Method for controlling the claw coupling of a gearbox

Abstract

Method for controlling the claw coupling of two gearbox elements initially rotating at different speeds when the driver or the box computer requests claw coupling, characterized in that, in a first phase, the difference in rotational speed of the rotary elements is brought by a regulator to a non-zero reference value without any translational movement of the rotary elements toward one another, and in that the movement of the rotary elements until they are claw-coupled occurs in a second phase that begins when the difference in rotational speed reaches its desired value, during which phase the difference perceived by the regulator is modulated by a factor (F) that is a function of the raw difference between the measured value and the reference value.

Claims

1. A method for controlling claw coupling of two gearbox elements initially rotating at different speeds when a driver or a gearbox computer requests claw coupling, comprising: controlling the claw coupling in a first stage, during which a difference in speed of the two gearbox elements is brought by a regulator to a set point value that is not zero without translating the two gearbox elements toward one another, controlling the claw coupling in a second stage that begins when the difference in speed reaches the set point value, the second stage including translating the two gearbox elements toward each another for the claw coupling, and during the translating the two gearbox elements towards one another, the difference in speed is received by the regulator and is modulated by a factor (F), which is a function of a gross difference between a measured value of the difference in speed and the set point value, wherein the regulator outputs a command to control the speed of the two gearbox elements.

2. The control method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the factor (F) is set at a value of 1 during the first stage, then defined by a table of values which is a function of the gross difference between the measured value and the set point value during the second stage.

3. The control method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the controlling the claw coupling in the first stage and the controlling the claw coupling in the second stage is based on a self-adjusting closed loop regulation of the difference in speed between the two gearbox elements.

4. The control method as claimed in claim 3, wherein, during the first stage, the regulator receives, as input, a signal for speed gross difference, equal to a gap between the set point value and the measured value.

5. The control method as claimed in claim 4, wherein during the second stage, the gross difference is multiplied by the factor (F).

6. The control method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the modulation of the difference seen by the regulator continues while the claw coupling of the two gearbox elements is not completed.

7. The control method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the regulator delivers a command signal to actuators of sources of power introduced into the gearbox.

8. The command method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the regulator controls a speed of an electric machine for input of power into a transmission.

9. The command method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the regulator controls a speed of a heat engine for input of power into a transmission.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention will be better understood upon reading the following description of a nonlimiting embodiment thereof, with reference to the appended drawings, wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 is a gearbox architecture diagram,

(3) FIGS. 2A and 2B show two types of claws,

(4) FIG. 3 illustrates the calculation of the modulating factor for the gross difference according to the stages of the operation,

(5) FIG. 4 summarizes the strategy of the invention, and

(6) FIG. 5 shows the associated regulation loop.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(7) The strategy illustrated by FIG. 4 is as follows. Following a claw coupling request by the driver, or by the computer of the transmission, a synchronization regulator is activated. This regulator is installed in the computer of the transmission or of the powertrain. It controls the driving power sources of the vehicle, i.e. the electric machine and/or heat engine, in order to establish a difference in speed between the two rotary elements. This difference, or set point differential, between a speed value measured on one of the rotary elements and a set point speed, has a non-zero value. As indicated above, this differential is determined in order to facilitate claw coupling in the absence of a mechanical synchronization unit.

(8) From the claw coupling request, which involves the activation of the regulator of FIG. 5, the latter imposes on the system (actuators of the power sources) a command, suitable for establishing the final difference in speeds which is mentioned in FIGS. 4 and 5. During a first stage of the operation, called an initial synchronization stage, the final difference is maintained on the gross value thereof. This stage allows the desired speed differential to be established between the two elements to be claw-coupled. At the end of this first stage, i.e. at the step entitled synchro OK in FIG. 5, the second stage of the operation, or claw coupling stage, commences. The calculation of the final difference is then adjusted within the regulator, such as to maintain the desired speed differential until claw coupling, without overreacting, i.e. without causing shocks. This adjustment is the result of introducing a modulating factor F in the regulation loop. At the same time, the movement of a rotary element, such as a claw having straight or rectangular teeth (FIG. 2A), or with an anti-release (FIG. 2B), starts.

(9) The closed loop regulation of FIG. 5 is of the self-adjusting type. The control method is based on a self-adjusting closed loop regulation of the difference in speeds between the rotary elements, broken down into two stages. During the first stage, the difference in speed of the rotary elements is brought by a regulator to a non-zero set point value, without translating the rotary elements toward one another. The movement of the rotary elements up to the claw coupling occurs in the second stage, which begins when the difference in speed reaches the desired value thereof. The difference seen by the regulator is then modulated by a factor (F), which is a function of the gross difference between the measured value and the set point value.

(10) During the synchronization stage, the regulator receives, as input, the final difference, which is strictly equal to the gross difference (gap between the set point and the measurement). During the claw coupling stage, the calculation thereof is adjusted, by multiplying the gross difference by the factor F, the variation of which is illustrated by FIG. 3: this factor is set at the value 1, during a first stage, called an initial synchronization stage, it is defined by a table of values which is a function of the gross difference from a second claw coupling stage.

(11) The variation in the factor F is triggered in the checking block of FIG. 5, at the regulator adjustment activation step of FIG. 4. The speed differential has then reached the desired value in order to trigger claw coupling (synchro OK). The claw coupling stage is then launched during which the factor F modulates the difference seen by the closed loop regulator, while the claw is translated. The adjustment continues until claw coupling is complete. At this moment (claw coupling OK), the kinematic mode change is ended. During the claw coupling stage, the gross difference is, therefore, multiplied by the modulating factor (F), and this modulation continues while the claw coupling of the rotary elements has not been completed.

(12) During the claw coupling stage, the coefficient simultaneously allows: the speed synchronization to be maintained up to the claw coupling moment, any exaggerated compensation for the sudden cancelation of the speed differential, caused by the mechanics, to be prevented, and any possible synchronization disturbance to be effectively offset.

(13) In summary, the proposed regulator allows: rapid and robust synchronization of the element to be claw-coupled to be guaranteed, by controlling the speed differential required for the claw coupling during the first stage of the operation, then this differential to be maintained up to claw coupling, without overreacting, i.e. without causing shocks, during the second stage of the operation, i.e. at the very moment of claw coupling.

(14) As indicated above, the invention is preferably used on a hybrid transmission for a motor vehicle provided with a heat engine and a drive electric machine. In this case, the regulator delivers a command signal to the actuators of either of the two sources of power introduced into the gearbox, i.e. the heat engine and electric machine. Therefore, the regulator can control the speed of an electric machine for input of power into the transmission, and/or that of a heat engine.