Clutch operating device

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a clutch operation device with improved operability of clutch operation. [Solution] This clutch operation device comprises: a clutch operation unit 30 that switches between a connected state, in which power transmission is performed between a source of motive power for travel and wheels of a vehicle, and a disconnected state, in which power transmission is cut off; a vibration unit 101 that vibrates the clutch operation unit; a transient state detection unit 100 that detects a transient state between the connected and disconnected states; and a vibration control unit 100 that actuates the vibration unit according to the detection of the transient state.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a clutch operating device that performs clutch operation of a power transmission device of a vehicle.

Background Art

[0002] As a technology related to giving a specific feeling to the clutch operation of a vehicle driver, for example, in Patent Document 1, in an electric vehicle, based on the operation amount of an acceleration pedal, the operation amount of a pseudo clutch pedal, and the shift position of a pseudo shift device, a control device that controls the torque of an electric motor using an MT vehicle model, and a pedal reaction force addition device that generates a pedal reaction force for the operation of the pseudo clutch pedal by the operation of a reaction force actuator are described. Further, the control device stores a pedal reaction force characteristic that simulates the characteristic of the pedal reaction force corresponding to the operation amount of the clutch pedal, and controls the pedal reaction force addition device so as to output a pedal reaction force corresponding to the operation amount of the pseudo clutch pedal according to the stored pedal reaction force characteristic. Further, in Patent Document 2, in a vibration addition system corresponding to the relationship between the reaction speed in the manual operation of a driver and the driver's awareness, a vibration waveform for exciting a Pacinian corpuscle or a Meissner corpuscle is described as the vibration added to an operating element for manual driving. In particular, it is described that 30 Hz to 250 Hz is suitable in terms of sensitivity characteristics for the frequency.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Vehicles in which the driver operates the clutch have the advantage of being able to control the transmission of driving force and the timing of gear changes according to the driver's intentions. For example, it becomes possible to instantly stop acceleration by disengaging the clutch in the event of an unintended sudden start by the driver, or to utilize the force generated by the tires as lateral force by cutting off the driving force when cornering near the tire's grip limit. However, clutch pedal operation relies heavily on the driver's feel, especially when starting off. This requires releasing the clutch pedal while simultaneously pressing the accelerator pedal, and fine-tuning the clutch engagement to transmit power. Drivers adjust their clutch pedal by sensing the subtle vibration changes transmitted through it during the half-clutch state. However, these vibration changes are often minute, and drivers frequently rely on personal experience and memory of the clutch pedal position during the half-clutch state. In view of the above-mentioned problems, the object of the present invention is to provide a clutch operating device that improves the operability of clutch operation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] To solve the above-mentioned problems, a clutch operating device according to one aspect of the present invention comprises: a clutch operating unit that switches between a connected state in which power is transmitted between a vehicle's driving power source and a wheel, and a disconnected state in which the power transmission is interrupted; an excitation unit that excites the clutch operating unit; a transient state detection unit that detects the transient state between the connected state and the disconnected state; and an excitation control unit that operates the excitation unit in response to the detection of the transient state, and further comprises an operating speed detection unit that detects the operating speed of the clutch operating unit, wherein the excitation control unit increases the amplitude of the excitation waveform of the excitation unit in accordance with the increase in the operating speed. According to this, by increasing the amplitude of the excitation waveform in accordance with the increasing operating speed of the clutch operating section, it is possible to effectively improve the driver's ability to perceive the reaction force during clutch disengagement and engagement operations. In particular, when the operating speed is fast, increasing the excitation amplitude emphasizes the feeling of reaction force (pressure), allowing the driver to perceive a change in accordance with the operating speed, and this can act as a damping term. To solve the above-mentioned problems, a clutch operating device according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a clutch operating unit that switches between a connected state in which power is transmitted between the vehicle's driving power source and the wheels and a disconnected state in which the power transmission is interrupted; an excitation unit that excites the clutch operating unit; a transient state detection unit that detects the transient state between the connected state and the disconnected state; and an excitation control unit that operates the excitation unit in response to the detection of the transient state, and further comprises a vibration input detection unit that detects vibration input from the road surface, wherein the excitation control unit increases the amplitude of the excitation waveform of the excitation unit in response to an increase in the amplitude of the vibration input. According to this, even if vibrations transmitted from the road surface increase due to factors such as a rough road surface or tire pattern, the above-mentioned effects can be ensured by increasing the amplitude of the excitation waveform. Here, as the vibration input detection unit, for example, an acceleration sensor that detects the acceleration of the unsprung portion of the vehicle (the part that moves relative to the vehicle body in accordance with the stroke of the suspension system), or a torque sensor that detects the torque acting on the steering shaft in a power steering system can be used. Here, the vibration control unit can be configured to extract a specific frequency band of vibration input from the road surface (typically a band including 100 to 400 Hz) and increase the amplitude of the excitation waveform in accordance with the increase in amplitude in the extracted band. In the present invention, The vibration unit vibrates the clutch operating unit with a vibration waveform that includes frequency components of 100 to 400 Hz. It can be configured as follows. According to this method, when the clutch device is in a transient state between connected and disconnected, vibrating the clutch operating part stimulates the receptors that control skin sensation in the soles of the feet and fingers used by the driver to operate the clutch. This makes it easier for the driver to recognize the state of the clutch operation, thereby improving the operability of the clutch operation. Therefore, it is possible to improve the ease of driving and the smoothness of the vehicle's ride. In this specification and within the claims, a clutch device is not limited to one that actually has friction engagement elements such as a clutch disc, but refers to a device that adjusts power transmission and disconnection. Here, in cases where there is a driving force adjustment pedal or the like (a pseudo-clutch operating part), such as a pseudo-clutch provided in an electric vehicle, the operation of such a pseudo-clutch operating part is considered as a clutch operation, and the same effect as in the case of a clutch device having friction engagement elements can be obtained by adjusting the vibration of the clutch operating part and the amplitude of the vibration waveform according to the transient state detected from the amount of power transmitted and the stroke value of the clutch operating part.

