Motor vehicles – Power – Electric
Patent
1995-08-21
1998-07-07
Johnson, Brian L.
Motor vehicles
Power
Electric
180 654, 180 657, 477 4, 477 5, B60K 604
Patent
active
057754497
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a hybrid vehicle using a combustion engine, such as a gasoline engine, diesel engine or a gas-turbine engine, in combination with an electric motor powered by an electrical energy source such as a battery.
BACKGROUND ART
As disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,566,717, it is well-known for a hybrid vehicle to run its engine at a predetermined output to be able to move the vehicle effectively with reduced exhaust gas and to use a motor as an auxiliary power source for the vehicle in order to drive the vehicle with high efficiency and low-pollution. The aforementioned type of the hybrid vehicle needs a defined driving force to realize a comfortable driving state.
However, since the engine is driven with high efficiency and low-pollution in the aforementioned hybrid vehicle, if the engine is controlled to output a predetermined engine power, the output would be insufficient when the vehicle is rapidly accelerated from low speed. Because, the engine output can be considered the product of an engine output torque and an engine speed and because the engine output torque is nearly constant, regardless of the engine speed, the engine output is thus reduced when the vehicle moves at a low speed with the lower engine speed.
FIG. 14 illustrates normal output of the hybrid vehicle as described above. For example, as shown in the drawing, since an output of 50 KW is required when the hybrid vehicle moves, and if the engine output is defined as 25 KW and the motor output is defined as 25 KW to produce a vehicle speed of 100 km/h, the motor output is held at 25 KW but the engine output is reduced to 10 KW for a vehicle speed of 40 km/h, a deficient of 15 KW.
Conventionally, a relatively large motor or inverter is required to ensure the output needed when the hybrid vehicle moves at a low speed, so that it is difficult for the vehicle to be designed small in size and light in weight.
Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide the hybrid vehicle with the capability of complying with a command to rapidly accelerate received while the vehicle is moving at a low speed and to reduce the size of the motor, so as to allow the vehicle to be designed small in size and light in weight.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To overcome the disadvantages of the above conventional art, the present invention provides: a hybrid vehicle including an internal combustion engine, a motor, torque adjusting means (T) provided between the engine and the motor for alternatively switching between a normal state and an engine torque increasing state, and control means (S) for controlling, in response to a command signal, speed of the engine and for switching the torque adjusting means (T) to its torque increasing state.
In normal operation of the vehicle as described above, the driving efficiency of the engine is excellent and the engine is operated within a range of engine speed which maintains a low-pollution state, and the vehicle is driven with the combined output of the engine and the motor. When a torque increase is required, the engine speed of the engine is increased by the control means (S) while the torque is increased by the torque adjusting means (T) and the engine torque output is combined with the torque of the motor, so that the vehicle can powered in the desired driving state.
The aforementioned torque adjusting means (T) includes, for instance, a differential gear system composed of three factors, a first element which is connected with the engine, a second element which is connected with a driving shaft and the motor and a driving shaft and a third element which is connected with a generator.
Thus, the output of the engine is transferred to the output shaft without an electrical exchange.
The aforementioned torque adjusting means (T) is composed, for instance, of a differential gear system capable of changing the input-output gear ratio by operation of frictional engagement means (F) in plural steps.
The control means (S) includes a slip control means (S1) for regulating slip of
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patent: 5359308 (1994-10-01), Sun et al.
patent: 5443130 (1995-08-01), Tanaka et al.
Moroto Shuzo
Yamaguchi Kozo
Johnson Brian L.
Kabushikikaisha Equos Research
Lerner Avraham H.
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