3867results about "Internal combustion mounting" patented technology

A hybrid propulsion system (100) for use in road vehicle operations, which propulsion system includes a power splitting mechanical transmission (108), suitably a three shaft epicyclic gearbox (117, 118, 119), for coupling to a tailshaft (115) of the vehicle; a first drive unit (105) arranged for regenerative operation and coupled to the power splitting mechanical transmission (108); a second drive unit (110) arranged for regenerative operation and coupled, independently of said first drive unit, to the power splitting mechanical transmission (108); a non-regenerative third drive unit (113) for coupling, in parallel to said power splitting mechanical transmission, to the tailshaft; and a propulsion control system (122) for coordinating operation of the drive units in accordance with a plurality of predetermined modes corresponding to a drive cycle of the vehicle. Two forms of the invention are disclosed, being suited to non-transit and transit operations, respectively. Methods for the optimal control of the hybrid propulsion system of each form of the invention are also disclosed.

The present invention relates to all terrain vehicles having at least a pair of laterally spaced apart seating surfaces. More particularly, the present invention relates to trail compliant side-by-side all terrain vehicles.

One embodiment relates to a hybrid vehicle drive system for a vehicle including a first prime mover, a first prime mover driven transmission, a rechargeable power source, and a PTO. The hybrid vehicle drive system further includes a hydraulic motor in direct or indirect mechanical communication with the PTO and an electric motor in direct or indirect mechanical communication with the hydraulic motor. The electric motor can provide power to the prime mover driven transmission and receive power from the prime mover driven transmission through the PTO. The hydraulic motor can provide power to the prime mover driven transmission and receive power from the prime mover driven transmission through the PTO.

A regenerative shock absorber that include a housing and a piston that moves at least partially through the housing when the shock is compressed or extended from a rest position. When the piston moves, hydraulic fluid is pressurized and drives a hydraulic motor. The hydraulic motor, in turn, drives an electric generator that produced electric energy. The electric energy may be provided to a vehicle, among other things. The regenerative shock absorber may also provide ride performance that comparable to or exceeds that of conventional shock absorbers.

The present invention relates to all terrain vehicles having at least a pair of laterally spaced apart seating surfaces. More particularly, the present invention relates to trail compliant side-by-side all terrain vehicles.

A straddle-type vehicle, or all terrain vehicle, has an engine located towards the rear of the vehicle such that a main portion of the engine, or power unit, is disposed beneath the seat. The fuel tank extends generally vertically beneath the steering member. The radiator is located at a rear portion of the vehicle rearwardly of the engine where it is protected from collisions and objects striking the front grille. A front storage compartment is also provided in the front portion of the vehicle. The vehicle also has a pivotally connected and removable seat for easy access to the engine. There is also a gap between the seat and the front wheel well through which the driver can pass his feet or where an optional container or auxiliary fuel tank can be secured.

A vehicle body structure includes a body frame with a subframe mounted to a lower part of the body frame. The subframe is formed into a rectangular shape and has front, intermediate and rear cross members. A storage battery is designed to be mounted astride the front cross member and the intermediate cross member. A fuel tank is designed to be mounted astride the intermediate cross member and the rear cross member.

A modular vehicle comprises a preassembled undercarriage module, a preassembled overcarriage module, and coupling means for releasably coupling the overcarriage module to the undercarriage module. The undercarriage module includes wheels for permitting travel of the vehicle on a travelling surface, means for holding a power source for supplying operating power to the vehicle, and means for directing controlled motive power from the power source to at least one of the wheels. The overcarriage module includes control means linkable with the undercarriage module for controlling operation of the vehicle. When the power source associated with a first undercarriage module is in need of maintenance service, there is provided a method of handling an overcarriage module coupled to the first undercarriage module comprising the steps of decoupling and separating the two modules; then releasably coupling the overcarriage module to a second one of such undercarriage modules, the associated power source of the second undercarriage module not being in need of maintenance service; then operating the overcarriage module and the second undercarriage module together as a vehicle while providing the maintenance service required by the power source of the first undercarriage module.

All all-terrain vehicle has a shiftable transmission that is coupled to a variable speed V-belt transmission. The variable speed V-belt transmission is joined to a crankshaft through a centrifugal clutching arrangement. The shiftable transmission enables an operator to go between low, high, neutral, reverse, and park. In the park position, the transmission is locked from substantial rotation such that the engaged wheels of the all-terrain vehicle are also locked from substantial rotation, whether or not the engine speed is sufficient to allow the centrifugal clutch to be engaged with the variable speed transmission.