[0006] In the present invention, the vibration unit has a frequency of 100 to 400 Hz Having a dominant frequency within the bandwidth The clutch operating section can be configured to be vibrated with an excitation waveform. According to this, by vibrating the clutch operating part in a frequency band where Pacinian corpuscles, which are receptors that control cutaneous sensation and are considered to have the fastest response in cutaneous sensation, are highly sensitive, the driver will be able to more easily feel the pressure changes received from the soles of their feet, etc. This improves the spatial resolution with which the driver perceives the amount of clutch operation, enabling more precise clutch control.

[0007] In the present invention, the clutch operating unit switches between the connected state and the disconnected state by switching between a pressed state and a separated state between a first friction element and a second friction element provided between the driving power source and the wheel, and the transient state detection unit can be configured to detect the transient state based on the slip state between the first friction element and the second friction element. According to this method, transient states can be appropriately detected, and the effects described above can be appropriately obtained. Here, the slip state can be detected, for example, based on the frictional vibrations that occur when each friction element slips. Furthermore, the slip condition can also be detected based on the relative velocity between the first and second friction elements. For example, it is possible to detect a slip state based on the rotational speed of the output shaft of an engine and the rotational speed of the input shaft of a transmission that are connected via a clutch device.

Advantages of the Invention

[0010] As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a clutch operation device with improved operability of clutch operation.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0011] [Figure 1] It is a diagram showing the configuration of a clutch device having a first embodiment of a clutch operation device to which the present invention is applied. [Figure 2] It is a block diagram showing the configuration of a vibration control system in the clutch operation device of the first embodiment. [Figure 3] It is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of a vibrator control unit in the first embodiment. [Figure 4] It is a diagram schematically showing an example of a vibration waveform in the first embodiment. [Figure 5] It is a diagram schematically showing the timing of an electrical pulse emitted by a receptor when the skin touches an object. [Figure 6] It is a diagram showing the sensitivity distribution with respect to frequency of Pacinian corpuscles and Meissner corpuscles. [Figure 7] It is a diagram schematically showing an example of gain adjustment in a first gain adjustment unit. [Figure 8] It is a diagram schematically showing an example of gain adjustment in a second gain adjustment unit. [Figure 9] It is a diagram schematically showing an example of the output history of a road surface input acceleration sensor. [Figure 10] It is a diagram schematically showing a method for calculating a vibration amplitude in a vibration amplitude calculation unit. [Figure 11] It is a diagram schematically showing an example of gain adjustment in a third gain adjustment unit. [Figure 12]This figure schematically shows the stroke of the clutch pedal and the degree of output reduction of the electric motor in the clutch operating device of the second embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] <First Embodiment> The following describes a first embodiment of a clutch operating device to which the present invention is applied. The clutch operating device of the first embodiment operates a clutch device installed in a vehicle such as an automobile that uses an engine as a power source for driving.

