutral 3) is performed. There are three switches for indicating each shift position in the column or shift direction (for example, between R and 1), and in the row or select direction (N
1 to N3), the controller 75 confirms the position of the shift rod 76a by the ON / OFF combination of the minimum number of switches, and the air cylinders 77a, 77
The next action of b can be determined. And this G.
The operation of the SU 71 is performed based on an output signal from the shift lever device 74.

As shown in FIG. 1, the shift lever device 74
Has a shift lever 81 that is manually operated by a driver, and the shift lever 81 can move along an H-shaped gate as illustrated. In particular, H in the right column means hold, Up means shift up, Down means shift down,
For example, when the shift lever 81 is tilted to Up while traveling in H, a shift-up signal is sent from the shift lever device 74 to the controller 75, and the controller 75 operates the GSU 71 so that the transmission 76 is shifted up. Air from the pneumatic pipe 73 is stored inside the shift lever device 74, and a spring is also built in, thereby giving the shift lever 81 a natural operation feeling. For a normal manual shift,
The driver can know from the shift lever that the shift operation has been completed, but in the case of this device 74, operating the shift lever 81 only switches the electric switch, so that such a feeling is obtained. I can't. Therefore, for example, when moving from the H position to the Up position, the operation feeling is slightly increased by compressing the stored air and the spring, while the GSU 71 completes the shifting operation, the electromagnetic switching valve 90 is turned off to release the air in the device 74, and the shift lever 81 is finally pushed once.
Thus, the driver can know the shift completion from the operation feeling.

In addition, the clutch controller 72 includes an accelerator stroke sensor 82 and an idle switch 83 provided on the accelerator pedal 55, a clutch stroke sensor 88 provided on the clutch 8, and the pneumatic introduction chamber 12b of the booster 7. Are connected. The transmission controller 75
The clutch pedal stroke sensor 89 and the pedal switch 87 provided on the clutch pedal 9, the emergency switch 84 provided on the shift lever device 74, the transmission 7
6, a vehicle speed sensor 85 provided near the output shaft, a pressure switch 86 provided in the air tank 5, and the like are connected. The accelerator pedal 55 is connected to a fuel injection pump 92 of the diesel engine 91 via a wire cable (not shown).

Next, the operation of the above device will be described.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a control routine by the controllers 72 and 75. First, the controllers 72 and 75 determine whether or not the vehicle speed is 0 based on an output signal from the vehicle speed sensor 85. Here, the vehicle speed of 0 includes a state in which the vehicle speed is extremely low after a predetermined threshold value. If the vehicle speed is not 0, that is, if the vehicle is running, the process proceeds to YES. Next, when a shift signal is input to the controller 75 by operating the shift lever 81 of the driver, the electromagnetic switching valve 79 is turned on to supply air pressure to the air cylinder 51, and the accelerator pedal 55
In the idle position.

At the moment when the gearshift signal is input, the controllers 72 and 75 read the engine speed at that time based on an output signal from a crank angle sensor (not shown) or the like. The accelerator pedal opening is read based on the output signal of the accelerator stroke sensor 82, and at that time (before shifting)
Is read based on the output signal of the position switch of the GSU 71. Based on these values, the controllers 72 and 75 execute a predetermined calculation to determine the timing of turning off the electromagnetic switching valve 79, which will be described in detail later.

Next, the controllers 72 and 75 turn on the electromagnetic switching valve 78 to supply air pressure to the air master cylinder 42 and send hydraulic pressure to the booster 7 to cause the clutch 8 to be disconnected. Further, if it is determined from the output signal of the clutch stroke sensor 88 that the clutch 8 has been completely disconnected,
The GSU 71 is operated, and the transmission 76 is shifted.
On the other hand, if it is determined that the clutch 8 has not been disconnected, the supply of air pressure to the air master cylinder 42 is continued, and the disconnecting operation of the clutch 8 is continued. Next, it is determined from the output signal from the position switch of the GSU 71 whether or not the shift has been completed. If the shift has not been completed, the process proceeds to NO and the shift operation is continued. If completed, proceed to YES, and display the gear position on the indicator in the vehicle compartment.

Here, the controllers 72 and 75 are controlled by the electromagnetic switching valve 78 at the timing determined by the above-described calculation, specifically, after a lapse of a predetermined time after the shift of the transmission 76 is completed. Is turned off, and the pneumatic discharge from the air cylinder 51 is started.

