Aisin Aw Co., Ltd.

Aisin Seiki Kabushiki Kaisha

Kabushikikaisha Equos Research

Aisun Aw Co., Ltd.

Satoru Tanaka

Mutsumi Kawamoto

Shigeo Tsuzuki

Takeshi Hara

Kenji Omote

Hidemitsu Inagaki

Manabu Watanabe

Kazumasa Tsukamoto

Masashi Hattori

Takao Taniguchi

Satoru Wakuta

Takeshi Inuzuka

Takahiro Misu

Shoichi Miyagawa

Mitsugi Yamashita

A vehicle drive device includes an electric motor disposed in a wheel, a planetary gear mechanism, and a hub. The electric motor is configured to generate a drive force which drives the wheel. The drive force of the electric motor is transmitted to the planetary gear mechanism. The hub transmits a drive force of the planetary gear mechanism to the wheel. The planetary gear mechanism includes a pinion gear having a first pinion and a second pinion coaxial with the first pinion and having a smaller diameter than the first pinion, a fixed ring gear which engages with the first pinion, and a drive ring gear which engages with the second pinion and transmits a drive force to the hub. The first pinion is disposed at a position away from an end portion of the stator core in a direction in which a rotation center axis of the wheel extends.

Vehicle drive device

A control system for a vehicular drive unit having an engine, a motor-generator for acting as a motor and a generator, a planetary gear including at least three rotary elements, a battery for storing electric power as generated by the motor-generator and for feeding electric power to drive the motor-generator, an engine controller for causing the engine to output a target output value on a best mileage curve; and a motor-generator controller for controlling the motor-generator. When the output of the motor-generator corresponding to a target output value of the engine is within an outputtable region of the motor-generator, the motor-generator controller causes the motor-generator to output a reaction torque corresponding to the output torque of the engine. When the output of the motor-generator is outside of the outputtable region, the motor-generator controller changes the target output value of the engine so that the output of the motor-generator is within the outputtable region, to thereby change the output of the motor-generator in accordance with the changed target output value of said engine.

Control system for vehicular drive unit

A vehicular drive unit having a combustion engine, a motor-generator for converting electric energy coming from a battery into mechanical energy to output the converted mechanical energy or for converting mechanical energy into electrical energy to store the converted electrical energy in the battery, and a planetary gear including at least three rotary elements. The vehicular drive unit further includes a continuously variable transmission for changing the revolution of an input member continuously variably to output the changed revolution to the drive wheels of the vehicle. The planetary gear has a first rotary element connected to the output shaft of the combustion engine, a secondary element acting in reaction against the first rotary element and connected to the motor-generator, and a third rotary element connected to the input member of the continuously variable transmission.

Vehicular drive unit

A control system for a vehicular drive unit that includes an engine, a motor-generator connected to the output shaft of the engine and which acts as both a motor and a generator, a battery for storing the energy recovered by the motor-generator as electric power and for feeding electric power to drive the motor-generator, a first clutch for connecting the motor-generator and the wheels, a stop state detector for detecting the stopped state of the vehicle, and a controller for controlling the engine, the motor-generator and the first clutch. When the stopped state is detected by the stop state detector, the controller releases the first clutch, interrupts the feed of fuel to the engine, and feeds electric power to the motor-generator to drive the motor-generator to thereby hold the rotation of the engine substantially at an idling RPM.

Control system for a vehicular drive unit

A control system for a vehicular drive unit including an engine; a transmission connected to the output shaft of the engine and having a plurality of gear stages for transmitting the power to wheels; a motor generator connected to the output shaft of the engine for recovering the braking energy of the wheels through the transmission by generating electricity; a battery for storing the braking energy, which is recovered by the motor generator, as an electric power; a running status detector for detecting the running status of the vehicle; and controller for controlling the transmission and the motor generator in accordance with the output signal coming from the running status detector. The control means includes a motor generator controller for causing the motor generator to generate the electricity, when the running status detecting means detects a deceleration state of the vehicle, thereby to recover the braking energy; and a shift controller for shifting the transmission to such a gear stage between the present gear stage and a gear stage having a gear ratio higher than that of the present gear stage as maximizes the recoverable braking energy.

