drive device

Abstract

A drive device of an embodiment of the present application includes a motor, a transmission mechanism that has a plurality of gears, a first shaft, and a bearing that supports the first shaft, and that transmits power of the motor, a housing that houses the transmission mechanism and that holds the bearing on an inner surface, oil that is accumulated in a lower region inside the housing, a trapping tank that is disposed inside the housing and that is open to an upper side, an oil passage through which the oil passes, and an oil pump that is provided to the oil passage. The oil passage has a first path that connects the oil pump and the trapping tank, and a lift-up path that lifts up and guides the oil to the trapping tank by rotation of the gears. The trapping tank has a supply portion that supplies the oil to the gears or the bearing.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to a drive device. BACKGROUND

[0002] In recent years, development of a drive device provided in an electric automobile is in vogue. Oil is stored inside the drive device, and lubricity of gears and bearings inside the drive device is improved by the oil. A configuration provided with a collection tank that catches oil raised by the gears is disclosed in Patent Literature 1.

[0003] [Patent Literature]

[0004] [Patent Literature]

[0005] [Patent Literature 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2019-129608

[0006] In the existing configuration, since oil is supplied to the collection tank by the driving rotation of the gears, there is a problem that the oil inside the collection tank easily runs short at the time of low rotation speed or the like. Therefore, in the drive device of the existing configuration, it is possible that the oil supply to each portion via the collection tank is insufficient due to the driving state. SUMMARY

[0007] One of the objects of one embodiment of the present application is to provide a drive device that ensures oil supply to each portion to improve reliability regardless of the driving state.

[0008] A drive device of one embodiment of the present application includes a motor, a transmission mechanism that transmits power of the motor and has a plurality of gears, a first shaft, and a bearing that supports the first shaft, a housing that houses the transmission mechanism and holds the bearing on an inner surface, oil that is stored in a lower region inside the housing, a collection tank that is arranged inside the housing and is open to an upper side, an oil passage through which the oil passes, and an oil pump that is provided in the oil passage. The oil passage has a first path that connects the oil pump and the collection tank, and a raised path that raises and guides the oil to the collection tank by rotation of the gears. The collection tank has a supply portion that supplies the oil to the gears or the bearing.

[0009] According to one embodiment of the present application, a drive device that ensures oil supply to each portion to improve reliability regardless of the driving state can be provided. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0010] Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a conceptual view of a drive device of one embodiment.

[0011] Figure 2FIG. 1 is a front view of a gear chamber of a drive device according to an embodiment.

[0012] Figure 3 FIG. 2 is a rear view of the gear chamber of the drive device according to the embodiment.

[0013] Figure 4 FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a catch box according to the embodiment.

[0014] Figure 5 FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view of the drive device according to the embodiment.

[0015] Figure 6 FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view of the drive device according to the embodiment.

[0016] Figure 7 FIG. 6 is a front view of a first bearing holding portion of a modification 1.

[0017] Figure 8 FIG. 7 is a front view of a first bearing holding portion of a modification 2.

[0018] (Symbol explanation)

[0019] 1 … drive device; 2 … motor; 3 … transmission mechanism; 5 … differential device; 6 … housing; 6a … first protruding rib (rib); 6t … sub case portion; 7 … transmission mechanism device; 8 … oil pump; 8a … first discharge port (discharge port); 9 … oil cooler; 20 … rotor; 21 … rotor shaft; 23 … hole; 25 … stator; 41 … first gear (pinion gear, gear); 42 … second gear (reverse gear, gear); 43 … third gear (gear); 45 … reverse shaft (first shaft, shaft); 45a, 46a … inner peripheral surface; 45p, 46p … upper end; 46 … drive shaft (second shaft, shaft); 47 … oil guide; 47a … cylindrical portion; 47b … flange portion; 47h … through hole; 51 … ring gear (transmission gear, gear); 51t … upper end position; 55 … output shaft (shaft); 61f … first inner side surface (inner surface); 61h, 62d, 66m … recessed portion; 62c … cover member; 62f … second inner side surface (inner surface); 62j … first through hole; 62k … second through hole; 62p … communication hole (communication path); 64 … second bearing holding portion; 64b … second holding cylindrical portion; 64cp … lower end; 65 … third bearing holding portion; 66, 166 … first bearing holding portion; 66b, 166b … first holding cylindrical portion; 66c, 166c … first rib; 66cp … lower end; 66d, 166d … second rib; 66e third rib; 66n, 68n, 166n notch portion; 66s … flow path; 68 … output shaft bearing holding portion; 70 … catch case; 71 … storage portion; 71a first wall portion (fixed wall portion); 71b … second wall portion (side wall portion); 71f … first bottom portion; 71g … second bottom portion; 71k … first discharge hole (first discharge portion); 72 … supply portion; 72a … bottom plate; 72c … front end portion; 72d … relay portion; 72e … side plate; 73 … discharge notch portion (second discharge portion); 74 … pipe portion; 76 … cover plate; 78 … sub storage portion; 79 … transfer notch portion (outflow portion); 84 … second bearing; 85 … third bearing; 86 … first bearing; 88 … output shaft bearing; 89a … fifth bearing (rotor shaft bearing); 90 … oil passage; 91 … first path; 91a … first end portion; 91b … second end portion; 92 … second path; 93 … third path; 95 … lift path; 98 … first supply path; 99 … second supply path; 99a … first sub path; 99b … second sub path; 166da … one end; 166db … other end; G … gap; J1 … motor axis; J2 … central axis; J3 … output axis; O … oil; W … wheel. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] The following describes a drive device according to an embodiment of the present application with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the vertical direction is defined based on the positional relationship of the drive device 1 of the present embodiment when the drive device 1 is installed in a vehicle not shown that is located on a horizontal road surface, and the description is made with reference to the vertical direction.

[0021] In the drawings, the XYZ coordinate system is appropriately shown as a three-dimensional orthogonal coordinate system. In the XYZ coordinate system, the Z-axis direction is the vertical direction. The +Z side is the upper side in the vertical direction, and the -Z side is the lower side in the vertical direction. In the present embodiment, the upper side in the vertical direction is simply referred to as the "upper side", and the lower side in the vertical direction is simply referred to as the "lower side". The X-axis direction is a direction orthogonal to the Z-axis direction, and is the front-rear direction of the vehicle in which the drive device 1 is installed. In the present embodiment, the +X side is the front side of the vehicle, and the -X side is the rear side of the vehicle. The Y-axis direction is a direction orthogonal to both the X-axis direction and the Z-axis direction, and is the left-right direction of the vehicle, i.e., the vehicle width direction. The Y-axis direction corresponds to the axial direction of the motor axis J1, the center axis J2, and the output axis J3 described later. The front-rear direction and the left-right direction are horizontal directions orthogonal to the vertical direction. In the present embodiment, the -Y side corresponds to one side in the axial direction, and the +Y side corresponds to the other side in the axial direction.

[0022] In addition, the +X direction corresponds to the front of the vehicle in which the drive device 1 is installed, and the -X direction corresponds to the rear of the vehicle, but the +X direction can correspond to the rear of the vehicle, and the -X direction can correspond to the front of the vehicle. That is, the front-rear direction of the drive device 1 does not necessarily coincide with the front-rear direction of the vehicle.

[0023] The motor axis J1, the center axis J2, and the output axis J3 appropriately shown in each drawing extend in the Y-axis direction (i.e., the left-right direction of the vehicle, the direction along the horizontal plane). In the present embodiment, unless otherwise specified, the direction parallel to the center axis J2 is simply referred to as the "axial direction", the radial direction with the center axis J2 as the center is simply referred to as the "radial direction", and the circumferential direction with the center axis J2 as the center, i.e., the direction around the axis of the center axis J2 is simply referred to as the "circumferential direction". In addition, in the present embodiment, the "parallel direction" includes a substantially parallel direction, and the "orthogonal direction" includes a substantially orthogonal direction.

[0024] In addition, in the present specification, the "front end of the rib" refers to the front end in the protruding direction from the wall surface in the case where the rib protrudes from the wall surface.

[0025] Figure 1 is a conceptual view of the drive device 1. Figure 2 is a front view of the gear chamber 6B of the drive device 1. Figure 3 is a rear view of the gear chamber 6B of the drive device 1, which is viewed from the opposite direction from Figure 2

[0026] ​The drive unit 1 in this embodiment is installed in an electric vehicle (EV) and used as its power source. Alternatively, the drive unit 1 can also be installed in vehicles that use a motor as a power source, such as hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHVs).

[0027] like Figure 1 As shown, the drive unit 1 has a motor 2 and a transmission mechanism 7 connected to the motor 2. The transmission mechanism 7 includes a transmission mechanism 3, a housing 6, an oil vent, a collection box 70, an oil pump 8, an oil cooler 9, and an oil passage 90. That is, the drive unit 1 includes a motor 2, a transmission mechanism 3, a housing 6, an oil vent, a collection box 70, an oil pump 8, an oil cooler 9, and an oil passage 90. The drive unit 1 may also include an inverter (not shown).

[0028] The housing 6 houses the motor 2, the transmission mechanism 3, the oil 0, and the collection box 70. The internal space of the housing 6 is divided into a motor chamber 6A for housing the motor 2 and a gear chamber 6B for housing the transmission mechanism 3 and the collection box 70. The oil 0 flows across the motor chamber 6A and the gear chamber 6B. The gear chamber 6B is located on the opposite side (+Y side) of the axial direction of the motor chamber 6A.

[0029] The housing 6 has a housing body 61, a motor cover 63 located on one axial side (-Y side) of the housing body 61, and a gear cover 62 located on the other axial side (+Y side) of the housing body 61. The housing body 61 and the motor cover 63 surround the motor chamber 6A. On the other hand, the housing body 61 and the gear cover 62 surround the gear chamber 6B.

