Vehicle drive mechanism

• US 8,058,849 B2
• Filed: 06/07/2007
• Issued: 11/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2006
• 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: Yoshida, Tadafumi, Hotta, Yutaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel; Tulsidas C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mohandesi; Iraj A
• Application Number:
  US12/304,695
• Publication Number:
  US 20090250272A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,622 Days
• Field of Search: 322/13
• US Class Current: 322/13
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/26 characterised by the motors or the generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/365 with the gears having orbital motion
• 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: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• 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: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• 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

Abstract

A vehicle drive mechanism includes a power transmission mechanism which has a rotary electric motor and a gear mechanism for transmitting mechanical power from the rotary electric motor to a drive shaft disposed coaxially with an output shaft of the rotary electric motor, and a control unit formed of a plurality of elements and controlling an operation of the rotary electric motor. At least one of the elements which constitute the control unit is disposed on a periphery of at least one of the rotary electric motor, the drive shaft, and the gear mechanism.

Claims

1. A vehicle drive mechanism comprising:

a power transmission mechanism which has a rotary electric motor, and a gear mechanism for transmitting mechanical power from said rotary electric motor to a drive shaft disposed coaxially with an output shaft of said rotary electric motor; and

a control unit formed of a plurality of elements and controlling an operation of said rotary electric motor,

wherein at least a part of said elements which form said control unit is disposed on a periphery of at least one of said rotary electric motor, said drive shaft, and said gear mechanism, and

at least a part of said elements which form said control unit is provided on an outer periphery of one of said gear mechanism and said rotary electric motor, a radius of the one of said gear mechanism and said rotary electric motor measured from said drive shaft being smaller than a radius of the other of said gear mechanism and said rotary electric motor measured from said drive shaft,

wherein the elements which form said control unit include a capacitor having a plurality of cells, each of said cells having an inner peripheral surface and an outer peripheral surface, and

wherein a length of said outer peripheral surface in a circumferential direction of said drive shaft is made larger than a length of said inner peripheral surface in the circumferential direction of said drive shaft.

2. The vehicle drive mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the elements which form said control unit are disposed along a virtual circle concentric with said drive shaft.

3. The vehicle drive mechanism according to claim 1, comprising a plurality of said rotary electric motors,

wherein said gear mechanism which has a radius smaller than a radius of at least one of said rotary electric motors is disposed between said rotary electric motors, and

said capacitor is disposed on an outer peripheral side of said gear mechanism.

4. The vehicle drive mechanism according to claim 1, further comprising an enclosure for accommodating said power transmission mechanism, wherein

the elements which form said control unit include an inverter, and

said inverter is provided in said enclosure.

5. The vehicle drive mechanism according to claim 4, wherein said inverter is provided on an underside of said power transmission mechanism.

6. The vehicle drive mechanism according to claim 1, wherein said power transmission mechanism drives a rear wheel.