Electromechanical variable transmission

• US 10,457,134 B2
• Filed: 07/23/2018
• Issued: 10/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oshkosh Defense LLC (Oshkosh Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oshkosh Defense LLC (Oshkosh Corporation)
• Inventors: Morrow, Jon, Steinberger, Dave, Braun, Eric, Kotloski, Andrew, Nasr, Nader
• Primary Examiner(s): Scott, Jacob S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Lillian T
• Application Number:
  US16/042,680
• Publication Number:
  US 20180345783A1
• Time in Patent Office: 463 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/365 with the gears having orbital motion
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/445 Differential gearing distribution type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/52 Driving a plurality of drive axles, e.g. four-wheel drive
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/543 the transmission being a continuously variable transmission
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2037/0866 Power split variators with distributing differentials, with the output of the CVT connected or connectable to the output shaft
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2037/088 Power split variators with summing differentials, with the input of the CVT connected or connectable to the input shaft
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2037/102 the input or output shaft of the transmission is connected or connectable to two or more differentials
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2037/106 with switching means to provide two variator modes or ranges
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2200/2007 with two sets of orbital gears
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2200/201 with three sets of orbital gears
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 3/728 with means to change ratio in the mechanical gearing
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 37/065 with a plurality of driving or driven shafts F16H37/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/60 Other road transportation technologies with climate change mitigation effect
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/902 Prime movers comprising electrical and internal combustion motors
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/911 with two or more gear sets

Abstract

A drive train includes a shaft, a first gear set including a sun gear, a ring gear and planetary gears coupling the sun gear to the ring gear, a second gear set including a sun gear, a ring gear and planetary gears coupling the sun gear to the ring gear, a first motor/generator coupled to the first gear set, a second motor/generator coupled to the second gear set, a first clutch that selectively engages the shaft with the second motor/generator and the first gear set, and a second clutch and a third gear set that cooperate to selectively engage the ring gear of the second gear set with the planetary gear carrier of at least one of the first gear set and the second gear set. The planetary gears of both sets are rotatably supported by respective planetary gear carriers.

Claims

1. A drive train for a vehicle, comprising:

a shaft;

a first gear set comprising a sun gear, a ring gear and planetary gears coupling the sun gear to the ring gear;

a second gear set comprising a sun gear, a ring gear and planetary gears coupling the sun gear to the ring gear, wherein the planetary gears of both sets are rotatably supported by respective planetary gear carriers;

a first motor/generator coupled to the first gear set;

a second motor/generator coupled to the second gear set;

a first clutch that selectively engages the shaft with the second motor/generator and the first gear set; and

a second clutch and a third gear set that cooperate to selectively engage the ring gear of the second gear set with the planetary gear carrier of at least one of the first gear set and the second gear set.

2. The drive train of claim 1, wherein the shaft is an output shaft of an engine.

3. The drive train of claim 1, further comprising a fifth gear set including at least two gears that couple the first clutch to the second motor/generator.

4. The drive train of claim 1, further comprising a brake mechanism configured to selectively prevent rotation of the first motor/generator.

5. The drive train of claim 4, further comprising a third clutch selectively coupling the brake mechanism to the first motor/generator.

6. The drive train of claim 1, wherein the third gear set comprises a planetary gear set having at least a ring gear, wherein the planetary gear carriers are coupled to the ring gear of the planetary gear set.

7. A vehicle, comprising:

a dual-mode transmission comprising a first gear set having a first planetary gear carrier and a second gear set having a second planetary gear carrier;

a shaft at least selectively coupled to the first gear set;

a first motor/generator coupled to the first gear set;

a second motor/generator coupled to the second gear set; and

a drive axle coupled to the dual-mode transmission;

wherein during a low speed mode of operation of the vehicle the second motor/generator is coupled to the drive axle and disengaged from the shaft, and

wherein during a high speed mode of operation of the vehicle the second motor/generator is at least selectively coupled to the shaft.

8. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the shaft is an output shaft of an engine.

9. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein the dual-mode transmission further comprises a third gear set that is coupled to the drive axle of the vehicle.

10. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein during the low speed mode of operation of the vehicle the second motor/generator is directly coupled to the drive axle with the second gear set.