Kabushiki Kaisha F. C. C.

Ryouhei Chiba

Tatsuyuki Ohashi

Jun Ishimura

Shouji Asatsuke

Akio Oishi

Keiichi Ishikawa

Kazuyoshi Miyachi

Kaoru Iida

Shouji Makita

Makoto Sato

Naoyuki Miwa

A shift drum drive unit () rotatably includes a rotary drive body () and a power transmission mechanism () in a unit case () attached integrally with a crank case (). The shift drum drive unit () further includes a shift actuator () on the outside of the unit case (). The rotary drive body () includes a shaft fitting sleeve () in which a shift shaft () configured to rotatably drive a shift drum () is fitted, and an indirect output gear () having a fan-shaped gear partially projecting from an outer surface of the shaft fitting sleeve (). The power transmission mechanism () includes a gear configured to transmit rotary drive force of the shift actuator () to the indirect output gear ().

Shift drum drive unit and straddle type vehicle

A clutch drive unitincludes a crank armconfigured to rotate by rotary driving of a clutch actuator. The crank armincludes an output pinconfigured to press a master cylinder, and a receiving pinconfigured to receive pressing force P from an extendable body. The extendable bodyincludes a lock springwith such strength that the pressing force P is generated. The pressing force P allows pressing moment PM greater than reactive force moment RM based on reactive force R acting on the crank armfrom a clutchto act on the crank arm. The extendable bodyis, by the stretching force of the lock spring, provided in a stretched state between the receiving pinand a holder receiving pin

Clutch drive unit and straddle type vehicle

Provided is a saddle-ride type vehicle, which does not reduce cooling efficiency of an engine, is hardly affected by heat from the engine, and can increase a degree of freedom of configuration such as the orientation at the time of arrangement, size and shape of a shift actuator. The saddle-ride type vehicle () includes the engine (), and the engine () has a cylinder block (), a cylinder head () and a head cover () and has a crankcase () below the cylinder block (). The saddle-ride type vehicle () also includes a shift drum drive unit () for rotating a shift drum () which changes a gear train () in a transmission (). The shift drum drive unit () includes a shift actuator () formed of an electric motor, and a decelerator (). The shift drum drive unit () is attached to a front surface of the crankcase () below the cylinder block () via a unit case () housing the decelerator ().

Saddle-ride type vehicle

An object of the present invention is to provide a saddle-type vehicle which can switch between the parking brake state and the neutral state using a clutch actuator configured to operate the clutch and thus lower the manufacturing cost. According to the present disclosure, there is provided a saddle-type vehicle which can be driven by a driver sitting on a seat and steering a bar handle. The saddle-type vehicle can comprise a clutch arranged on a power transmitting path from a driving source to a wheel (or wheels) configured to selectively transmit a driving power of the driving source to the wheel and selectively cut off the transmission of driving power of the driving source; a transmission arranged on the power transmitting path configured to shift gears in accordance with the travelling state of the vehicle; and a clutch actuator comprising an electrically operated actuator configured to actuate the clutch, wherein the clutch can be switched by the clutch actuator between a parking brake state, in which the power transmission between the driving source and the driving wheel is performed under a stopped state of the driving source, and a neutral state, in which the power transmission between the driving source and the driving wheel is cut off.

Saddle-type vehicle

A saddle-type vehicle can be driven by finer control by judging the driver's demand based on operation of the driver relative to the vehicle when the engine is started from the idle-stop state. A saddle-type vehicle can include bar handle mounted on its opposite tip ends a grasping grip grasped by the driver and a throttle grip for an accelerator operation; an engine controller for automatically stopping an engine and making the engine an idle-stop state: and a clutch. The saddle-type vehicle can include a judgment controller for judging a driver's demand based on operation conditions of the driver relative to the vehicle and a clutch controller for selecting a travel state and a stopped state.

A saddled vehicle can comprise a handlebar on tip ends of which are provided a grasping grip to be grasped by a driver and a throttle grip for an accelerator operation, a first brake device and a second brake device for performing a braking operations. The vehicle can also include a gradient detector for detecting a road gradient during travel of the vehicle, and a deceleration adjustment device for automatically adjusting the deceleration of the vehicle in accordance with the road gradient detected by the gradient detection device and operation conditions of the first brake device and the second brake device.

Saddled vehicle

A saddle-type vehicle can be configured to perform idle-stop during deceleration corresponding to a driver's demand. In some embodiments, the vehicle comprises a bar handle mounted on its opposite tip ends with a grasping grip grasped by the driver and a throttle grip for accelerator operation; two operation controls for performing braking operation, at least one of which being a first brake and a second brake mounted on tip ends of the bar handle; and an engine controller for automatically stopping an engine and making the engine an idle-stop state. In some cases, the saddle-type vehicle further comprises a judgment controller for judging whether a simultaneous operation of the first and second brakes has been achieved; and the engine controller performs the idle-stop during deceleration of the vehicle when the judgment controller judges that the simultaneous operation of the first and second brakes has been performed.

