SUPPORTING STRUCTURE FOR PLANETARY GEAR MECHANISM

• US 20130059694A1
• Filed: 09/03/2012
• Published: 03/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Aoki, Jun, OOISO, Keiichi, Akiba, Yoshio
• Granted Patent: US 8,961,360 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 475/269
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/00 Arrangement or mounting of electrical propulsion units B60K7/00 takes precedence; arrangement or mounting of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion B60K6/00; electric transmission arrangements B60K17/12; electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles per se B60L; current-collectors for power supply lines of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L5/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/02 comprising more than one electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 17/046 with planetary gearing having orbital motion
• 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 2007/0046 the motor moving together with the vehicle body, i.e. moving independently from the wheel axle
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2007/0092 the motor axle being coaxial to the wheel axle
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 7/0007 the motor being electric
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2009 for braking
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2036 Electric differentials, e.g. for supporting steering vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2054 by controlling transmissions or clutches
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2220/44 Wheel Hub motors, i.e. integrated in the wheel hub
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2220/50 Structural details of electrical machines
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/12 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/36 Temperature of vehicle components or parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/421 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/486 Operating parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/507 Operating parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0023 Detecting, eliminating, remedying or compensating for drive train abnormalities, e.g. failures within the drive train
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/61 by batteries charged by engine-driven generators, e.g. series hybrid electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/66 : Arrangements of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 7/18 : Controlling the braking effect B60L7/12, B60L7/14, B60L7/16 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2400/427 : One-way clutches
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 : Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 : Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 : Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility

Abstract

A supporting structure for a planetary gear mechanism includes a planetary carrier, a first bearing, and a second bearing. The planetary carrier includes a rotation shaft and an arm portion. The rotation shaft extends in an axis direction to support a planetary gear of the planetary gear mechanism to be rotatable about a rotational axis along the axis direction. The rotation shaft includes a first end and a second end opposite to the first end along the rotational axis. The first and second bearings are disposed on a first side of the planetary gear in the axis direction. The planetary carrier is radially supported by the first and second bearings without a bearing which radially supports the planetary carrier in the casing and which is provided on a second side of the planetary gear in the axis direction.

Claims

1. A supporting structure for a planetary gear mechanism, comprising:

a planetary carrier comprising;

a rotation shaft extending in an axis direction to support a planetary gear of the planetary gear mechanism to be rotatable about a rotational axis along the axis direction, the rotation shaft including a first end and a second end opposite to the first end along the rotational axis; and

an arm portion radially extending and holding the rotation shaft;

a first bearing radially supporting the first end of the rotation shaft; and

a second bearing radially supporting the second end of the rotation shaft, the first and second bearings being disposed on a first side of the planetary gear in the axis direction and radially supporting the planetary carrier to be rotatable in a casing in which the planetary gear mechanism is disposed, the planetary carrier being radially supported by the first and second bearings without a bearing which radially supports the planetary carrier in the casing and is provided on a second side of the planetary gear in the axis direction, the second side being opposite to the first side with respect to the planetary gear in the axis direction.

2. The supporting structure for a planetary gear mechanism according to claim 1,

wherein the second bearing radially supports a driving rotation shaft rotatable integrally with a sun gear of the planetary gear mechanism, and supports the second end of the rotation shaft via the driving rotation shaft.

3. The supporting structure for a planetary gear mechanism according to claim 2,

wherein the driving rotation shaft includes an extending portion which extends beyond the sun gear toward the second end of the rotation shaft, and

wherein the second bearing radially supports the second end of the rotation shaft via the extending portion.

4. The supporting structure for a planetary gear mechanism according to claim 3,

wherein the planetary gear includes a major-diameter gear and a minor-diameter gear that are provided side-by-side in the axis direction, the major-diameter gear having an outer diameter larger than an outer diameter of the minor-diameter gear,

wherein the sun gear is engaged with the major-diameter gear,

wherein a ring gear of the planetary gear mechanism is engaged with the minor-diameter gear, and

wherein the extending portion and the minor-diameter gear overlap with each other in the axis direction.

5. The supporting structure for a planetary gear mechanism according to claim 2,

wherein a ring gear of the planetary gear mechanism is radially supported on the second bearing via the planetary carrier.

6. The supporting structure for a planetary gear mechanism according to claim 1,

wherein the casing includes a wall portion which extends toward the first side of the planetary gear, and

wherein the wall portion is provided with the first and second bearings.

7. The supporting structure for a planetary gear mechanism according to claim 1,

wherein the planetary gear mechanism is disposed on a power transmission path between a driving source of a vehicle and a wheel, and includes a first power transmission shaft which connects the driving source to the planetary gear mechanism and a second power transmission shaft which connects the planetary gear mechanism to the wheel,

wherein the first power transmission shaft has a hollow structure,

wherein the second power transmission shaft is provided inside the first power transmission shaft, and

wherein the driving source and the wheel are disposed on one side of the planetary gear mechanism in the axis direction.

8. The supporting structure for a planetary gear mechanism according to claim 7, further comprising:

a third bearing radially supporting the second power transmission shaft and disposed on the first side of the planetary gear in the axis direction,

wherein the second power transmission shaft is radially supported by the third bearing without a bearing which radially supports the second power transmission shaft in the casing and which is provided on the second side of the planetary gear.

9. The supporting structure for a planetary gear mechanism according to claim 1,

wherein one of a sun gear, the planetary carrier, and a ring gear of the planetary gear mechanism is connected to one of a one-way power transmission device and a power connection/disconnection device, and

wherein one of the one-way power transmission device and the power connection/disconnection device is disposed on the second side of the planetary gear in the axis direction.

10. The supporting structure for a planetary gear mechanism according to claim 1,

wherein the planetary gear mechanism includes first and second planetary gear mechanisms which are adjacently disposed with mirror symmetry, the first planetary gear mechanism including the planetary carrier as a first planetary carrier, the second planetary gear mechanism including a second planetary carrier, and

wherein the first and second planetary carriers are radially supported by bearings including the first and second bearings without a bearing which radially supports one of the first and second planetary carriers and which is provided between the first and second planetary gear mechanisms in the axis direction.

11. The supporting structure for a planetary gear mechanism according to claim 1, further comprising:

a sun gear engaged with the planetary gear;

a driving rotation shaft rotatable integrally with the sun gear and supported by the second bearing to be rotatable relative to the casing; and

a fourth bearing provided between the planetary carrier and the driving rotation shaft and supporting the planetary carrier and the driving rotation shaft to be rotatable relative to each other.

12. The supporting structure for a planetary gear mechanism according to claim 11,

wherein the planetary carrier further comprises a carrier base portion extending from a radially inner end of the arm portion in the axis direction,

wherein the driving rotation shaft includes an extending portion extending in the axis direction and provided radially inward of the carrier base portion, and

wherein the fourth bearing is provided between the carrier base portion and the extending portion.

13. The supporting structure for a planetary gear mechanism according to claim 12,

wherein the arm portion includes a first arm portion and a second arm portion,

wherein the first arm portion radially supports the first end of the rotation shaft,

wherein the second arm portion radially supports the second end of the rotation shaft and is spaced apart from the first arm portion in the axis direction, and

wherein the carrier base portion is fixed to a radially inner portion of the second arm portion and extends from the radially inner portion of the second arm portion toward the first arm portion in the axis direction.

14. The supporting structure for a planetary gear mechanism according to claim 13,

wherein the fourth bearing is provided between the first and second arm portions in the axis direction.