# US 10,767,736 B2 · Gearbox for a hybrid powertrain and method to control such a gearbox

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- Number: US 10,767,736 B2
- Document ID: US10767736B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/511,307
- Filed: 2019-07-15
- Published: 2019-11-07
- Granted: 2020-09-08
- Earliest claimed: 2013-03-27
- Assignees: Scania CV AB
- Applicants: Scania Cv AB
- Inventors: Johan Lindstrom; Mathias Bjorkman; Niklas Pettersson; Mikael Bergquist
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10767736B2

## CPC

- F16H 3/66: composed of a number of gear trains without drive passing from one train to another
- B60K 1/02: comprising more than one electric motor
- B60K 6/365: with the gears having orbital motion
- B60K 6/387: Actuated clutches, i.e. clutches engaged or disengaged by electric, hydraulic or mechanical actuating means
- B60K 6/445: Differential gearing distribution type
- B60K 6/547: the transmission being a stepped gearing
- F16H 3/006: {power being selectively transmitted by parallel flow paths, e.g. dual clutch transmissions}
- F16H 61/0403: {Synchronisation before shifting}
- B60K 2006/381: {characterized by driveline brakes}
- B60Y 2400/421: Dog type clutches or brakes
- F16H 2037/101: {Power-split transmissions with one differential at each end of a continuously variable transmission, i.e. CVT}
- F16H 2200/2007: with two sets of orbital gears
- F16H 2200/2064: using at least one positive clutch, e.g. dog clutch
- F16H 2200/2094: using positive clutches, e.g. dog clutches
- Y02T 10/62: Hybrid vehicles
- Y10S 903/91: Orbital, e.g. planetary gears
- Y10S 903/945: Characterized by control of gearing, e.g. control of transmission ratio
- F16H: GEARING
- 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
- B60Y: INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO ASPECTS CROSS-CUTTING VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION
- Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS

## Abstract

A gearbox having an input shaft (8) and an output shaft (20); a first epicyclic gear (10) connected to the input shaft (8); a second epicyclic gear (12) connected to the first epicyclic gear (10); a first electrical machine (14) connected to the first epicyclic gear (10); a second electrical machine (16) connected to the second epicyclic gear (12); a first main shaft (34) connected to the first epicyclic gear (10); a second main shaft (36) connected to the second epicyclic gear (12). A first coupling unit (56) disengagingly connects two rotatable components (22, 26, 50) at the first epicyclic gear (10), and a second coupling unit (58) disengagingly connects two rotatable components (28, 32, 51) at the second epicyclic gear (12), such that at least one of the rate of revolution and the torque at the first and the second main shafts (34, 36) can be influenced by controlling at least one of the first and the second coupling units (56, 58) to a condition of the rotatable components (22, 26, 50; 28, 32, 51) that is engaged or disengaged. Also a vehicle (1) having such a gearbox (2), a method to control such a gearbox (2), a computer program (P) to control a gearbox, and a computer program product comprising program code for an electronic control unit (48) or another computer (53) in order to implement the method.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method to control a gearbox wherein the gearbox comprises;
an input shaft and an output shaft from the gearbox;
a first epicyclic gear connected to the input shaft;
a second epicyclic gear connected to the first epicyclic gear;
a first electrical machine connected to the first epicyclic gear;
a second electrical machine connected to the second epicyclic gear;
a first main shaft connected to the first epicyclic gear;
a second main shaft connected to the second epicyclic gear;
a second planet gear carrier at the second epicyclic gear and connected to the second main shaft; and
the input shaft is connected to a first planet gear carrier at the first epicyclic gear;
the method to control the gearbox comprising:
controlling at least one of a rate of revolution and a torque of the first and second main shafts by controlling:
(1) a first coupling unit to engage or disengage a first rotatable component of the first epicyclic gear with a second rotatable component of the first epicyclic gear, and
(2) a second coupling unit to engage or disengage a first rotatable component of the second epicyclic gear with a second rotatable component of the second epicyclic gear,
wherein when the first coupling unit disengages the first rotatable component of the first epicyclic gear from the second rotatable component of the first epicyclic gear, no torque passes between the first rotatable component of the first epicyclic gear and the second rotatable component of the first epicyclic gear, and
wherein when the second coupling unit disengages the first rotatable component of the second epicyclic gear from the second rotatable component of the second epicyclic gear, no torque passes between the first rotatable component of the second epicyclic gear and the second rotatable component of the second epicyclic gear.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, comprising:
controlling the first or the second electrical machine to achieve torque balance between the first rotatable component at the first or the second epicyclic gear and a gear housing; and
controlling a third or fourth coupling unit to engage or disengage the first rotatable component from the gear housing.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method according to claim 2, comprising, at the achieving of the torque balance,
generating electrical energy using one of the electrical machines to drive the other electrical machine.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The method according to claim 2, further comprising controlling the first and second electrical machines such that the torque at the first and second main shafts is constant or changes in a continuous manner.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, comprising the further step:
controlling a combustion engine that is connected to the input shaft such that at least one of the rate of revolution and the torque at the first and second main shafts is influenced.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium incorporating program code readable by a computer and configured to carry out the method according to claim 1, when the program code is run on an electronic control unit or another computer connected to the electronic control unit.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, further comprising:
controlling at least one of the first and the second electrical machines to achieve torque balance at the first or the second epicyclic gear, and to achieve a synchronous rate of revolution between two rotatable components at the first or the second epicyclic gear.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, comprising:
controlling at least one of: (1) the first coupling unit to connect the first and second rotatable components of the first epicyclic gear, and (2) the second coupling unit to connect the first and second rotatable components of the second epicyclic gear, when a synchronous rate of revolution between the two rotatable components has been achieved, and
to disengage the two rotatable components at the first or second epicyclic gear when torque balance has been achieved in the relevant epicyclic gear.