A dog clutch control method

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of vehicle control technology, specifically to a claw clutch control method. The method involves: executing speed regulation of the power unit at the clutch input end; sending an engagement command upon completion; determining whether the speed difference between the clutch input and output ends is within the pre-engagement design range; if so, pushing the gear sleeve from the disengaged position to the engagement position; starting a timer from when the gear sleeve is pushed out, and upon reaching the design time, determining whether the gear sleeve has reached the engagement position; if so, maintaining the previous speed, the gear sleeve enters the engagement teeth; starting a timer from when the gear sleeve reaches the engagement position, and upon reaching the design time, determining whether the gear sleeve has reached the pre-engagement position; if so, the gear sleeve continues to move to the engagement position; after entering the engagement position, determining whether the speed difference between the clutch input and output ends is less than or equal to the design value for the engagement state; if so, sending an engagement completion signal to the higher-level control system. This method ensures a simple and efficient engagement process and reduces the risk of premature hardware damage.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of vehicle control technology, and more specifically to a claw clutch control method. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of pure electric vehicles, the sales and ownership of pure electric four-wheel drive vehicles are gradually increasing. More and more pure electric four-wheel drive vehicles need to switch between two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive modes according to actual driving needs. In a certain electric axle assembly of such vehicles, a disconnect mechanism is used to switch between two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive modes. A claw clutch can be used in the disconnect mechanism to achieve disengagement and engagement.

[0003] Furthermore, with the global wave of automotive electrification, gear shifting has become one of the important functions of new energy vehicle transmissions. The basic principle of gear shifting is to use the transmission's output speed as a target value before the transmission performs a shift. By adjusting the transmission's input speed (usually a motor), the speed difference between the two ends of the coupling device is made to reach a designed value, thus driving the coupling device to achieve engagement and disengagement. To achieve this function, many multi-speed hybrid transmissions, two-speed reduction gearboxes, and single-stage reduction gearboxes use claw clutches as coupling devices.

[0004] Existing designs for shifting systems or disconnection mechanisms using claw clutches focus primarily on improving the system's mechanical structure, with less emphasis on improving the control logic of the claw clutch. The existing control logic of claw clutches is quite complex and has high hardware requirements. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to address the shortcomings of existing technologies by providing a claw clutch control method based on the kinematic principles of claw clutches. This method enables the claw clutch to achieve system-wide engagement at the gearbox level in new energy vehicle transmissions, ensuring a simple and efficient engagement process. Furthermore, it reduces the risk of premature hardware failure, improves the overall system durability, and minimizes the impact of shift shock and NVH (noise, vibration, and harshness) on the driving experience.

[0006] This invention provides a control method for a claw clutch, including engagement control of the claw clutch, wherein the engagement control includes the following steps:

[0007] The speed regulation of the power unit at the input end of the claw clutch is executed, and an engagement command is sent to the claw clutch control module after completion.

[0008] The claw clutch control module internally determines whether the speed difference between the input and output ends of the claw clutch is within the design range before engagement. If so, the claw clutch sleeve is pushed out from the disengaged position to the engagement position.

[0009] The timing starts when the claw clutch sleeve is pushed out. When the design time is reached, it is determined whether the claw clutch sleeve has reached the engagement position. If so, the sleeve enters the engagement tooth at the previous speed.

[0010] When the claw clutch toothed sleeve performs the action of entering the engagement tooth, the timing starts from when the toothed sleeve reaches the position to be engaged. When the design time is reached, it is determined whether the claw clutch toothed sleeve has reached the pre-engagement position. If so, the claw clutch toothed sleeve continues to move to the engagement position.

[0011] After the claw clutch sleeve enters the engagement position, it is determined whether the speed difference between the input and output ends of the claw clutch is less than or equal to the design value of the engagement state. If so, an engagement completion signal is sent to the upper-level control system.

[0012] Preferably, when the claw clutch control module internally determines whether the speed difference between the input and output ends of the claw clutch is within the design range before engagement, if not, it feeds back to the upper-level control system to adjust the speed of the input power unit again.

[0013] Preferably, when determining whether the claw clutch sleeve has reached the engagement position, if not, the claw clutch sleeve is quickly retracted to the disengaged position, and then the speed difference between the input and output ends of the claw clutch is determined again to be within the design range before engagement, and the subsequent actions are re-executed.

[0014] Preferably, when determining whether the claw clutch sleeve has reached the pre-engagement position, if not, the claw clutch sleeve is quickly retracted to the disengagement position, and then the speed difference between the input and output ends of the claw clutch is re-determined to be within the design range before engagement, and subsequent actions are re-executed.

