Vehicle-drive system

• US 6,464,028 B1
• Filed: 07/17/2000
• Issued: 10/15/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Imani, Yuichi
• Primary Examiner(s): MAR, MICHAEL Y
• Application Number:
  US09/617,776
• Time in Patent Office: 820 Days
• Field of Search: 180/65.1, 180/65.2, 180/65.3, 180/65.8, 180/65.4, 180/65.6, 477/5, 318/587, 318/375, 318/376, 701/2
• US Class Current: 180/65.25
• 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 17/02 characterised by arrangement, location, or kind of clutch
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2025/005 driven by electric motors forming part of the propulsion unit
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/26 characterised by the motors or the generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/38 characterised by the driveline clutches shift clutches within the gearing or transmission B60K6/36 , B60K6/54
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/40 characterised by the assembly or relative disposition of components
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/48 Parallel type
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/02 including control of driveline clutches
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/08 including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/30 including control of auxiliary equipment, e.g. air-conditioning compressors or oil pumps
• 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 20/40 Controlling the engagement or disengagement of prime movers, e.g. for transition between prime movers power-up or power-down of the driveline B60W30/192
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/903 having energy storing means, e.g. battery, capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/906 Motor or generator
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/912 Drive line clutch
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/946 Characterized by control of driveline clutch
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/951 Assembly or relative location of components

Abstract

The present invention provides a vehicle-drive system which can recovers inertial power from a vehicle. Torque of an internal-combustion engine is transferred to input shaft of transmission through main clutch. Dynamo-electric-machine mechanism is connected to input shaft of transmission through assistant clutch, and further, accessories are connected to dynamo-electric-machine mechanism. Therefore, in simple structure, substantially added by only assistant clutch relative to conventional structure, plural manners of operation can be realized by connecting or disconnecting two clutches thereby attaining other superior effects such as fuel-cost savings.

Claims

1. A vehicle-drive system which transfers torque from an internal-combustion engine to a transmission through a main clutch, said vehicle-drive system comprising:

a dynamo-electric-machine mechanism operationally engaged to an input shaft of the transmission through an assistant clutch; and

accessories operationally engaged to the dynamo-electric-machine mechanism, wherein

the assistant clutch is operable to allow torque transfer directly between the engine and the transmission,

the dynamo-electric-machine mechanism is capable of driving the accessories with the assistant clutch disconnected when the internal-combustion engine and the vehicle stop operating, the dynamo-electric-machine mechanism is capable of driving the internal-combustion engine through the main clutch and the assistant clutch when the internal-combustion engine is started, wherein with the main clutch disconnected and the assistant clutch connected, the dynamo-electric machine mechanism is capable of recovering inertial power from the vehicle when the vehicle is braked, and with the main clutch and the assistant clutch both connected, the accessories are driven by the internal-combustion engine when the internal-combustion engine is operated, and

the accessories are connected to the dynamo-electric-machine mechanism, the accessories recovering inertial power of the vehicle through the assistant clutch with the main clutch disconnected and the accessories being driven by the internal-combustion engine through both the clutches when the internal-combustion engine is operated.

2. The vehicle-drive system as in claim 1, wherein the main clutch and the assistant clutch are engaged during a large running load, the dynamo-electric-machine mechanism operates electrically and supplies running torque together with the internal-combustion engine during the large running load.

3. The vehicle-drive system as in claim 1, wherein the main clutch and the assistant clutch are engaged during braking operations, wherein the internal-combustion engine and the dynamo-electric-machine mechanism absorb rotation load and the dynamo-electric-machine mechanism generates electricity.

4. The vehicle-drive system as in claim 1, wherein the dynamo-electric-machine mechanism is composed of a single generator motor.

5. The vehicle-drive system as in claim 1, wherein the assistant clutch transmits or receives torque through the input shaft of the transmission, the input shaft being disposed un-coaxially to the assistant clutch.

6. The vehicle-drive system as in claim 1, wherein the main clutch is engaged with the input shaft of the transmission and the assistant clutch is positioned between the main clutch and the transmission, the assistant clutch being operationally engaged with an input shaft of the transmission.

7. The vehicle-drive system as in claim 1, wherein the main clutch is operable to allow torque transfer directly between the dynamo-electric-machine mechanism and the transmission.

8. The vehicle-drive system as in claim 7, wherein the main clutch and the assistant clutch are operable to allow torque transfer between the engine and transmission and the dynamo-electric-machine mechanism and the transmission simultaneously.

