Drive unit
AssigneeExedy Corporation
InventorYoshihiro Matsuoka
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A drive unit includes a first electric motor, a fluid coupling, a pump, a second electric motor, and a controller. The first electric motor is configured to drive a drive wheel. The fluid coupling is configured such that a torque outputted from the first electric motor is inputted thereto. The pump is configured to supply a working fluid to an interior of the fluid coupling. The second electric motor is configured to drive the pump. The controller controls the second electric motor based on at least one of an input/output rotational ratio of the fluid coupling, a temperature of the working fluid in the interior of the fluid coupling, or an amount of the working fluid in the interior of the fluid coupling.
Claims4
A drive unit, comprising:
- a first electric motor configured to drive a drive wheel;
- a fluid coupling configured such that a torque outputted from the first electric motor is inputted thereto;
- a pump configured to supply a working fluid to an interior of the fluid coupling;
- a second electric motor configured to drive the pump;
- and
- a controller configured to control whether the second electric motor is actuated based on the value of an input/output rotational ratio of the fluid coupling relative to a rotational-ratio threshold;
- the value of a temperature of the working fluid in the interior of the fluid coupling relative to a temperature threshold;
- and the value of an amount of the working fluid in the interior of the fluid coupling, or an indirect indicator thereof, relative to a working fluid-amount threshold;
- the controller being further configured to control whether the second electric motor is actuated based on a determination of whether the first electric motor is rotating in one rotational direction or the opposite rotational direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.