Motor integration assembly

• US 9,259,999 B1
• Filed: 07/25/2013
• Issued: 02/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: XL Hybrids, Inc. (The Shyft Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: XL Hybrids
• Inventors: Leach, Brian Joseph, Brenner, Neal Ennis, McCabe, Joseph D., Hafer, Joseph Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAN, HAU VAN
• Application Number:
  US13/950,667
• Time in Patent Office: 936 Days
• Field of Search: 180/311, 180/312, 180/313, 180/65.21, 180/65.2, 180/65.26, 180/65.23, 180/69.6, 180/65.31, 180/53.8
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2006/4808 Electric machine connected or connectable to gearbox output shaft
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/20 the prime-movers consisting of electric motors and internal combustion engines, e.g. HEVs
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/405 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/442 Series-parallel switching type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/52 Driving a plurality of drive axles, e.g. four-wheel drive
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/10 Road Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/92 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2400/82 Four wheel drive systems
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2057/02034 Gearboxes combined or connected with electric machines structural association with electric machines H02K7/116
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 57/02 Gearboxes; Mounting gearing therein
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/902 Prime movers comprising electrical and internal combustion motors
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/916 with plurality of drive axles

Abstract

A motor integration assembly includes a supporting structure for connecting a transmission of a vehicle to a drivetrain of the vehicle, wherein the support structure includes a housing to receive a portion of the drivetrain of the vehicle. The motor integration assembly also includes a torque transfer unit for transferring torque from an electric machine to the portion of the drivetrain of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A motor integration assembly, comprising:

a housing physically attachable, by connectors, to a commercial vehicle transmission to replace a tail housing of the vehicle transmission with the motor integration assembly for converting a commercial vehicle into a hybrid-electric vehicle, the housing being configured to reside in a space of the replaced tail housing of the vehicle transmission, the housing containing;

a supporting structure configured to receive a tail shaft of the vehicle transmission and configured to receive a portion of a drivetrain of the vehicle, the supporting structure is further configured to assist the transfer of torque generated by an internal combustion engine of the vehicle from the tail shaft to the portion of the drivetrain of the vehicle;

an electric machine for providing torque to the drivetrain of the converted hybrid-electric vehicle;

a torque transfer unit for transferring the torque from the electric machine of the converted hybrid-electric vehicle to the portion of the drivetrain of the vehicle, wherein the electric machine is in communication with a control unit that controls the torque transferred from the torque transfer unit to the portion of the drivetrain, the torque transferred complements torque delivered from the internal combustion engine to the drivetrain of the converted hybrid-electric vehicle; and

an electrical storage system connectable to the electric machine,

wherein electrical connections on the housing connect the electric machine to the control unit, and

wherein the housing is attachable to the vehicle transmission at a first side of the housing and is attachable to the portion of the drivetrain of the commercial vehicle at a second side of the housing such that the motor integration assembly is physically attached to the transmission.

2. The motor integration assembly of claim 1, wherein the electric machine is located in a portion of the vehicle for a four-wheel drive component.

3. The motor integration assembly of claim 1, wherein the motor integration assembly is positioned in a location for a tail housing of the transmission of the vehicle.

4. The motor integration assembly of claim 1, wherein the electrical machine is located internal to the motor integration assembly.

5. The motor integration assembly of claim 1, wherein the electric machine is located external to motor integration assembly.

6. The motor integration assembly of claim 1, wherein the supporting structure includes a multi-piece bracket.

7. The motor integration assembly of claim 1, wherein the motor integration assembly is substantially aligned with the transmission and the drivetrain of the vehicle along an axis of rotation.

8. The motor integration assembly of claim 1, wherein the torque transfer unit includes gearing for transferring torque from the electric machine to the drivetrain of the vehicle.

9. The motor integration assembly of claim 1, wherein the electric machine converts electrical power to mechanical power.