Shift control system for controlling a transmission of a vehicle having

A control system for a vehicular drive unit having an engine, a motor-generator for acting as a motor and a generator; a power transmission including a planetary gear composed of at least three rotary elements and a mechanism for selectively connecting/releasing the rotary elements; a battery for storing electric power generated by the motor-generator and for supplying a driving electric power; a residue detector for detecting the state of charge of the battery; and a controller for controlling the engine, the motor-generator and the connecting/releasing mechanism in accordance with an output signal from the residue detector. The first rotary element of the planetary gear is connected to the output shaft of the engine; the second rotary element, as acting a reaction against the first rotary element, is connected to the motor-generator; and the third rotary element is connected to an output member for transmitting the drive power to wheels. The controller includes mode switching capability for switching the mode when the battery is in an ordinary state or in a low charge state, to a power split mode, in which the motor-generator outputs a reaction torque against the output torque of the engine so that the connecting/releasing mechanism can rotate the first, second and third rotary elements individually and, when the battery is in a full charge state, to a parallel hybrid mode, in which the motor-generator adds a torque to the output torque of the engine so that the connecting/releasing mechanism can rotate the first and second rotary elements together.

A motor drive apparatus for an electric vehicle has a case attached to a vehicle body; an output axle which rotates relative to the case; an electric motor having a magneto stator secured to an inside wall of the case and a rotor which faces the magneto stator with a predetermined clearance and rotates relative to the case; and a planetary gear unit provided inside of the rotor and consisting of three components of a sun gear, a ring gear and a carrier. The electric motor speed is output from the output axle through the planetary gear unit.

Electrical motor drive apparatus with planetary gearing

A wheel motor provided with a reduction gear includes a stator fixed to a casing, a hollow cylindrical rotor supported by the casing through a bearing, an output flange supported by the casing through a double row angular ball bearing and attached to a wheel, and reduction gearing having an input gear wheel supported by the rotor and an output gear wheel supported by the output flange and disposed in a hollow in the rotor. The rotor has a thin-wall edge portion and a second, opposing edge portion. The thin edge portion and the opposing edge portion form two axially spaced points at which the rotor is rotatably supported by ball bearings.

Wheel motor provided with a reduction gear

In a steering mechanism wherein the turning angle of a steering wheel is transmitted to a wheel via a link mechanism employing a tire rod (3) and a knuckle arm (4), the link mechanism and the wheel (1) are coupled by a multiplying gear (2). Individual drive mechanisms are mounted independently on each wheel, and each wheel is driven independently to enable front-wheel independent drive, rear-wheel independent drive and four-wheel independent drive. Drive of an inner rear wheel is changed over at a steering angle in the vicinity of 90.degree. to effect control of steering. A steering angle multiplied twofold or more can be obtained in simple fashion via the multiplying gear (2) even for a steering angle of about 45.degree. using the conventional link mechanism. In the drive of each wheel, drive of the inner rear wheel is halted in the vicinity of the 90.degree. steering angle, so that locking of the inner front wheel can be avoided. Further, only the inner rear wheel is driven in the reverse direction when a large steering angle is obtained. This makes smooth vehicle travel possible even at large steering angles.

Vehicle steering system with independent steering for each wheel

An electric vehicle is equipped with four electric motors, one for driving each of the four wheels, load sensors for detecting the loads applied to the wheels, and a control unit. The control unit determines the driving forces distributed to the wheels upon regeneration according to the loads applied to the wheels in such a way as to improve safety.

Regenerative braking electric vehicle with four motors

A steering safety mechanism for an automotive vehicle includes a steering shaft, a steering rack for turning a tire in response to rotation of the steering shaft, a steering motor for rotating the steering shaft or oscillating the steering rack leftward and rightward, and an electronic control unit for controlling the motor. The motor is rotated in a direction which limits rotation of the steering shaft in dependence upon vehicle velocity and steering angle, or vehicle velocity alone. This makes it possible to prevent the vehicle from skidding sideways and rolling over when the driver turns the steering wheel too sharply.

Steering safety mechanism

A motor driving device provided with a decelerator according to the present invention is so structured that a motor rotational shaft 6a and an output rotational shaft 9 are coaxially disposed within a casing 1 thereof, and planetary gears 18, 19, 20, 21, and 22 connect the two rotational shafts 6a and 9. According to the present invention, a special wall disposed between the motor rotational shaft 6a and the output rotational shaft 9 and for supporting the two rotational shafts 6a and 9 becomes needless to be provided for the casing 1. As a result, the overall length of the casing 1 can be reduced and the shape of the casing 1 can be simplified. Furthermore, the power of the electric motor 6 can be effectively transmitted to the output rotational shaft 9 by the planetary gear decelerating device so that the driving device can output large torque.

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Anjo, Japan

Satoru Tanaka