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US6028403A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Vehicle control apparatus

Assignee: Toyota Industries Corp
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Filing: 1998-10-13
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Granted: 2000-02-22
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Expires: 2018-10-13
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Abstract

Abstract The present invention provides a downsized vehicle control apparatus which is capable of controlling two DC separately excited motors. An armature of a first motor, an armature of a second motor and an armature chopper element for controlling the drive of the motors which is common to both of those motors are connected in series between the ends of a battery, and a drive circuit turns on/off the common armature chopper element for controlling the drive of the motors and a plurality of field chopper elements for the respective first and second motors to control the armature currents and the field currents in the first and second motors, respectively, thereby driving both of the motors with the desired rotational frequency or torque. The drive circuit controls the on/off operation of an armature chopper element for controlling regenerative braking which is connected in parallel to the series circuit consisting of the armature of the first motor and the armature of the second motor at the time of the regenerative braking to control a current flowing in the armatures of the first and second motors.

Inventors

  • 👤 Toshinari Fukatsu

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-07 09:12
CPC Classifications
B; B60; B60L; B60L50/00; B60L50/50; B60L50/52; Y; Y02; Y02T; Y02T10/00; Y02T10/60; Y02T10/64; Y02T10/70; Y02T10/72

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim 308 words
A vehicle control apparatus for a vehicle which is driven using first and second separately excited DC motors, comprising: a battery; a first field current control circuit section connected between both ends of said battery and having a plurality of field chopper elements connected to the field winding of a first motor and a first field current detector connected in series to the field winding of the first motor; a second field current control circuit section connected between both ends of said battery and having a plurality of field chopper elements connected to the field winding of a second motor and a second field current detector connected in series to the field winding of the second motor; an armature current control circuit section connected between both ends of said battery having an armature for the first motor, an armature for the second motor, an armature current detector, a first armature chopper element for controlling the drive of the motors which is common to the first and second motors and a second armature chopper element for controlling regenerative braking which is connected in parallel to the series circuit consisting of the armature of the first motor the armature of the second motor and the armature current detector; and a drive circuit for controlling currents flowing in the field windings and armatures for the first and second motors by controlling the on/off operation of the respective field chopper elements of the first and second field current control circuit sections and the first armature chopper element on the basis of the detection signals inputted from said armature current detector and said first and second field current detectors, said drive circuit controlling the on/off operation of the second armature chopper element at the time of the regenerative braking to control a current flowing in the armatures of the first and second motors.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 308 words
A vehicle control apparatus for a vehicle which is driven using first and second separately excited DC motors, comprising: a battery; a first field current control circuit section connected between both ends of said battery and having a plurality of field chopper elements connected to the field winding of a first motor and a first field current detector connected in series to the field winding of the first motor; a second field current control circuit section connected between both ends of said battery and having a plurality of field chopper elements connected to the field winding of a second motor and a second field current detector connected in series to the field winding of the second motor; an armature current control circuit section connected between both ends of said battery having an armature for the first motor, an armature for the second motor, an armature current detector, a first armature chopper element for controlling the drive of the motors which is common to the first and second motors and a second armature chopper element for controlling regenerative braking which is connected in parallel to the series circuit consisting of the armature of the first motor the armature of the second motor and the armature current detector; and a drive circuit for controlling currents flowing in the field windings and armatures for the first and second motors by controlling the on/off operation of the respective field chopper elements of the first and second field current control circuit sections and the first armature chopper element on the basis of the detection signals inputted from said armature current detector and said first and second field current detectors, said drive circuit controlling the on/off operation of the second armature chopper element at the time of the regenerative braking to control a current flowing in the armatures of the first and second motors.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 35 words
The vehicle control apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first and second motors are configured to drive and regeneratively brake first and second wheels of the vehicle, the wheels having a common axis of rotation.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 38 words
The vehicle control apparatus of claim 2 wherein the field current control circuit section, armature current control circuit section and drive circuit are configured to independently control the driving and regenerative braking of the first and second wheels.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 308 words
