Interrelated power delivery controls – including engine control – Transmission control – Engine controlled by transmission
Reexamination Certificate
2001-11-01
2003-10-21
Marmor, Charles A (Department: 3681)
Interrelated power delivery controls, including engine control
Transmission control
Engine controlled by transmission
C477S003000, C475S005000, C074S339000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06634986
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention concerns a power transmission device equipped with a plurality of prime movers, such as a gasoline engine, motor, etc., and, in particular, concerns a power transmission device with which the shift shock is reduced or eliminated by control of the speed stages and the prime movers.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Inventions disclosed in Japanese laid-open patent publication No. Hei 9-158998, etc. are known as prior arts of a power transmission device equipped with an engine and a motor. The invention discloses a vehicle driving device, which is equipped with an engine, a motor generator, a transmission, and a planetary gear that is connected to the engine via a starting clutch and is connected to the motor generator and transmission, and a control device for this vehicle driving device. This vehicle driving device is characterized in that the planetary gear is used as a synthesizing and distributing mechanism for the driving forces of the engine and the motor and in that the motor generator is driven prior to the engagement of the starting clutch in order to lessen the generation of inertia torque due to the lagging of the startup of the rotation of the motor generator.
However, the invention disclosed in Japanese laid-open patent publication No. Hei 9-158998 only prevents the lagging of the increase in rotation of the motor generator at the time of startup and could not lessen the shift shock that occurs in the process of shifting between various speed stages, such as from low gear to second speed, second speed to third speed, etc.
An object of this invention is thus to reduce or eliminate the shift shock in the take-off process and in the process of shifting between various speed stages in a power transmission device of a device having a plurality of prime movers, such as a gasoline engine, motor, etc.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In order to achieve the above object, this invention provides a power transmission device that is arranged so that in the shifting process, the inertia torques and output torques of a first prime mover and a second prime mover cancel each other out, thereby reducing the shift shock.
That is, the first aspect of this invention provides in a power transmission device of a device having a first prime mover and a second prime mover as drive sources, a power transmission device characterized in being arranged so that the respective inertia forces of the first prime mover and the second prime mover cancel each other out in the process of shifting from a first speed stage to a second speed stage.
By the above arrangement, the inertia force of the first prime mover and the inertia force of the second prime mover cancel out to enable reduction of the shift shock.
The second aspect of this invention provides an arrangement characterized in that in the process of shifting from the first speed stage to the second speed stage, the increase or decrease in the rotation speed of the first prime mover is the reverse of the increase or decrease in the rotation speed of the second prime mover.
With a vehicle equipped with just a single prime mover, since the rotation speed of the prime mover changes in the process of shifting, the shift shock is reduced by connecting the output shaft and the prime mover after completion of the change or by connecting gradually in the connection process. With the invention of the second aspect, the shift shock can be reduced or eliminated in a device having at least two prime movers by connecting a gear, etc., in a manner such that when the rotation speed of one of the prime movers drops during the shifting process, the rotation speed of the other prime mover increases, thereby enabling the excess inertia energy of one prime mover to be absorbed by the kinetic energy of the other prime mover.
The third aspect of this invention provides a power transmission device as set forth in the second aspect, wherein the shifting from the first speed stage to the second speed stage of the first prime mover and the shifting from the first speed stage to the second speed stage of the second prime mover are carried out substantially simultaneously.
With the invention of the second aspect, when a deviation in timing occurs between the shifting of one of the prime movers and the shifting of the other prime mover, the inertia energies of both prime movers will not be canceled out when only one or the other prime mover is undergoing the shifting process. It is thus preferable for the rotation speed to change as simultaneously as possible. Thus with a power transmission device, with which control is performed as set forth in the third aspect, the shift shock can be reduced or eliminated more effectively.
The fourth aspect of this invention provides a power transmission device as set forth in the second aspect, wherein
at least one of either the first prime mover or second prime mover is a motor and, in the process of shifting from the first speed stage to the second speed stage, the output torque of the motor is controlled so that the inertia torque of the driving parts at the first prime mover side and inertia torque of the driving parts at the second prime mover side cancel each other out before and after the shift.
The fifth aspect of this invention provides a power transmission device as set forth in the fourth aspect, wherein
the shifting from the first speed stage to the second speed stage of the first prime mover and the shifting from the first speed stage to the second speed stage of the second prime mover are carried out substantially simultaneously.
In comparison to a gasoline engine and other types of prime movers, a motor is good in output torque response and is more easy to control. Thus by using a motor as one of the prime movers and controlling the output torque of the motor so that the inertia torque during the shifting of one of the prime movers is canceled out by the motor, which is the other prime mover, the shift shock can be eliminated substantially completely. There are cases where the output torque of a motor must be generated and cases where the output torque must be made to act as a load for use in regenerative power generation, etc.
With a power transmission device, with which control is performed as set forth in the fifth aspect, the shift shock can be reduced or eliminated more effectively.
The sixth aspect of this invention provides a power transmission device as set forth in the first aspect, wherein
in the process of shifting from the first speed stage to the second speed stage, control is performed so that a torque that cancels out the inertia torque of one of the prime movers is output by the other prime mover.
By this arrangement, since the inertia torque during the shifting of one of the prime movers will be canceled out by the output of the other prime mover as in the case of the invention of the fourth aspect, the shift shock can be eliminated substantially completely.
The seventh aspect of this invention provides a power transmission device as set forth in the first aspect, wherein the power transmission device has a planetary gear set, a prime mover, which is connected to the respective rotating elements of the planetary gear set, a motor, and an output shaft, and
in the process of shifting from the first speed stage to the second speed stage, the increase or decrease in the rotation speed of the prime mover is in a reverse relationship with respect to the increase or decrease in the rotation speed of the motor and the output of the motor is controlled so that the inertia torques of the prime mover and the motor cancel each other out.
By this arrangement, since the inertia torque during the shifting of one of the prime movers will be canceled out by the output of the other prime mover as in the case of the invention of the fourth aspect, the shift shock can be eliminated substantially completely. Also, the timing of the shifting of the prime mover and the shifting of the motor can be adjusted mechanically.
The eighth aspect of this invention provides a power transmission device as set f
Abdelnour Dennis
Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
Marmor Charles A
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