Drive axle assembly of hybrid electric vehicle

Abstract

A hybrid electric vehicle drive axle assembly relates to the field of vehicle drive axles and comprises an engine, a motor and a main speed reducer, the main speed reducer is provided with a main speed reducing mechanism and a differential mechanism which are in transmission connection, and half shafts connected to wheels are arranged on the two sides of the differential mechanism. The main speed reducing mechanism is provided with a first input shaft in transmission connection with an engine and a second input shaft in transmission connection with a motor, the first input shaft and the second input shaft are symmetrically arranged on the two sides of the main speed reducing mechanism, and the arrangement direction of the first input shaft and the arrangement direction of the second input shaft are perpendicular to the half shaft. The engine and the motor are oppositely arranged on the two sides of the main speed reducer, the engine and the motor are connected in parallel through the main speed reducing mechanism, power of the engine and the motor is converged and superposed through the main speed reducing mechanism and then evenly transmitted to the differential mechanism, and therefore the requirement for the bearing capacity of the differential mechanism is lowered; and therefore, the cost and difficulty for transforming a fuel automobile into a hybrid electric vehicle are reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of automotive drive axles, and in particular to a hybrid vehicle drive axle assembly. Background Technology

[0002] With the government's strong support for the development of new energy vehicle technology, the number of new energy vehicles on the road is constantly increasing, representing an important direction for future automotive development. Hybrid vehicles not only achieve energy conservation and emission reduction but also meet the demands for power and driving range, making them a crucial stage in the development of new energy vehicles.

[0003] Currently, there are three main types of powertrain structures for hybrid electric vehicles: series, parallel, and series-parallel. The parallel type refers to a configuration where the engine and motor can drive the wheels individually or simultaneously, with power directly coupled through mechanical transmission.

[0004] Existing parallel hybrid systems typically place the engine and electric motor on the same side of the differential. When achieving hybrid power output, the differential needs to withstand the combined forces from both power sources. This requires the differential gears and bearings to have higher load-bearing capacity, durability, and reliability. Therefore, when converting a gasoline vehicle to a hybrid vehicle, the differential gears and bearings need to be significantly strengthened, which increases the cost and difficulty of the differential modification.

[0005] In addition, when converting gasoline vehicles to hybrid vehicles, if the engine and electric motor are placed on the same side of the differential, a more complex coupling mechanism is required, and the transmission of the gasoline vehicle also needs to be significantly modified, which increases the cost and difficulty of the conversion. Utility Model Content

[0006] This utility model provides a hybrid vehicle drive axle assembly, the main purpose of which is to solve the problems existing in the prior art.

[0007] The present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0008] A hybrid electric vehicle drive axle assembly includes an engine, an electric motor, and a main reducer. The main reducer has a main reduction mechanism and a differential mechanism that are driven together. The differential mechanism has half-shafts connected to the wheels on both sides. The main reduction mechanism has a first input shaft that is driven together to the engine and a second input shaft that is driven together to the electric motor. The first input shaft and the second input shaft are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the main reduction mechanism, and the arrangement directions of the first input shaft and the second input shaft are both perpendicular to the half-shafts.

[0009] Furthermore, the engine is longitudinally arranged on one side of the main reducer and is driven to the first input shaft through an engine transmission assembly; the motor is longitudinally arranged on the other side of the main reducer and is driven to the second input shaft through a motor transmission assembly.

[0010] Furthermore, the main reduction mechanism includes an engine bevel gear, a differential bevel gear, and a motor bevel gear that mesh with each other in sequence. The engine bevel gear is provided with a first input shaft, the motor bevel gear is provided with a second input shaft, and the differential bevel gear is drivenly connected to the input end of the differential mechanism.

[0011] Furthermore, the differential mechanism is a planetary bevel gear differential.

[0012] Furthermore, the engine transmission assembly includes a clutch and a gearbox, the input end of the clutch is driven to the output shaft of the engine, the output end of the clutch is driven to the input end of the gearbox, and the output end of the gearbox is driven to the first input shaft.

[0013] Furthermore, the transmission is an AMT (Automated Manual Transmission).

[0014] Furthermore, the motor transmission assembly includes a motor reducer, the input end of which is connected to the output shaft of the motor, and the output end of which is connected to the second input shaft.

[0015] Furthermore, the motor reducer is a multi-stage parallel shaft reduction mechanism.

