The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 05, 2015
Filed:
Nov. 01, 2013
Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Toyota-shi, Aichi, JP;
Abstract
A control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle which is provided with an engine and an electric motor each functioning as a drive power source, and a clutch selectively connecting the engine and the electric motor to each other, said control apparatus being configured to switch a drive mode of the hybrid vehicle between an engine-driven running with at least said engine of the drive power source consisting of the engine and said electric motor used as the drive power source and with said clutch placed in a fully engaged state, and an electric-motor-driven running with said electric motor used as the drive power source and with said clutch placed in a released state, includes: a clutch temperature calculating portion configured to calculate, during said engine-driven running, an estimated temperature of said clutch upon a next engaging action of the clutch for switching of said drive mode from the following electric-motor-driven running back to the engine-driven running; and a switching control portion configured to continue the engine-driven running while inhibiting a releasing action of said clutch if said estimated temperature of the clutch calculated by said clutch temperature calculating portion is not lower than a predetermined overheat threshold value.