US 7,958,960 B2 · Driving force control apparatus for a vehicle that drives wheel units independently

Abstract

Right front wheel units (FL, FR) are driven independently by motor generators (MGL, MGR). A power control unit (1) is provided common to the motor generators (MGL, MGR) and integrally controls driving them. Each motor generator (MGL, MGR) and the power control unit (1) are selectively connected by switch circuits (SWL, SWR). The switch circuits (SWL, SWR) are switched by an ECU (3), as appropriate, in accordance with how the vehicle (100) is currently traveling (i.e., a driving force that the vehicle is required to output, and a direction in which the vehicle is traveling). In other words, the vehicle (100) can selectively implement traveling with the left and right front wheel units (FL, FR) both serving as driving wheel units, and traveling with only one of the left and right front wheel units (FL, FR) serving as a driving wheel unit, depending on how the vehicle is currently traveling.

Claims7

Dependent claims

A driving force control apparatus for a vehicle that drives wheel units independently, comprising:

n motor generators each coupled with a drive wheel unit and drivable independently from each other, n being a natural number of at least two;
a drive circuit provided common to said n motor generators and configured to receive electric power from a power supply to drive said n motor generators;
and
a switch mechanism for selectively switching in accordance with a required driving force that said vehicle requires, rotational speeds of said n motor generators and a steering angle of said vehicle, a state with one of said n motor generators and said drive circuit connected together and a state with m of said n motor generators and said drive circuit connected together, m being a natural number of at least two and at most n,
wherein said drive circuit comprises an inverter configured to drive all of said n motor generators.

2 more elements

A driving force control apparatus for a vehicle that drives wheel units independently, comprising:

n motor generators each coupled with a drive wheel unit and drivable independently from each other, n being a natural number of at least two;
a drive circuit provided common to said n motor generators and configured to receive electric power from a power supply to drive said n motor generators;
n switch circuits capable of electrically connecting/disconnecting said drive circuit and said n motor generators, respectively;
and
a control device controlling said drive circuit in accordance with a required driving force that said vehicle requires, rotational speeds of said n motor generators and a steering angle of said vehicle, to selectively bring one or m of said n switch circuits into connection and also cause any of said motor generators associated with said one or m of said n switch circuits to together generate a driving force satisfying said required driving force,
wherein said drive circuit comprises an inverter configured to drive all of said n motor generators.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Driving force control apparatus for a vehicle that drives wheel units independently

Life of this patent

Driving force control apparatus for a vehicle that drives wheel units independently

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims7