Hybrid drive apparatus and controller for hybrid drive apparatus

• US 8,527,130 B2
• Filed: 11/29/2011
• Issued: 09/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• 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: Obata, Tatsuo, Kimura, Hiromichi, Tanae, Masahiro, Kitahata, Takeshi, Kuwahara, Takeshi, Saito, Toru
• Primary Examiner(s): Marc, McDieunel
• Application Number:
  US13/306,401
• Publication Number:
  US 20120143422A1
• Time in Patent Office: 644 Days
• Field of Search: 701/22, 701/24, 701/36, 701/37, 903/903, 903/905, 903/906, 903/909, 903/910, 903/912, 903/914, 903/916, 903/918, 903/919, 903/945, 903/946, 903/947, 903/951, 903/952, 180/65.27, 180/65.245, 180/65.29, 180/65.285, 180/65.25, 180/65.28, 180/165, 180/65.6, 180/65.21, 180/65.23, 180/65.31, 180/65.225, 180/65.235, 318/139, 318/146, 310/113, 310/114, 310/112, 322/16, 607/18, 477/5, 165/41
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/40 characterised by the assembly or relative disposition of components
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/445 Differential gearing distribution type
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2037/0866 Power split variators with distributing differentials, with the output of the CVT connected or connectable to the output shaft
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2200/2005 with one sets of orbital gears
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2200/2082 one freewheel mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 57/045 Lubricant storage reservoirs, e.g. reservoirs in addition to a gear sump for collecting lubricant in the upper part of a gear case
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 57/0457 Splash lubrication characterised by the problem reducing losses, e.g. splash losses F16H57/0409
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 57/0484 with variable gear ratio or for reversing rotary motion
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles

Abstract

A hybrid drive apparatus includes: a drive power source that includes an internal combustion engine, a first electric motor, and a second electric motor; a power transmission mechanism that includes a carrier, a sun gear, and a ring gear, and that is configured to rotate the output shaft of the internal combustion engine by the first electric motor; and plural bearings that each includes an outer ring member and an inner ring member fitted to the outer ring member through a rolling element, and that are provided apart from each other in an axial direction of the output shaft with the carrier being positioned between the bearings. An inner periphery of the outer ring member is positioned more inward in a radial direction of the ring gear relative to a meshing portion between inner teeth of the ring gear and outer teeth of one of the pinion gears.

Claims

1. A hybrid drive apparatus comprising:

a drive power source that includes an internal combustion engine, a first electric motor, and a second electric motor;

a power transmission mechanism that includes

a carrier that is coupled to an output shaft of the internal combustion engine and that rotatably supports plural pinion gears,

a sun gear that is coupled to a rotational shaft of the first electric motor and that meshes with the pinion gears, and

a ring gear that is coupled to a driving axle side and that meshes with the pinion gears, the power transmission mechanism being configured to rotate the output shaft of the internal combustion engine by the first electric motor; and

plural bearings that each includes

an outer ring member that is provided on an inner periphery of the ring gear; and

an inner ring member that is provided on an outer periphery of a support portion of a case and that is rotatably fitted to the outer ring member through a rolling element,

the bearings being provided apart from each other in an axial direction of the output shaft and the carrier being positioned between the bearings, wherein

the bearings are each fitted onto the support portion of the case such that an inner periphery of the outer ring member of the bearing is positioned more inward in a radial direction of the ring gear relative to a meshing portion between inner teeth of the ring gear and outer teeth of one of the pinion gears.

2. The hybrid drive apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

annular members that each cover at least a part of a gap between the outer ring member and the inner ring member, the gap facing the carrier.

3. The hybrid drive apparatus according to claim 2, wherein:

each annular members includes a radially inner end that is an end on radially inner side, and the radially inner end is positioned more inward in the radial direction of the ring gear relative to the inner periphery of the outer ring member.

4. The hybrid drive apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

discharge holes that are each formed between an inner periphery of the inner ring member and the outer periphery of the support portion of the case.

5. The hybrid drive apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a lubricant inflow passage that is formed between a wall surface of the case, and the ring gear and one of the plural bearings; and

an inflow hole that is formed between the inner ring member and the case, and that is positioned above an axis of the output shaft of the internal combustion engine through which the lubricant flowing through the lubricant inflow passage is introduced to inside the ring gear.

6. A controller for a hybrid drive apparatus according to claim 1, comprising:

a drive mode determining unit that determines whether a drive mode of a vehicle is changed to a motor drive mode; and

an electric motor controlling unit that controls the first electric motor based on the determination result of the drive mode determining unit, wherein the electric motor controlling unit drives the first electric motor to rotate the output shaft of the internal combustion engine by a predetermined rotational angle when a specific condition is satisfied after the drive mode of the vehicle is changed to the motor drive mode.

7. The controller for a hybrid drive apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

the specific condition is defined based on a rotation state of the pinion gears since the drive mode of the vehicle is changed to the motor drive mode.

8. The controller for a hybrid drive apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

the electric motor controlling unit determines that the specific condition is satisfied when a predetermined time elapses since the drive mode of the vehicle is changed to the motor drive mode.

9. The controller for a hybrid drive apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

the electric motor controlling unit determines that the specific condition is satisfied when the vehicle travels a predetermined distance since the drive mode of the vehicle is changed to the motor drive mode.

10. The controller for a hybrid drive apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

the electric motor controlling unit determines that the specific condition is satisfied when the second electric motor regenerates electrical energy after the drive mode of the vehicle is changed to the motor drive mode.