Dual engine automobile

Abstract

The invention is an automobile with two engines, where one engine is mounted in the front of the car and one is mounted in the back of the vehicle. A common drive shaft rotational part is run from engine to engine underneath the vehicle. A machine functioning as both a transmission and a differential is located affixed to the flywheel or clutch of both engines. The common driveshaft is run from trans differential to trans differential. Both engines share a common computer system performing the functions such as ignition and electronic fuel injection.

Claims

1. An automobile with two engines wherein one engine is located at the front of the length of the chassis while the second engine is located at the rear opposite end of the length of the chassis.

2. The automobile of claim 1 wherein the two engines share a common unified drivetrain system of components, the said drivetrain outputting engine prime mover/source torque to the vehicles final drive components.

3. The automobile of claim 1 wherein the automobile is computer controlled.

4. The automobile of claim 1 wherein the two engines are longitudinal mounted/assembled.

5. The automobile of claim 1 further comprising at least one transaxle which performs the functions of both receiving output engine torque from at least one engine, and transmitting said torque to final drive components of the vehicle.

6. The automobile of claim 2 wherein the engines and the common drivetrain are mechanically synchronized.

7. The automobile of claim 3 wherein each individual engine and its associated set of sensors and computer control electronic components are separately channeled or banked and processed independently of one another by the systems computer.

8. The automobile of claim 3 wherein at least one of the two engines throttle control system is drive-by-wire.

9. The automobile of claim 3 wherein both channel or banks are processed individually and different calculated/separate output controlled engine electronic signal functioning scenarios are distributed to each individual engine per the calculated combination values of both engine banks or channels.

10. The automobile of claim 5 further comprising a manual shift/clutch/throwout system of the transaxle(s) wherein the inherent driver clutch pedal is mechanically junctioned for parallel operation of two independent/separate clutch disk/throw-out mechanisms, wherein one said of each mechanism is respective of each individual engine;

11. The automobile of claim 5 further comprising a common vacuum system routed to the transaxle(s) between the two engines.

12. The automobile of claim 5 further comprising a common integrated computer control system assembled between the two engines and the transaxle(s) for the electronic signal processing consistent with the transaxle(s) gear shifting.

13. The automobile of claim 5 wherein the vehicle contains one transaxle.

14. The automobile of claim 5 wherein the vehicle contains two transaxles.

15. The automobile of claim 10 wherein the mechanical response of clutch pedal depression is the simultaneous disengagement of both clutch disks from established friction/contact to their respective components.

16. The automobile of claim 13 wherein the transaxles gear shifting functions are automatic.

17. The automobile of claim 13 wherein the transaxles gear shifting functions are manually controlled.

18. The automobile of claim 14 wherein the transaxles gear shifting functions are automatic.

19. The automobile of claim 14 wherein the transaxles gear shifting functions are manually controlled.

20. The automobile of claim 15 wherein the throw-out direction of the front engines respective clutch disk is achieved in the direction that is opposite the throw-out direction of the second engines respective clutch disk.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS AND EMBODIMENTS

[0034] FIG. 1 illustrates the dual engine vehicle with two, torque conversion to final drive machine transfer units. The front and rear engines (prime movers) are labeled 12, and the connected, integrated common drivetrain is outlined in the other portions of the picture. FIG. 13 is the disengage-able manual clutch to flywheel point (if the vehicle is manually operated for final drive output gearing transfer). It could also be on an automatic model of the invention. A flywheel to torque converter junction point, FIG. 13, is the output torque mechanism from the output of engines prime source, 12, to the mechanical operations of the rest of the illustrated drivetrain. 14 is the long input shaft(s) of this invention, their assembly may be one or multiple pieces that extend from engine output point 13, and carry or transmit the outputted mechanical drive force to the processing of drive energy at 15. The final drive that drives or propels the vehicle is outputted from the transaxles at the axles, 16, to the car wheels at 17 as final drive force, or mechanical motion.

