BALANCING UNIT OF A MOTOR VEHICLE AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING SAME

Abstract

To reduce the complexity and the outlay involved in the development and implementation in a vehicle of systems and methods known from the prior art for operating a differential-free, clutch-controlled balancing unit having a first clutch and a second clutch, the invention provides for the first clutch and the second clutch to be controlled independently of the driving conditions, and always using the same variable controlled variable of the same value.

Claims

1. A system for actuating a differential-free balancing unit of an at least temporarily drivable axle of a motor vehicle, the balancing unit comprising: an input element; a first output element that is connectable to the input element via a first frictionally locking clutch to transmit drive power to a first driven wheel; and a second output element that is connectable to the input element via a second frictionally locking clutch to transmit drive power to a second driven wheel; wherein a control device is provided and configured to selectively adjust coupling torques transmitted by the first clutch and the second clutch as a function of a driving state by changing a variable manipulated parameter during the operation of the vehicle, wherein the control device is configured to actuate the first clutch and the second clutch with a same value of the variable manipulated parameter independently of the driving state.

2.-14. (canceled)

Description

SUMMARY OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Further features and advantages of the invention emerge from the dependent claims and from the following description of preferred exemplary embodiments on the basis of the drawings, in which:

[0020] FIG. 1 shows a clutch-controlled, differential-free balancing unit having a control device known from the prior art in a schematic illustration.

[0021] FIG. 2 shows an example simplified balancing unit that has a control device.

[0022] FIG. 3 shows an alternative example balancing unit to the balancing unit provided with a single drive multi-disk carrier for both output elements.

DESCRIPTION

[0023] FIG. 1 shows a balancing unit 1, known from the prior art, together with the system for the operation thereof in a schematic view. The symmetrical basic design of the balancing unit which is described below, with the two coupling units 10, applies in the same way to the design shown in FIG. 2. The letters L and R which are assigned to a specific reference symbol indicated in the figures stand for the respective left-hand (L) or right-hand (R) component of the symmetrical basic design.

[0024] The drive power of the vehicle drive is typically transmitted to a crown gear 4 via an input element 2, typically a Cardan shaft, and a driven wheel 3 connected thereto, and is transmitted from there to a left-hand or right-hand drive multi-disk carrier 5, to which in each case drive multi-disks 6, which are each arranged in an axially displaceable fashion, are assigned in a rotationally fixed fashion. These drive disks interact with left-hand or right-hand drive disks 7 which in turn interact with the left-hand or right-hand output element 8 in a rotationally fixed fashion and are arranged in an axially displaceable but rotationally fixed fashion on the left-hand or right-hand output multi-disk carrier 9. The left-hand or right-hand coupling unit 10 which is formed in this way constitutes a basically known multi-disk clutch.

[0025] Both the right-hand clutch unit and the left-hand clutch unit are each assigned a clutch actuator 11, which is preferably to be activated hydraulically, wherein as an alternative to a hydraulic clutch activation it is also possible appropriately to use other clutch activation mechanisms, in particular electromechanical, electromagnetic, electro hydraulic or pneumatic clutch activation mechanisms. Owing to this clutch actuator, the clutch units are actuated and by means of the hydraulic pressure manipulated parameter the clutch pressure, that is to say the contact pressure force with which the output or drive disks are influenced for each of the clutches, and consequently the torque which can be transmitted by the clutches, can be adjusted selectively. In the case of clutch activation mechanisms which operate by means of hydraulic pressure, the manipulated parameter would, depending on the mechanism selected, be, for example, a mechanical force, current strength, electrical voltage or a pneumatic pressure.

[0026] In the figures, the drive multi-disk carrier 5 which is coupled in a rotationally fixed fashion to the input element 2 is embodied as an external multi-disk carrier, and the output multi-disk carrier which is coupled in a rotationally fixed fashion to the driven wheels is embodied as an internal multi-disk carrier. This configuration can, of course, also be reversed.

