Hybrid drive apparatus

• US 7,621,359 B2
• Filed: 09/19/2005
• Issued: 11/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Ishibashi, Atsushi, Ikeda, Toshiharu, Kojima, Masahiro, Ozaki, Kazuhisa, Adachi, Masatoshi, Kano, Seigo, Wakuta, Satoru
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAN, HAU VAN
• Application Number:
  US11/229,201
• Publication Number:
  US 20060081406A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,527 Days
• Field of Search: 180/65.2, 180/65.21, 180/65.31, 180/65.51, 180/65.3, 180/65.4, 180/65.6, 180/65.7, 180/65.8, 903/903, 903/910, 903/911, 903/906, 475/5, 475/10, 475/151
• US Class Current: 180/65.21
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/02 comprising more than one electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/365 with the gears having orbital motion
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/405 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/445 Differential gearing distribution type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/54 Transmission for changing ratio
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2037/0873 with switching, e.g. to change ranges
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2200/2007 with two sets of orbital gears
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2200/2023 using a Ravigneaux set with 4 connections
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 3/728 with means to change ratio in the mechanical gearing
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 57/0037 Special features of coaxial shafts, e.g. relative support thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility

Abstract

An output shaft is divided into a first output shaft and a second output shaft. Torque from a motive power distributing planetary gear is transferred to the first output shaft. The first output shaft is supported on partition walls by a both-end support structure via bearings. Assist torque from a transmission is applied to the second output shaft. The second output shaft is also supported on partition walls by a both-end support structure via bearings.

Claims

1. A hybrid drive apparatus comprising:

an input shaft for inputting motive power from an internal combustion engine;

an output shaft that is disposed in alignment with said input shaft on an axis and that operates in association with a driving wheel;

a first electric motor that is disposed on said one axis and that has a stator and a rotor;

a motive power distributing planetary gear that is disposed on said axis and that has a first rotating element connected to said input shaft, a second rotating element connected to the rotor of said first electric motor, and a third rotating element connected to said output shaft;

a second electric motor that is disposed on said axis and that has a stator and a rotor; and

a transmission that is disposed on said axis, and that speed-shifts rotation of the rotor of said second electric motor and then transfers rotation to said output shaft,

wherein said first electric motor, said motive power distributing planetary gear, said second electric motor and said transmission are housed in a case member, and are aligned and thus disposed on said axis with said motive power distributing planetary gear being at a foremost end side, and said stators of said first electric motor and said second electric motor are secured to said case member, and

wherein said output shaft is divided into a first output shaft and a second output shaft, and joined so as to rotate together, and

wherein said third rotating element of said motive power distributing planetary gear is coupled to said first output shaft, and said transmission is coupled to said second output shaft.

2. The hybrid drive apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein both end portions of said first output shaft and said second output shaft are directly or indirectly supported, via a shaft bearing member, on a support portion that is integral with said case member, so that the first and second output shafts have a both-end support structure.

3. The hybrid drive apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein said second electric motor is disposed at a rearmost end on said axis, and

wherein a mount attachment portion mountable on a vehicle body is provided on a rear end portion of said case member.

4. The hybrid drive apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein said first output shaft is supported by a front partition wall and a rear partition wall of said case member that support said rotor of said first electric motor, and

wherein said second output shaft is supported by said rear partition wall of said first electric motor and a rear wall that supports said rotor of said second electric motor.

5. The hybrid drive apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein said second output shaft is larger in diameter than said first output shaft.

6. A motor vehicle comprising:

a vehicle body suspended by a front wheel and a rear wheel;

the internal combustion engine mounted on said vehicle body; and

a hybrid drive apparatus according to claim 5 mounted on said vehicle body,

wherein said internal combustion engine and said hybrid drive apparatus are disposed in that order from a front of the said vehicle body so that an output shaft of said internal combustion engine is aligned on said axis and the axis is disposed in a front-to-rear direction of the vehicle body, and

wherein said input shaft of said hybrid drive apparatus is coupled to the output shaft of said internal combustion engine, and said output shaft of said hybrid drive apparatus is associated with said rear wheel.

7. The hybrid drive apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein said motive power distributing planetary gear, said first electric motor, said transmission and said second electric motor are disposed on said axis sequentially from a front end side.

8. The hybrid drive apparatus according to claim 7,

wherein said second output shaft is larger in diameter than said first output shaft.

9. A motor vehicle comprising:

a vehicle body suspended by a front wheel and a rear wheel;

the internal combustion engine mounted on said vehicle body; and

a hybrid drive apparatus according to claim 8 mounted on said vehicle body,

wherein said internal combustion engine and said hybrid drive apparatus are disposed in that order from a front of the said vehicle body so that an output shaft of said internal combustion engine is aligned on said axis and the axis is disposed in a front-to-rear direction of the vehicle body, and

wherein said input shaft of said hybrid drive apparatus is coupled to the output shaft of said internal combustion engine, and said output shaft of said hybrid drive apparatus is associated with said rear wheel.

10. The hybrid drive apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said second electric motor is disposed at a rearmost end on said axis, and

wherein a mount attachment portion mountable on a vehicle body is provided on a rear end portion of said case member.

11. The hybrid drive apparatus according to claim 10,

wherein said first output shaft is supported by a front partition wall and a rear partition wall of said case member that support said rotor of said first electric motor, and

wherein said second output shaft is supported by said rear partition wall of said first electric motor and a rear wall that supports said rotor of said second electric motor.

12. The hybrid drive apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said motive power distributing planetary gear, said first electric motor, said transmission and said second electric motor are disposed on said axis sequentially from a front end side.

13. The hybrid drive apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said second output shaft is larger in diameter than said first output shaft.

14. A motor vehicle comprising:

a vehicle body suspended by a front wheel and a rear wheel;

the internal combustion engine mounted on said vehicle body; and

a hybrid drive apparatus according to claim 1 mounted on said vehicle body,

wherein said internal combustion engine and said hybrid drive apparatus are disposed in that order from a front of the said vehicle body so that an output shaft of said internal combustion engine is aligned on said axis and the axis is disposed in a front-to-rear direction of the vehicle body, and

wherein said input shaft of said hybrid drive apparatus is coupled to the output shaft of said internal combustion engine, and said output shaft of said hybrid drive apparatus is associated with said rear wheel.