[0016] Furthermore, it also includes battery packs, the two battery packs being arranged longitudinally symmetrically and connected to the motor via a high-voltage distribution box and a motor controller.

[0017] Furthermore, the drive axle assembly is a 4×2 rear-wheel drive axle assembly.

[0018] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of this utility model are as follows:

[0019] 1. This utility model arranges the engine and motor opposite each other on both sides of the main reducer, and connects the engine and motor in parallel through the main reduction mechanism, so that the power of the two is combined and superimposed through the main reduction mechanism and then evenly transmitted to the differential mechanism, thereby reducing the load-bearing capacity requirements of the differential mechanism, and thus reducing the cost and difficulty of converting fuel vehicles into hybrid vehicles.

[0020] 2. The drive axle assembly in this utility model has a simple and compact structure, does not require a complex coupling mechanism, and does not require significant modifications to the transmission of a gasoline vehicle, thus reducing the complexity of the system and manufacturing costs, and facilitating the conversion of traditional gasoline vehicles into hybrid vehicles.

[0021] 3. The layout scheme provided by this utility model can be well adapted to commercial vehicles with longitudinally arranged engines, especially when applied to 4×2 rear-wheel drive commercial vehicles. This layout scheme can make full use of the longitudinal space of the rear axle, thereby effectively solving the problem of insufficient layout space in the same-side layout scheme used in existing parallel hybrid power systems. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the drive axle assembly in this utility model.

[0023] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the main reducer in this utility model.

[0024] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the working principle of the motor drive mode in this utility model.

[0025] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the working principle of the engine drive mode in this utility model.

[0026] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the working principle of the energy recovery mode in this utility model.

[0027] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the working principle of the hybrid drive mode in this utility model.

[0028] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the working principle of the vehicle charging mode in this utility model.

[0029] In the diagram: 1-Engine; 2-Clutch; 3-Battery Pack; 4-Gearbox; 5-High Voltage Distribution Box; 6-Main Reducer; 7-Motor Reducer; 8-Motor Controller; 9-Motor; 61-Engine Bevel Gear; 62-Motor Bevel Gear; 63-Differential Bevel Gear; 64-Differential Mechanism; 65-Differential Housing; 66-Half Shaft; 67-First Input Shaft; 68-Second Input Shaft. Detailed Implementation

[0030] The specific embodiments of this utility model are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Many details are described below to provide a comprehensive understanding of this utility model; however, those skilled in the art can implement this utility model without these details.

[0031] like Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, this embodiment provides a hybrid electric vehicle drive axle assembly, including an engine 1, a motor 9, and a main reducer 6. The main reducer 6 has a main reduction mechanism and a differential mechanism 64 connected by transmission. Half-shafts 66 connected to wheels are provided on both sides of the differential mechanism 64. The main reduction mechanism has a first input shaft 67 connected to the engine 1 and a second input shaft 68 connected to the motor 9. The first input shaft 67 and the second input shaft 68 are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the main reduction mechanism, and their arrangement directions are both perpendicular to the half-shafts 66. In this embodiment, the engine 1 and the motor 9 are arranged opposite each other on both sides of the main reducer 6, and the engine 1 and the motor 9 are connected in parallel through the main reduction mechanism. This allows the power of both to be combined and superimposed through the main reduction mechanism before being evenly transmitted to the differential mechanism 64, thereby reducing the load-bearing capacity requirements of the differential mechanism 64.

[0032] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, engine 1 is longitudinally arranged on one side of the main reducer 6 and is connected to the first input shaft 67 via an engine transmission assembly; motor 9 is longitudinally arranged on the other side of the main reducer 6 and is connected to the second input shaft 68 via a motor transmission assembly. In this embodiment, the longitudinal arrangement means that the length directions of engine 1 and motor 9 are parallel to the length direction of the vehicle frame, thus meeting the layout requirements of commercial vehicles.

[0033] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the main reduction mechanism includes an engine bevel gear 61, a differential bevel gear 63, and a motor bevel gear 62 that mesh sequentially with each other. The engine bevel gear 61 has a first input shaft 67, and the motor bevel gear 62 has a second input shaft 68. The differential bevel gear 63 is driven by the input end of the differential mechanism 64. This main reduction mechanism enables the vertical transmission connection between the engine 1 and the motor 9 and the reduction mechanism, thus providing the necessary conditions for the longitudinal arrangement of the engine 1 and the motor 9.

