Drive unit for vehicle

• US 7,056,260 B2
• Filed: 05/28/2004
• Issued: 06/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Adachi, Masatoshi, Wakuta, Satoru, Motoike, Kazutoshi, Miura, Kiyotomo, Nakamori, Yukinori
• Primary Examiner(s): ESTREMSKY, SHERRY LYNN
• Application Number:
  US10/855,371
• Publication Number:
  US 20050124457A1
• Time in Patent Office: 739 Days
• Field of Search: 477/3, 477/5, 475/5
• US Class Current: 477/3
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/365 with the gears having orbital motion
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/445 Differential gearing distribution type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/48 Parallel type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/547 the transmission being a stepped gearing
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/02 including control of driveline clutches
• 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 20/00 Control systems specially adapted for hybrid vehicles hybrid vehicle design, B60K6/00; electric vehicles B60L
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/10 Controlling the power contribution of each of the prime movers to meet required power demand
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/30 Control strategies involving selection of transmission gear ratio control of change speed gearings, together with other vehicle sub-units B60W10/10; HEV transmission gearing B60K6/36; gearings and control thereof F16H
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/18054 at stand still, e.g. engine in idling state hill holding B60W30/18118
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2312/14 Going to, or coming from standby operation, e.g. for engine start-stop operation at traffic lights
• 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 61/0204 for gearshift control, e.g. control functions for performing shifting or generation of shift signal
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles

Abstract

The drive unit for a vehicle has an engine driving control element for driving a first motor on the basis of an engine driving signal, and driving a second motor so as to restrain a reaction force in a power distributing planetary gear due to the driving of the first motor in a state in which the stepped speed change gear connects the second motor and an output shaft by brakes. Further, the drive unit has an electrically operated oil pump for generating an operating oil pressure of the brakes, and also has a control section having an electrically operated oil pump operation control element for operating the electrically operated oil pump prior to the control of the engine driving control element on the basis of an engine starting signal outputted in a vehicle stopped state.

Claims

1. A drive unit for a vehicle comprising a first motor, power distributing means, a second motor, and a stepped speed change gear having frictional engaging means, wherein an engine driving force transmitted to an input shaft is distributed and transmitted to the first motor and an output section by the power distributing means, and the second motor is operated in association with the output section through the stepped speed change gear for performing a speed changing operation in accordance with the operation of the frictional engaging means, and an engine is started on the basis of the driving of the first motor, the drive unit further comprises:

engine driving control means for driving the first motor on the basis of an engine driving signal, and driving the second motor so as to restrain a reaction force in the power distributing means due to the driving of the first motor in a state in which the stepped speed change gear connects the second motor and the output section by the frictional engaging means;

an electrically operated oil pump for generating an operating oil pressure of the frictional engaging means; and

an electrically operated pump control section having pump operation control means for operating the electrically operated oil pump prior to the control of the engine driving control means on the basis of an engine starting signal outputted in a vehicle stopped state.

2. The drive unit for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the stepped speed change gear is able to be switched to a plurality of speed change stages, and is switched to a low speed stage among the plurality of stages at the control time of the engine driving control means.

3. The drive unit for a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the stepped speed change gear has a planetary gear unit, and the frictional engaging means is a plurality of brakes for engaging a predetermined rotating element of the planetary gear unit, and

a hydraulic controller for controlling the oil pressure supplied to a hydraulic servo for operating the plurality of brakes.

4. The drive unit for a vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the hydraulic controller has a first solenoid valve for high speed stage switching and a second solenoid valve for low speed stage switching, and the stepped speed change gear is switched to the low speed stage by engaging the brake on the low speed stage side on the basis of the operation of the second solenoid valve at the control time of the engine driving control means.

5. The drive unit for a vehicle according to claim 4, wherein motor driving control means for controlling the operation of the second motor is provided, the second motor is provided within a case for storing oil to be supplied to the hydraulic controller, and the motor driving control means drives the second motor until a predetermined condition is satisfied prior to the operation of starting the electrically operated oil pump using the pump operation control means.

6. The drive unit for a vehicle according to claim 4, further comprising a mechanical type oil pump for generating the operating oil pressure of the frictional engaging means on the basis of the driving of the engine.

