# US 9,434,370 B2 · Control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle drive system

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- Number: US 9,434,370 B2
- Document ID: US9434370B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/690,707
- Filed: 2015-04-20
- Published: 2015-11-12
- Granted: 2016-09-06
- Earliest claimed: 2014-05-07
- Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
- Applicants: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
- Inventors: Yukinobu Nishikawa; Yoshinori Morita; Shingo Kato
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9434370B2

## CPC

- B60W 10/02: including control of driveline clutches
- B60K 6/365: with the gears having orbital motion
- B60K 6/445: Differential gearing distribution type
- B60W 10/06: including control of combustion engines
- B60W 10/08: including control of electric propulsion units, e.g. motors or generators
- B60W 10/115: with planetary gears
- B60W 10/18: including control of braking systems
- B60W 10/182: {including control of parking brakes}
- B60W 20/00: Control systems specially adapted for hybrid vehicles {(hybrid vehicle design, B60K6/00; electric vehicles B60L)}
- B60W 30/18027: {Drive off, accelerating from standstill}
- B60W 30/19: Improvement of gear change, e.g. by synchronisation or smoothing gear shift
- F16H 63/483: {Circuits for controlling engagement of parking locks or brakes}
- Y02T 10/62: Hybrid vehicles
- Y10S 903/93: Conjoint control of different elements
- B60W: CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OR DIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT
- 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
- F16H: GEARING
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION
- Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS

## Abstract

Control apparatus for hybrid vehicle drive system including: first differential mechanism provided with a rotary element connected to engine and rotary element connected to a first electric motor; a second differential mechanism provided with a rotary element connected to second electric motor and a rotary element connected to output rotary member; first clutch configured to selectively connect rotary element of first differential mechanism connected to engine or first electric motor, to rotary element of second differential mechanism connected to output rotary member; manually operated shifting device; and parking lock mechanism provided with parking lock gear fixed directly or indirectly to output rotary member and rotary motion which is prevented when shifting device is placed in parking position, control apparatus including parking lock control portion configured to release parking lock gear for permitting rotary motion of parking lock gear while first clutch is placed in its engaged state.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle drive system including:
a first differential mechanism provided with (1) a first rotary element of the first differential mechanism, the first rotary element of the first differential mechanism connected to an engine and (2) a second rotary element of the first differential mechanism, the second rotary element of the first differential mechanism connected to a first electric motor;
a second differential mechanism provided with (1) a first rotary element of the second differential mechanism, the first rotary element of the second differential mechanism connected to a second electric motor and (2) a second rotary element of the second differential mechanism, the second rotary element of the second differential mechanism connected to an output rotary member;
a first clutch configured to selectively connect the first rotary element of the first differential mechanism connected to the engine or the second rotary element of the first differential mechanism connected to the first electric motor, to the second rotary element of the second differential mechanism connected to the output rotary member;
a manually operated shifting device; and
a parking lock mechanism provided with a parking lock gear which is fixed to the output rotary member and a rotary motion of which is prevented when the shifting device is placed in a parking position, the control apparatus comprising:
a parking lock control portion configured to release the parking lock gear for permitting the rotary motion of the parking lock gear while the first clutch is placed in its engaged state.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the hybrid vehicle drive system further includes a second clutch which is placed in its engaged state to hold constant a ratio of an output speed of the first differential mechanism to a speed of a rotary motion received by the first differential mechanism from said engine,
and wherein the parking lock control portion releases the parking lock gear for permitting the rotary motion of the parking lock gear while the second clutch is placed in its engaged state.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the hybrid vehicle drive system further includes a brake configured to selectively connect the second rotary element of the first differential mechanism connected to the first electric motor or the second rotary element of the second differential mechanism connected to the output rotary member to a stationary member, and
wherein the parking lock control portion releases the parking lock gear for permitting the rotary motion of the parking lock gear while the brake is placed in its engaged state.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the parking lock mechanism prevents a rotary motion of the output rotary member.