Hybrid drive system of mobility vehicle and mobility vehicle

Abstract

To improve a degree of freedom of selection and combination of power according to a situation with a simpler structure, and to contribute to extension of a cruising distance.SOLUTION: The hybrid drive system 11 of the vehicle 10 is a system that drives a plurality of drive wheels by a plurality of types of power sources, and includes a first power transmission unit 17A that transmits power generated by the electric motor 19 to the first drive wheels 12, a second power transmission unit 17B that transmits power generated by the air engine 22 to the second drive wheels 13, and a third power transmission unit 17C that transmits power generated by human power to the third drive wheels 14. Each of these power transmission units 17A, 17B, 17C is configured to be able to drive each driving wheel 121314 independently of the other power transmission units 17A, 17B, 17C.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a hybrid drive system for driving a mobility vehicle using multiple power sources, and to a mobility vehicle having the system. [Background technology]

[0002] Recently, ultra-compact mobility vehicles have been developed that are more compact and maneuverable than automobiles, have excellent environmental performance, and can accommodate one to two passengers. The present inventors have been conducting research and development of ultra-compact mobility vehicles powered by air engines that use compressed air. The advantages of air engines include a simpler structure, smaller size, and lighter weight than conventional internal combustion engines, the fact that they do not emit carbon dioxide during engine operation, making it possible to achieve zero emissions, and the fact that scarce resources such as rare metals are hardly used in their manufacture. On the other hand, challenges with air engines include a short cruising range due to their energy efficiency.

[0003] Incidentally, Patent Document 1 proposes a hybrid vehicle that is powered by electricity in addition to compressed air in order to improve the energy efficiency of vehicles that use air engines. This hybrid vehicle is designed to compensate for the shortage with electrical energy from an electric motor when the driving force from compressed air alone is insufficient due to a large driving load, such as when starting, accelerating, or traveling uphill. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2012-501264 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, the hybrid vehicle of Patent Document 1 uses an air engine and an electric motor as power sources. However, because each of these power sources is transmitted to the same wheel drive unit, the wheel drive unit requires a mechanism for adjusting and switching between the power sources depending on the generation status of each power source. Furthermore, the vehicle requires a storage structure for generating electricity using the power of the air engine, and a structure in which an electrically operated air compressor compresses the exhaust gas from the air engine and stores it in a separate air storage unit. The fluid energy of the compressed air is used to generate electricity, and electrical energy is used to generate compressed air. The hybrid vehicle of Patent Document 1, which has the above structure, results in an increase in size and weight of the equipment configuration. Furthermore, if either or both of the air engine and the electric motor fail, the vehicle will not achieve sufficient driving performance or will have difficulty driving, resulting in a significant reduction in cruising range. Furthermore, because the vehicle is designed to supplement compressed air driving with electrical energy, there is little room for selecting or combining power sources according to the situation.

[0006] The present invention was devised to solve these problems, and its purpose is to provide a hybrid drive system and mobility that has a simpler structure, increases the freedom to select and combine power sources according to the situation, and contributes to extending the cruising range. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention is primarily a hybrid drive system for mobility in which multiple drive wheels are driven by multiple types of power sources, and is configured to include a first power transmission unit that transmits electric power to a first drive wheel, a second power transmission unit that transmits air power to a second drive wheel, and a third power transmission unit that transmits human-powered power to a third drive wheel, and each of the power transmission units is configured to be able to drive each of the drive wheels independently of the other power transmission units. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] The present invention allows the user to choose between electricity, air, or human power to drive a mobility vehicle, providing greater freedom in selecting and combining power sources depending on the situation than ever before. Furthermore, because the present invention drives each drive wheel with a separate power source, it allows for a simpler structure than a mechanism in which power from multiple power sources is transmitted to the same drive wheel, facilitating a reduction in the size and weight of the power transmission structure. This is advantageous for a mobility vehicle that can select human power as its power source.

[0009] Furthermore, while reversing using only an air engine requires a switching structure, such as piping connected to the air engine, the present invention eliminates this complex structure and enables reversing using power from an electric motor. Furthermore, while starting an air engine requires the use of a large amount of high-pressure air, the initial movement of the mobility vehicle is powered by an electric motor or human power, and the mobility is subsequently propelled by the power of the air engine, thereby reducing unnecessary consumption of compressed air. Furthermore, while it is difficult to precisely control the speed of a mobility vehicle using only an air engine, by using an electric motor to drive a drive wheel separate from the drive wheel driven by the air engine, precise speed adjustment of the mobility vehicle becomes possible. Furthermore, with the present invention, even if all power sources other than human power are lost due to equipment damage or consumption of stored energy, the mobility vehicle can still be propelled using human power, thereby extending the cruising range.