7. The drive unit for a vehicle according to claim 3, further comprising motor driving control means for controlling the operation of the second motor, wherein the second motor is arranged within a case for storing oil to be supplied to the hydraulic controller, and the motor driving control means drives the second motor until a predetermined condition is satisfied prior to the operation of starting the electrically operated oil pump using the pump operation control means.

8. The drive unit for a vehicle according to claim 7, further comprising a mechanical type oil pump for generating the operating oil pressure of the frictional engaging means on the basis of the driving of the engine.

9. The drive unit for a vehicle according to claim 3, further comprising a mechanical type oil pump for generating the operating oil pressure of the frictional engaging means on the basis of the driving of the engine.

10. The drive unit for a vehicle according to claim 2, further comprising a mechanical type oil pump for generating the operating oil pressure of the frictional engaging means on the basis of the driving of the engine.

11. The drive unit for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the stepped speed change gear is able to be switched to a plurality of speed change stages, and is switched to a high speed stage among the plurality of stages at the control time of the engine driving control means.

12. The drive unit for a vehicle according to claim 11, wherein the stepped speed change gear has a planetary gear unit, and the frictional engaging means is a plurality of brakes for engaging a predetermined rotating element of the planetary gear unit, and a hydraulic controller for controlling the oil pressure supplied to a hydraulic servo for operating the plurality of brakes is provided.

13. The drive unit for a vehicle according to claim 12, wherein the hydraulic controller has a first solenoid valve for high speed stage switching and a second solenoid valve for low speed stage switching, and the stepped speed change gear is switched to the high speed stage by engaging the brake on the high speed stage side on the basis of the operation of the first solenoid valve at the control time of the engine driving control means.

14. The drive unit for a vehicle according to claim 13, further comprising motor driving control means for controlling the operation of the second motor, wherein the second motor is arranged within a case for storing oil to be supplied to the hydraulic controller, and the motor driving control means drives the second motor until a predetermined condition is satisfied prior to the operation of starting the electrically operated oil pump using the pump operation control means.

15. The drive unit for a vehicle according to claim 13, further comprising a mechanical type oil pump for generating the operating oil pressure of the frictional engaging means on the basis of the driving of the engine.

16. The drive unit for a vehicle according to claim 12, further comprising a mechanical type oil pump for generating the operating oil pressure of the frictional engaging means on the basis of the driving of the engine.

17. The drive unit for a vehicle according to claim 11, further comprising a mechanical type oil pump for generating the operating oil pressure of the frictional engaging means on the basis of the driving of the engine.

18. The drive unit for a vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising a mechanical type oil pump for generating the operating oil pressure of the frictional engaging means on the basis of the driving of the engine.

19. A drive unit for a vehicle comprising a first motor, a power distributing element, a second motor, and a stepped speed change gear having frictional engaging elements, wherein an engine driving force transmitted to an input shaft is distributed and transmitted to the first motor and an output section by the power distributing element, and the second motor is operated in association with the output section through the stepped speed change gear for performing a speed changing operation in accordance with the operation of the frictional engaging elements, and an engine is started on the basis of the driving of the first motor, the drive unit further comprises:

an engine driving control device that drives the first motor on the basis of an engine driving signal, and drives the second motor so as to restrain a reaction force in the power distributing element due to the driving of the first motor in a state in which the stepped speed change gear connects the second motor and the output section by the frictional engaging elements;

an electrically operated oil pump for generating an operating oil pressure of the frictional engaging elements; and

an electrically operated pump control section having a pump operation control element that operates the electrically operated oil pump prior to the control of the engine driving control device on the basis of an engine starting signal outputted in a vehicle stopped state.

20. A method for controlling a drive unit for a vehicle having a first motor, a power distributing element, a second motor, and a stepped speed change gear having frictional engaging elements, wherein an engine driving force transmitted to an input shaft is distributed and transmitted to the first motor and an output section by the power distributing element, and the second motor is operated in association with the output section through the stepped speed change gear for performing a speed changing operation in accordance with the operation of the frictional engaging elements, and an engine is started on the basis of the driving of the first motor, comprising:

driving the first motor on the basis of an engine driving signal,

driving the second motor so as to restrain a reaction force in the power distributing means due to the driving of the first motor in a state in which the stepped speed change gear connects the second motor and the output section by the frictional engaging means;

generating an operating oil pressure of the frictional engaging elements; and

operating the electrically operated oil pump prior to driving the first and second motors on the basis of an engine starting signal outputted in a vehicle stopped state.