In-wheel motor and wheel assembly with this in-wheel motor

• US 7,828,095 B2
• Filed: 08/10/2007
• Issued: 11/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Urano, Hiroaki, Tsuchida, Michitaka, Murata, Satoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Shriver, II; J. Allen
• Assistant Examiner(s): EBNER, KATY MEYER
• Application Number:
  US11/836,952
• Publication Number:
  US 20080035399A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,187 Days
• Field of Search: 180/65.51
• US Class Current: 180/65.51
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 17/046 with planetary gearing having orbital motion
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/003 with means for cooling the electrical propulsion units
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2007/0038 the motor moving together with the wheel axle
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2007/0061 the motor axle being parallel to the wheel axle
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 7/0007 the motor being electric
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2220/46 Wheel motors, i.e. motor connected to only one wheel
• CPC Class Codes: F01M 1/02 using lubricating pumps pumps in general F04; lubricating pumps per se F16N
• CPC Class Codes: F01M 2001/0284 mounting of the pump
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 5/203 specially adapted for liquids, e.g. cooling jackets
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 9/19 for machines with closed casing and closed-circuit cooling using a liquid cooling medium, e.g. oil
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

A motor has a stator core, a coil, a rotor, and a motor case in which the stator core, the coil, and the rotor are housed. The motor is also provided with a fluid carrying member that is arranged around a coil end of the coil in the motor case and has an inlet hole that is communicated with a fluid supply source and a distribution hole that is communicated with a space inside the motor case.

Claims

1. A motor comprising:

a stator core;

a coil;

a rotor;

a motor case in which the stator core, the coil, and the rotor are housed; and

a substantially annular fluid carrying member which is provided on a coil end of the coil in the motor case and has an inlet hole that is communicated with a fluid supply source and a distribution hole that is communicated with a space inside the motor case, wherein

the fluid supply source is driven by rotational output of a rotating shaft of a counter gear which reduces a rate of rotational output of an output shaft of the motor and transmits a resultant rotational output to a wheel.

2. An in-wheel motor structure, comprising:

a motor that drives a wheel, which is arranged within the wheel and has a stator core, a coil, a rotor, and a motor case in which the stator core, the coil, and the rotor are housed;

an oil pump that is driven by rotational output of a rotating shaft of a counter gear which reduces a rate of rotational output of an output shaft of the motor and transmits a resultant rotational output to the wheel; and

a substantially annular fluid carrying member which is provided on a coil end of the coil in the motor case and has an inlet hole that is communicated with the oil pump, and a distribution hole that is communicated with a space inside the motor case.

3. An in-wheel motor structure, comprising:

a motor that drives a wheel, which is arranged within the wheel and has a stator core, a coil, a rotor, and a motor case in which the stator core, the coil, and the rotor are housed;

a counter gear which reduces a rate of rotational output of an output shaft of the motor and transmits a resultant rotational output to the wheel;

a bearing that rotatably supports a rotating shaft of the counter gear;

a fluid supply source that is driven by rotational output of the rotating shaft of the counter gear; and

a substantially annular fluid carrying member which is provided on a coil end of the coil in the motor case and has an inlet hole that is communicated with the fluid supply source and a distribution hole that is communicated with the bearing.

4. An in-wheel motor structure, comprising:

a motor that drives a wheel, which is arranged within the wheel and has a stator core, a coil, a rotor, and a motor case in which the stator core, the coil, and the rotor are housed;

a counter gear which reduces a rate of rotational output of an output shaft of the motor and transmits a resultant rotational output to the wheel;

a bearing that rotatably supports a rotating shaft of the counter gear;

a fluid supply source that is driven by rotational output of the rotating shaft of the counter gear;

a substantially annular fluid carrying member which is provided on a coil end of the coil in the motor case and has an inlet hole that is communicated with the fluid supply source; and

a distribution hole which is formed in the motor case and supplies fluid from the fluid supply source to the bearing.