Subaru Corporation

Fuji Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha

Akihiro Nabeshima

Takeshi Yoneda

Norio Oowada

Satoshi Inoue

Takuya Machida

Katsuya Higuchi

Tomoaki Sugiura

Hiroshi Tatekawa

Masaki Takami

Fumiya Sato

Yosuke Takebayashi

Yoshinobu Yamazaki

Keigo Yamada

Minoru Suyama

Shuntaro Miura

Hiroomi Kobayashi

Hiroshi Kusano

Yoshiyuki Jin

Kaoru Sugano

Takumi Araki

Taichi Murai

Tatsuya Takayanagi

Susumu Ito

Tatsuhiro Kubo

Masami Oguri

An electric vehicle includes a motor and a controller. The controller is configured to; based on determining that the electric motor is in the locked state, set a search target torque greater than a value of torque demanded by a driver, and execute an increase of the motor torque up to the set target torque; upon making a determination that the locked state is ceased, store a value of the target torque at a time of making the determination, and execute a decrease of the target torque; and when a second value of the torque demanded by the driver becomes the value of the target torque or more after the decrease of the target torque, set a second value of the target torque in accordance with the second value of the torque demanded by the driver, and drive the electric motor in accordance with the set target torque.

Electric vehicle

A hybrid all-wheel-drive vehicle includes an engine, first and second motor generators, a first clutch between the second motor generator and a front wheel, a second clutch between the second motor generator and a rear wheel, and a control unit that controls, based on a vehicle traveling state, the engine, the motor generators, and the clutches. The first motor generator is coupled to the engine and the front wheel in a manner capable of transmitting torque. During regeneration, the control unit engages the first clutch and disengages the second clutch. When the all-wheel-drive vehicle shifts from motor traveling to hybrid traveling, the control unit restarts the engine by operating the first motor generator and regulates engagement forces of the clutches and output torque of the second motor generator to compensate driving torque of the front wheel by the second motor generator while maintaining driving torque of the rear wheel.

Hybrid all-wheel-drive vehicle

When the operation amount of an accelerator exceeds a predetermined value at a time of climbing over a bump with either one of right and left front wheels, a HEV-CU increases the regenerative torque of a first motor generator, reduces the output torque of a second motor generator, and increases the engagement force of a LSD clutch of a center differential unit so as to reduce the input torque of a front LSD. When the operation amount of the accelerator exceeds the predetermined value at a time of climbing over a bump with either one of left and right rear wheels, the HEV-CU increases the regenerative torque of the first motor generator, reduces the output torque of the second motor generator, and reduces the engagement force of the LSD clutch so as to reduce the input torque of the rear LSD.

A vehicle steering apparatus is configured to apply, to a steered wheel of a vehicle, a driving force for canceling a toe change amount caused by a road irregularity. The vehicle steering apparatus includes a road reaction force detector configured to detect a road reaction force received by a tire of the steered wheel, a toe adjustment actuator coupled to the steered wheel, and a controller configured to control a driving force of the toe adjustment actuator. The controller includes a toe change amount setter configured to set the toe change amount based on the road reaction force detected by the road reaction force detector, an operation amount calculator configured to calculate an actuator operation amount for canceling the toe change amount set by the toe change amount setter, and a driver configured to drive the toe adjustment actuator by the actuator operation amount calculated by the operation amount calculator.

Vehicle steering apparatus

A front-rear wheel driving force distribution device includes a center differential and a limited slip differential. The limited slip differential includes a first clutch, a second clutch, a first piston, a second piston, and a one-way clutch provided between the first clutch and a rear propeller shaft. If the second clutch is engaged by the second piston, the propeller shaft on the rear side rotates at increased speed as compared with a case where the first clutch is engaged by the first piston. The one-way clutch couples the first clutch and the rear propeller shaft if a number of rotations of the first clutch is same as or higher than a number of rotations of the rear propeller shaft, and idles if the number of rotations of the first clutch is lower than the number of rotations of the rear propeller shaft.

