# US 2019/0168601 A1 · Transaxle device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0168601 A1 - Document ID: US20190168601A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/302,220 - Filed: 2017-03-27 - Published: 2019-06-06 - Earliest claimed: 2016-06-13 - Assignees: Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Mitsubishi Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha; Mitsubishi Jidosha Engineering Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Daizo OGINO; Masahiro MATSUSHITA - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190168601A1 ## CPC - B60K 6/405: Housings - B60K 6/36: characterised by the transmission gearings - 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 6/40: characterised by the assembly or relative disposition of components - B60K 6/442: Series-parallel switching type - B60K 6/547: the transmission being a stepped gearing - B60K 17/04: characterised by arrangement, location or kind of gearing - B60L 50/16: with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion - F16H 3/093: with two or more countershafts - F16H 3/72: with a secondary drive, e.g. regulating motor, in order to vary speed continuously - H02K 7/006: {Structural association of a motor or generator with the drive train of a motor vehicle} - H02K 7/108: with friction clutches - H02K 7/116: with gears - B60K 17/165: {provided between independent half axles (B60K17/18, B60K17/20 take precedence)} - B60K 2006/4825: {Electric machine connected or connectable to gearbox input shaft} - B60K 2006/4841: {the gear provides shifting between multiple ratios} - B60Y 2200/92: Hybrid vehicles - B60Y 2400/80: Differentials - B60Y 2410/10: Housings - Y02T 10/62: Hybrid vehicles - Y02T 10/7072: Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors - 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 - B60L: PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of electrical propulsion units or of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion in vehicles B60K1/00, B60K6/20; arrangements or mounting of electrical gearing in vehicles B60K17/12, B60K17/14; preventing wheel slip by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/08; dynamo-electric machines H02K; control or regulation of electric motors H02P); SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (electric coupling devices combined with mechanical couplings of vehicles B60D1/64; electric heating for vehicles B60H1/00); ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL (control or regulation of electric motors H02P); MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES - F16H: GEARING - H02K: DYNAMO-ELECTRIC MACHINES (dynamo-electric relays H01H53/00; conversion of DC or AC input power into surge output power {H03K3/53}) - B60Y: INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO ASPECTS CROSS-CUTTING VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract A transaxle device (1) for a hybrid vehicle including an engine (2), a first rotating electric machine (3), and a second rotating electric machine (4) individually transmits power of the engine (2) and power of the first rotating electric machine (3) to an output shaft (12) on a drive wheel side and also transmits the power of the engine (2) to the second rotating electric machine (4). Further, the transaxle device (1) includes a differential gear (18) which is interposed in the output shaft (12) and a switching mechanism (20) which is interposed on a power transmission path from the engine (2) to the output shaft (12) and switches a high gear stage (11H, 15H) and a low gear stage (11L, 15L). The high gear stage (11H, 15H) is disposed on the opposite side to the differential gear (18) with respect to the low gear stage (11L, 15L) inside a casing (1C) of the transaxle device (1). ## Claims ### Claim at position 1 1-7. (canceled) ### Claim 8 A transaxle device for a hybrid vehicle including an engine, a first rotating electric machine, and a second rotating electric machine and operable to individually transmit power of the engine and power of the first rotating electric machine to an output shaft on a drive wheel side and also to transmit the power of the engine to the second rotating electric machine, the transaxle device comprising: a differential gear which is interposed in the output shaft; and a switching mechanism which is interposed on a power transmission path from the engine to the output shaft and switches a high gear stage and a low gear stage, and wherein the high gear stage is disposed on the opposite side to the differential gear with respect to the low gear stage inside a casing of the transaxle device. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The transaxle device according to claim 8, wherein the switching mechanism includes a high side clutch which connects or disconnects the high gear stage in the power transmission path and a low side clutch which connects or disconnects the low gear stage in the power transmission path. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The transaxle device according to claim 9, wherein the switching mechanism is obtained by a combination of the high side clutch and the low side clutch as an integrated object. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The transaxle device according to claim 9, wherein in the switching mechanism, the high side clutch and the low side clutch are interposed on different shafts so as to be located at a position overlapping each other in a direction orthogonal to an axial direction. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The transaxle device according to claim 9, further comprising: an input shaft which is coaxially connected to a rotating shaft of the engine, wherein in the switching mechanism, at least one of the high side clutch and the low side clutch is interposed on the input shaft so as to be located at a position overlapping the differential gear in a direction orthogonal to an axial direction. