Hybrid electric automobile

• US 8,360,185 B2
• Filed: 02/16/2009
• Issued: 01/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsuba Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsuba Corporation
• Inventors: Ogata, Hisashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Restifo, Jeffrey J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gurari, Erez
• Application Number:
  US12/735,752
• Publication Number:
  US 20100307845A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,443 Days
• Field of Search: 180/65.51
• US Class Current: 180/65.51
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/00 Arrangement or mounting of electrical propulsion units B60K7/00 takes precedence; arrangement or mounting of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion B60K6/00; electric transmission arrangements B60K17/12; electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles per se B60L; current-collectors for power supply lines of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L5/00
• 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 17/356 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 2001/001 one motor mounted on a propulsion axle for rotating right and left wheels of this axle
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2007/0038 the motor moving together with the wheel axle
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2007/0061 the motor axle being parallel to the wheel axle
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/26 characterised by the motors or the generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/448 Electrical distribution 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: B60L 2220/18 Reluctance machines
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2220/46 Wheel motors, i.e. motor connected to only one wheel
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/36 Temperature of vehicle components or parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/425 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2260/28 Four wheel or all wheel drive
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/61 by batteries charged by engine-driven generators, e.g. series hybrid electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2048/385 of the ring or crown gear
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 3/30 with driving and driven shafts not coaxial
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 : Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

There is provided a four-wheel drive hybrid electric automobile in which right and left front wheels are driven by a liquid fuel engine and right and left rear wheels are driven by switched reluctance motors. A liquid fuel engine (2) for driving first and second front wheels (21, 22) is arranged at a front part of a vehicle body (1), and first and second switched reluctance motors (8, 9) for driving first and second rear wheels (23, 24) are arranged at a rear part of the vehicle body (1). By arranging the first and second switched reluctance motors (8, 9) not in the wheel hubs of the first and second rear wheels (23, 24) but on the rear part of the vehicle body (1) with wide layout space, the degree of freedom when the switched reluctance motors (8, 9) are laid out on the vehicle can be improved.

Claims

1. A hybrid electric automobile comprising:

a vehicle body of a vehicle,

a driving command means outputting a start signal for an advance and a start signal for a reverse of the vehicle by the passenger'"'"'s operation,

a liquid fuel engine arranged at a front part of the vehicle body, and having an engine shaft rotated by combustion of a liquid fuel,

a transmission mechanically connected to the engine shaft of the liquid fuel engine, accelerating or decelerating the rotation of the engine shaft, and having a driving shaft which outputs the accelerated or decelerated rotation of the engine shaft, the transmission ratio of the rotation of the driving shaft to the rotation of the engine shaft is 10 or less,

first and second front wheels rotatably arranged on the right and left of the front part of the vehicle body and mechanically connected to the driving shaft of the transmission, and rotated by the engine shaft of the liquid fuel engine via the transmission,

a liquid fuel tank arranged at a rear part of the vehicle body, and storing the liquid fuel to be supplied to the liquid fuel engine,

first and second switched reluctance motors respectively arranged on the right and left of the rear part of the vehicle body, having an output shaft, and driving the vehicle in a direction in which the vehicle is moved forwards or backwards,

first and second rear wheels rotatably arranged on the right and left of the rear part of the vehicle body, mechanically connected to the output shafts of the first and second switched reluctance motors via reduction mechanisms, respectively, and rotating by the rotation of the output shafts of the first and second switched reluctance motors,

first and second inverters connected to the first and second switched reluctance motors, generating first and second motor driving signals for driving the first and second switched reluctance motors, and supplying the first and second motor driving signals to the first and second switched reluctance motors, respectively,

a first battery connected to the first and second inverters, and supplying to the first and second inverters the electric power for generating the first and second motor driving signals,

a first generator connected to the first battery and arranged in the vicinity of the liquid fuel engine, generating electric power by the rotation of the engine shaft of the liquid fuel engine, and supplying the generated electric power to the first battery,

a plug-in device arranged at the vehicle body and connected to the first battery, having a connecting terminal with a home plug, and supplying the electric power from the home power source to the first battery,

first and second front wheel rotation sensors provided in the vicinity of the first and second front wheels, and detecting rotational information on the first and second front wheels,

first and second rear wheel rotation sensors provided in the vicinity of the first and second rear wheels, and detecting rotational information on the first and second rear wheels,

a rotation signal processing means connected to the first and second front wheel sensors and the first and second rear wheel sensors, processing the rotational information on the first and second front wheels and the first and second rear wheels, and outputting the speed signal of the vehicle,

a first control device connected to the rotation signal processing means, generating a first driving control signal which drives the first and second front wheels by the liquid fuel engine when the speed signal output from the rotation signal processing means exceeds a predetermined first value, and supplying a first driving control signal to the liquid fuel engine, and

a second control device connected to the driving command means, the rotation signal processing means, and the first and second inverters, outputting to the first and second inverters an advance command signal which commands generation of the first and second motor driving signals for driving the vehicle in a direction in which the vehicle is moved forwards until the speed signal output from the rotation signal processing means reaches a predetermined second value greater than the first value upon receiving a start signal for an advance from the driving command means, and outputting to the first and second inverters a reverse command signal which commands generation of the first and second motor driving signals for driving the vehicle in a direction in which the vehicle is moved backward upon receiving a start signal for a reverse from the driving command means.

2. The hybrid electric automobile according to claim 1,

wherein the first value and the second value are almost the same.

3. The hybrid electric automobile according to any one of claims 1 and 2, further comprising:

a second battery which is a lead battery with a storage voltage of 50 V or lower for supplying electric power to vehicular auxiliary machinery other than the first and second switched reluctance motors, and

a second generator connected to the second battery and arranged in the vicinity of the liquid fuel engine, and supplying the electric power generated by the rotation in the engine shaft of the liquid fuel engine to the second battery,

wherein the first battery is a lithium ion battery exceeding the storage voltage of 50 V.

4. A hybrid electric automobile comprising:

a vehicle body of a vehicle,

a liquid fuel engine arranged at a front part of the vehicle body, and having an engine shaft rotated by combustion of a liquid fuel,

a transmission mechanically connected to the engine shaft of the liquid fuel engine, accelerating or decelerating the rotation of the rotation of the engine shaft, and having an output portion which outputs the accelerated or decelerated rotation of the engine shaft,

first and second front wheels rotatably arranged on the right and left of the front part of the vehicle body and mechanically connected to the output portion of the transmission, and rotated by the engine shaft of the liquid fuel engine via the transmission,

a liquid fuel tank arranged at a rear part of the vehicle body, and storing the liquid fuel to be supplied to the liquid fuel engine,

first and second switched reluctance motors respectively arranged on the right and left of the rear part of the vehicle body, and having an output shaft,

first and second rear wheels rotatably arranged on the right and left of the rear part of the vehicle body, mechanically connected to the output shafts of the first and second switched reluctance motors via reduction mechanisms, respectively, and rotating by the rotation of the output shafts of the first and second switched reluctance motors,

first and second inverters connected to the first and second switched reluctance motors, and supplying first and second motor driving signals for driving the first and second switched reluctance motors,

a first battery connected to the first and second inverters, and supplying to the first and second inverters the electric power for supplying the first and second motor driving signals to the first and second switched reluctance motors,

a second battery which is a lead battery with a storage voltage of 50 V or lower for supplying electric power to vehicular auxiliary machinery other than the first and second switched reluctance motors, and

a second generator connected to the second battery and arranged in the vicinity of the liquid fuel engine, and supplying the electric power generated by the rotation in the engine shaft of the liquid fuel engine to the second battery,

wherein the first battery is a lithium ion battery exceeding the storage voltage of 50 V.

5. The hybrid electric automobile according to claim 4, further comprising:

first and second front wheel rotation sensors provided in the vicinity of the first and second front wheels, and detecting rotational information on the first and second front wheels,

first and second rear wheel sensors provided in the vicinity of the first and second rear wheels, and detecting rotational information on the first and second rear wheels,

a rotation signal processing means connected to the first and second front wheel sensors and the first and second rear wheel sensors, processing the rotational information on the first and second front wheels and the first and second rear wheels, and outputting the speed signal of the vehicle,

a first control device connected to the rotation signal processing means, generating a first driving control signal which drives the first and second front wheels by the liquid fuel engine when the speed signal output from the rotation signal processing means exceeds a predetermined first value, and supplying a first driving control signal to the liquid fuel engine, and

a second control device connected to the rotation signal processing means, and the first and second inverters, and outputting to the first and second inverters a command signal for supplying the first and second motor driving signals for driving the first and second switched reluctance motors until the speed signal output from the rotation signal processing means reaches a predetermined second value greater than the first value.

6. The hybrid electric automobile according to claim 5, further comprising a first generator connected to the first battery and arranged in the vicinity of the liquid fuel engine, generating electric power by the rotation of the engine shaft of the liquid fuel engine, and supplying the generated electric power to the first battery, and

a plug-in device arranged at the vehicle body and connected to the first battery, having a connecting terminal with a home plug, and supplying the electric power from the home power source to the first battery.

7. The hybrid electric automobile according to any one of claims 5 and 6,

wherein the first value and the second value are almost the same.