[0013] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a clutch device in which the clutch operating device of the first embodiment is provided. The clutch device 1 is installed between the engine and the transmission that transmits the engine's output to the wheels. A transmission is a power transmission device that includes a gearbox, forward / reverse switching mechanism, and other components. The clutch device 1 switches between a connected state, which allows power transmission between the engine and the transmission (between the engine and the wheels), and a disconnected state, which interrupts power transmission. The clutch device 1 includes a clutch cover 10, a release bearing 20, a clutch pedal 30, a master cylinder 40, a release cylinder 50, a release fork 60, a reserve tank 70, and the like.

[0014] The clutch cover 10 is a component that houses a clutch disc spline-coupled to the input shaft of the transmission. The clutch cover 10 is fastened to the engine's flywheel at its outer edge. A diaphragm spring 11 is provided in the center of the clutch cover 10 to generate a clamping force that presses the clutch disc against the flywheel. The clutch disc functions as the first friction element of the present invention. The flywheel and clutch cover also function as the second friction element of the present invention.

[0015] The release bearing 20 is positioned opposite the center of the diaphragm spring 11 and presses the center of the diaphragm spring 11 toward the engine along the rotation axis when the clutch is released (disengaged). The diaphragm spring 11 is configured such that when its central portion is pressed against the release bearing 20, the clamping force is released and the clutch is disengaged.

[0016] The clutch pedal 30 is the clutch operating part used by the vehicle's occupant (driver) to operate the clutch. The clutch pedal 30 has a foot surface portion 31, a bracket portion 32, a support shaft 33, etc. The tread surface 31 is an input section that allows the occupant to disengage the clutch by pressing it with the sole of their foot and engage the clutch by releasing it. The bracket 32 ​​is formed to protrude upward from the tread portion 31 and is a member that supports the tread portion 31 in a suspended state. The support shaft 33 is provided at the upper end of the bracket 32 ​​and is a rotating shaft that supports the bracket 32 ​​so that it can rotate (oscillate).

[0017] The master cylinder 40 pressurizes and discharges the clutch fluid, which is the working fluid of the clutch device, in response to the operation of pressing the clutch pedal 30. The master cylinder 40 is mounted, for example, on a bulkhead, which is a partition wall located at the front of the passenger compartment of a vehicle.

[0018] The release cylinder 50 presses one end of the release fork 60 by a plunger driven by the hydraulic pressure of the clutch fluid supplied from the master cylinder 40 via piping L1. The release fork 60 is an interlocking member that transmits the movement of the plunger of the release cylinder 50 to the release bearing 20. The end of the release fork 60 opposite to the release cylinder 50 is positioned opposite the end face of the release bearing 20. When the plunger of the release cylinder 50 presses against the release fork 60, the release fork 60 swings around a pivot point located in the middle, pressing against the release bearing 20 in the direction that disengages the clutch (the direction in which the clamping force of the clutch cover 10 is released).

[0019] The reserve tank 70 is connected to the master cylinder 40 via piping L2 and temporarily stores excess clutch fluid.

[0020] The clutch operating device of the first embodiment is characterized by using the vibrator 101 described below to vibrate the clutch pedal 30. Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the oscillator control system in the clutch operating device of the first embodiment.

[0021] The vibrator control unit 100 is an excitation control unit that supplies a drive current and voltage having a predetermined excitation waveform to the vibrator 101. The configuration of the oscillator control unit 100 will be explained in detail later. Furthermore, the oscillator control unit 100 functions as a transient state detection unit of the present invention for detecting transient states (half-clutch states) of the clutch device 1.

