Patent ID: 8197373

Claim:
A power unit for driving a driven unit and an auxiliary device, comprising: a prime mover having an output shaft for use in outputting power; an energy dispensing/synthesizing system having two bodies of rotation which input and output rotational energy and an electric element which inputs and outputs electric energy, in which energy is able to be dispensed or synthesized in non-contact manner between the two bodies of rotation and the electric element while energy conversion is performed between the rotational energy of the two bodies of rotation and the electric energy of the electric element and in which a first body of rotation which is one of the two bodies of rotation is connected to the output shaft of the prime mover and a second body of rotation which is the other of the two bodies of rotation is connected to the driven unit via a first power transmission path; a first power transmission system included in the first power transmission path and selectively operable between a first operating state for enabling power transmission in the first power transmission path and a second operating state for disconnecting power transmission in the first power transmission path; a second power transmission path which connects the output shaft of the prime mover and the driven unit bypassing the first power transmission system; and a second power transmission system included in the second power transmission path and selectively operable between a third operating state for enabling power transmission in the second power transmission path and a fourth operating state for disconnecting power transmission in the second power transmission path, wherein the auxiliary device is connected to the second body of rotation of the energy dispensing/synthesizing system.