Hybrid vehicle with power assisted prop shaft

• US 20050205313A1
• Filed: 03/19/2004
• Published: 09/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: American AXLE & Manufacturing Incorporated (American AXLE & Manufacturing Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: American AXLE & Manufacturing Incorporated (American AXLE & Manufacturing Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: York, Todd M., Gilmore, Curt D.
• Application Number:
  US10/805,498
• Publication Number:
  US 20050205313A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/65.210
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 17/22 characterised by arrangement, location, or type of main drive shafting, e.g. cardan shaft
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/26 characterised by the motors or the generators
• 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: B60L 2200/36 Vehicles designed to transport cargo, e.g. trucks
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2220/16 DC brushless machines
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/423 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/40 related to technical updates when adding new parts or software
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/40 using propulsion power supplied by capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/14 Trucks; Load vehicles, Busses
• 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

Abstract

A vehicle having a prop shaft with a shaft assembly, a stator and a rotor. The shaft assembly includes a shaft structure and first and second universal joints that are coupled to the opposite ends of the shaft structure. The stator is fixed for rotation with the shaft structure. The rotor may be mounted on the shaft structure. A hybrid vehicle, a hybrid vehicle kit and a method for converting a conventional vehicle into a hybrid vehicle are also provided.

Claims

1. A hybrid motor vehicle comprising:

a power train;

an axle assembly;

a prop shaft disposed between the power train and the axle assembly, the prop shaft being configured to transmit rotary power to the axle assembly; and

an electric motor having a rotor that is mounted on the prop shaft;

wherein the power train and the electric motor are operable in a first mode in which the power train supplies rotary power to the prop shaft and the electric motor generates electrical energy and wherein the power train and the electric motor are operable in a second mode in which the electric motor supplies rotary power to the prop shaft.

6. The hybrid vehicle of claim 1, wherein the power train and the electric motor are operable in a third mode in which the power train supplies rotary power to the prop shaft and the electric motor is employed to resist rotation of the prop shaft.

7. The hybrid vehicle of claim 1, further comprising an energy storage device that is electrically coupled to the electric motor, the energy storage device being operable in a first mode, which supplies electric power to the electric motor, and a second mode, in which the energy storage device receives electric power from the electric motor.

8. The hybrid vehicle of claim 7, wherein the energy storage device includes at least one of a battery and a super capacitor.

9. The hybrid vehicle of claim 7, further comprising a controller for selectively operating the power train and the electric motor in the first and second modes.

10. The hybrid vehicle of claim 9, further comprising an accelerator pedal sensor and a brake pedal sensor, the accelerator pedal sensor being adapted to sense a position of an accelerator pedal and generate an accelerator pedal signal in response thereto, the brake pedal sensor being adapted to sense a position of a brake pedal and generate a brake pedal signal in response thereto, the controller receiving the accelerator pedal signal and the brake pedal signal and selectively operating the electric motor and the energy storage device in response thereto.

2. The hybrid vehicle of claim 2, wherein the rotor includes a plurality of magnets.

3. The hybrid vehicle of claim 2, wherein the electric motor further comprises a stator having a plurality of wire coils, the stator being mounted about the rotor.

4. The hybrid vehicle of claim 3, wherein a bearing set is employed to mount the stator to the prop shaft.

5. The hybrid vehicle of claim 4, wherein the stator is coupled to at least one of the power train and the axle assembly to inhibit rotation of the stator.

11. A vehicle prop shaft comprising:

a shaft assembly with a shaft structure and first and second universal joints coupled to the opposite ends of the shaft structure; and

an electric motor with a stator and a rotor, the stator being fixed for rotation with the shaft structure and the rotor being mounted on the shaft structure and surrounding at least a portion of the stator.

12. The vehicle prop shaft of claim 11, wherein a set of bearings are disposed between the shaft structure and the stator, the set of bearings permitting the shaft structure to support and rotate independently of the stator.

13. The vehicle prop shaft of claim 11, further comprising an energy storage device that is electrically coupled to the electric motor, the energy storage device being operable in a first mode, which supplies electric power to the electric motor, and a second mode, in which the energy storage device receives electric power from the electric motor.

14. The hybrid vehicle of claim 13, wherein the energy storage device includes at least one of a battery and a super capacitor.

15. A hybrid vehicle kit for converting a conventional motor vehicle into a hybrid vehicle, the conventional motor vehicle including a power train, an axle assembly, and a conventional prop shaft that facilitates the transmission of rotary power from the power train to the axle assembly, the hybrid vehicle kit comprising:

a hybrid prop shaft that is adapted to replace the conventional prop shaft, the hybrid prop shaft having a shaft assembly and an electric motor that includes a stator and a rotor, the shaft assembly including a shaft structure and first and second universal joints coupled to the opposite ends of the shaft structure, the stator being fixed for rotation with the shaft structure and the rotor being mounted on the shaft structure and surrounding at least a portion of the stator;

an energy storage device that is electrically coupled to the electric motor, the energy storage device being operable in a first mode, which supplies electric power to the electric motor, and a second mode, in which the energy storage device receives electric power from the electric motor; and

a controller for selectively operating the energy storage device in the first and second modes.

16. The hybrid vehicle kit of claim 15, further comprising an accelerator pedal sensor that is adapted to sense a position of an accelerator pedal and generate an accelerator pedal signal in response thereto, the controller receiving the accelerator pedal signal and selectively operating the energy storage device in response thereto.

17. The hybrid vehicle kit of claim 16, further comprising a brake pedal sensor, the brake pedal sensor being adapted to sense a position of a brake pedal and generate a brake pedal signal in response thereto, the controller receiving the brake pedal signal and selectively operating the energy storage device in response thereto.

18. A method for converting a conventional motor vehicle to a hybrid motor vehicle comprising:

removing a conventional prop shaft from the conventional motor vehicle; and

replacing the conventional prop shaft with a hybrid prop shaft having a shaft assembly and an electric motor with a stator and a rotor, the shaft assembly including a shaft structure and first and second universal joints coupled to the opposite ends of the shaft structure, the stator being fixed for rotation with the shaft structure and the rotor being mounted on the shaft structure and surrounding at least a portion of the stator.