Drive system for vehicles

• US 7,287,612 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2004
• Issued: 10/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Deere & Company
• Original Assignee: Deere & Company
• Inventors: Tarasinski, Nicolai, Kneer, Bernd, Glaser, Fritz
• Primary Examiner(s): Shriver; J. Allen
• Assistant Examiner(s): AVERY, BRIDGET D
• Application Number:
  US10/786,985
• Publication Number:
  US 20040200648A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,343 Days
• Field of Search: 180/65.1, 180/65.3, 180/65.4, 180/65.5, 180/65.6, 180/65.7, 180/233, 180/247, 180/245, 180/246, 180/292, 180/293, 180/343, 180/371, 180/374
• US Class Current: 180/65.7
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/02 comprising more than one electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 17/043 Transmission unit disposed in on near the vehicle wheel, or between the differential gear unit and the wheel
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 17/046 with planetary gearing having orbital motion
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 17/08 of mechanical type
• 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 2007/0038 the motor moving together with the wheel axle
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2007/0092 the motor axle being coaxial to the wheel axle
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/365 with the gears having orbital motion
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/46 Series type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/52 Driving a plurality of drive axles, e.g. four-wheel drive
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 7/0007 the motor being electric
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 7/0015 the motor being hydraulic
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/20 for control of the vehicle or its driving motor to achieve a desired performance, e.g. speed, torque, programmed variation of speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2009 for braking
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/40 Working vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2220/46 Wheel motors, i.e. motor connected to only one wheel
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/12 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/14 Acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/421 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/423 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/425 : Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/461 : Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/463 : Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/465 : Slip
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/486 : Operating parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/507 : Operating parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/10 : by alarm
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 : by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/24 : by lever actuation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/26 : by pedal actuation
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0061 : relating to electrical machines
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/08 : Means for preventing excessive speed of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/104 : by indirect measurement of vehicle speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/08 : Controlling the braking effect B60L7/04, B60L7/06 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/18 : Controlling the braking effect B60L7/12, B60L7/14, B60L7/16 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/26 : Controlling the braking effect
• 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: 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 2300/152 : Tractors
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 30/19 : Improvement of gear change, e.g. by synchronisation or smoothing gear shift
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2061/0425 : Bridging torque interruption
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/60 : Electric or hybrid propulsion means for production processes
• 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 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility

Abstract

A drive system for vehicles, especially for commercial vehicles such as agricultural or industrial tractors, the vehicle having at least one first wheel that is driven by an associated axle or single-wheel drive motor and at least one second wheel, in the drive train of which a gearbox that can be shifted between at least two speed transmission steps is arranged. To avoid vehicle speed drops while shifting the change-speed gearbox and to avoid interfering shifting jolts, it is suggested to provide a device for the detection of a shift command and a control unit, which in the presence of a shift command automatically applies a greater load at least on the drive motor driving the first wheel, controls the shifting operation of the change-speed gearbox of the second wheel and then lowers the load of the drive motor driving the first wheel.

Claims

1. A drive system for a vehicle, the vehicle having at least one first wheel that is driven by a first electric machine and at least one second wheel driven by a second electric machine, in a drive train of which a shiftable transmission that can be shifted between at least two speed transmission steps is arranged between the second electric machine and the second wheel, comprising:

a device for the detection of a shift command; and

,

a control unit, which in the presence of a shift command automatically applies a greater load on the electric machine driving the first wheel, controls the shifting operation of the shiftable transmission of the second wheel and then lowers the load of the electric machine driving the first wheel, wherein a generator that is driven by an internal combustion engine serves as an energy source for the electric machines, the electric machines being designed such that the electric machines can be operated both as an electric motors driving the associated wheels and as generators braking the wheels, and wherein at least one converter and an intermediate circuit are arranged downstream from the generator in such a way that the generator can be driven electrically by the power released by the electric machine operating as a generator in the electric braking operation and thus operate as an electric motor.

2. A drive system according to claim 1 wherein at least two vehicle axles with at least two wheels, respectively, are provided, and wherein the wheels of at least one first axle are driven by an electric machine and the wheels of at least one second axle are driven through at least one shiftable transmission by one of a vehicle drive train, an axle electric machine or single-wheel electric machines.

3. A drive system according to claim 1, wherein at least one first wheel through a first shiftable transmission is driven by a first single-wheel electric machine and at least one second wheel through a second shiftable transmission is driven by a second single-wheel electric machine, and that the control device in the presence of a shift command initially performs a shift of the first transmission while raising the load of the second single-wheel electric machine and subsequently performs a shift of the second transmission while raising the load of the first single-wheel electric machine.

4. A drive system according to claim 1, wherein a clutch is arranged in a drive train comprising a change-speed gearbox.

5. A drive system according to claim 1 wherein at least one electric energy storage unit that can be mounted on the vehicle serves as an energy source for the electric machine.

6. A drive system according to claim 1, wherein the shiftable transmission comprises one of a planetary gearbox or a standard transmission.

7. A drive system according to claim 1, wherein at least one speed-reducing final drive transmission is arranged downstream from one of the electric machines.

8. A drive system according to claim 1, wherein the electric machine is arranged within a wheel rim.

9. A drive system according to claim 1, wherein the shiftable transmission is arranged within a wheel rim.

10. A drive system according to claim 7, wherein the final drive transmission is arranged within a wheel rim.