A transmission system for selectively connecting a driven shaft, a driving shaft that is driven by an internal combustion engine, and an electric machine that includes a rotor and a stator, the transmission system comprising:
- a centrifugal clutch that is connected to the driving shaft for rotating therewith, the centrifugal clutch being structured to engage the rotor, when the driving shaft is driven to rotate above a threshold speed of the centrifugal clutch, for rotatably coupling the rotor and the centrifugal clutch;
- a clutch slider element that includes a first clutch hub and first and second connectors positioned thereon, the first clutch hub being connected to the rotor such that the clutch slider element rotates with the rotor, the first connector including a plurality of first engagement surfaces that are circumferentially disposed about a first portion of the first clutch hub and the second connector including a plurality of second engagement surfaces that are circumferentially disposed about a second portion of the first clutch hub, the clutch slider element being slidable relative to the centrifugal clutch between:
- i) a first engagement position where the second connector is disconnected from the driven shaft, and at least some of the plurality of first engagement surfaces of the first connector are engaged with the centrifugal clutch for rotatably coupling the clutch slider element and the centrifugal clutch, the clutch slider element being rotatably coupled to the centrifugal clutch to thereby couple the electric machine to the driving shaft such that the electric machine is operable to start the internal combustion engine;
- ii) a second engagement position where the first connector is disconnected from the centrifugal clutch and the second connector is disconnected from the driven shaft such that the internal combustion engine is operable to drive a rotation of the driving shaft at a speed above the threshold speed to thereby engage the centrifugal clutch and rotate the rotor such that the electric machine is operable as a generator;
- and
- iii) a third engagement position where the first connector is disconnected from the centrifugal clutch and at least some of the plurality of second engagement surfaces of the second connector are engaged with the driven shaft for rotatably coupling the clutch slider element and the driven shaft to thereby rotatably couple the rotor to the driven shaft, the rotor being rotatably coupled to the driven shaft so as to permit the driving of the driven shaft via energization of the stator and/or by rotation of the driving shaft via the internal combustion engine at a speed above the threshold speed such that the centrifugal clutch engages the rotor;
- and
- a clutch override assembly that is structured to selectively engage the centrifugal clutch, when the clutch slider element is in the third engagement position, for rotatably coupling the clutch slider element and the centrifugal clutch, the clutch override assembly including an actuator element that is movably connected to the clutch slider element for moving independently of the clutch slider element while the clutch slider element is in the third engagement position, relative thereto between a non-override position where the actuator element is positioned to permit the centrifugal clutch to be rotatably uncoupled from the clutch slider element, and an override position where the actuator element engages the centrifugal clutch such that the centrifugal clutch becomes rotatably coupled to at least one of the clutch slider element and the rotor while the rotor and clutch slider element remain rotatably coupled with the driven shaft.