Hybrid vehicle and vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10569632-B2
Application number	US-201716084951-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 23, 2017
Priority date	Mar 29, 2016
Publication date	Feb 25, 2020
Grant date	Feb 25, 2020

Abstract

A hybrid vehicle according to one aspect of the present invention is a hybrid vehicle including: an engine arranged at a vehicle body front portion; a propeller shaft configured to transmit an output of the engine to wheels arranged at a vehicle body rear portion; and a drive motor provided so as to drive the propeller shaft and supported with a vehicle body, and the propeller shaft transmits an output of the drive motor to wheels arranged at at least one of the vehicle body front portion and the vehicle body rear portion. The propeller shaft is supported with the vehicle body through the drive motor by a middle portion of the propeller shaft in the vehicle body front-rear direction being supported with the drive motor.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A hybrid vehicle comprising:
an engine arranged at a vehicle body front portion or at a vehicle body rear portion;
a propeller shaft extending in a vehicle body front-rear direction and configured to transmit an output of the engine to wheels arranged at the other of the vehicle body front portion and the vehicle body rear portion; and
a drive motor provided so as to drive the propeller shaft and supported with the vehicle body,
the propeller shaft transmitting an output of the drive motor to wheels which are arranged at at least one of the vehicle body front portion and the vehicle body rear portion, wherein
the propeller shaft is supported with the vehicle body through the drive motor by a middle portion of the propeller shaft in the vehicle body front-rear direction being supported with the drive motor;
a floor cross member extending in a vehicle width direction is joined to a floor panel of the vehicle body; and
the floor cross member and a support portion are arranged so as to at least partially overlap each other in the vehicle body front-rear direction, the support portion supporting the drive motor such that the drive motor is attached to the floor panel of the vehicle body.

2. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein:
the drive motor includes
a motor portion including a stator and a rotor,
a casing portion accommodating the motor portion, and
bearing portions provided at both respective vehicle body front-rear direction end portions of the casing portion; and

the propeller shaft is inserted into and supported with the bearing portions, and with this, supported with the vehicle body through the drive motor.

3. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein:
the drive motor includes a speed reducer portion in the casing portion, the speed reducer portion being configured to decelerate rotation of the rotor of the motor portion and transmit the rotation of the rotor to the propeller shaft; and
the motor portion and the speed reducer portion are provided on the propeller shaft so as to be lined up in the vehicle body front-rear direction.

4. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein:
the hybrid vehicle is a four-wheel drive vehicle manufactured based on a front engine-front drive vehicle in which the engine is arranged at the vehicle body front portion, and the output of the engine is transmitted to wheels arranged at the vehicle body front portion; and
the propeller shaft is provided so as to couple a transfer and a coupling, the transfer being provided on axles of the wheels arranged at the vehicle body front portion and being configured to take out driving force to be transmitted to wheels arranged at the vehicle body rear portion, the coupling being arranged at the vehicle body rear portion and being configured to adjust driving force to be distributed to the wheels arranged at the vehicle body front portion and the wheels arranged at the vehicle body rear portion.

5. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein:
the hybrid vehicle is a front engine-rear drive vehicle in which the engine is arranged at the vehicle body front portion, and the output of the engine is transmitted to the wheels arranged at the vehicle body rear portion, or the hybrid vehicle is a four-wheel drive vehicle manufactured based on the front engine-rear drive vehicle; and
the propeller shaft is provided so as to couple a transmission and a wheel differential device, the transmission being coupled to the engine and arranged at the vehicle body front portion, the wheel differential device being arranged at the vehicle body rear portion.

6. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein:
the engine is arranged at the vehicle body front portion;
an exhaust treatment device is provided at a vehicle body rear side of the engine;
a fuel tank is provided at a vehicle body front side of axles of the wheels arranged at the vehicle body rear portion; and
the drive motor is located between the exhaust treatment device and the fuel tank in the vehicle body front-rear direction and arranged inside a tunnel portion which is provided at a vehicle width direction middle portion of the floor panel and is open at a lower side of the tunnel portion.

7. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein:
the engine is arranged at the vehicle body front portion;
an exhaust treatment device is provided at a vehicle body rear side of the engine;
a battery is provided at a vehicle body front side of axles of the wheels arranged at the vehicle body rear portion; and
the drive motor is located between the exhaust treatment device and the battery in the vehicle body front-rear direction and arranged inside a tunnel portion which is provided at a vehicle width direction middle portion of the floor panel and is open at a lower side of the tunnel portion.

8. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 3 , wherein:
the hybrid vehicle is a four-wheel drive vehicle manufactured based on a front engine-front drive vehicle in which the engine is arranged at the vehicle body front portion, and the output of the engine is transmitted to wheels arranged at the vehicle body front portion; and
the propeller shaft is provided so as to couple a transfer and a coupling, the transfer being provided on axles of the wheels arranged at the vehicle body front portion and being configured to take out driving force to be transmitted to wheels arranged at the vehicle body rear portion, the coupling being arranged at the vehicle body rear portion and being configured to adjust driving force to be distributed to the wheels arranged at the vehicle body front portion and the wheels arranged at the vehicle body rear portion.

9. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 3 , wherein:
the hybrid vehicle is a front engine-rear drive vehicle in which the engine is arranged at the vehicle body front portion, and the output of the engine is transmitted to the wheels arranged at the vehicle body rear portion, or the hybrid vehicle is a four-wheel drive vehicle manufactured based on the front engine-rear drive vehicle; and
the propeller shaft is provided so as to couple a transmission and a wheel differential device, the transmission being coupled to the engine and arranged at the vehicle body front portion, the wheel differential device being arranged at the vehicle body rear portion.

10. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 3 , wherein:
the engine is arranged at the vehicle body front portion;
an exhaust treatment device is provided at a vehicle body rear side of the engine;
a fuel tank is provided at a vehicle body front side of axles of the wheels arranged at the vehicle body rear portion; and
the drive motor is located between the exhaust treatment device and the fuel tank in the vehicle body front-rear direction and arranged inside a tunnel portion which is provided at a vehicle width direction middle portion of the floor panel and is open at a lower side of the tunnel portion.

11. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 3 , wherein:
the engine is arranged at the vehicle body front portion;
an exhaust treatment device is provided at a vehicle body rear side of the engine;
a battery is provided at a vehicle body front side of axles of the wheels arranged at the vehicle body rear portion; and
the drive motor is located between the exhaust treatment device and the battery in the vehicle body front-rear direction and arranged inside a tunnel portion which is provided at a vehicle width direction middle portion of the floor panel and is open at a lower side of the tunnel portion.

12. The hybrid vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein:
the hybrid vehicle is a

Assignees

• Mazda Motor

Inventors

• Toyota Hideo
• Sawazaki Tomoo
• Tanaka Yukiya
• Nishikawa Hiraku

Classifications

• B60K15/063

  Arrangement of tanks · CPC title

• B60K2006/4833

  Step up or reduction gearing driving generator, e.g. to operate generator in most efficient speed range · CPC title

• B60K6/48

  Parallel type · CPC title

• B60K6/36

  characterised by the transmission gearings · CPC title

• B60K1/00 Primary

  Arrangement or mounting of electrical propulsion units (B60K7/00 takes precedence; arrangement or mounting of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion B60K6/00) · CPC title