VEHICLE DRIVE APPARATUS

• US 20180119746A1
• Filed: 06/30/2016
• Published: 05/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.), Aisin AW Industries Company Limited (Aisin Corp.), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.), Aisin AW Industries Company Limited (Aisin Corp.), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: TORII, Takeshi, YAMAOKA, Daisuke, OKUDA, Atsushi, YAMAUCHI, Tetsuya, KAWASAKA, Atsushige, IKEMURA, Masashi, MICHIKOSHI, Yosuke
• Granted Patent: US 11,009,079 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 33/74 of sliding-contact bearings
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 1/0835 due to the elasticity of the ring or sleeve
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 13/58 Details tools for assembling or disassembling clutches B25B27/0064
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 3/50 with the coupling parts connected by one or more intermediate members F16D3/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 3/76 shaped as an elastic ring centered on the axis, surrounding a portion of one coupling part and surrounded by a sleeve of the other coupling part
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2057/0012 for reducing drive line oscillations
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2057/126 Self-adjusting during operation, e.g. by a spring
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2200/006 the gear ratios comprising eight forward speeds
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2200/0086 the gear ratios comprising two reverse speeds
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2200/201 with three sets of orbital gears
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2200/2023 using a Ravigneaux set with 4 connections
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2200/2025 using a Ravigneaux set with 5 connections
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2200/2046 with six engaging means
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2200/2066 using one freewheel mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2200/2082 one freewheel mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2200/2097 comprising an orbital gear set member permanently connected to the housing, e.g. a sun wheel permanently connected to the housing
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 3/663 with conveying rotary motion between axially spaced orbital gears, e.g. RAVIGNEAUX
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 3/666 with compound planetary gear units, e.g. two intermeshing orbital gears F16H3/663 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 57/0006 Vibration-damping or noise reducing means specially adapted for gearings devices for varying tension of belts, ropes or chains with damping means F16H7/0829; toothed members with construction providing vibration damping F16H55/14; reducing vibrations or noise of the gearbox casing F16H57/028; suppression of vibrations or noise of gear selectors F16H59/0208; control of hydrostatic fluid gearing preventing or reducing vibrations or noise F16H61/4183
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 57/08 of gearings with members having orbital motion
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 57/12 : Arrangements for adjusting or for taking-up backlash not provided for elsewhere

Abstract

A vehicle drive apparatus includes: a sleeve including a first peripheral surface provided side by side with a spline; a connecting member including a groove provided side by side with a spline in spline engagement with the spline, recessed radially relative to the first peripheral surface, and including a bottom surface that serves as a second peripheral surface facing the first peripheral surface; and a tolerance ring disposed in the groove so as to exert a radial elastic force between the sleeve and the connecting member.

Claims

1. A vehicle drive apparatus comprising:

a first rotational member including

a first spline, and

a first peripheral surface provided axially side by side with the first spline;

a second rotational member including

a second spline in spline engagement with the first spline so as to provide a spline engagement portion, and

a groove provided axially side by side with the second spline, recessed radially relative to the first peripheral surface, and including a bottom surface that is located between a first lateral surface and a second lateral surface facing the first lateral surface and that serves as a second peripheral surface radially facing the first peripheral surface; and

an elastic member disposed in the groove so as to exert a radial elastic force between the first rotational member and the second rotational member, wherein

the elastic member produces circumferential frictional resistance between the first peripheral surface and the second peripheral surface by the elastic force.

2. The vehicle drive apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the elastic member is structured such that before the elastic member is attached to the groove, a radial length between a surface of the elastic member to be in contact with the first peripheral surface and a surface of the elastic member to be in contact with the second peripheral surface is longer than a radial length between the first peripheral surface and the second peripheral surface, and

the elastic member is elastically deformed when the elastic member is attached to the groove.

3. The vehicle drive apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the elastic member includes a first contact portion and a second contact portion,

the first contact portion bends from the second contact portion toward the first peripheral surface so as to come into contact with the first peripheral surface,

the second contact portion comes into contact with the second peripheral surface, and

each of axial ends of the elastic member is the second contact portion.

4. The vehicle drive apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

the first rotational member includes a first lubrication hole through which oil is supplied to the groove,

the second rotational member is provided radially outward of the first rotational member, and

the second rotational member includes a second lubrication hole located within an axial range in which the first contact portion is located, as viewed in a radial direction.

5. The vehicle drive apparatus according to claim 4, wherein

one of the first rotational member and the second rotational member is a rotational member that includes, at its first axial side, a gear rotatable with rotation of an input shaft to receive rotation from a driving source, and that is provided at its second axial side with the first spline or the second spline, and

the other one of the first rotational member and the second rotational member includes a friction member of a predetermined friction engagement element.

6. The vehicle drive apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

the second rotational member is provided with the second spline located between the gear or the predetermined friction engagement element of the second rotational member and the groove in an axial direction.

