Vehicle control system

Abstract

The present invention provides a vehicle control device that can suppress vibrations and shocks that occur when the parking lock mechanism is released while the drive shaft is twisted. [Solution] A vehicle control device comprising a drive shaft with one end connected to a wheel, a motor capable of transmitting torque to the drive shaft, and a parking lock mechanism capable of selectively switching between a locked state in which the rotation of a predetermined rotating member between the motor and the drive shaft is prohibited and an unlocked state in which the predetermined rotating member is rotatable, wherein the motor outputs a torque of a magnitude corresponding to the direction of the vehicle's pitching at the time the parking lock mechanism switches from the locked state to the unlocked state.

Description

Technical Field

[0003] ,

[0001] This invention relates to a vehicle control device capable of locking a drive shaft by a parking lock mechanism.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a parking mechanism including a parking gear interlocked with a wheel and a parking pole that operates according to a driver's shift operation and meshes with the parking gear to lock the parking gear, a foot brake device that applies a braking force to the wheel by operating according to a depression operation of a brake pedal by the driver, and an electric parking brake that applies a braking force to the wheel continuously by operating in conjunction with the parking lock mechanism. This control device is configured to continue applying a braking force to the wheel by the foot brake device even if the depression operation of the brake pedal by the driver is released, after a shift operation for selecting a parking position is performed and before the electric parking brake applies a braking force to the wheel when the road surface gradient angle is a predetermined angle or more.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The control device described in Patent Document 1 is configured to prevent the drive shaft from twisting by applying braking torque to the wheels via the foot brake device until the braking torque from the electric parking brake acts on the wheels. In other words, when the parking lock is engaged, the device is configured to constantly apply braking torque to the wheels. However, if the electric parking brake cannot be activated, or if there is no electric parking brake, or if the control device does not have a function to apply braking torque to the wheels via the foot brake device until the braking torque from the electric parking brake acts on the wheels, the drive shaft may twist. Since the control device described in Patent Document 1 does not anticipate such twisting of the drive shaft, it may not be able to suppress the vibrations and shocks that occur when the drive shaft twist is released after the parking lock mechanism is released.

[0005] This invention was made in view of the above-mentioned technical problems, and the object of this invention is to provide a vehicle control device that can suppress the occurrence of vibrations and shocks when the parking lock mechanism is released while the drive shaft is twisted. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To achieve the above objective, this invention provides a vehicle control device comprising: a drive shaft with one end connected to a wheel; a motor capable of transmitting torque to the drive shaft; a parking lock mechanism capable of selectively switching between a locked state in which the rotation of a predetermined rotating member between the motor and the drive shaft is prohibited and an unlocked state in which the predetermined rotating member is rotatable; a case housing the motor, the parking lock mechanism, and a torque transmission unit that transmits torque from the motor to the drive shaft; and a plurality of mounts connecting the case to the vehicle body, wherein the device comprises a controller for controlling the motor, the controller comprising: a parking determination unit that determines whether the parking lock mechanism is in the locked state; an inclination direction determination unit that determines the direction of the pitching of the vehicle; and a motor control unit that outputs a torque from the motor of a magnitude corresponding to the direction of the pitching of the vehicle when switching the parking lock mechanism from the locked state to the unlocked state.

[0007] Furthermore, in this invention, the motor control unit is configured to output a larger torque from the motor as the inclination angle in the pitching direction of the vehicle increases, and the magnitude of the torque output from the motor with respect to the inclination angle may differ depending on the direction of the pitching direction of the vehicle.

[0008] Furthermore, in this invention, the support rigidity of the case in the pitching direction of the vehicle may vary.

