Powertrain for a vehicle and an electromechanical apparatus coupleable to an engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9657705-B2
Application number	US-201414208434-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 13, 2014
Priority date	Mar 13, 2014
Publication date	May 23, 2017
Grant date	May 23, 2017

Abstract

A powertrain and an electromechanical apparatus are disclosed. A ring gear is attached to a first distal end of a crankshaft such that the ring gear and the crankshaft are rotatable in unison about a longitudinal axis. A motor-generator includes a motor/generator shaft being rotatable about a first axis spaced from the longitudinal axis. A starter mechanism includes a first starter gear coupleable to the motor/generator shaft and rotatable about a second axis spaced from the longitudinal axis. The first starter gear is movable along the second axis between a first position engaging the ring gear such that torque is transferred from the motor/generator shaft through the first starter gear and the ring gear to the crankshaft to start the engine, and a second position disengaged from the ring gear to rotatably disconnect the starter mechanism from the ring gear.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A powertrain for a vehicle, the powertrain comprising:
an engine including a crankshaft being rotatable about a longitudinal axis;
a ring gear attached to a first distal end of the crankshaft such that the ring gear and the crankshaft are rotatable in unison about the longitudinal axis;
a motor-generator including a motor/generator shaft being rotatable about a first axis, with the first axis being spaced from the longitudinal axis; and
a starter mechanism including a first starter gear coupleable to the motor/generator shaft, wherein the first starter gear is rotatable about a second axis, with the second axis being spaced from the longitudinal axis, and with the first starter gear being movable along the second axis between a first position engaging the ring gear such that torque is transferred from the motor-generator to the starter mechanism via the motor/generator shaft, and a second position disengaged from the ring gear to rotatably disconnect the starter mechanism from the ring gear, wherein the motor/generator shaft transfers torque through the first starter gear and the ring gear to the crankshaft to start the engine when the first starter gear is in the first position.

2. A powertrain as set forth in claim 1 wherein the starter mechanism includes a first end and a second end spaced from each other along the second axis, with the first starter gear being disposed adjacent to the first end of the starter mechanism, and the motor/generator shaft being coupleable to the starter mechanism adjacent to the second end of the starter mechanism.

3. A powertrain as set forth in claim 2 wherein the motor-generator includes a motor/generator gear attached to a distal end of the motor/generator shaft such that the motor/generator gear and the motor/generator shaft are rotatable in unison about the first axis.

4. A powertrain as set forth in claim 3 wherein the starter mechanism includes a second starter gear coupleable to the motor/generator gear.

5. A powertrain as set forth in claim 4 wherein the second starter gear is movable along the second axis between a third position engaging the motor/generator gear such that torque is transferred from the motor/generator shaft through the motor/generator gear and the second starter gear, and a fourth position disengaged from the motor/generator gear to rotatably disconnect the starter mechanism from the motor-generator.

6. A powertrain as set forth in claim 5 wherein:
the starter mechanism includes an elongated shaft extending through the starter mechanism along the second axis and having a first end portion disposed outside of the first end of the starter mechanism and a second end portion disposed outside of the second end of the starter mechanism, with the first starter gear being attached to the first end portion and the second starter gear attached to the second end portion such that movement of the elongated shaft along the second axis simultaneously moves the first starter gear to one of the first and second positions and the second starter gear to the respective third and fourth positions; and
the elongated shaft, the first and second starter gears, the motor/generator shaft and the motor/generator gear concurrently rotate with each other when the first starter gear is in the first position and the second starter gear is in the third position to transfer torque from the motor/generator shaft through the first and second starter gears and the ring gear to the crankshaft to start the engine.

7. A powertrain as set forth in claim 6 wherein the first and second axes are spaced from and substantially parallel to each other.

8. A powertrain as set forth in claim 4 wherein:
the starter mechanism includes a first shaft having the first starter gear attached thereto such that the first shaft and the first starter gear are rotatable in unison about the second axis, and the first shaft and the first starter gear are movable along the second axis in unison between the first and second positions;
the starter mechanism includes a second shaft having the second starter gear attached thereto such that the second shaft and the second starter gear are rotatable in unison about the second axis, with the second starter gear remaining in engagement with the motor/generator gear when the first starter gear is in the first and second positions; and
the first and second shafts, the first and second starter gears, the motor/generator shaft and the motor/generator gear concurrently rotate with each other when the first starter gear is in the first position to transfer torque from the motor/generator shaft through the first and second starter gears and the ring gear to the crankshaft to start the engine.

9. A powertrain as set forth in claim 8 :
wherein the motor-generator includes a motor/generator pulley coupleable to the motor/generator shaft adjacent to a first end of the motor-generator, with the motor/generator pulley being rotatable about the first axis; and
further including a first clutch coupleable to the motor/generator pulley and a second clutch spaced from the first clutch, with the second clutch being coupleable to the motor/generator shaft to selectively disconnect rotation of the motor/generator gear from the motor/generator pulley such that the motor/generator gear and the second starter gear remain stationary when the second clutch is actuated.

10. A powertrain as set forth in claim 8 wherein the first and second axes are spaced from and substantially parallel to each other.

11. A powertrain as set forth in claim 1 wherein the motor-generator includes a motor/generator gear attached to a distal end of the motor/generator shaft such that the motor/generator gear and the motor/generator shaft are rotatable in unison about the first axis.

12. A powertrain as set forth in claim 11 wherein the first starter gear engages both of the motor/generator gear and the ring gear when in the first position such that the motor/generator gear, the motor/generator shaft and the first starter gear concurrently rotate with each other when the first starter gear is in the first position to transfer torque from the motor/generator shaft through the first starter gear and the ring gear to the crankshaft to start the engine, and the first starter gear disengages from both of the motor/generator gear and the ring gear when in the second position to rotatably disconnect the starter mechanism from the motor-generator.

13. A powertrain as set forth in claim 12 wherein the first and second axes are spaced from and substantially parallel to each other.

14. A powertrain as set forth in claim 1 wherein:
the starter mechanism includes a first shaft having the first starter gear attached thereto such that the first shaft and the first starter gear are rotatable in unison about the second axis, and the first shaft and the first starter gear are movable along the second axis in unison between the first and second positions; and
the motor/generator shaft coupleable to the first shaft such that the motor/generator shaft rotates in unison with the first shaft when the first starter gear is in the first and second positions.

15. A powertrain as set forth in claim 14 wherein the first and second axes are coaxial.

16. A powertrain as set forth in claim 1 :
further including a crankshaft pulley coupleable to a second distal end of the crankshaft such that the crankshaft pulley and the crankshaft are rotatable in unison about the longitudinal axis;
wherein the motor-generator includes a motor/generator pulley coupleable to the motor/generator shaft adjace

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Holmes Alan G
• Reynolds Michael G
• Rajala Alexandru
• Namuduri Chandra S
• Atluri Venkata Prasad

Classifications

• Y02T10/62

  Hybrid vehicles · CPC title

• F02N15/067

  the starter comprising an electro-magnetically actuated lever · CPC title

• F02N11/04 Primary

  the motors being associated with current generators · CPC title

• B60K6/20

  the prime-movers consisting of electric motors and internal combustion engines, e.g. HEVs · CPC title

• F16H7/02

  with belts; with V-belts · CPC title