[0030] The housing body 61 has a partition wall 61c that divides the motor chamber 6A and the gear chamber 6B. The partition wall 61c extends along a plane orthogonal to the central axis J2. A partition wall opening 61a is provided on the partition wall 61c. The partition wall opening 61a passes through the partition wall 61c and connects the motor chamber 6A and the gear chamber 6B.

[0031] Oil O is stored inside the housing 6. Furthermore, oil O circulates within the housing 6 through oil passage 90. Oil O functions as a refrigerant for cooling the motor 2 and as a lubricant for the transmission mechanism 3. To function as both lubricant and coolant, it is preferable to use an oil with a low viscosity, similar to that of automatic transmission fluid (ATF).

[0032] An oil reservoir P is provided in the lower region of the gear chamber 6B to store oil O. That is, oil O is stored in the lower region (oil reservoir P) inside the housing 6. The oil O in the oil reservoir P is transported to the motor chamber 6A via the oil passage 90. After dripping into the lower region of the motor chamber 6A, the oil O transported to the motor chamber 6A moves to the gear chamber 6B through the partition wall opening 61a and returns to the oil reservoir P.

[0033] The motor 2 is located on the axial one side (-Y side) of the transmission mechanism 3. The motor 2 includes a rotor 20 and a stator 25. In the present embodiment, the motor 2 is an internal rotor type motor.

[0034] The rotor 20 rotates with the motor axis J1 extending in the horizontal direction as the center. The rotor 20 has a rotor shaft 21 and a rotor main body 24 in a hollow shape. Although omitted from the drawing, the rotor main body 24 has a rotor core and a rotor magnet fixed to the rotor core. The torque of the rotor 20 is transmitted to the transmission mechanism 3. That is, the motor 2 transmits power to the transmission mechanism 3.

[0035] The rotor shaft 21 extends in the axial direction with the motor axis J1 as the center. The rotor shaft 21 rotates with the motor axis J1 as the center. The end portion on the axial other side of the rotor shaft 21 is linked to the drive shaft 46. The rotor shaft 21 is a hollow shaft. A hole 23 is provided on the rotor shaft 21, which connects the hollow portion 21h with the rotor core arranged on the radial outer side of the rotor shaft 21.

[0036] The rotor shaft 21 is rotatably supported by a fifth bearing (rotor shaft bearing) 89a and a sixth bearing 89b. The fifth bearing 89a and the sixth bearing 89b are held on the inner side surface of the housing 6 that surrounds the motor chamber 6A.

[0037] The stator 25 surrounds the rotor 20. The stator 25 is located on the radial outer side of the rotor 20. The outer peripheral surface of the stator 25 opposes the inner peripheral surface of the housing 6. The stator 25 has a stator core 27 and a coil 26 mounted on the stator core 27. The stator core 27 is fixed to the inner side surface of the motor chamber 6A. The coil 26 is respectively mounted to each tooth portion of the stator core 27 via an insulator, which is not shown.

[0038] The transmission mechanism 3 is housed in the gear chamber 6B of the housing 6. The transmission mechanism 3 is connected to the motor 2 and transmits the power of the motor 2. More specifically, the transmission mechanism 3 is connected on the axial other side of the rotor shaft 21. That is, the motor 2 transmits power to the transmission mechanism 3.

[0039] The transmission mechanism 3 reduces the rotational speed of the motor 2, and increases the torque output from the motor 2 in accordance with the reduction ratio. The transmission mechanism 3 has a drive shaft (second shaft) 46, a first gear (pinion gear) 41, a countershaft (first shaft) 45, a second gear (countershaft) 42, a third gear 43, a differential device 5, an output shaft 55, a first bearing 86, a second bearing 84, a third bearing 85, a fourth bearing 87, and an output shaft bearing 88. The drive shaft 46 and the reverse shaft 45 are each a hollow shaft. The drive shaft 46, the reverse shaft 45, and the output shaft 55 extend parallel to each other.

[0040] The drive shaft 46 and the first gear 41 are arranged with the motor axis J1 as the center. The drive shaft 46 extends in the axial direction of the motor axis J1. The end portion of the drive shaft 46 on the other axial side protrudes into the motor chamber 6A. The end portion of the drive shaft 46 on the one axial side (-Y side) is connected to the rotor shaft 21. The hollow portion 46h of the drive shaft 46 is connected to the hollow portion 21h of the rotor shaft 21. The first gear 41 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the drive shaft 46. The first gear 41 rotates with the drive shaft 46 with the motor axis J1 as the center.

[0041] The counter shaft 45, the second gear 42, and the third gear 43 are arranged with the center axis J2 parallel to the motor axis J1 as the center. The counter shaft 45 extends in the axial direction of the center axis J2. That is, the counter shaft 45 extends in parallel to the drive shaft 46. The second gear 42 and the third gear 43 are provided on the outer peripheral surface of the counter shaft 45 at a distance from each other in the axial direction. The second gear 42 and the third gear 43 rotate with the counter shaft 45 with the center axis J2 as the center. The second gear 42 is engaged with the first gear 41. The third gear 43 is engaged with the ring gear 51 of the differential device 5.

[0042] The differential device 5 has the ring gear (transmission gear) 51, a gear case (omitted from illustration), a pair of pinion gears (omitted from illustration), a pinion shaft (omitted from illustration), and a pair of side gears (omitted from illustration). Since the differential device 5 has the ring gear 51, the plurality of gears possessed by the transmission mechanism 3 include the ring gear 51.

[0043] The differential device 5 is engaged with the third gear 43 at the ring gear 51. The ring gear 51 rotates around an output axis J3 parallel to the motor axis J1. The differential device 5 is connected to an output shaft 55. The output shaft 55 extends along the output axis J3. A pair of output shafts 55 are respectively connected to the wheels W.

[0044] The torque output from the motor 2 is transmitted to the ring gear 51 of the differential device 5 via the rotor shaft 21, the drive shaft 46, the first gear 41, the second gear 42, the counter shaft 45, and the third gear 43, and further transmitted to the wheels W via the differential device 5 and the output shaft 55. At the time of turning of the vehicle, the differential device 5 absorbs the difference in speed between the left and right wheels W and transmits torque to the output shafts 55 of the left and right wheels. In this way, in the present embodiment, the transmission mechanism 3 transmits the torque of the motor 2 to the wheels W of the vehicle.

[0045] The first bearing 86 and the fourth bearing 87 are arranged with the center axis J2 as the center. The first bearing 86 and the fourth bearing 87 support the outer peripheral surface of the counter shaft 45. The first bearing 86 supports the end portion of the counter shaft 45 on the other axial side (+Y side). On the other hand, the fourth bearing 87 supports the end portion of the counter shaft 45 on the one axial side (-Y side).

[0046] The second bearing 84 and the third bearing 85 are arranged centered on the motor axis J1. The second bearing 84 and the third bearing 85 support the outer peripheral surface of the drive shaft 46. The second bearing 84 supports the end of the drive shaft 46 on the other axial side (+Y side). On the other hand, the third bearing 85 supports the end of the drive shaft 46 on one axial side (-Y side).

[0047] Two output shaft bearings 88 are provided on the transmission mechanism 3. The two output shaft bearings 88 respectively support the outer circumferential surfaces of different output shafts 55. Furthermore, only the one of the two output shaft bearings 88 located on the opposite side (+Y side) of the axial direction will be described here. The output shaft bearing 88 is arranged with the output axis J3 as its center.

[0048] The first bearing 86, the second bearing 84, and the output shaft bearing 88 are held by the gear cover 62 of the housing 6. The gear cover 62 has a first bearing retaining part 66 for holding the first bearing 86, a second bearing retaining part 64 for holding the second bearing 84, and an output shaft bearing retaining part 68 for holding the output shaft bearing 88.

[0049] The first bearing retainer 66 and the second bearing retainer 64 are located on the axially facing side (second inner surface 62f) of the surface of the housing 6 surrounding the gear chamber 6B. That is, the first bearing retainer 66, the second bearing retainer 64, and the output shaft bearing retainer 68 are provided on the second inner surface 62f. The housing 6 holds the first bearing 86, the second bearing 84, and the output shaft bearing 88 on the second inner surface 62f.

[0050] like Figure 3 As shown, the first bearing retaining portion 66 has a first opposing surface 66a and a first retaining sleeve portion 66b. The first opposing surface 66a extends along a plane orthogonal to the axial direction. The first opposing surface 66a is the surface facing the gear chamber 6B. The first opposing surface 66a is opposite to the end face of the other side (+Y side) of the reverse shaft 45 in the axial direction. The first retaining sleeve portion 66b protrudes from the first opposing surface 66a in the axial direction (-Y side). The first retaining sleeve portion 66b is cylindrical with the central axis J2 as its center. The first retaining sleeve portion 66b retains the first bearing 86 radially outward from the central axis J2.

[0051] The second bearing retaining portion 64 has a second opposing surface 64a and a second retaining sleeve portion 64b. The second opposing surface 64a extends along a plane orthogonal to the axial direction. The second opposing surface 64a is the surface facing the gear chamber 6B. The second opposing surface 64a is opposite to the end face of the drive shaft 46 on the other side of the axial direction (+Y side). The second retaining sleeve portion 64b protrudes from the second opposing surface 64a to one side of the axial direction (-Y side). The second retaining sleeve portion 64b is cylindrical with the motor axis J1 as its center. The second retaining sleeve portion 64b retains the second bearing 84 radially outward from the motor axis J1.

