Interrelated power delivery controls – including engine control – Plural engines – Electric engine
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-04
2001-07-10
Wright, Dirk (Department: 3681)
Interrelated power delivery controls, including engine control
Plural engines
Electric engine
C475S005000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06258006
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a transmission composed of a motor, a differential mechanism and a power coupling mechanism, as well as a vehicle using the same.
As a drive system capable of attaining a low power consumption of an engine there is known a hybrid vehicle which utilizes a driving force of a motor.
As to the hybrid vehicle, there has been proposed a system which uses two motors and one planetary gear. For example, in Japanese Patent Laid Open No. Hei 7-135701 there is described a method in which a control is made by a generator so that a driving force of an engine is inputted to a planetary gear and so that the vehicle is driven by a driving force obtained from an output shaft of the planetary gear.
In the above method, out of three constituent gears of the planetary gear, other gears than a gear connected to a shaft of the engine are controlled on their speed so as to stop the gear connected to the engine shaft, thereby realizing a vehicular running with a motor alone.
In high-speed running, a shaft of the generator is fixed electrically and the driving force of the engine is transmitted to a vehicle driving shaft through the other gears in the planetary gear than the gear connected to the engine shaft.
In the above method, however, there occurs a loss due to follow-up rotation of the generator during vehicular running with the motor, resulting in consumption of the driving motor output.
In high-speed running, moreover, an electric energy for stopping the rotation of the generator is consumed.
Further, torque assist by the generator is restricted due to a constraint based on the planetary gear.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been accomplished for eliminating the above-mentioned drawbacks and it is an object of the invention to attain a high degree of efficiency by diminishing a loss and an electrical loss both caused by follow-up rotation of a motor in a vehicle having an engine and the motor and make it possible to effect torque assist by a generator irrespective of the vehicle speed.
The above object is achieved by a transmission comprising; a first power transfer path for transferring an output of an internal combustion engine to a vehicle driving shaft through a differential mechanism in which power of an electric rotary machine is transferred to one of rotary elements; a second power transfer path for transferring the output of the internal combustion engine to the vehicle driving shaft through gears; and a power transfer switching means for switching over the first and second power transfer paths from one to the other.
The above object is achieved also a vehicle having an internal combustion engine and an electric rotary machine, the vehicle comprising: a vehicle driving shaft to which are fixed at least a high speed gear and a low speed gear; a planetary gear having at least three rotary elements, of which a first rotary element is connected to the low speed gear and a second rotary element is connected to a rotating shaft of the electric rotary machine; and a dog clutch having at least three rotary elements, of which a first rotary element is connected to a rotating shaft of the internal combustion engine, a second rotary element is connected to the high speed gear, and a third rotary element is connected to a third rotary element of the planetary gear; the dog clutch having a mechanism for selectively connecting the first rotary element thereof to the second or the third rotary element thereof and for neutralizing the first rotary element relative to the second and third rotary elements.
Further, the above object is achieved by a vehicle having an internal combustion engine and a motor generator, the vehicle comprising: a first power transfer path for transferring an output of the internal combustion engine to a vehicle driving shaft through a differential mechanism in which power of the motor generator is transferred to one of rotary elements; a second power transfer path for transferring the output of the internal combustion engine to the vehicle driving shaft through gears; and a dog clutch for switching over from one to another among a first mode which selects the first power transfer path, a second mode which selects the second power transfer path, and a neutral mode which separates the internal combustion engine from the first and second power transfer paths.
Further, the above object is achieved by a hybrid vehicle comprising: an internal combustion engine; a plurality of electric rotary machines; a first drive path through which an output obtained by the addition of an output of the internal combustion engine and an output of the first electric rotary machine is transferred to a vehicle driving shaft; a second drive path through which an output obtained by subtracting one of an output of the internal combustion engine and an output of the second electric rotary machine from the other is transferred to the vehicle driving shaft; and means for selecting either the first or the second drive path.
Further, the above object is achieved by a control unit provided in a hybrid vehicle, the hybrid vehicle comprising: an internal combustion engine; an electric rotary machine; a vehicle driving shaft to which are fixed at least a high speed gear and a low speed gear; a planetary gear having at least three rotary elements, of which a first rotary element is connected to the low speed gear and a second rotary element is connected to a rotating shaft of a motor generator; and a dog clutch having at least three rotary elements, of which a first rotary element is connected to a rotating shaft of the internal combustion engine, a second rotary element is connected to the high speed gear, and a third rotary element is connected to a third rotary element of the planetary gear; the dog clutch having a mechanism for selectively connecting the first rotary element thereof to the second or the third rotary element thereof and for neutralizing the first rotary element relative to the second and third rotary elements, wherein the number of rotation of the third rotary element in the dog clutch is controlled in accordance with a detected number of rotation of the vehicle driving shaft and by controlling the number of rotation of the electric rotary machine, and the first and third rotary elements in the dog clutch are connected together upon substantial coincidence in the number of rotation of the two.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2924991 (1960-02-01), Whiting
patent: 6142907 (2000-11-01), Minowa et al.
patent: 7-135701 (1995-05-01), None
Hanyu Tomoyuki
Masaki Ryoso
Minowa Toshimichi
Miyazaki Taizo
Sakamoto Hiroshi
Crowell & Moring LLP
Hitachi , Ltd.
Wright Dirk
LandOfFree
Transmission, vehicle, hybrid vehicle, and control unit... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Transmission, vehicle, hybrid vehicle, and control unit..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Transmission, vehicle, hybrid vehicle, and control unit... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2514496