192 clutches and power-stop control – Elements – Shafts – bearings – and adjusting devices
Reexamination Certificate
2001-02-20
2003-01-21
Bonck, Rodney H. (Department: 3681)
192 clutches and power-stop control
Elements
Shafts, bearings, and adjusting devices
C192S112000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06508348
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a transmission unit to be installed in a hybrid vehicle combining an engine and a motor, to obtain a driving force.
With improved fuel economy and lower emissions, hybrid vehicles benefit conservation of global environment and savings of limited resources. In a hybrid vehicle, a motor is arranged in series or parallel to an engine to assist the engine output and to serve as a generator for converting kinetic energy of the vehicle to electrical energy on deceleration.
A published Japanese patent application Publication (Kokai) No. 2000-9213 shows an apparatus for a hybrid vehicle. This apparatus includes a clutch chamber
101
defined by a first housing
113
and a first partition
116
, a motor chamber
102
defined by a second housing
114
, the first partition
116
and a second partition
117
, and a transmission chamber
103
defined by a third housing
115
and the second partition
117
, as shown in FIG.
6
. The rotation of the engine is input to an electromagnetic clutch
110
in the clutch chamber
101
, and the output of the electromagnetic clutch
110
is transmitted to a motor
111
in the motor chamber
102
and a transmission
112
in the transmission chamber
103
through an input shaft
100
.
This input shaft
100
is rotatably supported by a bearing at each of support portions
120
and
121
which are provided in the third housing
115
and the second partition
117
, respectively in a manner not to allow run-out and off-center deviation of the input shaft
100
. On the sliding surface between the first partition
116
and the input shaft
100
, there is provided a seal member
122
to prevent entrance into the motor chamber
102
, of abrasion powder abraded from an electrode blush at a slip ring (or collector ring)
110
a
for supplying electric current to the electromagnetic clutch
110
in the clutch chamber
101
, and moisture permeating from the joint surface between the engine and the transmission unit A.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The apparatus of the above-mentioned Japanese Publication has the following problems.
The clutch chamber
101
and the motor chamber
102
are in the dry state with no lubrication by oil. Therefore, the seal member provided therebetween requires the addition of a lubricating structure, specifically at its seal lip portion (to prevent powder produced by abrasion).
When a bearing requiring no lubrication structure is used as a seal member, the input shaft
100
is supported at three support points
120
,
121
and
122
by the three bearings, as shown in FIG.
5
A. In this three-point support structure including the bearing, as the seal member
122
, rigidly supporting the input shaft without allowing radial motion, stress concentration is liable to occur at each support portions
120
,
121
and
122
in the case of whirling motion of the input shaft
100
due to vibrations produced by the transmission
112
. Consequently, the durability of the input shaft
100
and the bearings is decreased. (
FIG. 5A
shows the wavelike form of the input shaft exaggeratedly to illustrate the stress concentration.)
Moreover, when the support portions
120
,
121
and
122
are to be assembled in this order, without providing a portion for absorbing the accumulated tolerance of constituent parts, as shown in
FIG. 5C
, the assembly operation of the third bearing portion
122
becomes unfeasible.
To improve the performance of the motor
111
, the clearance between a rotor and a stator is set small, and there is a need for providing a predetermined clearance in addition to a part for absorbing the accumulated tolerance.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a transmission unit for a hybrid vehicle which is capable of sealing an opening between a clutch chamber and a motor chamber without requiring a lubricating structure and without deteriorating the durability.
According to the present invention, a transmission unit for a hybrid vehicle comprises:
a unit housing defining a first dry chamber containing an electromagnetic clutch, a second dry chamber containing a motor, and a hydraulic wet chamber containing a transmission mechanism, and comprising a partition wall separating the first and second dry chambers;
an input shaft extending through the first dry chamber, the second dry chamber and the wet chamber, to input rotation from the electromagnetic clutch to the motor and the transmission mechanism;
first and second bearing members supporting the input shaft rotatably at first and second support points spaced from each other in the wet chamber, in a manner to prevent radial motion of the input shaft relative to the unit housing;
a third bearing member provided between the partition wall and the input shaft with a clearance interposed between the third bearing member and the partition wall, to allow radial motion of the input shaft relative to the unit housing; and
a seal member provided in the clearance, for preventing passage of foreign matters from the first dry chamber to the second dry chamber.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4990126 (1991-02-01), Ideta et al.
patent: 5348518 (1994-09-01), Taniguchi et al.
patent: 5915513 (1999-06-01), Isley et al.
patent: 6041877 (2000-03-01), Yamada et al.
patent: 6062735 (2000-05-01), Ward
patent: 6258001 (2001-07-01), Wakuta et al.
patent: 05024447 (1993-02-01), None
patent: 05030605 (1993-02-01), None
patent: 09215270 (1997-08-01), None
patent: 2000-9213 (2000-01-01), None
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/785,454, Sugano, filed Feb. 20, 2001.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/785,455, Hasegawa, filed Feb. 20, 2001.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/785,484, Sugano, filed Feb. 20, 2001.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/785,485, Sugano et al., filed Feb. 20, 2001.
Bonck Rodney H.
Foley & Lardner
JATCO TransTechnology Ltd.
Le David D.
LandOfFree
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