Rough Terrain Vehicle Twin-Clutch Transmission Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional rough terrain vehicles without a throttle-by-wire (TBW) mechanism and clutch operating unit face challenges in rapidly starting movement and maintaining high engine rotational speed before starting, limiting their acceleration capabilities.
Innovation Solution
A rough terrain vehicle equipped with a twin-clutch type automatic transmission and an accelerator operating unit, featuring a control unit that disengages and engages the clutch based on the operations of the clutch and accelerator units to manage engine output and rotational speed, utilizing different clutch modes to optimize starting and acceleration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If a TBW mechanism is incorporated to enable rapid automatic start, then the acceleration capability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a clutch operating unit as an intermediary device between the driver and the twin-clutch transmission system. This unit includes operation detection means that detects clutch operation signals and transmits them to the control means, which then coordinates clutch engagement/disengagement with engine rotational speed control. This intermediary mechanism enables rapid acceleration similar to TBW systems while maintaining the simplicity of manual transmission architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback control through operation detection means that continuously monitors the state of the clutch operating unit and transmits this information to the control means. The control means uses this feedback to dynamically adjust clutch engagement timing and engine rotational speed, creating a closed-loop control system that optimizes acceleration performance while maintaining system simplicity.
2Speed
If the engine rotational speed is increased before starting movement, then the acceleration capability is improved, but the loss of time during clutch engagement increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by having the control means detect clutch operation signals in advance and proactively control the engine rotational speed to increase before the clutch is fully engaged. This preliminary speed increase ensures that when the clutch engages, the vehicle is already moving at higher speed, reducing the overall time loss during the starting process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic control by continuously adjusting the engine rotational speed based on real-time detection of clutch operation state. The control means dynamically modifies the engine speed profile during the clutch engagement process, optimizing the balance between achieving high acceleration and minimizing engagement time through adaptive control strategies.
3Speed
If a clutch operating unit is incorporated to enable manual clutch operations, then the acceleration capability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The clutch operating unit is designed with multi-functionality, serving both as a manual clutch control interface and as a sensor for operation detection. The same physical unit that the driver operates to engage/disengage the clutch also contains or is coupled with detection means that automatically sense the operation state and transmit signals to the control system, eliminating the need for separate sensors and reducing overall complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the manual clutch operation interface with the automatic detection function into a single integrated clutch operating unit. This combination consolidates multiple functions (manual control, state sensing, signal transmission) into one component, reducing the number of separate parts and simplifying the overall system architecture while maintaining improved acceleration capability.
Data Source
AI summary
In a rough terrain vehicle, at a time of preparing to start movement, in a case that a left paddle switch and a right paddle switch are operated together with an accelerator pedal, an ECU disengages a clutch of an automatic transmission, and causes an output of an engine to increase. On the other hand, at a time of starting movement, in a case that the left paddle switch and the right paddle switch are returned to their initial positions, the ECU engages the clutch and transmits the output of the engine from the engine to vehicle wheels via the automatic transmission, to thereby rapidly start movement of the rough terrain vehicle.