[0015] Preferably, after the claw clutch sleeve enters the engaged position, if it is determined that the speed difference between the input and output ends of the claw clutch is greater than the design value for the engaged state, the claw clutch sleeve is quickly retracted to the disengaged position, and then the speed difference between the input and output ends of the claw clutch is re-determined to be within the design range, and subsequent actions are re-executed.

[0016] More preferably, it also includes disengagement control of the claw clutch, the disengagement control comprising the following steps:

[0017] The torque of the power unit at the input end of the claw clutch is set below the preset torque value, and then a disengagement command is sent to the claw clutch control module.

[0018] The claw clutch sleeve moves from the engaged position to the pre-disengaged position at a disengagement speed;

[0019] The timing starts from when the claw clutch sleeve leaves the engagement position. After the design time is reached, it is determined whether the claw clutch sleeve has reached the pre-disengagement position. If so, the sleeve continues to move from the pre-disengagement position to the disengagement position at the disengagement speed.

[0020] Determine whether the claw clutch sleeve has reached the disengagement position. If so, send a disengagement completion signal to the upper control system.

[0021] Preferably, the timing begins from when the claw clutch sleeve leaves the engagement position. After the designed time is reached, if it is determined that the claw clutch sleeve has not reached the pre-disengagement position, the claw clutch sleeve is quickly retracted to the engagement position, and then the torque of the power unit at the input end of the claw clutch is set below the preset torque value. After completion, the subsequent actions are performed again.

[0022] Preferably, if it is determined that the claw clutch sleeve has not reached the disengagement position, the sleeve is controlled to continue moving from the pre-disengagement position to the disengagement position at the disengagement speed until it is determined that the claw clutch sleeve has reached the disengagement position, and then a disengagement completion signal is sent to the upper-level control system.

[0023] Preferably, the preset torque value is 6 to 8 Nm.

[0024] Preferably, the speed regulation of the power unit at the input end of the pawl clutch includes taking the output speed of the gearbox as the target value and adjusting the input speed of the gearbox so that the speed difference between the input and output ends of the pawl clutch reaches the design range before engagement.

[0025] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: This engagement / disengagement control method enables the claw clutch to meet the functional requirements of the entire new energy transmission system at the disengagement mechanism or shifting system level, ensuring a simple and efficient engagement and disengagement process. Furthermore, it reduces the risk of premature hardware failure, improves the durability of the entire system, and reduces the impact of shift shock and NVH on the driving experience. In addition, fault diagnosis and resolution measures are incorporated into the engagement and disengagement process, allowing for the selection of more economical materials and processes in hardware design, thus reducing the overall system manufacturing cost. Attached Figure Description

[0026] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the engagement control logic of the claw clutch of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram showing the positions and names of the claw clutch engagement process of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the disengagement control logic of the claw clutch of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 4This is a schematic diagram showing the positions and names of the claw clutch disengagement process according to the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0030] To make the technical problems, technical solutions, and beneficial effects to be solved by this application clearer, the following detailed description is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and are not intended to limit the scope of this application.

[0031] It should be understood that, when used in this application specification and the appended claims, the term "comprising" indicates the presence of the described features, integrals, steps, operations, elements and / or components, but does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integrals, steps, operations, elements, components and / or a collection thereof.

[0032] It should also be understood that the term “and / or” as used in this application specification and the appended claims means any combination of one or more of the associated listed items and all possible combinations, and includes such combinations.

[0033] As used in this application specification and the appended claims, the term "if" may be interpreted, depending on the context, as "when," "once," "in response to determination," or "in response to detection." Similarly, the phrase "if determined" or "if detected [the described condition or event]" may be interpreted, depending on the context, as meaning "once determined," "in response to determination," "once detected [the described condition or event]," or "in response to detection [the described condition or event]."

[0034] References to "one embodiment" or "some embodiments" in this specification mean that one or more embodiments of this application include a specific feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment. Therefore, the phrases "in one embodiment," "in some embodiments," "in other embodiments," "in still other embodiments," etc., appearing in different parts of this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, but rather mean "one or more, but not all, embodiments," unless otherwise specifically emphasized. The terms "comprising," "including," "having," and variations thereof mean "including but not limited to," unless otherwise specifically emphasized. "A plurality" means "two or more."

[0035] Example 1

[0036] Figure 1 This paper illustrates a schematic diagram of the engagement control flow of a claw clutch according to a preferred embodiment of this application. For ease of explanation, only the parts relevant to this embodiment are shown, and are described in detail below:

[0037] Before the upper-level control system issues the engagement command, it first performs speed adjustment of the power unit at the input end of the claw clutch. After completion, the upper-level control system issues the engagement command to the claw clutch control module.

