Hybrid vehicle powertrain

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9718344-B2
Application number	US-201314652566-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 19, 2013
Priority date	Dec 19, 2012
Publication date	Aug 1, 2017
Grant date	Aug 1, 2017

Abstract

A hybrid vehicle powertrain includes an internal combustion engine, an electric traction motor and a transmission. A first flexible coupling drivingly connects the internal combustion engine to the transmission, and a second flexible coupling drivingly connects the electric traction motor to the transmission.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A hybrid vehicle powertrain, comprising:
an internal combustion engine;
an electric traction motor; and
a transmission;
wherein a first flexible coupling drivingly connects the internal combustion engine to the transmission; and
a second flexible coupling drivingly connects the electric traction motor to the transmission,
wherein the first and second flexible couplings are both connected to a common input of the transmission, and wherein the first flexible coupling is less flexible than the second flexible coupling.

2. The hybrid vehicle powertrain of claim 1 , wherein the first flexible coupling comprises a first flex plate, and wherein the second flexible coupling comprises a second flex plate.

3. The hybrid vehicle powertrain of claim 1 , wherein the common input is connected to a torque converter.

4. The hybrid vehicle powertrain of claim 1 , wherein the first flexible coupling is connected to a drive shaft of the internal combustion engine, and wherein a clutch is provided for selectively engaging/disengaging the drive shaft.

5. The hybrid vehicle powertrain of claim 4 , wherein the clutch comprises an operating mechanism arranged coaxially with the drive shaft of the internal combustion engine.

6. The hybrid vehicle powertrain of claim 5 , wherein the electric traction motor is disposed radially outwardly of the operating mechanism.

7. The hybrid vehicle powertrain of claim 4 , wherein the clutch is a pull-release clutch.

8. The hybrid vehicle powertrain of claim 1 , wherein the electric traction motor comprises a rotor and the second flexible coupling is fixedly mounted to the rotor.

9. The hybrid vehicle powertrain of claim 1 , wherein the electric traction motor is an axial flux traction motor.

10. A dual coupling for connecting first and second power generators to a transmission, the dual coupling comprising:
a first flexible coupling for drivingly connecting the first power generator to the transmission; and
a second flexible coupling for drivingly connecting the second power generator to the transmission
wherein the first and second flexible couplings are both connected to a common input of the transmission, and wherein the first flexible coupling is less flexible than the second flexible coupling.

11. The dual coupling of claim 10 , wherein the first flexible coupling comprises a first flex plate and the second flexible coupling comprises a second flex plate.

12. The dual coupling of claim 10 , wherein the first power generator is an internal combustion engine, and wherein the second power generator is an electric traction motor.

13. A vehicle powertrain comprising the dual coupling of claim 10 .

14. A vehicle comprising the powertrain of claim 1 .

Assignees

• Jaguar Land Rover Ltd

Inventors

• Wardle David

Classifications

• B60K2006/4825

  Electric machine connected or connectable to gearbox input shaft · CPC title

• B60Y2400/4242

  of dry type · CPC title

• B60K6/405

  Housings · CPC title

• B60Y2400/607

  Axial flux machines · CPC title

• B60Y2400/426

  Hydrodynamic couplings, e.g. torque converters · CPC title