US 12,109,876 B2
Drive unit
Yoshihiro Matsuoka, Neyagawa (JP)
Assigned to EXEDY Corporation, Osaka (JP)
Filed by EXEDY Corporation, Neyagawa (JP)
Filed on Mar. 1, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/683,861.
Claims priority of application No. 2021-062687 (JP), filed on Apr. 1, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0314768 A1, Oct. 6, 2022
Int. Cl. B60K 1/02 (2006.01); B60L 1/00 (2006.01); B60L 3/00 (2019.01); B60L 58/24 (2019.01)
CPC B60K 1/02 (2013.01) [B60L 1/003 (2013.01); B60L 3/0061 (2013.01); B60L 58/24 (2019.02); B60L 2240/36 (2013.01); B60L 2240/425 (2013.01); B60L 2240/545 (2013.01); B60L 2240/662 (2013.01)] 4 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A drive unit, comprising:
a first electric motor configured to drive a drive wheel;
a fluid coupling configured such that a torque outputted from the first electric motor is inputted thereto;
a pump configured to supply a working fluid to an interior of the fluid coupling;
a second electric motor configured to drive the pump; and
a controller configured to control whether the second electric motor is actuated based on the value of an input/output rotational ratio of the fluid coupling relative to a rotational-ratio threshold; the value of a temperature of the working fluid in the interior of the fluid coupling relative to a temperature threshold; and the value of an amount of the working fluid in the interior of the fluid coupling, or an indirect indicator thereof, relative to a working fluid-amount threshold;
the controller being further configured to control whether the second electric motor is actuated based on a determination of whether the first electric motor is rotating in one rotational direction or the opposite rotational direction.