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Drive system

  • US 20070184928A1
  • Filed: 01/03/2007
  • Published: 08/09/2007
  • Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2003
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A drive system comprising:

  • a motive power source;

    an electric drive source serving as a generator and also as a motor;

    a planetary gear mechanism; and

    a transmission, wherein the transmission comprises at least two force transmitting paths including a first force transmitting path and a second force transmitting path different from the first force transmitting path, wherein the planetary gear mechanism comprises three rotary elements, namely, a sun gear rotating about the center of a central shaft, a carrier which rotatably supports a planetary pinion gear moving about the outer periphery of the sun gear while rotating on an axis in engagement with the sun gear and which rotates about the center of the central shaft, and a ring gear rotating about the center of the central shaft on the outer side of the planetary pinion gear while being meshed with the planetary pinion gear, one of the three rotary elements of the planetary gear mechanism is connected to an output shaft of the motive power source, another one of the rotary elements is connected to an input shaft of the transmission, and the remaining one of the rotary elements is connected to an input/output shaft of the electric drive source, wherein the drive system further comprises motive power connecting/disconnecting means for selectively providing connection between the output shaft of the motive power source and the rotary element of the planetary gear mechanism connected to the input shaft of the transmission, while bypassing the rotary element of the planetary gear mechanism connected to the output shaft of the motive power source, and disconnection between the output shaft of the motive power source and the rotary element of the planetary gear mechanism connected to the input shaft of the transmission, wherein the transmission comprises a transmission having the input shaft provided with a train of input gears and an output shaft provided with a train of output gears meshing with the train of input gears, and the drive system comprises driving force transmitting means provided between the input/output shaft of the electric drive source and the output shaft of the transmission for adjusting a driving force output from the electric drive source and transmitting the adjusted driving force to the output shaft of the transmission, wherein the first force transmitting path travels from the input/output shaft of the electric drive source through the driving force transmitting means to the output shaft of the transmission, and wherein the second force transmitting path travels from the input shaft of the transmission through the train of input gears and the train of output gears to the output shaft.

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