Hybrid power system

• US 3,886,810 A
• Filed: 09/21/1973
• Issued: 06/03/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hiroshi Sugiyama, Jun Kakei, Toshio Hirota, Yoshiji Kabasawa
• Original Assignee: Hiroshi Sugiyama, Jun Kakei, Toshio Hirota, Yoshiji Kabasawa
• Inventors: Sugiyama, Hiroshi, Hirota, Toshio, Kakei, Jun, Kabasawa, Yoshiji
• Primary Examiner(s): Schwadron, Martin P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ostrager, Allen M.
• Application Number:
  US05/399,373
• Time in Patent Office: 620 Days
• Field of Search: 74/751,572 60/698,709,711,718 180/54R,65,66
• US Class Current: 477/41
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/105 the accumulator being a flywheel
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/24 Energy storage means
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 15/38 with two members B having hollow toroid surfaces opposite to each other, the member or members A being adjustably mounted between the surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/19153 Condition responsive control
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/2117 Power generating-type flywheel

Abstract

A hybrid power system for a motor vehicle, comprising a prime mover such as an internal combustion engine and a flywheel which is driven from the prime mover when an excess of power output is available from the prime mover and which is in driving connection to a transmission input shaft when the vehicle is to be driven under heavy load. The flywheel is selectively connected to or disconnected from the prime mover and/or the transmission input shaft in accordance with schedules which are dictated by an electric control unit responsive to various operational variables of the vehicle. The power system may be so arranged as to drive the engine when the engine is to be started.

Claims

1. A hybrid power system for a motor vehicle, comprising a prime mover, a power output shaft, an intermediate shaft connected between said prime mover and said power output shaft, releasable coupling means connected between said intermediate shaft and said power output shaft for disconnecting the power output shaft from the intermediate shaft when the coupling means is actuated, a flywheel releasably engaging said intermediate shaft, a stepless speed change unit interconnected between said flywheel and said intermediate shaft for steplessly varying a ratio between the revolution speeds of said intermediate shaft and said flywheel, and control means responsive to revolution speeds of said prime mover and said flywheel for producing a first signal representative of an amount of energy stored on said flywheel and a second signal representative of a differential speed between said prime mover and said flywheel, said control means comprising a signal generator which produce a first control signal when said first signal is representative of a flywheel energy larger than a first reference level, a second signal when said first signal is representative of a flywheel energy larger than a second reference level which is higher than said first reference level, and a third control signal when said first signal is representative of a flywheel energy larger than a third reference level which is higher than said second reference level, wherein the power output from said prime mover is imparted partly to said power output shaft and partly to said flywheel for increasing the energy on the flywheel when said second signal is smaller than a predetermined level and concurrently said first control signal is present and wherein said flywheel is disengaged from said prime mover in response to said third control signal and is brought into driving engagement with said power output shaft through said coupling means in response to said second control signal so that the power output shaft is driven from both said prime mover and said flywheel when the second control signal is present.

2. A hybrid power system as claimed in claim 1, in which said control means comprise a second signal generator responsive to the condition of said speed change unit for producing a fourth control signal representative of said ratio between the revolution speeds of said intermediate shaft and said flywheel, said speed change unit being controlled for equalizing the speeds of the intermediate shaft and the flywheel when the flywheel is disengaged from the intermediate shaft and accelerating or decelerating said flywheel when the flywheel is driven by the intermediate shaft or in driving engagement with the intermediate shaft.

3. A hybrid power system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising second releasable coupling means responsive to said first control signal for establishing driving connection from said intermediate shaft to said flywheel and third releasable coupling means responsive to said second control signal for establishing driving connection from said flywheel to said intermediate shaft.

4. A hybrid power system as claimed in cLaim 1, further comprising second releasable coupling means responsive to said first and second control signals for establishing driving connection from said intermediate shaft to said flywheel when the first control signal is present and establishing driving connection from the flywheel to the intermediate shaft when the second control signal is present.