[0009] Furthermore, in this invention, the plurality of mounts may include a first mount that connects the rear surface of the case in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle to the vehicle body, a second mount that connects one surface of the case in the vehicle width direction to the vehicle body, and a third mount that connects the other surface of the case in the vehicle width direction to the vehicle body. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] The vehicle control device in this invention comprises a case housing a motor, a parking lock mechanism, and a torque transmission unit that transmits torque from the motor to the drive shaft, and the case is connected to the vehicle body by multiple mounts. When switching the parking lock mechanism from a locked state to an unlocked state, the motor outputs a torque of a magnitude corresponding to the direction of the vehicle's pitching. Therefore, even if the rigidity of the vehicle body supported by the multiple mounts is not symmetrical in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, the motor can output a torque corresponding to the direction of the vehicle's pitching. As a result, regardless of the direction of the vehicle's tilt, it is possible to suppress excessive or insufficient torque output from the motor, and to suppress the occurrence of vibrations and shocks when releasing the parking lock mechanism. In other words, it is possible to suppress limitations on the position and number of mounts supporting the case, and to improve the design freedom of the mounts supporting the case. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a vehicle according to an embodiment of this invention. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a schematic perspective view showing the configuration in which the case is connected to the vehicle body. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a block diagram illustrating the functional configuration of the controller. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of control for determining the motor's assist torque. [Figure 5] Figure 5 illustrates an example of a map that defines target torque according to the vehicle's tilt direction and tilt angle. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] This invention will be described based on the embodiments shown in the figures. The embodiments described below are merely examples of how this invention can be implemented and do not limit it.

[0013] An example of a vehicle in this embodiment of the present invention is schematically shown in Figure 1. The vehicle Ve shown in Figure 1 is an electric vehicle equipped with a motor (MG) 1 as a driving force source. The motor 1 can be configured in the same way as motors provided as driving force sources in conventional electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles. That is, in addition to functioning as a motor that generates driving torque by being supplied with power from an energy storage device (not shown), it also functions as a generator that converts at least a portion of the power of the output shaft 2 into electricity by being rotated along with the output shaft 2. Specifically, it is configured as a permanent magnet synchronous motor or an induction motor, etc.

[0014] A first drive gear 3 is attached to the output shaft 2 of motor 1. A first driven gear 4, which meshes with the first drive gear 3 and is formed to be larger in diameter than the first drive gear 3, is attached to an intermediate shaft 5 that is positioned parallel to the output shaft 2 of motor 1. In other words, the first drive gear 3 and the first driven gear 4 constitute a reduction gear pair.

[0015] A second drive gear 6 is further attached to the intermediate shaft 5. A second driven gear 7, which meshes with the second drive gear 6 and is formed to be larger in diameter than the second drive gear 6, is attached to the output shaft 8 of the motor 1, which is arranged parallel to the output shaft 2 and the intermediate shaft 5. In other words, the second drive gear 6 and the second driven gear 7 constitute a reduction gear pair. One end of a drive shaft 9 is connected to the output shaft 8 so as to be able to rotate as a whole, and a wheel 10 is connected to the other end of the drive shaft 9.

[0016] Furthermore, a parking lock mechanism 11 is provided that can selectively switch between a locked state in which the rotation of the intermediate shaft 5 is prohibited and an unlocked state in which the intermediate shaft 5 is rotatable. This parking lock mechanism 11 can be configured in the same way as parking lock mechanisms provided in conventional vehicles. Specifically, the parking lock mechanism 11 consists of a parking lock gear 12 attached to the intermediate shaft 5, a parking pawl 13 that can selectively engage with the parking lock gear 12, and an actuator (not shown) that operates the parking pawl 13. When a parking range is selected by the shift device 24 described later, the parking pawl 13 is rotated by an actuator (not shown) or the like to engage with the parking lock gear 12. By engaging the parking pawl 13 with the parking lock gear 12 in this way, the rotation of the parking lock gear 12 is prohibited. Therefore, the rotation of the drive shaft 9, which is connected to the parking lock gear 12 via the intermediate shaft 5 or the like in a way that allows torque transmission, is prohibited.

