Hybrid electric vehicle
First Claim
1. A vehicle comprising:
- a first axle including two driving wheels and a second axle including two free-rolling wheels, wherein said two wheels of at least one of said two axles are also steerable for steering the vehicle;
an electric traction motor for selectively driving said two driving wheels of said first axle when said electric traction motor is energized, wherein the direction of rotation of the electric traction motor is reversible;
a first mechanical drive train connecting the electric traction motor with the driving wheels of the first axle for transmitting mechanical energy between the traction motor and the driving wheels of the first axle;
an electric power source for supplying the electric traction motor with electric energy, said electric power source including an electric battery for storing electric energy and selectively supplying the electric traction motor with electric energy and an electric generator for charging said electric battery and selectively supplying the electric traction motor with electric energy;
an internal-combustion engine for selectively driving said electric generator or the driving wheels of the first axle and the electric generator;
a second mechanical drive train connecting said internal-combustion engine with the driving wheels of the first axle for transmitting mechanical energy between the internal-combustion engine and the driving wheels of the first axle, said second mechanical drive train including a part of said first mechanical drive train;
a clutch included in the second mechanical drive train for selectively interrupting the transmission of mechanical energy between the internal-combustion engine and the driving wheels of the first axle;
a third mechanical drive train connecting the internal-combustion engine with the electric generator for transmitting mechanical energy between the internal-combustion engine and the electric generator, said third mechanical drive train including a part of the second mechanical drive train; and
a central electronic controller arranged and programmed to control and coordinate the operation of the electric traction motor, internal-combustion engine, electric generator, and said clutch, for operating the vehicle and charging the electric battery.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In a first forward drive mode, at speeds of the vehicle lower than a predetermined speed, an electric traction motor (17) drives the wheels (12, 13) of the vehicle, while an internal-combustion engine (27) drives an electric generator (34) or rests. The generator charges an electric battery (38), or powers the traction motor, or both. In a second forward drive mode, at speeds of the vehicle higher than the predetermined speed, the engine drives the electric generator and the wheels of the vehicle, while the traction motor is not energized. In a third forward drive mode, at speeds of the vehicle higher than the predetermined speed, the traction motor, powered by the electric battery, together with the engine drive the wheels of the vehicle. In a reverse drive mode the traction motor alone drives the wheels of the vehicle. A clutch (32) selectively interrupts the power transmission between the engine and the wheels of the vehicle. The traction motor selectively operates as an electric braking generator, during speed retardation and braking of the vehicle, and charges the electric battery. A central electronic controller (46) controls and coordinates the operation of the clutch, traction motor, and engine for achieving high fuel efficiency at both city and highway operational conditions.
77 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A vehicle comprising:
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a first axle including two driving wheels and a second axle including two free-rolling wheels, wherein said two wheels of at least one of said two axles are also steerable for steering the vehicle; an electric traction motor for selectively driving said two driving wheels of said first axle when said electric traction motor is energized, wherein the direction of rotation of the electric traction motor is reversible; a first mechanical drive train connecting the electric traction motor with the driving wheels of the first axle for transmitting mechanical energy between the traction motor and the driving wheels of the first axle; an electric power source for supplying the electric traction motor with electric energy, said electric power source including an electric battery for storing electric energy and selectively supplying the electric traction motor with electric energy and an electric generator for charging said electric battery and selectively supplying the electric traction motor with electric energy; an internal-combustion engine for selectively driving said electric generator or the driving wheels of the first axle and the electric generator; a second mechanical drive train connecting said internal-combustion engine with the driving wheels of the first axle for transmitting mechanical energy between the internal-combustion engine and the driving wheels of the first axle, said second mechanical drive train including a part of said first mechanical drive train; a clutch included in the second mechanical drive train for selectively interrupting the transmission of mechanical energy between the internal-combustion engine and the driving wheels of the first axle; a third mechanical drive train connecting the internal-combustion engine with the electric generator for transmitting mechanical energy between the internal-combustion engine and the electric generator, said third mechanical drive train including a part of the second mechanical drive train; and a central electronic controller arranged and programmed to control and coordinate the operation of the electric traction motor, internal-combustion engine, electric generator, and said clutch, for operating the vehicle and charging the electric battery. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method for operating a vehicle comprising a first axle including two driving wheels and a second axle including two free-rolling wheels, wherein said wheels of at least one of said two axles are also steerable for steering the vehicle, said method for operating the vehicle comprising the steps of:
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driving the vehicle forward from standstill to a first predetermined speed of the vehicle via an electric traction motor in a forward/low-speed drive mode; driving the vehicle forward at speeds of the vehicle higher than said first predetermined speed under normal load via an internal-combustion engine in a forward/high-speed/normal-load drive mode; driving the vehicle forward at speeds of the vehicle higher than the first predetermined speed under heavy load via both said internal-combustion engine and said electric traction motor in a forward/high-speed/heavy-load drive mode when the internal-combustion engine alone is not capable to sustain the vehicle speed or to accelerate the vehicle to a higher desirable speed; and driving the vehicle backward in a reverse drive mode via the electric traction motor, wherein the direction of rotation of the electric traction motor is reversed. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification