Abstract: Directional electromagnetic steel plates are laminated, and a plurality of stator and rotor core segments are produced by generating into an approximate U-shape so as to provide a U-shaped cross section of the lamination. The direction of high magnetic permeability of the directional electromagnetic steel plates is aligned during lamination with the direction along said U-shape. The side portions of the U-shape adjoin each other and are arranged along the circumference to produce the stator and rotor cores. As the electromagnetic steel plates are laminated, fluctuation in the components in the circumferential direction of the magnetic flux within the magnetic poles and salient poles can be reduced, and iron loss can thus be lowered. In addition, the direction of high magnetic permeability of the directional electromagnetic steel plates coincides with the direction of the magnetic flux creating a much stronger magnetic flux.

Abstract: The present invention provides a magnets containing-type motor that minimizes a cogging torque without lowering its output. In a magnets containing-type motor where permanent magnets are set in magnetic pole elements of a rotor, the dimensions of each magnetic pole element are determined to satisfy predetermined relations according to a variety of numerical elements of the motor. In accordance with a concrete arrangement, the dimensions of each magnetic pole element are determined, so as to enable either one of a magnetic pole element opening angle L2 and an equivalent magnetic pole element opening angle L3 to be expressed as (n+z).multidot.Pp+x.multidot.(g/R)+y.multidot.(gp/R), based on a predetermined relation between a parameter (t2-t1)/g and a predetermined threshold value.

Abstract: A clutch motor 30 that includes a rotatable outer rotor 32 and a rotatable inner rotor 34 and is driven to carry out power operation or regenerative operation is attached to an output shaft of an engine 50. The output of the clutch motor 30 is transmitted to front wheels 26 and 28 via a drive shaft 22A. An assist motor 40 is directly linked with a drive shaft 22B that transmits power to rear wheels 27 and 29. Slip rotation in the clutch motor 30 enables part of the energy of the engine 50 to be regenerated. The assist motor 40 is driven with at least part of the regenerated energy or energy stored in a battery 94. This structure allows torques to be output to the two different shafts and thereby realizes four-wheel-drive. In accordance with another possible structure, the assist motor 40 regenerates electric power, while the clutch motor 30 carries out over-drive operation.

Abstract: A power output apparatus of the invention includes a clutch motor (30) and an assist motor (40) that allow energy output from an engine (50) driven at a driving point of high efficiency to be converted to energy expressed as the product of a revolving speed and a torque of a drive shaft (22) and to be output to the drive shaft (22). In case that a large torque is required, for example, when the vehicle starts on a rising slope or runs at a low speed, the engine (50) is driven at a high-energy driving point having a large torque and a high efficiency. This structure causes large electric power to be generated by excess energy greater than the energy generally consumed and enables a battery (94) to be charged with the large electric power.

Abstract: At the time of starting a synchronous motor (40), one method of the present invention assumes that the synchronous motor (40) rotates at a revolving speed of not less than a predetermined level, and detects an electrical angle of a rotor (50) according to a first detection process, which has a practical accuracy when the revolving speed of the rotor (50) is not less than the predetermined level (step S120). In case that the electrical angle has not been detected successfully, the method detects the electrical angle of the rotor (50) according to a second detection process, which has a practical accuracy when the revolving speed of the rotor (50) is less than the predetermined level (step S160). Another method first detects the revolving speed of the rotor (50).

Abstract: The prior art technique should return the voltage applied to a synchronous motor to zero in the process of measurement of an electrical angle. This causes foreign noises. The structure of the present invention utilizes the fact that the electrical angle of a three-phase synchronous motor 40 depends upon the inter-coil inductances. The procedure of the present invention applies a predetermined voltage for measurement to each combination of coils, and measures variations in electric currents flowing through the respective coils. The electric current flowing through each coil is attenuated in the presence of a driving current in the three-phase synchronous motor 40, compared with the case in the absence of a driving current. The procedure of the present invention accordingly refers to a table 122A to correct the observed values of electric currents based on the variations in electric currents, and refers to another table 122B to read the electrical angle .pi.

Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide a technique that detects an electrical angle of a synchronous motor with a high accuracy and adequately controls the synchronous motor even when the synchronous motor is driven under a non-loading condition. The direction that passes through a rotating shaft of the motor and causes a magnetic flux to pass through permanent magnets is defined as a d-axis. Even when the motor is driven under the non-loading condition and no flow of electric currents through windings is required in response to a torque requirement, the method of the present invention applies a voltage to the d-axis, based on an estimated electrical angle. Application of the voltage is realized by switching on and off a transistor inverter with a delay of a dead time. The method solves voltage equations with the applied voltages and the electric currents corresponding to the voltages, and controls the motor while correcting the electrical angle with errors of the arithmetic operations.