[0052] The output shaft bearing holding portion 68 has an output shaft holding cylinder portion 68b. The output shaft holding cylinder portion 68b is cylindrical with the output axis J3 as the center. The output shaft holding cylinder portion 68b holds the output shaft bearing 88 from the radially outer side of the motor axis J1. A through hole 68h that penetrates the gear cover 62 is provided on the inner side of the output shaft holding cylinder portion 68b. The output shaft 55 is inserted through the through hole 68h.

[0053] As shown in FIG. 6, the third bearing 85 and the fourth bearing 87 are held by the partition wall 61c of the housing 6. The partition wall 61c has a third bearing holding portion 65 that holds the third bearing 85 and a fourth bearing holding portion 67 that holds the fourth bearing 87. Figure 1

[0054] The third bearing holding portion 65 and the fourth bearing holding portion 67 are located on the side toward the other side in the axial direction (the first inner side face 61f) of the face of the housing 6 that surrounds the gear chamber 6B. That is, the third bearing holding portion 65 and the fourth bearing holding portion 67 are provided on the first inner side face (inner surface) 61f. The housing 6 holds the third bearing 85 and the fourth bearing 87 on the first inner side face 61f. In addition, the other output shaft bearing, which is not illustrated, is also held on the first inner side face 61f.

[0055] As shown in FIG. 6, the third bearing holding portion 65 has a third holding cylinder portion 65b. The third holding cylinder portion 65b is cylindrical with the motor axis J1 as the center. The third holding cylinder portion 65b holds the third bearing 85 from the radially outer side. Figure 2 In addition, although not illustrated here, the fourth bearing holding portion 67 also has a holding cylinder portion that holds the fourth bearing 87 from the radially outer side.

[0056] As shown in FIG. 6, the oil passage 90 supplies the oil O from the oil reservoir P to the upper region of the motor chamber 6A and the upper region of the gear chamber 6B. The oil O that has passed through the oil passage 90 is supplied to the motor 2 and the transmission mechanism 3, respectively.

[0057] Figure 1 In addition, in the present specification, the "oil passage" refers to the path of the oil O. The concept of the "oil passage" includes not only a "flow path" that causes the oil O to always flow in one direction, but also the path of the oil O that is kicked up by the gear, the path that temporarily retains the oil O, and the path in which the oil O drips.

[0058] The oil pump 8, the oil cooler 9, and a supply pipe 97A are provided on the oil passage 90. The oil pump 8 and the oil cooler 9 are respectively arranged on the outer circumferential face of the wall portion of the housing 6 that surrounds the motor chamber 6A. The supply pipe 97A is arranged directly above the motor 2 in the motor chamber 6A.

[0059] The oil pump 8, the oil cooler 9, and a supply pipe 97A are provided on the oil passage 90. The oil pump 8 and the oil cooler 9 are respectively arranged on the outer circumferential face of the wall portion of the housing 6 that surrounds the motor chamber 6A. The supply pipe 97A is arranged directly above the motor 2 in the motor chamber 6A.

[0060] ​​Oil pump 8 is an electrically driven pump. Oil pump 8 pressurizes oil O in oil circuit 90. Oil pump 8 has one suction port 8c and two discharge ports (first discharge port 8a and second discharge port 8b). Therefore, oil pump 8 branches the oil circuit into two paths.

[0061] Oil cooler 9 cools the oil O in oil passage 90. Refrigerant (not shown) flows inside oil cooler 9. Oil cooler 9 is a heat exchanger that transfers heat from oil O to the refrigerant.

[0062] The oil passage 90 has a suction path 94, a first path 91, a second path 92, a third path 93, an internal pipe path 97, and a lifting path 95. The suction path 94, the first path 91, the second path 92, and the third path 93 are holes provided in the housing 6. Therefore, the first path 91, the second path 92, and the third path 93 are formed by drilling holes in the wall of the housing. On the other hand, the internal pipe path 97 is the internal path of the supply pipe 97A.

[0063] The suction path 94 connects the oil reservoir P of the gear chamber 6B to the oil pump 8. The upstream end of the suction path 94 opens into the oil reservoir P. On the other hand, the downstream end of the suction path 94 connects to the suction port 8c of the oil pump 8.

[0064] The first path 91 connects the oil pump 8 to the collection box 70. The first path 91 has a first end 91a located upstream relative to the flow direction of oil O and a second end 91b located downstream. The first end 91a is connected to the first discharge port (discharge port) 8a of the oil pump 8. On the other hand, the second end 91b is connected to the collection box 70.

[0065] According to this embodiment, the first path 91 connecting the oil pump 8 and the collection tank 70 is formed by a hole provided in the wall of the housing 6. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide a separate piping component between the oil pump 8 and the collection tank 70, which can suppress the increase in the number of components. In addition, the structure of the connection between the first path 91 and the collection tank 70 will be described later.

[0066] like Figure 2 As shown, the first end 91a and the second end 91b of the first path 91 are located above the output axis J3. The first path 91 is located above the output axis J3 along its entire length. In addition, the oil pump 8 and the first end 91a are arranged overlapping the gear ring 51 when viewed axially.

[0067] As described later, the collection box 70 is positioned above the output shaft J3 to supply oil O to the gears and bearings within the gear chamber 6B. Therefore, the second end 91b connected to the collection box 70 is positioned above the output shaft J3. According to this embodiment, by positioning the first end 91a above the output shaft J3, it is possible to position the first end 91a closer to the collection box 70 in the vertical direction (Z direction). As a result, the overall length of the first path 91 can be shortened, reducing the pipe resistance of the first path 91. Since the first path 91 is a hole provided in the housing 6, the wall of the housing 6 where the first path 91 is provided needs to be thickened. According to this embodiment, by shortening the overall length of the first path 91, the area where the wall of the housing 6 is thickened can be shortened, achieving overall weight reduction of the housing 6.

[0068] As described later, the collection box 70 is positioned directly above the gear ring 51 to effectively receive the oil O stirred up by the gear ring 51. According to this embodiment, when viewed from the Y-axis direction, by overlapping the first end 91a with the gear ring 51, the first end 91a can be positioned close to the collection box 70 in a direction orthogonal to the vertical direction (the vehicle's longitudinal direction, the X-axis direction). This shortens the overall length of the first path 91. Furthermore, according to this embodiment, when viewed from the Y-axis direction, a portion of the oil pump 8 overlaps with the gear ring 51, thereby reducing the axial projection area of ​​the drive unit 1 and enabling miniaturization of the drive unit 1.

[0069] Furthermore, in this specification, "directly above" refers to an overlapping arrangement when viewed from above and in a vertical direction. Therefore, the collection box 70 is positioned above the toothed ring 51 and overlaps with the toothed ring 51 when viewed from a vertical direction.

[0070] like Figure 1 As shown, the second path 92 supplies oil O from the oil pump 8 to the oil cooler 9. The upstream end of the second path 92 is connected to the second outlet 8b of the oil pump 8. The downstream end of the second path 92 is connected to the oil cooler 9.

[0071] The third path 93 supplies oil O from the oil cooler 9 to the motor 2. The third path 93 has a main path 93c, a first branch path 93a, and a second branch path 93b. The third path 93 is connected to the oil cooler 9 at the upstream end of the main path 93c. The third path 93 branches into the first branch path 93a and the second branch path 93b at the downstream end of the main path 93c. The first branch path 93a supplies oil O from the axial side (-Y side) of the rotor shaft 21 to the hollow portion 21h of the rotor shaft 21. On the other hand, the second branch path 93b supplies oil O to the inner pipe path 97 of the supply pipe 97A from the upper side of the motor 2.

[0072] The oil O supplied from the first branch passage 93a to the hollow portion 21h of the rotor shaft 21 is scattered to the outside of the rotor shaft 21 from the hole 23 provided to the rotor shaft 21 by centrifugal force of the rotor 20 via the rotor core, and is supplied to the stator 25.

[0073] The oil O supplied from the second branch passage 93b to the in-pipe path 97 inside the supply pipe 97A flows in the axial direction on the upper side of the motor 2. A jet hole that opens to the motor 2 side is provided on the supply pipe 97A. The oil O of the in-pipe path 97 is jetted to the stator 25 via the jet hole.

[0074] The oil O supplied to the stator 25 takes heat from the stator 25 when flowing over the surface of the stator 25, and cools the stator 25. Next, the oil O drips from the stator 25, and reaches the lower region of the motor chamber 6A. Next, the oil O of the lower region of the motor chamber 6A returns to the oil reservoir portion P of the gear chamber 6B via the partition wall opening 61a.

[0075] According to the present embodiment, a part of the oil O pressurized from the oil pump 8 is supplied to the inside of the gear chamber 6B via the first passage 91. In addition, a part of the oil O pressurized from the oil pump 8 is supplied to the motor chamber 6A via the second passage 92, the oil cooler 9, and the third passage 93. According to the present embodiment, it is possible to utilize the oil O in the gear chamber 6B to improve the lubricity of the transmission mechanism 3, and to utilize the oil O in the motor chamber 6A to cool the motor 2.

[0076] In the present embodiment, it is preferable that the flow passage sectional area of the first passage 91 be smaller than the flow passage sectional area of the second passage 92. The oil O pressurized from the oil pump 8 is branched to be supplied to the first passage 91 and the second passage 92. Therefore, more of the oil O flows in the one of the first passage 91 and the second passage 92 that has smaller piping resistance. According to the present embodiment, by making the flow passage sectional area of the first passage 91 smaller than the flow passage sectional area of the second passage 92, it is possible to relatively reduce the piping resistance of the second passage 92. Thereby, it is possible to increase the flow rate of the oil O flowing in the second passage 92 compared to the oil flowing in the first passage 91, and it is possible to secure the amount of oil supplied to the motor 2, and to suppress the temperature of the motor 2 from becoming excessively high.

