Hybrid vehicle

• US 7,213,666 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2003
• Issued: 05/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Saito, Osamu, Hasebe, Tetsuya, Tatara, Yusuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Ellis; Christopher P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WALTERS, JOHN DANIEL
• Application Number:
  US10/660,777
• Publication Number:
  US 20040050598A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,334 Days
• Field of Search: 180/65.2, 180/65.3, 180/65.4, 180/65.6, 180/65.7, 180/65.8, 180/69.6, 180/243, 701/22, 701/70, 701/112, 701/113, 318/139, 318/140, 903/903, 903/918, 903/925, 903/926, 903/927, 903/940, 903/941, 903/942, 903/948
• US Class Current: 180/65.225
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/44 Series-parallel type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/52 Driving a plurality of drive axles, e.g. four-wheel drive
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/54 Transmission for changing ratio
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2009 for braking
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/36 Temperature of vehicle components or parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/642 Slope of road
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/28 Four wheel or all wheel drive
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0061 relating to electrical machines
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/61 by batteries charged by engine-driven generators, e.g. series hybrid electric vehicles
• 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 20/11 using model predictive control [MPC] strategies, i.e. control methods based on models predicting performance utilising navigation and traffic information in the control strategy B60W20/12
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/10 Accelerator pedal position
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2552/15 Road slope, i.e. the inclination of a road segment in the longitudinal direction
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/0644 Engine speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/065 Idle condition
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/0814 comprising means for controlling automatic idle-start-stop
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/0021 Generation or control of line pressure
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 : Hybrid vehicles
• 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: Y02T 90/16 : Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/93 : Conjoint control of different elements

Abstract

An engine is connected to front wheels via a primary motor, a clutch and a transmission, and a secondary motor is connected to rear wheels. A vehicle is driven by the secondary motor while performing a combustion suspended idle operating condition in which the engine which has been brought to a combustion suspended condition is run idly by the primary motor according to driving conditions of the vehicle. The necessity for idling the engine is obviated so as to reduce the fuel consumption. Further, the engine can also be started up in quick and secured fashions by resuming the control of fuel supply and injection to the engine which is being run idly with its combustion being suspended and driving the primary motor while reducing the consumed power to a minimum level by reducing the load of the primary motor which runs the engine idly with its combustion being suspended.

Claims

1. A hybrid vehicle comprising:

an engine for driving primary driving wheels via a transmission, the engine being able to be suspended from combustion;

a primary motor disposed between the engine and the transmission;

a secondary motor for driving one of the primary driving wheels and secondary driving wheels which are different from the primary driving wheels; and

an electricity storage unit connected to the primary and secondary motors,

wherein the vehicle is driven by the secondary motor while allowing the primary motor to perform a combustion suspended idle operation wherein the combustion suspended idle operation comprises

the primary motor rotating the engine according to driving conditions of the vehicle while combustion within cylinders in the engine is suspended;

wherein a rotational speed of the primary motor, which is performing the combustion suspended idle operation, is maintained at a rotational speed which can provide minimum friction on the engine and which can generate a predetermined oil pressure; and

wherein at least either an inlet valve or an exhaust valve is held closed during the combustion suspended idle operation by the predetermined oil pressure.

2. A hybrid vehicle as set forth in claim 1, wherein the secondary motor is provided between the transmission and the primary driving wheels.

3. A hybrid vehicle as set forth in claim 1, wherein starting up the engine from the combustion suspended idle operation is determined based on an inclination angle of a road surface and a residual capacity of the electricity storage unit.

4. A hybrid vehicle as set forth in claim 3, wherein the engine is started up when the inclination angle of a road surface is equal to or larger than a first predetermined value and the residual capacity of the electricity storage unit is less than a second predetermined value, whereby the primary motor is driven by driving force of the engine as a generator, and the secondary motor is driven by power so generated by the primary motor so as to drive the vehicle.

5. A hybrid vehicle as set forth in claim 3, wherein the engine is rotated by the primary motor with its combustion being suspended when the inclination angle of a road surface is equal to or larger than a first predetermined value and the residual capacity of the electricity storage unit is equal to or larger than a second predetermined value, whereby the secondary motor is driven to generate a creeping force to prevent the reverse of the vehicle.

6. A hybrid vehicle as set forth in claim 5, wherein the engine is started up when the reverse of the vehicle cannot be prevented by the creeping force generated by the secondary motor, a lock current for preventing the reverse of the vehicle being supplied to the secondary motor.