Vehicle drive device

• US 8,678,118 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2009
• Issued: 03/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Takenaka, Masayuki, Teshima, Atsushi, Ishida, Ryuta, Miyamoto, Tomohiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Hau
• Assistant Examiner(s): MEYER, JACOB B
• Application Number:
  US13/059,838
• Publication Number:
  US 20110139522A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,678 Days
• Field of Search: 180/65.1, 180/65.21, 180/65.22, 180/65.24, 180/65.31, 180/65.6
• US Class Current: 180/65.6
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/02 comprising more than one electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 17/043 Transmission unit disposed in on near the vehicle wheel, or between the differential gear unit and the wheel
• 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 6/26 characterised by the motors or the generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/405 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/442 Series-parallel switching type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/52 Driving a plurality of drive axles, e.g. four-wheel drive
• 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: H02K 16/00 Machines with more than one rotor or stator machines for transmitting mechanical power from a driving shaft to a driven shaft and comprising structurally interrelated motor and generator parts H02K51/00; permanent magnet machines with multiple rotors or stators relatively rotated for vectorially combining the excitation fields or the armature voltages H02K21/029
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 5/1732 radially supporting the rotary shaft at both ends of the rotor H02K5/1737 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/006 Structural association of a motor or generator with the drive train of a motor vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/116 with gears
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 Electric machine technologies in electromobility

Abstract

A vehicle drive device having two independent systems provided for two driving wheels, respectively, each system including a rotating electrical machine, an output member to be connected to a corresponding driving wheel, and a drive transmission system. The transmission also includes a counter deceleration mechanism, which connects the rotating electrical machine and the output member to each other. A case integrally accommodates the rotating electrical machines, the output members, and the drive transmission systems of the two systems. The rotation axes are provided so that their respective rotation axes are parallel to each other, and are positioned so as to overlap each other in the rotation axis direction. The rotating electrical machine of each system is provided with an output portion located on one side of the rotating electrical machine which is distal from the corresponding driving wheel in the rotation axis direction of the rotating electrical machine.

Claims

1. A vehicle drive device, characterized by comprising:

two independent systems provided for two driving wheels, respectively, each system including

a rotating electrical machine,

an output member to be connected to a corresponding driving wheel, and

a drive transmission system which includes a counter deceleration mechanism, and which connects the rotating electrical machine and the output member to each other so that driving force is transmitted;

a case integrally accommodating the rotating electrical machines, the output members, and the drive transmission systems of the two systems,

wherein

the rotating electrical machine, the output member, and the counter deceleration mechanism of each system are provided so that their respective rotation axes are parallel to each other, and are positioned so as to overlap each other in the rotation axis direction, and

the rotating electrical machine of each system is provided with an output portion located on one side of the rotating electrical machine which is distal from the corresponding driving wheel in the rotation axis direction of the rotating electrical machine,

the counter deceleration mechanism of each system has a first gear and a second gear which are rotating integrally with each other,

the first gear is connected to the output portion of the rotating electrical machine so that driving force is transmitted, and

the second gear is provided at a position that is more proximal to the corresponding driving wheel than the first gear is in the rotation axis direction of the counter deceleration mechanism, and is connected to the output member.

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

the rotating electrical machine, the output member, and the drive transmission system of one system, and the rotating electrical machine, the output member, and the drive transmission system of the other system are arranged in mirror symmetry to each other in the case.

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

the two systems are arranged adjacent to each other.

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

the output portions of the two systems are provided adjacent to each other.

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

the rotational axes of the rotating electrical machines in the two systems are provided coaxially.

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

the first gear and the second gear are provided adjacent to each other.

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

the output portion of the rotating electrical machine of each system has a rotating electrical machine output gear that rotates integrally with a rotor shaft of the rotating electrical machine, and

the drive transmission system of each system has an idler gear for connecting the rotating electrical machine output gear and the first gear to each other so that driving force is transmitted.

8. The vehicle drive device according to claim 7, wherein

the idler gear of each system is provided between the rotating electrical machines in the two systems in such a manner that at least a portion of the idler gear overlaps the rotating electrical machine when viewed in an axial direction of the rotating electrical machine.

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

the idler gear meshes with the rotating electrical machine output gear and the first gear.

10. The vehicle drive device according to claim 9, wherein

the rotating electrical machine output gear, the idler gear, and the first gear of one system are provided adjacent to the rotating electrical machine output gear, the idler gear, and the first gear of the other system, respectively.

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

the rotating electrical machine output gear, the idler gear, and the first gear of each system are arranged on a plane that is perpendicular to respective rotation axes of the rotating electrical machine output gear.

12. The vehicle drive device according to claim 11, wherein

the second gear of each system meshes with a drive output gear that rotates integrally with the output member.

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

the output member of each system is supported by the case by a first output bearing and a second output bearing which are provided at different positions in the rotation axis direction of the output member, and

the first output bearing is positioned on a plane which is perpendicular to an axis of the output member, and on which the first gear is present.

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

the second output bearing of each system is positioned radially inside an outer peripheral surface of a drive output gear which is connected to the output member so as to rotate integrally with the output member, and the second output bearing is positioned on a plane which is perpendicular to the axis of the output member, and on which the drive output gear is present.

15. The vehicle drive device according to claim 14, wherein

the rotor shaft of the rotating electrical machine of each system is supported by the case by a rotor bearing, and

the rotor bearing is positioned radially inside a stator of the rotating electrical machine, and is positioned on a plane which is perpendicular to the axis of the rotating electrical machine, and on which a coil end portion of the stator is present.

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

the counter deceleration mechanisms of the two systems, which are respectively included in the drive transmission systems of the two systems, are supported on an outer periphery of a common shaft supported by the case, so that the counter deceleration mechanisms are rotatable independently of each other.

17. The vehicle drive device according to claim 16, wherein

the idler gears of the two systems, which are respectively included in the drive transmission systems of the two systems, are supported on an outer periphery of a common shaft supported by the case, so that the idler gears are rotatable independently of each other.

18. The vehicle drive device according to claim 1, wherein

the two systems are arranged adjacent to each other.

19. The vehicle drive device according to claim 1, wherein

the output portions of the two systems are provided adjacent to each other.

20. The vehicle drive device according to claim 1, wherein

the rotational axes of the rotating electrical machines in the two systems are provided coaxially.

21. A vehicle drive device, characterized by comprising:

two independent systems provided adjacent to each other, each of which is connected to a corresponding driving wheel so that driving force is transmitted, respectively, each system including

a rotating electrical machine,

an output member to be connected to the corresponding driving wheel, and

a drive transmission system for drivingly connecting the rotating electrical machine and the output member;

wherein

the rotating electrical machine, the output member, and a counter deceleration mechanism included in the drive transmission system of each system are provided so that their respective rotation axes are parallel to each other, and are positioned so as to be on a plane that is perpendicular to the rotation axis of the rotating electrical machine,

the rotating electrical machine of each system has an output portion which is provided on one side of the rotating electrical machine which is proximal to the adjacent other system in the rotation axis direction of the rotating electrical machine,

the counter deceleration mechanism of each system has a first gear and a second gear which are rotating integrally with each other.

the first gear is connected to the output portion of the rotating electrical machine so that driving force is transmitted, and

the second gear is provided at a position that is more proximal to the corresponding driving wheel than the first gear is in the rotation axis direction of the counter deceleration mechanism, and is connected to the output member.