[0017] The vehicle Ve shown in Figure 1 is equipped with a brake system 14 that applies braking torque to the wheels 10 in accordance with the amount of operation of a brake pedal (not shown) operated by the driver. This brake system 14 can be configured in the same way as brake systems installed in conventional vehicles. That is, it can be configured as a disc brake that applies braking torque to the wheels 10 by clamping a brake rotor that rotates integrally with the wheels 10 with brake pads, or as a drum brake that applies braking torque to the wheels 10 by pressing brake shoes from the inside of a drum that rotates integrally with the wheels 10. Furthermore, the clamping force of the brake pads and the pressing force of the brake shoes can be controlled by an actuator (not shown) that generates hydraulic or electromagnetic force in accordance with the amount of operation of the brake pedal.

[0018] Furthermore, the vehicle Ve shown in FIG. 1 is provided with an electric parking brake (hereinafter referred to as EPB) 15. This EPB 15 is configured in the same manner as the EPB provided in conventional vehicles. When a shift operation for selecting the parking range is performed, the motor 16 operates to drive a caliper and brake shoes (not shown) to apply a braking torque to the wheel 10. When a driving range other than the parking range is selected, it is configured to reduce the braking torque. From the perspective of the mounting property of the motor 16, etc., the motor 16 is provided on the vehicle body, and wires for connecting the motor 16 to the caliper and brake shoes are provided. By rotating the motor 16, the caliper and brake shoes may be driven by winding up the wire, etc.

[0019] In the example shown in FIG. 1, the motor 1, the gear train that transmits torque from the motor 1 to the output shaft 8, and the torque transmission portion that transmits torque from the motor 1 such as the output shaft 8 to the drive shaft 9 are housed in one case 17, and the case 17 is connected to the vehicle body 19 via the mount 18. Further, the wheel 10 is held by the vehicle body 19 via the suspension 20.

[0020] FIG. 2 schematically shows a perspective view for explaining an example of the mounting structure of the case 17. The front of the vehicle Ve is indicated by an arrow in FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 2, the case 17 is supported by the vehicle body 19 via three mounts 18a, 18b, and 18c. Specifically, the rear end surface of the case 17 in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle Ve and the central portion in the vehicle width direction are connected to the vehicle body 19 by the first mount 18a, and the front side in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle Ve and one side surface in the vehicle width direction from the center of gravity position G of the transaxle assembly are connected to the vehicle body 19 by the second mount 18b, and the front side in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle Ve and the other side surface in the vehicle width direction from the center of gravity position G of the transaxle assembly are connected to the vehicle body 19 by the third mount 18c. That is, the positions for supporting the case 17 are not symmetric in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle Ve, but have different support rigidities in the pitching direction of the vehicle Ve. Each of the mounts 18a, 18b, and 18c is provided at substantially the same height as the center of gravity position G of the transaxle assembly in the vehicle height direction.

[0021] When the driver performs a shift operation to select the parking range while the brake pedal of the vehicle Ve shown in FIG. 1 is operated, it is permitted to switch the driving range to the parking range. When switching to the parking range in this way, the rotation of the intermediate shaft 5 is prohibited by the parking lock mechanism 11, and braking torque is applied to the wheels 10 by the EPB 15.

[0022] As described above, the time from when the shift operation is performed until the rotation of the intermediate shaft 5 is prohibited by the parking lock mechanism 11 may be shorter than the time until braking torque is applied to the wheels 10 by the EPB 15. Therefore, for example, when parking the vehicle Ve on a slope or when the wheels 10 are parked on top of some object, if the driver reduces the amount of brake pedal operation before braking torque is applied to the wheels 10 by the EPB 15, the wheels 10 will rotate (turn) even though the rotation on the input side of the drive shaft 9 is prohibited. Also, if the EPB 15 cannot be activated for some reason, the wheels 10 will rotate (turn) even though the rotation on the input side of the drive shaft 9 is prohibited after the driver reduces the amount of brake pedal operation. As a result, the drive shaft 9 twists. In other words, torque (hereinafter referred to as torsional torque) corresponding to its elastic modulus and the amount of twist accumulates in the drive shaft 9.