10. The motor integration assembly of claim 1, wherein the housing is directly attached to the vehicle transmission.

11. A hybrid-electric vehicle system, comprising:

a transmission for providing torque to a drivetrain of the hybrid-electric vehicle; and

a motor integration assembly, comprising,

a housing physically attachable, by connectors, to a commercial vehicle transmission to replace a tail housing of the vehicle transmission with the motor integration assembly for converting a commercial vehicle into a hybrid-electric vehicle, the housing being configured to reside in a space of the replaced tail housing of the vehicle transmission, the housing containing;

a supporting structure configured to receive a tail shaft of the hybrid-electric vehicle transmission and configured to receive a portion of a drivetrain of the hybrid-electric vehicle, the supporting structure is further configured to assist the transfer of torque generated by an internal combustion engine of the vehicle from the tail shaft to the portion of the drivetrain of the vehicle;

an electric machine for providing torque to the drivetrain of the hybrid-electric vehicle;

a torque transfer unit for transferring the torque from the electric machine of the converted hybrid-electric vehicle to the portion of the drivetrain of the hybrid-electric vehicle, wherein the electric machine is in communication with a control unit that controls the torque transferred from the torque transfer unit to the portion of the drivetrain, the torque transferred complements torque delivered from the internal combustion engine to the drivetrain of the converted hybrid-electric vehicle; and

an electrical storage system connectable to the electric machine,

wherein electrical connections on the housing connect the electric machine to the control unit, and

wherein the housing is attachable to the vehicle transmission at a first side of the housing and is attachable to the portion of the drivetrain of the commercial vehicle at a second side of the housing such that the motor integration assembly is physically attached to the transmission.

12. The hybrid-electric vehicle system of claim 11, wherein the electric machine is located in a portion of the vehicle for a four-wheel drive component.

13. The hybrid-electric vehicle system of claim 11, wherein the motor integration assembly is positioned in a location for a tail housing of the transmission of the vehicle.

14. The hybrid-electric vehicle system of claim 11, wherein the electrical machine is located internal to the motor integration assembly.

15. The hybrid-electric vehicle system of claim 11, wherein the electric machine is located external to motor integration assembly.

16. The hybrid-electric vehicle system of claim 11, wherein the supporting structure includes a multi-piece bracket.

17. The hybrid-electric vehicle system of claim 11, wherein the motor integration assembly is substantially aligned with the transmission and the drive electric of the vehicle along an axis of rotation.

18. The hybrid-electric vehicle system of claim 11, wherein the torque transfer unit includes gearing for transferring torque from the electric machine to the drivetrain of the vehicle.

19. The hybrid-electric vehicle system of claim 11, wherein the electric machine converts electrical power to mechanical power.

20. The hybrid-electric vehicle system of claim 11, wherein the housing is directly attached to the vehicle transmission.

21. A method of installing a hybrid-electric conversion system, comprising:

replacing a tail housing of a transmission of a commercial vehicle with a motor integration assembly for transferring torque from a combustion engine and an electric machine to a drivetrain of the vehicle, wherein the motor integration assembly includes;

a housing physically attachable, by connectors, to a commercial vehicle transmission to replace a tail housing of the vehicle transmission with the motor integration assembly for converting a commercial vehicle into a hybrid-electric vehicle, the housing being configured to reside in a space of the replaced tail housing of the vehicle transmission, the housing containing;

a supporting structure configured to receive a tail shaft of the vehicle transmission and configured to receive a portion of a drivetrain of the vehicle, the supporting structure is further configured to assist the transfer of torque generated by an internal combustion engine of the vehicle from the tail shaft to the portion of the drivetrain of the vehicle;

the electric machine for providing torque to the drivetrain of the converted hybrid-electric vehicle;

a torque transfer unit for transferring the torque from the electric machine of the converted hybrid-electric vehicle to the portion of the drivetrain of the vehicle, wherein the electric machine is in communication with a control unit that controls the torque transferred from the torque transfer unit to the portion of the drivetrain, the torque transferred complements torque delivered from the internal combustion engine to the drivetrain of the converted hybrid-electric vehicle; and

an electrical storage system connectable to the electric machine,

wherein electrical connections on the housing connect the electric machine to the control unit, and

wherein the housing is attachable to the vehicle transmission at a first side of the housing and is attachable to the portion of the drivetrain of the commercial vehicle at a second side of the housing such that the motor integration assembly is physically attached to the transmission.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the motor integration assembly utilizes connection points of the transmission used by the tail housing.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the housing is directly attached to the vehicle transmission.