US 11,685,258 B1
System and method to reduce transfer clutch overheating
Douglas Harriman, II, West Bloomfield, MI (US); Michael Frey, Farmington Hills, MI (US); Filip Tomik, Milford, MI (US); Bradley D. Riedle, Northville, MI (US); and Peter Chagnon, Farmington, MI (US)
Assigned to FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC, Dearborn, MI (US)
Filed by FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC, Dearborn, MI (US)
Filed on Jun. 27, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/849,896.
Int. Cl. B60K 23/08 (2006.01); B60K 17/35 (2006.01); F16D 48/06 (2006.01)
CPC B60K 17/3505 (2013.01) [B60K 23/0808 (2013.01); F16D 48/06 (2013.01); B60W 2510/0275 (2013.01); B60W 2510/0291 (2013.01); F16D 2500/30404 (2013.01); F16D 2500/30406 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for controlling a torque transfer clutch of a four-wheel drive vehicle comprising:
a first data input source that indicates if the torque transfer clutch is in a four-wheel drive mode;
an energy integrator system that monitors energy transferred across a transfer clutch;
a temperature data source provides transfer clutch temperature data; and
a controller programmed with an algorithm that controls the torque transfer clutch based in part on a transfer point value, wherein the algorithm:
in a first case responds to energy integrator accumulated data as to the energy across the torque transfer clutch during a monitoring period and compares the energy accumulator accumulated data to a maximum accumulated energy value by initiating a powertrain torque dependent transfer point learn routine,
in a second case responds to energy accumulator cycle data as to the energy across the torque transfer clutch in a single monitoring cycle and compares the energy accumulator cycle data to a maximum cycle data value by initiating a non-powertrain torque dependent transfer point learn routine,
in a third case responds to clutch temperature data and compares the clutch temperature data to a maximum temperature value by initiating the non-powertrain torque dependent transfer point learn routine;
wherein the controller, responsive to one of the above transfer point learn routines, revises the transfer point value to a revised transfer point value, wherein the controller controls the torque transfer clutch based upon the revised transfer point value.