Abstract: A switched reluctance motor includes: a stator provided with a plurality of stator teeth as salient poles in a radial fashion with winding wire wound around each of the plurality of stator teeth; a rotor provided with a plurality of rotor teeth as salient poles in a radial fashion; a driving circuit configured to apply a current to the winding wire for each phase; and a control device configured to control the driving circuit, the control device being configured to perform: starting rising of a current to the winding wire of a stator tooth of a phase being a non-excitation target due to stop of energization to the winding wire; and allowing the current applied to the winding wire of the stator tooth of a phase being an excitation target to fall.

Abstract: A motor cooling device having good cooling performance, which is adapted to promote heat transfer between a coil end and a coil end cover even if the flowing amount of oil is small. A heat of a stator is withdrawn by the oil flowing around the coil end. For this purpose, the motor cooling device comprises a flow path formed between an outer face of the coil end and an inner face of the coil end cover, and a flow rate adjusting unit for changing a cross-sectional area of the flow path by moving the coil end cover toward the coil end or away from the coil end. The flow rate adjusting unit widens the cross-sectional area of the flow path in case a feeding amount of the oil to the flow path is relatively large, and narrows the cross-sectional area of the flow path in case a feeding amount of the oil to the flow path is relatively small.

Abstract: A vehicle drive apparatus independently controls drive forces for a front-right drive wheel, a front-left drive wheel, a rear-right drive wheel, and a rear-left drive wheel using a front-right electric motor, a front-left electric motor, a rear-right electric motor, and a rear-left electric motor, respectively. The drive forces for the drive wheels of a vehicle incorporating the vehicle drive apparatus are determined based on the target moments in the yaw and roll directions of the vehicle, the total drive for the drive wheels, and the drive reaction forces at the drive wheels. Thus, the performance desired by the driver can be achieved, and the drivability therefore improves accordingly.

Abstract: A target braking-driving force Fvn and a target yaw moment Mvn of the entire vehicle are calculated, and when the target braking-driving force Fvn and the target yaw moment Mvn cannot be achieved by the braking-driving forces of the front wheels, a target braking-driving force Fvft and a target yaw moment Mvft of the front wheels are adjusted such that the magnitudes of the braking-driving force and yaw moment of the vehicle produced by the braking-driving forces of the front wheels become the maximum at a ratio between Fvn and Mvn. A target braking-driving force Fvrt and a target yaw moment Mvrt of the rear wheels are calculated on the basis of Fvn, Mvn, Fvft, and Mvft, and similar adjustment is performed for them when necessarily.

Abstract: In a braking/driving force control apparatus, a vehicle target braking/driving force and a vehicle target yaw moment through the control of braking/driving forces of wheels are calculated, and when the target braking/driving force and the target yaw moment cannot be achieved through the control of the braking/driving forces of the wheels, the vehicle target braking/driving force after the modification and the vehicle target yaw moment after the modification are calculated such that, within the range where the ratio of the vehicle target braking/driving force after the modification and the vehicle target yaw moment after the modification coincides with the ratio of the target braking/driving force and the target yaw moment, the vehicle braking/driving force and the vehicle yaw moment by the target braking/driving forces of the wheels take the greatest values.

Abstract: A drive unit is provided. The drive unit forms a power transmitting path that includes a driving shaft between a wheel/tire assembly and a driving power source provided separately for each wheel/tire assembly, and transmits power via the driving shaft. The drive unit has a weak portion, which is less durable than any other portion in the power transmitting path with respect to external force applied to the wheel/tire assembly, formed on the driving shaft.

Abstract: A control system for driving motor configured to synchronize rotor phases of a plurality of driving motors of wheels using a single inverter. The control system comprises driving motor connected with a wheel to drive the wheel; a clutch interposed between the driving motor and the wheel; and a current control means connected with the driving motor to supply current thereto. A switching unit switches electrical connection in a manner to supply the current to both of the driving motors from one of the current control unit by interrupting the current supply from the other current control unit. The clutch interrupts torque transmission in case the switching mechanism switches the electrical connection in a manner to supply the current to both of the driving motors from one of the current control unit to drive the vehicle.

