A method of operating a vehicle having an engine, a throttle valve and a throttle operator. A continuously variable transmission operatively connected to the engine has a driving pulley, a driven pulley, and a belt operatively connecting therebetween. A ground engaging member is operatively connected to the driven pulley. A piston is operatively connected to the driving pulley for applying a piston force thereto and thereby changing an effective diameter of the driving pulley. A control unit controls actuation of the piston and the piston force. The method includes determining at least one of the throttle operator and throttle valve position, detecting a parking/drive away condition indicative of one of a parking operation and a drive-away operation of the vehicle, and, responsive to the detection, actuating the piston and controlling the piston force based on the at least one of the throttle operator position and the throttle valve position.

A method of operating a vehicle having an engine, a throttle valve and a throttle operator. A continuously variable transmission operatively connected to the engine has a driving pulley, a driven pulley, and a belt operatively connecting therebetween. A ground engaging member is operatively connected to the driven pulley. A piston is operatively connected to the driving pulley for applying a piston force thereto and thereby changing an effective diameter of the driving pulley. A control unit controls actuation of the piston and the piston force. The method includes determining at least one of the throttle operator and throttle valve position, detecting a parking/drive away condition indicative of one of a parking operation and a drive-away operation of the vehicle, and, responsive to the detection, actuating the piston and controlling the piston force based on the at least one of the throttle operator position and the throttle valve position.

A pulley for a continuously variable transmission (CVT) and a method of controlling the pulley. The pulley has a main shaft, a fixed sheave, a mobile sheave and a cam system. The fixed sheave is fixedly mounted on the main shaft and has a fixed belt groove portion. The mobile sheave is movably mounted on the main shaft and has a mobile belt groove portion, the mobile sheave is mounted on the main shaft such that the fixed belt groove portion and the mobile belt groove portion form a riding path for a drive belt and is axially movable with respect to the main shaft such as to vary an effective diameter of the pulley by increasing or decreasing an axial space between the mobile sheave and the fixed sheave. The cam system is mounted at one end via a bearing fitted around the primary shaft to the mobile sheave. The cam system is adapted to provide an axial movement to the mobile sheave in order to increase or decrease the axial space between the mobile sheave and the fixed sheave.

The present invention proposes a transmission control device capable of shortening a switching time between forward control and reverse control of a transmission. The present invention relates to a transmission control device that controls a transmission, including: a forward power transmission mechanism configured to move a vehicle forward; and a reverse power transmission mechanism configured to reverse the vehicle. Each of the forward power transmission mechanism and the reverse power transmission mechanism includes a driving-side connector and a driven-side connector. The forward power transmission mechanism and the reverse power transmission mechanism are configured to be capable of changing a contact state where the driving-side connector and the driven-side connector are pushed to contact each other, a retracted state where pushing forces are released to retract the driving-side connector and the driven-side connector, and an intermediate state formed as the intermediate state between the contact state and the retracted state. When the vehicle is controlled based on a previously-generated control content including switching between forward control and reverse control, one of the forward control and the reverse control is performed by controlling one power transmission mechanism between the forward power transmission mechanism and the reverse power transmission mechanism to the contact state while controlling the other power transmission mechanism to the intermediate state.

A recreational vehicle is provided including a power source, such as an engine or an electric motor, and a transmission having a variable gear ratio. A sub-transmission coupled to an output of the transmission includes a plurality of selectable gear configurations including park gear and at least one of a forward gear, a neutral gear and a reverse gear. An electronic controller is operative to electronically control the gear configuration of the sub-transmission in response to a set of conditions.

A vehicle control device performing upshift to a forward gear stage in a current travel section in a case where: (1) the forward gear stage is higher than a current gear stage; (2) a travel resistance of a vehicle in the current travel section is greater than a driving force in a case of traveling at the forward gear stage; (3) a stall amount until the vehicle passes an end point of the current travel section in a case where the vehicle travels in the current travel section at the forward gear stage is equal to or smaller than a specified value; and (4) a value obtained by subtracting the travel resistance of the vehicle in a forward travel section from a driving force in a case where the vehicle travels in the forward travel section at the forward gear stage is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

A vehicle control device performing upshift to a forward gear stage in a current travel section in a case where: (1) the forward gear stage is higher than a current gear stage; (2) a travel resistance of a vehicle in the current travel section is greater than a driving force in a case of traveling at the forward gear stage; (3) a stall amount until the vehicle passes an end point of the current travel section in a case where the vehicle travels in the current travel section at the forward gear stage is equal to or smaller than a specified value; and (4) a value obtained by subtracting the travel resistance of the vehicle in a forward travel section from a driving force in a case where the vehicle travels in the forward travel section at the forward gear stage is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

An alternator driving apparatus for driving an alternator may include a crank pulley mounted on a crank shaft of an engine, an alternator pulley connected to the crank pulley through a driving belt, an alternator shaft connected between the alternator and the alternator pulley, and a rotation speed varying mechanism configured to vary a rotation speed of the alternator shaft.

An alternator driving apparatus for driving an alternator may include a crank pulley mounted on a crank shaft of an engine, an alternator pulley connected to the crank pulley through a driving belt, an alternator shaft connected between the alternator and the alternator pulley, and a rotation speed varying mechanism configured to vary a rotation speed of the alternator shaft.

An electric vehicle includes: a motor for traveling; a transmission connected to the motor; a battery; an inverter configured to convert direct-current power output by the battery, into alternating-current power for driving the motor; a capacitor connected between a positive electrode of direct-current input terminals of the inverter and a negative electrode of the direct-current input terminals of the inverter; and a controller configured to change a gear stage of the transmission when both of a condition i) and a condition ii) are satisfied. The condition i) is a condition that the rotation speed of the motor is in a predetermined range. The condition ii) is a condition that the output of the motor exceeds a predetermined output threshold.