Front-rear wheel driving force distribution device and front-rear wheel driving force distribution device controller

A power distribution apparatus for an electric vehicle includes a power distribution mechanism configured to distribute power output from an electric motor to front and rear wheels, and a controller configured to control the power distribution mechanism. The power distribution mechanism includes a first clutch configured to fix a power distribution ratio during straight traveling to a first distribution ratio at which first power distributed to the rear wheels and second power distributed to the front wheels are nearly same, and a second clutch configured to fix the power distribution ratio during straight traveling to a second distribution ratio at which the first power is larger than the second power. The controller is configured set the second clutch to an engaged state and sets the first clutch to a half-engaged state during regenerative braking.

Power distribution apparatus for electric vehicle

A power transmission mechanism includes a first pinion gear meshed with a first sun gear coupled to a first output shaft; a second pinion gear meshed with a second sun gear coupled to a second output shaft and meshed with the first pinion gear; a differential case coupled to an input shaft and supporting the first and second pinion gears; an internal gear rotatable about the axes of the first and second output shafts; a motor generator coupled to the internal gear; a first one-way clutch including a first inner ring member configured to move in conjunction with the first pinion gear and a first outer ring member meshed with the internal gear; and a second one-way clutch including a second inner ring member configured to move in conjunction with the second pinion gear and a second outer ring member meshed with the internal gear.

Power transmission mechanism

A hybrid vehicle includes a planetary gear mechanism, a first electric motor, an internal combustion engine, first drive wheels, an inter-element clutch, a second electric motor, and second drive wheels. The planetary gear mechanism is configured to transmit motive power among first to third rotary elements. The first electric motor is coupled to the first rotary element in a power transmittable manner. The internal combustion engine is coupled to the second rotary element in a power transmittable manner. The first drive wheels are coupled to the third rotary element in a power transmittable manner. The inter-element clutch is configured to switch between coupling and uncoupling two of the first to third rotary elements. The second electric motor is configured to perform power running operation using power generated by the first electric motor. The second drive wheels are coupled to the second electric motor in a power transmittable manner.

Hybrid vehicle

A driving system includes an engine, a motor generator, an output unit, a power transmission mechanism, and a controller. The output unit outputs at least one of an engine driving force generated by the engine or a motor driving force generated by the motor generator. The power transmission mechanism selects a first drive mode in which both of the engine driving force and the motor driving force are transmitted to the output unit, and a second drive mode in which only the engine driving force is transmitted to the output unit. The controller controls the power transmission mechanism to select the first drive mode when a first fuel consumption rate of the engine in the first drive mode is or is estimated to be lower than a second fuel consumption rate of the engine in the second drive mode.

Driving system

A vehicle control apparatus includes a controller that selects an electric vehicle (EV) mode where an output clutch is disengaged and a wheel is driven by a motor, or a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) mode where the output clutch is engaged and the wheel is driven by an engine and the motor. The controller engages the output clutch during the EV mode to adjust a gear ratio of a continuously variable transmission, and switches, in accordance with a battery state, an adjustment mode for the gear ratio, during the EV mode, between a first adjustment mode that allows the gear ratio to be adjusted in accordance with a vehicle speed, and a second adjustment mode that allows the gear ratio to be adjusted to and kept at a reference gear ratio smaller than a lowest speed gear ratio regardless of the vehicle speed.

Vehicle control apparatus

A vehicle control apparatus for a vehicle provided with an engine, a continuously variable transmission (CVT) coupled to an output shaft of the engine, a motor coupled to a wheel, and an output clutch that transmits power from an output shaft of the CVT and the motor to the wheel includes a controller that is able to switch and execute either of an EV mode that allows, upon disengagement of the output clutch, power outputted from the motor to drive the wheel, and an HEV mode that allows, upon engagement of the output clutch, power outputted from the engine and the motor to drive the wheel, and that, in an adjustment of a gear ratio of the CVT during the EV mode, engages the output clutch and adjusts the gear ratio of the CVT, and thereafter disengages the output clutch before the gear ratio reaches a target gear ratio.

A first travel controller of a control device for a vehicle sets a first target drive force based on preceding vehicle information to control a power source when a follow-up system is in an active state. A second travel controller sets a second target drive force based on a driver's operation to control the power source when the follow-up system is in an inactive state. A third travel controller sets a third target drive force that changes from the first target drive force toward to the second target drive force to control the power source when the follow-up system is switched from the active state to the inactive state. The third travel controller makes a difference between a change rate of the third target drive force set after the cancel operation and a change rate of the third target drive force set after the brake operation.

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Akihiro Nabeshima