[0022] The vibrator 101 is an excitation unit that directly or indirectly excites the tread surface 31 of the clutch pedal 30, etc. The oscillator 101 can, for example, have a voice coil and a diaphragm that generate vibrations in response to fluctuations in the supplied voltage. For example, a small speaker can be used as the oscillator 101. The transducer 101 is attached to a location on the foot surface 31, such as the master cylinder 40 or the bracket 32 ​​of the clutch pedal 30, where vibration can be transmitted by solid propagation or the like. The vibrations generated by the vibrator 101 are transmitted to the driver's foot via the tread surface 31. Furthermore, it is also possible to use space (the air inside the vehicle) as a transmission path for vibrations. For example, vibrations can be transmitted from the speaker through the air to the driver's skin.

[0023] The vibrator control unit 100 is connected to a clutch fluid pressure sensor 210, a clutch pedal stroke sensor 220, an engine rotation speed sensor 230, a transmission input shaft rotation speed sensor 240, a road surface input acceleration sensor 250, a steering torque sensor 260, a driving mode selection unit 270, etc., either directly or via an in-vehicle LAN such as a CAN communication system.

[0024] The clutch fluid pressure sensor 210 is a pressure sensor installed in the master cylinder 40 that detects the fluid pressure of the clutch fluid generated by the master cylinder 40. The clutch pedal stroke sensor 220 is a sensor that detects the stroke (amount of depression) of the tread surface 31 of the clutch pedal 30. The clutch pedal stroke sensor 220 includes, for example, an encoder that detects the rotational angular position around the pivot shaft 33 of the bracket 32. Based on the outputs of the clutch hydraulic pressure sensor 210 and the clutch pedal stroke sensor 220, it is possible to calculate the stroke of the clutch pedal 30 (position of the tread surface 31), and by differentiating this with respect to time, it is possible to detect the operating speed of the clutch pedal 30. The clutch hydraulic pressure sensor 210 and the clutch pedal stroke sensor 220 work together with the vibrator control unit 100 to function as the operating speed detection unit of the present invention.

[0025] The engine rotation speed sensor 230 is a sensor that detects the rotation speed (engine speed) of the engine's output shaft (crankshaft) and is installed on one side (drive side) of the clutch device 1. As the engine rotation angle sensor 230, a crank angle sensor that generates an output corresponding to the rotation angle position of the crankshaft and is used for engine control and the like can be used. The transmission input shaft rotation speed sensor 240 is a sensor that detects the rotation speed (rotational speed) of the transmission input shaft (main drive shaft) located on the other side (driven side) of the clutch device 1.

[0026] The road surface input acceleration sensor 250 is a sensor that detects the acceleration of vibrations input to the vehicle from the road surface when the vehicle is in motion. As the road surface input acceleration sensor 250, for example, an acceleration sensor that detects vertical acceleration and is installed on the lower part of the suspension device such as a hub bearing housing or suspension arm can be used.

[0027] The steering torque sensor 260 is installed in an electric power steering system that steers the front wheels, which are the steering wheels of the vehicle, and is a sensor that detects the torque acting on the steering shaft that connects the steering wheel and the steering gearbox. Since the output of such a steering torque sensor 260 also includes vibration input from the road surface, it can be used in place of, or in combination with, the output of the road surface input acceleration sensor 250.

[0028] The driving mode selection unit 270 allows the driver to select one of several pre-set driving modes for the vehicle. The system can be configured to have, for example, a normal mode suitable for general driving and a sport mode suitable for, for example, circuit driving. The vehicle can be configured to change, for example, engine characteristics, transmission shifting characteristics, and suspension damping characteristics, depending on the selected driving mode.

[0029] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the oscillator control unit in the first embodiment. The transducer control unit 100 includes a waveform generation unit 110, a first gain adjustment unit 120, a second gain adjustment unit 130, a road surface vibration monitoring unit 140, a vibration amplitude calculation unit 150, a third gain adjustment unit 160, a gain selection unit 170, and the like.

