Apparatus for controlling electric generator of hybrid drive vehicle to control regenerative brake depending upon selected degree of drive source brake application

• US 5,839,533 A
• Filed: 04/10/1997
• Issued: 11/24/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Taga, Yutaka, Mikami, Tsuyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Pape, Joseph D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HAMILTON, CLOVIA A
• Application Number:
  US08/834,859
• Time in Patent Office: 593 Days
• Field of Search: 180/65.2, 180/65.3, 180/65.6, 180/65.7, 180/65.1, 180/165
• US Class Current: 180/165
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2006/268 Electric drive motor starts the engine, i.e. used as starter motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/365 with the gears having orbital motion
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/48 Parallel type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/547 the transmission being a stepped gearing
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/10 for automatic control superimposed on human control to limit the acceleration of the vehicle, e.g. to prevent excessive motor current electric devices for safety purposes B60L3/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/13 Maintaining the SoC within a determined range
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/15 Preventing overcharging
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/10 Dynamic electric regenerative braking B60L7/22 takes precedence
• 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 10/10 including control of change-speed gearings
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/26 for electrical energy, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/12 Brake pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/0605 Throttle position
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2400/428 Double clutch arrangements; Dual clutches
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2059/0239 Up- and down-shift or range or mode selection by repeated movement mechanical step by step selection devices F16H63/14
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2061/0237 Selecting ratios for providing engine braking
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2200/0043 the gear ratios comprising four forward speeds
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 3/006 : power being selectively transmitted by either one of the parallel flow paths
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 3/725 : with means to change ratio in the mechanical gearing
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 59/10 : comprising levers
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/0213 : characterised by the method for generating shift signals
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/21 : Providing engine brake control
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 : Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 : Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 : Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/903 : having energy storing means, e.g. battery, capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/91 : Orbital, e.g. planetary gears
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/919 : Stepped shift
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/945 : Characterized by control of gearing, e.g. control of transmission ratio
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/947 : Characterized by control of braking, e.g. blending of regeneration, friction braking

Abstract

Apparatus for controlling a drive source brake force to be applied to a hybrid drive vehicle including an engine, an electric motor, and a transmission, the apparatus including a manually operated member for selecting one of different degrees of application of a drive source brake to the vehicle, an electric generator driven by a kinetic energy of the vehicle to generate an electric energy and apply as the drive source brake a regenerative brake force corresponding to the generated electric energy to the vehicle, and an electricity generation control device for controlling the electric energy generated by the electric generator, depending upon the selected degree of the drive source brake application. The apparatus may include a shift control device for changing the speed ratio of the transmission so that an engine brake force produced by the engine as the drive source brake is controlled depending upon the selected degree of the drive source brake application. The regenerative brake or engine brake is selectively applied depending upon the electric energy amount stored in an electric energy storage device.

Claims

1. An apparatus for controlling a drive source brake force to be applied to a hybrid drive vehicle comprising a drive wheel, a drive power source for driving said drive wheel, and a transmission, said drive power source including an engine operated by combustion of a fuel and an electric motor operated with an electric energy, and said transmission being disposed in a power transmitting path between said engine and said drive wheel, said apparatus comprising:

manually operated means for selecting one of a plurality of different degrees of application of a drive source brake to said hybrid drive vehicle;

electric generator driven by a kinetic energy of the hybrid drive vehicle to generate an electric energy and apply as said drive source brake a regenerative brake force corresponding to the generated electric energy to the vehicle; and

electricity generation control means for controlling said electric energy generated by said electric generator so as to produce a regenerative brake force in agreement with one of a plurality of regenerative data maps which simulate engine braking be said engine operated by combustion of a fuel through said transmission, depending upon the degree of application of the drive source brake selected by said manually operated means.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said transmission comprises an automatic transmission.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the automatic transmission is disposed in a power transmitting path between said drive wheel and an assembly of said engine and said electric generator, said electricity generation control means controls the electric energy generated by said electric generator while said automatic transmission is held in a predetermined position having a predetermined speed ratio.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said electric motor and said electric generator are provided by a single motor/generator, which is selectively operated as said electric motor and said electric generator.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said transmission is an automatic transmission having a plurality of forward drive positions having respective different speed ratios, and said manually operated means comprises a shift lever having a forward drive position for permitting said automatic transmission to be shifted to any one of said forward drive positions, said shift lever further having a drive source brake position in which said shift lever is operable to designate a desired degree of said drive source brake application to the vehicle.

6. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said transmission is an automatic transmission whose speed ratio is variable, said apparatus further comprising:

an electric energy storage device for storing the electric energy by which said electric motor is operated;

engine brake shift control means for shifting said automatic transmission so as to change the speed ratio thereof depending drive so degree of application of the drive source brake selected by said manually operated means, so that an engine brake force which is produced by operation of said engine by said kinetic energy of the hybrid drive vehicle and which is applied to the hybrid drive vehicle through said automatic transmission is controlled depending upon the speed ratio of the automatic transmission; and

drive source brake selecting means for selectively enabling said engine brake shift control means and said electricity generation control means to be operated, depending upon an amount of the electric energy stored in said electric energy storage device.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said electric motor and said electric generator are provided by a single motor/generator which is selectively operated as said electric motor and said electric generator, said apparatus further comprising:

an electric energy storage device for storing the electric energy by which said electric motor is operated;

a synthesizing/distributing mechanism having a first clutch, an output member, a first rotary element connected to said engine through said first clutch, a second rotary element connected to said motor/generator, and a third rotary element connected to said output member, said automatic transmission being disposed between said output member and said drive wheel;

a second clutch for connecting two elements of said first, second and third rotary elements of said synthesizing/distributing mechanism;

regenerative braking control means for releasing said first clutch while engaging said second clutch, for permitting said motor/generator to be driven as said electric generator by said kinetic energy of the vehicle to charge said electric energy storage device and apply said regenerative brake force to the vehicle; and

engine braking control means for engaging said first and second clutches, while holding said motor/generator in a non-load state, for permitting said engine to be driven by said kinetic energy of the vehicle to apply an engine brake to the vehicle as said drive source brake.

8. An apparatus for controlling a drive source brake force to be applied to a hybrid drive vehicle comprising a drive wheel, an electric energy storage device for storing an electric energy, a drive power source for driving said drive wheel, and an automatic transmission whose speed ratio is variable, said drive power source including an engine operated by combustion of a fuel and an electric motor operated with the electric energy supplied from said electric energy storage device, and said automatic transmission being disposed in a power transmitting path between said engine and said drive wheel, said apparatus comprising:

manually operated means for selecting one of a plurality of different degrees of application of a drive source brake to said hybrid drive vehicle;

electric generator driven by a kinetic energy of the hybrid drive vehicle to generate an electric energy and apply as said drive source brake a regenerative brake force corresponding to the generated electric energy to the vehicle;

engine break shift control means for shifting said automatic transmission so as to change the speed ratio thereof depending upon the degree of application of the drive source brake selected by said manually operated means, so that an engine brake force which is produced by operation of said engine by said kinetic energy of the hybrid drive vehicle and which is applied to the hybrid drive vehicle is controlled depending upon the speed ratio of the automatic transmission;

electricity generation control means for controlling said electric energy generated by said electric generator, depending upon the degree of application of the drive source brake selected by said manually operated means; and

drive source brake selecting means for selectively enabling said engine brake shift control means to provide braking by said engine operated by combustion of a fuel and said electricity generation control mean to be operated, depending upon an amount of the electric energy stored in said electric energy storage device.

9. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said automatic transmission has a plurality of forward drive positions having respective different speed ratios, and said manually operated means comprises a shift lever having a forward drive position for permitting said automatic transmission to be shifted to any one of said forward drive positions, said shift lever further having a drive source brake position in which said shift lever is operable to designate a desired degree of said drive source brake application to the vehicle.

10. An apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising:

a synthesizing/distributing mechanism having a first clutch, an output member, a first rotary element connected to said engine through said first clutch, a second rotary element connected to said motor/generator, and a third rotary element connected to said output member, said automatic transmission being disposed between said output member and said drive wheel;

a second clutch for connecting two elements of said first, second and third rotary elements of said synthesizing/distributing mechanism;

regenerative braking control means for releasing said first clutch while engaging said second clutch, for permitting said motor/generator to be driven as said electric generator by said kinetic energy of the vehicle to charge said electric energy storage device and apply said regenerative brake force to the vehicle; and

engine braking control means for engaging said first and second clutches, while holding said motor/generator in a non-load state, for permitting said engine to be driven by said kinetic energy of the vehicle to apply an engine brake to the vehicle as said drive source brake.

11. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said regenerative data maps correspond to forward drive positions of said automatic transmission so that said electric generator provides a regenerative brake force that is substantially the same as an engine brake force provided by said engine.