9. A vehicle-drive system which transfers torque from an internal-combustion engine to a transmission through a main clutch, said vehicle-drive system comprising:

a dynamo-electric-machine mechanism operationally engaged to an input shaft of the transmission through an assistant clutch; and

accessories operationally engaged to the dynamo-electric-machine mechanism, wherein

the assistant clutch is operable to allow torque transfer directly between the engret and the transmission;

the dynamo-electric-machine mechanism is composed of a single generator motor;

the main clutch is engaged with the input shaft of the transmission and the assistant clutch is positioned between the main clutch and the transmission, the assistant clutch being operationally engaged with an input shaft of the transmission;

the main clutch comprises an internal-combustion-engine-side disk affixed to a crank shaft, an input-shaft-side disk, a main impelling tube and a main undulating lever, the input-shaft-side disk being engaged to an input shaft of the transmission to move relative thereto in an axial direction thereof, the main impelling tube engaged to the input shaft to move axially and rotationally relative to the input shaft, said main impelling tube impels the main input-shaft-side disk axially with respect to the input shaft, the main undulating lever impels the impelling tube in an axial direction thereof by undulating so as to move like a see-saw; and

the assistant clutch comprises an accessory-side disk, an assistant input-shaft-side disk, an assistant impelling tube and an assistant undulating lever, the accessory-side disk is engaged to the input shaft to transfer torque from the input shaft to the generator motor and the accessories, the accessory input-shaft-side disk movable in an axial direction with respect to the input shaft, the impelling tube is attached to the base tube of the impelling tube of the main clutch to move relative thereto in an axial direction thereof, said impelling tube impels the accessory input-shaft-side disk, the accessory undulating lever impels the impelling tube in an axial direction thereof by undulating so as to move like a see-saw.

10. A vehicle-drive system which transfers torque from an internal-combustion engine to a transmission for a vehicle, said vehicle-drive system comprising:

a main clutch connecting an output of said internal combustion engine to an input to said transmission, torque being transmitted between said internal combustion engine and said input to said transmission when said main clutch is engaged, no torque being transmitted between said internal combustion engine and said input to said transmission when said main clutch is disengaged;

an assistant clutch connecting a number of accessories and said input to said transmission;

a dynamo-electric-machine mechanism connected to said input to said transmission through said assistant clutch, torque being transmitted between said dynamo-electric-machine mechanism and said input to said transmission when said assistant clutch is engaged, no torque being transmitted between said dynamo-electric-machine mechanism and said input to said transmission when said assistant clutch is disengaged, said dynamo-electric machine electrically communicating with a storage battery to transfer electrical energy between said dynamo-electric machine and said storage battery; and

a controller electrically communicating with said main clutch and said assistant clutch to engage and disengage said main clutch and said assistant clutch, said controller electrically communicating with a control circuit for switching said dynamo-electric-machine mechanism between a power generation mode and an electrical driving mode;

wherein the assistant clutch is operable to allow torque transfer directly between the engine and the transmission.

11. The vehicle drive system as claimed in claim 10, wherein said controller engages said main clutch and said assistant clutch when said internal combustion engine is being started, said controller switching said dynamo-electric machine to an electrical-driving mode when said internal combustion engine is being started.

12. The vehicle-drive system as in claim 10, wherein the controller disengages the assistant clutch and switches said dynamo-electric machine to a electrical driving mode when the internal-combustion engine stops operating, whereby dynamo-electric machine drives said accessories.

13. The vehicle-drive system as in claim 10, wherein said controller engages said main clutch and said assistant clutch during braking operations, wherein said internal-combustion engine and said dynamo-electric-machine mechanism absorb rotation load and said dynamo-electric machine generates electricity.

14. A vehicle-drive system, comprising:

an engine coupled to a main clutch, the main clutch being coupled to a transmission to allow selective torque transfer between the engine and transmission; and

a motor/generator coupled to an assistant clutch, the assistant clutch being coupled to the transmission to allow selective torque transfer between the motor/generator and transmission, wherein

torque transfer between the engine and transmission is discontinuable via the main clutch to allow torque to be transferred directly and only between the motor-generator and transmission,

torque transfer between the motor/generator and transmission is discontinuable via the assistant clutch to allow torque to be transferred directly and only between the engine and transmission,

torque transfer between the engine and transmission and between the motor/generator and transmission may be simultaneously performed via the main clutch and assistant clutch, respectively and

an accessory is coupled to the motor/generator such that

     1) the accessory is drivable by only the motor/generator when the assistant clutch is disengaged,

     2) the accessory is drivable by at least one of the motor/generator and inertial energy from the transmission when the assistant clutch is engaged and the main clutch is disengaged, and

     3) the accessory is drivable by at least one of the engine, motor/generator, and inertial energy from the transmission when the main and assistant clutches are both engaged.