[0027] FIG. 1 shows a system for operating and actuating the left-hand and right-hand clutch units in which the left-hand and right-hand clutch of the two clutches 10 can be actuated individually with a different pressure p or pa independently of the driving state. In order to actuate the left-hand and right-hand clutches it is therefore possible, depending on the driving situation, to use the hydraulic pressure manipulated parameter in each case with a different value. This has the advantage that the output pressure po, which is generated by a hydraulic, motor-operated pump unit 12, can act in an optimum way on the two clutches in accordance with the driving state, in order to assign to the left-hand or right-hand driven wheel precisely the driving torque or the driving power which is considered to be optimum for the respective driving state and the desired driving behavior. It is therefore possible to influence the traction or the vehicle movement dynamics selectively in various driving situations.

[0028] As is apparent in FIG. 1, the system is complex. An electronic control unit 13 senses the pressures po, pL, and pa present in the system and actuates the left-hand or right-hand clutch individually by means of two control valves 14 acting independently of one another, on the basis of stored characteristic diagrams and taking into account driving state data (wheel speeds, acceleration forces, inclination of the vehicle, speed, steering angle etc). The development of the control algorithms which are necessary for this and the application of such a system in the vehicle in a manner that is ready for mass production is costly, tedious, and expensive. The multiplicity of components to be used for control and the sensor system poses an increased potential for faults and component failures. For such cases, it is also necessary to implement fallback options which reliably rule out the undesired production of driving states which are no longer safe.

[0029] FIG. 2 shows an alternative system to this for operating the clutch units 10 which are otherwise unchanged compared to FIG. 1. FIG. 2 already clarifies that the present system constitutes a substantial simplification. In this context, not only are the individually different actuations of the left-hand and right-hand clutch dispensed with, but overall the use of control elements such as control valves and of a sensor system are dispensed with.

[0030] The manipulated parameter which can be generated differently by this system is always transmitted with the same value both to the left-hand clutch and to the right-hand clutch independently of the driving state, that is to say independently of the respective driving situation. Therefore, although the coupling torque which can be transmitted by the two clutches is variable, it is always the same for both clutches. Although this restricts the possibilities provided by a configuration according to FIG. 1, it gives rise to a considerably simpler, more cost-effective and easier to apply design which always still provides a satisfactory driving behavior and sufficient possibilities for influencing the traction and driving behavior. If it is additionally taken into account that the proportion of driving in which an all-wheel drive vehicle is actually operated in the all-wheel mode over its service life is extremely small, the present system and method provides the possibility of also equipping the vehicles with an all-wheel drive which can be activated, and in which vehicles the use of a system as is illustrated schematically in FIG. 1 is otherwise felt to be too costly.

[0031] In the system according to FIG. 2, which is simplified compared to the system according to FIG. 1, there is in particular provision that the supply of the first and second clutches with the manipulated parameter which influences the contact pressure of the clutch disks takes place without further control elements such as control valves and therefore in a control-valve-free free fashion in the case of the use of a hydraulic pump, that is to say in particular without individual control elements connected downstream of the hydraulic pump. The value of the hydraulic pressure manipulated parameter is regulated by means of the pumping power of the hydraulic pump unit in the case shown in FIG. 2, in particular, by means of the delivery capacity thereof, which varies with the rotational speed. In the case of other types of clutch activation mechanisms, this statement applies, of course, equally to the manipulated parameter which is to be influenced then.

[0032] FIG. 3 shows an alternative configuration as the balancing unit shown in FIG. 2. Here, the two output elements 8 and drive multi-disk carriers 9 divide a common drive multi-disk carrier 5, which makes a very compact design possible.

[0033] The dashed line leading to the left-hand clutch actuator 11L and the dashed illustration of the left-hand clutch actuator itself are intended to clarify the fact that said clutch actuator can be provided optionally. This is for a case in which both sides of the clutch of the balancing unit share a drive multi-disk carrier 5, but a clutch actuator 11R has to be provided only on one side. On the side facing away from the clutch actuator only an axial support with which the actual coupling forces for support has to be provided.

[0034] However, it can be disadvantageous with such a configuration that when the number of disks increases the coupling forces do not act sufficiently on the side of the clutch unit facing away from the clutch actuator because when the individual disks shift under load high axial frictional forces occur at the toothing arrangements which counteract the axial shifting of the clutch disks. If necessary, it is therefore also optionally possible to have recourse to a second clutch actuator, as also in FIG. 2. p