[0023] The amount of torsion (i.e., torsional torque) of the drive shaft 9 is proportional to the tilt angle of the vehicle Ve. Specifically, the longitudinal load acting on the vehicle Ve, depending on its tilt angle, acts on the contact surface of the wheel 10 with the road surface, and a torque proportional to this load and the radius of the wheel 10 acts on one end of the drive shaft 9. In contrast, the other end of the drive shaft 9 does not rotate because it is locked by the parking lock mechanism 11. As a result, the drive shaft 9 gradually twists, generating a torsional torque proportional to the amount of torsion and the elastic modulus of the drive shaft 9. The amount of torsion of the drive shaft 9 is maintained when the torque acting on the drive shaft 9 from the wheel 10 balances the torsional torque proportional to the amount of torsion of the drive shaft 9. The direction of torsion of the drive shaft 9 corresponds to the tilt direction in the pitching direction of the vehicle Ve.

[0024] Furthermore, when the drive shaft 9 twists, the reaction force is absorbed by the parking lock mechanism 11, and the load is transmitted to the case 17. As a result, distortion occurs in each mount 18a, 18b, and 18c via the case 17. As described above, the positions where the case 17 is supported by the mounts 18a, 18b, and 18c are not symmetrical in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle Ve, and the support rigidity in the pitching direction of the vehicle Ve is different. Therefore, the amount of distortion in each mount 18a, 18b, and 18c is different when the vehicle Ve is tilted so that the front of the vehicle Ve faces upward in the vertical direction compared to when the vehicle Ve is tilted so that the front of the vehicle Ve faces downward in the vertical direction.

[0025] When the drive shaft 9 is twisted and the mounts 18a, 18b, and 18c are distorted, and the shift is operated to select a driving range other than the parking range, the twist of the drive shaft 9 is released at the same time that the lock on the intermediate shaft 5 by the parking lock mechanism 11 is released, and the amount of distortion of the mounts 18a, 18b, and 18c decreases. When the twist of the drive shaft 9 is released and the amount of distortion of the mounts 18a, 18b, and 18c decreases, the torque pulsates according to the elastic modulus of the drive shaft 9 and the mounts 18a, 18b, and 18c. As a result, the case 17 vibrates, and this vibration is transmitted to the vehicle body 19 via the mounts 18a, 18b, and 18c while being dampened. As a result, the vehicle Ve may vibrate.

[0026] Therefore, when the drive shaft 9 is twisted, the motor 1 outputs an assist torque to counteract the torsional torque accumulated in the drive shaft 9 and to reduce the distortion of the mounts 18a, 18b, and 18c, thereby suppressing vibration when the parking lock mechanism 11 is released.

[0027] On the other hand, as mentioned above, the positions supporting case 17 are not symmetrical in the longitudinal direction of vehicle Ve, and the support rigidity differs in the pitching direction of vehicle Ve. Therefore, the amount of strain in each mount 18a, 18b, and 18c differs depending on whether vehicle Ve is tilted so that the front of vehicle Ve faces upward in the vertical direction or so that the front of vehicle Ve faces downward in the vertical direction. Consequently, the assist torque of motor 1 required to reduce the strain of mounts 18a, 18b, and 18c differs depending on the direction of pitching of vehicle Ve.

[0028] Therefore, the vehicle control device in this embodiment of the invention is configured to change the assist torque of the motor 1 according to the orientation of the vehicle Ve in the pitching direction. More specifically, the device is configured such that the magnitude of the assist torque with respect to the tilt angle of the vehicle Ve is different when the vehicle Ve is tilted so that the front of the vehicle Ve faces upward in the vertical direction, and when the vehicle Ve is tilted so that the front of the vehicle Ve faces downward in the vertical direction.

