Motor vehicle drive arrangement

• US 5,168,975 A
• Filed: 10/29/1991
• Issued: 12/08/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Original Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Inventors: Schlaf, Dag-Arnulf, Bernhardt, Winfried, Heidemeyer, Paulus
• Primary Examiner(s): Braun, Leslie A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Whitelaw, Nicholas
• Application Number:
  US07/783,983
• Time in Patent Office: 406 Days
• Field of Search: 192/0.048, 192/0.096, 192/0.098
• US Class Current: 477/39
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/387 Actuated clutches, i.e. clutches engaged or disengaged by electric, hydraulic or mechanical actuating means
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/48 Parallel type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/543 the transmission being a continuously variable transmission
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/02 including control of driveline clutches
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/04 including control of propulsion units
• 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 30/18018 Start-stop drive, e.g. in a traffic jam
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/1819 Propulsion control with control means using analogue circuits, relays or mechanical links
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/003 said electric motor being also used as a drive for auxiliaries, e.g. for driving transmission pumps or fuel pumps during engine stop
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/04 the motors being associated with current generators
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/0814 comprising means for controlling automatic idle-start-stop
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 15/022 the starter comprising an intermediate clutch
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 5/04 of inertia type
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2061/66286 Control for optimising pump efficiency
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 57/0434 relating to lubrication supply, e.g. pumps arrangement of pumps F16H57/0441; Pressure control grooves with pumping effect for supplying lubricant F16H57/0428; generation and variation of line pressure for transmission control F16H61/0021
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/0021 Generation or control of line pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/0025 Supply of control fluid; Pumps therefore
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/0031 : using auxiliary pumps, e.g. pump driven by a different power source than the engine
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/66259 : using electrical or electronical sensing or control means
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 : Engine management systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/60 : Other road transportation technologies with climate change mitigation effect
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 : Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/914 : Actuated, e.g. engaged or disengaged by electrical, hydraulic or mechanical means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/918 : Continuously variable
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/946 : Characterized by control of driveline clutch
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/96 : having chargeable mechanical accumulator

Abstract

A drive arrangement for a motor vehicle has an internal combustion engine, a transmission on the output side of the engine and at least one drive axle, and an arrangement for shutting off and restarting the engine depending upon the driving condition. The transmission is a continuously variable automatic transmission and a disconnect coupling is arranged on the output side of the transmission to prevent transmission losses when the engine is turned off. An electromechanical converter capable of operation as a motor or a generator may be provided in place of a flywheel.

Claims

1. A drive arrangement for a motor vehicle comprising an internal combustion engine, an automatic transmission on a output side of the engine, flywheel means between the engine and the transmission, at least one drive axle, a disconnect coupling between the transmission and the drive axle, and control means for turning off the engine and opening the disconnect coupling in accordance with driving conditions and for restarting the engine by closing the disconnect coupling.

2. A drive arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the transmission is a continuously variable transmission.

3. A drive arrangement according to claim 1 including a further disconnect coupling between the flywheel means mass and the transmission.

4. A drive arrangement according to claim 1 including a further disconnect coupling between the flywheel means mass and the internal combustion engine.

5. A drive arrangement according to claim 1 including a starter and wherein the flywheel means mass between the internal combustion engine and the transmission constitutes a flywheel which can be driven by a starter.

6. A drive arrangement according to claim 1 including an electromechanical converter between the internal combustion engine and the transmission having a rotor as the flywheel means and a stator.

9. A drive arrangement according to claim 1 including a main oil pump responsive to transmission operation for supplying oil for coupling actuation and an electrically driven auxiliary oil pump for supplying oil for coupling actuation when the engine is off.

10. A drive arrangement according to claim 1 including an oil pressure accumulator to supply oil for coupling actuation when the engine is off.

11. A drive arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the drive axle is a planetary shift axle with an integrated reversing gear.

7. A drive arrangement for a motor vehicle comprising an internal combustion engine, an automatic transmission on the output side of the engine, at least one drive axle, a disconnect coupling between the transmission and the drive axle, control means for turning off and restarting the engine in accordance with driving conditions and to control the disconnect coupling, a centrifugal mass between the internal combustion engine and the transmission, an electromechanical converter between the internal combustion engine and the transmission having a rotor as the flywheel means and a stator and including electrical energy storage means and control means for controlling operation of the electromechanical converter as either a generator or a motor and for controlling direction of flow of electrical energy between the electrical energy storage means and the converter.

8. A drive arrangement according to claim 7 wherein the electromechanical converter constitutes a drive motor for the vehicle.

12. A drive arrangement for a motor vehicle comprising an internal combustion engine, a manual transmission, at least one drive axle, an automatic disconnect coupling between a output side of the transmission and the drive axle, actuating means for the disconnect coupling, control means for turning off the engine and opening the disconnect coupling depending upon a driving condition and for restarting the engine by closing the disconnect coupling, and flywheel means between the engine and the transmission.