Method for Propelling a Vehicle As Well As Drive Unit
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(19) & (11) EP 1 456 050 B1 (12) EUROPEAN PATENT SPECIFICATION (45) Date of publication and mention (51) Int Cl.: of the grant of the patent: B60K 6/10 (2006.01) F16H 3/72 (2006.01) 08.07.2009 Bulletin 2009/28 B60K 6/365 (2007.10) (21) Application number: 02783858.0 (86) International application number: PCT/NL2002/000803 (22) Date of filing: 06.12.2002 (87) International publication number: WO 2003/047898 (12.06.2003 Gazette 2003/24) (54) Method for propelling a vehicle as well as drive unit Verfahren zum betreiben eines Fahrzeugs und Antriebseinheit Procédé de propulsion de véhicule et unité d’entraînement (84) Designated Contracting States: (74) Representative: Verhees, Godefridus Josephus AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR Maria IE IT LI LU MC NL PT SE SI SK TR Brabants Octrooibureau, De Pinckart 54 (30) Priority: 06.12.2001 NL 1019503 5674 CC Nuenen (NL) 09.08.2002 NL 1021241 18.09.2002 NL 1021482 (56) References cited: 29.10.2002 NL 1021776 EP-A- 0 845 618 EP-A- 1 209 017 EP-A2- 1 209 017 WO-A-00/20242 (43) Date of publication of application: DE-A- 10 116 989 FR-A- 2 824 509 15.09.2004 Bulletin 2004/38 US-A- 4 471 668 US-A- 5 577 973 US-A- 5 730 675 (73) Proprietors: • van Druten, Roell Marie • TENBERGE P: "E-AUTOMAT 5612 CR Eindhoven (NL) AUTOMATIKGETRIEBE MIT ESPRIT" VDI • Vroemen, Bas G. BERICHTE, DUESSELDORF, DE, no. 1610, 2001, 5553 BG Valkenswaard (NL) pages 455-479, XP008010754 ISSN: 0083-5560 • Serrarens, Alexander Franciscus Maria • PATENT ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN vol. 2000, no. 5615 NM Eindhoven (NL) 19, 5 June 2001 (2001-06-05) & JP 2001 030774 A (TOYOTA MOTOR CORP), 6 February 2001 (72) Inventors: (2001-02-06) • van Druten, Roell Marie • DRUTEN VAN R.M.: ’Transmission design of the 5612 CR Eindhoven (NL) zero inertia powertrain’ PROEFONTWERP TER • Vroemen, Bas G. VERKRIJGING VAN DOCTOR AAN DE 5553 BG Valkenswaard (NL) TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITEIT EINDHOVEN, XX, • Serrarens, Alexander Franciscus Maria XX XP002357749 5615 NM Eindhoven (NL) • VROEMEN B.G.: ’Component Control for the zero inertia powertrain’ PROEFONTWERP TER VERKRIJGING VAN DOCTOR AAN DE TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITEIT EINDHOVEN, XX, XX XP002357759 Note: Within nine months of the publication of the mention of the grant of the European patent in the European Patent Bulletin, any person may give notice to the European Patent Office of opposition to that patent, in accordance with the Implementing Regulations. Notice of opposition shall not be deemed to have been filed until the opposition fee has been paid. (Art. 99(1) European Patent Convention). EP 1 456 050 B1 Printed by Jouve, 75001 PARIS (FR) 1 EP 1 456 050 B1 2 Description Technical state-of-the-art. Field of the invention. [0005] Such a method is known from Proefschrift door R.M. van Druten, "Transmission design of the zero inertia [0001] The invention relates to a method for preserving 5 powertrain", 27 November 2001. or increasing, preferably stepwise, the driving torque at the wheels of a motorized vehicle, which comprises Summary of the invention. wheels driven by a drive unit, as well as the drive unit comprising a driving source and a transmission system [0006] An objective of the invention is to improve upon connected to the driving source, the transmission system 10 a method as described in the introduction. To this end, comprising: a driving source and a transmission system the method according to the invention is characterized connected to the driving source, the transmission system in that the driving source maintains or increases its torque comprising: a first inertia that is constituted by a flywheel, and torque transmission from the driving source to the an epicyclic gearing with three rotational members, of wheels is maintained or increased by interrupting the which a first member is connected via a first node to the 15 transmission unit, whereby the transmission path from first inertia and a second and third member are connected thedriving source to the wheels runs through the epicyclic via a second and third node, respectively, to two further gearing where the first inertia provides the reaction inertias formed by a driving source and a load, whereby torque. With respect to the method of operation, the in- each member is connected via a first branch to the node vention is based on the insight that by interrupting the and the node is connected via a second branch to one 20 transmission unit, the transmitted torque from the driving of the inertias, a transmission unit with two in/outputs, source to the load can be preserved or even increased which transmission unit is either a transmission unit in by having the transmission path run through the epicyclic which the two