[0030] The waveform generation unit 110 generates the fundamental wave of the excitation waveform (without adjusting the gain, etc.), which is the voltage waveform of the drive power of the oscillator 101. Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the excitation waveform in the first embodiment. In Figure 4, the horizontal axis represents time, and the vertical axis represents voltage. As shown in Figure 4, the excitation waveform can be a square wave, for example, but is not limited to this and may be other waveforms.

[0031] In the first embodiment, the frequency of the excitation waveform can be set, for example, to have a dominant frequency in the range of 100 to 400 Hz. In this specification, the dominant frequency refers to a frequency whose amplitude is particularly large compared to the amplitudes of other frequencies. Generally, such a dominant frequency often coincides with the frequency with the largest amplitude among several eigenvalues ​​(natural frequencies). The reason is explained below.

[0032] The driver's foot, which touches the tread surface 31, has sensory receptors (tactile sensors) that acquire tactile sensations (skin sensations), such as Merkel cells, Meissner corpuscles, and Pacinian corpuscles. Figure 5 schematically shows the timing of electrical pulses emitted by receptors when skin comes into contact with an object. In Figure 5, the horizontal axis represents time, and the vertical axis, from top to bottom, represents pressure and the electrical pulse generation state of Merkel cells, Meissner corpuscles, and Pacinian corpuscles.

[0033] Merkel cells respond relatively slowly and correspond to the DC component. Meissner bodies correspond to situations where a rate of change (velocity) of contact pressure is occurring. Since Meissner bodies always react when moving at high speeds, if an excitation waveform with a frequency that is highly sensitive to Meissner bodies is used, it is thought that the driver will be more likely to perceive it as vibration. Pacinian corpuscles respond to moments of transient change and are considered to be the most sensitive of these receptors. Pacinian corpuscles are thought to be the dominant receptors that drivers use to sense the reaction force of micromanipulation.

[0034] Figure 6 shows the sensitivity distribution of Pacinian and Meissner corpuscles with respect to frequency. In Figure 6, the horizontal axis represents frequency, and the vertical axis represents amplitude above the threshold; a smaller value indicates better sensitivity. As shown in Figure 6, Pacinian bodies exhibit good sensitivity in the region of approximately 100 to 400 Hz; therefore, in this embodiment, an excitation waveform having a dominant frequency within the frequency band of 100 to 400 Hz is used. Furthermore, by adding components in the frequency band of 10 to 50 Hz to the excitation waveform, it is possible to obtain an effect that stimulates Meissner corpuscles.

[0035] The first gain adjustment unit 120 performs the first gain adjustment on the excitation waveform, as described below. The first gain adjustment increases the gain of the excitation waveform (increases the amplitude of the excitation waveform) when the clutch device is in a transient state between the engaged and disengaged states (a half-clutch state where the clutch disc, flywheel, and clutch cover are slipping). The first gain adjustment can be configured to increase the gain of the excitation waveform in response to an increase in frictional vibrations occurring in a half-clutch state, for example. Figure 7 is a schematic diagram showing an example of gain adjustment in the first gain adjustment section. In Figure 7, the horizontal axis represents the acceleration of frictional vibration, and the vertical axis represents the gain multiplied by the summation waveform.

[0036] Frictional vibrations can occur, for example, due to a slip-stick phenomenon in which the slip ratio between the clutch disc, flywheel, and clutch cover fluctuates periodically. Friction vibration can be detected, for example, based on the output of a clutch fluid pressure sensor 210 installed on the master cylinder 40. The frictional vibrations of the clutch device 1 are transmitted to the master cylinder via the piping L1 and the clutch fluid inside it. Alternatively, frictional vibrations may be detected using acceleration sensors installed in, for example, the clutch housing or piping L1. Alternatively, frictional vibration of the clutch disc may be estimated based on the outputs of the engine rotational speed sensor 230 and the transmission input shaft rotational speed sensor 240. For example, when the engine output shaft rotational speed and the transmission input shaft rotational speed do not match and the stroke of the clutch pedal 30 is not at a position corresponding to the disengaged state, the system can be configured to estimate that the system is in a half-clutch state and that frictional vibration is increasing.