7. The vehicle drive apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

a portion of the second rotational member close to an axial end of the groove is not in contact with the first rotational member, and

when the second rotational member includes the friction member of the predetermined friction engagement element, the second rotational member is disposed radially outward of the first rotational member.

8. The vehicle drive apparatus according to claim 7, comprising:

a speed change mechanism that includes a plurality of rotational elements, and a plurality of friction engagement elements coupled to the plurality of rotational elements in a drivable manner, and that selectively engages the plurality of friction engagement elements so as to control rotation states of the plurality of rotational elements, thus achieving a plurality of shift speeds; and

the input shaft that provides the rotation from the driving source to the speed change mechanism, wherein

the gear is included in the plurality of rotational elements,

the predetermined friction engagement element is included in the plurality of friction engagement elements,

when the predetermined friction engagement element is disengaged, the gear causes free rotation of the first rotational member and the second rotational member, and

the rotation states of the first rotational member and the second rotational member include a state in which the first rotational member and the second rotational member rotate faster than the input shaft when the predetermined friction engagement element is disengaged and the free rotation is caused by the gear.

9. The vehicle drive apparatus according to claim 8, wherein

the first rotational member and the second rotational member are able to rotate at the highest speed among the plurality of rotational elements.

10. The vehicle drive apparatus according to claim 9, comprising:

a speed change mechanism that includes a plurality of rotational elements, and a plurality of friction engagement elements coupled to the plurality of rotational elements in a drivable manner, and that selectively engages the plurality of friction engagement elements so as to control rotation states of the plurality of rotational elements, thus achieving a plurality of shift speeds; and

the input shaft that provides the rotation from the driving source to the speed change mechanism, wherein

the gear is included in the plurality of rotational elements,

the predetermined friction engagement element is included in the plurality of friction engagement elements and is disengaged when the speed change mechanism achieves the highest shift speed, and

when the speed change mechanism achieves the highest shift speed, the gear causes free rotation of the first rotational member and the second rotational member.

11. The vehicle drive apparatus according to claim 10, wherein

the gear of one of the first rotational member and the second rotational member is a sun gear of a planetary gear,

the predetermined friction engagement element is a clutch device including a clutch drum containing a hydraulic servo, and

the other one of the first rotational member and the second rotational member including the predetermined friction engagement element is a shaft member integrally extending from the clutch drum of the predetermined friction engagement element.

12. The vehicle drive apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the elastic member includes a first contact portion and a second contact portion,

the first contact portion bends from the second contact portion toward the first peripheral surface so as to come into contact with the first peripheral surface,

the second contact portion comes into contact with the second peripheral surface, and

each of axial ends of the elastic member is the second contact portion.

13. The vehicle drive apparatus according to claim 12, wherein

one of the first rotational member and the second rotational member is a rotational member that includes, at its first axial side, a gear rotatable with rotation of an input shaft to receive rotation from a driving source, and that is provided at its second axial side with the first spline or the second spline, and

the other one of the first rotational member and the second rotational member includes a friction member of a predetermined friction engagement element.

14. The vehicle drive apparatus according to claim 13, wherein

the second rotational member is provided with the second spline located between the gear or the predetermined friction engagement element of the second rotational member and the groove in an axial direction.

15. The vehicle drive apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

one of the first rotational member and the second rotational member is a rotational member that includes, at its first axial side, a gear rotatable with rotation of an input shaft to receive rotation from a driving source, and that is provided at its second axial side with the first spline or the second spline, and

the other one of the first rotational member and the second rotational member includes a friction member of a predetermined friction engagement element.

16. The vehicle drive apparatus according to claim 15, wherein

the second rotational member is provided with the second spline located between the gear or the predetermined friction engagement element of the second rotational member and the groove in an axial direction.

17. The vehicle drive apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

one of the first rotational member and the second rotational member is a rotational member that includes, at its first axial side, a gear rotatable with rotation of an input shaft to receive rotation from a driving source, and that is provided at its second axial side with the first spline or the second spline, and

the other one of the first rotational member and the second rotational member includes a friction member of a predetermined friction engagement element.

18. The vehicle drive apparatus according to claim 17, wherein

the second rotational member is provided with the second spline located between the gear or the predetermined friction engagement element of the second rotational member and the groove in an axial direction.

19. The vehicle drive apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

one of the first rotational member and the second rotational member is a rotational member that includes, at its first axial side, a gear rotatable with rotation of an input shaft to receive rotation from a driving source, and that is provided at its second axial side with the first spline or the second spline, and

the other one of the first rotational member and the second rotational member includes a friction member of a predetermined friction engagement element.

20. The vehicle drive apparatus according to claim 19, wherein

the second rotational member is provided with the second spline located between the gear or the predetermined friction engagement element of the second rotational member and the groove in an axial direction.