Subsequently, the controllers 72 and 75 turn off the electromagnetic switching valve 78 to discharge the air pressure from the air master cylinder 42 and connect the clutch 8. Then, it is determined from the output signal of the clutch stroke sensor 88 whether the clutch 8 is completely connected. If not, continue pneumatic discharge. At the same time, since the air pressure is gradually discharged from the air cylinder 51, the accelerator pedal 55 can be depressed in accordance with the degree of engagement of the clutch 8. When the connection of the clutch 8 is completed in this way, a series of shift operations such as clutch disconnection, shift, and clutch connection during traveling are completed.

On the other hand, in the first step, the controller 75
If it is determined that the vehicle speed is 0, that is, if it is determined that the vehicle is substantially stopped, the process proceeds to NO. At this time, the shift control between neutral and first speed or reverse for starting is performed, and the clutch 8 is manually operated by the clutch pedal 9. Naturally, the accelerator pedal 55 is not locked here. The control at this time is as follows.

If the driver operates the shift lever 81 to input a shift signal to the controller 75, and if the clutch pedal 9 is depressed, it is output from the clutch stroke sensor 88 that the clutch 8 has been completely disengaged (that is, these signals are output). If the two conditions are satisfied), the GSU 71 is operated and the transmission 76 is operated to change the speed as before. Then, in the next step, it is determined whether the shift is completed,
If not completed, proceed to NO and continue shifting operation, if completed
Proceed to YES to display the gear position. Control ends here,
After that, the driver sets the clutch pedal 9 at the appropriate timing,
If the vehicle is returned at the speed, the clutch 8 is connected and the vehicle starts.

In the above control, the connection state of the clutch 8 is detected based on the output signal from the clutch stroke sensor 88. Alternatively, or in combination with this, the output signal from the pressure switch 93 is used. You may make it detect. In particular, even when the friction clutch 8 is worn due to the combined use thereof and the output value of the clutch stroke sensor 88 changes, the pressure value or the pressurized state of the booster 7 is detected by the pressure switch 93 so that the clutch 8 Can be compensated for.

Now, in the above configuration, the automatic disconnection of the clutch 8 is performed by operating an air master cylinder 42 different from the master cylinder 10, thereby preventing the generation of a negative pressure in the hydraulic passage. There is a first feature.

That is, referring to FIG. 3, there is conventionally no air master cylinder 42, and another pneumatic pipe is connected to the pneumatic nipple 15 of the booster 7, and the pneumatic pressure from this pneumatic pipe is By the supply control, the piston plate 13 is pushed without operating the master cylinder 10. However, in this case, the hydraulic piston 17 moves to the right in conjunction with the piston plate 13, thereby increasing the volume of the hydraulic cylinder 22 filled with the hydraulic oil, thereby increasing the hydraulic passage 20 and the hydraulic pipe 54. (Also referred to as a hydraulic passage), a bubble is mixed in the hydraulic oil, and a problem arises in that accurate manual operation of the clutch 8 becomes difficult.

Therefore, in the present apparatus 1, at the time of the automatic disconnection operation of the clutch 8, the air master cylinder 42 is operated to supply the air pressure to the booster 7 while pressurizing the hydraulic passage. As a result, it is possible to prevent the pressure in the hydraulic passage from becoming negative, and to prevent trouble.

Next, as described above, during automatic clutch disengagement, the accelerator pedal 55 is always kept at the idle position because the reaction force to the return side is continuously applied to the accelerator pedal 55. Therefore, at this time, even if the accelerator pedal 55 is depressed with a normal pedaling force, the accelerator pedal 55 does not move and the engine 91 is prevented from being idle. As a result, unexpected noise and vibration do not occur, and stable riding comfort can be maintained. In the present device, since the accelerator pedal 55 is simply mechanically operated, there is an advantage that a fuel control actuator as in the related art is not required, and the structure can be provided simply and inexpensively.

Here, if the accelerator pedal 55 is depressed with a pedaling force exceeding the normal pedaling force and exceeding the output of the air cylinder 51, the accelerator pedal 55 can be moved. However, during the automatic shifting, the driver can know that the clutch 8 is disconnected by a change in the operation feeling of the accelerator pedal 55, that is, by the heavier stepping feeling, so that the driver can stop the stepping. Will not do. On the other hand, if necessary, the engine speed can be increased by forcibly stepping on the engine.

