Vehicle drive device

• US 8,836,187 B2
• Filed: 11/19/2010
• Issued: 09/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• 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: Iwase, Mikio, Suzuki, Tomohide, Jinnai, Naoya, Okishima, Tatsuya, Kamiya, Toshihiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tran
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAM, LEDA T
• Application Number:
  US13/502,909
• Publication Number:
  US 20120217830A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,397 Days
• Field of Search: 310/78, 180/65.25, 180/65.2, 180/65.265, 180/65.275, 180/65.285, 903/903, 903/915, 903/952
• US Class Current: 310/78
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/26 characterised by the motors or the generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/405 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/48 Parallel type
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/547 the transmission being a stepped gearing
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/2054 by controlling transmissions or clutches
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/486 Operating parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/507 Operating parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/40 using propulsion power supplied by capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/61 by batteries charged by engine-driven generators, e.g. series hybrid electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2045/002 comprising a clutch between prime mover and fluid gearing
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 57/0471 Bearing
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 57/0473 Friction devices, e.g. clutches or brakes
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 57/0476 Electric machines and gearing, i.e. joint lubrication or cooling or heating thereof
• 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 vehicle drive device includes an input member coupled to an internal combustion engine; an output member coupled to a wheel; a rotating electrical machine; a fluid coupling; and a case containing at least the rotating electrical machine and the fluid coupling. The fluid coupling includes an input and an output that is paired with the input. The rotating electrical machine includes a rotor and a rotor support that extends radially inward from the rotor in an axial direction with respect to the coupling input, and supports the rotor via a support bearing. A power transmission member is formed by coupling at least the rotor support and the coupling input together so that at least the rotor support and the coupling input rotate together. A movement restricting mechanism restricts axial movement of the power transmission member toward the axial direction.

Claims

1. A vehicle drive device, comprising:

an input member drivingly coupled to an internal combustion engine;

an output member drivingly coupled to a wheel;

a rotating electrical machine;

a fluid coupling; and

a case containing at least the rotating electrical machine and the fluid coupling, wherein

the fluid coupling includes a coupling input-side member, and a coupling output-side member that is paired with the coupling input-side member,

the rotating electrical machine includes a rotor main body and a rotor support member that extends inward in a radial direction from the rotor main body on an axial first direction side, the axial first direction side being one side in an axial direction with respect to the coupling input-side member, and supports the rotor main body, the rotor main body being rotatably supported in the radial direction by the case via a support bearing,

a power transmission member is formed by coupling at least the rotor support member and the coupling input-side member together so that at least the rotor support member and the coupling input-side member rotate together, and a movement restricting mechanism that restricts axial movement of the power transmission member toward the axial first direction side is provided,

the movement restricting mechanism has a restricting bearing that rotatably supports the power transmission member separately from the support bearing, and an axial support portion of the case that supports the restricting bearing from the axial first direction side, and

a distance by which the power transmission member is movable relative to the case in the axial direction in a region where the restricting bearing is provided is set to a value smaller than a distance by which the power transmission member is movable relative to the case in the axial direction in a region where the support bearing is provided.

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

the coupling input-side member includes a cover portion that contains a main body of the fluid coupling,

the case has a support wall that extends at least in the radial direction on the axial first direction side with respect to the rotating electrical machine and the fluid coupling and a cylindrical protruding portion that protrudes from the support wall to an axial second direction side that is opposite toward the axial first direction side, and

the rotor support member is supported by an outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical protruding portion via the support bearing, and the cover portion is rotatably supported at an end of the cylindrical protruding portion on the axial second direction side by the movement restricting mechanism.

3. The vehicle drive device according to claim 2, further comprising:

an engagement device having an engagement input-side member, and an engagement output-side member that is paired with the engagement input-side member, wherein

the input member is coupled to the engagement input-side member via an input-side radially extending portion that extends in the radial direction between the cylindrical protruding portion and the fluid coupling in the axial direction so that the input member and the engagement input-side member rotate together,

the engagement output-side member is coupled to the rotor support member and the coupling input-side member so as to rotate together therewith and forms, together with the rotor support member and the coupling input-side member, the power transmission member, and

the movement restricting mechanism has two restricting bearings separate from the support bearing, the two restricting bearings being placed between the cylindrical protruding portion and the input-side radially extending portion in the axial direction and between the input-side radially extending portion and the power transmission member in the axial direction, respectively.

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

the fluid coupling is a torque converter having a stator between the coupling input-side member and the coupling output-side member,

the stator is coupled to the case via a one-way clutch,

the coupling input-side member has a first direction-side support portion that is located on the axial first direction side with respect to the one-way clutch,

the coupling output-side member has an output-side radially extending portion that extends in the radial direction between the first direction-side support portion and the one-way clutch in the axial direction, and

the bearings separate from the support bearing are placed between the first-direction side support portion and the output-side radially extending portion in the axial direction and between the output-side radially extending portion and the one-way clutch in the axial direction, respectively.

5. A vehicle drive device, comprising:

an input member drivingly coupled to an internal combustion engine;

an output member drivingly coupled to a wheel;

a rotating electrical machine;

a fluid coupling;

a case containing at least the rotating electrical machine and the fluid coupling; and

an engagement device having an engagement input-side member, and an engagement output-side member that is paired with the engagement input-side member, wherein

the fluid coupling includes a coupling input-side member, and a coupling output-side member that is paired with the coupling input-side member,

the rotating electrical machine includes a rotor main body and a rotor support member that extends inward in a radial direction from the rotor main body on an axial first direction side, the axial first direction side being one side in an axial direction with respect to the coupling input-side member, and supports the rotor main body, the rotor main body being rotatably supported in the radial direction by the case via a support bearing,

a power transmission member is formed by coupling at least the rotor support member and the coupling input-side member together so that at least the rotor support member and the coupling input-side member rotate together, and a movement restricting mechanism that restricts axial movement of the power transmission member toward the axial first direction side is provided,

the coupling input-side member includes a cover portion that contains a main body of the fluid coupling,

the case has a support wall that extends at least in the radial direction on the axial first direction side with respect to the rotating electrical machine and the fluid coupling and a cylindrical protruding portion that protrudes from the support wall to an axial second direction side that is opposite toward the axial first direction side,

the rotor support member is supported by an outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical protruding portion via the support bearing, and the cover portion is rotatably supported at an end of the cylindrical protruding portion on the axial second direction side by the movement restricting mechanism,

the input member is coupled to the engagement input-side member via an input-side radially extending portion that extends in the radial direction between the cylindrical protruding portion and the fluid coupling in the axial direction so that the input member and the engagement input-side member rotate together,

the engagement output-side member is coupled to the rotor support member and the coupling input-side member so as to rotate together therewith and forms, together with the rotor support member and the coupling input-side member, the power transmission member, and

the movement restricting mechanism has two restricting bearings separate from the support bearing, the two restricting bearings being placed between the cylindrical protruding portion and the input-side radially extending portion in the axial direction and between the input-side radially extending portion and the power transmission member in the axial direction, respectively.

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

the fluid coupling is a torque converter having a stator between the coupling input-side member and the coupling output-side member,

the stator is coupled to the case via a one-way clutch,

the coupling input-side member has a first direction-side support portion that is located on the axial first direction side with respect to the one-way clutch,

the coupling output-side member has an output-side radially extending portion that extends in the radial direction between the first direction-side support portion and the one-way clutch in the axial direction, and

the bearings separate from the support bearing are placed between the first-direction side support portion and the output-side radially extending portion in the axial direction and between the output-side radially extending portion and the one-way clutch in the axial direction, respectively.