Patent ID: 7699735
Filing Date: 2010-04-20
Classification: B60K,B60W,F16H,Y02T

Abstract:
1. An electrically-variable transmission comprising: an input member and an output member; first and second motor/generators; a first planetary gear set having a first gear member, a second gear member, and a third gear member, the gear members being a sun gear member, a ring gear member, and a carrier member rotatably supporting a set of pinion gears that intermesh with both the sun gear member and the ring gear member; three additional planetary gear sets having five additional gear members including a fourth gear member, a fifth gear member, a sixth gear member, a seventh gear member, and an eighth gear member, the five additional gear members each being one of a sun gear member, a carrier member, and a ring gear member, and none of the five additional gear members being continuously connected for common rotation with one another; wherein the first motor/generator is connected with the first gear member, the input member is connected with the second gear member, the second motor/generator is connected with the third gear member, and the first gear member is continuously connected for common rotation with one of the five additional gear members; at least four torque-transmitting mechanisms each of which is selectively engageable to connect a respective one of the gear members to one of another respective one of the gear members and a stationary member, selective engagement of a respective one or ones of the torque-transmitting mechanisms establishing a reverse electrically-variable operating mode, and at least three forward electrically-variable operating modes including a first forward electrically-variable mode, a second forward electrically-variable mode, and a third forward electrically-variable mode achieved subsequent to a selected one of the first and second forward electrically-variable modes as speed of the output member increases.