As described above, in the above configuration, the pneumatic supply means 2 and the pneumatic pipes 62, 68, and 9 serving as fluid pressure passages are provided.
5. The air pedal 51 as a fluid pressure cylinder, the switching valve 79, and the controllers 72 and 75 are operated by the accelerator pedal 55 when the clutch 8 is automatically disconnected by the automatic connection / disconnection means.
And a reaction force applying means for applying a reaction force to the return side.
This configuration is schematically shown in FIG.

By the way, the application and release of the reaction force to the accelerator pedal 55 is performed more slowly than before because of the presence of the throttles 93 and 94.

That is, FIG. 9 is a time chart showing how the reaction force is applied and released by the above configuration. Here, the vertical axis indicates the pedal stroke of the accelerator pedal 55, and the solid line indicates the pedal stroke when the driver steps on the accelerator pedal 55 with a normal pedaling force.

First, it is assumed that the driver operates the shift lever 81 at time T ₁ to start shifting while traveling with the pedal stroke S ₁ . Then the output shift signal from the shift lever device 74, the aforementioned clutch cutting, shift, a series of operations that the clutch connection is made from the time T ₂ toward time T _3. However, since the accelerator pedal 55 must be returned before the clutch is disconnected, the electromagnetic switching valve 79 is turned on simultaneously with the shift signal, whereby air pressure is supplied to the air cylinder 51, and the accelerator pedal 55 is idle. It will be forced back towards the position.

At this time, conventionally, since there is no throttle 93 on the supply side as described above, pneumatic pressure is instantaneously supplied to the air cylinder 51, and the accelerator pedal 55 is also rapidly returned. At the start of shifting, the driver will loosen his or her pedaling force and return the accelerator pedal 55 to the idle position in a short time, but if this timing is later than the returning operation by the air cylinder 51, the driver Power is felt by the driver's feet, and the feet are pushed up, and the driver feels discomfort.

On the other hand, in the case of this configuration, as shown in FIG. 7, when the electromagnetic switching valve 79 is turned on and air pressure is supplied to the air cylinder 51, the passage in the air pressure pipe 68 is throttled by the throttle 93. Therefore, the moving speed or the air supply speed of the air is low. Thereby, the moving speed of the piston 52 of the air cylinder 51 (the operating speed of the air cylinder 51)
, The time required for the accelerator pedal 55 to return to the idle position is delayed, and the reaction force generated by the air cylinder 51 is performed more slowly than in the past. In particular, in the case of such a configuration, the reaction force rise characteristic becomes non-linear as shown in FIG. 9, and the rise of the reaction force is even slower in the initial stage of the rise.
From this, it becomes possible to secure a sufficient time for the driver to return the accelerator pedal 55 by operating his / her own pedaling force.
As indicated by a dashed line in FIG.
Even if the return of 5 is momentarily delayed, it is possible to eliminate the feeling of thrust and discomfort caused by the generation of the reaction force, and it is possible to reliably improve the operation feeling. Also, even if the player continues to depress with normal pedaling force, there is no uncomfortable feeling because the forcible return of the pedal is slow.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 9, the electromagnetic switching valve 79 is turned off to cancel the reaction force because the electromagnetic switching valve 79 is
The time T ₄ after a predetermined time has elapsed h after being turned ON. At this time, if the air pressure is instantaneously discharged from the air cylinder 51 as in the conventional case, the reaction force is released rapidly and rapidly, and if the driver maintains the normal pedaling force, the reaction force is released. The accelerator pedal 55 will also be rapidly depressed.

Originally, however, the driver should depress the accelerator pedal 55 more slowly as indicated by the solid line except during sudden acceleration, and should not suddenly depress the accelerator pedal 55 after shifting. In order to know the shift end of the transmission 76 from the operational feeling of the shift lever 81, the driver should originally want to depress the accelerator pedal 55 at a speed and timing synchronized with the clutch connection immediately after the shift end. Conventionally, there is a possibility that the accelerator pedal 55 is depressed once, it is inevitable to set at least after the clutch engagement time T _4, whereby the delay of the stepping timing occurred had gotten feeling uncomfortable.

On the other hand, in the case of such a configuration, since the apertures 93 and 94 are provided as described above, the following is obtained.

