Power plant

• US 20080236917A1
• Filed: 03/26/2008
• Published: 10/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Akutsu, Shigemitsu, Abe, Noriyuki, Okada, Yoshio
• Granted Patent: US 8,485,290 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/65.4
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/365 with the gears having orbital motion
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/48 Parallel type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/543 the transmission being a continuously variable transmission
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2037/0866 Power split variators with distributing differentials, with the output of the CVT connected or connectable to the output shaft
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles

Abstract

A power plant which is capable of improving the drive efficiency and the power generation efficiency thereof when the electric power is generated using the power of a driven part thereof. A power plant has an internal combustion engine having a crankshaft, and a rotary motor having a rotor. A planetary gear train includes a sun gear, a ring gear, and a carrier rotatably supporting a planetary gear in mesh with the sun gear and the ring gear. The sun gear and the ring gear are connected to drive wheels. The carrier is connected to the crankshaft. The rotor is connected between one of the sun gear and the ring gear and the drive wheels. A transmission is connected between the other of the gears and the drive wheels, for varying a speed of power of the engine and transmitting the power to the drive wheels.

Claims

1. A power plant for driving a driven part, comprising:

a prime mover having an output shaft;

a planetary gear train including a sun gear, a ring gear, and a carrier rotatably supporting a planetary gear in mesh with said sun gear and said ring gear, said sun gear and said ring gear being connected to said driven part, said carrier being connected to said output shaft of said prime mover;

a rotary motor having an output connected to one of said sun gear and said ring gear; and

a transmission connected between the other of said sun gear and said ring gear, and said driven part, for varying a speed of power of said prime mover and transmitting the power to said driven part.

2. A power plant as claimed in claim 1, wherein said driven part comprises drive wheels formed by one of a front set of wheels or a rear set of wheels, and

wherein the one and the other of said sun gear and said ring gear are both connected to said drive wheels.