Front vehicle body structure includes left and right front side frames, a subframe provided on the undersides of the side frames, and left and right mounting brackets for connecting the side frames and subframe. Engine-transmission unit is mounted on the subframe. Respective rear half portions of the side frames extend toward the rear of the vehicle body while gradually approaching the centerline of the vehicle body. Left and right mounting brackets are provided, on the respective rear half portions, to project toward the centerline. The left and right mounting brackets are detachably connected to the subframe. When an impact load greater than a predetermined intensity has been applied, the left and right mounting brackets are detached from the subframe and then squashed by the engine-transmission unit while effectively absorbing the impact.

A hybrid engine having a gas turbine engine and an internal combustion engine, both engines driving a common drive shaft. The compressor delivers compressed air to the combustor and to an inlet of the internal combustion engine, the compressed air picks up heat from the internal combustion engine either from the combustion process or through a heat exchanger, and is delivered to the combustor. When the gas turbine engine is not operating by burning fuel, the heated compressed air from the internal combustion engine is used to maintain the shaft speed sufficient for starting the gas turbine engine without the need to bring the turbine engine up to speed prior to ignition. The apparatus and process of the present invention provides a hybrid engine that is light weight, fuel efficient, and with enough available power for high powered situations.

This Next Generation Heavy Hybrid Propulsion System III was specifically designed to use mainly all off the components. This facilitates in the rapid deployment to market with minimum increased purchasing price to the truck over conventional propulsion systems.By designing a cost effective no frills hybrid system, allows more trucks to be equipped with this technology and reap the rewards of higher fuel economy. There is minimum research and development funds needed to place this technology on line. This technology can be used in small cars to large vehicles with similar results, increased fuel economy.

A shift control system of a hybrid transmission for a vehicle is arranged to correct ideal motor / generator torques so as to achieve a target engine speed prior to a target driving torque when an actual engine speed becomes greater than an allowable upper-limit engine speed and to correct the ideal motor / generator torque so as to achieve the target driving torque prior to the target engine speed when the actual engine speed does not become greater than the allowable upper-limit engine speed.

Various embodiments of a saddle type vehicle are described. Configurations are shown in which the engine is located more towards the rear of the vehicle and in which the fuel tank extends generally vertically beneath the steering member. A radiator may also be located at a rear portion of the vehicle, rearwardly of the engine. A front storage compartment is also provided in the front portion of the vehicle. The resulting vehicle has improved access and storage capabilities and also has a lower center of gravity.

A shock absorbing vehicle body structure in a vehicle includes a substantially quadrilateral front subsidiary frame comprised of left and right side members extending in a longitudinal direction of a vehicle body and connected at their front and rear ends to each other by a front cross member and a rear cross member. The front subsidiary frame is supported at its four corners on main frames for the vehicle body through rubber mounts and bolts. Upon full-lap collision of the vehicle, the left rear bolt is first broken, whereby the rear end of the left side member is separated from the main frame and then, the right rear bolt is broken, whereby the rear end of the right side member is separated from the main frame. The right and left side members are formed with different rigidities to a longitudinal load applied thereto, which causes the right and left rear bolts to break at different times, or with a time lag therebetween. Such a time lag decreases the peak value of deceleration of the vehicle at a time when the front subsidiary frame is separated from the main frames due to a full-lap collision of the vehicle.

An auxiliary power system for a motor vehicle primary engine used to drive primary engine accessories when the primary engine is not operating. The system comprises a secondary engine that drives a hydraulic pump. The hydraulic pump is connected to a hydraulic motor. The hydraulic motor is integrated with an accessory belt drive system on a primary engine. The secondary engine drives the ABDS system through the hydraulic pump and hydraulic motor when the primary engine is not operating, thus allowing various primary engine accessories such as air conditioning to be operated while the primary engine is off. A one-way clutch on the primary engine crankshaft prevents the primary engine crankshaft from being turned when the hydraulic motor is driving the belt. A one-way clutch on the hydraulic motor prevents it from being driven when the primary engine is in operation.

A vehicle body structure includes a body frame with a subframe mounted to a lower part of the body frame. The subframe is formed into a rectangular shape and has front, intermediate and rear cross members. A storage battery is designed to be mounted astride the front cross member and the intermediate cross member. A fuel tank is designed to be mounted astride the intermediate cross member and the rear cross member.

A recreational off-highway vehicle includes side-by-side passenger and driver seats held within a chassis that is approximately 50 inches wide. The seats sit low in the chassis and are covered by a roll cage. Grab handles are positioned on the sides of the passenger seat. Select large round tubing protects the vehicle, while rectangular tubing frames the portions of the vehicle beneath body panels. The vehicle is powered by an engine rearward of the seats that is connected to a transaxle. The engine and transaxle are isolation mounted together with a portion of the air intake assembly. The vehicle is suited for rough terrain travel.