That is, as shown in FIG.
When turned OFF, the air cylinder 51
The internal air pressure is discharged through the air pressure pipes 68 and 95. Also at this time, since the throttles 93 and 94 are also present, the discharge speed is low, and the reaction force is released slowly. As a result, the reaction force release start timing (timing for turning off the electromagnetic switching valve 79) is earlier than before, and the reaction force release can be started during the clutch connection after the shift is completed. Then, the accelerator pedal 55 can be depressed in synchronism with the clutch connection as in a manual vehicle, so that a sense of discomfort can be eliminated and the operation feeling can be reliably improved.

In particular, the pneumatics or air is large and small double throttle 9
Since the vehicle passes through No. 3, 94, the discharge characteristic or pedal depression characteristic can be set to a characteristic closest to that of a manual vehicle as indicated by a solid line, and a more natural operation feeling can be obtained. That is, immediately after the electromagnetic switching valve 79 is turned off, when the exhaust pressure is still high, the discharge speed is controlled by the two throttles 93 and 94, and as the pressure decreases, the discharge speed is controlled by the small-diameter throttle 94. Will be done. In this way, a further improvement in operation feeling is achieved.

As described above, such a configuration has an advantage that the operation feeling can be improved only by a simple change of the pneumatic circuit, and the apparatus can be prevented from being complicated and the cost from being increased.

As can be understood from the above description, in such a configuration, the apertures 93 and 94 form a reaction force speed control means for controlling the speed of applying or releasing the reaction force. The reaction force speed control means includes, for example, a throttle 94 on the discharge side.
Only the reaction force release speed may be slowed down by providing only one, and these apertures may be electronically controlled variable apertures.

On the other hand, in FIG. 9, ΔT ₁ is
The time from the moment when the electromagnetic switching valve 79 is turned on (at the start of the application of the reaction force) to the start of clutch connection, ΔT ₂ is the time required for a series of shifts such as clutch disconnection, shift, and clutch connection, and ΔT ₃ is the clutch time. ΔT ₄ indicates the shift time of the transmission 76, and ΔT ₅ indicates the clutch connection time. Further, the shift time ΔT ₄ is further changed by the transmission 7
6, the shift rod 76a is moved in the shift direction (by performing a shift operation) to perform the gear release time ΔT _4-1 , and the shift rod 76a is moved in the select direction (by performing the select operation) to a position where the next shift operation is performed. Time to move ΔT
_4-2 , a time ΔT _4-3 required for synchronizing the transmission 76, and a time ΔT _4-4 for shifting to the next shift position and engaging a gear. Further, ΔT ₆ indicates an offset time from the end of the shift to the start of the reaction force release when the electromagnetic switching valve 79 is turned off.

Here, in particular, the time from when the electromagnetic switching valve 79 is turned ON to when it is turned OFF, that is, the reaction force applying time h can be expressed as h = ΔT ₁ + ΔT ₃ + ΔT ₄ + ΔT ₆ , and this time Is calculated and determined by the controllers 72 and 75 based on the following equation: h = a × Ne + b × Acc + c × Gr + d. That is, the controllers 72 and 75
Executes the above calculation at the moment when the electromagnetic switching valve 79 is turned on,
The time h determined in this way is counted by the built-in timer, and at the moment when the time h is reached, the electromagnetic switching valve 79 is uniformly turned off and the reaction force release is started. In the above equation, Ne is the engine speed, Acc is a substitute value based on the accelerator pedal opening (accelerator pedal opening value), Gr is a substitute value based on the gear position (gear position value), a,
b, c, and d indicate control auxiliary coefficients. The accelerator pedal opening value Accd does not indicate the actual accelerator pedal opening itself, but is replaced by another value. The value is assumed to increase as the accelerator pedal opening increases. The same applies to the gear value Gr. The gear ratio of each gear is used as the value, and the value is set lower as the gear is larger. The reaction force release start timing is determined based on such a control law for the following reasons.

That is, the pneumatic pressure supply means 2 is mounted on a normal large vehicle, and the pneumatic pressure supplied from the pneumatic pressure supply means 2 is high enough to generate a reaction force of the accelerator pedal 55. That is, a pressure of about 2 kg / cm ² is sufficient for generating a reaction force, but the supply pressure of the air tank 5 is usually 6 to 8 kg / cm ^2.
It is about ² cm2 and higher than necessary.