[0077] The lift-up path 95 is a path that lifts up the oil O by the rotation of the ring gear 51 and guides it to the catch tank 70. The catch tank 70 is disposed inside the housing 6 and opens to the upper side. The oil O lifted up by the ring gear 51 diffuses inside the gear chamber 6B, and a part of it is supplied to the catch tank 70. In addition, of the oil O that diffuses inside the gear chamber 6B, the oil O that is not caught by the catch tank 70 is supplied to each gear inside the gear chamber 6B, and is used for the lubrication of the tooth surfaces and the like of the gears.

[0078] The oil O of the catch tank 70 is supplied to the gears or bearings of the transmission mechanism 3. In addition, the oil O is supplied from the oil reservoir portion P to the catch tank 70 via two paths (the lift-up path 95 and the first passage 91).

[0079] According to the present embodiment, the oil O is supplied to the catch tank 70 via the lift-up path 95. The amount of lift-up of the oil O in the lift-up path 95 increases in correspondence with the rotational speed of the ring gear 51. That is, the lift-up path 95 is a path in which the amount of delivery of the oil O increases in accordance with the increase in the rotational speed of the ring gear 51. Since the ring gear 51 receives agitation resistance from the oil O in the oil accumulation portion P, the rotational efficiency of the ring gear 51 improves as the liquid level of the oil accumulation portion P decreases. According to the present embodiment, since the oil passage 90 has the lift-up path 95, in the case where the rotational speed of the ring gear 51 increases, the liquid level of the oil accumulation portion P can be decreased to improve the rotational efficiency of the ring gear 51. Thus, the power transmission mechanism device 7 having excellent drive efficiency can be configured.

[0080] On the other hand, in the case where the path of the oil O from the oil accumulation portion P to the catch tank 70 depends only on the lift-up path 95, in the case where the rotational speed of the ring gear 51 is low, the amount of supply of the oil O to the catch tank 70 is insufficient. According to the present embodiment, the oil O can be supplied to the catch tank 70 not only via the lift-up path 95 but also via the first path 91. The first path 91 is a path in which the oil O is forced by the oil pump 8. That is, the first path 91 is a path in which the oil O can be supplied to the catch tank 70 as needed independently of the rotation of the ring gear 51. According to the present embodiment, since the oil passage 90 has not only the lift-up path 95 but also the first path 91, the insufficiency of the amount of oil in the catch tank 70 can be suppressed, and the supply of the oil to the power transmission mechanism 3 via the catch tank 70 can be stably performed.

[0081] In the present embodiment, the oil pump 8 is an electric pump. Thus, the oil pump 8 can supply the oil O to the catch tank 70 independently of the drive state of the gears. However, the oil pump 8 can also be a mechanical pump connected to any one of the shafts of the power transmission mechanism 3. Even in this case, by supplying the oil O to the catch tank 70 with two paths (the lift-up path 95 and the first path 91), even if the amount of supply of each path decreases, the amount of supply as a whole can be ensured. As a result, the insufficiency of the oil O in the catch tank 70 can be suppressed.

[0082] As Figure 2As shown, in the transmission mechanism 3 of this embodiment, the central axis J2 is positioned higher than the motor axis J1. That is, when viewed axially, the center of the reverse shaft 45 is positioned higher than the center of the drive shaft 46. Therefore, in the drive unit 1, the motor 2 can be positioned closer to the lower side, allowing the center of gravity of the drive unit 1 to be closer to the lower side. As a result, it is easier to achieve a stable weight balance for the installed vehicle. Furthermore, when the drive unit 1 includes an inverter, a portion of the inverter can be positioned above the motor 2, enabling the overall miniaturization of the drive unit 1. Additionally, by positioning the central axis J2 at a higher position, the second gear 42, which rotates around the central axis J2, can be moved away from the liquid surface, suppressing the agitation resistance applied to the second gear 42.

[0083] On the other hand, with the shafts configured in this way, the second gear 42 is located higher than the first gear 41 and far from the oil surface of the oil reservoir P. Therefore, the second gear 42 cannot lift the oil O. Therefore, in the existing structure, the second gear 42 has to be positioned lower than the first gear 41, and the oil O is lifted by the gear ring 51 and the second gear 42.

[0084] In this embodiment, oil O can be supplied from the oil storage section P to the collection box 70 via the first path 91 of the oil pump 8. Therefore, a structure can be adopted in which the second gear 42 is moved away from the liquid surface of the oil storage section P while eliminating the oil shortage in the collection box 70.

[0085] Figure 4 This is a 3D view of the trap 70. Figure 5 This is a partial cross-sectional view of the drive unit 1, including the collection box 70.

[0086] like Figure 4 As shown, the collection box 70 has a box component 70A and a first protruding rib 6a of the housing 6. The first protruding rib 6a, as described later, functions as the bottom of the secondary storage section 78.

[0087] The box component 70A has a storage section 71, a supply section 72, a pipe section 74, a fixing pin section 75, and a covering plate 76. That is, the collection box 70 has a storage section 71, a supply section 72, a pipe section 74, and a covering plate 76.

[0088] The storage section 71 is a box-shaped structure with an upward opening. The storage section 71 receives and temporarily stores oil O that is thrown up by the toothed ring 51. The storage section 71 has a storage space S for storing the oil O. Furthermore, the storage section 71 has a first wall (fixed wall) 71a, a second wall (side wall) 71b, a third wall 71c, a fourth wall 71d, a stepped wall 71e, a first bottom 71f, and a second bottom 71g surrounding the storage space S. That is, the storage section 71 has multiple walls including the first wall 71a and the second wall 71b.

[0089] The first wall portion 71a and the third wall portion 71c face each other in the axial direction (Y-axis direction). The second wall portion 71b and the fourth wall portion 71d face each other in the front-rear direction of the vehicle (X-axis direction). The second wall portion 71b is continuous with the first wall portion 71a and the third wall portion 71c. Similarly, the fourth wall portion 71d is continuous with the first wall portion 71a and the third wall portion 71c.

[0090] As shown in FIG. 6, the first wall portion 71a faces the second inner side surface 62f of the case 6. The first wall portion 71a extends along the second inner side surface 62f. A fixing pin portion 75 is provided on the first wall portion 71a. The fixing pin portion 75 protrudes from the outer side surface of the first wall portion 71a toward the second inner side surface 62f side. A fitting hole 62h into which the fixing pin portion 75 is inserted is provided on the second inner side surface 62f. Thus, the first wall portion 71a is fixed to the second inner side surface 62f. Figure 5

[0091] The third wall portion 71c faces the first inner side surface 61f of the case 6. The third wall portion 71c extends along the first inner side surface 61f. A pipe portion 74 in a hollow shape is provided on the third wall portion 71c. The pipe portion 74 protrudes from the outer side surface of the third wall portion 71c toward the first inner side surface 61f side. The pipe portion 74 has a hollow portion. One end of the hollow portion of the pipe portion 74 is open to the storage space S, and the other end is open to the outside of the storage space S. On the other hand, a recessed portion 61h into which a first passage 91 of an oil passage 90 is open is provided on the first inner side surface 61f. The pipe portion 74 is inserted into the recessed portion 61h. Thus, the third wall portion 71c is held on the second inner side surface 62f. In addition, the pipe portion 74 is continuous with the first passage 91. The hollow portion of the pipe portion 74 guides the oil O from the first passage 91 to the trap tank 70.

[0092] According to the present embodiment, by inserting the pipe portion 74 into the recessed portion 61h, the trap tank 70 can be easily positioned with respect to the case 6. Further, since the pipe portion 74 is continuous with the first passage 91, the oil O of the first passage 91 can be smoothly guided to the storage space S of the trap tank 70.

[0093] In addition, in the present embodiment, a case in which the pipe portion 74 is provided on the trap tank 70 and the recessed portion 61h is provided on the first inner side surface 61f of the case 6 is described. However, the pipe portion 74 can be provided on the first inner side surface 61f, and the recessed portion can be provided on the trap tank 70. That is, as long as the pipe portion 74 protruding toward the other side is provided on either one of the first inner side surface 61f and the trap tank 70, and the recessed portion 61h into which the pipe portion 74 is fitted is provided on the other side. In addition, in a case in which the pipe portion 74 is provided on the first inner side surface 61f, the hollow portion of the pipe portion 74 is continuous with the first passage 91 at the wall portion of the case 6.

[0094] ​The first bottom portion 71f and the second bottom portion 71g are located on the lower side of the storage space S. The oil O is accumulated in the first bottom portion 71f and the second bottom portion 71g of the accumulation portion 71. The first bottom portion 71f and the second bottom portion 71g are arranged in parallel along the axial direction (Y-axis direction) between the first wall portion 71a and the third wall portion 71c.

[0095] The upper and lower direction positions of the first bottom portion 71f and the second bottom portion 71g are different from each other. The second bottom portion 71g is located at a position on the lower side than the first bottom portion 71f. The stepped wall portion 71e is arranged between the first bottom portion 71f and the second bottom portion 71g. The stepped wall portion 71e extends along a plane orthogonal to the axial direction and connects the first bottom portion 71f and the second bottom portion 71g.

[0096] The oil O stored in the storage portion 71 is supplied to each bearing of the transmission mechanism 3. Therefore, it is preferable that the storage portion 71 be arranged close to the motor axis J1, the center axis J2, and the output axis J3. According to the present embodiment, since the second bottom portion 71g is located at a position on the lower side than the upper end position 51t of the ring gear 51, the second bottom portion 71g can be arranged close to the motor axis J1, the center axis J2, and the output axis J3 in the upper and lower direction (Z-axis direction). Thus, the supply path of the oil O accumulated in the accumulation portion 71 to each bearing can be shortened, and the oil O can be efficiently supplied from the trap tank 70 to each bearing.

