Patent ID: 7442141
Filing Date: 2008-10-28
Classification: B60K,B60L,F16H,Y02T

Abstract:
1. A transmission comprising: a first differential unit comprising a first set of rotary elements that includes at least four rotary elements; a second differential unit comprising a second set of rotary elements that includes at least three rotary elements, at least one rotary element in the first set of rotary elements being connected to at least one rotary element in the second set of rotary elements, the first differential unit combining with the second differential unit to provide at least two degrees of freedom for the transmission; a first motor/generator connected to a first rotary element that is one of the first set of rotary elements; a first output shaft connected to a second rotary element that is one of the first set of rotary elements; a second motor/generator connected to a third rotary element that is one of the first set of rotary elements; a second output shaft connected to a fourth rotary element that is one of the second set of rotary elements or one of the first set of rotary elements; the first set of rotary elements including a fifth rotary element that is connected to a rotary element of the second set of rotary elements, the second rotary element, which is connected to the first output shaft, not being connected to a rotary element of the second set of rotary elements, both the second rotary element and the fifth rotary element being located approximately in a middle in a direction of an order of rotational speeds in a first alignment chart that represents the first differential unit, the first rotary element, which is connected to the first motor/generator, being on a first end of the first alignment chart and closer to the second rotary element than the fifth rotary element, the third rotary element, which is connected to the second motor/generator, being on a second end of the first alignment chart and closer to the fifth rotary element than the second rotary element.