Abstract: A power output apparatus (20) of the present invention includes a clutch motor (30), an assist motor (40), an engine (50), and a controller (80) for controlling the clutch motor (30) and the assist motor (40). Auxiliary machinery driven by the rotation of a crankshaft (56), such as a cooling pump (104) and a P/S pump (106), are connected directly or via a belt (102) to a crankshaft (56B) of the engine (50). When the assist motor (40) rotates a drive shaft (22) only with electric power stored in a battery (94) under the non-operating condition of the engine (50), the clutch motor (30) applies a torque of rotational motion TST to the crankshaft (56) to rotate the crankshaft (56) at a predetermined revolving speed. This structure allows the crankshaft (56) to be rotated even when the engine (50) is at a stop, thereby supplying the required power to drive the auxiliary machinery.

Abstract: The object of the present invention is to carry out control and enable an engine to output a desired power, thereby preventing unexpected charge or discharge of storage battery means. A power output apparatus of the present invention sets energy Pe to be output from an engine, in order to cancel a deviation .DELTA.Pb of a charge-discharge electric power Pb of a battery from its target value Pb* , and controls operation of the engine to output the energy Pe. The energy Pe output from the engine is subjected to torque conversion by means of a clutch motor and an assist motor and output to a drive shaft as a required power. In case that the converted energy is not equal to the required power, the battery is charged with the surplus electric power or is discharged to supplement the shortage of electric power. Namely regulation of the energy Pe results in controlling the charge-discharge electric power Pb of the battery.

Abstract: In a method for manufacturing a stator of a motor, when an angular line is used to increase the occupancy rate of line members for coil pieces inserted into slots, not-slot-inserted parts project from a stator core. This results in enlarging the size of a stator, and damaging coatings via interference between a coil piece and other parts. In order to solve these problems, an angular line is first wound a predetermined times. Then, slot-inserted parts (a coil side) are separately clamped, and one of them is rotated by 180 degrees in a direction perpendicular to the winding direction, so that twisted parts are formed on coil ends. The coil sides are sequentially inserted into predetermined slots while maintaining respective twisted parts substantially parallel to each other, until a stator is completed.

Abstract: A power output apparatus (20) of the present invention includes an engine (50), a clutch motor (30) connecting with a crankshaft (56) of the engine (50), an assist motor (40) connecting with a drive shaft (22), and a controller (80) for controlling the clutch motor (30) and the assist motor (40). In order to attain stable driving of the engine (50) at a target engine torque and a target engine speed, the engine (50) is feedback controlled with the torque of the clutch motor (30). In the feedback control, a range of scatter of the revolving speed of the crankshaft (56) (that is, a variation in rotation or pulsating torque) due to the pulsating power output from the engine (50) is set as a dead zone. The torque of the clutch motor (30) is accordingly not varied with the variation in rotation of the crankshaft 56 (pulsating torque). This structure effectively prevents the variation in rotation (pulsating torque) from being transmitted to the drive shaft (22).

Abstract: A power output apparatus (20) of the invention includes an engine (50), a clutch motor (30), an assist motor (40), and a controller (80) for controlling the clutch motor (30) and the assist motor (40). In response to an engine stop signal to stop operation of the engine (50), the controller (80) successively lowers a torque command value of the clutch motor (30) and a target engine torque and a target engine speed of the engine (50) to make the engine (50) kept at an idle. The assist motor (40) is controlled to use power stored in a battery (94) and make up for a decrease in torque output to a drive shaft (22) accompanied by the decrease in torque command value of the clutch motor (30). When the engine (50) falls in the idling state, supply of fuel into the engine (50) is stopped to terminate operation of the engine (50). In this state, the drive shaft (22) is driven and operated only by the torque of the assist motor (40), which is generated by the power stored in the battery (94).

Abstract: A power output apparatus (20) of the present invention includes a clutch motor (30), an assist motor (40), and a controller (80) for controlling the clutch motor (30) and the assist motor (40). The clutch motor (30) includes an outer rotor (32) linked with a crankshaft (56) of a gasoline engine (50) and an inner rotor (34) connecting with a drive shaft (22). The assist motor (40) includes a rotor (42) connecting with the drive shaft (22). A control CPU (90) of the controller (80) controls a first driving circuit (91) to make the clutch motor (30) carry out power operation, so that the drive shaft (22) is rotated at a revolving speed higher than that of the crankshaft (56). The control CPU (90) also controls a second driving circuit (92) to make the assist motor (40) carry out regenerative operation. The electric power regenerated by the assist motor (40) is supplied to the clutch motor (30) to cover the electric power consumed by the clutch motor (30).

