Motor/generator

• US 7,370,716 B2
• Filed: 06/01/2005
• Issued: 05/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Caterpillar Incorporated
• Inventors: Hickam, Christopher Dale
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAN, HAU VAN
• Application Number:
  US11/141,064
• Publication Number:
  US 20060283642A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,077 Days
• Field of Search: 180/65.2, 180/65.3, 180/65.4, 180/65.6, 180/65.8, 903/906, 903/909, 903/914, 310/68.B, 310/261, 310/74, 192/3.29, 192/3.3, 475/5, 475/72, 475/26
• US Class Current: 180/65.31
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/24 characterised by the combustion engines
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/26 characterised by the motors or the generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/36 characterised by the transmission gearings
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/40 characterised by the assembly or relative disposition of components
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/48 Parallel type
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2220/50 Structural details of electrical machines
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 11/04 the motors being associated with current generators
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 15/00 Other power-operated starting apparatus; Component parts, details, or accessories, not provided for in, or of interest apart from groups F02N5/00 - F02N13/00
• CPC Class Codes: F02N 15/006 Assembling or mounting of starting devices
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 1/02 for connecting two abutting shafts or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/006 Structural association of a motor or generator with the drive train of a motor vehicle
• 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

Abstract

A motor/generator is provided for connecting between a transmission input shaft and an output shaft of a prime mover. The motor/generator may include a motor/generator housing, a stator mounted to the motor/generator housing, a rotor mounted at least partially within the motor/generator housing and rotatable about a rotor rotation axis, and a transmission-shaft coupler drivingly coupled to the rotor. The transmission-shaft coupler may include a clamp, which may include a base attached to the rotor and a plurality of adjustable jaws.

Claims

1. A method of assembling a drive train, which drive train includes a transmission with a transmission housing and a transmission input shaft, a prime mover with an output shaft, and a motor/generator with a motor/generator housing and a rotor mounted at least partially within the motor/generator housing, which rotor is rotatable about a rotor rotation axis, the method comprising:

connecting the rotor to the transmission input shaft;

connecting the rotor to the output shaft of the prime mover;

mounting the motor/generator housing to the transmission housing by mounting an adapter component to the motor/generator housing and mounting the adapter component to the transmission housing;

wherein the motor/generator includes a transmission-shaft coupler that is drivingly coupled to the rotor;

the transmission-shaft coupler including a clamp with a plurality of adjustable jaws; and

connecting the rotor to the transmission input shaft including clamping the transmission-shaft coupler to the transmission input shaft by;

position the transmission input shaft between the jaws of the clamp; and

adjusting the jaws of the clamp toward the transmission input shaft until the transmission input shaft is clamped between the jaws of the clamp.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein mounting the motor/generator housing to the transmission housing includes:

mounting the adapter component to a mounting surface of the motor/generator housing such that the adapter component extends across at least a portion of an opening in the motor/generator housing; and

inserting the transmission input shaft through a portion of the opening in the motor/generator housing that the adapter component leaves exposed.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein inserting the transmission input shaft through a portion of the opening in the motor/generator housing that the adapter component leaves exposed includes inserting the transmission input shaft through a transmission-shaft opening of the adapter component.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the adapter component is a plate.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmission-shaft coupler and a base of the clamp are fixedly attached to the rotor prior to clamping the transmission-shaft coupler to the transmission input shaft.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

a base of the clamp is fixedly attached to the rotor with the jaws of the clamp disposed at different angular positions about the rotor rotation axis; and

the method further includes;

adjusting the jaws of the clamp in such a manner to reduce the run-out of the rotor with respect to the rotor rotation axis.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the motor/generator includes a motor/generator input shaft that is drivingly coupled to the rotor; and

connecting the rotor to the output shaft of the prime mover includes engaging the motor/generator input shaft to an interior surface of a variable-slip drive-train coupler, such that the motor/generator input shaft is drivingly coupled to the variable-slip drive-train coupler.

8. The method of claim 1, further including:

attaching the motor/generator housing to a prime-mover housing of the prime mover.