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The transaxle device according to claim 10, further comprising: an input shaft which is coaxially connected to a rotating shaft of the engine, wherein in the switching mechanism, at least one of the high side clutch and the low side clutch is interposed on the input shaft so as to be located at a position overlapping the differential gear in a direction orthogonal to an axial direction. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The transaxle device according to claim 11, further comprising: an input shaft which is coaxially connected to a rotating shaft of the engine, wherein in the switching mechanism, at least one of the high side clutch and the low side clutch is interposed on the input shaft so as to be located at a position overlapping the differential gear in a direction orthogonal to an axial direction. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The transaxle device according to claim 9, further comprising: a counter shaft which is disposed on the power transmission path between the output shaft and an input shaft coaxially connected to a rotating shaft of the engine; and a casing which includes a cylindrical portion protruding from an attachment surface of the first rotating electric machine and the second rotating electric machine outward in an axial direction around the counter shaft so as not to interfere with the first rotating electric machine and the second rotating electric machine, wherein in the switching mechanism, at least one of the high side clutch and the low side clutch is disposed inside the cylindrical portion. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The transaxle device according to claim 10, further comprising: a counter shaft which is disposed on the power transmission path between the output shaft and an input shaft coaxially connected to a rotating shaft of the engine; and a casing which includes a cylindrical portion protruding from an attachment surface of the first rotating electric machine and the second rotating electric machine outward in an axial direction around the counter shaft so as not to interfere with the first rotating electric machine and the second rotating electric machine, wherein in the switching mechanism, at least one of the high side clutch and the low side clutch is disposed inside the cylindrical portion. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The transaxle device according to claim 11, further comprising: a counter shaft which is disposed on the power transmission path between the output shaft and an input shaft coaxially connected to a rotating shaft of the engine; and a casing which includes a cylindrical portion protruding from an attachment surface of the first rotating electric machine and the second rotating electric machine outward in an axial direction around the counter shaft so as not to interfere with the first rotating electric machine and the second rotating electric machine, wherein in the switching mechanism, at least one of the high side clutch and the low side clutch is disposed inside the cylindrical portion. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) The transaxle device according to claim 12, further comprising: a counter shaft which is disposed on the power transmission path between the output shaft and an input shaft coaxially connected to a rotating shaft of the engine; and a casing which includes a cylindrical portion protruding from an attachment surface of the first rotating electric machine and the second rotating electric machine outward in an axial direction around the counter shaft so as not to interfere with the first rotating electric machine and the second rotating electric machine, wherein in the switching mechanism, at least one of the high side clutch and the low side clutch is disposed inside the cylindrical portion. ### Claim 19 (depends on 13) The transaxle device according to claim 13, further comprising: a counter shaft which is disposed on the power transmission path between the output shaft and an input shaft coaxially connected to a rotating shaft of the engine; and a casing which includes a cylindrical portion protruding from an attachment surface of the first rotating electric machine and the second rotating electric machine outward in an axial direction around the counter shaft so as not to interfere with the first rotating electric machine and the second rotating electric machine, wherein in the switching mechanism, at least one of the high side clutch and the low side clutch is disposed inside the cylindrical portion. ### Claim 20 (depends on 14) The transaxle device according to claim 14, further comprising: a counter shaft which is disposed on the power transmission path between the output shaft and an input shaft coaxially connected to a rotating shaft of the engine; and a casing which includes a cylindrical portion protruding from an attachment surface of the first rotating electric machine and the second rotating electric machine outward in an axial direction around the counter shaft so as not to interfere with the first rotating electric machine and the second rotating electric machine, wherein in the switching mechanism, at least one of the high side clutch and the low side clutch is disposed inside the cylindrical portion. ### Claim 21 (depends on 8) The transaxle device according to claim 8, further comprising: an input shaft which is coaxially connected to a rotating shaft of the engine; and a second rotating electric machine shaft which is coaxially connected to a rotating shaft of the second rotating electric machine, wherein the switching mechanism includes a component which rotates together with the input shaft, and wherein a gear which normally engages with a fixed gear fixed to the second rotating electric machine shaft is fixed to the component.