Abstract: A control system for driving motor configured to synchronize rotor phases of a plurality of driving motors of wheels using a single inverter. The control system comprises driving motor connected with a wheel to drive the wheel; a clutch interposed between the driving motor and the wheel; and a current control means connected with the driving motor to supply current thereto. A switching unit switches electrical connection in a manner to supply the current to both of the driving motors from one of the current control unit by interrupting the current supply from the other current control unit. The clutch interrupts torque transmission in case the switching mechanism switches the electrical connection in a manner to supply the current to both of the driving motors from one of the current control unit to drive the vehicle.

Abstract: A motor cooling device having good cooling performance, which is adapted to promote heat transfer between a coil end and a coil end cover even if the flowing amount of oil is small. A heat of a stator is withdrawn by the oil flowing around the coil end. For this purpose, the motor cooling device comprises a flow path formed between an outer face of the coil end and an inner face of the coil end cover, and a flow rate adjusting unit for changing a cross-sectional area of the flow path by moving the coil end cover toward the coil end or away from the coil end. The flow rate adjusting unit widens the cross-sectional area of the flow path in case a feeding amount of the oil to the flow path is relatively large, and narrows the cross-sectional area of the flow path in case a feeding amount of the oil to the flow path is relatively small.

Abstract: In a braking/driving force control apparatus, a vehicle target braking/driving force and a vehicle target yaw moment through the control of braking/driving forces of wheels are calculated, and when the target braking/driving force and the target yaw moment cannot be achieved through the control of the braking/driving forces of the wheels, it is determined which one of the braking/driving force and the yaw moment should take priority on the basis of the target braking/driving force and the target yaw moment. When it is determined that the braking/driving force should take priority, the braking/driving forces of the wheels are controlled so as to attain the target braking/driving force as much as possible, and when it is determined that the yaw moment should take priority, the braking/driving forces of the wheels are controlled so as to attain the target yaw moment as much as possible.

Abstract: According to the present invention, when a target braking/driving force and a vehicle target yaw moment required to a vehicle cannot be achieved through a control of a braking/driving forces of wheels, in a rectangular coordinate of the braking/driving force and the yaw moment, a polygon indicating the maximum range of the braking/driving force and the yaw moment attainable by the braking/driving forces of the wheels, and an ellipse that crosses each side of the polygon and has a major axis and a minor axis aligning with the coordinate axis of the rectangular coordinate are set, for example.

Abstract: A drive unit is provided. The drive unit forms a power transmitting path that includes a driving shaft between a wheel/tire assembly and a driving power source provided separately for each wheel/tire assembly, and transmits power via the driving shaft. The drive unit has a weak portion, which is less durable than any other portion in the power transmitting path with respect to external force applied to the wheel/tire assembly, formed on the driving shaft.

Abstract: According to the present invention, when at least one of a target braking/driving force and a vehicle target yaw moment required to a vehicle cannot be achieved by a braking/driving forces of wheels, a target braking/driving force after a modification and a target yaw moment after a modification are calculated to be values attainable by the braking/driving forces of the wheels. When the magnitudes of the target braking/driving force after a modification and the target yaw moment after the modification exceed the corresponding limit value, these magnitudes are limited to the limit values. Alternatively, when the magnitudes of rates of change of the target braking/driving force after a modification and the target yaw moment after the modification exceed the corresponding limited rates of change, these magnitudes of the rates of change are limited to the limited rates of change.

Abstract: A vehicle target braking/driving force and a vehicle target yaw moment to be achieved by a control of braking/driving force of each wheel are-calculated. The target yaw moment is corrected, for example, so as to coincide with the product of the correction coefficient determined based upon, the weight of the whole vehicle, the longitudinal and lateral distribution ratios of wheel vertical loads, and vehicle turning direction, and the target yaw moment, whereby the target yaw moment is corrected in accordance with the weight of the whole vehicle, the position of center of gravity of the whole vehicle, and vehicle turning direction.