[0038] After receiving the engagement command, the claw clutch control module internally determines whether the speed difference between the input and output ends of the claw clutch is within the pre-engagement design range. If the speed difference exceeds the pre-engagement design range, feedback is sent to the upper-level control system, and the input power unit speed is adjusted again. Figure 2 As shown, if the speed difference is within the design range before engagement, the claw clutch sleeve is pushed out from the disengaged position, with the target being the engagement position.

[0039] The timing begins when the claw clutch sleeve is extended. Upon reaching the designed time, it is determined whether the claw clutch sleeve has reached the engagement position. If the sleeve has not reached the engagement position, it is quickly retracted to the disengaged position. Then, the speed difference between the input and output ends of the claw clutch is again checked to ensure it is within the designed range before engagement, and the subsequent actions are repeated. If the sleeve has reached the engagement position, it maintains its previous speed and enters the engagement teeth.

[0040] When the claw clutch sleeve engages, timing begins from when the sleeve reaches the pre-engagement position. After the designed time has elapsed, it is determined whether the sleeve has reached the pre-engagement position. If the sleeve has not reached the pre-engagement position, it quickly retracts to the disengagement position, and then the speed difference between the input and output ends of the claw clutch is reassessed to ensure it is within the designed range, and the subsequent actions are executed again. If the sleeve has reached the pre-engagement position, the claw clutch sleeve continues to move to the engagement position.

[0041] After the claw clutch sleeve enters the engaged position, it checks whether the speed difference between the input and output ends of the claw clutch is less than or equal to the design value for the engaged state. If the speed difference is greater than the design value, the sleeve is quickly retracted to the disengaged position, and the speed difference is checked again to see if it is within the design range before engagement, and subsequent actions are executed again. If the speed difference is less than or equal to the design value for the engaged state, an engagement completion signal is sent to the higher-level control system.

[0042] Example 2

[0043] Figure 3 This paper illustrates a schematic diagram of the disengagement control process of a claw clutch according to a preferred embodiment of this application. For ease of explanation, only the parts relevant to this embodiment are shown, and are described in detail below:

[0044] Before the upper-level control system issues a disengagement command, the upper-level control system must ensure that the torque of the power unit at the input end of the claw clutch is below 7 Nm, and then the upper-level control system issues the disengagement command.

[0045] After receiving the disengagement command, the claw clutch control module moves the toothed sleeve from the engaged position at the disengagement speed, targeting the pre-disengagement position. For example... Figure 4 As shown, the timing starts from when the claw clutch sleeve leaves the engaged position. After the designed time is reached, the system will determine whether the claw clutch sleeve has reached the pre-disengagement position.

[0046] If the gear sleeve does not reach the pre-disengaged position, it quickly retracts to the engaged position. Then, it requests the upper-level control system to set the torque of the claw clutch input power unit below 7 Nm. After the upper-level control system has set the torque of the claw clutch input power unit below 7 Nm, it proceeds with the subsequent actions.

[0047] If it is determined that the gear sleeve has reached the pre-disengagement position, the gear sleeve continues to move at the disengagement speed towards the target disengagement position. Then, it is determined whether the gear sleeve has reached the disengagement position.

[0048] If it is determined that the gear sleeve has not reached the disconnect position, the gear sleeve continues to move at the disengagement speed until the target disconnect position is reached.

[0049] If it is determined that the gear sleeve has reached the disconnect position, a disconnection completion signal is sent to the upper-level control system.

[0050] It should be understood that the specific order or hierarchy of steps in the disclosed process is an example of an exemplary method. Based on design preferences, it should be understood that the specific order or hierarchy of steps in the process may be rearranged without departing from the scope of this disclosure. The appended method claims provide elements of various steps in an exemplary order and are not intended to limit the scope to the specific order or hierarchy described.

[0051] In the above detailed description, various features are combined together in a single embodiment to simplify this disclosure. This approach to disclosure should not be construed as reflecting an intention that embodiments of the claimed subject matter require more features than are explicitly stated in each claim. Rather, as reflected in the appended claims, the invention is presented with fewer features than all of the features of the single disclosed embodiment. Therefore, the appended claims are hereby explicitly incorporated into the detailed description, wherein each claim stands alone as a preferred embodiment of the invention.

[0052] The disclosed embodiments have been described above to enable any person skilled in the art to implement or use the present invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein can be applied to other embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure. Therefore, this disclosure is not limited to the embodiments given herein, but is consistent with the broadest scope of the principles and novel features disclosed in this application.