Abstract: A power output apparatus (20) of the present invention includes a clutch motor (30), an assist motor (40), and a controller (80) for controlling the clutch motor (30) and the assist motor (40). The clutch motor (30) includes an outer rotor (32) linked with a crankshaft (56) of a gasoline engine (50) and an inner rotor (34) connecting with a drive shaft (22). The assist motor (40) includes a rotor (42) connecting with the drive shaft (22). A control CPU (90) of the controller (80) controls a first driving circuit (91) to enable the clutch motor (30) to carry out the regenerative operation. The clutch motor (30) accordingly regenerates energy corresponding to a slip between the outer rotor (32) and the inner rotor (34) as electric power.

Abstract: A power output apparatus (20) of the present invention includes a clutch motor (30), an assist motor (40), and a controller (80) for controlling the clutch motor (30) and the assist motor (40). The clutch motor (30) includes an outer rotor (32) linked with a crankshaft (56) of a gasoline engine (50) and an inner rotor (34) connecting with a drive shaft (22). The assist motor (40) includes a rotor (42) connecting with the drive shaft (22). When the residual capacity of a battery (94) is less than an allowable minimum value, a control CPU (90) of the controller (80) controls a first driving circuit (91) to enable the clutch motor (30) to carry out the power operation and apply a first torque to the drive shaft (22) in the direction of rotation of the drive shaft (22).

Abstract: A power output apparatus (20) includes an engine (50), a clutch motor (30) connecting with a crankshaft (56), an assist motor (40) connecting with a drive shaft (22), and a controller (80) for controlling the clutch motor (30) and the assist motor (40). When an electrical angle of the rotors in the clutch motor (30) is equal to .pi./2, a constant current is made to flow through three-phase coils (36) of the clutch motor (30) in order to enable a torque equal to or greater than a maximum torque ripple of the engine (50) to be applied from the clutch motor (30) to a drive shaft (22) and the crankshaft (56). This locks up an outer rotor (32) and an inner rotor (34) of the clutch motor (30). This structure enables the torque and rotation of the engine (50) to be directly transmitted to the drive shaft (22) at a high efficiency.

Abstract: An electrical angle detecting device for detecting the electrical angle of a synchronous motor utilizes differences in inductance between phases with the angle of a rotor 50 to determine electrical angle. Voltage is applied across predetermined phases, the currents Iu, Iv, Iw flowing through U, V, W phases as a function of the differing inductance with angle of the rotor 50 are simultaneously detected, and the electrical angle is determined from relationships among the three currents stored in memory beforehand. In a first stage, the electrical angle is determined in the 0-.pi. range or the .pi.-2.pi. range by an approximation calculation and in a second stage the asymmetry of the maximum currents produced by the voltage applied across the phases is utilized to ascertain the range in which the electrical angle falls. the electrical angle can thus be unambiguously ascertained to enable sensorless detection of rotor position (electrical angle) even when the rotor is at rest or is rotating slowly.

Abstract: A power output apparatus 20 includes an engine 50, a clutch motor 30 having rotors 31 and 33 respectively linked with a crankshaft 56 and a drive shaft 22, an assist motor 40 attached to a rotor-rotating shaft 38, a first clutch 45 for connecting and disconnecting the rotor-rotating shaft 38 to and from the crankshaft 56, a second clutch 46 for connecting and disconnecting the rotor-rotating shaft 38 to and from the drive shaft 22, and a controller 80 for controlling the motors 30 and 40. The controller 80 operates the clutches 45 and 46 according to the states of the engine 50 and the drive shaft 22 and changes the connection of the rotor-rotating shaft 38, so as to enable power output from the engine 50 to be efficiently converted by the motors 30 and 40 and output to the drive shaft 22.

Abstract: Electric motor coils are electrically connected to a power device in an inverter. A conductor for supplying a drive current to the motor coils includes a heat radiating area or other heat radiating member in the wiring path. Thus, the heat from the electric motor is radiated from the conductor in the wiring path. The power device and other components of the inverter can be prevented from being thermally damaged or degraded by the heat transmitted from the motor coils to the inverter through the conductor having higher heat conductivity.

Abstract: A power output apparatus (20) of the present invention includes a clutch motor (30), an assist motor (40), and a controller (80) for controlling the clutch motor (30) and the assist motor (40). The clutch motor (30) includes an outer rotor (32) linked with a crankshaft (56) of a gasoline engine (50) and an inner rotor (34) connecting with a drive shaft (22). The assist motor (40) includes a rotor (42) connecting with the drive shaft (22). An electric current flowing through three-phase coils (36) in the clutch motor (30) enables the outer rotor (32) to be coupled with the inner rotor (34) with a certain slip. Electrical energy corresponding to the certain slip is recovered as an electric power via a first driving circuit (91). The assist motor (40) is controlled with the electric power via a second driving circuit (92) so as to apply a torque to the drive shaft (22).