[0034] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the differential mechanism 64 is a planetary bevel gear differential. Specifically, the differential bevel gear 63 is mounted on the differential housing 65 of the planetary bevel gear differential and meshes with the engine bevel gear 61 and the motor bevel gear 62. The planetary bevel gear differential is the most common differential mechanism in existing gasoline-powered vehicles. Because the main reduction mechanism can achieve the effect of combining and superimposing power, when converting a gasoline-powered vehicle into a hybrid vehicle, a conventional differential mechanism can be used directly without special reinforcement modifications, greatly reducing the conversion cost and difficulty.

[0035] like Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the engine transmission assembly includes a clutch 2 and a gearbox 4. The input end of the clutch 2 is connected to the output shaft of the engine 1, and the output end of the clutch 2 is connected to the input end of the gearbox 4. The output end of the gearbox 4 is connected to the first input shaft 67. Preferably, the gearbox 4 is an AMT gearbox commonly used in commercial gasoline vehicles. Therefore, this embodiment only requires a conventional gearbox to achieve the transmission connection between the engine 1 and the final drive 6, without the need for complex coupling mechanisms or significant modifications to the gearbox of a gasoline vehicle. This reduces the cost and difficulty of converting a gasoline vehicle to a hybrid vehicle.

[0036] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the motor transmission assembly includes a motor reducer 7. The input end of the motor reducer 7 is connected to the output shaft of the motor 9, and the output end of the motor reducer 7 is connected to the second input shaft 68. Preferably, the motor reducer 7 is a multi-stage parallel shaft reduction mechanism. This invention only requires conventional transmission components to achieve the transmission connection between the motor 9 and the main reducer 6, thereby further simplifying the structure of the drive axle assembly.

[0037] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the drive axle assembly also includes a battery pack 3. Two battery packs 3 are arranged longitudinally symmetrically on both sides of the frame in the width direction and are connected to the motor 9 through a high-voltage distribution box 5 and a motor controller 8, thereby making full use of the longitudinal space of the frame. During operation, the motor controller 8 controls the motor 9 to perform drive, power generation, or switching modes according to the operating conditions.

[0038] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the drive axle assembly provided in this embodiment is a 4×2 drive axle assembly, more precisely, a 4×2 rear-wheel drive drive axle assembly for commercial fuel vehicles. Existing parallel hybrid systems using a same-side arrangement suffer from insufficient space, while the arrangement provided in this embodiment places the engine 1 and motor 9 on the front and rear sides of the rear axle respectively, thus fully utilizing the longitudinal space of the rear axle. This is highly suitable for commercial vehicles with a longitudinally arranged engine 1, making it easy to convert traditional commercial fuel vehicles into commercial hybrid vehicles.

[0039] In summary, the drive system of a hybrid electric vehicle drive axle assembly consists of a series of components, including engine 1, electric motor 9, and final drive reducer 6. The general working principle of the drive system is as follows: the power from engine 1 is transmitted sequentially through clutch 2 and gearbox 4 to engine bevel gear 61; the power from electric motor 9 is transmitted through electric motor reducer 7 to electric motor bevel gear 62. The two power sources are connected in parallel and merged onto differential bevel gear 63, and then transmitted to the wheels via differential mechanism 64. For various operating conditions in actual vehicle operation, the specific operating modes of the drive system include the following:

[0040] (1) such as Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, when the car starts or travels at low speed, the power drive system enters the pure electric motor drive mode. Engine 1 shuts off, clutch 2 disengages, interrupting the power transmission of engine 1, and motor 9 switches to drive mode, with the entire vehicle driven solely by motor 9. The power transmission path is: motor 9 → motor reducer 7 → motor bevel gear 62 → differential bevel gear 63 → differential mechanism 64 → half shaft 66 → wheel.

[0041] (2) For example Figure 2 and Figure 4 As shown, when the car is traveling at high speed, the power drive system enters pure engine drive mode, motor 9 is turned off, engine 1 is working, clutch 2 is engaged, and the entire vehicle is driven only by engine 1. The power transmission path is: engine 1 → clutch 2 → gearbox 4 → engine bevel gear 61 → differential bevel gear 63 → differential mechanism 64 → half shaft 66 → wheel.

