POWER TRANSMITTING MECHANISM FOR HYBRID VEHICLE

A proposition is to provide a power transmitting mechanism for a hybrid vehicle having improved energy utilization efficiency. A power transmitting mechanism for the hybrid vehicle having an engine, a main clutch, a motor/generator, a transmission, and a final reduction gear which are coaxially disposed, and using powers of the engine and the motor/generator in a combined manner, the mechanism includes an engine drive shaft coupled to an engine output shaft via the main clutch; a motor output shaft of the motor/generator rotatably supported separately from the engine drive shaft; a drive shaft brake releasing/fixing the engine drive shaft; a motor-brake releasing/fixing the motor output shaft; and a planetary gear mechanism formed of a ring gear coupled to the motor output shaft, a sun gear coupled to the engine drive shaft, a plurality of planetary gears with which the sun gear and the ring gear are engaged, and a planetary carrier coupled to the transmission and receiving and transmitting orbital motions of the planetary gears.