US 6,889,125 B2Granted

Vehicle driving apparatus

AssigneeToyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha

InventorsHatsuo Nakao, Kenji Itagaki, Kouki Moriya

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Abstract

A vehicle driving apparatus that operates a motor generator efficiently for improving driving comfort. The apparatus includes a motor generator and a connecting mechanism. The connecting mechanism connects the motor generator to an auxiliary device and selectively connects the motor generator to the engine. When the engine is maintained in an automatically stopped state, the motor generator is disconnected from the engine and drives the auxiliary device. When the engine stopping condition is satisfied, the motor generator rotates an engine drive shaft, thus suppressing vibration otherwise caused by stopping of the engine. When the engine starting condition is satisfied, the motor generator rotates the engine drive shaft to generate force to move the vehicle. In this state, the engine is started. When the vehicle is moving, the motor generator generates power through the engine.

Claims26

Dependent claims

A vehicle driving apparatus, which is installed in a vehicle that has an engine connected to a drive shaft, power from the engine being transferred by the drive shaft through a torque converter and an automatic transmission to an output shaft of the vehicle driving apparatus, the torque converter being connected to the drive shaft at an output end thereof, the automatic transmission being arranged at an output shaft side of the vehicle driving apparatus, wherein the apparatus automatically stops the engine if a predetermined condition for stopping the engine is satisfied and automatically starts the engine if a predetermined condition for starting the engine is satisfied, wherein the vehicle includes an auxiliary device that is connected to the drive shaft and is arranged at an outer periphery of the engine to a side of the drive shaft and on a side opposite to the output shaft side of the vehicle driving apparatus, and the apparatus comprises:

a motor generator located at an outer periphery of the engine to a side of the drive shaft and on a side opposite to the output shaft side, wherein the motor generator is selectively connected to the engine separately from the drive shaft;
a connecting mechanism, wherein the connecting mechanism connects the motor generator to the auxiliary device, and the connecting mechanism selectively connects the motor generator to the engine;
an auxiliary device driving means, wherein the auxiliary device driving means enables the connecting mechanism to disconnect the motor generator from the engine and drives the auxiliary device through the motor generator in response to a request to drive the auxiliary device when the engine is maintained in an automatically stopped state;
a vibration suppressing means, wherein the vibration suppressing means controls rotation of the drive shaft of the engine in the stopped state through the motor generator for suppressing vibration caused by stopping of the engine when the engine stopping condition is satisfied;
a vehicle starting means, wherein the vehicle starting means controls the rotation of the drive shaft of the engine with the motor generator for generating force to move the vehicle when the engine starting condition is satisfied;
an engine starting means, wherein the engine starting means starts the engine through the rotation of the drive shaft of the engine controlled by the vehicle starting means when the engine starting condition is satisfied;
a traveling-mode power generating means, wherein the traveling-mode power generating means enables the motor generator to generate power through the rotation of the drive shaft of the engine when the vehicle is traveling.

4 more elements

A method for controlling a vehicle driving apparatus that includes a motor generator, an auxiliary device, and a connecting mechanism that connects the motor generator to the auxiliary device and selectively connects the motor generator to an engine separately from a drive shaft, power from the engine being transferred by the drive shaft through a torque converter and an automatic transmission to an output shaft of the vehicle driving apparatus, the torque converter being connected to the drive shaft at an output end thereof, the automatic transmission being arranged at an output shaft side of the vehicle driving apparatus, the motor generator and the auxiliary device being arranged at an outer periphery of the engine to a side of the drive shaft and on a side opposite to the output shaft side of the vehicle driving apparatus, and the auxiliary device being connected to the drive shaft, the method comprising:

automatically stopping the engine when a predetermined condition for stopping the engine is satisfied;
automatically starting the engine when a predetermined condition for starting the engine is satisfied;
enabling the connecting mechanism to disconnect the motor generator from the engine and driving the auxiliary device through the motor generator in response to a request to drive the auxiliary device when the engine is maintained in an automatically stopped state;
suppressing vibration caused by stopping of the engine by enabling the connecting mechanism to connect the motor generator to the engine and controlling shaft rotation of the engine in the stopped state through the motor generator when the engine stopping condition is satisfied;
enabling the connecting mechanism to connect the motor generator to the engine and controlling the shaft rotation of the engine through the motor generator for generating force to move a vehicle when the engine starting condition is satisfied;
starting the engine through the shaft rotation of the engine when the engine starting condition is satisfied;
and
enabling the connecting mechanism to connect the motor generator to the engine and enabling the motor generator to generate power through the engine when the vehicle is traveling.

5 more elements

a motor generator located at an outer periphery of the engine to a side of the drive shaft and on a side opposite to the output shaft side, wherein the motor generator is selectively connected to the engine separately from the drive shaft;
a connecting mechanism, wherein the connecting mechanism connects the motor generator to the auxiliary device and selectively connects the motor generator to the engine;
an auxiliary device driving means, wherein the auxiliary device driving means enables the connecting mechanism to disconnect the motor generator from the engine and drives the auxiliary device through the motor generator in response to a request to drive the auxiliary device when the engine is maintained in an automatically stopped state;
a vibration suppressing means, wherein the vibration suppressing means controls rotation of the drive shaft of the engine in the stopped state through the motor generator for suppressing vibration caused by stopping of the engine when the engine stopping condition is satisfied;
a vehicle starting means, wherein the vehicle starting means controls the rotation of the drive shaft of the engine through the motor generator for generating force to move the vehicle when the engine starting condition is satisfied;
an engine starting means, wherein the engine starting means starts the engine through the rotation of the drive shaft of the engine controlled by the vehicle starting means when the engine starting condition is satisfied.

3 more elements

a motor generator located at an outer periphery of the engine to a side of the drive shaft and on a side opposite to the output shaft side, wherein the motor generator is selectively connected to the engine separately from the drive shaft;
a connecting mechanism, wherein the connecting mechanism connects the motor generator to the auxiliary device and selectively connects the motor generator to the engine;
an auxiliary device driving means, wherein the auxiliary device driving means enables the connecting mechanism to disconnect the motor generator from the engine and drives the auxiliary device through the motor generator in response to a request to drive the auxiliary device when the engine is maintained in an automatically stopped state;
and
a control circuit, wherein the control circuit controls rotation of the drive shaft of the engine in the stopped state through the motor generator for suppressing vibration caused by stopping of the engine when the engine stopping condition is satisfied, controls the rotation of the drive shaft of the engine through the motor generator for generating force to move the vehicle when the engine starting condition is satisfied, and starts the engine through the rotation of the drive shaft of the engine when the engine starting condition is satisfied.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 09/986,196Filed 7 Nov 2001
Priority: JP 2000-35008016 Nov 2000
Published: US 2002/0059019 A116 May 2002
Granted: 3 May 2005
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification10 codes

F02N 11/0818
Comprising means for controlling automatic idle-start-stop: conditions for starting or stopping the engine or for deactivating the idle-start-stop…
F02N 11/003
Starting of engines by means of electric motors: said electric motor being also used as a drive for auxiliaries, e.g. for driving transmission…
F02N 11/006
Starting of engines by means of electric motors: using a plurality of electric motors
F02N 11/04
Starting of engines by means of electric motors: the motors being associated with current generators