Patent ID: 11906025
Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Field: Mechanical elements (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B  F  Y | IPC B  F

Claim 0:
1. A control apparatus for a vehicle that is provided with (i) a power source, (ii) drive wheels and (iii) a fluid transmission device which is disposed in a power transmission path between the power source and the drive wheels and which includes a lockup clutch,
the control apparatus comprising:
a follow-up-running control portion configured to control a follow-up running in which the vehicle automatically runs following a preceding vehicle with a predetermined inter-vehicle distance to the preceding vehicle from the vehicle; and
a lockup-clutch control portion configured to control the lockup clutch such that an operation state of the lockup clutch is placed in one of a released state, a slipping state or an engaged state,
wherein the lockup-clutch control portion is configured, during the follow-up running, to execute a fluid-temperature increase suppressing control for controlling the operation state of the lockup clutch in a manner that suppresses increase of a temperature of a working fluid which circulates in the fluid transmission device and which is used to switch the operation state of the lockup clutch,
wherein the lockup-clutch control portion is configured to determine a predetermined fluid temperature value such that a determined value is lower as a temperature of the working fluid is increased more easily,
wherein the lockup-clutch control portion is configured, when determining that the temperature of the working fluid is not lower than the predetermined fluid temperature value, to execute the fluid-temperature increase suppressing control such that an amount of heat generated in the fluid transmission device is reduced,
wherein an easiness of increase of the temperature of the working fluid is changeable depending on an inter-vehicle distance to the preceding vehicle from the vehicle, and
wherein the lockup-clutch control portion is configured to determine the predetermined fluid temperature value such that the determined value is lower as the inter-vehicle distance is shorter.