Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.

Means Industries, Inc.

Hiroki Yasui

Hiroyuki Shioiri

Hiroyuki Shibata

Yuki Kurosaki

Hideaki Komada

Hirotsugu Yoshino

Takahito Endo

Hiroaki Ebuchi

Yoichiro Isami

Hidekazu Nagai

Tatsuya Imamura

Yosuke Suzuki

Shotaro Kato

Tomohiro Abe

Kensei Hata

Akiko Nishimine

Joshua D Hand

Luke Alan Rippelmeyer

Kenta Kimura

Akira Hibino

A shifting mechanism in which an inclination of a sleeve with respect to a shift fork is reduced while maintaining a clearance between the shift fork and the sleeve. In the shifting mechanism, an engagement groove is formed entirely around a shift sleeve, and a cutout is formed on the engagement groove. A first diameter of the shift sleeve between predetermined sites of the bottom of the engagement groove within the cutouts is shorter than a second diameter of the shift sleeve between predetermined sites of the bottom of the engagement groove. A straight-line distance between the engagement ridges formed on both ends of the shift fork is longer than the first diameter but shorter than the second diameter.

Shifting mechanism

A control system for a hybrid vehicle that shift an operating mode to an appropriate mode from a low mode or high mode. The hybrid vehicle comprises a power split mechanism connected to an engine and a first motor. When a required brake torque of a prime mover cannot be achieved during propulsion in an operating mode established by engaging one of clutches while stopping the engine, the control system excites a motoring of the engine by the first motor while maintaining engagement of the clutch engaged to establish the current operating mode.

Control system for hybrid vehicles

A power transmission unit that can prevent unintentional disengagement of a clutch. A first set of teeth formed on an outer circumferential surface of a first rotary member is engaged with a third set of teeth formed on an inner circumferential surface of a second rotary member. A second set of teeth formed on an inner circumferential surface of the first rotary member is meshed with a fourth set of teeth formed on an outer circumferential surface of a third rotary member. A center of engagement between the first set of teeth and the third set of teeth is situated at a point withdrawn from a center of engagement between the second set of teeth and the fourth set of teeth in the direction to disengage the first set of teeth from the third set of teeth.

Power transmission unit

A meshing engagement device includes a movable member; a first engaging element; a spring member; first engaging teeth formed on the first engaging element; and a second engaging element having second engaging teeth which engage with the first engaging teeth. Further, the meshing engagement device switches between an engagement state and a disengagement state, and the engagement state includes: a first engagement state where the spring member is brought into a state where the spring member is contracted in the axial direction; and a second engagement state where the spring member is brought into a state where the spring member is further contracted in the axial direction compared to the spring member in the first engagement state.

Meshing engagement device and controller

A control system for a power transmission unit configured to shift an operating mode smoothly by manipulating engagement devices, and to simplify a structure of the power transmission unit. The control system is configured to reduce a speed difference between an axially stationary engagement element and a reciprocatable engagement element of a second engagement device when shifting from a first continuously variable mode to a second continuously variable mode by engaging the second engagement device. After the second engagement device has been engaged completely, a first engagement device is disengaged.

Control system for power transmission unit

A control system for a vehicle that prevents an unintentional mode change when a command signal cannot be transmitted to an engagement device. In the vehicle, HV-Lo mode is established by connecting a carrier to a carrier by a first clutch while disconnecting the carrier from a ring gear by a second clutch, and HV-Lo mode is established by disconnecting the carrier from the carrier by the first clutch while connecting the carrier to the ring gear by the second clutch. A normally stay clutch is used as at least one of the first clutch and the second clutch.

Drive force control system for vehicle

Described herein are various embodiments of a clutch assembly and separator plates for a clutch assembly. The clutch assembly may comprise a first separator plate; a second separator plate; and a spring coupled to the first separator plate and contacting the second separator plate, such that when compressed the spring applies a repulsive force separating the first separator plate and the second separator plate.

