A drive device for a hybrid-drive motor vehicle, having an internal combustion engine as a primary drive, an electric engine as a secondary drive, and having planetary gear units that are coupled with one another that can be shifted into different gear steps through shift elements and brakes. The planetary gear units being connectable to a common output shaft by way of input elements and output elements. The reaction elements thereof can be coupled or firmly braked, wherein the drive device can be operated in an electromotor drive, a primary drive having gear steps (gears), or in a hybrid drive.

A powertrain system is described, and includes an internal combustion engine having a crank member, a torque machine having a rotatable shaft member, and a transmission having an input member and an output member. The crank member of the internal combustion engine is couplable to the input member of the transmission. The rotatable shaft member of the torque machine is couplable to the crank member of the internal combustion engine at a first gear ratio. The rotatable shaft member of the torque machine is couplable to the input member of the transmission at a second gear ratio. The first gear ratio is less than the second gear ratio.

The present invention relates to a powertrain for a motor vehicle comprising a thermal engine (10), a variable-speed transmission device (14) including an engine epicyclic gear train (26) with a sun gear (36) carried by a hollow shaft (42) and a crown gear (56) carried by a hollow shaft (62) surrounding hollow shaft (42) of the sun gear, the sun gear and the crown gear are each connected to shaft (12) of thermal engine (10) by a controlled clutch (28 and 30) and to a fixed part (48) of the vehicle by a one-way clutch (32 and 34), and a track (126 and 128) for motion transmission to a drive axle (16). According to the invention, the powertrain comprises a controlled connection (132) between the two hollow shafts (42 and 62).

A gearing device for a motor vehicle, which is equipped with an input shaft that can be operationally connected to a drive unit, as well as a first output shaft and a second output shaft, wherein the first output shaft is connected or can be connected via a first gear with a first partial shaft of a wheel axle and the second output shaft is operationally connected or can be operationally connected via a second gear with a second partial shaft of the wheel axle.

A plurality of virtual gear positions are established by an electric continuously variable transmission, and the number of speeds of the virtual gear positions is equal to or larger than the number of speeds of mechanical gear positions of a mechanical stepwise variable transmission. One virtual gear position or two or more virtual gear positions is/are assigned to each mechanical gear position, and the mechanical gear position is shifted in the same timing as shift timing of the virtual gear position. The virtual gear positions assigned to each mechanical gear position when the mechanical gear position is upshifted are different from the virtual gear positions assigned to each mechanical gear position when the mechanical gear position is downshifted. Thus, the amount of heat generated in frictional engagement elements of the mechanical stepwise variable transmission is prevented from being increased.

The present invention relates to a hybrid powertrain and method of controlling same, the hybrid powertrain comprising an internal combustion engine; a gearbox with an input and an output shaft; a range gearbox connected to the output shaft; a first planetary gear connected to the input shaft; a second planetary gear connected to the first planetary gear; a first electrical machine connected to the first planetary gear; a second electrical machine connected to the second planetary gear; one gear pair connected with the first planetary gear and the output shaft; and one gear pair connected with the second planetary gear and the output shaft, wherein the internal combustion engine is connected with the first planetary gear via the input shaft. The range gearbox comprises a third planetary gear with a third sun wheel and a third planetary wheel carrier and a fourth clutch device arranged to connect and disconnect the third sun wheel with/from the third planetary wheel carrier.

Provided is a method to control a hybrid powertrain to achieve reverse drive, comprising an internal combustion engine, a gearbox with input output shafts; a first planetary gear connected to the input shaft and a second planetary gear; first and second electrical machines respectively connected to the first and second planetary gears; gear pair connected with the first planetary gear and the output shaft and one gear pair connected with the second planetary gear and the output shaft, wherein the internal combustion engine is connected with the first planetary gear via the input shaft. The method comprises: a) ensuring the moveable component parts in the first planetary gear are connected with each other and the moveable component parts in the second planetary gear are disconnected from each other; b) ensuring the gear pair connected with the second planetary gear and the output shaft are connected, and the gear pair connected with the first planetary gear and the output shaft are disconnected; and c) controlling the second electrical machine to achieve a negative torque in the output shaft.

A plurality of virtual gear positions are established by an electric continuously variable transmission, and the number of speeds of the virtual gear positions is equal to or larger than the number of speeds of mechanical gear positions of a mechanical stepwise variable transmission. One or two or more virtual gear positions is/are assigned to each mechanical gear position, and shifts among the mechanical gear positions are performed in the same timing as the shift timing of the virtual gear positions. Thus, shifting of the mechanical stepwise variable transmission is accompanied by change of the engine speed Ne, and the driver is less likely to feel uncomfortable even if shift shock occurs during shifting of the mechanical stepwise variable transmission.

A method is provided to control a hybrid powertrain comprising an internal combustion engine; a gearbox with input and output shafts; a range gearbox, connected to the output shaft; a first planetary gear, connected to the input shaft; a second planetary gear, connected to the first planetary gear; a first electrical machine, connected to the first planetary gear; a second electrical machine, connected to the second planetary gear; at least one gear pair, connected with the first planetary gear and the output shaft; and at least one gear pair, connected with the second planetary gear and the output shaft, wherein the internal combustion engine is connected with the first planetary gear via the input shaft. The method comprises the steps: a) engaging a gear by way of connecting two rotatable components in the first planetary gear; b) connecting the at least one gear pair, connected with the second planetary gear and the output shaft; c) connecting a sixth gear pair, arranged between a countershaft and the range gearbox with the countershaft, so that the countershaft is connected with the output shaft via the range gearbox; d) controlling the range gearbox from a low range position to a neutral state, in which no torque transmission occurs through the range gearbox; e) controlling two rotatable components in the range gearbox towards achieving a synchronized rotational speed with the assistance of the first electrical machine; f) connecting the rotatable components with the use of a shiftable third clutch device; and g) engaging a gear by way of connecting two rotatable components in the second planetary gear.

Provided is a method to control a hybrid powertrain to achieve a reverse drive, wherein the hybrid powertrain comprises an internal combustion engine; a gearbox with an input and output shaft; a first planetary gear connected to the input shaft and a first main shaft; a second planetary gear connected to the first planetary gear and a second main shaft; first and second electrical machines respectively connected to the first and second planetary gears; one gear pair connected with the first main shaft and the output shaft; and one gear pair connected with the second main shaft and the output shaft, wherein the internal combustion engine is connected with the first planetary gear via the input shaft. The method comprises: ensuring that moveable component parts in the first planetary gear are disconnected from each other and/or that moveable component parts in the second planetary gear are disconnected from each other; ensuring that an output shaft in the internal combustion engine is prevented from rotating; and controlling the first electrical machine and/or second electrical machine to achieve a negative torque in the output shaft via the first main shaft and/or second main shaft.