Drive control device for hybrid vehicle

• US 9,545,917 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2012
• Issued: 01/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Maruyama, Tomoyuki, Ono, Tomohito
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, HUAN G
• Application Number:
  US14/383,667
• Publication Number:
  US 20150011359A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,763 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2006/268 Electric drive motor starts the engine, i.e. used as starter motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2006/381 characterized by driveline brakes
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/365 with the gears having orbital motion
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/387 Actuated clutches, i.e. clutches engaged or disengaged by electric, hydraulic or mechanical actuating means
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/445 Differential gearing distribution type
• 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 10/18 including control of braking systems
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/40 Controlling the engagement or disengagement of prime movers, e.g. for transition between prime movers power-up or power-down of the driveline B60W30/192
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/902 Prime movers comprising electrical and internal combustion motors

Abstract

A drive control device for a hybrid vehicle is provided with a differential device having four rotary elements. One of the four rotary elements is constituted by rotary components of each of a first and a second differential mechanisms selectively connected to each other through a clutch. One of the rotary components of said first and second differential mechanisms selectively connected through said clutch is selectively fixed to a stationary member through a brake. The drive control device comprises a brake engagement control portion configured to place the brake in an engaged state upon starting an engine, and an electric motor operation control portion configured to operate a first electric motor to raise a speed of a rotary motion of the engine for starting of the engine and to operate a second electric motor to reduce a reaction force during starting of said engine acting on an output rotary member.

Claims

1. A drive control device for a hybrid vehicle provided with:

a differential device which includes a first differential mechanism and a second differential mechanism, an engine, a first electric motor, a second electric motor and an output rotary member, wherein the differential device includes four rotary elements, wherein the engine, the first electric motor, the second electric motor and the output rotary member are connected to said respective four rotary elements, and wherein one of said four rotary elements is constituted by a rotary component of said first differential mechanism and a rotary component of said second differential mechanism which are selectively connected to each other through a clutch, and one of the rotary components of said first and second differential mechanisms which are selectively connected to each other through said clutch is selectively fixed to a stationary member through a brake, said drive control device comprising;

a brake engagement control portion configured to place said brake in an engaged state upon starting of said engine, and

an electric motor operation control portion configured to operate said first electric motor to raise a speed of a rotary motion of said engine, for starting of said engine, and to operate said second electric motor to reduce a reaction force acting on said output rotary member which is generated during starting of said engine.

2. The drive control device according to claim 1, wherein said first differential mechanism is provided with a first rotary element connected to said first electric motor, a second rotary element connected to said engine, and a third rotary element connected to said output rotary member, while said second differential mechanism is provided with a first rotary element connected to said second electric motor, a second rotary element, and a third rotary element, one of the second and third rotary elements of the second differential mechanism being connected to the third rotary element of said first differential mechanism,

wherein said clutch is configured to selectively connect the second rotary element of said first differential mechanism, and another of the second and third rotary elements of said second differential mechanism which is not connected to the third rotary element of said first differential mechanism, to each other, while said brake is configured to selectively fix the other of the second and third rotary elements of said second differential mechanism which is not connected to the third rotary element of said first differential mechanism, to the stationary member, and

wherein said four rotary elements are constituted by:

the second rotary element of said first differential mechanism and the other of the second and third rotary elements of said second differential mechanism which is selectively connected to the second rotary element of said first differential mechanism through the clutch,

the third rotary element of said first differential mechanism and the one of the second and third rotary elements of said second differential mechanism which is connected to the third rotary element of said first differential mechanism,

the first rotary element of said first differential mechanism, and

the first rotary element of said second differential mechanism.