Hybrid vehicle

• US 7,240,748 B2
• Filed: 09/17/2003
• Issued: 07/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Hasebe, Tetsuya, Kira, Nobuhiro, Nishikawa, Ryo
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAN, HAU VAN
• Application Number:
  US10/663,764
• Publication Number:
  US 20040069548A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,392 Days
• Field of Search: 180/65.1, 180/65.2, 180/65.3, 180/65.4, 180/65.5, 180/65.6, 180/243, 180/312, 701/112, 701/22, 475/4, 475/5, 475/6, 746/65.A
• US Class Current: 180/65.25
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/02 comprising more than one electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 17/356 having fluid or electric motor, for driving one or more wheels disposition of motor in, or adjacent to, traction wheel B60K7/00
• 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: B60W 10/08 including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/906 Motor or generator

Abstract

In a hybrid vehicle in which front wheels are driven by an engine and a front motor, and rear wheels are driven by a main rear motor and a sub rear motor, both main rear motor and the sub rear motor are driven when a large driving force is required as when the vehicle is driven at low speed to haul a trailer or the like or to run on a sandy ground, whereas when the required driving force is small, only the main rear motor is driven.

Claims

1. A hybrid vehicle comprising:

an engine for driving main driving wheels;

a plurality of motors for driving sub driving wheels;

a first speed reduction member disposed between a sub motor and a main motor;

a second speed reduction member disposed between the main motor and the sub driving wheels;

a first clutch connecting the sub motor and the main motor, the first clutch including the first speed reduction member; and

a second clutch connecting the main motor and the sub driving wheels, the second clutch including the second speed reduction member,

wherein only the second clutch is connecting the main motor and the sub driving wheels or the first clutch is connecting the sub motor and the main motor and the second clutch is connecting the main motor and the sub driving wheels.

2. A hybrid vehicle as set forth in claim 1, wherein the sub driving wheels are driven by all the motors at low vehicle speed where the driving force required by the vehicle is large.

3. A hybrid vehicle as set forth in claim 1, wherein the plurality of motors comprises the main motor having a large output and the sub motor having a small output, the sub motor being disposed on an upstream side of the main motor relative to a direction in which the driving force is transmitted to the sub driving wheels.

4. A hybrid vehicle as set forth in claim 3, wherein a clutch for interrupting the transmission of driving force is disposed between the sub motor and the main motor.

5. A hybrid vehicle as set forth in claim 1, wherein the plurality of motors comprises the main motor having a large output and the sub motor having a small output, and wherein a high-voltage battery for driving the main motor is charged with regenerative power of the main motor, whereas a low-voltage battery for driving the sub motor is charged by a generator driven by the engine.

6. A hybrid vehicle as set forth in claim 1, wherein the plurality of motors comprises the main motor having a large output and the sub motor having a small output, and wherein a battery for driving the main motor is charged with regenerative power of the main motor, and the sub motor is driven by generated output of a generator driven by the engine.

7. A hybrid vehicle as set forth in claim 1, wherein the plurality of motors comprises the main motor having a large output and the sub motor having a small output, and wherein a battery for driving the main motor is charged with regenerative power of the main motor, and the sub motor is driven by lowering the voltage of the battery by a downverter.

8. A hybrid vehicle as set forth in claim 1, wherein the first speed reduction member is disposed directly between the sub motor and the main motor.

9. A hybrid vehicle as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a motor/generator which functions both as a motor to assist the engine for driving the main driving wheels in providing driving force and as a generator to generate power by being driven by driving force of the engine or driving force which is reversely transmitted from the main driving wheels.

10. A hybrid vehicle as set forth in claim 1, wherein the first speed reduction member comprises a first gear operationally connected to the sub motor and the second speed reduction member comprises a second gear operationally connected to the main motor.

11. A hybrid vehicle as set forth in claim 10, wherein the first gear is operationally connected to the sub motor via an electromagnetic clutch.

12. A hybrid vehicle as set forth in claim 10, wherein the second gear is operationally connected to a differential via a synchromesh clutch.