Patent ID: 6356817
Filing Date: 2002-03-12
Classification: B60K,B60L,B60W,Y02T,Y10S

Abstract:
A power output unit comprising:an engine having an output shaft; electric motors coupled to a drive shaft transmitting a power outputted from the engine through the output shaft to the outside; a power adjuster which is coupled to the output shaft and the drive shaft and which adjusts a power from the output shaft by means of electric power to transmit the power to the drive shaft; a power requirement calculator which calculates a power required for the engine; a rotational speed judging device which detects a rotational speed of the drive shaft and which compares the rotational speed with a permissible rotational speed of the electric motors; an operation state setting device, wherein the operating state setting device sets operation states of the electric motors such that when an operating limit of the electric motors is reached, the electric motors assume an output torque approximately equal to zero and a rotational speed equal to a rotational speed of the drive shaft, and further wherein the operating state setting device sets an operation state of the engine based on the set operation states of the electric motors and the power requirement; and an operator which operates the engine, the power adjuster and the electric motors based on the operation state set by the operation state setting device.