# US 12,179,584 B2 · Mechanism for preventing power generation during towing of electric vehicle and electric vehicle towing method using the mechanism

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- Number: US 12,179,584 B2
- Document ID: US12179584B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/614,035
- Filed: 2024-03-22
- Published: 2024-10-03
- Granted: 2024-12-31
- Earliest claimed: 2023-03-31
- Assignees: Subaru Corporation
- Applicants: Subaru Corporation
- Inventors: Shinya Horie; Daisuke Kidachi; Koki Ando; Kaoru Sugano; Gentaro Nakaoka
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12179584B2

## CPC

- B60K 23/02: for main transmission clutches
- B60K 17/02: characterised by arrangement, location, or kind of clutch
- F16D 11/08: actuated by moving a non-rotating part axially
- B60K 1/02: comprising more than one electric motor
- B60K 17/14: the motor of fluid or electric gearing being disposed in, or adjacent to, traction wheel
- B60Y 2300/28: related to towing or towed situations
- 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
- F16D: COUPLINGS FOR TRANSMITTING ROTATION; CLUTCHES; BRAKES
- B60Y: INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO ASPECTS CROSS-CUTTING VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY

## Abstract

A mechanism for preventing power generation during towing of an electric vehicle. The mechanism includes: a rod-shaped coupling member receiver into which a rod-shaped coupling member to be used during the towing is configured to be inserted on a front portion or a rear portion of the electric vehicle, and to which the inserted rod-shaped coupling member is configured to be locked; and a switcher that is provided between the axle and the decelerator, and that is configured to bring the axle and the decelerator into a decoupled state in an inserting operation of inserting the rod-shaped coupling member into the rod-shaped coupling member receiver, and to bring the axle and the decelerator into a coupled state in a removing operation of removing the rod-shaped coupling member from the rod-shaped coupling member receiver.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A mechanism for preventing power generation during towing of an electric vehicle, the electric vehicle comprising an electric motor as a traveling power source, a power transmission shaft configured to transmit a rotation force of the electric motor to an axle via a decelerator, and one or more wheels configured to rotate together with the axle, the mechanism comprising:
a rod-shaped coupling member receiver into which a rod-shaped coupling member to be used during the towing is configured to be inserted on a front portion or a rear portion of the electric vehicle, and to which the inserted rod-shaped coupling member is configured to be locked; and
a switcher that is provided between the axle and the decelerator, and that is configured to bring the axle and the decelerator into a decoupled state in an inserting operation of inserting the rod-shaped coupling member into the rod-shaped coupling member receiver, and to bring the axle and the decelerator into a coupled state in a removing operation of removing the rod-shaped coupling member from the rod-shaped coupling member receiver.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The mechanism for preventing the power generation during towing of the electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein
the switcher comprises a spline shaft configured to rotate together with the power transmission shaft, and a boss configured to rotate together with the axle and into which the spline shaft is fittable, and
a switching operation of the switcher is performed by disengaging the spline shaft from the boss along with the inserting operation of inserting the rod-shaped coupling member and fitting the spline shaft into the boss by the removing operation of removing the rod-shaped coupling member.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The mechanism for preventing the power generation during towing of the electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein
the one or more wheels comprise front wheels and rear wheels,
the electric vehicle comprises a front mechanism for the front wheels and a rear mechanism for the rear wheels,
each of the front mechanism and the rear mechanism comprises the electric motor, the power transmission shaft, the decelerator, the axle, and the switcher, and
a linkage mechanism is provided for each switcher, the linkage mechanism being configured to simultaneously switch both of the switcher of the front mechanism and the switcher of the rear mechanism in the inserting operation and the removing operation.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The mechanism for preventing the power generation during towing of the electric vehicle according to claim 2, wherein
the one or more wheels comprise front wheels and rear wheels,
the electric vehicle comprises a front mechanism for the front wheels and a rear mechanism for the rear wheels,
each of the front mechanism and the rear mechanism comprises the electric motor, the power transmission shaft, the decelerator, the axle, and the switcher, and
a linkage mechanism is provided for each switcher, the linkage mechanism being configured to simultaneously switch both of the switcher of the front mechanism and the switcher of the rear mechanism in the inserting operation and the removing operation.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

An electric vehicle towing method using the mechanism according to claim 1, the towing of the electric vehicle comprising:
bringing the axle and the decelerator into the decoupled state by inserting the rod-shaped coupling member into the rod-shaped coupling member receiver of the electric vehicle during the towing; and
bringing the axle and the decelerator into the coupled state by performing the removing operation of removing the rod-shaped coupling member at an end of the towing.