Road vehicle with an electric drive

Abstract

A road vehicle with an electric drive having: a heat engine provided with a carrier shaft; a gearbox; at least one pump actuated by a carrier shaft; at least a reversible electric machine; a first mechanical transmission, which transmits the motion from the drive shaft of the heat engine to the carrier shaft and is provided with a first freewheel; a second mechanical transmission, which transmits the motion from the shaft of the electric machine to the carrier shaft and is provided with a second freewheel; and a third mechanical transmission, which is arranged in parallel to the second mechanical transmission, transmits the motion from the shaft of the electric machine to the carrier shaft, is provided with a third freewheel and reverses the direction of motion with respect to the second mechanical transmission.

Claims

1. A road vehicle with an electric drive comprising: only one carrier shaft; at least one pump, which is operated by the one carrier shaft; at least one reversible electric machine having a shaft; a first mechanical transmission, which transmits the motion from the shaft of the electric machine to the one carrier shaft and is provided with a first freewheel; a second mechanical transmission, which is arranged in parallel to the first mechanical transmission, transmits the motion from the shaft of the electric machine to the carrier shaft, is provided with a second freewheel and reverses the direction of motion if compared to the first mechanical transmission; a heat engine provided with a drive shaft; and a third mechanical transmission, which is designed to transmit the motion from the drive shaft of the heat engine to the carrier shaft and is provided with a third freewheel; wherein the first mechanical transmission is completely separated and independent from the second mechanical transmission and does not have any common component with the second mechanical transmission.

2. A road vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the first freewheel is oppositely mounted if compared to the second freewheel.

3. A road vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the gear ratio determined by the third mechanical transmission is different from the gear ratio determined by the first mechanical transmission and by the second mechanical transmission.

4. A road vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the gear ratio determined by the third mechanical transmission is higher than the gear ratio determined by the first mechanical transmission and by the second mechanical transmission, so that, given the same inlet speed, the third mechanical transmission rotates the carrier shaft faster than the first mechanical transmission and the second mechanical transmission.

5. A road vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the third mechanical transmission is made up of a train of gear wheels and comprises a first gear wheel, which receives the motion from the drive shaft of the heat engine, and a second gear wheel, which meshes with the first gear wheel and is coupled to the carrier shaft through the third freewheel.

6. A road vehicle according to claim 5, wherein the third freewheel is built-in in the second gear wheel.

7. A road vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the first mechanical transmission is made up of a train of gear wheels and comprises a first gear wheel, which is coupled to the carrier shaft, and a second gear wheel, which meshes with the first gear wheel and is coupled to the shaft of the electric machine through the first freewheel.

8. A road vehicle according to claim 7, wherein the first freewheel is built-in in the second gear wheel.

9. A road vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the second mechanical transmission is made up of a train of gear wheels and comprises a first gear wheel, which is coupled to the carrier shaft, a second gear wheel, which is coupled to the shaft of the electric machine through the second freewheel and a third gear wheel, which is interposed between the first gear wheel and the second gear wheel.

10. A road vehicle according to claim 9, wherein the second freewheel is built-in in the second gear wheel.

11. A road vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the carrier shaft extends through the pump.

12. A road vehicle according to claim 1, wherein: the first mechanical transmission comprises a first train of gear wheels including first gear wheels; and the second mechanical transmission comprises a second train of gear wheels including second gear wheels, which are completely separated and independent from the first gear wheels.

13. A road vehicle according to claim 1, wherein: the first mechanical transmission comprises a first train of gear wheels, including a first gear wheel which is coupled to the carrier shaft, and a second gear wheel which meshes with the first gear wheel and is coupled to the shaft of the electric machine through the first freewheel; and the second mechanical transmission comprises a second train of gear wheels, including a third gear wheel which is separated and independent from the first gear wheel and is coupled to the carrier shaft, a fourth gear wheel, which is separated and independent from the second gear wheel and is coupled to the shaft of the electric machine through the second freewheel, and a fifth gear wheel, which is interposed between the third gear wheel and the fourth gear wheel.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, showing a non-limiting embodiment, wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a road vehicle with hybrid propulsion manufactured in accordance with the present invention;

(3) FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a transmission of the road vehicle of FIG. 1; and

(4) FIGS. 3 and 4 are two different schematic views of part of the transmission of FIG. 2.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

(5) In FIG. 1, number 1 indicates as a whole a road vehicle with hybrid propulsion provided with two front wheels 2 and with two rear driving wheels 3, which receive the driving torque by a hybrid powertrain system 4.