[0037] The second gain adjustment unit 130 performs a second gain adjustment, as described below, on the excitation waveform after the first gain adjustment. The second gain adjustment adjusts the gain according to the operating speed of the clutch pedal 30. The operating speed of the clutch pedal 30 (the angular velocity of rotation of the tread surface 31) can be determined by the time derivative of the amount of operation (depression amount) of the clutch pedal 30 detected by the clutch hydraulic pressure sensor 210 or the clutch pedal stroke sensor 220.

[0038] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram showing an example of gain adjustment in the second gain adjustment section. In Figure 8, the horizontal axis represents the pedal operating speed (for example, the angular velocity of the foot surface 31), and the vertical axis represents the gain added to the gain after the first gain adjustment. The gain can be configured to increase, for example, in response to an increase in the pedal operation speed (absolute value). Here, the rate of increase in gain with respect to pedal operation speed is set to be larger in the region of low pedal operation speed compared to the region of high operation speed, and to gradually decrease as the pedal operation speed increases. Furthermore, when the absolute values ​​of the pedal operation speeds are the same, the return side (connection side) is set to have a greater gain than the depression side (release / disconnection side). The second gain adjustment unit 130 may be configured to increase the gain in accordance with the amount of operation (depression) of the clutch pedal 30, either in place of the pedal operation speed or in conjunction with the pedal operation speed. In this case, the effect of the spring / stiffness term can be achieved by adjusting the gain according to the amount of operation of the clutch pedal 30.

[0039] The road surface vibration monitoring unit 140 has the function of monitoring the output of the road surface input acceleration sensor 250 and retaining its history over a predetermined period of time. Figure 9 schematically shows an example of the output history of a road surface input acceleration sensor. In Figure 9, the horizontal axis represents time, and the vertical axis represents the detected value of the road surface input acceleration sensor 250 (vertical acceleration of the unsprung mass). Data regarding the output history of the road surface input acceleration sensor 250 is provided to the vibration amplitude calculation unit 150.

[0040] The vibration amplitude calculation unit 150 applies a bandpass filter to the output of the road surface input acceleration sensor 250 provided by the road surface vibration monitoring unit 140 to extract components in a specific frequency range, and then calculates the vibration amplitude in this frequency range. Figure 10 schematically shows the method for calculating vibration amplitude in the vibration amplitude calculation unit. In Figure 10, the horizontal axis represents frequency, and the vertical axis represents the detected value of the road surface input acceleration sensor 250. A bandpass filter can be configured to extract a portion of the frequency band (for example, around 250 Hz) that is included in the 100 to 400 Hz range. The vibration amplitude A in the extracted frequency band (for example, the average value of the frequency band) is provided to the third gain adjustment unit 160.

[0041] The third gain adjustment unit 160 performs a third gain adjustment on the excitation waveform after the second gain adjustment, as described below. The third gain adjustment unit 160 performs a third gain adjustment based on the outputs of the road surface vibration monitoring unit 140 and the vibration amplitude calculation unit 150.

[0042] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram showing an example of gain adjustment in the third gain adjustment section. In Figure 11, the horizontal axis shows the torque amplitude calculated by the vibration amplitude calculation unit 150, and the vertical axis shows the gain added to the gains after the first and second gain adjustments. As shown in Figure 11, the third gain adjustment unit 160 increases the gain (increases the amplitude of the excitation waveform) in response to an increase in the vibration amplitude from the road surface. In the third gain adjustment unit 160, if the excitation amplitude added from the vibrator 101 is ΔA and the vibration amplitude from the road surface obtained from the vibration amplitude calculation unit 150 is A, then ΔA / A can be considered to be the Weber ratio W. Therefore, by adjusting the gain so that the Weber ratio W becomes a predetermined value, it is believed that a stable effect can be obtained according to the Weber-Fechner law.

[0043] The gain selection unit 170 generates excitation waveforms corresponding to multiple gain values ​​of progressively different magnitudes based on the gains adjusted by the first gain adjustment unit 120, the second gain adjustment unit 130, and the third gain adjustment unit 160. In addition, according to the driving mode selected by the driving mode selection unit 270, it selects one excitation waveform from the excitation waveforms whose amplitudes have been adjusted by the multiple gain values. The gain selection unit 170 can be configured to select a larger gain (increase the amplitude of the excitation waveform) compared to the normal mode in order to further improve the operability of the clutch pedal 30, for example, when sport mode is selected as the driving mode.