A power transmitting apparatus for a hybrid vehicle can transmit the driving force of engine E to the motor M or reversely the driving force of motor M to the engine E when the vehicle is stopped while avoiding transmission of the driving force of either of them to the driving wheels D such that the vehicle remains stopped. In some embodiments, a power transmitting apparatus for a hybrid vehicle can comprise a first clutch operatively posited between an engine mounted on a vehicle to driving wheels in a power transmission system and configured to transmit or cutoff driving force of the engine to or from the driving wheels; a second clutch operatively positioned between a motor mounted on a vehicle to the driving wheels in a power transmission system and configured to transmit or cut off driving force of the motor to or from the driving wheels. The first and second clutches can operated based on the vehicle operating conditions such that power can be transmitted from one of the engine and the motor to the other of them by connecting them to each other while cutting off power transmission from the engine and the motor to the driving wheels.

Power transmitting apparatus for a hybrid vehicle

A power transmitting apparatus for a vehicle mounted with a torque converter and an idle-stop mechanism can be configured to improve fuel economy without cancelling a fuel-cut-off during vehicle speed reduction and to reduce the manufacturing cost by eliminating an electrically-driven oil pump. A power transmitting apparatus can comprise a torque converter, a clutch mechanism, an oil pump, a continuously variable transmission, a clutch control device, an engine control device, and a flow control device. The flow control device can be configured to limit or prevent the supply of oil to the torque converter by the oil pump and to prioritize the supply of oil to the clutch mechanism and the continuously variable transmission when the vehicle speed is reduced below a predetermined value with fuel being cut off by the engine control device during vehicle speed reduction.

Power transmitting apparatuses

A power transmitting apparatus for a vehicle mounted with a torque converter can be configured to instantly supply sufficient oil to a clutch mechanism on restart of the engine after an idle-stop without an electrically-driven oil pump. A power transmitting apparatus can comprise a torque converter having a torque amplifying function, a clutch mechanism, an oil pump, a clutch control device, an engine control device, and a flow control device. The oil pump can be driven by the driving power of the engine to supply oil to the clutch mechanism and the torque converter to operate them. The flow control device can be configured to limit or prevent the supply of oil to the torque converter by the oil pump and to prioritize the supply of oil to the clutch mechanism when the engine is restarted by the engine control device after the idle-stopped condition.

A power transmitting apparatus configured to improve vehicle starting performance using the torque amplifying function of a torque converter, improve power transmitting efficiency during steady vehicle operation and reduce size of the power transmitting apparatus. A power transmitting apparatus configured to transmit power from a driving source of a vehicle to its wheels configured to selectively transmit/cut-off driving force to the wheels comprises a torque converter having a torque amplifying function. A clutch mechanism includes a first clutch to transmit the driving force to the wheels through a power transmitting system of the torque converter and a second clutch to transmit the driving force without the power transmitting system of the torque converter. A selecting device controls the first/second clutch per the conditions of the vehicle. A planetary gear configured to select the power transmission pathway during forward operation and switch the power transmission pathway during reverse operation.

A power transmitting apparatus, such an automotive transmission, adapted to properly select transmission of or cutting-off of a driving force of the driving source to or from the wheels of a vehicle can include a torque converter having a torque amplifying function. A clutch mechanism can include a first clutch device configured to transmit the driving force to the wheels through the torque converter and a second clutch device configured to transmit the driving force without passing through the torque converter. A selecting device can control the first clutch device or the second clutch device in accordance with conditions of the vehicle including starting from a stop. An input-side measuring device can be used to measure an input-side rotational speed of the first clutch device and an output-side measuring device can be used for measuring an output-side rotational speed of the first clutch device. A slip ratio calculating device can be used to calculate the slip ratio of the first clutch device from the difference or the ratio between the rotational speed measured by the input-side measuring device and the rotational speed measured by the output-side measuring device.

Power transmitting apparatus

A power transmitting apparatus for transmitting power from a driving source of a vehicle to its wheels can be adapted to properly select transmitting or cutting-off of the driving force of the driving source to or from the wheels. The apparatus can comprise a torque converter having a torque amplifying function; a clutch mechanism including a first clutch device operable on advancement of the vehicle and adapted to transmit the driving force of the driving source to the wheels through a power transmitting system of the torque converter and a second clutch device adapted to transmit the driving force of the driving source to the wheels without the power transmitting system of the torque converter. A selecting device can be configured to operate the first clutch device and/or the second clutch device in accordance with operation modes of the vehicle, including starting.

Growing community of inventors

Hamamatsu, Japan

Ryouhei Chiba