Hybrid vehicle drive apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9409568-B2
Application number	US-201214415239-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 17, 2012
Priority date	Jul 17, 2012
Publication date	Aug 9, 2016
Grant date	Aug 9, 2016

Abstract

A hybrid vehicle drive apparatus includes an engine, a transmission unit, and a differential unit. A dual-motor travel is possible by stopping the engine and driving a first rotating machine and a second rotating machine as a result of engaging a first engaging element and a second engaging element of the transmission unit. At a time of switching to a dual-motor travel, the hybrid vehicle drive apparatus executes a first control for carrying out a negative RPM control by the first rotating machine; a second control for engaging either one of a first engaging element and a second engaging element of the transmission unit; and a third control for engaging both of the first engaging element and the second engaging element of the transmission unit after the first control and the second control.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A hybrid vehicle drive apparatus comprising:
an engine, a transmission unit, and a differential unit, wherein
an output shaft of the engine is coupled to an input shaft of the transmission unit;
a first element of the differential unit is coupled to an output element of the transmission unit, a second element of the differential unit is coupled to a first rotating machine, and a third element of the differential unit is coupled to a second rotating machine;
a dual-motor travel is possible by stopping the engine and driving the first rotating machine and the second rotating machine as a result of engaging a first engaging element and a second engaging element of the transmission unit; and
at a time of switching to the dual-motor travel, the hybrid vehicle drive apparatus executes:
a first control for carrying out a negative RPM control by the first rotating machine;
a second control for engaging either one of the first engaging element and the second engaging element of the transmission unit; and
a third control for engaging both of the first engaging element and the second engaging element of the transmission unit after the first control and the second control.

2. The hybrid vehicle drive apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the hybrid vehicle drive apparatus executes
the first control and the second control when switching to the dual-motor travel is predicted, and
the third control when the switching to the dual-motor travel is carried out.

3. The hybrid vehicle drive apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
a single-motor travel is possible by stopping the engine and driving the second rotating machine, and
the hybrid vehicle drive apparatus executes, at a time of the single-motor travel, a control for making the RPM of the first rotating machine to 0.

4. The hybrid vehicle drive apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
a single-motor travel is possible by stopping the engine and driving the second rotating machine, and
the hybrid vehicle drive apparatus executes, at a time of the single-motor travel, a control for making the RPM of the first rotating machine to 0.

5. A hybrid vehicle drive apparatus comprising:
an engine including an output shaft;
a first rotating machine and a second rotating machine which are capable of a dual-motor travel;
a transmission unit comprising:
an input shaft coupled to the output shaft,
an output element,
a first engaging element, and
a second engaging element, wherein the engine is stopped by engaging of both of the first engaging element and the second engaging element;

a differential unit comprising:
a first element coupled to the output element,
a second element coupled to the first rotating machine, and
a third element coupled to the second rotating machine; and

a controller configured to execute, at a time of switching to the dual-motor travel, a first control for carrying out a negative RPM control by the first rotating machine, a second control for engaging either one of the first engaging element and the second engaging element of the transmission unit, and a third control for engaging both of the first engaging element and the second engaging element of the transmission unit after the first control and the second control.

6. The hybrid vehicle drive apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the controller executes the first control and the second control when switching to the dual-motor travel is predicted, and executes the third control when the switching to the dual-motor travel is carried out.

7. The hybrid vehicle drive apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein
a single-motor travel is possible by stopping the engine and driving the second rotating machine, and
the controller executes, at a time of the single-motor travel, a control for making the RPM of the first rotating machine to 0.

8. The hybrid vehicle drive apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein
a single-motor travel is possible by stopping the engine and driving the second rotating machine, and
the controller executes, at a time of the single-motor travel, a control for making the RPM of the first rotating machine to 0.

Assignees

• Yamamoto Masafumi
• Tabata Atsushi
• Okuda Koichi
• Imai Keita
• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yamamoto Masafumi
• Tabata Atsushi
• Okuda Koichi
• Imai Keita

Classifications

• Y02T10/62

  Hybrid vehicles · CPC title

• Y02T10/6239

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• B60K2006/381

  characterized by driveline brakes · CPC title

• B60K6/365

  with the gears having orbital motion · CPC title

• F16H2200/2007

  with two sets of orbital gears · CPC title