(6) The hybrid powertrain system 4 comprises an internal combustion engine 5, which is arranged in a front position and is provided with a crankshaft 6, a hydraulic power-assisted (i.e. robotized) transmission 7, which transmits the drive torque generated by the internal combustion engine 5 to the rear driving wheels 3, and an electric reversible machine 8 (namely operated both as an electric motor by absorbing electricity and generating a mechanical drive torque and as and electrical generator by absorbing mechanical energy and generating electricity), which is mechanically coupled to the transmission 7.

(7) The transmission 7 comprises a transmission shaft 9, which on the one side is angularly integral with the drive shaft 6 and on the other side is mechanically coupled to a dual-clutch gearbox 10, which is arranged in the rear position and transmits the motion to the rear driving wheels 3 by means of two axle shafts 11 receiving the motion from a differential 12. The electric reversible machine 8 is mechanically coupled to the dual-clutch gearbox 10, as it will be better described in the following, and is driven by an electronic power converter 13 coupled to a storage system 14, which stores electrical energy and is provided with chemical batteries and/or supercapacitors.

(8) As shown in FIG. 2, the dual-clutch gearbox 10 comprises two primary shafts 15 and 16 which are mutually coaxial, independent and inserted one in the other, and two clutches 17 and 18, which are coaxial and arranged in series, each of which connects a relative primary shaft 15 or 16 to the transmission shaft 9 (and therefore to the drive shaft 6 of the internal combustion engine 5). Moreover, the dual-clutch gearbox 10 comprises two secondary shafts 19 and 20, which are both angularly integral to the inlet of the differential 11 that transmits the motion to the rear driving wheels 3.

(9) The dual-clutch gearbox 10 shown in FIG. 2 has seven forward gears indicated with Roman numerals (first gear I, second gear II, third gear III, fourth gear IV, fifth gear V, sixth gear VI and seventh gear VII) and lacks a reverse gear (where the reverse motion occurs by electric traction, exploiting the perfect rotation bi-directionality of the electric machine 8); in other words, the electric machine 8 works as a motor, with a direction of rotation opposite to the usual, to apply to the rear driving wheels 3 a drive torque pushing the vehicle 1 in reverse motion. The primary shafts 15 and 16 are mechanically coupled to the secondary shafts 19 and 20 by means of a plurality of pairs of gears 21, each of which defines a respective gear and comprises a primary gear mounted on a primary shaft 15 or 16 and a secondary gear mounted on a secondary shaft 19 or 20 and meshes permanently with the primary gear. To allow the correct operation of the dual-clutch gearbox 10, all the odd gears (first gear I, third gear III, fifth gear V, seventh gear VII) are coupled to the same primary shaft 15, while all the even gears (second gear II, fourth gear IV and sixth gear VI) are coupled to the other primary shaft 16.

(10) Each primary gear is fitted to a respective primary shaft 15 or 16 to always rotate integrally with the primary shaft 15 or 16 and meshes permanently with the respective secondary gear; instead, each secondary gear is idly mounted on its secondary shaft 19 or 20. The dual-clutch gearbox 10 comprises for each pair of gears 21 a corresponding synchronizer 22, which is mounted coaxially to the corresponding secondary shaft 19 or 20 and can be actuated to engage the respective secondary gear to the secondary shaft 19 or 20 (i.e. to make the respective secondary gear angularly integral with the secondary shaft 19 or 20).

(11) The electric machine 8 has a shaft 23, which is permanently coupled to the primary shaft 15 to always rotate integrally with the primary shaft 15. According to a preferred embodiment, starting from an existing dual-clutch gearbox 10, not initially designed for the hybrid drive, the primary shaft 15 is extended on the opposite side with respect to the clutches 17 and 18 so as to protrude from a gearbox 24; then, out of the gearbox 24, the primary shaft 15 is made angularly integral (e.g. by means of a head-to-head coupling) with the shaft 23 of the electric machine 8.

(12) The dual-clutch gearbox 10 comprises a circulation pump 25, which allows the circulation of a lubricant oil through the transmission gears 10 to ensure an adequate lubrication and an adequate cooling of the gears. Moreover, the dual-clutch gearbox 10 comprises an actuating pump 26 that supplies the hydraulic pressure required to operate the hydraulic actuators for engaging the gears (i.e. the actuators of the synchronizers 22) and the control actuators of the clutches 17 and 18.

