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US 7,442,141 B2Granted
Transmission
AssigneeNissan Motor Co., Ltd.
InventorsYasuhiro Yamauchi, Katsunori Asogawa, Toshikazu Oshidari
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In an exemplary embodiment, a transmission outputs power from two high-speed, high-powered motor/generators into two coaxial output shafts for left and right wheels of a vehicle. Embodiments of the invention provide for a transmission that is coaxially mounted with the output shafts and the two motor/generators, which allows for a space-saving design. The transmission provides at least two degrees of freedom such that torque to each of the left any right wheels of driveshaft can be separately controlled by controlling the input/output of each of the motor/generators. The transmission may include two differential units to allow a significant gear reduction such that motor/generators that require high output speeds may be used.
Claims21
A transmission comprising:
- a first differential unit comprising a first set of rotary elements that includes at least four rotary elements;
- a second differential unit comprising a second set of rotary elements that includes at least three rotary elements,
- at least one rotary element in the first set of rotary elements being connected to at least one rotary element in the second set of rotary elements,
- the first differential unit combining with the second differential unit to provide at least two degrees of freedom for the transmission;
- a first motor/generator connected to a first rotary element that is one of the first set of rotary elements;
- a first output shaft connected to a second rotary element that is one of the first set of rotary elements;
- a second motor/generator connected to a third rotary element that is one of the first set of rotary elements;
- a second output shaft connected to a fourth rotary element that is one of the second set of rotary elements or one of the first set of rotary elements;
- the first set of rotary elements including a fifth rotary element that is connected to a rotary element of the second set of rotary elements,
- the second rotary element, which is connected to the first output shaft, not being connected to a rotary element of the second set of rotary elements,
- both the second rotary element and the fifth rotary element being located approximately in a middle in a direction of an order of rotational speeds in a first alignment chart that represents the first differential unit,
- the first rotary element, which is connected to the first motor/generator, being on a first end of the first alignment chart and closer to the second rotary element than the fifth rotary element,
- the third rotary element, which is connected to the second motor/generator, being on a second end of the first alignment chart and closer to the fifth rotary element than the second rotary element.
10 more elements
A transmission comprising:
- a first differential unit comprising at least a first rotary element, a second rotary element, a third rotary element, a fourth rotary element and a fifth rotary element;
- a second differential unit comprising at least a sixth rotary element, a seventh rotary element and an eighth rotary element, wherein the eighth rotary element of the second differential unit is fixed, the second differential unit being located coaxially with the first differential unit, the first rotary element of the first differential unit being connected to the sixth rotary element of the second differential unit;
- a first motor/generator, is connected to the second rotary element of the first differential unit;
- a first output shaft, connected to the third rotary element of the first differential unit;
- a second output shaft, connected to the sixth rotary element of the second differential unit, the second output shaft being located coaxially with the first output shaft;
- and
- a second motor/generator, connected to a rotary element of the second differential unit other than the sixth rotary element of the second differential unit or the seventh rotary element of the second differential unit;
- the fifth rotary element being connected to a rotary element of the second set of rotary elements,
- the second rotary element, which is connected to the first output shaft, not being connected to a rotary element of the second set of rotary elements,
- both the second rotary element and the fifth rotary element being located approximately in a middle in a direction of an order of rotational speeds in a first alignment chart that represents the first differential unit,
- the first rotary element, which is connected to the first motor/generator, being on a first end of the first alignment chart and closer to the second rotary element than the fifth rotary element,
- the third rotary element, which is connected to the second motor/generator, being on a second end of the first alignment chart and closer to the fifth rotary element than the second rotary element.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.