Hybrid vehicle

• US 8,096,376 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2008
• Issued: 01/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Osawa, Koichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Hau
• Application Number:
  US12/312,544
• Publication Number:
  US 20100038160A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,334 Days
• Field of Search: 180/65.21, 180/65.25, 180/65.29, 180/65.26, 180/65.27, 180/65.28, 180/65.285, 701/22, 701/201, 701/25, 701/26, 903/903, 903/907, 903/918
• US Class Current: 180/65.27
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/02 comprising more than one electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2015/0319 with electronic systems, e.g. for controlling fuelling or venting
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/365 with the gears having orbital motion
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/445 Differential gearing distribution type
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/423 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/441 Speed
• 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 10/26 for electrical energy, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/30 including control of auxiliary equipment, e.g. air-conditioning compressors or oil pumps
• 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 20/10 Controlling the power contribution of each of the prime movers to meet required power demand
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/0638 Engine speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2510/244 Charge state
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2520/10 Longitudinal speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2540/103 Accelerator thresholds, e.g. kickdown
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2710/083 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 37/0052 Details on the fuel return circuit; Arrangement of pressure regulators
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 Electric machine technologies in electromobility

Abstract

A hybrid vehicle includes a fuel tank holding fuel for an engine, a pump discharging the fuel in the fuel tank, a pipe for returning the fuel discharged by the pump to the fuel tank and a control device (hybrid control unit). The control device starts the pump to circulate the fuel (FL) when the stop period of the pump is at least a predetermined period.

Claims

1. A hybrid vehicle comprising:

a power storage device;

a connection unit configured to electrically connect said power storage device and an external power supply present external to said hybrid vehicle such that said power storage device is charged by said external power supply;

a rotating electric machine generating a torque for driving a wheel by electric power received from said power storage device;

an internal combustion engine executing at least one of driving said wheel and supplying motive power to said rotating electric machine;

a fuel tank holding fuel for said internal combustion engine;

a fuel pump discharging said fuel in said fuel tank;

a return pipe for returning said fuel discharged by said fuel pump back to said fuel tank; and

a control device driving said fuel pump to circulate said fuel in said fuel tank through said return pipe, when said fuel pump has been stopped for at least a predetermined period and said power storage device is being charged by said external power supply.

2. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein

said fuel pump is configured to be operated by electric power received from said external power supply via said power storage device.

3. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 2, wherein

said control device sets an operating mode of said hybrid vehicle at one of a first mode of operating at least said internal combustion engine and a second mode of stopping said internal combustion engine and operating said rotating electric machine, and measures a traveling time of said hybrid vehicle in said second mode as a stop period of said fuel pump to determine whether or not said fuel pump has been stopped for at least said predetermined period.