Subaru Corporation

Norio Oowada

Takeshi Yoneda

Akihiro Nabeshima

Katsuya Higuchi

Hiroshi Tatekawa

Masaki Takami

Yosuke Takebayashi

Tatsuhiro Kubo

Minoru Suyama

Hiroomi Kobayashi

Kaoru Sugano

Taichi Murai

Tatsuya Takayanagi

Gen Hariu

Ryou Kanome

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 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 power transmission mechanism including a planetary mechanism, an electronically controlled clutch, and a motor generator. The planetary mechanism is coupled to an input shaft and first and second output shafts. The planetary mechanism includes a differential element rotating the first and second output shafts at different rotation speeds. The planetary mechanism outputs a torque input to the first and second output shafts. The electronically controlled clutch includes first and second clutch plates. The first clutch plate is coupled to a member different from the differential element. The second clutch plate is coupled to the differential element. The electronically controlled clutch allows the differential element to rotate the first and second output shafts at the different rotation speeds when the first and second clutch plates are released. The electronically controlled clutch restricts a rotation speed difference in response to engaging between the first and second clutch plates.

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Norio Oowada