[0097] According to the present embodiment, the second bottom portion 71g is located on the other side of the axial direction of the ring gear 51 and is arranged so as to overlap the ring gear 51 when viewed in the Y-axis direction. Thus, the second bottom portion 71g of the trap tank 70 is arranged at a position on the lower side than the upper end position 51t of the ring gear 51. As a result, the trap tank 70 does not increase the housing 6 in the height direction and can store a large amount of oil O.

[0098] The first bottom portion 71f is arranged at a position on the upper side than the upper end position 51t of the ring gear 51 and overlaps the ring gear 51 when viewed in the upper and lower direction. Therefore, the storage portion 71 can efficiently catch the oil O lifted by the ring gear 51. The second bottom portion 71g is located at a position on the lower side than the upper end position 51t of the ring gear 51. That is, the second bottom portion 71g is located at a position on the lower side than the first bottom portion 71f. Therefore, the oil O accumulated in the first bottom portion 71f flows into the second bottom portion 71g.

[0099] As Figure 4As shown, the end portion of the first bottom portion 71f on the vehicle front side (+X side) is provided with the second wall portion 71b. On the other hand, the end portion of the first bottom portion 71f on the vehicle rear side (-X side) is not connected with a wall portion. Therefore, the storage space S on the upper side of the first bottom portion 71f is open on the vehicle rear side (-X side). The oil O raised by the ring gear 51 is scattered on the upper side of the ring gear 51 toward the vehicle front side (+X side). According to the present embodiment, the oil O raised by the ring gear 51 collides with the second wall portion 71b after passing through the upper side of the first bottom portion 71f, and is thus smoothly stored in the storage space S.

[0100] In addition, the first bottom portion 71f is inclined upward toward the vehicle rear side (-X side). Thereby, it is possible to suppress the outflow of the oil O of the storage space S on the upper side of the first bottom portion 71f from the end portion of the second bottom portion 71g on the vehicle rear side (-X side).

[0101] The second discharge hole 71h is provided in the first bottom portion 71f. The second discharge hole 71h is opened directly above the ring gear 51. The second discharge hole 71h supplies the oil O of the storage space S to the ring gear 51. In the case where the vehicle is parked for a long time or the like, it is conceivable that the oil O of the tooth surface of the ring gear 51 is depleted. As described above, the oil O pressurized to the oil pump 8 is supplied to the storage space S via the first path 91. According to the present embodiment, by driving the oil pump 8, it is possible to supply the oil O to the tooth surface of the ring gear 51 via the second discharge hole 71h, and it is possible to ensure the lubricity of the tooth surface of the ring gear 51.

[0102] The recess 71j extending in the axial direction is provided in the second bottom portion 71g. The recess 71j extends over the entire axial direction of the second bottom portion 71g. The first bottom portion 71f is provided on the one axial side (-Y side) of the recess 71j. In addition, the end portion of the other axial side (+Y side) of the recess 71j is connected with the supply portion 72. According to the present embodiment, by providing the recess 71j in the second bottom portion 71g, it is possible to smoothly guide the oil O flowing into the second bottom portion 71g from the first bottom portion 71f side to the supply portion 72.

[0103] The first discharge hole (first discharge portion) 71k is provided in the second bottom portion 71g. That is, the catch tank 70 has the first discharge hole 71k which discharges the oil O of the storage space S. The first discharge hole 71k is provided in the recess 71j. That is, the first discharge hole 71k is opened in the lowest region in the storage space S. Therefore, the first discharge hole 71k preferentially discharges the oil O of the storage space S.

[0104] The path (first supply path 98) of the oil O discharged from the first discharge hole 71k will be described. As shown in FIG. 6, the first supply path 98 is formed by the recess 71j and the supply portion 72. The first supply path 98 is formed in the axial direction. The first supply path 98 is formed in the axial direction of the second bottom portion 71g. The first supply path 98 is formed in the axial direction of the supply portion 72. Figure 3As shown, a first guide rib 62s and a second guide rib 62q that protrude toward the axial one side (-Y side) are provided on the second inner side surface 62f of the housing 6. The first guide rib 62s and the second guide rib 62q are located on the lower side of the catch box 70.

[0105] When viewed in the axial direction, the first guide rib 62s extends upward from the outer peripheral surface of the output shaft holding cylinder portion 68b. In addition, when viewed in the axial direction, the second guide rib 62q extends obliquely upward from the lower side of the upper end portion of the first guide rib 62s toward the directly lower side of the storage portion 71. The end portion of the second guide rib 62q on the vehicle front side (+X side) is located directly below the first discharge hole 71k. The protrusion height of the second guide rib 62q is lower than the protrusion height of the first guide rib 62s.

[0106] A notch portion 68n that connects the inside and outside of the output shaft holding cylinder portion 68b is provided on the output shaft holding cylinder portion 68b. The notch portion 68n is located on the upper side of the output axis J3. The notch portion 68n is located on the side portion of the first guide rib 62s and on the lower side of the first guide rib 62s.

[0107] The oil O discharged from the first discharge hole 71k of the storage portion 71 is caught by the second guide rib 62q. The oil O caught by the second guide rib 62q flows along the surface of the second guide rib 62q toward the lower side and reaches the first guide rib 62s. Further, the oil O overflows from the front end of the second guide rib 62q toward the axial one side and flows toward the lower side of the second guide rib 62q. The oil O flows along the surface of the first guide rib 62s toward the lower side and is guided to the notch portion 68n of the output shaft holding cylinder portion 68b. The oil O guided to the notch portion 68n flows into the inside of the output shaft holding cylinder portion 68b.

[0108] According to the present embodiment, it is possible to efficiently guide the oil O stored in the storage portion 71 to the output shaft bearing 88 that is disposed on the inside of the output shaft holding cylinder portion 68b. In this way, a path (first supply path 98) that supplies the oil O discharged from the first discharge hole 71k to the output shaft bearing 88 is provided in the internal space of the housing 6. The first supply path connects the first discharge hole 71k and the output shaft bearing 88. The first supply path 98 is constituted by the first guide rib 62s, the second guide rib 62q, and the notch portion 68n.

[0109] In addition, the first supply path does not necessarily have to be constituted by the first guide rib 62s, the second guide rib 62q, and the notch portion 68n. For example, the first supply path can also be constituted only by the first guide rib 62s and the notch portion 68n. In this case, after the oil O discharged from the first discharge hole 71k is supplied to the first guide rib 62s, the oil O flows along the surface of the first guide rib 62s while being guided to the notch portion 68n of the output shaft holding cylinder portion 68b.

[0110] like Figure 4 As shown, the supply section 72 of the collection box 70 is a trough-shaped structure having a bottom plate 72a and a pair of side plates 72e and 72f. Oil O flows in the trough-shaped supply section formed by the bottom plate 72a and the pair of side plates 72e and 72f. The supply section 72 supplies the oil O stored in the storage section 71 to the first bearing 86. The supply section 72 extends in an S-shape from the second wall portion 71b of the storage section 71 towards the +X side, bends towards the +Y side, and then bends again towards the +X side.

[0111] like Figure 3 As shown, a cutout 66n is provided on the first retaining sleeve portion 66b of the first bearing retaining portion 66 to connect the inner and outer sides of the first retaining sleeve portion 66b. The vertical position of the cutout 66n coincides with the vertical position of the central axis J2. Furthermore, a recess 66m is provided on the second inner surface 62f of the housing 6, recessed along the cutout 66n. The recess 66m is a groove-shaped portion extending radially outward from the cutout 66n toward the central axis J2. The recess 66m extends slightly upward away from the central axis J2. The recess 66m and the cutout 66n constitute a flow path 66s connecting the inner and outer sides of the first retaining sleeve portion 66b. That is, a flow path 66s including the cutout 66n is provided on the inner surface of the housing 6. The flow path 66s has the cutout 66n and the recess 66m.

[0112] The supply section 72 of the collection box 70 extends from the storage section 71 toward the first retaining cylinder section 66b. Furthermore, the front end portion 72c of the supply section 72 is inserted into the cutout portion 66n and the recess 66m of the first retaining cylinder section 66b. That is, the front end portion 72c is inserted into the flow path 66s. The oil O in the storage section 71 flows through the groove-shaped supply section 72 and flows out from the front end portion 72c. According to this embodiment, by inserting the front end portion 72c of the supply section 72 into the cutout portion 66n, the oil O flowing out from the front end portion 72c is efficiently supplied to the inside of the first retaining cylinder section 66b by flowing through the cutout portion 66n. This allows for proper lubrication of the first bearing 86 disposed inside the first retaining cylinder section 66b.

[0113] In this embodiment, the case where the front end portion 72c is inserted into both the cutout portion 66n and the recess 66m constituting the flow path 66s is described. However, the front end portion 72c may also be inserted only into the recess 66m. In this case, the oil O flowing out from the front end portion 72c reaches the cutout portion 66n along the inner side surface of the recess 66m. Alternatively, the front end portion 72c may also be inserted only into the cutout portion 66n. In this case, the recess 66m may not be provided on the second inner side surface 62f of the housing 6.

[0114] Furthermore, the oil O guided to the inside of the first retaining cylinder 66b is supplied not only to the first bearing 86, but also to the hollow portion 45h of the reversing shaft 45. This structure will be explained later.

[0115] As Figure 4 illustrated, the supply portion 72 has a front end portion 72c and a relay portion 72d. As described above, the front end portion 72c is disposed inside the cutout portion 66n. In contrast, the relay portion 72d is disposed between the storage portion 71 and the front end portion 72c, connecting from the storage portion 71 to the front end portion 72c.

