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US 11,691,496 B2Granted
Vehicle drive system
AssigneeMazda Motor Corporation
InventorsAkihiro Furukawa, Ikuo Usami, Kazuya Kotani, Seiyo Hirano
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In a vehicle drive system using a motor for cruising, the connection node of serially-connected first and second batteries is grounded. The operation of an inverter is controlled so that the motor drive voltage is higher than the output voltage of each of the first and second batteries. A battery unit is configured so that third and fourth batteries each in a form of a cartridge are removably loaded, and the loaded third battery is connected in parallel with the first battery and the loaded fourth battery is connected in parallel with the second battery.
Claims16
A vehicle drive system, comprising:
- a motor that generates driving force for drive wheels;
- an inverter electrically connected to the motor;
- a battery unit that supplies electric power to the inverter;
- and
- a control unit that controls operation of the inverter,
- wherein
- the battery unit is configured to house a first and second batteries, and configured so that, when the first and second batteries are housed, the first and second batteries are serially connected, and a negative pole of the first battery and a positive pole of the second battery that are mutually connected are grounded,
- the control unit controls the operation of the inverter so that a voltage output from the inverter to the motor is higher than an output voltage of the first battery and also than an output voltage of the second battery,
- at least one of the first and second batteries is a battery cartridge configured to be removably loaded into the battery unit, and,
- the battery cartridge has a roughly quadrangular prism shape, with a first electric connecting part including a positive pole and a negative pole formed on one of end faces of the battery cartridge and a handle formed on the other end face.
7 more elements
A vehicle drive system, comprising:
- a motor that generates driving force for drive wheels;
- an inverter electrically connected to the motor;
- a battery unit that supplies electric power to the inverter;
- and
- a control unit that controls operation of the inverter,
- wherein
- the battery unit has serially-connected first and second batteries, and a negative pole of the first battery and a positive pole of the second battery that are mutually connected are grounded,
- the control unit controls the operation of the inverter so that a voltage output from the inverter to the motor is higher than an output voltage of the first battery and also than an output voltage of the second battery,
- the battery unit is configured so that third and fourth batteries each in a form of a cartridge are removably loaded, and the loaded third battery is connected in parallel with the first battery and the loaded fourth battery is connected in parallel with the second battery, and
- the third and fourth batteries each have a roughly quadrangular prism shape, with a first electric connecting part including a positive pole and a negative pole formed on one of end faces of the battery and a handle formed on the other end face.
7 more elements
A vehicle drive system, comprising:
- a motor that generates driving force for drive wheels;
- an inverter electrically connected to the motor;
- a battery unit that supplies electric power to the inverter;
- and
- a control unit that controls operation of the inverter,
- wherein
- the battery unit is configured to house a first and second batteries, and configured so that, when the first and second batteries are housed, the first and second batteries are serially connected, and a negative pole of the first battery and a positive pole of the second battery that are mutually connected are grounded,
- the control unit controls the operation of the inverter so that a voltage output from the inverter to the motor is higher than an output voltage of the first battery and also than an output voltage of the second battery,
- at least one of the first and second batteries is a battery cartridge configured to be removably loaded into the battery unit, and,
- the battery unit is placed behind a rearmost seat and in front of a fuel tank in the vehicle.
7 more elements
A vehicle drive system, comprising:
- a motor that generates driving force for drive wheels;
- an inverter electrically connected to the motor;
- a battery unit that supplies electric power to the inverter;
- and
- a control unit that controls operation of the inverter,
- wherein
- the battery unit is configured to house a first and second batteries, and configured so that, when the first and second batteries are housed, the first and second batteries are serially connected, and a negative pole of the first battery and a positive pole of the second battery that are mutually connected are grounded,
- the control unit controls the operation of the inverter so that a voltage output from the inverter to the motor is higher than an output voltage of the first battery and also than an output voltage of the second battery,
- at least one of the first and second batteries is a battery cartridge configured to be removably loaded into the battery unit, and,
- the vehicle drive system further comprises:
- an engine that drives rear wheels;
- and
- a force transmission mechanism that transmits driving force to the rear wheels,
- wherein
- the motor includes a main drive motor that drives the rear wheels and a sub-drive motor that drives front wheels,
- the inverter includes a first inverter electrically connected to the main drive motor and a second inverter electrically connected to the sub-drive motor,
- the batteries supply electric power to the first and second inverters, and
- the control unit controls the engine and the first and second inverters.
15 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.