[0044] According to the first embodiment described above, the following effects can be obtained. (1) When the clutch device 1 is in a transient state between the engaged and disengaged state (half-clutch state), vibrating the clutch pedal 30 stimulates the receptors on the soles of the driver's feet that control skin sensation when operating the clutch, making it easier for the driver to recognize the state of clutch operation, thereby improving the operability of the clutch operation. Therefore, it is possible to improve the ease of driving and the smoothness of the vehicle's ride. (2) The vibrator 101 vibrates the clutch pedal 30 with an excitation waveform that includes frequency components of 100 to 400 Hz, thereby vibrating the clutch pedal 30 in a frequency band in which Pacinian corpuscles, which are receptors that control tactile sensation and are said to have the fastest response in tactile sensation, are highly sensitive, making it easier for the driver to feel the pressure changes received from the soles of their feet. This improves the spatial resolution with which the driver perceives the amount of clutch operation, enabling more precise clutch control. (3) The clutch pedal 30 switches between a connected state and a disconnected state by switching between a pressed state and a separated state between the flywheel, clutch cover and clutch disc, which are located between the engine and the wheels. The vibrator control unit 100 can appropriately detect transient states based on these slip states (states of frictional vibration), thereby appropriately obtaining the effects described above. (4) By increasing the amplitude of the excitation waveform in accordance with the increase in the operating speed (absolute value) of the clutch pedal 30, the driver's ability to feel the reaction force when disengaging and engaging the clutch can be effectively improved. In particular, when the operating speed is fast, increasing the excitation amplitude emphasizes the feeling of reaction force (pressure), allowing the driver to feel a change in accordance with the operating speed, and this can act as a damping term. (5) By increasing the amplitude of the excitation waveform of the transducer 101 in response to an increase in the amplitude of vibration input from the road surface, the above-mentioned effects can be ensured even when vibrations transmitted from the road surface increase due to, for example, a rough road surface or tire pattern shape, by increasing the amplitude of the excitation waveform.

[0045] <Second Embodiment> Next, a second embodiment of a clutch operating device to which the present invention is applied will be described. In the second embodiment, the same reference numerals are used for parts similar to those in the first embodiment described above, and their descriptions are omitted. The differences will be explained in detail.

[0046] In the second embodiment, the vehicle is, for example, an electric vehicle that uses an electric motor as a power source for driving. Unlike the first embodiment, no physical clutch device is provided between the electric motor and the power transmission mechanism. In the second embodiment, the output torque of the electric motor is reduced in response to the operation of pressing the clutch pedal 30, thereby simulating the same effect as when the clutch is disengaged in an engine-powered vehicle as in the first embodiment.

[0047] Figure 12 schematically shows the stroke of the clutch pedal and the degree of output reduction of the electric motor in the clutch operating device of the second embodiment. In Figure 12, the horizontal axis represents the stroke of the clutch pedal, and the vertical axis represents the output torque (%) of the electric motor relative to the clutch engaged state (clutch pedal stroke is zero). In the second embodiment, the region R1 in which the rate of change of output torque with respect to the stroke of the clutch pedal is greater than a predetermined value is recognized as a transient region (a region corresponding to the half-clutch of a physical clutch), and the output gain of the excitation waveform can be improved.

[0048] According to the second embodiment described above, even in electric vehicles that do not have a physical clutch device, the operability of clutch operation in the transient region can be improved, similar to the first embodiment described above.