[0116] The pair of side plates 72e, 72f constituting the supply portion 72 differ in height dimension at the relay portion 72d and the front end portion 72c. The height dimension of the side plates 72e, 72f at the front end portion 72c is smaller than the height dimension at the relay portion 72d. According to the present embodiment, in the supply portion 72, by making the pair of side plates 72e, 72f at the relay portion 72d higher, it is possible to suppress the oil O flowing in the supply portion 72 between the storage portion 71 and the cutout portion 66n from passing over the side plates 72e, 72f. On the other hand, since the front end portion 72c is disposed inside the cutout portion 66n, even if the oil O passes over the side plates 72e, 72f of the front end portion 72c, it is guided to the inside of the first retaining cylinder portion 66b and used for lubrication. Further, by making the pair of side plates 72e, 72f of the front end portion 72c relatively low, it is possible to reduce the width dimension of the cutout portion 66n provided to the first retaining cylinder portion 66b into which the front end portion 72c is inserted. Thereby, it is possible to suppress a decrease in rigidity of the first retaining cylinder portion 66b due to the provision of the cutout portion 66n, and to improve the stability of the first retaining cylinder portion 66b retaining the first bearing 86.

[0117] The width dimension of the bottom plate 72a of the supply portion 72 of the present embodiment is the same from the relay portion 72d to the front end portion 72c. However, even in the case where the width dimension of the bottom plate 72a at the front end portion 72c is smaller than the width dimension of the bottom plate 72a at the relay portion 72d, it is possible to suppress the size of the cutout portion 66n. That is, in the case where the dimension at the front end portion 72c is smaller than the dimension at the relay portion 72d in at least one of the width dimension of the bottom plate 72a or the height dimension of the side plates 72e, 72f, the above-described effects can be obtained.

[0118] Here, one of the pair of side plates 72e, 72f is referred to as a first side plate 72e, and the other is referred to as a second side plate 72f. The first side plate 72e and the second side plate 72f are arranged in the axial direction at the front end portion 72c. The second side plate 72f is located on one axial side (-Y side) with respect to the first side plate 72e.

[0119] As Figure 5 illustrated, at the front end portion 72c of the supply portion 72, the first side plate 72e opposes the second inner side surface 62f of the housing 6. That is, one of the pair of side plates 72e, 72f on the side of the second inner side surface 62f is the first side plate 72e, and the other is the second side plate 72f.

[0120] In this embodiment, the height of the first side plate 72e of the front end portion 72c is smaller than the height of the second side plate 72f. The front end portion 72c is disposed within the cutout portion 66n. Therefore, the first side plate 72e is disposed on the bottom side of the cutout portion 66n. Thus, by making the height of the first side plate 72e in the front end portion 72c relatively low, oil O can be supplied to the inside of the cutout portion 66n, and the oil O can be efficiently supplied to the interior of the first retaining cylinder portion 66b through the cutout portion 66n. Furthermore, by making the front end portion 72c smaller, the manufacturing cost of the collection box 70 can be reduced. On the other hand, by making the height of the second side plate 72f in the front end portion 72c relatively high, the spillage of oil O from the cutout portion 66n to the axial side (-Y side) can be suppressed, and the oil O can be efficiently guided into the cutout portion 66n.

[0121] like Figure 5 As shown, the first wall portion 71a of the storage section 71 extends along the second inner surface 62f of the housing 6 and is fixed to the second inner surface 62f via a retaining pin portion 75. Furthermore, the supply portion 72 extends from the second wall portion 71b of the storage section 71. Therefore, compared to the case where the supply portion 72 extends from the first wall portion 71a, the first wall portion 71a can be positioned closer to the second inner surface 62f, making the storage section 71 more stable relative to the second inner surface 62f.

[0122] like Figure 4 As shown, a discharge slit (second discharge section) 73 is provided in the second wall portion 71b. That is, the collection box 70 has a discharge slit 73. The discharge slit 73 extends downward from the upper edge of the second wall portion 71b. The discharge slit 73 is disposed in the region on one axial side (-Y side) of the second wall portion 71b. When the liquid level reaches the discharge slit 73, the oil O stored in the storage section 71 overflows from the discharge slit 73. That is, the discharge slit 73 discharges the oil O from the storage section 71.

[0123] The path (second supply path 99) of the oil O discharged from the discharge section 73 will be explained. For example... Figure 2 As shown, a second protruding rib 6b and a third protruding rib 6c protruding axially to the other side (+Y side) are provided on the first inner surface 61f of the housing 6. A covering member 4 is disposed on the other side (+Y side) of the second protruding rib 6b and the third protruding rib 6c. That is, the transmission mechanism device 7 has a covering member 4 disposed in the internal space of the housing 6.

[0124] The second protruding rib 6b is located above the central axis J2. The second protruding rib 6b extends along the vehicle's longitudinal direction (X-axis direction). The second protruding rib 6b is curved into an arc shape, protruding upwards along the circumference of the central axis J2.

[0125] The second protruding rib 6b has a first end portion 6ba on the vehicle rear side (-X side) and a second end portion 6bb on the vehicle front side (+X side). The first end portion 6ba is opposite the collection tank 70 in the vehicle front-rear direction. The second protruding rib 6b is inclined upward from the first end portion 6ba toward the collection tank 70 side. The first end portion 6ba of the second protruding rib 6b is disposed directly below the discharge cutout portion 73 of the collection tank 70. The second end portion 6bb is opposite the third protruding rib 6c in the vehicle front-rear direction (X-axis direction). The second protruding rib 6b is inclined upward at the second end portion 6bb toward the third protruding rib 6c side.

[0126] The cover member 4 has a main plate portion 4a and a relay rib 4b. The main plate portion 4a extends along a plane orthogonal to the axial direction. The main plate portion 4a is located on the front end side of the second protruding rib 6b. The main plate portion 4a covers the upper side region of the second protruding rib 6b. Thus, a flow path of the oil O surrounded by the second protruding rib 6b, the first inner side surface 61f, and the main plate portion 4a and extending in the vehicle front-rear direction is provided.

[0127] The relay rib 4b protrudes from the axial direction side (-Y side) of the main plate portion 4a toward the axial direction side. The front end of the relay rib 4b is opposite the first inner side surface 61f with a slight gap. Alternatively, the front end of the relay rib 4b can be in contact with the first inner side surface 61f.

[0128] The relay rib 4b extends in the vehicle front-rear direction (X-axis direction). The relay rib is disposed on the vehicle front side (+X side) of the second protruding rib 6b. The relay rib 4b is located on the lower side of the second end portion 6bb of the second protruding rib 6b. Alternatively, the relay rib 4b overlaps the second end portion 6bb when viewed in the up-down direction. The oil O flowing out from the second end portion 6bb toward the vehicle front side (+X side) is caught by the relay rib 4b. The relay rib 4b is slightly inclined toward the lower side as it goes toward the vehicle front side. Thus, the relay rib 4b causes the oil O to flow smoothly toward the vehicle front side.

[0129] The third protruding rib 6c has a first piece portion 6ca and a second piece portion 6cb. The first piece portion 6ca and the second piece portion 6cb are disposed in a V shape when viewed from the axial direction. The first piece portion 6ca extends toward the vehicle rear side from the third inner side surface 61g of the housing 6 toward the vehicle rear side (-X side). The first piece portion 6ca is inclined toward the lower side as it goes toward the vehicle rear side. The second piece portion 6cb extends toward the upper side from the end portion of the first piece portion 6ca on the vehicle rear side. The second piece portion 6cb is inclined toward the vehicle front side (+X side) as it goes toward the upper side. A gap is provided between the upper end portion of the second piece portion 6cb and the third inner side surface 61g of the housing 6. In this way, the third protruding rib 6c extends in a concave shape that is open toward the upper side.

[0130] As Figure 3As shown, a fourth protruding rib 6d is provided on the second inner surface 62f, protruding towards one axial direction (-Y side). The fourth protruding rib 6d is axially opposite to the third protruding rib 6c. The fourth protruding rib 6d has the same shape as the third protruding rib 6c. That is, the fourth protruding rib 6d extends in a concave shape with an upward opening. The front end of the fourth protruding rib 6d contacts the third protruding rib 6c.

[0131] The third protruding rib 6c, the fourth protruding rib 6d, the first inner surface 61f, and the second inner surface 62f constitute the sub-box portion 6t with an upward opening. That is, the sub-box portion 6t has the third protruding rib 6c, the fourth protruding rib 6d, the first inner surface 61f, and the second inner surface 62f.

[0132] like Figure 2 As shown, the auxiliary tank section 6t is disposed within the internal space of the housing 6. Furthermore, the auxiliary tank section 6t opens upwards. The auxiliary tank section 6t, sandwiching the reversing shaft 45, is located on the opposite side of the collection box 70. Since the auxiliary tank section 6t is located on the vehicle-front side (+X side) of the gear ring 51, it can catch oil O scattered by the gear ring 51.

[0133] The opening of the auxiliary storage compartment 6t is located directly below the end of the relay rib 4b on the vehicle front side (+X side). Oil O flowing from the upper side of the relay rib 4b to the vehicle front side (+X side) is stored in the auxiliary storage compartment 6t.

