# US 10,118,477 B2 · Hybrid utility vehicle

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- Number: US 10,118,477 B2
- Document ID: US10118477B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/613,483
- Filed: 2017-06-05
- Published: 2017-12-14
- Granted: 2018-11-06
- Earliest claimed: 2016-06-14
- Assignees: Polaris Industries Inc.
- Applicants: Polaris Industries Inc.
- Inventors: Eric J. Borud; Christopher P. Matko; David F. Buehler; Brian L. Van Batavia; Benjamin Marco Comana
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10118477B2

## CPC

- B60L 53/14: Conductive energy transfer
- B60K 6/26: characterised by the motors or the generators
- B60K 6/383: One-way clutches or freewheel devices
- B60K 6/442: Series-parallel switching type
- B60K 6/48: Parallel type
- B60K 6/52: Driving a plurality of drive axles, e.g. four-wheel drive
- B60L 7/14: for vehicles propelled by AC motors
- B60L 50/51: characterised by AC-motors
- B60L 58/12: responding to state of charge [SoC]
- B60K 6/24: characterised by the combustion engines
- B60K 6/28: characterised by the electric energy storing means, e.g. batteries or capacitors
- B60K 2006/4808: {Electric machine connected or connectable to gearbox output shaft}
- B60L 2210/30: AC to DC converters
- B60L 2210/40: DC to AC converters
- Y02T 10/62: Hybrid vehicles
- Y02T 10/7072: Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
- Y02T 90/14: Plug-in electric vehicles
- Y10S 903/905: Combustion engine
- Y10S 903/906: Motor or generator
- Y10S 903/907: Electricity storage, e.g. battery, capacitor
- Y10S 903/913: One way
- Y10S 903/916: with plurality of drive axles
- B60L: PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of electrical propulsion units or of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion in vehicles B60K1/00, B60K6/20; arrangements or mounting of electrical gearing in vehicles B60K17/12, B60K17/14; preventing wheel slip by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/08; dynamo-electric machines H02K; control or regulation of electric motors H02P); SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (electric coupling devices combined with mechanical couplings of vehicles B60D1/64; electric heating for vehicles B60H1/00); ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL (control or regulation of electric motors H02P); MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES
- B60K: ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN VEHICLES
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION
- Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS

## Abstract

A hybrid vehicle may be a series hybrid or a parallel hybrid vehicle. One embodiment of a parallel hybrid vehicle includes an engine, a transmission coupled to the engine, a front drive coupled to the transmission through a prop shaft, a rear drive coupled to the transmission, a traction motor drivingly coupled to the prop shaft, and a battery to operate the traction motor.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A parallel hybrid power train for a vehicle, comprising:
an engine;
a transmission coupled to the engine;
a front drive coupled to the transmission through a prop shaft;
a rear drive coupled to the transmission;
a traction motor being drivingly coupled to the front drive and being drivingly coupled to the transmission through the prop shaft, and the traction motor being spaced apart from the prop shaft;
a bi-directional clutch between the prop shaft and the front drive; and
a battery to operate the traction motor.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The parallel hybrid power train of claim 1, wherein the power train is configured for a silent mode when the traction motor operates to drive the prop shaft to drive the front and rear drives.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The parallel hybrid power train of claim 1, further comprising an engine driven generator to charge the battery.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The parallel hybrid power train of claim 3, wherein the power train is configured for a charge at rest mode when the engine is run to charge the batteries through the engine driven generator.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The parallel hybrid power train of claim 3, wherein the traction motor defines a second generator configured to charge the batteries.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The parallel hybrid power train of claim 5, wherein the power train is configured for a charge and drive mode when the vehicle is driven and the batteries are charged by the engine driven generator and the traction motor defines the second generator.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The parallel hybrid power train of claim 1, wherein the power train is configured for a full performance mode when the traction motor and engine are both operated to add torque to the prop shaft to drive the front and rear drives.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The parallel hybrid power train of claim 1, wherein the prop shaft has first and second portions and the bi-directional clutch is intermediate the prop shaft first and second portions.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The parallel hybrid power train of claim 1, comprising a silent mode wherein the traction motor operates to drive the front drive, which in turn drives the rear wheels through the prop shaft.

### Claim 10

A vehicle, comprising:
a frame assembly;
an operator area including at least an operator seat and a passenger seat supported on the frame assembly; and
a driveline assembly including:
an engine supported on the frame assembly;
a transmission operably coupled to the engine;
a front drive operably coupled to the transmission through a prop shaft;
a rear drive operably coupled to the transmission;
a traction motor operably coupled to the prop shaft and positioned laterally intermediate the operator seat and the passenger seat; and
a battery configured to operate the traction motor.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The vehicle of claim 10, further comprising a gear train operably coupled to the prop shaft and the traction motor.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The vehicle of claim 11, wherein the gear train includes at least a first gear rotatably coupled to an output shaft of the traction motor and a second gear rotatably coupled about the prop shaft and rotatably coupled to the first gear.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The vehicle of claim 12, wherein the driveline assembly is configured for a charge-and-drive mode when the engine is operably coupled to the prop shaft and is configured to rotate the prop shaft, and rotation of the prop shaft rotates the second gear and operates the traction motor through rotation of the first gear with the second gear, and the operation of the traction motor charges the battery.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The vehicle of claim 12, wherein the driveline assembly is configured for a silent-drive mode when the battery operates the traction motor, and the operation of the traction motor drives the front and rear drives through the prop shaft when the engine is turned off.

### Claim 15 (depends on 10)

The vehicle of claim 10, wherein the driveline assembly is configured for a full-performance mode when both the engine and the traction motor operate simultaneously to drive the prop shaft.

### Claim 16 (depends on 10)

The vehicle of claim 10, wherein the traction motor is laterally offset from the prop shaft.

### Claim 17 (depends on 10)

The vehicle of claim 10, wherein the prop shaft is at a position on the vehicle vertically lower than the battery.