[0029] The vehicle Ve shown in Figure 1 is equipped with an electronic control unit (hereinafter referred to as ECU) for controlling the motor 1 in this manner. This ECU 21 is mainly composed of a microcomputer and is configured to control the output torque of the motor 1 based on the input signal and pre-stored calculation formulas. This ECU 21 corresponds to the "controller" in this embodiment of the invention.

[0030] In the example shown in Figure 1, the ECU 21 is connected to an acceleration sensor 22 that detects the longitudinal acceleration of the vehicle Ve, a resolver 23 that detects the rotational speed (rotation angle) of the motor 1, and a shift sensor 25 that detects the driving range selected by the shift device 24, and signals are input from these sensors 22, 23, and 25. In addition, the ECU 21 is connected to an EPB-ECU 26 that controls the EPB 15 and a B-ECU 27 that controls the brake device 14, and signals are input from these ECUs 26 and 27.

[0031] The above-described shift device 24 may be a so-called momentary type shift device in which, for example, operating the shift lever 28 to a shift position corresponding to the driving range turns on a shift sensor 25 corresponding to that shift position, a signal is input to the ECU 21, and releasing the operation of the shift lever 28 returns the shift lever 28 to a predetermined standby position. The shift device 24 may also be provided with a parking button for selecting a parking range, and the shift sensor 25 may include a sensor that is turned on when the parking button is pressed.

[0032] Furthermore, the EPB-ECU26 is connected to, for example, the shift sensor 25, and based on the signal input from the shift sensor 25, it determines whether or not the EPB 15 is operating, and based on the result of that determination, it outputs a command signal to the ECU21 and the motor 16. In addition, the B-ECU27 receives signals such as the amount of brake pedal depression or pedal force or master cylinder pressure, or signals that detect hydraulic pressure or electromagnetic force to generate braking torque for the brake device 14, and based on these signals, it determines the braking torque to be applied to the brake device 14 or the braking torque that is currently applied to the brake device 14. Then it outputs a signal representing the magnitude of that braking torque to the ECU21.

[0033] Figure 3 shows a block diagram illustrating the functional configuration of the ECU 21. The ECU 21 shown in Figure 3 includes a parking determination unit 29, a tilt direction determination unit 30, and a motor control unit 31.

[0034] The parking determination unit 29 determines whether the vehicle is in a parking range where the rotation of the intermediate shaft 5 is prohibited by the parking lock mechanism 11, or in other words, whether it is in a locked state where the rotation of the intermediate shaft 5 is prohibited. Specifically, it determines whether the vehicle is in a parking range based on whether a predetermined time has elapsed since the parking range was selected by a shift operation, or based on a command signal to the actuator that operates the parking pole 13.

[0035] The tilt direction determination unit 30 determines the tilt direction of the vehicle Ve in the pitching direction of the vehicle Ve. Specifically, it determines the tilt direction of the vehicle Ve based on the detected value of the acceleration sensor 22. In the following description, a tilt direction in which the front of the vehicle Ve is vertically upward relative to the horizontal state is described as the positive direction, and a tilt direction in which the front of the vehicle Ve is vertically downward relative to the horizontal state is described as the negative direction. In addition to the tilt direction of the vehicle Ve, the tilt direction determination unit 30 also acquires the tilt angle.

[0036] The motor control unit 31 determines the magnitude of the torque of the motor 1 according to the tilt direction and tilt angle of the vehicle Ve in the pitching direction of the vehicle Ve, and controls the motor 1 based on the determined torque.

[0037] Figure 4 shows a flowchart illustrating a control example for determining the assist torque of motor 1. In the control example shown in Figure 4, first, it is determined whether the motor control execution flag is off or not (step S1). This motor control execution flag is turned on when the drive shaft 9 is twisted to such an extent that the vehicle Ve vibrates when the parking lock mechanism 11 is released. In other words, the motor control execution flag is turned on based on various conditions that cause the drive shaft 9 to twist, such as the parking lock mechanism 11 being in a locked state, the braking torque applied to the wheel 10 after the parking lock mechanism 11 is locked being less than or equal to a predetermined torque and allowing the wheel 10 to rotate, and the pitching angle (absolute value) of the vehicle Ve being greater than or equal to a predetermined angle.