In this case, the electromagnetic switching valve 7 is used to release the reaction force.
9 to OFF, 6 to 8 kg / cm ² in air cylinder 51
About 2kg / cm ² or less
This causes a problem that a time delay occurs when the reaction force is released. In order to solve this problem, there is a method using a pressure reducing valve, but the response is remarkably deteriorated, so that it has been impossible to adopt the method. Therefore, as shown by a broken line, for example, even OFF the solenoid switching valve 79 at time T ₅ trying to start a reaction force released during clutch connection ([Delta] T _5), actual reaction force release is started in FIG. 9 This was near the clutch complete connection, which was not desirable.

As described above, the canceling speed of the reaction force is determined by the stop 93,
Although it has been optimized by 94, it is difficult to set the release start timing due to the time delay.

Therefore, the electromagnetic switching valve 7 is provided a predetermined time before the clutch complete connection time T ₃ , that is, before the offset time hc.
9 prior to it is conceivable to a turned OFF, the clutch Kanse' time T ₃ the clutch cutting time [Delta] T _3, the shift time [Delta] T ₄
And being affected by the clutch engagement time [Delta] T _5, and they are the engine speed, due to the effect of various parameters such as the accelerator pedal opening, can not be uniquely determined, therefore, the clutch Kanse' time T ₃ identified in advance, the T ₅ when the front only that from the offset time hc, simply identified by timer control, it is not possible, such as for predictive control.

Therefore, the inventor determines the time h from when the electromagnetic switching valve 79 is turned on to when it is turned off, and counts (time-controls) the time h from the time when the electromagnetic switching valve 79 is turned on so that the electromagnetic switching valve 79 can be switched at the optimum timing. The valve 79 was turned off, and an attempt was made to perform predictive control capable of surely canceling the above-mentioned time lag.

In particular, here, the setting of the reaction force application time h was extremely difficult at first, and various theoretical formulas combining various kinds of parameters were examined, and an actual vehicle experiment was tried, but it seems theoretically appropriate. However, it did not match the actual human feeling at all, and did not lead to a satisfactory operation feeling in all driving conditions.

However, when an experiment was conducted by setting a simple integration formula as described above, a good operation feeling could be obtained in all operating conditions. That is, the above equation is an empirical equation, whereby the optimum reaction force release start timing can be obtained, and the accelerator pedal 55 can be depressed in synchronization with the clutch connection.
Theoretically, it is doubtful that the results are good with such a simple multiplication system, but it seems that there is a part that does not always hold in comparison with human sensation only by the theory considering only the mechanical system. It is.

In the following, the reason for obtaining a good result with respect to the above equation or the control rule h = a × Ne + b × Acd + c × Gr + d (= ΔT ₁ + ΔT ₃ + ΔT ₄ + ΔT ₆ ) will be examined.

First, as for ΔT ₁ , since it is the time for the accelerator pedal 55 to return from the predetermined depressed position to the idle position, it affects and is included in the term (second term) of the accelerator pedal opening value Accd. It is considered to be. In FIG. 9, the pedal stroke indicated by S ₀ corresponds to the amount of play of the accelerator pedal 55. And since the accelerator pedal 55 if returned to the stroke S ₀ revving of the engine is prevented,
The time until the stroke S ₀ is reached is ΔT _1, and the clutch disconnection may be started immediately thereafter.

Next, since the clutch disconnection time ΔT ₃ is uniquely determined by the potential of the device itself, such as the operating speed of the electromagnetic switching valve 78, the air master cylinder and the booster 7, it is considered to be a fixed time. And is considered to be included in a constant term (fourth term) based on the control auxiliary coefficient d.

Next, regarding the shift time ΔT ₄ , the gear shift time ΔT _4-1 , the select time ΔT 4
_4-2 , synchronization time ΔT _4-3 and gear engagement time ΔT _4-4
Can be considered separately.

Gear removal time ΔT _4-1 and gear engagement time Δ
Although T _4-4 is hardly affected by various control parameters, it tends to take more time as the traveling load (engine load) is higher, and thus affects the term (second term) of the accelerator pedal opening value Accd. It is considered to be included in this.
Since the select time ΔT _4-2 is affected by the gear speed before and after the shift, it may be considered to include it in the term of the gear value Gr (third term). Sync time Δ
T _4-3 is mainly affected by the difference in the number of revolutions between the output shaft and the counter shaft of the transmission 76. Since this is different depending on the differences in the engine speed, the accelerator pedal opening, and the gear position, It is considered to be included in all of the first to third terms.