[0042] (3) such as Figure 2 and Figure 5 As shown, when the car goes downhill or brakes, the power drive system enters the energy recovery mode, the motor 9 switches to the power generation mode, the motor 9 provides a certain braking force by applying reverse torque, and mechanical kinetic energy is generated between the motor 9 and the drive wheel. The motor controller 8 recovers this mechanical kinetic energy and converts it into electrical energy, which is then stored in the battery pack 3.

[0043] (4) such as Figure 2 and Figure 6 As shown, when the car climbs or accelerates rapidly up a slope, the drive system enters a hybrid drive mode. Engine 1 operates, clutch 2 engages, and motor 9 switches to drive mode. The entire vehicle is driven by both motor 9 and engine 1. The power from both is combined and transmitted to the wheels via differential bevel gear 63, providing strong power to meet the needs of climbing or rapid acceleration. The power transmission path is: Engine 1 → Clutch 2 → Gearbox 4 → Engine bevel gear 61 → Differential bevel gear 63 → Differential mechanism 64 → Half shaft 66 → Wheel; Motor 9 → Motor reducer 7 → Motor bevel gear 62 → Differential bevel gear 63 → Differential mechanism 64 → Half shaft 66 → Wheel.

[0044] (5) such as Figure 2 and Figure 7 As shown, when the car battery pack 3 has a low charge, the drive system enters the driving power generation mode. Engine 1 operates, clutch 2 engages, and the entire vehicle is driven only by engine 1. Motor 9 switches to power generation mode, converting a portion of the kinetic energy generated by engine 1 into electrical energy via motor controller 8 to charge battery pack 3. The power transmission path is: Engine 1 → Clutch 2 → Gearbox 4 → Engine bevel gear 61 → Differential bevel gear 63 → Differential mechanism 64 → Half shaft 66 → Wheel; Differential bevel gear 63 → Motor bevel gear 62 → Motor reducer 7 → Motor 9.

[0045] The above are merely specific embodiments of this utility model, but the design concept of this utility model is not limited thereto. Any non-substantial modifications made to this utility model using this concept shall be considered as an infringement of the protection scope of this utility model.

Claims

1. A hybrid electric vehicle drive axle assembly, characterized in that: The device includes an engine, a motor, and a main reducer. The main reducer has a main reduction mechanism and a differential mechanism that are connected by transmission. The differential mechanism has half-shafts connected to the wheels on both sides. The main reduction mechanism has a first input shaft that is connected to the engine and a second input shaft that is connected to the motor. The first input shaft and the second input shaft are arranged symmetrically on both sides of the main reduction mechanism, and the arrangement directions of the first input shaft and the second input shaft are both perpendicular to the half-shafts.

2. The hybrid vehicle drive axle assembly as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The engine is longitudinally arranged on one side of the main reducer and is driven to the first input shaft through an engine transmission assembly; the motor is longitudinally arranged on the other side of the main reducer and is driven to the second input shaft through a motor transmission assembly.

3. A hybrid vehicle drive axle assembly as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The main reduction mechanism includes an engine bevel gear, a differential bevel gear, and a motor bevel gear that mesh with each other in sequence. The engine bevel gear is provided with a first input shaft, the motor bevel gear is provided with a second input shaft, and the differential bevel gear is drivenly connected to the input end of the differential mechanism.

4. A hybrid vehicle drive axle assembly as described in claim 3, characterized in that: The differential mechanism is a planetary bevel gear differential.

5. A hybrid vehicle drive axle assembly as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The engine transmission assembly includes a clutch and a gearbox. The input end of the clutch is driven to the output shaft of the engine, the output end of the clutch is driven to the input end of the gearbox, and the output end of the gearbox is driven to the first input shaft.

6. A hybrid vehicle drive axle assembly as described in claim 5, characterized in that: The transmission is an AMT (Automated Manual Transmission).

7. A hybrid vehicle drive axle assembly as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The motor transmission assembly includes a motor reducer, the input end of which is connected to the output shaft of the motor, and the output end of which is connected to the second input shaft.

8. A hybrid electric vehicle drive axle assembly as described in claim 7, characterized in that: The motor reducer is a multi-stage parallel shaft reduction mechanism.

9. A hybrid vehicle drive axle assembly as described in claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes battery packs, the two battery packs being arranged longitudinally symmetrically and connected to the motor via a high-voltage distribution box and a motor controller.

10. A hybrid vehicle drive axle assembly as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The drive axle assembly is a 4×2 rear-wheel drive axle assembly.

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