Vehicular drive system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10107382-B2
Application number	US-201515320586-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 23, 2015
Priority date	Jun 25, 2014
Publication date	Oct 23, 2018
Grant date	Oct 23, 2018

Abstract

A vehicular drive system includes an engine having a first oil, a transmission having a second oil, and a heat exchanger 4 that exchanges heat between the first oil and the second oil. The magnitude of the amount of reduction of loss torque in the transmission per unit amount of reduction of the kinetic viscosity of the second oil is larger than the magnitude of the amount of increase of loss torque in the engine per unit amount increase of the kinetic viscosity of the first oil.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicular drive system, comprising:
an engine having first oil;
a transmission having second oil; and
a heat exchanger configured to exchange heat between the first oil and the second oil, a magnitude of an amount of reduction of loss torque in the transmission per unit amount of reduction of kinetic viscosity of the second oil being larger than a magnitude of an amount of increase of loss torque in the engine per unit amount of increase of the kinetic viscosity of the first oil.

2. The vehicular drive system according to claim 1 , wherein
when compared in a same period during heat exchange, the magnitude of the amount of reduction of the loss torque in the transmission according to reduction of the kinetic viscosity due to a temperature rise of the second oil exceeds the magnitude of the amount of increase of the loss torque in the engine according to increase of the kinetic viscosity due to a temperature reduction of the first oil.

3. The vehicular drive system according to claim 1 , wherein:
the transmission includes a transmission oil passage and a second oil pump;
the second oil pump is configured to feed the second oil under pressure via the transmission oil passage;
the heat exchanger is connected to the transmission oil passage; and
the heat exchanger is configured to exchange heat between the first oil and the second oil, the second oil flowing through the transmission oil passage.

4. The vehicular drive system according to claim 1 , wherein:
the engine includes an engine oil passage, a first oil pump, and an oil filter;
the first oil pump is configured to feed the first oil under pressure via the engine oil passage;
the oil filter is disposed in the engine oil passage; and
the heat exchanger is connected to a downstream side of the oil filter in the engine oil passage, as viewed in a direction of flow of the first oil.

5. The vehicular drive system according to claim 1 , further comprising an electronic control unit configured to supply the second oil to at least one of an intake side of a second oil pump or a supply oil passage of a torque converter, the second oil being an oil that has been subjected to heat exchange by the heat exchanger, the torque converter having a lock-up clutch.

6. The vehicular drive system according to claim 5 , wherein:
the transmission includes a return oil passage through which the second oil is supplied to an intake oil passage of the second oil pump, the second oil being redundant oil as a part of the second oil delivered from the second oil pump under pressure; and
the heat exchanger is configured to exchange heat between the first oil and the second oil, the second oil flowing through the return oil passage.

7. The vehicular drive system according to claim 5 , wherein:
the transmission includes a switching valve; and
the switching valve is configured to switch between a condition where the second oil that has been subjected to heat exchange is supplied to an intake side of the second oil pump, and a condition where the second oil that has been subjected to heat exchange is supplied to a supply oil passage of the torque converter.

8. The vehicular drive system according to claim 1 , further comprising an electronic control unit configured to reduce a flow rate of the second oil after completion of warm-up of the transmission, such that the flow rate becomes smaller than that before completion of warm-up of the transmission, the second oil being an oil passing through the heat exchanger.

9. The vehicular drive system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an oil cooler configured to cool the second oil; and
a rotating electric machine located on a downstream side of the oil cooler in a flow passage of the second oil, wherein
the heat exchanger is connected to an upstream side of the oil cooler in the flow passage of the second oil.

10. The vehicular drive system according to claim 9 , further comprising:
an electric oil pump configured to cause the second oil to flow through the oil cooler; and
an electronic control unit configured to: when a temperature of the second oil is equal to or higher than a specified temperature,
(i) operate the electric oil pump, and
(ii) supply the second oil cooled by the oil cooler to the rotating electric machine.

11. The vehicular drive system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an oil cooler configured to cool the second oil;
a rotating electric machine located on a downstream side of the oil cooler and the heat exchanger in a flow passage of the second oil;
a flow control valve configured to control a flow rate of the second oil supplied to the heat exchanger and the flow rate of the second oil supplied to the oil cooler; and
an electronic control unit configured to make the flow rate of the second oil supplied to the heat exchanger smaller than the flow rate of the second oil supplied to the oil cooler when a temperature of the second oil is equal to or higher than a specified temperature.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Tokozakura Daisuke
• Arakawa Kazuya
• Shiina Takahiro

Classifications

• F16H57/0435

  Pressure control for supplying lubricant; Circuits or valves therefor · CPC title

• F16H57/0476

  Electric machines and gearing, i.e. joint lubrication or cooling or heating thereof · CPC title

• B60Y2200/92

  Hybrid vehicles · CPC title

• F16H45/02

  with mechanical clutches for bridging a fluid gearing of the hydrokinetic type (control of torque converter lock-up clutches F16H61/14) · CPC title

• B60Y2306/05

  Cooling · CPC title