A vehicle control apparatus for a vehicle which is driven using first and second separately excited DC motors, comprising: a battery; a first field current control circuit section connected between both ends of said battery and having a plurality of field chopper elements connected to the field winding of a first motor and a first field current detector connected in series to the field winding of the first motor; a second field current control circuit section connected between both ends of said battery and having a plurality of field chopper elements connected to the field winding of a second motor and a second field current detector connected in series to the field winding of the second motor; an armature current control circuit section connected between both ends of said battery having an armature for the first motor, an armature for the second motor, an armature voltage detector, a first armature chopper element for controlling the drive of the motors which is common to the first and second motors and a second armature chopper element for controlling regenerative braking which is connected in parallel to the series circuit consisting of the armature of the first motor, the armature of the second motor and the armature voltage detector; and a drive circuit for controlling currents flowing in the field windings and armatures for the first and second motors by controlling the on/off operation of the respective field chopper elements of the first and second field current control circuit sections and the first armature chopper element on the basis of the detection signals inputted from said armature voltage detector and said first and second field current detectors, said drive circuit controlling the on/off operation of the second armature chopper element at the time of the regenerative braking to control a current flowing in the armatures of the first and second motors.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 308 words
A vehicle control apparatus for a vehicle which is driven using first and second separately excited DC motors, comprising: a battery; a first field current control circuit section connected between both ends of said battery and having a plurality of field chopper elements connected to the field winding of a first motor and a first field current detector connected in series to the field winding of the first motor; a second field current control circuit section connected between both ends of said battery and having a plurality of field chopper elements connected to the field winding of a second motor and a second field current detector connected in series to the field winding of the second motor; an armature current control circuit section connected between both ends of said battery having an armature for the first motor, an armature for the second motor, an armature voltage detector, a first armature chopper element for controlling the drive of the motors which is common to the first and second motors and a second armature chopper element for controlling regenerative braking which is connected in parallel to the series circuit consisting of the armature of the first motor, the armature of the second motor and the armature voltage detector; and a drive circuit for controlling currents flowing in the field windings and armatures for the first and second motors by controlling the on/off operation of the respective field chopper elements of the first and second field current control circuit sections and the first armature chopper element on the basis of the detection signals inputted from said armature voltage detector and said first and second field current detectors, said drive circuit controlling the on/off operation of the second armature chopper element at the time of the regenerative braking to control a current flowing in the armatures of the first and second motors.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 285 words
A vehicle control apparatus for a vehicle which is driven using first and second separately excited DC motors, each having an armature and a field winding, comprising: a first field current control circuit section connectable across a DC excitation source and having a plurality of controlled field chopper elements connected to the field winding of the first motor and a first field current detector; a second field current control circuit section connectable across the DC excitation source and having a plurality of controlled field chopper elements connected to the field winding of a second motor and a second field current detector; an armature current control circuit section connectable across the DC excitation source and including the armatures of the first and second motors connected in series, an armature current detector, a first armature chopper element for controlling the current through the armature of the motors and a second armature chopper element for controlling regenerative braking which is connected in parallel to the series circuit consisting of the armature of the first motor, the armature of the second motor and the armature current detector; and a drive circuit for controlling currents flowing in the field windings and armatures of the first and second motors by controlling the on/off operation of the respective field chopper elements of the first and second field current control circuit sections and the first armature chopper element on the basis of the detection signals inputted from said armature current detector and said first and second field current detectors, said drive circuit controlling the on/off operation of the second armature chopper element at the time of the regenerative braking to control a current flowing in the armatures of the first and second motors.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 285 words
A vehicle control apparatus for a vehicle which is driven using first and second separately excited DC motors, each having an armature and a field winding, comprising: a first field current control circuit section connectable across a DC excitation source and having a plurality of controlled field chopper elements connected to the field winding of the first motor and a first field current detector; a second field current control circuit section connectable across the DC excitation source and having a plurality of controlled field chopper elements connected to the field winding of a second motor and a second field current detector; an armature current control circuit section connectable across the DC excitation source and including the armatures of the first and second motors connected in series, an armature current detector, a first armature chopper element for controlling the current through the armature of the motors and a second armature chopper element for controlling regenerative braking which is connected in parallel to the series circuit consisting of the armature of the first motor, the armature of the second motor and the armature current detector; and a drive circuit for controlling currents flowing in the field windings and armatures of the first and second motors by controlling the on/off operation of the respective field chopper elements of the first and second field current control circuit sections and the first armature chopper element on the basis of the detection signals inputted from said armature current detector and said first and second field current detectors, said drive circuit controlling the on/off operation of the second armature chopper element at the time of the regenerative braking to control a current flowing in the armatures of the first and second motors.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3828233A Cited
US3881141A Cited
US4355267A Cited
US4453111A Cited
US4500818A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 2003-02-21 2003-08-23 2004-02-22 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2007-02-21 2007-08-23 2008-02-22 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2011-02-21 2011-08-23 2012-02-22 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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