[0134] An oil supply hole 6h opens at the bottom of the auxiliary housing 6t. The oil supply hole 6h penetrates the partition wall 61c of the housing body 61. Furthermore, the lower end of the oil supply hole 6h opens on the surface of the partition wall 61c facing the motor chamber 6A. Additionally, the oil supply hole 6h on the motor chamber 6A side is located above the cylindrical bearing retainer (not shown) that holds the fifth bearing 89a. A cutout is provided on this bearing retainer. The cutout supplies oil O flowing into the motor chamber 6A side via the oil supply hole 6h to the fifth bearing 89a. Thus, oil O stored in the auxiliary housing 6t is supplied to the fifth bearing 89a through the oil supply hole 6h.

[0135] Thus, a second supply path 99 is provided inside the housing 6, which supplies oil O discharged from the discharge cutout 73 to the fifth bearing 89a. The second supply path 99 consists of a second protruding rib 6b, a third protruding rib 6c, a covering member 4, and an oil supply hole 6h. The second supply path 99 can supply oil O accumulated in the collection box 70 to the fifth bearing 89a located in the motor chamber.

[0136] In addition, the second supply path 99 has a first sub-path 99a extending from the collection box 70 to the sub-box 6t and a second sub-path 99b extending from the sub-box 6t to the fifth bearing 89a.

[0137] The first secondary path 99a is the path of oil O formed by the second protruding rib 6b, the third protruding rib 6c, and the covering member 4. In this embodiment, the reversing shaft 45 is arranged between the drive shaft 46 and the output shaft 55 in the X-axis direction. The first secondary path 99a passes over the upper side of the reversing shaft 45. According to the first secondary path 99a of this embodiment, oil O can be transferred from the collection box 70 to the auxiliary box 6t through the upper side of the reversing shaft 45.

[0138] The second auxiliary path 99b has an oil supply port 6h. The second auxiliary path 99b supplies oil O stored in the auxiliary tank 6t to the fifth bearing 89a. The second supply path 99 supplies oil O from the auxiliary tank 6t to the fifth bearing 89a via the second auxiliary path 99b.

[0139] According to this embodiment, the second auxiliary path 99b supplies oil O temporarily stored in the auxiliary tank 6t to the fifth bearing 89a. Therefore, even if the amount of oil O discharged from the discharge cut 73 of the collection box 70 is unstable, the second supply path 90 can compensate for this instability with the oil O stored in the auxiliary tank 6t, thereby ensuring a stable supply of oil O to the fifth bearing 89a.

[0140] like Figure 4 As shown, the collection box 70 has a secondary storage section 78 disposed on the rear (-X) side of the storage section 71. The secondary storage section 78 has a first protruding rib 6a extending from the housing 6 and a covering plate 76 for the box component 70A.

[0141] A fourth wall portion 71d is provided at the boundary between the storage section 71 and the sub-storage section 78. That is, the fourth wall portion 71d divides the storage section 71 and the sub-storage section 78. A transfer cut portion (outflow portion) 79 for allowing oil O to flow from the storage section 71 to the sub-storage section 78 is provided on the fourth wall portion 71d. That is, the collection box 70 has a transfer cut portion 79.

[0142] The transfer cut 79 extends downward from the upper edge of the fourth wall portion 71d. The transfer cut 79 is located above the bottom surface of the storage portion 71. When the level of oil O stored in the storage portion 71 reaches the lower end of the transfer cut 79, the oil O flows out to the auxiliary storage portion 78 through the transfer cut 79.

[0143] When the oil level in the oil reservoir P is high, the rotational efficiency of the gear ring 51 decreases due to the stirring resistance of the oil O. Furthermore, as the rotational speed of the gear ring 51 increases, the stirring resistance of the oil O also increases. Additionally, at higher rotational speeds, the amount of oil O transferred through the lifting path 95 increases. Therefore, a structure is required that prevents oil O from overflowing from the collection box 70 even as the amount of oil O transferred through the lifting path 95 increases with the increase in the rotational speed of the gear ring 51.

[0144] When the oil level in the storage section 71 exceeds a certain amount, the collection box 70 of this embodiment transfers a portion of the oil stored in the storage section 71 to the auxiliary storage section 78. According to this embodiment, when the rotational speed of the gear ring 51 increases, not only can the oil raised by the gear ring 51 be stored in the storage section 71, but also in the auxiliary storage section 78. Therefore, even if the rotational speed of the gear ring 51 increases and the amount of oil transferred in the lifting path 95 increases, the rotational efficiency of the gear ring 51 can be prevented from decreasing.

[0145] like Figure 3 As shown, a discharge port 78a is provided at the bottom of the secondary storage section 78. The oil O stored in the secondary storage section 78 is discharged from the discharge port 78a.

[0146] The bottom of the secondary storage section 78 is formed by a first protruding rib 6a. A first protruding rib 6a protruding axially to one side (-Y side) is provided on the second inner surface 62f of the housing 6. The first protruding rib 6a has a rib body 6ab extending in the vehicle longitudinal direction (X-axis direction) and a side end 6aa extending upward from the rearward (-X side) end of the rib body 6ab. That is, the first protruding rib 6a protrudes axially to one side (-Y side) from the second inner surface 62f of the housing 6.

[0147] The covering plate 76 extends along a plane orthogonal to the axial direction. That is, the covering plate 76 extends along the second inner side surface 62f of the housing 6. Furthermore, the covering plate 76 is positioned opposite to the second inner side surface 62f. The covering plate 76 contacts the front end of the first protruding rib 6a. The covering plate 76 covers the upper region of the first protruding rib 6a. Thus, the secondary storage section 78 stores oil O within the space enclosed by the covering plate 76, the second inner side surface 62f, the first protruding rib 6a, and the fourth wall portion 71d.

[0148] like Figure 2 As shown, when viewed from the Y-axis direction, at least a portion of the secondary storage section 78 in this embodiment overlaps with the gear ring 51. According to this embodiment, the enlargement of the gear chamber 6B caused by the provision of the secondary storage section 78 can be suppressed, resulting in the miniaturization of the drive device 1. More specifically, by providing the secondary storage section 78 at a position slightly below the upper end of the gear ring 51, the height of the drive device 1 can be reduced.

[0149] In a case where at least a part of the sub reservoir 78 is overlapped with the ring gear 51 when viewed from the Y-axis direction, it is difficult to form the sub reservoir 78 in a barrel shape only by the ribs protruding from the housing 6 in terms of manufacturing. In addition, in a case where the sub reservoir 78 is an entirely different member from the housing 6, in order to avoid a buffer with the housing 6, it is necessary to downsize the sub reservoir 78, and the amount of oil that can be stored in the sub reservoir 78 becomes less. According to the present embodiment, at least a part of the sub reservoir 78 is the inner surface of the housing 6, and at least a part of the sub reservoir 78 is the cover plate 76 that is arranged opposite to the inner surface of the housing. More specifically, the bottom of the sub reservoir 78 is constituted by the first protruding rib 6a that protrudes from the housing 6. Therefore, the second inner side surface 62f of the housing 6 assumes one wall surface that surrounds the storage space of the sub reservoir 78, and it is possible to effectively utilize the limited space of the gear chamber 6B to secure the storage amount of the oil O of the sub reservoir 78.

[0150] The trap tank 70 of the present embodiment is arranged so as to overlap with the second gear 42 and the like at the supply portion 72. Thereby, it is possible to arrange the front end portion 72c of the supply portion 72 close to the center axis J2 of the second gear 42, and it is possible to improve the reliability of the supply of the oil to the first bearing 86 that surrounds the center axis J2 by the supply portion 72.

[0151] According to the present embodiment, the trap tank 70 has the tank member 70A that is provided with the storage portion 71 and the supply portion 72. The tank member 70A that is a part of the trap tank 70 and the housing 6 are different members. The tank member 70A that is a part of the trap tank 70 is fixed to the inner side surface of the housing 6. According to the present embodiment, compared to a case where the trap tank 70 is constituted only by ribs that protrude from the housing 6, the degree of freedom of the structure of the supply portion 72 is improved. More specifically, in a case where the trap tank is constituted only by ribs that protrude from the housing 6, even though it is possible to constitute the storage portion, it is difficult to constitute a supply portion like the present embodiment that extends to the bearing holding portion in terms of manufacturing. By fixing the tank member 70A that is a different member to the inner side surface of the housing 6 as in the present embodiment, not only is it possible to make the trap tank 70 into a complex shape, but it is also possible to improve the degree of freedom of the arrangement of the trap tank 70.

[0152] Next, the oil O that is supplied from the supply portion 72 to the inner side of the first bearing holding portion 66 will be described mainly using Figure 3 The path that the oil O that is supplied from the supply portion 72 to the inner side of the first bearing holding portion 66 passes through will be described. As described above, the notch portion 66n is provided on the first holding cylinder portion 66b of the first bearing holding portion 66. In addition, the notch portion 66n is connected to the oil passage 90 via the trap tank 70. That is, the oil O is supplied from the oil passage 90 to the notch portion 66n. Figure 1 ) to the notch portion 66n.

[0153] As Figure 3As shown, the first bearing holding portion 66 has a first rib 66c, a second rib 66d, and a third rib 66e that protrude from the first opposing surface 66a toward the axial one side (-Y side) of the inner side of the first holding cylinder portion 66b.

[0154] The first rib 66c extends in a concave shape with the upper side open. The first rib 66c has a first end portion 66ca on the vehicle front side (+X side) and a second end portion 66cb on the vehicle rear side (-X side).

[0155] The first rib 66c curves in a circular arc shape with the center axis J2 as a center as it goes from directly below the center axis J2 toward the first end portion 66ca. The first end portion 66ca of the first rib 66c is located slightly above the center axis J2. The first end portion 66ca is the uppermost end portion over the entire length of the first rib 66c. That is, the first end portion 66ca is located at the upper end of the first rib 66c when viewed from the Y-axis direction. In addition, the first end portion 66ca is disposed at a position that is radially inward of the inner peripheral surface of the first holding cylinder portion 66b. That is, the upper end (first end portion 66ca) of the first rib 66c opposes the inner peripheral surface of the first holding cylinder portion 66b with a gap G therebetween.