in/outputs are coupled to each other via a gearing where the first inertia provides the reaction number of gears and which can be interrupted, or is a torque. continuously variable transmission unit, and of which in/ 25 [0007] In the method according to the invention, outputs a first in/output is connected via a third branch, changing the torque at the wheels is achieved by inter- not comprising a part of one ofthe first or second branch- rupting the transmission unit. This is a different transmis- es, to one of the nodes and the second in/output is con- sion principle with fundamentally different torque ratios nected via another third branch, not comprising a part of in the system. One advantage is the much faster, imme- one of the first or second branches, to another of the30 diate torque change at the wheels (in the desired direc- nodes. tion), without exerting a load on the transmission unit at [0002] The transmission unit can be an Automated that moment. If the transmission unit is a CVT, the addi- Manual Transmission (AMT), a Continuously Variable tional clutch can yield an even larger advantage. The Transmission (CVT), a Manual Transmission (MT), an "elasticity" of the accelerator pedal of the known trans- Automatic Transmission (AT) or a Dual Clutch Transmis- 35 mission system largely depends on the shift speed of the sion (DCT). In this configuration, the torque transmission CVT which in practice is limited by the size of the hydrau- from the driving source to the load is maintained during lical or electrical actuation system. The novelty of the interruption of the transmission unit for the purpose of method of operation according to the invention is mainly changing the transmission ratio. constituted by the initiation of the torque change at the [0003] More particularly, the invention relates to a drive 40 wheels, which happens immediately after the transmis- unit for a vehicle, especially a passenger car or light- duty sion is interrupted, because the transmission ratio of the truck, where the load is mainly constituted by the driven epicyclic gearing differs from that of the last selected wheels of the vehicle. gear. [0004] An epicyclic gearing can be a planetary stage, [0008] An embodiment of the method according to the possibly with double sun-, ring-, and planet-carrier- 45 present invention, is characterized in that the vehicle wheels or with stepped planets, but other epicyclic gear- comprises a clutch that is connected to the transmission ings can also be thought of, such as a differential gear unit, in which method the transmission unit is interrupted or a crown-gear. by disengaging the clutch. This clutch can be a force- A nodecan be a connecting element, for instance a flange closed or a form-closed clutch. or a toothed shaft-end, for connecting to a further node 50 [0009] In order to enhance the possibilities for provid- in a larger assembly in which the drive unit can be mount- ing a reaction torque, one a further embodiment of the ed. Moreover, a node can be a location on a continuous method according to the invention is characterized in that shaft, where, in case the drive unit is mounted in a larger the vehicle comprises a brake which is connected to the assembly, for instance a shaft that is present in the larger first rotational member ofthe epicyclic gearing which assembly is replaced by the shaft of the transmission 55 member itself is connected to the first inertia, the brake system or where the shaft of the drive unit is replaced by is activated during upshifts of the transmission unit, which the shaft ofthe larger assembly. In this case, no detach- causes an increase in the torque transmission from the able connection is present at the node. driving source to the wheels. 2 3 EP 1 456 050 B1 4 [0010] Yet a further preferred embodiment of the meth- via a number of gears and which can be interrupted, or od according to the invention is characterized in that the is a continuously variable transmission unit, and ofwhich vehicle comprises a brake which is connected to the first in/outputs a first in/ output is connected via a third branch, rotational member of the epicyclic gearing which member not comprising a part of one of the first or second branch- itself is connected to the first inertia, in which method the 5 es, to one of the nodes and the second in/output is con- brake is activated during downshifts of the transmission nected via another third branch, not comprising a part unit, towards a transmission ratio larger than the ratio of ofone of the first or second branches, to another of the the speeds of the in/outputs of the transmission unit in nodes, and at least one clutch, which is positioned be- case all clutches are closed, and the speed of the first tween the transmission unit and one of nodes connected rotational member that is connected to the first inertia is 10 to the transmission unit.