Abstract: According to the present invention, when at least one of a target braking/driving force and a vehicle target yaw moment required to a vehicle cannot be achieved by a braking/driving forces of wheels, a target braking/driving force after a modification and a target yaw moment after a modification are calculated to be values attainable by the braking/driving forces of the wheels. When the magnitudes of the target braking/driving force after a modification and the target yaw moment after the modification exceed the corresponding limit value, these magnitudes are limited to the limit values. Alternatively, when the magnitudes of rates of change of the target braking/driving force after a modification and the target yaw moment after the modification exceed the corresponding limited rates of change, these magnitudes of the rates of change are limited to the limited rates of change.

Abstract: A vehicle drive apparatus independently controls drive forces for a front-right drive wheel, a front-left drive wheel, a rear-right drive wheel, and a rear-left drive wheel using a front-right electric motor, a front-left electric motor, a rear-right electric motor, and a rear-left electric motor, respectively. The drive forces for the drive wheels of a vehicle incorporating the vehicle drive apparatus are determined based on the target moments in the yaw and roll directions of the vehicle, the total drive for the drive wheels, and the drive reaction forces at the drive wheels. Thus, the performance desired by the driver can be achieved, and the drivability therefore improves accordingly.

Abstract: A braking force control device includes: a brake control device that controls a mechanical brake braking torque by operating electric actuators so as to achieve a requested brake braking torque; a motor control device that controls a motor torque by operating motors so as to achieve the requested motor torque; a requested braking torque calculation device that calculates the requested braking torques of wheels; a battery requested electric power calculation device that finds a battery requested electric power based on target amounts of electricity charged in batteries; and an individual braking torque calculation device that finds the requested motor torque and the requested brake braking torque that cause the requested braking torque to be generated based on the battery requested electric power and the requested braking torque.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to achieve a braking-driving force and a yaw moment required for a vehicle to a possible extent within a range of braking-driving forces which the front and rear wheels can generate, when a target braking-driving force and a target yaw moment of the vehicle cannot be achieved by means of braking-driving forces that can be generated by the individual wheels. A target braking-driving force Fvn and a target yaw moment Mvn of the entire vehicle are calculated, and when the target braking-driving force Fvn and the target yaw moment Mvn cannot be achieved by means of the braking-driving forces of the front wheels, a target braking-driving force Fvft and a target yaw moment Mvft of the front wheels are adjusted such that the magnitudes of the braking-driving force and yaw moment of the vehicle produced by means of the braking-driving forces of the front wheels become the maximum at a ratio between Fvn and Mvn.

Abstract: In a braking/driving force control apparatus according to the present invention, a vehicle target braking/driving force Fvn and a vehicle target yaw moment Mvn through the control of braking/driving forces of wheels are calculated (Step 20), and when the target braking/driving force Fvn and the target yaw moment Mvn cannot be achieved through the control of the braking/driving forces of the wheels (Step 40), it is determined which one of the braking/driving force and the yaw moment should take priority on the basis of the target braking/driving force Fvn and the target yaw moment Mvn. When it is determined that the braking/driving force should take priority, the braking/driving forces of the wheels are controlled so as to attain the target braking/driving force Fvn as much as possible, and when it is determined that the yaw moment should take priority, the braking/driving forces of the wheels are controlled so as to attain the target yaw moment Mvn as much as possible (Steps 60 to 220).

Abstract: According to the present invention, when a target braking/driving force and a vehicle target yaw moment required to a vehicle cannot be achieved through a control of a braking/driving forces of wheels, in a rectangular coordinate of the braking/driving force and the yaw moment, a polygon indicating the maximum range of the braking/driving force and the yaw moment attainable by the braking/driving forces of the wheels, and an ellipse that crosses each side of the polygon and has a major axis and a minor axis aligning with the coordinate axis of the rectangular coordinate are set, for example.