Motor vehicle

• US 20010022245A1
• Filed: 04/02/2001
• Published: 09/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co.KG (INA-Holding Schaeffler GmbH & Co. KG)
• Original Assignee: Luk Lamellen Und Kupplungsbau GmbH
• Inventors: Rogg, Andreas
• Granted Patent: US 6,502,652 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/65.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/365 with the gears having orbital motion
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/38 characterised by the driveline clutches shift clutches within the gearing or transmission B60K6/36 , B60K6/54
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/40 characterised by the assembly or relative disposition of components
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/48 Parallel type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/485 Motor-assist type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/547 the transmission being a stepped gearing
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/02 including control of driveline clutches
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/08 including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/10 including control of change-speed gearings
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/115 with planetary gears
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/00 Control systems specially adapted for hybrid vehicles hybrid vehicle design, B60K6/00; electric vehicles B60L
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/10 Controlling the power contribution of each of the prime movers to meet required power demand
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/30 Control strategies involving selection of transmission gear ratio control of change speed gearings, together with other vehicle sub-units B60W10/10; HEV transmission gearing B60K6/36; gearings and control thereof F16H
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0657 Engine torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/083 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/021 Clutch engagement state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/1005 Transmission ratio engaged
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/1038 Output speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/105 Output torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2400/428 : Double clutch arrangements; Dual clutches
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/04 : the motors being associated with current generators
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2003/007 : with two flow paths, one being directly connected to the input, the other being connected to the input though a clutch
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2003/0818 : comprising means for power-shifting
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2306/44 : Removing torque from current gears
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2306/52 : Applying torque to new gears
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 3/126 : using an electric drive
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 37/042 : change gear transmissions in group arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/682 : with interruption of drive
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 : Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/903 : having energy storing means, e.g. battery, capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/909 : Gearing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/91 : Orbital, e.g. planetary gears
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/919 : Stepped shift
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/945 : Characterized by control of gearing, e.g. control of transmission ratio
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/946 : Characterized by control of driveline clutch
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/951 : Assembly or relative location of components
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/96 : having chargeable mechanical accumulator

Abstract

A motor vehicle has a combustion engine as a primary drive source, generating an engine torque (302) which is transmitted along a power train containing an input shaft (320), a main clutch (308), a gear-shifting transmission (310) with gears (316, 318, 324, 326), shift clutches (328, 330), and an output shaft (322). The power train includes a superimposed additional transmission (312) with a planetary gear device (314), and a secondary drive source in the form of an electric motor/generator with a rotor (342) attached to the ring gear (332) of the planetary gear device (314) and a stator (344) attached to a stationary part of the vehicle. The secondary drive source generates an additional torque (346) to supplement or replace the engine torque (302) as needed, e.g., to eliminate gaps in vehicle traction during gear shifts or to propel the vehicle electrically in stop-and-go traffic. The secondary drive source may also be used in a generator mode, e.g., to recycle energy from decelerating or coasting downhill.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle comprising a power train transmitting a torque flow, said torque flow defining upstream and downstream ends, parts, sides and directions in the power train, with at least one primary drive source located at the upstream end and generating an input quantity, a primary transmission with an input shaft receiving the input quantity, an output shaft delivering an output quantity, and at least one superimposed secondary drive source adapted to have a controlling influence on at least one of the input quantity and the output quantity.

2. The motor vehicle of

claim 1

, wherein the controlling influence dictates a ratio between the input quantity and the output quantity.

3. The motor vehicle of

claim 1

, wherein the input quantity is an input torque and the output quantity is an output rpm rate.

4. The motor vehicle of

claim 2

, comprising a secondary drive source control means and a secondary drive source actuator means, wherein the secondary drive source control means directs the secondary drive source actuator means in manipulating the superimposed secondary drive source.

5. The motor vehicle of

claim 1

, comprising a primary drive source control means adapted to have a controlling influence over the primary drive source.

6. The motor vehicle of

claim 1

, comprising a planetary gear set arranged to function at least part of the time between the primary drive source and the output shaft, wherein the secondary drive source generates a second input quantity and the planetary gear set has at least one rotary element coupled to the secondary drive source.

7. The motor vehicle of

claim 6

, wherein the second input quantity is a second input torque.

8. The motor vehicle of

claim 6

, wherein the planetary gear set has a sun gear, a ring gear, and planet gears rotatably supported by a planet carrier adapted to rotate at least part of the time about a central sun gear axis, said planetary gear set being arranged substantially parallel to the primary transmission, and wherein at least one of the respective rpm rates of the sun gear, the ring gear, and the planet carrier substantially corresponds to an rpm rate of at least one rotary element of the first transmission, said rpm rate including an input rpm rate and the output rpm rate of the primary transmission.

