Power transmission apparatus of motor vehicles

• US 7,185,722 B1
• Filed: 09/01/2000
• Issued: 03/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Sakamoto, Hiroshi, Minowa, Toshimichi, Kayano, Mitsuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Ellis; Christopher P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WALTERS, JOHN DANIEL
• Application Number:
  US09/653,169
• Time in Patent Office: 2,377 Days
• Field of Search: 180/65.2, 180/65.3, 180/65.4, 180/65.6, 180/65.7, 180/65.8, 475/5, 477/2, 477/3, 477/4, 477/5, 701/22, 318/139, 743/25, 743/33, 743/39, 743/59, 743/60
• US Class Current: 180/65.25
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2006/268 Electric drive motor starts the engine, i.e. used as starter motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/442 Series-parallel switching 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 10/10 including control of change-speed gearings
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/00 Control systems specially adapted for hybrid vehicles hybrid vehicle design, B60K6/00; electric vehicles B60L
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 25/0638 with more than two discs, e.g. multiple lamellae
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 3/089 all of the meshing gears being supported by a pair of parallel shafts, one being the input shaft and the other the output shaft, there being no countershaft involved
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/0437 by using electrical signals F16H61/0403 and F16H61/061 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/914 Actuated, e.g. engaged or disengaged by electrical, hydraulic or mechanical means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/917 with transmission for changing gear ratio
• 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 903/946 Characterized by control of driveline clutch
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/19014 Plural prime movers selectively coupled to common output
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/19242 Combined gear and clutch
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/19284 : Meshing assisters

Abstract

Disclosed is a power transmission apparatus of motor vehicles which has an engine, a gear change apparatus, an electric rotary machine to which a power is transmitted via the gear change apparatus, and a clutch provided between an input shaft and an output shaft of the gear change apparatus and adjusting a transmission torque between the input shaft and the output shaft.

Claims

1. A power transmission apparatus of motor vehicles, comprising:

an engine;

a gear change apparatus provided between said engine and a vehicle drive shaft;

an electric rotary machine connected to an output shaft of said engine and said vehicle drive shaft via said gear change apparatus; and

a clutch provided on an input shaft or an output shaft of said gear change apparatus to adjust a transmission torque, which is transmitted from said input shaft to said output shaft, during a period of changing torque transmission courses.

2. A power transmission apparatus of motor vehicles according to claim 1, wherein said clutch is mounted on a gear having a lowest gear change ratio in said gear change apparatus.

3. A power transmission apparatus of motor vehicles according to claim 2, further having a clutch for intercepting the output shaft of said electric rotary machine from the electric rotary machine side input shaft of said gear change apparatus.

4. A power transmission apparatus of motor vehicles according to claim 1, further having a clutch for intercepting the output shaft of said electric rotary machine from the electric rotary machine side input shaft of said gear change apparatus.

5. A power transmission apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the clutch is a multi-plate clutch.

9. A power transmission apparatus of motor vehicles according to claim 4, further having a clutch for intercepting the output shaft of said electric rotary machine from the electric rotary machine side input shaft of said gear change apparatus.

6. A power transmission apparatus of motor vehicles, comprising:

an engine;

a gear change apparatus provided between said engine and a vehicle drive shaft; and

an electric rotary machine connected to an output shaft of said engine and said vehicle drive shaft via said gear change apparatus,

wherein a rotation of an output shaft of said electric rotary machine is reduced and transmitted to an engine side input shaft of said gear change apparatus, and

wherein a first gear is mounted on the output shaft of the electric rotary machine and a second gear is mounted on the input shaft of the gear change apparatus, each of the output shaft of the electric rotary machine and the input shaft of the gear change apparatus being provided with a respective clutch.

7. A power transmission apparatus of motor vehicles according to claim 6, further having a clutch for intercepting the output shaft of said electric rotary machine from the electric rotary machine side input shaft of said gear change apparatus.

8. A power transmission apparatus of motor vehicles, comprising:

an engine;

a gear change apparatus arranged between said engine and a vehicle drive shaft; and

an electric rotary machine connected to an output shaft of said engine and said vehicle drive shaft via said gear change apparatus,

wherein the output shafts of said engine and said electric rotary machine are provided separately, and

wherein gears respectively mounted on an input shaft of the gear change apparatus for transmitting the power of the output shaft of said engine and the output shaft of said electric rotary machine directly engage with each other, the input shaft of the gear change apparatus and the output shaft of the electric rotary machine having respective clutches.