Hybrid powertrain with an integrated motor/generator

• US 6,251,042 B1
• Filed: 11/05/1999
• Issued: 06/26/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Haverdink, William H., Bartos, Andrew Leslie, Peterson, Richard C.
• Primary Examiner(s): ESTREMSKY, SHERRY LYNN
• Application Number:
  US09/434,925
• Time in Patent Office: 599 Days
• Field of Search: 743/39, 477/3, 477/15, 180/65.4, 180/65.7
• US Class Current: 477/3
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/004 for vehicles having a combustion engine and electric drive means, e.g. hybrid electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/3222 characterised by the compressor driving arrangements, e.g. clutches, transmissions or multiple drives B60H1/3208, B60H1/3226 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2006/268 Electric drive motor starts the engine, i.e. used as starter motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/48 Parallel type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/547 the transmission being a stepped gearing
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/08 including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2061/0422 by an electric machine, e.g. by accelerating or braking the input shaft
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/919 Stepped shift
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/19284 Meshing assisters

Abstract

A hybrid powertrain has a suitable heat engine having rotational output, a multi-speed transmission and a motor/generator (MG). The transmission input or cluster shaft is continuously connected with the MG. One set of ratio gears in the transmission is continuously drivingly connected to an accessory drive. The cluster shaft and a main shaft are selectively interconnected through a plurality of sets of ratio gears that are activated through the selective engagement of synchronizers associated with the ratio gears on the main shaft. The engine is selectively drivingly connected with the cluster shaft through a launch device such as a friction clutch. The output of the transmission, a differential, can be driven by the engine only, by the MG only or by a combination of the engine and the MG. The accessory mechanism is selectively connectable with the accessory drive and may also be driven under the same conditions as the transmission output as well as by the MG when the engine is off and the vehicle is stationary.

Claims

1. A hybrid powertrain comprising:

a suitable heat engine having rotational output and a direction of rotation;

a multi-speed transmission having a main shaft rotatably supporting a plurality of ratio gears each having a mechanism for engaging said main shaft, a cluster shaft having a plurality of ratio gears drivingly connected therewith and meshing with respective ones of the ratio gears on said main shaft, said ratio gears on said cluster shaft and said main shaft cooperating to provide a plurality of gear ratios between said cluster shaft said main shaft in one rotary direction;

a selectively engageable input clutch mechanism disposed to selectively connect said engine with said cluster shaft to enforce forward rotation of said main shaft when said engine is inputting rotation to said cluster shaft,

a motor/generator continuously drivingly connected with said cluster shaft to selectively deliver power thereto and to receive power therefrom said motor/generator being driven in a direction of rotation opposite to said engine direction to enforce reverse rotation of said main shaft when one of said ratios is established between said cluster shaft and said main shaft;

a gear train drivingly connected with one of said ratio gears on said cluster shaft;

a selectively engageable clutch and drive mechanism drivingly connected with said gear train; and

an accessory mechanism selectively driven by said drive mechanism through said selectively engageable clutch when said one ratio gear is driven by either said engine or said motor/generator.

2. The hybrid powertrain defined in claim 1, further comprising:

said ratio gears on said main shaft being selectively engaged therewith to provide a plurality of drive ratios between said cluster shaft and said main shaft and being selectively interchanged by said engaging mechanisms to change the drive ratio from a first ratio to a second ratio; and

said motor generator being controlled to synchronize a speed ratio of said cluster shaft with said main shaft to be substantially equal to the second ratio between said cluster shaft and said main shaft.

3. The hybrid powertrain defined in claim 1, further comprising:

said engaging mechanisms of said main shaft ratio gears being operable to be interchanged to effect a speed ratio change between said main shaft and said cluster shaft; and

said motor/generator being operable to change the speed of said cluster shaft from a first speed to a second speed to effect a speed synchronization of said main shaft to said cluster shaft during the speed ratio change.