Powertrain for hybrid vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9346462-B2
Application number	US-201414542149-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 14, 2014
Priority date	May 12, 2014
Publication date	May 24, 2016
Grant date	May 24, 2016

Abstract

A hybrid vehicle powertrain may include input shafts, clutches, output shafts, a transmission path selector, a planetary gear unit, and a gear stage forming mechanism. The transmission path selector may bring engagement of a first input shaft with second or third input shaft. The planetary gear unit may have three rotary elements, with motor power or engine power being input via a second rotary element, and being output with two transmission gear ratios under the control of a first rotary element in response to engagement of an engaging unit. The gear stage forming mechanism may be formed by engagement of gear pairs having different transmission gear ratios with second and third input shafts and a first output shaft, and function to transmit the power from the second or third input shaft to the first output shaft while changing a speed by selecting a gear pair in accordance with a vehicle running speed using a gear pair selector.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A hybrid vehicle powertrain, comprising:
a first input shaft and a second input shaft, which are rotatably and concentrically installed and to which a rotating force of an engine is transmitted under control of a first clutch and a second clutch;
a third input shaft rotatably and concentrically installed relative to the first input shaft;
a transmission path selector that brings engagement of the first input shaft with the second input shaft or with the third input shaft, thereby transmitting a rotating force of the first input shaft to the second input shaft or to the third input shaft;
a planetary gear unit which includes first, second and third rotary elements, and to which a rotating force of a motor or the rotating force of the engine is input via the second rotary element, and from which the input rotating force is output with any one of two transmission gear ratios under control of the first rotary element in response to engagement of an engaging unit;
a first output shaft installed parallel to both the second input shaft and the third input shaft; and
a gear stage forming mechanism formed by engagement of a plurality of gear pairs having different transmission gear ratios with the second input shaft, the third input shaft and the first output shaft, and transmitting the rotating force from the second input shaft or from the third input shaft to the first output shaft while changing a speed by selecting a gear pair in accordance with a vehicle running speed using a gear pair selector.

2. The hybrid vehicle powertrain of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second output shaft installed parallel to both the second input shaft and the third input shaft, wherein
the gear stage forming mechanism is formed by the engagement of the plurality of gear pairs having the different transmission gear ratios with the second input shaft, the third input shaft and the first output shaft, and includes the gear pair selector functioning to select the gear pair in accordance with the vehicle running speed.

3. The hybrid vehicle powertrain of claim 2 , wherein
the second input shaft and the third input shaft are configured as hollow shafts that are fitted over the first input shaft,
the third input shaft faces the second input shaft, and
the transmission path selector is installed on the first input shaft at a location between the second input shaft and the third input shaft such that the transmission path selector is restricted from rotating relative to the first input shaft.

4. The hybrid vehicle powertrain of claim 3 , wherein the transmission path selector is a synchromesh mechanism.

5. The hybrid vehicle powertrain of claim 2 , wherein the planetary gear unit is arranged such that the planetary gear unit is concentric with the first input shaft, wherein
the first rotary element is coupled to the engaging unit, and functions as an input element,
the second rotary element is coupled to the first input shaft, and functions as an input element, and
the third rotary element is coupled to the third input shaft, and functions as an output element.

6. The hybrid vehicle powertrain of claim 5 , wherein the first rotary element is a sun gear, the second rotary element is a carrier, and the third rotary element is a ring gear.

7. The hybrid vehicle powertrain of claim 6 , wherein
the first clutch and the second clutch are installed on a first end of the first input shaft, and
the motor is installed on a second end of the first input shaft.

8. The hybrid vehicle powertrain of claim 6 , wherein
the engaging unit is configured to selectively brake the sun gear.

9. The hybrid vehicle powertrain of claim 8 , wherein
the engaging unit is installed at a location between an inner surface of a transmission housing and the sun gear such that the first engaging unit is selectively engaged with the inner surface of the transmission housing or with the sun gear.

10. The hybrid vehicle powertrain of claim 8 , wherein the engaging unit is a brake.

11. The hybrid vehicle powertrain of claim 5 , wherein, in the gear stage forming mechanism,
gear pairs designated to form a first gear and gear pairs designated to form a third gear are provided on different input shafts and different output shafts, respectively, and
gear pairs designated to form a second gear and gear pairs designated to form a fourth gear are provided on different input shafts and different output shafts, respectively.

12. The hybrid vehicle powertrain of claim 11 , wherein
the gear pairs designated to form the first gear are provided to mesh with both the second input shaft and the first output shaft, while the gear pairs designated to form the third gear are provided to mesh with both the third input shaft and the second output shaft, and
the gear pairs designated to form the second gear are provided to mesh with both the third input shaft and the second output shaft, while the gear pairs designated to form the fourth gear are provided to mesh with both the second input shaft and the first output shaft.

13. The hybrid vehicle powertrain of claim 5 , wherein gear pairs designated to form two different gears include a common gear pair, so that the rotating force is output with different transmission gear ratios using the common gear pair according to the transmission gear ratios output from the planetary gear unit.

14. The hybrid vehicle powertrain of claim 13 , wherein
a first common gear pair is commonly included in gear pairs designated to form a second gear and in gear pairs designated to form a third gear, and commonly used when forming the second gear or the third gear, and
a second common gear pair is commonly included in gear pairs designated to form a fifth gear and in gear pairs designated to form a seventh gear, and commonly used when forming the fifth gear or the seventh gear.

15. The hybrid vehicle powertrain of claim 14 , wherein
the first common gear pair commonly included in the gear pairs designated to form the second gear and in the gear pairs designated to form the third gear is installed to mesh with both the third input shaft and the second output shaft, and
the second common gear pair commonly included in the gear pairs designated to form the fifth gear and in the gear pairs designated to form the seventh gear is installed to mesh with both the third input shaft and the first output shaft.

16. The hybrid vehicle powertrain of claim 2 , further comprising:
a reverse idler shaft installed parallel to the second input shaft;
a reverse idler gear rotatably provided on the reverse idler shaft; and
a reverse output gear provided on the first output shaft such that the reverse output gear meshes with the reverse idler gear.

17. The hybrid vehicle powertrain of claim 16 , wherein the reverse idler gear is configured to mesh with an input gear of the gear pairs provided in the gear stage forming mechanism.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Park Jong Yun

Classifications

• F16H2003/008

  comprising means for selectively driving countershafts · CPC title

• B60W20/40 Primary

  Controlling the engagement or disengagement of prime movers, e.g. for transition between prime movers {(power-up or power-down of the driveline B60W30/192)} · CPC title

• B60K6/365

  with the gears having orbital motion · CPC title

• F16H2200/2033

  with one engaging means · CPC title

• F16H3/006

  power being selectively transmitted by parallel flow paths, e.g. dual clutch transmissions · CPC title