[0038] If step S1 is determined to be positive because the motor execution control flag is off, the target value of the assist torque by motor 1 (hereinafter simply referred to as target torque) is set to "0" (step S2). Conversely, if step S1 is determined to be negative because the motor control execution flag is on, it is determined whether or not the motor control execution flag has switched from off to on (step S3). This step S3 can be determined depending on whether or not step S1 in the previous routine was determined to be positive.

[0039] If a positive determination is made in step S3 because the motor control execution flag has switched from off to on, the target torque is set according to the pitching direction of the vehicle Ve (hereinafter referred to as the tilt direction) (step S4). Specifically, a map is constructed in advance by conducting experiments to define the magnitude of the assist torque corresponding to the tilt direction and tilt angle of the vehicle Ve. This map is stored in the ECU 21, and the target torque is determined based on the tilt direction and tilt angle of the vehicle Ve corresponding to the acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor 22, and the map. Note that the tilt angle of the vehicle Ve is not limited to the tilt angle detected when the parking lock mechanism 11 is switched from the locked state to the unlocked state, but may also be the tilt angle detected when the parking lock mechanism 11 is locked in order to park.

[0040] An example of such a map is shown in Figure 5, where the horizontal axis represents the tilt angle of the vehicle Ve, and the vertical axis represents the target torque. In the example shown in Figure 5, the target torque is set such that the magnitude of the target torque for a given tilt angle when the vehicle Ve is tilted in a positive direction, i.e., when the front of the vehicle Ve is tilted upward in the vertical direction, is smaller than the magnitude of the target torque for a given tilt angle when the vehicle Ve is tilted in a negative direction, i.e., when the front of the vehicle Ve is tilted downward in the vertical direction. In other words, when the vehicle Ve is tilted in a positive direction, the increase in the target torque for an increase in the tilt angle is smaller than when the vehicle Ve is tilted in a negative direction. This is due to the fact that the positions of the mounts 18a, 18b, and 18c that fix the case 17 to the vehicle body 19 are not symmetrical in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle Ve.

[0041] On the other hand, if the motor control execution flag has not yet switched from off to on, that is, if the motor control execution flag has already been switched on and a target value for the assist torque of motor 1 has been set, and therefore the result in a negative determination in step S3, the target value for the assist torque of motor 1 is maintained at the previous value (step S5). In other words, the target value for the assist torque of motor 1 is maintained after it has been set when the motor control execution flag has been switched on.

[0042] Following steps S2, S4, and S5, the rate of decrease of the assist torque output from motor 1 is determined. Specifically, first, it is determined whether an abnormality has occurred, such as when ECU 21 cannot receive signals related to the braking torque of the brake device 14 or EPB 15 while motor 1 is outputting assist torque. Specifically, it is determined whether the abnormality determination flag is on (step S6). This abnormality determination flag can be determined, for example, based on signals exchanged between EPB-ECU 26 or B-ECU 27 and ECU 21.

[0043] If the abnormality detection flag is turned on and a positive determination is made in step S6, the rate at which the assist torque of motor 1 decreases is set to the maximum rate predetermined based on the characteristics of motor 1 (step S7). Conversely, if the abnormality detection flag is turned off and a negative determination is made in step S6, the rate at which the assist torque decreases is set to a rate corresponding to the magnitude of the assist torque (target torque) of motor 1 so that the assist torque decreases over a predetermined time (step S8).

[0044] Following steps S7 and S8, the target value of the assist torque of motor 1 is multiplied by the reduction rate set in steps S7 and S8 and the elapsed time to determine the effective value of the output torque of motor 1 (step S9), and this routine is then terminated.

