IP Library Granted Patent US 9,987,923
Granted Patent B2
US 9,987,923 · App. 15/369,280 · Granted Jun 5, 2018

Control device for vehicle

Inventor: Atsushi Wakamatsu (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: MITSUBISHI JIDOSHA KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
B60K15/05B60K15/03504B60K15/03519B60K2015/0359B60K2015/03514B60K2015/0538B60K2015/0546B60K2015/0561B60K2015/0576B60K2015/0584
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,987,923
App. No.
15/369,280
Granted
Jun 5, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

A vehicle includes a fuel tank, a canister, a closing valve and a filler door. A control device for the vehicle includes a valve controller that performs depressurization control for decreasing a tank pressure by opening the closing valve, a door controller that issues a normal driving command to a drive unit that opens the filler door when the tank pressure becomes equal to or lower than a predetermined pressure by the depressurization control, a detector that detects an open/close state of the filler door and a determiner that determines whether or not detection by the detector can be performed. If the detection by the detector cannot be performed, the door controller issues, when the tank pressure is equal to or lower than the predetermined pressure, a forced driving command for causing the drive unit to generate output power higher than normal power preferentially to the normal driving command.

Claims (17)

1. A control device for a vehicle, the vehicle comprises a fuel tank, a canister configured to absorb evaporation fuel generated in the fuel tank, a closing valve interposed on a passage that connects the fuel tank and the canister, and a filler door provided on a body of the vehicle and configured to open and close a space to which a fuel supply port of the vehicle is exposed;

the control device comprising:

a valve controller that carries out depressurization control for decreasing a tank pressure of the fuel tank by opening the closing valve in response to a refueling request;

a door controller that issues a normal driving command to a drive unit that opens the filler door when the tank pressure becomes equal to or lower than a predetermined pressure by the depressurization control;

a detector that detects an open or closed state of the filler door; and

a determiner that determines whether or not a current state of the vehicle is a detectable state in which detection by the detector can be performed;

wherein in a case where the determiner determines that the current state is an undetectable state in which detection by the detector cannot be performed, the door controller issues, when the tank pressure is equal to or lower than the predetermined pressure, a forced driving command for causing the drive unit to generate output power higher than normal power preferentially to the normal driving command.

2. The control device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the vehicle comprises a biasing part configured to bias the filler door in an opening direction and a filler door device having a locking part configured to maintain a locking state of the filler door against biasing force of the biasing part; and

the drive unit cancels the locking of the filler door by moving the locking part.

3. The control device according to claim 2 , wherein, when the forced driving command is issued from the door controller, the drive unit prolongs a time period during which the locking part is maintained in a moved state in comparison with that when the normal driving command is issued.

4. The control device according to claim 2 , wherein, when the forced driving command is issued from the door controller, the drive unit increases a movement amount of the locking part in comparison with that when the normal driving command is issued.

5. The control device according to claim 3 , wherein, when the forced driving command is issued from the door controller, the drive unit increases a movement amount of the locking part in comparison with that when the normal driving command is issued.

6. The control device according to claim 1 , wherein, if the current state is the undetectable state upon ending of refueling, the valve controller closes the closing valve when a predetermined time period elapses from a time point at which the refueling request is issued.

7. The control device according to claim 1 , wherein, if the current state is the undetectable state upon ending of refueling, the valve controller closes the closing valve upon starting of traveling of the vehicle.

8. The control device according to claim 1 , further comprising a display controller that controls, when the forced driving command is issued from the door controller, a display unit to display a state in which refueling can be performed.

9. The control device according to claim 1 , wherein, when the determiner determines that the current state is the detectable state, the valve controller closes the closing valve, which has been opened in response to the refueling request, when a closed state of the filler door is detected by the detector.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF ADDRESS Recorded Mar 1, 2021
From: MITSUBISHI JIDOSHA KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
To: MITSUBISHI JIDOSHA KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 055472/0944 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 20, 2016
From: WAKAMATSU, ATSUSHI
To: MITSUBISHI JIDOSHA KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 040690/0691 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2015-245488 · Dec 16, 2015 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20170174074A1 · Jun 22, 2017