(13) The two pumps 25 and 26 of the gearbox 10 are actuated by an auxiliary carrier shaft 27 (i.e. passing through each pump 25 and 26), which on the one hand takes the motion through a mechanical transmission 28 from a front basket 29 of the clutches 17 and 18 which is angularly integral with the drive shaft 6, and on the other hand takes the motion through two different mechanical transmissions 30 and 31 from the primary shaft 15, which is angularly integral with the shaft 23 of the electric machine 8. The carrier shaft 27 must always rotate in the same direction, as the pumps 25 and 26 may operate correctly (i.e. may pump) by rotating only in a predetermined direction.

(14) The mechanical transmission 28 is preferably made up of a train of gear wheels and is provided with a freewheel 32 (or idle wheel 32) that transmits or does not transmit the motion (i.e. meshes or not meshes) depending on the direction of the speed difference. The mechanical transmission 30 is preferably made up of a train of gear wheels and is provided with a freewheel 33 (or idle wheel 33) that transmits or does not transmit the motion (i.e. meshes or not meshes) depending on the direction of the speed difference. The mechanical transmission 31 is preferably made up of a train of gear wheels and is provided with a freewheel 34 (or idle wheel 34) that transmits or does not transmit the motion (i.e. meshes or not meshes) depending on the direction of the speed difference and is mounted oppositely with respect to the freewheel 33 (i.e. in an opposite meshing direction if compared to the freewheel 33); in other words, the freewheel 34 transmits the motion (i.e. meshes) when it rotates in a certain direction, whereas the freewheel 33 transmits the motion (i.e. meshes) when it rotates in the opposite direction.

(15) The two mechanical transmissions 30 and 31 are mutually parallel (i.e. both take their motion from the primary shaft 15, which is angularly integral with the shaft 23 of the electric machine 8, and transmit the motion to the auxiliary carrier shaft 27) and differ for the different (opposite) meshing direction of the respective freewheels 33 and 34 and because the one reverses the direction of motion with respect to the other (i.e. if the primary shaft 15 rotates counterclockwise, the mechanical transmission 30 rotates the auxiliary carrier shaft 27 counterclockwise, whereas the mechanical transmission 31 rotates the auxiliary carrier shaft 27 clockwise).

(16) Finally, the two mechanical transmissions 30 and 31 have the same gear ratio (or anyway similar gear ratios), while the gear ratio of the mechanical transmission 28 is higher than the gear ratio of the mechanical transmissions 30 and 31 so that at an equal inlet speed, the mechanical transmission 28 rotates the carrier shaft 27 faster than the mechanical transmissions 30 and 31.

(17) According to a possible embodiment, along the carrier shaft 27 and upstream of the mechanical transmissions 30 and 31 it is interposed an uncoupling sleeve (not shown), which allows an axial sliding of the portion of the carrier shaft 27 arranged to the right of the uncoupling sleeve with respect to the portion of the carrier shaft 27 arranged to the left of the uncoupling sleeve. The purpose of the uncoupling sleeve is to allow the axial adjustment of the mechanical transmissions 30 and 31 (typically to regain the construction tolerances in the assembling phase) without affecting the pumps 25 and 26 and the mechanical transmissions 30 and 31.

(18) As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the mechanical transmission 28 is made up of a train of gear wheels and comprises a gear wheel 35 integral with the front basket 29 of the clutches 17 and 18 (i.e. angularly integral with the drive shaft 6 of the heat engine 5) and a gear wheel 36 which meshes with the gear wheel 35 and is coupled to the carrier shaft 27 through the freewheel 32; in particular, the freewheel 32 is integrated in the gear wheel 36, i.e. forms the hub of the gear wheel 36. The mechanical transmission 30 is made up of a train of gear wheels and comprises a gear wheel 37 integral with the carrier shaft 27 and a gear wheel 38 which meshes with the gear wheel 37 and is coupled to the primary shaft 15 (i.e. to the shaft 23 of the electric machine 8) through the freewheel 33; in particular, the freewheel 33 is integrated in the gear wheel 38, i.e. forms the hub of the gear wheel 38. The mechanical transmission 31 is made up of a train of gear wheels and comprises a gear wheel 39 integral with the carrier shaft 27, a gear wheel 40 which is coupled to the primary shaft 15 (i.e. to the shaft 23 of the electric machine 8) through the freewheel 34, and a further gear wheel 41 that is interposed between the gear wheels 39 and 40 and then meshes on the one side with the gear wheel 39 and on the opposite side with the gear wheel 40; in particular, the freewheel 34 is integrated in the gear wheel 40, i.e. forms the hub of the gear wheel 40.