9. A drive train, comprising:

a prime mover;

a variable-slip drive-train coupler engaged to an output shaft of the prime mover;

a transmission with an input shaft;

a motor/generator, including;

a motor/generator housing;

a stator mounted to the motor/generator housing;

a rotor mounted to the motor/generator housing and rotatable about a rotor rotation axis;

a motor/generator input shaft that is drivingly coupled to the rotor and that is engaged to an interior surface of the variable-slip drive-train coupler in such a manner to drivingly couple the motor/generator input shaft and the variable-slip drive-train coupler; and

wherein the rotor is drivingly coupled to the transmission input shaft.

10. The drive train of claim 9, wherein:

the motor/generator further includes a transmission-shaft coupler that is drivingly coupled to the rotor; and

the transmission-shaft coupler includes a transmission-shaft recess with a surface that engages the transmission input shaft, such that the transmission-shaft coupler is drivingly coupled to the transmission input shaft.

11. The drive train of claim 10, wherein the surface of the transmission-shaft recess and the interior surface of the variable-slip drive-train coupler are configured such that each could drivingly engage the transmission input shaft.

12. The drive train of claim 11, wherein the transmission-shaft recess extends along a transmission-shaft axis that is substantially aligned with the rotor rotation axis.

13. The drive train of claim 10, wherein the transmission-shaft coupler is fixedly attached to the rotor and the transmission-shaft recess extends along a transmission-shaft axis that is substantially aligned with the rotor rotation axis.

14. The drive train of claim 10, wherein a circumference of the surface of the transmission-shaft recess that engages the transmission input shaft has substantially the same shape and size as a circumference of the interior surface of the variable-slip drive-train coupler that engages the motor/generator input shaft.

15. The drive train of claim 9, wherein the motor/generator input shaft and the transmission input shaft are configured such that each could drivingly engage the interior surface of the variable-slip drive-train coupler.

16. The drive train of claim 15, wherein the motor/generator input shaft is fixedly engaged to the rotor and extends along the rotor rotation axis.

17. The drive train of claim 9, wherein a circumference of the transmission input shaft has substantially the same shape and size as a circumference of the motor/generator input shaft that engages the interior surface of the variable-slip drive-train coupler.

18. The drive train of claim 9, wherein:

the motor/generator housing includes prime-mover-mounting features, through which the motor/generator housing is attached to a prime-mover housing of the prime mover; and

the motor/generator housing includes transmission-mounting features through which the motor/generator is mounted to a transmission housing of the transmission.

19. The drive train of claim 9, wherein:

the motor/generator housing includes prime-mover-mounting features, through which the motor/generator housing is mounted to a prime-mover housing of the prime mover; and

the prime-mover-mounting features are in accordance with at least one of SAE®

standards and ISO standards for mounting transmissions to prime movers.

20. The drive train of claim 19, wherein the prime-mover-mounting features are in accordance with at least one of SAE®

standard J617, SAE®

standard J1172, and ISO standard ISO 7649.

21. The drive train of claim 9, wherein:

the motor/generator housing further includes transmission-mounting features, through which the motor/generator housing is mounted to a transmission housing of the transmission; and

the transmission-mounting features are in accordance with at least one of SAE®

standards and ISO standards for mounting transmissions to prime movers.

22. The drive train of claim 9, further including:

an adapter component connected between the motor/generator housing and a transmission housing of the transmission.

23. The drive train of claim 9, wherein the interior surface of the variable-slip drive-train coupler that the motor/generator input shaft is engaged to is an interior surface of an output hub of the variable-slip drive-train coupler.

24. The drive train of claim 9, wherein:

the motor/generator further includes a transmission-shaft coupler that is drivingly coupled to the rotor;

the transmission-shaft coupler includes a clamp with a plurality of jaws; and

the transmission input shaft is clamped between the jaws of the clamp.

25. The drive train of claim 9, wherein the transmission-shaft coupler is fixedly engaged to the rotor and the transmission input shaft supports a substantial portion of the weight of the rotor.