[0045] As described above, the motor outputs torque corresponding to the tilt direction in the pitching direction of the vehicle Ve. More specifically, the magnitude of the torque output from the motor with respect to the tilt angle differs depending on whether the vehicle Ve is tilted to one side or to the other side in the pitching direction of the vehicle Ve. Therefore, as described above, even if the rigidity of the mounts 18a, 18b, and 18c supporting the case 17 on the vehicle body 19 is not symmetrical in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle Ve, the motor 1 can still output torque corresponding to the orientation of the vehicle Ve in the pitching direction. As a result, regardless of the tilt direction of the vehicle Ve, it is possible to suppress excessive or insufficient torque output from the motor 1, and to suppress the occurrence of vibrations and shocks when releasing the parking lock mechanism 11. In other words, it is possible to suppress limitations on the position and number of mounts 18a, 18b, and 18c that support the case 17, and to improve the design freedom of the mounts 18a, 18b, and 18c that support the case 17.

[0046] Furthermore, the vehicle in this embodiment of the invention is not limited to a vehicle in which a motor is connected to each wheel, but may also be a vehicle configured to transmit torque from a single motor to a pair of front or rear wheels, or to all wheels. In addition, it may be a hybrid vehicle equipped with an engine as a driving force source in addition to the motor. Moreover, the configuration connecting the motor 1 and the drive shaft 9, and the rotating member whose rotation is prohibited by the parking lock mechanism 11, are not limited to those shown in Figure 1. Furthermore, the vehicle in this embodiment of the invention may not be equipped with an EPB 15. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0047] 1,16 motor 2.8 Output shaft 3.6 drive gear 4.7 Driven gear 5 Intermediate axis 9 Drive shaft 10 wheels 11 Parking lock mechanism 12 Parking lock gear 13 Parking poles 14 Brake system 15. Electric Parking Brake (EPB) 17 cases 18 Mount 19 car bodies 20 Suspension 21 Electronic Control Unit (ECU) 22 Accelerometer 23 resolvers 24 Shift device 25 Shift Sensor 26 EPB-ECU 27 B-ECU 28 Shift lever 29 Parking Determination Unit 30 Tilt direction determination section 31 Motor Control Unit Vehicle

Claims

1. A vehicle control device comprising: a drive shaft with one end connected to a wheel; a motor capable of transmitting torque to the drive shaft; a parking lock mechanism capable of selectively switching between a locked state in which the rotation of a predetermined rotating member between the motor and the drive shaft is prohibited and an unlocked state in which the predetermined rotating member is rotatable; a case housing the motor, the parking lock mechanism, and a torque transmission unit that transmits torque from the motor to the drive shaft; and a plurality of mounts connecting the case to the vehicle body, The motor is equipped with a controller that controls the motor, The aforementioned controller, A parking determination unit that determines whether the parking lock mechanism is in the locked state, A tilt direction determination unit for determining the orientation of the pitching direction of the vehicle, The system is configured with a motor control unit that outputs a torque from the motor corresponding to the pitching direction of the vehicle when switching the parking lock mechanism from the locked state to the unlocked state. A vehicle control device characterized by the following features.

2. A vehicle control device according to claim 1, The motor control unit is configured to output a larger torque from the motor as the inclination angle in the pitching direction of the vehicle increases. The magnitude of the torque output from the motor with respect to the aforementioned tilt angle varies depending on the direction of the vehicle's pitching. A vehicle control device characterized by the following features.

3. A vehicle control device according to claim 1, The support rigidity of the case in the pitching direction of the vehicle is different. A vehicle control device characterized by the following features.

4. A vehicle control device according to claim 3, The plurality of mounts include a first mount connecting the rear surface of the case in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle to the vehicle body, a second mount connecting one surface of the case in the vehicle width direction to the vehicle body, and a third mount connecting the other surface of the case in the vehicle width direction to the vehicle body. A vehicle control device characterized by the following features.

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