IP Library Granted Patent US 8,965,609
Granted Patent B2
US 8,965,609 · App. 13/340,539 · Granted Feb 24, 2015

Electric vehicle

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,965,609
App. No.
13/340,539
Granted
Feb 24, 2015
Kind
B2
Abstract

An electric vehicle is presented. The electric vehicle may include a front motor for driving a front wheel; a rear motor for driving a rear wheel; a target torque determiner for determining a target torque of the front motor and a target torque of the rear motor, based on at least a displacement amount of an accelerator operation member operated by a driver; and a motor controller for controlling the front motor and the rear motor to cause the front motor to output the target torque and the rear motor to output the target torque.

Claims (32)

1. An electric vehicle comprising:

a front motor for driving right and left front wheels;

a rear motor for driving right and left rear wheels;

a target torque determiner for determining a target torque of the front motor and a target torque of the rear motor, based on at least a displacement amount of an accelerator operation member operated by a driver; and

a motor controller for controlling the front motor and the rear motor to cause the front motor to output the target torque and the rear motor to output the target torque, wherein when one of the front wheels or the rear wheels slip when all the wheels are driven by the front motor and the rear motor, the target torque determiner decreases the target torque of one of the front motor or the rear motor for driving the one of the front wheels or the rear wheels which are slipping and increases the target torque of the other of the front motor or the rear motor for driving the other of the front wheels or the rear wheels which are not slipping.

2. The electric vehicle according to claim 1 ,

wherein the front motor is configured to drive the front wheel via a differential gear mechanism which couples the right and left front wheels to each other, and the rear motor is configured to drive the rear wheel via a differential gear mechanism which couples the right and left rear wheels to each other.

3. The electric vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein if both of the front wheels and the rear wheels are slipping, the target torque determiner determines the target torque of each of the front motor and the rear motor such that a driving torque of the wheels which are slipping with a greater slip ratio is set smaller than a driving torque of the wheels which are slipping with a smaller slip ratio.

4. The electric vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the front wheels are steering wheels; and

when the target torque is a braking torque, the target torque determiner determines the target torque of each of the front motor and the rear motor such that a ratio of allocation of the braking torque to the front motor is set greater when the vehicle is turning than a brake torque when the vehicle is not turning.

5. The electric vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein if a vehicle speed is higher than a predetermined value, the target torque determiner determines the target torque of each of the front motor and the rear motor such that the target torque of the rear motor is set greater when the vehicle is turning than a torque when the vehicle is not turning.

6. The electric vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a cargo bed provided at a rear portion of the vehicle,

wherein the target torque determiner determines the target torque of each of the front motor and the rear motor such that a ratio of allocation of a driving torque applied to the rear wheels is increased as a weight of a luggage on the cargo bed increases.

7. The electric vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the target torque determiner determines the target torque of each of the front motor and the rear motor such that a driving torque of the rear wheel is greater as an acceleration of the electric vehicle is greater.

8. The electric vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein when the target torque is a braking torque, the target torque determiner determines the target torque of each of the front motor and the rear motor such that the braking torque of the front motor is set greater than the braking torque of the rear motor.

9. The electric vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein when the target torque is a braking torque, the target torque determiner determines the target torque of each of the front motor and the rear motor such that a ratio of allocation of the braking torque to the front motor is set greater as a deceleration of the electric vehicle is greater.

10. The electric vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein when the target torque is a braking torque, the target torque determiner divides the braking torque evenly between the target torque of each of the front motor and the rear motor when a vehicle speed is not lower than a predetermined value, and the target torque determiner sets the target torque of the front motor to equal the braking torque such that only the front motor generates the braking torque when the vehicle speed is lower than the predetermined value.

11. The electric vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein when the target torque is a braking torque, the target torque determiner divides the braking torque evenly between the target torque of each of the front motor and the rear motor when a vehicle speed is not lower than a predetermined value, and the target torque determiner divides the braking torque such that the target torque of the front motor is set to a greater value than a value of the target torque of the rear motor when the vehicle speed is lower than the predetermined value.

12. The electric vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising:

an engine electric generator for supplying an electric power to the front motor and the rear motor,

wherein when the engine electric generator is activated, one of the front motor or the rear motor which one is farther from the engine electric generator relative to the other of the front motor or the rear motor drives the wheels with a priority over the other of the front motor or the rear motor.

13. An electric vehicle comprising:

a front motor for driving right and left front wheels;

a rear motor for driving right and left rear wheels;

a target torque determiner for determining a target torque of the front motor and a target torque of the rear motor, based on at least a displacement amount of an accelerator operation member operated by a driver; and

a motor controller for controlling the front motor and the rear motor to cause the front motor to output the target torque and the rear motor to output the target torque, wherein when one of the front wheels or the rear wheels slip when all the wheels are driven by the front motor and the rear motor, the target torque determiner increases the target torque of one of the front wheels or the rear wheels for driving the other of the front wheels or the rear wheels which are not slipping.

14. An electric vehicle comprising:

a front motor for driving right and left front wheels;

a rear motor for driving right and left rear wheels;

a target torque determiner for determining a target torque of the front motor and a target torque of the rear motor, based on at least a displacement amount of an accelerator operation member operated by a driver; and

a motor controller for controlling the front motor and the rear motor to cause the front motor to output the target torque and the rear motor to output the target torque, wherein when one of the front wheels or the rear wheels slip when all the wheels are driven by the front motor and the rear motor, the target torque determiner changes a ratio of torque allocation of the target torque of the front motor and the target torque of the rear motor by decreasing the target torque of one of the front motor or the rear motor for driving the one of the front wheels or the rear wheels which are slipping and increasing the target torque of the other of the front motor or the rear motor for driving the other of the front wheels or the rear wheels which are not slipping.

Assignments (2)
NUNC PRO TUNC ASSIGNMENT Recorded Jun 2, 2022
From: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
To: KAWASAKI MOTORS, LTD.
Reel/Frame 060300/0504 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 29, 2011
From: TAKAGI, IZUMI
To: KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 027460/0856 →