Powertrain including a rotary IC engine and a continuously variable planetary gear unit
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorJohn W. Kimes
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A powertrain for driving a motor vehicle includes an internal combustion engine including first and second rotors supported for rotation about an axis, a first epicyclic gear unit including a first component fixed against rotation, a first driving component, and a first driven component, a first power path alternately producing a first drive connection between the driven component and the first rotor, and opening said first drive connection, and a second power path producing a second drive connection between the driven component and the second rotor, and opening said second drive connection.
Claims17
In a powertrain that includes an internal combustion engine including multiple rotors supported for rotation about an axis, a first gear unit driveably connected to the engine rotors through a first one-way power path that connects the first gear unit and the first rotor and a second one-way power path that connects the first gear unit and the second rotor, an air motor pneumatically communicating with and driven by the a source of compressed air, and an epicyclic second gear unit driveably connected to the output of the first gear unit, the air motor and the powertrain output, a method for operating the powertrain comprising the steps of;
- (a) using the first epicyclic gear unit, first power path and second power path to synchronize the engine rotors;
- (b) using the air motor and source of compressed air to start the engine;
- and
- (c) using the air motor to control a speed ratio produced by the epicyclic second gear unit.
A powertrain for driving a motor vehicle comprising:
- an internal combustion engine including multiple rotors supported for rotation about an axis;
- a first epicyclic gear unit including a first component fixed against rotation, a first driving component, and a first driven component;
- a first power path alternately producing a first one-way drive connection between the driven component and the first rotor;
- and
- a second power path producing a second one-way drive connection between the driven component and the second rotor;
- a source of compressed air;
- an air motor pneumatically communicating with and driven by the source of compressed air;
- and
- a second epicyclic gear unit including a carrier driveably connected to the first driven component, a second driven component driveably connected to the powertrain output, and a sun gear driveably connected to the air motor.
A powertrain for driving a motor vehicle comprising:
- an internal combustion engine including first and second rotors supported for rotation about an axis;
- a first epicyclic gear unit including a first component fixed against rotation, a first driving component, and a first driven component;
- a first power path alternately producing a first drive connection between the driven component and the first rotor, and opening said first drive connection;
- a second power path producing a second drive connection between the driven component and the second rotor, and opening said second drive connection;
- powertrain output;
- a source of compressed air;
- an air motor pneumatically communicating with the source of compressed air;
- and
- an epicyclic transmission gear unit including a second driving component driveably connected to the first driven component, a second driven component driveably connected to the powertrain output, and a control component driveably connected to the air motor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.