9. The motor vehicle of

claim 6

, wherein the planetary gear set is adapted to influence at least one rotary element of the first transmission, said rpm rate including an input rpm rate and the output rpm rate of the primary transmission.

10. The motor vehicle of

claim 1

, wherein the power train comprises at least two partial power trains arranged to work in parallel.

11. The motor vehicle of

claim 10

, wherein at least two of the partial power trains each contain a transmission device operable at more than one transmission ratio.

12. The motor vehicle of

claim 11

, wherein at least one of the transmission devices comprises a planetary gear set.

13. The motor vehicle of

claim 1

, wherein the primary drive source is a combustion engine and the secondary drive source is an electro-mechanical energy converter, said combustion engine and electro-mechanical energy converter being adapted to cooperate in a coordinated manner to produce the output quantity.

14. The motor vehicle of

claim 1

, comprising a at least one energy-storing device, wherein the primary drive source supplies energy to the power train and the energy-storing device is adapted to extract and store energy from the power train.

15. The motor vehicle of

claim 14

, wherein the energy-storing device is an electric generator.

16. The motor vehicle of

claim 14

, comprising means for returning stored energy to the power train at least part of the time.

17. The motor vehicle of

claim 13

, wherein the electro-mechanical energy converter is operable to work at least part of the time as an electric motor and at least part of the time as an electric generator.

18. The motor vehicle of

claim 1

, wherein the primary drive source and the secondary drive source are adapted so that they can work simultaneously at least part of the time.

19. The motor vehicle of

claim 1

, wherein the primary drive source and the secondary drive source are adapted so that at least part of the time one of the primary and secondary drive sources can be deactivated from driving the vehicle while the other of the drive sources can be activated at the same time to drive the vehicle.

20. The motor vehicle of

claim 19

, wherein at least one of said primary and secondary drive sources is an electro-mechanical energy converter.

21. The motor vehicle of

claim 19

, wherein said primary and secondary drive sources are arranged to work in series.

22. The motor vehicle of

claim 19

, wherein said primary and secondary drive sources are arranged to work in parallel.

23. The motor vehicle of

claim 13

, further comprising a secondary transmission and a differential, wherein both the primary transmission and the secondary transmission are arranged in the power train between the combustion engine and the differential.

24. The motor vehicle of

claim 23

, wherein the primary transmission and the secondary transmission are adapted so that each of them can be set to at least two different transmission ratios.

25. The motor vehicle of

claim 23

, wherein the primary transmission and the secondary transmission are arranged to work in series.

26. The motor vehicle of

claim 23

, wherein the primary transmission and the secondary transmission are arranged to work in parallel.

27. The motor vehicle of

claim 23

, wherein at least one of the primary transmission an d the secondary transmission comprises a gear set of tooth-profiled gear wheels.

28. The motor vehicle of

claim 23

, wherein at least one of the primary transmission and the secondary transmission comprises a planetary gear set.

29. The motor vehicle of

claim 23

, comprising at least one clutch operable to actuate at least one of the primary transmission and the secondary transmission.

30. The motor vehicle of

claim 29

, wherein said at least one clutch is arranged around, and substantially concentric to, a shaft.

31. The motor vehicle of

claim 23

, wherein the primary transmission comprises an arrangement of externally profiled spur gears and the secondary transmission comprises a planetary gear set with a sun gear, a ring gear, at least one planet gear, and a planet carrier.

32. The motor vehicle of

claim 31

, wherein the sun gear is coupled through a substantially rotation-locked constraint to a shaft upstream in the power train.

33. The motor vehicle of

claim 31

, wherein the sun gear is supported substantially free from rotational constraint on a shaft upstream in the power train.

34. The motor vehicle of

claim 31

, wherein the sun gear is coupled through a substantially rotation-locked constraint to a shaft downstream in the power train.

35. The motor vehicle of

claim 31

, wherein the sun gear is supported substantially free from rotational constraint on a shaft downstream in the power train.

36. The motor vehicle of

claim 31

, wherein the planet carrier is coupled through a substantially rotation-locked constraint to at least one shaft upstream in the power train.

37. The motor vehicle of

claim 31

, wherein the planet carrier is coupled through a substantially rotation-locked constraint to at least one shaft downstream in the power train.

