IN-WHEEL MOTOR DRIVE UNIT

• US 20110133541A1
• Filed: 07/24/2008
• Published: 06/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NTN Corporation
• Original Assignee: NTN Corporation
• Inventors: Makino, Tomoaki, Suzuki, Minoru, Yamamoto, Ken
• Granted Patent: US 8,393,424 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 301/6.5
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2220/44 Wheel Hub motors, i.e. integrated in the wheel hub
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 1/32 in which the central axis of the gearing lies inside the periphery of an orbital gear
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 21/24 with magnets axially facing the armatures, e.g. hub-type cycle dynamos
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/116 with gears
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/14 Structural association with mechanical loads, e.g. with hand-held machine tools or fans with fan or impeller for cooling the machine H02K9/06
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 Electric machine technologies in electromobility

Abstract

An in-wheel motor drive unit (21) includes a motor portion A, a speed reduction portion B, and a wheel hub C. The speed reduction portion B includes outer pins (27) engaging with circumferences of curve plates (26a) and (26b) to generate rotation movements of the curved plates, and an outer pin holding portion (45) fixedly fitted in an inner diameter surface of a casing (22) holding the speed reduction portion B, to hold the outer pins (27) parallel to a rotation axis of a motor side rotation member (25). The outer pin holding portion (45) includes a cylindrical portion (46), a pair of ring portions (47) and (48) extending from axial both ends of the cylindrical portion (46) to radially inner side, and a pair of outer pin holding holes (47a) and (48a) provided at opposed positions of the pair of ring portions (47) and (48), and extending parallel to the rotation axis of the motor side rotation member (25) to hold the axial ends of the outer pin (27).

Claims

1. An in-wheel motor drive unit comprising:

a motor portion to rotate and drive a motor side rotation member having an eccentric portion;

a speed reduction portion to reduce rotation speed of said motor side rotation member and transmit the rotation of said motor side rotation member to a wheel side rotation member;

a casing to hold said motor portion and said speed reduction portion; and

a wheel hub fixedly connected to said wheel side rotation member, wherein

said speed reduction portion includes;

a revolution member having a through hole for the insertion of said eccentric portion to make a revolution movement around a rotation axis of said motor side rotation member in conjunction with a rotation thereof,

a circumference engagement member to engage with a circumference of said revolution member to generate a rotation movement of said revolution member;

a circumference engagement member holding portion fixedly fitted in an inner diameter surface of said casing holding the speed reduction portion, to hold said circumference engagement member parallel to the rotation axis of said motor side rotation member; and

a motion conversion mechanism to convert the rotation movement of said revolution member to the rotation movement moving around the rotation axis of said motor side rotation member and transmit the rotation movement to said wheel side rotation member, and

said circumference engagement member holding portion includes;

a cylindrical portion;

a pair of ring portions extending from axial both ends of said cylindrical portion to the radial inner side; and

a pair of circumference engagement member holding holes provided at opposed positions of the pair of ring portions, and extending parallel to the rotation axis of said motor side rotation member to hold axial ends of said circumference engagement member.

2. The in-wheel motor drive unit according to claim 1, wherein

said cylindrical portion has a revolution member insertion hole penetrating in a radial direction such that said revolution member can be inserted in the radial direction.

3. The in-wheel motor drive unit according to claim 1, wherein

said pair of ring portions has a recession portion to reduce its thickness.

4. The in-wheel motor drive unit according to claim 1, wherein

a rotation stopper portion is provided at positions opposed to an inner diameter surface of said casing and to an outer diameter surface of said circumference engagement member holding portion to prevent said circumference engagement member holding portion from relatively rotating with respect to said casing.

5. The in-wheel motor drive unit according to claim 1, wherein

an elastic member to allow displacement of said circumference engagement member holding portion in the radial direction is arranged between said circumference engagement member holding portion and said casing.

6. The in-wheel motor drive unit according to claim 1, wherein

said casing is made of light metal, and

said circumference engagement member holding portion is made of carbon steel.