Vehicle drive unit

• US 6,533,696 B1
• Filed: 10/18/2000
• Issued: 03/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin AW Company Limited (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Takenaka, Masayuki, Kawaguchi, Miyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Parekh, Ankur
• Application Number:
  US09/690,874
• Time in Patent Office: 881 Days
• Field of Search: 746/61, 475/5, 475/150, 180/65-- 6, 439/34, 310/71
• US Class Current: 475/150
• 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 2001/003 with means for cooling the electrical propulsion units
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/26 characterised by the motors or the generators
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/40 characterised by the assembly or relative disposition of components
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/405 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/445 Differential gearing distribution type
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2220/16 DC brushless machines
• 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: B60W 10/26 for electrical energy, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 11/05 Rectifiers associated with casings, enclosures or brackets
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 5/225 Terminal boxes or connection arrangements specially adapted for submersible motors H02K5/132
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/116 with gears
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/14 Structural association with mechanical loads, e.g. with hand-held machine tools or fans with fan or impeller for cooling the machine H02K9/06
• 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: Y10S 903/903 having energy storing means, e.g. battery, capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/906 Motor or generator
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/951 : Assembly or relative location of components
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/952 : Housing details

Abstract

An inverter is disposed on a cover, lead wires from an electric motor are disposed nearby an output gear in a dead space formed by diameter difference between the output gear and the motor, and the lead wires are routed to the outside of the cover at a position corresponding to the output gear portion. An upper side portion of the electric motor, which is used as a space for routing the lead wires in the conventional unit, can thus be used as a space for disposing the inverter. That is, the inverter can be disposed in the upper side of the vehicle drive unit, which now has available space as compared to the conventional unit. As a result, the vehicle drive unit and the inverter are more compact.

Claims

1. A vehicle drive unit obtaining a drive force for driving a vehicle by the drive force of an electric motor, comprising:

a differential unit;

a gear unit transmitting a drive force from the electric motor to the differential unit;

a cover covering the electric motor;

an inverter;

a lead wire from the electric motor electrically connecting the electric motor and the inverter wherein the lead wire is disposed in a space structured by diameter differences between an output gear of the electric motor, which structures a part of the gear unit, and the electric motor, and is routed to the outside of the cover.

2. The vehicle drive unit according to claim 1, wherein the inverter is disposed on the cover, a terminal penetrates the cover, the electric motor and the terminal are connected with the lead wire as a first lead wire, and the inverter and the terminal are connected with a second lead wire.

3. The vehicle drive unit according to claim 2, wherein the first lead wire from the electric motor is a lead wire connected to a stator of the electric motor.

4. The vehicle drive unit according to claim 3, wherein an inverter case, in which the inverter is disposed, is integrated with the cover, and a grooving space is formed between a rear portion of the cover and the inverter case.

5. The vehicle drive unit according to claim 4, wherein a chamfer portion is formed on the rear portion of the cover corresponding to the rear portion of the electric motor following a contour of the stator of the electric motor.

6. The vehicle drive unit according to claim 3, wherein a chamfer portion is formed on a rear portion of the cover corresponding to the rear portion of the electric motor following a contour of the stator of the electric motor.

7. The vehicle drive unit according to claim 2, wherein an inverter case, in which the inverter is disposed, is integrated with the cover, and a grooving space is formed between a rear portion of the cover and the inverter case.

8. The vehicle drive unit according to claim 7, wherein a chamfer portion is formed on the rear portion of the cover corresponding to the rear portion of the electric motor following a contour of the stator of the electric motor.

9. The vehicle drive unit according to claim 2, wherein a chamfer portion is formed on a rear portion of the cover corresponding to the rear portion of the electric motor following a contour of the stator of the electric motor.

10. The vehicle drive unit according to claim 1, wherein an inverter case, in which the inverter is disposed, integrated with the cover, and a grooving space is formed between a rear portion of the cover and the inverter case.

11. The vehicle drive unit according to claim 10, wherein a chamfer portion is formed on the rear portion of the cover corresponding to the rear portion of the electric motor following a contour of the stator of the electric motor.

12. The vehicle drive unit according to claim 1, wherein a heat sink for cooling the inverter is formed in a part of the cover between the inverter and the electric motor.

13. The vehicle drive unit according to claim 12, wherein a chamfer portion is formed on a rear portion of the cover corresponding to the rear portion of the electric motor following a contour of the stator of the electric motor.

14. The vehicle drive unit according to claim 1, wherein a chamfer portion is formed on a rear portion of the cover corresponding to the rear portion of the electric motor following a contour of the stator of the electric motor.

15. A vehicle drive unit, comprising:

a generator disposed on an axis of an engine;

an electric motor disposed on a second axis parallel to the axis of the engine;

a cover covering the generator and the electric motor;

an invertor;

a lead wire from the electric motor electrically connecting the electric motor and the inverter;

a lead wire from the generator electrically connecting the generator and the inverter, wherein the lead wire from the electric motor and the lead wire from the generator are routed to the outside of the cover from an engine side of the electric motor and the generator in an axial direction.

16. The drive unit according to claim 15, wherein the inverter is disposed on the cover, at least one terminal penetrates the cover, wherein a terminal of the at least one terminal is connected to the lead wire from the electric motor and another terminal of the at least one terminal is connected to the lead wire from the generator as first lead wires, and the at least one terminal and the inverter are connected with a second lead wire.

17. The drive unit according to claim 15, wherein the cover further covers a differential unit and a gear unit transmitting a drive force from the electric motor and the generator to the differential unit, and the lead wire from the electric motor is disposed in a space structured by diameter differences between an output gear of the electric motor, which structures a part of the gear unit, and the electric motor.

18. A vehicle drive unit, comprising:

a generator disposed on an axis of an engine;

an electric motor disposed on a second axis parallel to the axis of the engine;

a cover covering the generator and the electric motor;

an inverter disposed on the cover;

a lead wire from the electric motor electrically connecting the electric motor and the inverter;

a lead wire from the generator electrically connecting the generator and the inverter, wherein the lead wire from the electric motor and the lead wire from the generator are routed to the outside of the cover from the same side of the electric motor and the generator in an axial direction.

19. The drive unit according to claim 18, wherein at least one terminal penetrates the cover, a terminal of the at least one terminal is connected to the lead wire from the electric motor and another terminal of the at least one terminal is connected to the lead wire from the generator as first lead wires, and the at least one terminal and the inverter are connected with a second lead wire.

20. The drive unit according to claim 18, wherein the cover further covers a differential unit and a gear unit transmitting a drive force from the electric motor and the generator to the differential unit, and the lead wire from the electric motor is disposed in a space structured by diameter differences between an output gear of the electric motor, which structures a part of the gear unit, and the electric motor.