(19) Thanks to the presence of the gear wheel 41, the mechanical transmission 31 reverses the direction of motion with respect to the mechanical transmission 30; accordingly, if the primary shaft 15 (i.e. the shaft 23 of the electric machine 8) rotates counterclockwise, the mechanical transmission 30 rotates the auxiliary carrier shaft 27 counterclockwise, whereas the mechanical transmission 31 rotates the auxiliary carrier shaft 27 clockwise.

(20) Hereinafter a description of the operation of the transmission 7 with reference to the implementation of the pumps 25 and 26 of the gearbox 10.

(21) When the speed of rotation imparted to the carrier shaft 27 by the mechanical transmission 28 (and therefore by the drive shaft 6 of the heat engine 5) is higher than the speed of rotation imparted to the carrier shaft 27 by the mechanical transmissions 30 and 31 (and therefore by the primary shaft 15 integral with the electric machine 8), then the freewheel 32 meshes and then transmits the motion to the pumps 25 and 26 of the gearbox 10, while the freewheels 33 and 34 are not engaged and therefore do not transmit the motion to the pumps 25 and 26 of the gearbox 10; in other words, the carrier shaft 27 is rotated by the drive shaft 6 of the heat engine 5, while the carrier shaft 27 is isolated from the primary shaft 15 integral with the shaft 23 of the electric machine 8. The speed of rotation imparted to the carrier shaft 27 by the mechanical transmission 28 (and therefore by the drive shaft 6 of the heat engine 5) is always higher than the speed of rotation imparted to the carrier shaft 27 by the mechanical transmissions 30 and 31 (and therefore by the primary shaft 15 integral with the electric machine 8) when the heat engine 5 is on for advancing the vehicle, since the gear ratio of the mechanical transmission 28 is higher than the gear ratio of the mechanical transmissions 30 and 31.

(22) When the speed of rotation imparted to the carrier shaft 27 by the mechanical transmission 28 (and therefore by the drive shaft 6 of the heat engine 5) is lower than the speed of rotation imparted to the carrier shaft 27 by the mechanical transmissions 30 and 31 (and therefore by the primary shaft 15 integral with the electric machine 8), then only one of the two freewheels 33 and 34 meshes and then transmits the motion to the pumps 25 and 26 of the gearbox 10, while the freewheel 32 is not engaged and therefore does not transmit the motion to the pumps 25 and 26 of the gearbox 10 (this almost always occurs only when the heat engine 5 is off during the start/stop phase); in other words, the carrier shaft 27 is rotated by the primary shaft 15 integral with the shaft 23 of the electric machine 8, while the carrier shaft 27 is isolated from the drive shaft 6 of the heat engine 5.

(23) In particular, if the primary shaft 15 integral with the shaft 23 of the electric machine 8 rotates in one direction (when the electric machine 8 is used for the forward motion of the road vehicle 1), then it engages the freewheel 33 and does not engage the freewheel 34 (i.e. the carrier shaft 27 is rotated through the mechanical transmission 30), while if the primary shaft 15 integral to the shaft 23 of the electric machine 8 rotates in the opposite direction (when the electric machine 8 is used for the reverse motion of the road vehicle 1), then it engages the freewheel 34 and does not engage the freewheel 33 (i.e. the carrier shaft 27 is rotated through the mechanical transmission 31); in any case, the carrier shaft 27 always rotates in the same direction regardless of the direction of rotation of the primary shaft 15 integral with the shaft 23 of the electric machine 8, since the two mechanical transmissions 30 and 31 reverse the direction of motion with respect to one another.

(24) In use, when the heat engine 5 is on, i.e. the drive shaft 6 of the heat engine 5 rotates and one of the clutches 17 and 18 is closed, the speed of rotation imparted to the carrier shaft 27 by the mechanical transmission 28 (and therefore by the drive shaft 6 of the heat engine 5) is always higher than the speed of rotation imparted to the carrier shaft 27 by the mechanical transmissions 30 and 31 (and therefore by the primary shaft 15 integral with the shaft 23 of the electric machine 8), since the gear ratio determined by the mechanical transmission 28 is higher than the gear ratio determined by the mechanical transmissions 30 and 31. In this case, the carrier shaft 27 is rotated by the drive shaft 6 of the heat engine 5.

