Abstract: A brake fluid pressure maintaining apparatus for a vehicle, having: a master cylinder; a check valve; and, a normally-open-type electromagnetic valve including an electromagnetic coil, a fixed core, and a movable core, and in the brake fluid pressure maintaining state, it is closed and, in the brake fluid pressure no-maintaining state, it is always opened, and by changing the value of the current, an attracting force is changed; by setting the attracting force at a given value, the brake fluid pressure to be maintained on the wheel brake side is set; and, when it is closed, in case where the brake fluid pressure of the wheel brake is higher than the attracting force of the given value, it is opened against the attracting force to thereby reduce the brake fluid pressure of the wheel brake down to the given value.

Abstract: A gear stage detection device according to the present invention comprises output shaft side pulse generating mechanism (21) for generating a pulse in a number which corresponds to a rotary phase of an output shaft (9) of a transmission (T/M), input shaft side pulse generating mechanism (20) for generating a pulse in a number which corresponds to a rotary phase of an input shaft (8) of the transmission (T/M), and gear stage determining mechanism (16) for determining the current gear stage by inputting the output shaft side pulse and input shaft side pulse generated respectively by the pulse generating mechanism, counting the number of input shaft side pulses generated when a unitary number (25 pls) of output shaft side pulses has been reached, and comparing the counted input shaft side pulse number with the unitary number of input shaft side pulses which is predetermined for each gear stage of the transmission.

Abstract: A gear stage detection device according to the present invention comprises output shaft side pulse generating means (21) for generating a pulse in a number which corresponds to a rotary phase of an output shaft (9) of a transmission (T/M), input shaft side pulse generating means (20) for generating a pulse in a number which corresponds to a rotary phase of an input shaft (8) of the transmission (T/M), and gear stage determining means (16) for determining the current gear stage by inputting the output shaft side pulse and input shaft side pulse generated respectively by the pulse generating means, counting the number of input shaft side pulses generated when a unitary number (25 pls) of output shaft side pulses has been reached, and comparing the counted input shaft side pulse number with the unitary number of input shaft side pulses which is predetermined for each gear stage of the transmission.

Abstract: A method for automatic control of a friction clutch (1) in a vehicle, which clutch is designed to be disengaged and engaged by a clutch actuator (3) under automatic control. An initial partially engaged clutch stroke position (Q1) and an initial clutch stroke position (P1) at which fluid pressure in the clutch actuator reaches a prescribed value are detected to obtain a difference (R1) between said two clutch stroke positions prior to initiation of automatic clutch control. The friction clutch wears as it is used. Therefore, both of the partially engaged clutch stroke position and the clutch stroke position attaining the prescribed fluid pressure value change while the automatic clutch engagement/disengagement control is being performed. However, the difference between these two clutch stroke positions does not change.

Abstract: An apparatus for engaging and disengaging a clutch, which is applicable to a vehicle provided with a so-called semiautomatic clutch, and which can prevent occurrence of an engagement shock and jerky acceleration of a vehicle when an automatic engaging and disengaging mode and a manual engaging and disengaging mode are switched from one to the other. The apparatus includes a manual disconnection/connection device (2) for manually engaging and disengaging the clutch (1) by operating a clutch pedal (9), an automatic disconnection/connection device (3) for automatically engaging and disengaging the clutch (1) in accordance with a predetermined input signal, and switching control device (14) for switching between a manual engaging and disengaging mode and an automatic engaging and disengaging mode after the clutch (1) has been engaged. This post-engagement switching operation can prevent an engagement shock during the same operation.

Abstract: A method for automatic control of a friction clutch (1) in a vehicle, which clutch is designed to be disengaged and engaged by a clutch actuator (3) under automatic control. An initial partially engaged clutch stroke position (Q1) and an initial clutch stroke position (P1) at which fluid pressure in the clutch actuator reaches a prescribed value are detected to obtain a difference (R1) between said two clutch stroke positions prior to initiation of automatic clutch control. The friction clutch wears as it is used. Therefore, both of the partially engaged clutch stroke position and the clutch stroke position attaining the prescribed fluid pressure value change while the automatic clutch engagement/disengagement control is being performed. However, the difference between these two clutch stroke positions does not change.

Abstract: In a vehicle with an automatically controlled clutch in which ON-OFF of the friction clutch is automatically controlled by a controller, clutch control during coasting (with the accelerator depression amount being 0%) is conducted according to a clutch ON-OFF map for coasting provided in the controller.Two different clutch ON-OFF maps for coasting are provided; one having a smaller hysteresis width, and the other having a larger hysteresis width. Clutch control during coasting is conducted by applying the map with a smaller hysteresis width when the brake pedal is stepped on or applying the map with a larger hysteresis width when the brake pedal is not stepped on. Thus, clutch ON-OFF hunting can be avoided, and smooth stopping can be conducted.