Clutch Failure Detection Using Transmission Torque on Slopes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional clutch failure detection systems face challenges in accurately detecting clutch failures, especially when the vehicle is on a slope, due to the varying clutch position ranges required for different gradients, leading to inconsistent and inaccurate failure detection.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle equipped with a clutch failure detection system that includes a clutch actuation mechanism, a position detector, and a torque obtaining section to calculate actual transmission torque, which uses predetermined conditions such as vehicle speed, rotational speed difference, and torque deviation to detect clutch failures independently of road gradients.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a predetermined appropriate range of clutch position is set for failure detection, then failure detection can be performed, but the detection accuracy deteriorates when the vehicle is on a slope due to varying clutch positions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the detection parameter from clutch position alone to a combination of clutch position and transmission torque. By introducing torque as an additional parameter, the system can distinguish between normal clutch position variations due to slope and actual clutch failures, thereby maintaining detection reliability while improving measurement precision across different operating conditions.
2Device complexity
If clutch position alone is used for failure detection, then the detection system is simple, but detection accuracy deteriorates under different road gradient conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the detection system multi-functional by using transmission torque data that is already available for other control purposes. The torque information, originally used for clutch control, is now also utilized for failure detection, eliminating the need for separate sensors while improving detection accuracy across various road conditions.
3Ease of operation
If the clutch position range is fixed for all conditions, then the system is easy to control, but the detection becomes inconsistent on slopes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces dynamic adjustment of the clutch position range based on transmission torque values. Instead of using a fixed predetermined range, the system dynamically determines the appropriate range by referencing the current torque, allowing the detection parameters to adapt to different operating conditions while maintaining ease of control through automated adjustment.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a vehicle having a clutch provided in a torque transmission path; a clutch actuation mechanism for changing relative positions of a drive-side member and a driven-side member of the clutch; a clutch position detector for detecting a position of the clutch actuation mechanism as a clutch position; a torque obtaining section for obtaining torque transmitted from the drive-side member to a downstream mechanism in the torque transmission path as an actual transmission torque, the downstream mechanism including the driven-side member; and a failure detecting section for detecting a failure of the clutch based on the transmission torque and the clutch position.