Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha

Katsuyoshi Chubachi

Yoshio Yamamoto

In a hybrid vehicle including a gasoline engine and an electric motor capable of applying an assist force to the gasoline engine, the electric motor is controlled so as to increase the assist force applied to the gasoline engine when a knocking is detected by a knock sensor mounted on the gasoline engine. Thus, even when a gasoline of a low octane value is used, the drivability of the vehicle can be prevented from being degraded.

Hybrid vehicle

A power transmitting mechanism for use in a hybrid vehicle includes first and second continuously variable transmissions connected to an output shaft of a vehicle's engine. The first continuously variable transmission causes left and right wheels to rotate via a starting clutch, differential gear and vehicle's axle. The second continuously variable transmission drives a generator/motor and also drives pulleys that are provided for actuating auxiliaries such as an air-conditioning compressor and power-steering compressor. In acceleration of the vehicle, the generator/motor operates as an electro motor so that the axle can be driven by a combination of the output power of the engine and generator/motor. In deceleration of the vehicle, the generator/motor operates as a power generator so as to effectively collect, from the axle, decreasing energy of the vehicle. In this case, a transmission ratio of the second continuously variable transmission can be chosen to be a substantial reciprocal of a transmission ratio of the first continuously variable transmission such that the generator/motor achieves a highest possible operating efficiency. As a result, irrespective of variations in the number of rotations of the engine, the generator/motor can operate efficiently, which allows the engine, generator/motor and auxiliaries to operate in respective optimum conditions.

Power transmitting apparatus for a hybrid vehicle

An apparatus for controlling a motor vehicle equipped with a lean-burn engine and an electric motor coupled to an output shaft of the lean-burn engine has an engine controller, a combustion-pressure variation detector, and a motor controller. The engine controller controls the lean-burn engine to operate in a lean range of air-fuel ratios. The combustion-pressure variation detector detects a variation in a combustion pressure of the lean-burn engine controlled by the engine controller. The motor controller controls the electric motor to apply a force to the output shaft of the lean-burn engine for suppressing a variation caused in a torque produced by the lean-burn engine based on the variation in the combustion pressure as detected by the combustion-pressure variation detector means if the variation in the combustion pressure is in excess of a predetermined value.

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Wako, Japan

Katsuyoshi Chubachi