Next, regarding the offset time ΔT ₆ ,
The clutch engagement time ΔT ₅ is the engine speed, the transmission 76
It is considered that the offset time ΔT ₆ also affects the engine speed after shifting, and this is substituted for the engine speed at time T _{1, and} the engine speed Ne of the above equation is calculated. It seems that it should be considered by including it in the item (item 1).

Thus, the control auxiliary coefficients a, b,
Optimum tuning of c and d, each value Ne, Accd, G
By appropriately weighting r, the driving state mode can be simply simulated, and the optimal reaction force release start timing suitable for this can be obtained, and the pedal operation feeling when the reaction force is released is significantly improved. It became possible.

It should be noted that, in addition, the select time ΔT _4-2 is not required depending on the gear before and after the shift, the synchronization and the gear shift time are different between the upshift and the downshift, and when the gear is on the low speed side. Since it takes time to synchronize and shift gears, the value of the coefficient c is appropriately switched according to these cases. Also, due to the high air pressure value, the operating speed of the GSU 71 is very fast,
It should be noted that the synchronization and the gear shifting can be performed almost instantaneously at the same time, and that the tuning of the control assist coefficient is slightly difficult, but the term (second term) of the accelerator pedal opening value Acc can be omitted.

As described above, in the above configuration, the controller 72, 75 forms the reaction force time determining means for determining the reaction force application time h based on the engine speed Ne and the gear position of the transmission 76. I do.

Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above, it is naturally possible to adopt other forms. For example, instead of the air cylinder 51, a hydraulic cylinder, various motors, and electromagnetic force Or a mechanical mechanism (link, lever, pin, etc.) can be used. In this case, it is possible to control the reaction force application / release speed of the accelerator pedal by appropriately controlling the hydraulic supply / discharge speed of the hydraulic cylinder, the rotation speed of the motor, the increase / decrease speed of the electromagnetic force, the operating resistance of the mechanism, etc. Becomes Further, the above embodiment relates to a so-called semi-automatic (semi-automatic) clutch system, but the present invention is also applicable to a full-automatic (fully automatic) clutch system capable of automatically performing clutch connection and disconnection.

[0088]

The present invention has an excellent effect of eliminating the time delay associated with the reaction force release, starting the reaction force release at an optimum timing suitable for the driving state, and improving the operation feeling of the accelerator pedal. Demonstrate.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing a clutch connecting / disconnecting device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a control routine by a controller.

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a booster.

FIG. 4 is a schematic vertical sectional view showing an air master cylinder.

FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram showing a gear shift unit.

FIG. 6 is a schematic configuration diagram of a reaction force applying means.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a pneumatic movement direction when a reaction force is applied by a reaction force applying unit.

FIG. 8 is a view showing a pneumatic movement direction when the reaction force is released by the reaction force applying means.

FIG. 9 is a time chart showing how the reaction force is applied and released in the apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Clutch connection / disconnection apparatus 2 Pneumatic supply means 7 Booster 8 Clutch 34,62,67,68,95 Pneumatic piping 42 Air master cylinder 44,54 Hydraulic piping 51 Air cylinder 55 Accelerator pedal 69 Double check valve (DCV) 72, 75 Controller 78, 79 Switching valve 93, 94 Throttle Acc Accelerator pedal opening value Gr Gear position value Ne Engine speed a, b, c, d Control auxiliary coefficient

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Tadaharu Yamada 8 Isuzu Central, Fujisawa City, Kanagawa Prefecture Inside the Isuzu Central Research Institute Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Masaaki Nishito 8 Isuzu Central Fujisawa City, Kanagawa Prefecture Isuzu Central Inc. Within the research institute (72) Inventor Toshihiko Iwama 8 Tozai, Fujisawa-shi, Kanagawa Pref.

Claims (2)

[Claims] In a clutch connecting / disconnecting device having an automatic connecting / disconnecting means for performing automatic connecting / disconnecting of a clutch in accordance with a shift operation, a reaction force for applying a return force to an accelerator pedal when the clutch is automatically disconnected. A force applying means, a reaction force speed controlling means for controlling the applying or releasing speed of the reaction force, and a reaction time determining means for determining the application time of the reaction force based on the engine speed and the gear position of the transmission. And a clutch connecting / disconnecting device. 2. The clutch connecting / disconnecting device according to claim 1, wherein said reaction force time determination means further determines the application time of said reaction force based on an accelerator pedal opening.