[0049] (modified version) The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications and changes are possible, all of which fall within the technical scope of the present invention. (1) The clutch operating device, clutch device, and vehicle configuration are not limited to the embodiments described above and can be modified as appropriate. (2) In the embodiment, the clutch operating device was operated by a foot pedal, but the present invention is not limited to this and can be applied to clutch operating devices having other operating modes. For example, the present invention can also be applied to a lever-type clutch operating device that is mounted on the handlebars of a motorcycle or the like and operated by the driver's fingers. (3) In this embodiment, the vibration amplitude gain is increased to further improve the operability of the clutch operating device when sport mode is selected, but the vibration amplitude gain may be increased compared to normal when other driving modes are selected. For example, when a driving mode is selected that corresponds to driving on a low-friction road surface where slippage is likely to occur during starting and clutch operation is critical (e.g., an ice and snow road mode), the gain of the excitation amplitude may be increased. (4) In this embodiment, vibrations from the road surface are detected based on the acceleration of the unsprung portion of the suspension device, but the method for detecting vibrations from the road surface is not limited to this and can be changed as appropriate. For example, a vibration pickup may be installed in the brake fluid piping (brake line) connected to the wheel cylinder located in the unsprung portion. Alternatively, vibrations from the road surface may be detected based on the output of the steering torque sensor of the power steering system, or the output of a vibration sensor or rack thrust sensor installed on the steering rack. (5) In this embodiment, a square wave is used as the excitation waveform as an example, but it is not limited to this, and other waveforms such as a sine wave, triangular wave, or random wave may be used. Also, the gain adjustment method is not limited to the configuration of this embodiment and can be changed as appropriate. (6) The specific configuration of the vibrator (excitation unit), the principle of excitation, and the installation location are not limited to the embodiment and can be modified as appropriate. For example, the configuration is not limited to using a speaker (voice coil) as in the embodiment; for instance, a motor or solenoid may be used to excite the clutch operating part. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0050] 1 clutch device 10 clutch cover 20 Release bearing 30 Clutch pedal 31 Tread surface 32 Bracket 33 Support shaft 40 Master cylinder 50 Release Cylinder 60 Release Fork 70 Reserve Tank L1, L2 Piping 100 Oscillator control unit 101 Oscillator 110 Waveform generation unit 120 First gain adjustment unit 130 Second gain adjustment unit 140 Road surface vibration monitor unit 150 Vibration amplitude calculation unit 160 Third gain adjustment unit 170 Gain Selection Section 210 Clutch hydraulic pressure sensor 220 Clutch pedal stroke sensor 230 Engine speed sensor 240 Transmission input shaft rotation speed sensor 250 Road surface input acceleration sensor 260 Steering torque sensor 270 Driving mode selection section

Claims

1. A clutch operating unit that switches between a connected state in which power is transmitted between the vehicle's power source and the wheels, and a disconnected state in which the power transmission is interrupted, A vibration unit that vibrates the clutch operating unit, A transient state detection unit for detecting the transient state between the connection state and the disconnection state, A vibration control unit that operates the vibration unit in response to the detection of the transient state, Equipped with, The clutch operating unit is equipped with an operating speed detection unit that detects the operating speed of the clutch operating unit, The vibration control unit increases the amplitude of the vibration waveform of the vibration unit in accordance with the increase in the operating speed. A clutch operating device characterized by the following.

2. A clutch operating unit that switches between a connected state in which power is transmitted between the vehicle's power source and the wheels, and a disconnected state in which the power transmission is interrupted, A vibration unit that vibrates the clutch operating unit, A transient state detection unit for detecting the transient state between the connection state and the disconnection state, A vibration control unit that operates the vibration unit in response to the detection of the transient state, Equipped with, It is equipped with a vibration input detection unit that detects vibration input from the road surface, The vibration control unit increases the amplitude of the vibration waveform of the vibration unit in response to an increase in the amplitude of the vibration input. A clutch operating device characterized by the following.

3. The vibration unit vibrates the clutch operating unit with a vibration waveform that includes frequency components of 100 to 400 Hz. A clutch operating device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by the above.

4. The vibration unit vibrates the clutch operating unit with a vibration waveform having a dominant frequency within a frequency band of 100 to 400 Hz. The clutch operating device according to claim 3, characterized by the following:

5. The clutch operating unit switches between the connected state and the disconnected state by switching between a pressed state and a separated state between a first friction element and a second friction element provided between the driving power source and the wheel. The transient state detection unit detects the transient state based on the slip state between the first friction element and the second friction element. A clutch operating device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by the above.

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