Power output apparatus and vehicle

• US 20090200095A1
• Filed: 02/09/2009
• Published: 08/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nippon Soken, Inc., Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nippon Soken, Inc., Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Kawasaki, Koji
• Granted Patent: US 7,819,212 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/65.265
• 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: B60L 2240/423 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/486 Operating parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/00 Conjoint control of vehicle sub-units of different type or different function for propulsion of purely electrically-propelled vehicles with power supplied within the vehicle B60L50/00 - B60L58/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/02 including control of driveline clutches
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/06 including control of combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/08 including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/107 with endless flexible members
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/00 Control systems specially adapted for hybrid vehicles hybrid vehicle design, B60K6/00; electric vehicles B60L
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/246 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/10 Accelerator pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/12 Brake pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/16 Ratio selector position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/0666 Engine torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/083 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/1055 Output torque change rate
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2037/0893 : characterised in the ratio of the continuously variable transmission is different from zero when the output shaft speed is zero
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 37/0846 : CVT using endless flexible members
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 : Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 : Electric machine technologies in electromobility

Abstract

A hybrid vehicle includes: an engine that can output power to a drive gear; a CVT that can steplessly change the speed of power inputted to a primary shaft and output the power to a secondary shaft; a planetary gear mechanism including a sun gear connected to the secondary shaft, a ring gear that can rotate in a direction opposite to a rotational direction of the drive gear in conjunction with the drive gear, and a carrier connected to a carrier shaft; a clutch that connects and disconnects the drive gear to and from the primary shaft; a motor that can input and output power to the primary shaft; and a battery that can supply and receive electric power to and from the motor.

Claims

1. A power output apparatus that outputs power to a drive shaft, said power output apparatus comprising:

a power generation source that can output power to a predetermined rotational element;

a continuously variable transmission device that can steplessly change the speed of power inputted to an input shaft and output the power to an output shaft;

a planetary gear mechanism including a first input element connected to said output shaft of said continuously variable transmission device, a second input element that can rotate in a direction opposite to a rotational direction of said rotational element in conjunction with said rotational element, and an output element connected to said drive shaft;

a connection and disconnection device that connects and disconnects said rotational element to and from said input shaft of said continuously variable transmission device;

an electric motor that can output at least power to said input shaft of said continuously variable transmission device; and

an accumulator that can supply and receive electric power to and from said electric motor.

2. A power output apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said drive shaft rotates in a forward direction when said output element of said planetary gear mechanism rotates in the direction opposite to the rotational direction of said rotational element.

3. A power output apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:

a required driving force setting module that sets a required driving force required by said drive shaft; and

a control module that controls said power generation source, said electric motor, and said continuously variable transmission device so that power based on said set required driving force is outputted to said drive shaft in a state where said connection and disconnection device connects said rotational element to said input shaft of said continuously variable transmission device, said control module controlling said power generation source, said electric motor, and said continuously variable transmission device so that said electric motor decelerates, or said electric motor rotates in the direction opposite to the rotational direction of said rotational element and the power based on said set required driving force is outputted to said drive shaft in a state where said connection and disconnection device disconnects said rotational element from said input shaft of said continuously variable transmission device.

4. A power output apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising;

a first element fixation device that can fix said first input element of said planetary gear mechanism in a non-rotatable manner.

5. A power output apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said control module controls said power generation source so that the power based on said set required driving force is outputted to said drive shaft in a state where said connection and disconnection device disconnects said rotational element from said input shaft of said continuously variable transmission device and said first element fixation device fixes said first input element of said planetary gear mechanism in a non-rotatable manner.

6. A power output apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising;

a second element fixation device that can fix said second input element of said planetary gear mechanism in a non-rotatable manner.

7. A power output apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said control module controls said electric motor and said continuously variable transmission device so that the power based on said set required driving force is outputted to said drive shaft in a state where said connection and disconnection device disconnects said rotational element from said input shaft of said continuously variable transmission device and said second element fixation device fixes said second input element of said planetary gear mechanism in a non-rotatable manner.

8. A power output apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said power generation source is an internal combustion engine.

9. A power output apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said power generation source is a second electric motor different from said electric motor.

10. A power output apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said planetary gear mechanism is a single pinion planetary gear mechanism including a sun gear as said first input element, a ring gear as said second input element, and a carrier as said output element holding a pinion gear that meshes with both said sun gear and said ring gear.

11. A vehicle including drive wheels connected to a drive shaft, said vehicle comprising:

a power generation source that can output power to a predetermined rotational element;

a continuously variable transmission device that can steplessly change the speed of power inputted to an input shaft and output the power to an output shaft;

a planetary gear mechanism including a first input element connected to said output shaft of said continuously variable transmission device, a second input element that can rotate in a direction opposite to a rotational direction of said rotational element in conjunction with said rotational element, and an output element connected to said drive shaft;

a connection and disconnection device that connects and disconnects said rotational element to and from said input shaft of said continuously variable transmission device;

an electric motor that can output at least power to said input shaft of said continuously variable transmission device; and

an accumulator that can supply and receive electric power to and from said electric motor.