38. The motor vehicle of

claim 31

, wherein the planet carrier is coupled at least part of the time through at least one gear stage to at least one shaft upstream in the power train.

39. The motor vehicle of

claim 31

, wherein the planet carrier is coupled at least part of the time through at least one gear stage to at least one shaft downstream in the power train.

40. The motor vehicle of

claim 31

, wherein the planetary gear set comprises at least one clutch device to open and close a rotation-locking connection between a rotary shaft and at least one of the sun gear and the planet carrier.

41. The motor vehicle of

claim 31

, wherein the ring gear is coupled through a substantially rotation-locked constraint to at least one shaft upstream in the power train.

42. The motor vehicle of

claim 31

, wherein the ring gear is coupled through a substantially rotation-locked constraint to at least one shaft downstream in the power train.

43. The motor vehicle of

claim 31

, wherein the ring gear is arranged in the torque flow between one of the primary and secondary drive source and the at least one planet gear.

44. The motor vehicle of

claim 31

, wherein the ring gear is electro-magnetically coupled to the electro-mechanical energy con verter during at least a part of the time.

45. The motor vehicle of

claim 44

, wherein the electro-mechanical energy converter comprises a rotor and a stator, and the ring gear is substantially coupled to the rotor.

46. The motor vehicle of

claim 45

, wherein the ring gear is substantially concentric with the stator.

47. The motor vehicle of

claim 31

, wherein the planetary gear set is arranged in the power train on an upstream side of the primary transmission.

48. The motor vehicle of

claim 31

, wherein the planetary gear set is arranged in the power train on a downstream side of the primary transmission.

49. The motor vehicle of

claim 31

, comprising a start-up clutch arranged in the power train between the combustion engine and the output shaft.

50. The motor vehicle of

claim 49

, wherein the secondary transmission is arranged upstream of the start-up clutch.

51. The motor vehicle of

claim 49

, wherein the secondary transmission is arranged downstream of the start-up clutch.

52. The motor vehicle of

claim 49

, wherein the primary transmission is arranged upstream of the start-up clutch.

53. The motor vehicle of

claim 49

, wherein the primary transmission is arranged downstream of the start-up clutch.

54. The motor vehicle of

claim 49

, wherein the primary and secondary transmissions are both arranged on the same side of the start-up clutch in relation to the torque flow.

55. The motor vehicle of

claim 49

, wherein the primary and secondary transmissions are arranged on different sides of the start-up clutch in relation to the torque flow.

56. The motor vehicle of

claim 49

, wherein the primary transmission comprises at least one gear-engaging clutch, and wherein the sun gear and the gear-engaging clutch are arranged on one and the same shaft.

57. The motor vehicle of

claim 49

, wherein the primary transmission comprises at least one gear-engaging clutch, and wherein the sun gear and the gear-engaging clutch are arranged on different shafts.

58. The motor vehicle of

claim 31

, wherein the primary transmission comprises an input shaft arranged on an upstream side and the sun gear is concentric with the input shaft.

59. The motor vehicle of

claim 31

, wherein the sun gear is concentric with the output shaft.

60. The motor vehicle of

claim 58

, wherein the sun gear is arranged on the input shaft.

61. The motor vehicle of

claim 59

, wherein the sun gear is arranged on the output shaft.

62. The motor vehicle of

claim 31

, wherein the planetary gear set comprises at least three planet wheels.

63. The motor vehicle of

claim 49

, wherein the start-up clutch comprises a self-adjusting clutch.

64. The motor vehicle of

claim 63

, wherein the self-adjusting clutch is a force-controlled clutch.

65. The motor vehicle of

claim 63

, wherein the self-adjusting clutch is a displacement-controlled clutch.

66. The motor vehicle of

claim 1

, wherein the primary transmission comprises a step-wise variable transmission.

67. The motor vehicle of

claim 1

, wherein the primary transmission comprises a continuously variable transmission.

68. The motor vehicle of

claim 1

, wherein the primary transmission comprises an automatic transmission.

69. The motor vehicle of

claim 1

, wherein the primary transmission comprises a gear-shifting transmission.

70. The motor vehicle of

claim 69

, wherein the gear-shifting transmission is automated.

71. The motor vehicle of

claim 1

, comprising at least one electronically controlled clutch device.

72. The motor vehicle of

claim 1

, wherein the power train comprises at least one dual-mass flywheel.

73. The motor vehicle of

claim 1

, comprising at least one start-up clutch and at least one dual-mass flywheel, the start-up clutch and the dual-mass flywheel being arranged together in one assembly unit.

