Vehicle powertrain

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11065948-B2
Application number	US-201515774298-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 9, 2015
Priority date	Nov 9, 2015
Publication date	Jul 20, 2021
Grant date	Jul 20, 2021

Abstract

A vehicle powertrain includes a first electric machine and a second electric machine, a transmission arranged to transmit torque from the electric machines to a pair of driven wheels of a vehicle, where the first electric machine is drivingly connected to a first input shaft of the transmission and a second electric machine is drivingly connected to a second input shaft of the transmission, a first torque path for transmitting torque includes only one gear ratio between the first input shaft and an output shaft of the transmission, and a second torque path for transmitting torque includes two selectable and separately engageable gear ratios between the second input shaft and the output shaft of the transmission, and where the three gear ratios of the first and second torque paths are different from each other.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicle powertrain comprising; a first electric machine and a second electric machine, a transmission arranged to transmit torque from electric machines to a pair of driven wheels of a vehicle, where the first electric machine is drivingly connected to a first input shaft of the transmission and the second electric machine is drivingly connected to a second input shaft of the transmission, wherein a first torque path for transmitting torque comprises only one gear ratio between the first input shaft and an output shaft of the transmission, and a second torque path for transmitting torque comprises two selectable and separately engageable gear ratios between the second input shaft and the output shaft of the transmission, and where the three gear ratios of the first and second torque paths are different from each other, wherein the second torque path comprises a second path input gear wheel of the second input shaft rotatably fixed to the second input shaft, where the second path input gear wheel is in mesh with a first primary shaft gear wheel rotatably fixed on a primary shaft, and where a second primary shaft gear wheel is rotatably fixed on the primary shaft, and where further the second primary shaft gear wheel is in mesh with a first lay shaft gear wheel rotatably fixed on a lay shaft, and where a second lay shaft gear wheel rotatably fixed on the lay shaft is in mesh with an output shaft loose gear wheel rotatably loose on the output shaft.

2. A vehicle powertrain as in claim 1 , wherein the first electric machine is permanently drivingly connected to the first input shaft and the second electric machine is permanently drivingly connected to the second input shaft.

3. A vehicle powertrain as in claim 1 , wherein the first electric machine is drivingly connected via a selectably engageable first input shaft clutch to a first path input gear wheel and the second electric machine is permanently drivingly connected to the second input shaft.

4. A vehicle powertrain as in claim 2 , wherein the gear ratio of the first torque path is fixed.

5. A vehicle powertrain as in claim 4 , wherein the first torque path comprises a driving connection comprising a set of gear wheels arranged to transmit torque and arranged between the first input shaft and the output shaft.

6. A vehicle powertrain as in claim 5 , wherein the first torque path comprises a first path input gear wheel rotatably fixed to the first input shaft, where the first path input gear wheel is drivingly connected to an output shaft gear wheel rotatably fixed to the output shaft.

7. A vehicle powertrain as in claim 5 , wherein the first torque path comprises a first path input gear wheel rotatably fixed to the first input shaft, where the first path input gear wheel is drivingly connected to an output shaft gear wheel drivingly connected to the output shaft via a selectably engageable clutch to the output shaft and the second electric machine is permanently drivingly connected to the second input shaft.

8. A vehicle powertrain as in claim 6 , wherein the first path input gear wheel is in mesh with an idler gear wheel rotatably loose on an idler shaft, and the idler gear wheel is in mesh with the output shaft gear wheel.

9. A vehicle powertrain as in claim 1 , wherein a selectably engageable output shaft clutch in a first position is arranged to drivingly connect the output shaft loose gear wheel to the output shaft.

10. A vehicle powertrain as in claim 1 , wherein the selectably engageable output shaft clutch in a second position is arranged to drivingly connect the second primary shaft gear wheel or the primary shaft to the output shaft.

11. A vehicle powertrain as in claim 1 , wherein the fixed gear ratio of the first torque path is between the ratios of the two other gear ratios of the second torque path.

12. A vehicle powertrain as in claim 1 , wherein the fixed gear ratio of the first torque path is lower compared to the ratios of the two other gear ratios of the second torque path.

13. A vehicle powertrain as in claim 1 , wherein the fixed gear ratio of the first torque path is higher compared to the ratios of the two other gear ratios of the second torque path.

14. A vehicle powertrain as in claim 1 , wherein the output shaft is arranged coaxially inside the primary shaft.

15. A vehicle powertrain as in claim 1 , wherein rotational axes of the shafts of the transmission and of both the electric machines are arranged in parallel.

16. A vehicle powertrain as in claim 15 , wherein the first and the second electric machines are arranged axially at the same position and adjacent to each other.

17. A vehicle powertrain as in claim 1 , wherein the first electric machine and the second electric machine are of a different type and/or of a different size.

18. A vehicle powertrain as in claim 17 , wherein the first electric machine is an asynchronous electric machine or a reluctance electric machine and the second electric machine is a synchronous electric machine.

19. A vehicle powertrain comprising; a first electric machine and a second electric machine, a transmission arranged to transmit torque from electric machines to a pair of driven wheels of a vehicle, where the first electric machine is drivingly connected to a first input shaft of the transmission and the second electric machine is drivingly connected to a second input shaft of the transmission, wherein a first torque path for transmitting torque comprises only one gear ratio between the first input shaft and an output shaft of the transmission, and a second torque path for transmitting torque comprises two selectable and separately engageable gear ratios between the second input shaft and the output shaft of the transmission, and where the three gear ratios of the first and second torque paths are different from each other, wherein the first electric machine is permanently drivingly connected to the first input shaft and the second electric machine is permanently drivingly connected to the second input shaft, wherein the second torque path comprises a second path input gear wheel of the second input shaft rotatably fixed to the second input shaft, where the second path input gear wheel is in mesh with a first primary shaft gear wheel rotatably fixed on a primary shaft, and where a second primary shaft gear wheel is rotatably fixed on the primary shaft, and where further the second primary shaft gear wheel is in mesh with a first lay shaft gear wheel rotatably fixed on a lay shaft, and where a second lay shaft gear wheel rotatably fixed on the lay shaft is in mesh with an output shaft loose gear wheel rotatably loose on the output shaft.

20. A vehicle powertrain comprising; a first electric machine and a second electric machine, a transmission arranged to transmit torque from electric machines to a pair of driven wheels of a vehicle, where the first electric machine is drivingly connected to a first input shaft of the transmission and the second electric machine is drivingly connected to a second input shaft of the transmission, wherein a first torque path for transmitting torque comprises only one gear ratio between the first input shaft and an output shaft of the transmission, and a second torque path for transmitting torque comprises two selectable and separately engageable gear ratios between the second input shaft and the output shaft of the transmission, and where the three gear ratios of the first and second torque paths are different from each other, wherein the first electric machine is drivin

Assignees

• Volvo Truck Corp

Inventors

• Lord John

Classifications

• B60K17/08

  of mechanical type · CPC title

• B60W10/08

  including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators · CPC title

• B60K1/02 Primary

  comprising more than one electric motor · CPC title

• B60K6/547

  the transmission being a stepped gearing · CPC title

• B60Y2200/143

  Busses · CPC title