[0010] Here, by further providing a regenerative energy mechanism that generates compressed air using human power to be supplied to the air engine, it is possible to extend the cruising range and reduce the weight of the entire mobility by reducing the size of the air tanks installed in the mobility. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic perspective view of a mobility vehicle to which a hybrid drive system according to the present invention is applied; [Figure 2] 1A to 1C are conceptual diagrams for explaining a hybrid drive system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0013] A schematic perspective view of a mobility vehicle to which the hybrid drive system according to this embodiment is applied is shown in Figure 1. In this figure, mobility vehicle 10 is an ultra-compact mobility vehicle equipped with a hybrid drive system 11 that independently drives multiple drive wheels using multiple power sources, and is capable of traveling on roads by the rotational drive of three drive wheels: a front wheel 12, a right rear wheel 13, and a left rear wheel 14.

[0014] The hybrid drive system 11 includes a power generating unit 16 that generates power from electricity, air, and human power, and a power transmission unit 17 that transmits the power from the power generating unit 16 to each of the wheels 12, 13, and 14.

[0015] The power generating unit 16 is composed of devices and mechanisms of known structure, and includes an electric motor 19 driven by electricity from a battery (not shown), an air engine 22 driven by compressed air from an air tank 21, and pedals 25 as a human-powered mechanism that are rotatably arranged below the seat 24 on which the passenger of the mobility 10 sits and that generate driving force by the passenger's pedaling force.

[0016] The electric motor 19 can start and stop rotational drive in either the forward or reverse direction by the passenger operating a switch (not shown), and the output of the rotational drive force can also be adjusted.

[0017] Although detailed illustrations are omitted, the air engine 22 has a rotary structure in which a rotor with circumferentially sliding vanes is mounted within a housing, and the vanes are moved by compressed air entering from an intake port, causing the rotor to rotate and generate rotational driving force. Compressed air at a predetermined pressure is stored in the air cylinder 21, and the compressed air is discharged when the passenger operates the switch. The compressed air is reduced to a constant pressure through a regulator and supplied to the air engine 22, which generates rotational driving force and discharges the air to the outside.

[0018] The power transmission unit 17 is configured to drive each of the wheels 12, 13, and 14 with a separate power, and transmits the power generated by the electric motor 19 driven by electricity, the air engine 22 driven by compressed air, and the pedals 25 rotated by human power to each of the wheels 12, 13, and 14 independently of the other power sources.

[0019] This power transmission unit 17 consists of a first power transmission unit 17A that transmits power from an electric motor 19 to the front wheel 12 as the first drive wheel, a second power transmission unit 17B that transmits power from an air engine 22 using compressed air to the right rear wheel 13 as the second drive wheel, and a third power transmission unit 17C that transmits power from pedals 25 generated by the rider's manual power to the left rear wheel 14 as the third drive wheel.

[0020] As shown in Figure 2(A), the first power transmission unit 17A has a structure in which the center of the electric motor 19 is directly attached to the axle 28 that is rotatably arranged between the left and right frames 27, 27 that straddle the front wheels 12, thereby reducing energy loss during power transmission.

[0021] 2(B), the second power transmission section 17B is configured to be able to transmit rotational force from the air engine 22 to the right rear wheel 13 via a drive sprocket 30 and a chain 31. In addition, a one-way clutch 32 is attached to the tire shaft of the right rear wheel 13, so that even if the right rear wheel 13 is rotated by other power, the transmission of the rotation to the air engine 22 is prevented.

[0022] 2(C), the third power transmission section 17C is configured to be able to transmit human power from the pedal 25 to the left rear wheel 14 via a drive sprocket 34 and a chain 35. In addition, a one-way clutch 36 is attached to the tire shaft of the left rear wheel 14, so that the pedal 25 does not rotate even if the left rear wheel 14 is rotated by other power.

