Hybrid vehicle

• US 6,020,697 A
• Filed: 11/12/1998
• Issued: 02/01/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Nakano, Kenji, Takahashi, Hideyuki, Wakashiro, Teruo, Shimasaki, Yuichi, Sawamura, Kazutomo, Fukuchi, Hironao
• Primary Examiner(s): Nappi, Robert E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Leykin, Rita
• Application Number:
  US09/190,027
• Time in Patent Office: 446 Days
• Field of Search: 318/140-156, 318/139, 322/16, 180/65.4
• US Class Current: 318/140
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/543 the transmission being a continuously variable transmission
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/00 Supplying electric power to auxiliary equipment of vehicles circuit arrangements for charging batteries H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/20 for control of the vehicle or its driving motor to achieve a desired performance, e.g. speed, torque, programmed variation of speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/10 DC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/40 DC to AC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/145 Structure borne vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• 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 903/918 Continuously variable

Abstract

A hybrid vehicle has a generator motor coupled to the output shaft of an engine through a transfer shaft, for transmitting an assistive output power for assisting an output power of the engine through the transfer shaft to the output shaft of the engine. A battery stores electric energy regenerated by the generator motor from kinetic energy of the hybrid vehicle transmitted from the output shaft of the engine through the transfer shaft. A generator is mounted on the transfer shaft and has an electric energy generating ability smaller than the generator motor. The generator generates electric energy to energize another device than the battery.

Claims

1. A hybrid vehicle comprising:

an engine for propelling the hybrid vehicle,

said engine having an output shaft;

a generator motor mounted on a transfer shaft and coupled to said output shaft of the engine through said transfer shaft, for transmitting an assitive output power for assisting an output power of said engine through said transfer shaft to the output shaft of the engine;

electric energy storage means for storing electric energy regenerated by said generator motor from kinetic energy of the hybrid vehicle transmitted from said output shaft of the engine through said transfer shaft; and

a generator mounted on said transfer shaft and having an electric generating ability smaller than said generator motor, for generating electric energy to energize another device than said electric energy storage means.

2. A hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said other device comprises an accessory on the hybrid vehicle, said generator comprising an accessory energizing generator for generating electric energy to energize said accessory.

3. A hybrid vehicle according to claim 1,

wherein said generator motor comprises a magnet generator motor having permanent magnets, said generator motor having clutch means for selectively connecting and disconnecting said output shaft of the engine and said transfer shaft, and

said hybrid vehicle further comprising clutch control means for disengaging said clutch means to disconnect said transfer shaft from said output shaft of the engine when said generator motor does not need to produce the assistive output power and regenerate the electric energy.

4. A hybrid vehicle according to claim 1,

wherein said generator comprises a magnet generator having permanent magnets, said generator having clutch means for selectively connecting and disconnecting said output shaft of the engine and said transfer shaft, and

said hybrid vehicle further comprising clutch control means for disengaging said clutch means to disconnect said transfer shaft from said output shaft of the engine when said generator does not need to generate the electric energy.

5. A hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising transfer means disposed between said output shaft of the engine and said transfer shaft, for varying a rotational speed of the output shaft of the engine to achieve a predetermined efficiency with which to regenerate electric energy with said generator motor, and transmitting rotation at the varied rotational speed from the output shaft of the engine to said generator motor.

6. A hybrid vehicle according to claim 5, wherein said transfer means comprises means for increasing the rotational speed of the output shaft of the engine two through four times and transmitting rotation at the increased rotational speed from the output shaft of the engine to said generator motor.

7. A hybrid vehicle according to claim 5, wherein said transfer means comprises a variable transmission mechanism for varying the rotational speed of the output shaft of the engine at a variable ratio and transmitting rotation at the varied rotational speed from the output shaft of the engine to said generator motor, said variable transmission mechanism comprising means for varying the rotational speed of the output shaft of the engine to achieve said predetermined efficiency with which to regenerate electric energy with said generator motor, depending on the rotational speed from the output shaft of the engine.

8. A hybrid vehicle according to claim 1,

wherein said generator motor comprises a magnet generator motor having permanent magnets, said generator motor having clutch means for selectively connecting and disconnecting said output shaft of the engine and said transfer shaft, and

said hybrid vehicle further comprising clutch control means for engaging said clutch means to connect said transfer shaft to said output shaft of the engine when the assitive output power is produced by said generator motor, and for disengaging said clutch means to disconnect said transfer shaft from said output shaft of the engine when the electric energy is regenerated by said generator motor.