Vehicle drive apparatus

• US 10,569,761 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2019
• Issued: 02/25/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Ikushima, Yoshihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Gurari, Erez
• Application Number:
  US16/284,641
• Publication Number:
  US 20190263383A1
• Time in Patent Office: 365 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 17/02 characterised by arrangement, location, or kind of clutch
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 17/08 of mechanical type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 17/16 of differential gearing
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/001 one motor mounted on a propulsion axle for rotating right and left wheels of this axle
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2007/0038 the motor moving together with the wheel axle
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/26 characterised by the motors or the generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/405 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/52 Driving a plurality of drive axles, e.g. four-wheel drive
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 20/15 Control strategies specially adapted for achieving a particular effect
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles

Abstract

A vehicle drive apparatus includes a connection/disconnection sleeve wherein a lubricating pipe is provided above the connection/disconnection sleeve and has a discharge port through which a lubricating oil is discharged, the drive gear is relatively rotatably supported by the input shaft via a bearing portion provided on the drive gear, and the connection/disconnection sleeve includes a first guide portion guiding the lubricating oil discharged from the discharge port of the lubricating pipe to a tooth surface of the drive gear when the connection/disconnection sleeve is in a first position so as to connect the drive gear and the input shaft; and a second guide portion guiding the lubricating oil discharged from the discharge port of the lubricating pipe to the bearing portion when the connection/disconnection sleeve is in a second position so as to disconnect the drive gear and the input shaft.

Claims

1. A vehicle drive apparatus

including a rotating electrical machine which serves as a drive power source for a plurality of wheels;

an input;

shaft which is coupled to the rotating electrical machine in a power transmittable manner and rotatably about a first rotation axis;

a counter shaft which is provided rotatably about a second rotation axis parallel to the first rotation axis;

a drive gear which engages with a gear provided on the counter shaft and which is provided in the input shaft relatively rotatably to the input shaft; and

a connection/disconnection sleeve which is driven in a direction of the first rotation axis so as to selectively disconnect or connect the drive gear and the input shaft and

the vehicle drive apparatus transmitting drive power from the rotating electrical machine through the input shaft and the counter shaft to the wheels so as to drive the wheels,

wherein a lubricating pipe is provided above the connection/disconnection sleeve and has a discharge port through which a lubricating oil is discharged,

the drive gear is relatively rotatably supported by the input shaft via a bearing portion provided on the drive gear, and

the connection/disconnection sleeve includes a first guide portion guiding the lubricating oil discharged from the discharge port of the lubricating pipe to a tooth surface of the drive gear when the connection/disconnection sleeve is in a first position so as to connect the drive gear and the input shaft; and

a second guide portion guiding the lubricating oil discharged from the discharge port of the lubricating pipe to the bearing portion when the connection/disconnection sleeve is in a second position so as to disconnect the drive gear and the input shaft.

2. The vehicle drive apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the lubricating pipe discharges a lubricating oil stored in a tank for storing the lubricating oil from the discharge port,

the connection/disconnection sleeve is driven in the direction of the first rotation axis so as to selectively disconnect or connect the drive gear and a non-rotating member provided in the vehicle drive apparatus and

the connection/disconnection sleeve includes a closure portion which closes the discharge port of the lubricating pipe when the connection/disconnection sleeve is in a third position so as to connect the drive gear and the non-rotating member.

3. The vehicle drive apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein a first hub member including a first outer circumferential engagement tooth is integrally provided with the drive gear,

a second hub member including a second outer circumferential engagement tooth is integrally provided with the input shaft,

a third hub member including a third outer circumferential engagement, tooth is integrally provided with the non-rotating member,

the connection/disconnection sleeve engages with at least one of the first outer circumferential engagement tooth, the second outer circumferential engagement tooth and the third outer circumferential engagement tooth,

the connection/disconnection sleeve, the first hub member, the second hub member and the third hub member are arranged on the first rotation axis and

the first outer circumferential engagement tooth, the second outer circumferential engagement tooth and the third outer circumferential engagement tooth have a same outside diameter.

4. The vehicle drive apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein the first position is a position in which the connection/disconnection sleeve engages both with the first outer circumferential engagement tooth of the first hub member and with the second outer circumferential engagement tooth of the second hub member, and

the third position is a position in which the connection/disconnection sleeve engages both with the first outer circumferential engagement tooth of the first hub member and with the third outer circumferential engagement tooth of the third hub member.

5. The vehicle drive apparatus according to claim 2, comprising

an actuator which moves the connection/disconnection sleeve in the direction of the first rotation axis selectively to one of the first position, the second position and the third position.

6. The vehicle drive apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein a lubricating oil path formed in the connector/disconnection sleeve is provided with the first guide portion, and

the lubricating oil discharged from the lubricating pipe is passed through the lubricating oil path and is guided to the tooth surface of the drive gear.

7. The vehicle drive apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein a tapered portion formed at an end portion of the connection/disconnection sleeve in the direction of the first rotation axis is provided with the second guide portion, and

the lubricating oil discharged from the lubricating pipe is guided by the tapered portion to the bearing portion of the drive gear.

8. The vehicle drive apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein an annular portion formed at the end portion of connection/disconnection sleeve in the direction of the first rotation axis is provided with the closure portion, and

when the connection/disconnection sleeve is arranged at the third position, the discharge port of the lubricating pipe is blocked by a part of an outer circumferential surface of the annular portion.

9. A vehicle drive apparatus

including a rotating electrical machine which serves as a drive power source for a plurality of wheels;

an input shaft which is coupled to the rotating electrical machine in a power transmittable manner and rotatably about a first rotation axis;

a counter shaft which is provided rotatably about a second rotation axis parallel to the first rotation axis;

a drive gear which engages with a gear provided on the counter shaft and which is provided relatively rotatably to the input shaft; and

a connection/disconnection sleeve which is driven in a direction of the first rotation axis so as to selectively disconnect or connect the drive gear and a non-rotating member and

the vehicle drive apparatus transmitting drive power from the rotating electrical machine through the input shaft and the counter shaft to the wheels so as to drive the wheels,

wherein a lubricating pipe is provided above the connection/disconnection sleeve and has a discharge port through which a lubricating oil stored in a tank for storing the lubricating oil is discharged, and

the connection/disconnection sleeve includes a discharge portion discharging the lubricating oil from the discharge port of the lubricating pipe when the connection/disconnection sleeve is in a position so as to disconnect the drive gear and the non-rotating member; and

a closure portion closing the discharge port of the lubricating pipe when the connection/disconnection sleeve is in a position so as to connect the drive gear and the non-rotating member.