Patent ID: 7822524

Claim:
A vehicular drive system including a power distributing mechanism operable to distribute an output of an engine to a first electric motor and a power transmitting member, and a second electric motor disposed between the power transmitting member and a drive wheel of a vehicle, characterized by comprising: a transmission mechanism that comprises a differential-state switching device operable to place said power distributing mechanism selectively in a differential state in which the power distributing mechanism is operable as an electrically controlled continuously variable transmission, and a locked state in which the power distributing mechanism is not operable as the electrically controlled continuously variable transmission, wherein said power distributing mechanism includes a first element fixed to said engine, a second element fixed to said first electric motor, and a third element fixed to said power transmitting member, and said differential-state switching device is operable to permit said first, second and third elements to be rotated relative to each other, for thereby placing the power distributing mechanism in said differential state, and to connect at least two of said first, second and third elements to each other or to hold said second element stationary, for thereby placing the power distributing mechanism in said locked state, and wherein said power distributing mechanism is a planetary gear set, and wherein said first element is a carrier of said planetary gear set, and said second element is a sun gear of said planetary gear set, while said third element is a ring gear of said planetary gear set, said differential-state switching device including a clutch operable to connect selected two of said carrier, sun gear and ring gear to each other, and/or a brake operable to fix said sun gear to a stationary member.