Methods and apparatus for clutch and brake drag reduction using springs

A selectable one-way clutch includes: a shaft; an actuator configured to cause the shaft to perform a rectilinear motion in a shaft direction; and an arm including an operation portion configured to receive force in the shaft direction from the shaft. The shaft includes a first flange and a second flange. An engaged state and a released state the selectable one-way clutch are switched by an operation of the arm by the rectilinear motion of the shaft, in an assembled state of the shaft and the arm in which the operation portion is arranged between the first flange and the second flange. The first flange is provided with a cut portion in an outer peripheral edge of the first shaft. The shaft has a structure in which the first flange does not face the operation portion in the shaft direction by the cut portion of the first flange.

Selectable one-way clutch

A power transmission apparatus includes: an input shaft; a selectable one-way clutch; a housing case; a center support; a lubricating oil reservoir; and an oil passage. The oil passage extends through a pocket plate disposed between the lubricating oil reservoir and a selector plate. The selector plate includes a through-hole. The through-hole is located at a position where the through-hole is not lined up with the opening of the oil passage in a radial direction and a circumferential direction of the selector plate in a non-engagement state of the selectable one-way clutch, and also at a position where the through-hole is lined up with the opening of the oil passage in the radial direction and the circumferential direction of the selector plate in an engagement state of the selectable one-way clutch.

Power transmission apparatus

A selectable one-way clutch includes: a pocket plate including a plurality of housing concave portions; a notch plate including a plurality of engaging concave portions; plate-like engaging pieces, each being housed in each of the housing concave portions; elastic members, each being provided between a bottom portion of a corresponding housing concave portion of the housing concave portions and a corresponding engaging piece of the engaging pieces; and a selector plate provided between the pocket plate and the notch plate in a rotation axis direction of the notch plate. The bottom portion of the housing concave portion includes: a first bottom surface; and a second bottom surface formed at a position deeper than the first bottom surface.

A drive unit of a hybrid vehicle includes an engine; an electric motor; first and second differential mechanisms; a selectable one-way clutch; and a case accommodating the electric motor. Further, the first differential mechanism includes a first rotational element coupled to the electric motor, a second rotational element coupled to the engine, and a third rotational element that outputs power toward drive wheels, the second differential mechanism includes a sun gear coupled to the electric motor, a carrier coupled to the engine, a ring gear whose rotation is regulated by the selectable one-way clutch, and a ring gear flange that rotates integrally with the ring gear, and the selectable one-way clutch switches a state thereof between a locked state and an unlocked state, and the ring gear flange is supported by a rotor shaft of the electric motor via a radial bearing.

Drive unit of hybrid vehicle

A selectable one-way clutch to prevent a selector plate from being rotated undesirably by a drag torque even if an oil temperature is low. An actuator comprises a casing to which the plunger is inserted while being allowed to reciprocate therein, and a chamber holding a return spring for pushing the plunger out of the casing. The plunger is connected to the selector plate through the arm, and a through hole is formed on the chamber to introduce and discharge oil to/from the chamber.

A control system for a hybrid vehicle configured to prevent an undesirable engagement of the selectable one-way clutch is provided. In order to reduce a drag torque resulting from a cranking of an engine to bring the selectable one-way clutch into engagement mode, the control system raises a temperature of lubrication oil before carrying out the cranking of the engine if it is too low, and carries out the cranking of an engine by a motor after the temperature of the lubrication oil is raised to a level at which viscosity thereof is reduced.

Control system for hybrid vehicle

A fixation structure for a selectable one-way clutch that can prevent engagement delay and imperfect engagement of the selectable one way clutch is provided. The fixation structure comprises a ridge formed on a back face of the pocket plate to be splined to a casing. The ridge is situated radially inner side of a strut held in a pocket plate.

Fixation structure for selectable one-way clutch

A power transmission apparatus of a vehicle is provided. The power transmission apparatus includes: an input shaft; a brake mechanism; an oil pump; a housing case; a center support; a lubricating oil reservoir; and an oil passage. The brake mechanism includes a stationary race and a rotary race that are adjacently arranged in an axial direction of the input shaft. The center support is disposed between an inner surface of the housing case and the input shaft in the housing case. The center support is configured to support the input shaft relative to the housing case. The lubricating oil reservoir is disposed in a lubrication passage of the lubricating oil inside the housing case. The oil passage communicates the lubricating oil reservoir with the rotary race of the brake mechanism such that the lubricating oil reserved in the lubricating oil reservoir is supplied into the brake mechanism.

Growing community of inventors

Susono, Japan

Hiroki Yasui