US 12,078,215 B2
Method for operating a vehicle drivetrain
Muddassar Piracha, Gothenburg (SE); and Qianyin Kong, Stockholm (SE)
Assigned to Ningbo Geely Automobile Research & Dev. Co., Ltd., Ningbo (CN); and ZHEJIANG GEELY HOLDING GROUP CO., LTD., Zhejiang (CN)
Filed by Ningbo Geely Automobile Research & Development Co., Ltd., Ningbo (CN); and Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co., Ltd., Zhejiang (CN)
Filed on Dec. 11, 2022, as Appl. No. 18/078,968.
Application 18/078,968 is a continuation of application No. PCT/CN2021/100407, filed on Jun. 16, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 20184312 (EP), filed on Jul. 6, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0108291 A1, Apr. 6, 2023
Int. Cl. F16D 48/06 (2006.01)
CPC F16D 48/06 (2013.01) [F16D 2500/10412 (2013.01); F16D 2500/10462 (2013.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for operating a vehicle drivetrain including a dog clutch and having at least two distinct operating modes: an initial phase shift identifying mode and a normal operating mode, the method comprising the steps of providing:
the dog clutch for selective torque transmission, wherein the dog clutch has a first clutch portion with a first set of teeth and a second clutch portion with a second set of teeth, and wherein the first clutch portion is axially moveable for enabling shifting of the dog clutch between an engaged state, in which the first and second clutch portions are operable to transmit torque between first and second clutch portion via the first and second set of teeth, and a disengaged state, in which the first and second clutch portions are rotatable with respect to each;
a first electrical propulsion motor drivingly connected with one of the first and second clutch portions;
clutch actuator operably connected with the first clutch portion for shifting the dog clutch between the engaged and disengaged states by controlling an axial position of the first clutch portion;
setting the drive train in the initial phase shift identifying mode, which includes:
controlling the clutch actuator and the first electrical propulsion motor for performing a plurality of clutch engagement movements for a set of different relative angles between the first and second clutch portions, while registering for each individual clutch engagement movement a clutch actuator feedback signal associated with the clutch actuator and indicative of either successful mutual intermeshing engagement of the first and second sets of teeth, or teeth collision of the first and second sets of teeth; and
identifying, based on the registered clutch actuator feedback signal, the initial phase shift between the first and second clutch portions that corresponds to successful mutual intermeshing engagement of the first and second sets of teeth;
setting the drivetrain in the normal operating mode, which includes: obtaining angular position data associated with the first and second clutch portions; controlling engagement of the dog clutch while taking the obtained angular position data of first and second clutch portions and said identified initial phase shift into account for enabling interference-free engagement of the of the dog clutch.