Power transmission device for a motor vehicle and method for using said device

• US 7,824,306 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2005
• Issued: 11/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Peugeot Citroen Automobile SA (Stellantis NV)
• Original Assignee: Peugeot Citroen Automobile SA (Stellantis NV)
• Inventors: Laeuffer, Jacques
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho; Ha D.
• Application Number:
  US11/575,381
• Publication Number:
  US 20070284179A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,881 Days
• Field of Search: 477/3, 477/5, 477/7, 477/8, 475/5
• US Class Current: 477/3
• 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 6/387 Actuated clutches, i.e. clutches engaged or disengaged by electric, hydraulic or mechanical actuating means
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/48 Parallel type
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 10/02 including control of driveline clutches
• 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 10/115 with planetary gears
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/00 Control systems specially adapted for hybrid vehicles hybrid vehicle design, B60K6/00; electric vehicles B60L
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 11/10 with clutching members movable only axially
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 21/04 with a shaft carrying a number of rotatable transmission members, e.g. gears, each of which can be connected to the shaft by a clutching member or members between the shaft and the hub of the transmission member
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 21/06 at least two driving shafts or two driven shafts being concentric
• 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 2037/102 the input or output shaft of the transmission is connected or connectable to two or more differentials
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2200/2007 with two sets of orbital gears
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 13/025 having the pressure as the parameter
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2205/037 Quick connecting means, e.g. couplings
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2205/055 by magnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2221/013 Carbone dioxide
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2223/0153 Liquefied gas, e.g. LPG, GPL
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2223/035 : High pressure (>10 bar)
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2223/043 : in the gas
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2223/046 : in the liquid
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2225/0153 : Liquefied gas, e.g. LPG, GPL
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2225/035 : High pressure, i.e. between 10 and 80 bars
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2225/043 : in the gas
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2225/046 : in the liquid
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2227/044 : by purging
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2250/01 : Intermediate tanks
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2250/032 : using computers
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2250/0421 : Mass or weight of the content of the vessel
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2250/043 : Pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2250/0443 : Flow or movement of content
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2265/031 : by discharge
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2270/0136 : Terminals
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2270/0171 : Trucks
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 5/02 : for filling with liquefied gases
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 7/02 : Discharging liquefied gases
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 : Hybrid vehicles

Abstract

The invention mainly relates to a power transmission device (1) between an internal combustion engine (2) and vehicle wheels (3) consisting of a pair of electrical machines (4.1, 4.2) and a mechanical assembly (90), wherein said assembly (90) comprises at least two epicycloidal trains (5, 9) each of which is provided with three mutually engageable elements. According to said invention, a switching device (23.1) comprises means (23, 28) for simultaneously connecting the machine shaft (11) to two other elements (11.1, 11.2) of the mechanical assembly (90) during switching between two operating modes of the transmission device (1).

Claims

1. Power transmission device between a heat engine and wheels of a motor vehicle, this device having

a first and a second electrical machine, and

a mechanical group connecting with each other a shaft of the engine, a shaft of the wheels, and shafts of the electrical machines, this mechanical group having

at least two epicycloidal gear trains, each epicycloidal gear train having several elements mutually engaged with gear shafts, and

at least one switching device ensuring, by displacement, a selective connection of one of the shafts with a first element or a second element of the mechanical group to which this shaft is capable of being connected,

wherein

the switching device has means for simultaneously ensuring a connection between the selectively connected shaft and the two elements of the mechanical group, during a displacement of this switching device.

2. Device according to claim 1 wherein

the two elements belong to a same epicycloidal gear train.

3. Device according to claim 1, wherein

the selectively connected shaft is the shaft of one of the electrical machines.

4. Device according to claim 1, wherein

the first element is directly connected to the shaft of the wheels.

5. Device according to claim 1, wherein

the switching device has a single block sliding sleeve having a shuttle length of more than the distance that separates a first gear connected to one of the two elements for a second gear connected to the other element.

6. Device according to claim 1, wherein

the switching device has a sliding sleeve made of two portions,

a first portion being intended enter into cooperation with a first gear connected to one of the two elements,

a second portion being intended to enter into cooperation with a second gear connected to the other element.

7. Device according to claim 6 wherein

the first and the second portions move independently from each other over a distance of more than that separating the first and the second gears.

8. Device according to claim 5, wherein the sliding sleeve has a tongue and/or teeth intended to cooperate with a groove and/or teeth made in a periphery of holes of the gears.

9. Device according to claim 1, which has a driving device controlling the two machines and the switching device, to compensate a torque applied to the shaft of the other machine during a switching.

10. Device according to claim 1, which comprises a storage system connected to the machines via a direct tension bus.

11. Device according to claim 1, wherein

the epicycloidal gear trains have gear ratios selected so that when the rotation speeds of the two elements are equal, the rotation speed of the shaft of the other machine is zero.

12. Method of using a power transmission device between a heat engine and wheels of a motor vehicle, this power transmission device having a first and a second electrical machine, a switching device, and a mechanical group connecting with each other a shaft of the engine, a shaft of the wheels, and shafts of the electrical machines, this mechanical group having at least two epicycloidal gear trains, each gear train having several elements mutually meshing with gear shafts, having,

in a first operating mode, connecting a shaft of a machine to an element of the mechanical group with the help of a sliding sleeve of the switching device, and

in a second operating mode, connecting the shaft of this same machine to another element of the mechanical group with the help of the sliding sleeve,

said method including

if the machine does not operate as a motor during the passage from one mode to another, applying a torque to the shaft of the other machine to compensate the presence of a parasitic torque on this shaft.

13. Method according to claim 12 including

during the passage from one mode to another, to compensate, connecting simultaneously the shaft of the machine with the two elements of the mechanical group to which this shaft is capable of being connected, with the help of the sliding sleeve.

14. Method according to claim 13 wherein, during the passage from one mode to another,

the sliding sleeve is supported on a gear connected to one of the elements then on a second gear connected to the other element.

15. Method according to claim 12, including, to compensate the torque,

emitting control signals on transistors of an inverter connected to the other machine during an increased duration.

16. Method according to claim 12, including, to compensate,

applying a torque to the shaft of the other machine corresponding to a torque applied to the shaft of the machine multiplied by a known coefficient.