A work vehicle having a hydrostatic drive system provides for the recovery and reuse of the vehicle's kinetic energy by conducting pressurized hydraulic fluid out of the hydrostatic drive system into an accumulator during vehicle deceleration, and conducting the pressurized fluid back into the drive system during vehicle acceleration to assist the vehicle's engine in accelerating the vehicle.

An apparatus including an alternator that is drivable by an engine for producing a first AC electric current, a rectifier in electrical communication with the alternator for producing a DC electric current, an inverter in electrical communication with the rectifier for producing a second AC electric current where the second AC electric current having an acceptable frequency and / or voltage, and the inverter in electrical communication with one or more electric loads responsive to the second AC electric current, and an energy storage device that is able to electrically couple to the alternator, rectifier, and / or inverter.

The present invention relates to all terrain vehicles having at least a pair of laterally spaced apart seating surfaces. More particularly, the present invention relates to trail compliant side-by-side all terrain vehicles.

In a motorcycle provided with an antilock brake system, a front fork supporting a front wheel of a motorcycle is supported to be rotatable by a head pipe which is located at the front end portion of a body frame of a motorcycle, a handle-bar is secured to an upper end portion of the head pipe, master cylinders attached to the handle-bar are connected to hydraulic wheel brakes, respectively, via brake pipes. An antilock brake system includes an ABS-unit for antilock control disposed in an intermediate portion of the brake pipes. The ABS-unit is disposed immediately behind the head pipe and between a pair of body frame components disposed on both lateral sides of the motorcycle body and extending, from the head pipe, obliquely downward and backward, while extending outward in directions opposite to each other in the width direction of the motorcycle body.

A straddle-type vehicle includes a frame supporting front and rear wheels, a seat supported above the frame, and an engine having an output shaft. The engine is supported by the frame below the seat. A transmission is coupled to the output shaft. The transmission includes gears. A shift assembly is operatively connected to the engine and is displaceable over a predetermined distance upon application of a predetermined amount of force by a vehicle operator. The selective displacement of the shift assembly shifts the gears. A parking gear assembly is selectively displaceable along with the shift assembly to selectively engage one of the gears to prevent movement of the output shaft.

An axle assembly includes a first and a second electric motor which drive a gearbox assembly substantially therebetween. The electric motors drive the gearbox assembly which drives the vehicle wheels through a first and second axle shaft located along a first axis. The electric motors are located along axes which are substantially parallel to the first axis. The electric motors drive the gearbox assembly which includes a first stage gear reduction, a second stage gear reduction and a third stage gear reduction. A relatively lightweight and compact axle assembly is thereby provided which will benefit from an electric motor of reduced size.

A hybrid electro-hydraulic drive system is provided for a vehicle and comprises a hydraulic transmission including a first hydraulic machine and at least one second hydraulic machine drivingly connected to drive wheels of the motor vehicle for driving thereof, an electric motor / generator operatively connected to the first hydraulic machine, and at least one energy storage device operable to store and release a hydraulic fluid energy or an electrical energy. The second hydraulic machine is a reversible hydraulic pump / motor unit capable to function both as a hydraulic pump and a hydraulic motor. The energy storage device is operatively connected to either the hydraulic transmission or the electric motor / generator. In a retarding mode the hydraulic transmission and / or the electric motor / generator retard the vehicle, while in a driving mode they supply a supplementary power to the drive wheels to assist propulsion of the vehicle.

In one aspect, a system for reducing noise or vibration generated by an internal combustion engine is described. An engine controller is arranged to generate firing information suitable for operating the working chambers of the engine in a skip fire manner to deliver a desired amount of torque. A noise / vibration reduction unit is arranged to help reduce noise or vibration based on the firing information. The noise / vibration controller actively controls a device that is not a part of the engine to alter an NVH characteristic of the vehicle in a desired manner based at least in part on a skip fire characteristic.

The invention is directed toward methods for operating a series hybrid vehicle in a manner that responds to the operator's demand for power output, while maximizing engine efficiency and minimizing disruptions in vehicle drivability. According to principles of the present invention, when the driver of a series hybrid vehicle makes a demand for power output, whether the secondary power source(s) is supplied with secondary energy stored in an energy storage device(s), direct input energy generated by an engine(s), or both, depends on the amount of available secondary energy stored in the vehicle's secondary storage device(s) alone, and in combination with vehicle speed. During the time that the engine is used to generate secondary energy, the power efficiency level at which the engine is operated also depends on the vehicle speed and the amount of available secondary energy stored in the vehicle's secondary storage device alone, and in combination with vehicle speed. Further, in some embodiments, when the engine is not generating secondary energy, the engine is selectively turned off or idled in response to various operating conditions.