[0023] As described above, the mobility 10 employs a triple hybrid system that can run using electricity, air, and human power as its power source, selecting and combining them as appropriate, and is structured so that each driving force from the power generation unit 16 is transmitted independently to the corresponding wheels 12, 13, and 14. This, unlike a structure that transmits the same driving force to multiple wheels, eliminates the need for a differential device such as a differential gear required for changing direction, etc., and allows for a simplified power transmission structure.

[0024] The above-described mobility 10 is primarily powered by the air engine 22, with power from the electric motor 19 being used during high-load driving conditions, such as startup and uphill travel. Starting the air engine 22 using compressed air alone requires a large amount of high-pressure air. Therefore, using power from the electric motor 19 during startup reduces unnecessary air consumption. Furthermore, since fine speed adjustments of the mobility 10 are difficult to achieve using only the air engine 22, power from the electric motor 19, which allows for easy adjustment of rotational speed, can also be used. Furthermore, since reverse driving is not possible using only the air engine 22, power from the electric motor 19 or human power is used during reverse driving. Furthermore, if the compressed air in the air tank 21 or the remaining charge in the battery becomes low while the mobility 10 is traveling, the mobility 10 can be maintained in its traveling state using other power sources, including human power, enabling a longer cruising range than conventional mobility 10.

[0025] It is also possible to employ a compressed air regenerative energy mechanism that uses power from pedal 25 when air engine 22 is not in operation, and that is configured with a circuit that draws air from the atmosphere into air engine 22, compresses it, and supplies the compressed air to air cylinder 21. This allows compressed air to be stored in air cylinder 21 while mobility 10 is traveling, which is expected to further extend the cruising range of mobility 10.

[0026] In addition, in the hybrid drive system 11 of the above embodiment, the front wheels 12 are driven electrically and the rear wheels 13, 14 are driven by compressed air and human power, but as long as the configuration is such that each drive wheel can be driven independently of the other power sources using air, electricity, and human power, the relationship and arrangement of each power source and wheel 12, 13, 14 is not limited to the above embodiment. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the mobility 10, which is a tricycle, but can also be applied to various moving bodies, including mobility vehicles with an increased number of drive wheels.

[0027] Furthermore, the configuration of each part of the device in the present invention is not limited to the illustrated configuration example, and various modifications are possible as long as they provide substantially the same effect. [Explanation of symbols]

[0028] 10 Mobility 11 Hybrid drive system 12 Front wheels (first drive wheels) 13 Right rear wheel (second drive wheel) 14 Left rear wheel (third drive wheel) 16 Power generation section 17 Power transmission section 17A First power transmission section 17B Second power transmission section 17C Third power transmission section 19 Electric Motor 21 Air Cylinder 22 Air Engine 25 Pedal (human-powered mechanism)

Claims

1. In a hybrid drive system for mobility in which multiple drive wheels are driven by multiple types of power sources, a first power transmission unit that transmits electric power to a first drive wheel, a second power transmission unit that transmits pneumatic power to a second drive wheel, and a third power transmission unit that transmits human-powered power to a third drive wheel; A hybrid drive system for mobility, characterized in that each of the power transmission units is configured to be able to drive each of the drive wheels independently of the other power transmission units.

2. In a hybrid drive system for mobility in which multiple drive wheels are driven by multiple types of power sources, a power generating unit that generates power using electricity, air, or human power, and a power transmitting unit that transmits the power from the power generating unit to each of the drive wheels; the power generating unit includes an electric motor driven by electricity, an air engine driven by compressed air, and a human-powered drive mechanism driven by human power; A hybrid drive system for mobility, characterized in that the power transmission unit includes a first power transmission unit that transmits power from the electric motor only to a first drive wheel, a second power transmission unit that transmits power from the air engine only to a second drive wheel, and a third power transmission unit that transmits power from the human-powered drive mechanism only to a third drive wheel.

3. The air engine is driven by compressed air stored in an air tank attached to the mobility, 3. The hybrid drive system for mobility according to claim 2, further comprising a regenerative energy mechanism that supplies compressed air to the air tank by human power when the air engine is not in operation.

4. In mobility that runs on multiple power sources, a hybrid drive system that drives first, second, and third drive wheels driven by the power sources, and drives the drive wheels; a first power transmission unit that transmits electric power to the first drive wheel, a second power transmission unit that transmits pneumatic power to the second drive wheel, and a third power transmission unit that transmits human-powered power to the third drive wheel; A mobility vehicle characterized in that each of the power transmission units is configured to be able to drive each of the drive wheels independently of the other power transmission units.

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