[0053] The foregoing description includes examples of one or more embodiments. It is certainly impossible to describe all possible combinations of components or methods in order to describe the above embodiments, but those skilled in the art will recognize that further combinations and arrangements of the various embodiments are possible. Therefore, the embodiments described herein are intended to cover all such changes, modifications, and variations that fall within the scope of the appended claims. Furthermore, the term "comprising" as used in the specification or claims is interpreted in a manner similar to the term "including," as it is used as a conjunction in the claims. Additionally, the use of any term "or" in the specification of the claims is intended to mean "non-exclusive or."

[0054] The above-described embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and are not intended to limit them. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, and should all be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A dog clutch control method characterized by, This includes engagement control of a claw clutch, the engagement control comprising the following steps: The speed regulation of the power unit at the input end of the claw clutch is executed, and an engagement command is sent to the claw clutch control module after completion. The claw clutch control module internally determines whether the speed difference between the input and output ends of the claw clutch is within the design range before engagement. If so, the claw clutch sleeve is pushed out from the disengaged position to the engagement position. The timing starts when the claw clutch sleeve is pushed out. When the design time is reached, it is determined whether the claw clutch sleeve has reached the engagement position. If so, the sleeve enters the engagement tooth at the previous speed. When the claw clutch toothed sleeve performs the action of entering the engagement tooth, the timing starts from when the toothed sleeve reaches the position to be engaged. When the design time is reached, it is determined whether the claw clutch toothed sleeve has reached the pre-engagement position. If so, the claw clutch toothed sleeve continues to move to the engagement position. After the claw clutch sleeve enters the engagement position, it is determined whether the speed difference between the input and output ends of the claw clutch is less than or equal to the design value of the engagement state. If so, an engagement completion signal is sent to the upper-level control system. When the claw clutch control module internally determines whether the speed difference between the input and output ends of the claw clutch is within the design range before engagement, if not, it feeds back to the upper-level control system and adjusts the speed of the input power unit again. When determining whether the claw clutch sleeve has reached the engagement position, if not, the claw clutch sleeve is quickly retracted to the disengaged position. Then, the speed difference between the input and output ends of the claw clutch is determined again to be within the design range before engagement, and subsequent actions are executed again. When determining whether the claw clutch sleeve has reached the pre-engagement position, if not, the claw clutch sleeve is quickly retracted to the disengagement position. Then, the speed difference between the input and output ends of the claw clutch is re-determined to be within the design range before engagement, and subsequent actions are re-executed. After the claw clutch sleeve enters the engaged position, if it is determined that the speed difference between the input and output ends of the claw clutch is greater than the design value for the engaged state, the claw clutch sleeve is quickly retracted to the disengaged position. Then, it is re-determined whether the speed difference between the input and output ends of the claw clutch is within the design range, and subsequent actions are re-executed. The upper-level control system performs speed regulation of the power unit at the input end of the claw clutch, and sends an engagement command to the claw clutch control module after completion.

2. The dog clutch control method according to claim 1, characterized by: It also includes a disengagement control for the claw clutch, the disengagement control comprising the following steps: The torque of the power unit at the input end of the claw clutch is set below the preset torque value, and then a disengagement command is sent to the claw clutch control module. The claw clutch sleeve moves from the engaged position to the pre-disengaged position at a disengagement speed; The timing starts from when the claw clutch sleeve leaves the engagement position. After the design time is reached, it is determined whether the claw clutch sleeve has reached the pre-disengagement position. If so, the sleeve continues to move from the pre-disengagement position to the disengagement position at the disengagement speed. Determine whether the claw clutch sleeve has reached the disengagement position. If so, send a disengagement completion signal to the upper control system.

3. The dog clutch control method according to claim 2, characterized by: The timing begins when the claw clutch sleeve leaves the engagement position. After the design time is reached, if it is determined that the claw clutch sleeve has not reached the pre-disengagement position, the claw clutch sleeve is quickly returned to the engagement position. Then, the torque of the power unit at the input end of the claw clutch is set below the preset torque value. After completion, the subsequent actions are performed again.

4. The dog clutch control method according to claim 2, characterized by: If it is determined that the claw clutch sleeve has not reached the disengagement position, the control sleeve continues to move from the pre-disengagement position to the disengagement position at the disengagement speed until it is determined that the claw clutch sleeve has reached the disengagement position, and then sends a disengagement completion signal to the upper control system.

5. The dog clutch control method according to claim 2, characterized by: The preset torque value is 6~8 Nm.

6. The claw clutch control method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The speed regulation of the power unit at the input end of the claw clutch includes taking the output speed of the gearbox as the target value and adjusting the input speed of the gearbox to make the speed difference between the input and output ends of the claw clutch reach the design range before engagement.

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