Drive device for hybrid vehicle

• US 20040045752A1
• Filed: 06/10/2003
• Published: 03/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Wakuta, Satoru, Omote, Kenji
• Granted Patent: US 7,017,693 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/65.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/26 characterised by the motors or the generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/387 Actuated clutches, i.e. clutches engaged or disengaged by electric, hydraulic or mechanical actuating means
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/40 characterised by the assembly or relative disposition of components
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/405 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/485 Motor-assist type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/547 the transmission being a stepped gearing
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/20 for control of the vehicle or its driving motor to achieve a desired performance, e.g. speed, torque, programmed variation of speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/40 DC to AC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2220/16 DC brushless machines
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/421 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/423 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/441 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/443 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/26 Transition between different drive modes
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2200/201 with three sets of orbital gears
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2200/2023 using a Ravigneaux set with 4 connections
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 45/02 with mechanical clutches for bridging a fluid gearing of the hydrokinetic type control of torque converter lock-up clutches F16H61/14
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/006 Structural association of a motor or generator with the drive train of a motor vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 : Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 : Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 : Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility

Abstract

A hybrid vehicle drive system is designed to have dimensions that are shorter in an axial direction and improved centering accuracy of a rotor, in order to prevent deterioration of motor performance. A rotor support plate (15) has a flat-plate shaped disk portion (15b), and is fixed to a front cover (32) of a take off device (5), such as a torque converter, or the like, at the disk portion with a set block (67) and a bolt (69). A forward portion of the take off device is centered and supported by fitting a center piece (33) to a crankshaft (3). A support-plate hub (15a) is in contact with the center piece (33) at a small area (33c) in a vicinity of a fixing plane P of the disk portion (15b) and the set block (67), and thus centering of the rotor (13) is executed.

Claims

1. A hybrid vehicle drive system including an automatic transmission having a take off device and a motor having a stator and a rotor, output from the motor and the engine being input to the take off device, characterized in that

the take off device has a front cover and a center piece protruding in a forward direction of the front cover, and the center piece is centered and supported on an output shaft of the engine, and

the rotor has a support plate supporting the rotor, this support plate having a disk portion extending in an internal diameter direction, the support plate being centered by contact with the center piece at a small diameter portion of the disk portion, and being fixed to the front cover at the disk portion.

2. The hybrid vehicle drive system according to claim 1, wherein

the contact portion between the disk portion of the rotor support plate and the center piece is a relatively small portion in the vicinity of an extension line of a plane on which the disk portion is fixed to the front cover.

3. The hybrid vehicle drive system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein

the front cover has an internal diameter portion disposed opposite and substantially in parallel to the disk portion of the rotor support plate, and the disk portion of the rotor support plate is fixed at an external diameter side of the internal diameter portion.

4. The hybrid vehicle drive system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further having a fixed member integrally fixed to an engine body, with the stator of the motor being fixed to the fixed member, wherein

one of outer shells of the take off device having the center piece is supported by the center piece at the output shaft of the engine, and the other outer shell is supported by the fixed member.

5. The hybrid vehicle drive system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein

a motor housing, a take off device housing, and a transmission case are disposed in order from an engine position side, and form an integrated case,

the stator is fixed to the motor housing, and the engine output shaft is rotatably supported by the engine body,

a pump case is fitted into an inner peripheral face of the integrated case and the pump case is fixed to the integrated case, and

the take off device has an outer shell constituted by the front cover and a rear cover integrally fixed to the front cover, and a front portion of the outer shell is supported by the center piece at the engine output shaft, and a back portion of the outer shell is supported at the pump case by a hub integrated with the rear cover.

6. The hybrid vehicle drive system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein

the disk portion of the rotor support plate has an internal diameter portion extending from a portion fixed to the front cover, this internal diameter portion being formed so as to be less thick than an external diameter portion of the disk portion.

7. The hybrid vehicle drive system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein

the disk portion of the rotor support plate has weight-reduction holes formed in an area extending from the portion fixed to the front cover to the internal diameter portion.

8. The hybrid vehicle drive system according to claim 3, wherein

a torque transmitting member is interposed between the engine output shaft and the rotor support plate, and torque of the engine output shaft is transmitted to the take off device via the torque transmitting member and the fixing portion of the disk portion and the front cover.

9. The hybrid vehicle drive system according to claim 8, wherein

the torque transmitting member is constituted by a flex plate having flexibility.

10. The hybrid vehicle drive system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein

the take off device has a hydraulic power transmission.

11. The hybrid vehicle drive system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein

the take off device has a starting clutch and a damper unit.