74. The motor vehicle of

claim 73

, wherein the start-up clutch and the dual-mass flywheel are substantially bolted together.

75. The motor vehicle of

claim 73

, wherein the start-up clutch and the dual-mass flywheel are arranged so that one lies radially inside the other.

76. The motor vehicle of

claim 1

, comprising at least one reverse-drive device operable to reverse a sense of rotation of the output shaft.

77. The motor vehicle of

claim 76

, wherein the reverse-drive device comprises at least one reverse-drive clutch.

78. The motor vehicle of

claim 76

, wherein the reverse-drive device comprises a reverse-drive gear set.

79. The motor vehicle of

claim 49

, comprising at least one gear-engaging clutch and a control unit operable to control at least one of the gear-engaging clutch, the electro-mechanical energy converter, and the start-up clutch.

80. The motor vehicle of

claim 13

, wherein the motor vehicle is adapted to be driven by the combustion engine alone during at least part of the time.

81. The motor vehicle of

claim 13

, wherein the motor vehicle is adapted to be driven by the combustion engine during at least part of the time and the electro-mechanical energy converter is adapted to have a controlling influence over a transmission ratio of the primary transmission.

82. The motor vehicle of

claim 13

, wherein the motor vehicle is adapted to be driven at least part of the time by the combustion engine and the electro-mechanical energy converter working simultaneously.

83. The motor vehicle of

claim 13

, wherein the electro-mechanical energy converter is operable at least part-time as an electric generator taking mechanical energy out of the power train and converting it to electrical energy.

84. The motor vehicle of

claim 1

, wherein the motor vehicle is adapted to recycle brake energy generated in decelerating the vehicle.

85. The motor vehicle of

claim 83

, wherein the mechanical energy is brake energy generated in decelerating the vehicle.

86. The motor vehicle of

claim 13

, wherein the motor vehicle is adapted to be driven under electrical power during at least part of the time.

87. The motor vehicle of

claim 86

, wherein the electro-mechanical energy converter is operable as an electric motor to drive the vehicle in a forward mode at least part of the time.

88. The motor vehicle of

claim 86

, wherein the electro-mechanical energy converter is operable as an electric motor to drive the vehicle in a reverse mode at least part of the time.

89. The motor vehicle of

claim 13

, wherein the electro-mechanical energy converter is operable as an electric motor to start the combustion engine while the motor vehicle is standing still.

90. The motor vehicle of

claim 13

, wherein the electro-mechanical energy converter is operable as an electric motor to start the combustion engine while the motor vehicle is moving.

91. The motor vehicle of

claim 13

, wherein the primary transmission is a gear-shifting transmission and the electro-mechanical energy converter is operable as an electric motor to supply torque to the power train and thereby at least partially replace a loss in traction during gear shifts.

92. The motor vehicle of

claim 13

, wherein the electro-mechanical energy converter is operable to at least partially counteract oscillations in the upstream part of the power train.

93. The motor vehicle of

claim 13

, wherein the electro-mechanical energy converter is operable to at least partially counteract oscillations in the downstream part of the power train.

94. The motor vehicle of

claim 13

, comprising a starter motor, wherein the electro-mechanical energy converter and the starter motor are both operable to start the combustion engine.

95. The motor vehicle of

claim 13

, wherein the electro-mechanical energy converter is operable to reverse the sense of rotation transmitted from the combustion engine to the output shaft.

96. The motor vehicle of

claim 13

, wherein the electro-mechanical energy converter comprises an externally excited electrical machine.

97. The motor vehicle of

claim 13

, wherein the electro-mechanical energy converter comprises an electrical machine selected from the group that consists of reluctance motors, asynchronous motors, EC motors, DC shunt motors, synchronous motors, and stepper motors.

98. The motor vehicle of

claim 31

, wherein the planet carrier is a deep-drawn punch-cut component.

99. The motor vehicle of

claim 31

, wherein the ring-gear is a deep-drawn punch-cut component.

100. A method of operating the motor vehicle of

claim 13

, comprising the steps of:

a) actuating the combustion engine at predetermined points in time according to a first characteristic, and

b) actuating the electro-mechanical energy converter at predetermined points in time according to a second characteristic,

wherein the vehicle moves in a manner dependent on how intensively the combustion engine is actuated and on how intensively the electro-mechanical energy converter is actuated.

101. A method of operating the motor vehicle of

claim 13

, comprising the step of operating the electro-mechanical energy converter in a generator mode at predetermined points in time, whereby the electro-mechanical energy converter extracts energy from the power train.