Hybrid drive apparatus

• US 20060081406A1
• Filed: 09/19/2005
• Published: 04/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Kojima, Masahiro, Ozaki, Kazuhisa, Ishibashi, Atsushi, Adachi, Masatoshi, Kano, Seigo, Wakuta, Satoru, Ikeda, Toshiharu
• Granted Patent: US 7,621,359 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/65.600
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/02 comprising more than one electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/365 with the gears having orbital motion
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/405 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/445 Differential gearing distribution type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/54 Transmission for changing ratio
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2037/0873 with switching, e.g. to change ranges
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2200/2007 with two sets of orbital gears
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2200/2023 using a Ravigneaux set with 4 connections
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 3/728 with means to change ratio in the mechanical gearing
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 57/0037 Special features of coaxial shafts, e.g. relative support thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility

Abstract

An output shaft is divided into a first output shaft and a second output shaft. Torque from a motive power distributing planetary gear is transferred to the first output shaft. The first output shaft is supported on partition walls by a both-end support structure via bearings. Assist torque from a transmission is applied to the second output shaft. The second output shaft is also supported on partition walls by a both-end support structure via bearings.

Claims

1. A hybrid drive apparatus, comprising:

an input shaft for inputting motive power from an internal combustion engine;

an output shaft that is disposed in alignment with the input shaft on an axis and that operates in association with a driving wheel;

a first electric motor that is disposed on the axis, the first electric motor having a stator and a rotor;

a motive power distributing planetary gear, that is disposed on the axis, having a first rotating element connected to the input shaft, a second rotating element connected to the rotor of the first electric motor, and a third rotating element connected to the output shaft;

a second electric motor, that is disposed on the axis, having a stator and a rotor; and

a transmission, that is disposed on the axis, that speed-shifts rotation of the rotor of the second electric motor and then transfers rotation to the output shaft, wherein the first electric motor, the motive power distributing planetary gear, the second electric motor, and the transmission are housed in a case member, and are aligned and thus disposed on the axis with the motive power distributing planetary gear being at a foremost end side, and the stators of the first electric motor and the second electric motor are secured to the case member, and the output shaft is divided into a first output shaft and a second output shaft joined so as to rotate together, and the third rotating element of the motive power distributing planetary gear is coupled to the first output shaft, and the transmission is coupled to the second output shaft.

2. The hybrid drive apparatus according to claim 1, wherein both end portions of the first output shaft and the second output shaft are directly or indirectly supported, via a shaft bearing member, on a support portion that is integral with the case member, so that both of the first and second output shafts have a both-end support structure.

3. The hybrid drive apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the second electric motor is disposed at a rearmost end on the axis, and

a mount attachment portion mountable on a vehicle body is provided on a rear end portion of the case member.

4. The hybrid drive apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the first output shaft is supported by a front partition wall and a rear partition wall of the case member that support the rotor of the first electric motor, and the second output shaft is supported by the partition wall of the first electric motor and a rear wall that supports the rotor of the second electric motor.

5. The hybrid drive apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the main portion of second output shaft is larger in diameter than the main portion of the first output shaft.

6. A motor-vehicle, comprising:

a vehicle body suspended by a front wheel and a rear wheel;

an internal combustion engine mounted on the vehicle body; and

a hybrid drive apparatus according to claim 5 mounted on the vehicle body, wherein the internal combustion engine and the hybrid drive apparatus are disposed in that order from a front of the vehicle body so that an output shaft of the internal combustion engine is aligned on the axis and the axis is disposed in a front-to-rear direction of the vehicle body, and the input shaft of the hybrid drive apparatus is coupled to the output shaft of the internal combustion engine, and the output shaft of the hybrid drive apparatus is associated with the rear wheel.

7. The hybrid drive apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the motive power distributing planetary gear, the first electric motor, the transmission and the second electric motor are disposed on the axis sequentially from a front end side.

8. The hybrid drive apparatus according to claim 7, wherein a main portion of the second output shaft is larger in diameter than a main portion of the first output shaft.

9. A motor vehicle, comprising:

a vehicle body suspended by a front wheel and a rear wheel;

an internal combustion engine mounted on the vehicle body; and

a hybrid drive apparatus according to claim 8 mounted on the vehicle body, wherein the internal combustion engine and the hybrid drive apparatus are disposed in that order from a front of the vehicle body so that an output shaft of the internal combustion engine is aligned on the axis and the axis is disposed in a front-to-rear direction of the vehicle body, and the input shaft of the hybrid drive apparatus is coupled to the output shaft of the internal combustion engine, and the output shaft of the hybrid drive apparatus is associated with the rear wheel.

10. The hybrid drive apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second electric motor is disposed at a rearmost end on the axis, and a mount attachment portion mountable on a vehicle body is provided on a rear end portion of the case member.

11. The hybrid drive apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the first output shaft is supported by a front partition wall and a rear partition wall of the case member that support the rotor of the first electric motor, and the second output shaft is supported by the rear partition wall of the first electric motor and a rear wall that supports the rotor of the second electric motor.

12. The hybrid drive apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the motive power distributing planetary gear, the first electric motor, the transmission and the second electric motor are disposed on the axis sequentially from a front end side.

13. The hybrid drive apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a main portion of the second output shaft is larger in diameter than a main portion of the first output shaft.

14. A motor vehicle, comprising:

a vehicle body suspended by a front wheel and a rear wheel;

an internal combustion engine mounted on the vehicle body; and

a hybrid drive apparatus according to claim 1 mounted on the vehicle body, wherein the internal combustion engine and the hybrid drive apparatus are disposed in that order from a front of the vehicle body so that an output shaft of the internal combustion engine is aligned on the axis and the axis is disposed in a front-to-rear direction of the vehicle body, and the input shaft of the hybrid drive apparatus is coupled to the output shaft of the internal combustion engine, and the output shaft of the hybrid drive apparatus is associated with the rear wheel.