(25) When the heat engine 5 is on, i.e. the drive shaft 6 of the heat engine 5 rotates, and the clutches 17 and 18 are both open, the carrier shaft 27 can be rotated by the drive shaft 6 of the heat engine 5 or can be rotated by the primary shaft 15 integral with the shaft 23 of the electric machine 8 depending on the speed of rotation of the shaft 23 of the electric machine 8 (i.e. of the primary shaft 15 of the gearbox). In fact, since both clutches 17 and 18 are open, the speed of rotation of the primary shaft 15 of the gearbox is completely independent from the rotational speed of the drive shaft 6 of the heat engine 5. In any case, when the heat engine 5 is on, the carrier shaft 27 is preferably rotated by the drive shaft 6 of the heat engine 5; generally, when the heat engine 5 is on, the carrier shaft 27 is rotated by the primary shaft 15 integral with the electric machine 8 only in the case of a regenerative braking, when the electric machine 8 works as a generator to recover the kinetic energy of the vehicle 1.

(26) When the heat engine 5 is off, i.e. when the drive shaft 6 of the heat engine 5 is stationary and the shaft 23 of the electric machine 8 rotates (and therefore when the primary shaft 15 rotates), the speed of rotation imparted to the carrier shaft 27 by the mechanical transmission 28 (and therefore by the drive shaft 6 of the heat engine 5) is always lower than the speed of rotation imparted to the carrier shaft 27 by the mechanical transmissions 30 and 31 (and therefore by the primary shaft 15 integral with the shaft 23 of the electric machine 8). In this case, the carrier shaft 27 is rotated by the primary shaft 15 integral with the shaft 23 of the electric machine 8 through one of the two mechanical transmissions 30 and 31 depending on the direction of rotation of the primary shaft 15 integral with the shaft 23 of the electric machine 8.

(27) When the heat engine 5 is off, i.e. the drive shaft 6 of the heat engine 5 is stationary, and the shaft 23 of the electric machine 8 is stationary too, then also the carrier shaft 27 remains stationary.

(28) In the aforesaid embodiment there are two different pumps 25 and 26; according to other embodiments not shown, there is a single pump mounted on the carrier shaft 27 (e.g. in the case where a single fluid is used for lubrication and implementation), or there are more than two pumps mounted on the carrier shaft 27.

(29) In the aforesaid embodiment, the gearbox 10 is a dual-clutch gearbox; according to other embodiments not shown, the gearbox 10 is a power-assisted single-clutch gearbox, an automatic gearbox or a manual gearbox. In all these possible embodiments, the mechanical transmission 28 derives the motion directly from the drive shaft 6 of the heat engine 5.

(30) In the aforesaid embodiment, the road vehicle 1 has a hybrid propulsion (i.e. both a thermal propulsion and an electric propulsion); according to other embodiments not shown, the road vehicle 1 may have only an electric propulsion and in this case there would no longer be the heat engine 5, the clutches 16 and 17 and the mechanical transmission 28 (but there would be the two mechanical transmissions 30 and 31 to rotate the carrier shaft 27 always in the same direction, regardless of the direction of rotation of the shaft 23 of the electric machine 8).

(31) The aforesaid road vehicle 1 has several advantages.

(32) First of all, the aforesaid road vehicle 1 is simple and inexpensive, particularly starting from an existing transmission that had not been designed for hybrid applications, since the general structure of the gearbox 10, and in particular the position of the pumps 25 and 26 of the gearbox 10, does not change; basically, starting from an existing transmission that had not been designed for hybrid applications, the only necessary modifications are the elongation of the primary shaft 15 and of the carrier shaft 27, the insertion of the freewheel 32 and the insertion of the mechanical transmissions 30 and 31.

(33) Moreover, in the aforesaid road vehicle 1, in case of an electric traction (i.e. when the heat engine 5 is off), the clutches 17 and 18 can be opened since the pumps 25 and 26 of the gearbox 10 are rotated through the mechanical transmissions 30 and 31, both in the case of forward motion (where the carrier shaft 27 is rotated through the mechanical transmission 30) and in the case of reverse motion (where the carrier shaft 27 is rotated through the mechanical transmission 31).

(34) Finally, the aforesaid road vehicle 1 is particularly efficient from the energetical point of view, since when the heat engine 5 is on, the mechanical energy absorbed by the pumps 25 and 26 of the gearbox 10 is normally taken directly by the drive shaft 6 of the heat engine 5 without any kind of electromechanical conversion.