[0035] FIG. 2 illustrates the dual engine vehicle. Likewise, to FIG. 1, FIG. 2 illustrates the invention where 15 is a single torque conversion final drive transfer machine unit, applicable to both the front and rear wheel sets simultaneously. The front and rear engines are labeled 12,

[0036] The connected, integrated common shaft assembly is outlined in the other portions of the picture. FIG. 13 is the disengage-able manual clutch to flywheel point (if the vehicle is manually operated for final drive output gearing transfer). FIG. 13 is the output torque mechanism from the output of engines 12, To the mechanical operations of the rest of the illustrated drivetrain. 14 is the shaft assembly. Its assembly may be one or multiple pieces that extend from engine output point 13 and carry or transmit the outputted mechanical drive force to the processing of the drive energy at 15. The shaft assembly portions located between the engines and transaxle(s) 15 are deemed “input shafts”. The final drive that drives or propels the vehicle is outputted from the transaxle at the axle(s) 16 to the car wheels at 17, as final drive or mechanical motion.

[0037] FIG. 3 is a more detailed blueprint of FIG. 2 which features more elaborate drawings of the mechanical components of FIG. 3, the single torque transfer machine design/model of this invention.

[0038] FIG. 4 is an outline of the mechanical drive or torque force transfer as it applies to the invention as a single torque conversion/transfer model application as in FIG. 2. 21 represents the internal combustion engine as a prime mover component. Prime mover is another word for engine in many patent literatures related to engine and drivetrain set ups. 22 represents the transfer to the component or components 13, as prime mover or engine outputted torque, to the drivetrain system of components. 23 is the transfer from 13 to 14. 14, The long underside major component is termed a shaft assembly. It may be multiple assembled pieces or components. 24 is the torque transfer component. Torque is converted here, to final drive, through gearing, and then outputted to final drive at the wheels and axles. 26 is the axles. 27 is the wheels. 28 is 24, wherein 24 is accomplished by a single component for both the front and the rear wheel sets. 29 illustrates the operation of 28 as the two wheel sets are distinguishable branched, in terms of mechanical assembly, from the two-separate torque conversion machine units, which are synchronized mechanically by some means.

[0039] FIG. 5 is an outline of the mechanical drive or torque force transfer as it applies to the invention as a dual torque conversion/transfer model application as in FIG. 2. 21 represents the internal combustion engine as a prime mover component. Prime mover is another word for engine in many patent literatures related to engine and drivetrain set ups. 22 represents the transfer to the component or components 13, as prime mover or engine outputted torque to the drivetrain system of components, 23 is the transfer from 13 to 14. The long underside major component is termed a shaft assembly (14). It may be multiple assembled pieces or components. It features two “visible input shafts” (14), that run from each engine to a respective input point at the/a transaxle(s), 15. 24 is the torque transfer component. Torque is converted here to final drive through gearing, and then outputted to final drive at the wheels and axles. 26 is the axles. 27 is the wheels. 28 is 24, wherein 24 is accomplished by a single component for both the front and the rear wheel sets. 29 illustrates the operation of 28 as the two wheel sets are distinguishable branched, in terms of mechanical assembly, from the two-separate torque conversion machine units, which are synchronized mechanically by some means.

[0040] FIG. 6 is FIG. 2. The processing of torque at different mechanical stages or at different torque levels is realized in this depiction. Output torque x1 is converted to internal transmission gear change torque at junction point 19 as x2. The outputting final drive axles at 16, output the final drive torque level, which is numerically labeled as x3, as final drive torque.

[0041] FIG. 7 illustrates the drive-by-wire system of the mechanical throttle control operation fearing a mechanical-part-less, all-electronic operation of a throttle body by an electronic means. 41 indicates the foot or gas pedal position. 42,43 and 44 imply parallel processing of engine control computing, and the said computing factors in the single driver footswitch position is used to calculate and deliver engine parameter functions of computer control to engine electronic components accordingly, per individual engine (parallel or channeled processing of computing). The system likely features drive-by-wire for both throttle bodies and engine computer control channels.

GLOSSARY

[0042] Prime mover; origin of mechanical force in a drivetrain. An internal combustion or hybrid engine.

[0043] Torque-conversion; conversion of prime mover torque to final output torque; Gear reduction or manipulation by an automotive transmission or a machine performing the function thereof.

[0044] Transaxle: an automotive machine unit component that performs both the functions of torque conversion machine(transmission) and final drive output machine (differential). Referred to as “torque-conversion/final-drive-output machine unit”

[0045] Transmission; torque conversion machine of an automobile performing the function of conversion of prime mover energy from one torque parameter to a second torque parameter.

[0046] Final drive; the torque or mechanical force or motion that is ultimately applied to the wheels of the vehicle, propelling the vehicle.

[0047] Manual transmission; a user controlled and operated torque conversion system in an automobile design, also known as stick shift.