[0156] In addition, the first rib 66c extends in a straight line shape from directly below the center axis J2 toward the second end portion 66cb. The first rib 66c slightly inclines upward as it goes from directly below the center axis J2 toward the second end portion 66cb. The second end portion 66cb is disposed at a position that is radially inward of the inner peripheral surface of the first holding cylinder portion 66b.

[0157] The lower end 66cp of the inner peripheral surface of the first rib 66c is located at a position that is lower than the upper end 45p of the inner peripheral surface 45a of the reversing shaft 45 when viewed from the Y-axis direction. Here, the inner peripheral surface of the first rib 66c refers to the surface that faces the opening side (upper side) in the first rib 66c that extends in a concave shape. In addition, in the present embodiment, the lower end 66cp of the inner peripheral surface of the first rib 66c is located directly below the center axis J2.

[0158] Oil O is supplied from the oil passage 90 into the opening of the first rib 66c that extends in a concave shape. Therefore, the oil O accumulates in the opening of the first rib 66c. According to the present embodiment, by disposing the lower end 66cp of the inner peripheral surface of the first rib 66c at a position that is lower than the upper end 45p of the inner peripheral surface 45a of the reversing shaft 45, it is possible to smoothly guide the oil O that accumulates in the opening of the first rib 66c to the inside of the reversing shaft 45. The oil O that is introduced into the inner peripheral surface 45a of the reversing shaft 45 passes through the hollow portion 45h of the reversing shaft 45, reaches the end portion on the axial one side of the reversing shaft 45, and is used for lubrication of the fourth bearing 87 (refer to Figure 1

[0159] ​According to the present embodiment, a gap G is provided between the first end portion 66ca of the first rib 66c and the inner peripheral surface of the first holding cylinder portion 66b. Therefore, a portion of the oil O that flows into the opening of the first rib 66c can be supplied to a position lower than the first rib 66c through the gap G between the first end portion 66ca and the first holding cylinder portion 66b. The oil O that flows to the lower side of the first rib 66c is accumulated in the lower region on the inner side of the first holding cylinder portion 66b and is supplied to the first bearing 86. That is, according to the present embodiment, the oil O that flows into the inner side of the first holding cylinder portion 66b from the oil passage 90 can be used to evenly lubricate each portion. In addition, the above-described effect can be obtained as long as at least one of the one end portion (the first end portion 66ca) of the extension direction of the first rib 66c and the other end portion (the second end portion 66cb) of the extension direction opposes the inner peripheral surface of the first holding cylinder portion 66b with the gap G therebetween when viewed in the axial direction. For example, the one end portion (the first end portion 66ca) of the first rib can oppose the inner peripheral surface of the first holding cylinder portion 66b with the gap G therebetween, and the other end portion (the second end portion 66cb) can be continuous with the inner peripheral surface of the first holding cylinder portion 66b. In this case, a portion of the oil O that is accumulated in the opening of the first rib 66c is accumulated in the lower region on the inner side of the first holding cylinder portion 66b via the gap G and is supplied to the first bearing 86.

[0160] The second rib 66d connects the second end portion 66cb of the first rib 66c to the inner peripheral surface of the first holding cylinder portion 66b. The second rib 66d extends in a straight line. The second rib 66d is disposed on the extension line of the first rib 66c on the second end portion 66cb side. The second rib 66d is positioned on the lower side of the cutout portion 66n. That is, the second rib 66d reaches the first rib 66c from the lower side of the cutout portion 66n of the inner peripheral surface of the first holding cylinder portion 66b. The protrusion height of the second rib 66d is lower than that of the first rib 66c.

[0161] The second rib 66d of the present embodiment connects the inner peripheral surface of the first holding cylinder portion 66b to the first rib 66c, and thus, the oil O that flows into the inner side of the first holding cylinder portion 66b from the cutout portion 66n can be efficiently guided into the opening of the first rib 66c. As a result, a sufficient amount of oil O can be introduced from the first rib 66c into the inside of the reversing shaft 45.

[0162] According to the present embodiment, the protrusion height of the second rib 66d is lower than the protrusion height of the first rib 66c. Therefore, the oil O reaches the opening of the first rib 66c halfway along the upper side of the second rib 66d, a portion of the oil O drips from the second rib 66d, and is accumulated in the bottom portion of the first holding cylinder portion 66b. Thus, the oil O is used for lubrication of the first bearing 86.

[0163] The third rib 66e is disposed on the opening side of the first rib 66c. That is, the third rib 66e is located directly above the first rib 66c. In addition, the third rib 66e is located directly above the center axis J2. The third rib 66e extends in a circular arc shape with the center axis J2 as the center. The protruding height of the third rib 66e is equal to the protruding height of the first rib 66c.

[0164] Figure 6 FIG. 7 is a partial cross-sectional view of the drive device 1 near the end portion on the other axial side (+Y) of the reversing shaft 45.

[0165] The inner peripheral surface of the first holding cylinder portion 66b has a stepped surface 66k toward the one axial side (-Y side), a large-diameter portion 66p located on the one axial side than the stepped surface 66k, and a small-diameter portion 66q located on the other axial side than the stepped surface 66k. The large-diameter portion 66p surrounds and holds the first bearing 86 from the radially outer side. The first bearing 86 is disposed with a circular plate-shaped spacer 86s between the stepped surface 66k.

[0166] The diameter of the small-diameter portion 66q is smaller than the outer diameter of the first bearing 86. The oil guide 47 is disposed on the radially inner side of the small-diameter portion 66q. That is, the transmission mechanism device 7 includes the oil guide 47 disposed on the inner side of the first holding cylinder portion 66b.

[0167] The oil guide 47 has a cylinder portion 47a, a flange portion 47b, and an outer ring cylinder portion 47c. The cylinder portion 47a is cylindrical with the center axis J2 as the center. The cylinder portion 47a extends in the axial direction. The end portion of the cylinder portion 47a on the one axial side (-Y side) is disposed inside (hollow portion 45h) the reversing shaft 45. A tapered portion 47j that increases in diameter as it goes toward the other axial side (+Y side) is provided at the end portion of the cylinder portion 47a on the other axial side (+Y side).

[0168] The flange portion 47b expands to the radially outer side from the end portion of the cylinder portion 47a on the other axial side (+Y side). The flange portion 47b is disc-shaped with the center axis J2 as the center. At least a portion of the flange portion 47b overlaps the first bearing 86 as viewed from the direction of the center axis J2.

[0169] The flange portion 47b has a first face 47f toward the other axial side (+Y side). The first face 47f opposes the first opposing face 66a. The first face 47f is in contact with, or opposes with a slight gap, the front end face of the first rib 66c and the third rib 66e. Thus, a gap through which the oil O passes is provided between the first face 47f and the first opposing face 66a.

[0170] A plurality of through holes 47h that pass through in the axial direction are provided in the flange portion 47b of the oil guide 47. The through holes 47h are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. The through holes 47h allow a portion of the oil O between the first face 47f and the first opposite face 66a to pass to the axial one side (-Y side). Thus, a portion of the oil O accumulated in the first holding cylinder portion 66b can be appropriately supplied to the first bearing 86.

[0171] The outer ring cylinder portion 47c extends from the outer edge of the flange portion 47b to the axial one side (-Y side). The outer ring cylinder portion 47c is a cylinder that has the center axis J2 as the center. The outer diameter of the outer ring cylinder portion 47c is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the small diameter portion 66q. The front end of the axial one side of the outer ring cylinder portion 47c is in contact with the spacer 86s, or opposite with a slight gap. Thus, the oil guide 47 arranges a slight play in the axial direction between the first opposite face 66a and the first bearing 86.

[0172] According to the present embodiment, since the flange portion 47b of the oil guide 47 covers the front end side of the first rib 66c, the oil O can be accumulated in the opening of the first rib 66c that extends in a concave shape, and the oil O can be efficiently introduced into the hollow portion 45h of the reversing shaft 45.

[0173] According to the present embodiment, since the oil guide 47 has the cylinder portion 47a that extends in the hollow portion 45h of the reversing shaft 45, the oil O between the flange portion 47b and the first opposite face 66a can be efficiently guided into the hollow portion 45h. In addition, according to the present embodiment, since the tapered portion 47j is provided on the flange portion 47b side of the end of the oil O and the cylinder portion 47a, the oil O that fills the axial other side (+Y side) of the flange portion 47b can be smoothly guided into the cylinder portion 47a.

[0174] According to the present embodiment, the flange portion 47b of the oil guide 47 is arranged in the axial direction between the front end of the axial one side (-Y side) of the first rib 66c and the first bearing 86. Thus, the inclination of the oil guide 47 between the first opposite face 66a and the first bearing 86 can be suppressed, and the flow of the oil O can be reliably controlled. Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, the third rib 66e having a protrusion height consistent with the first rib 66c is provided on the opposite side of the first rib 66c on the opening side and sandwiching the center axis J2. The flange portion 47b is arranged in the axial direction between the end of the axial one side of the first rib 66c and the third rib 66e and the first bearing 86. Thus, the inclination of the oil guide 47 can be more reliably suppressed.

[0175] As Figure 3As shown, the second holding cylinder portion 64b of the second bearing holding portion 64 is arranged on the lower side of the first holding cylinder portion 66b of the first bearing holding portion 66. A communication hole (communication path) 62p that connects the inside of the first holding cylinder portion 66b and the inside of the second holding cylinder portion 64b is provided in the housing 6. The communication hole 62p is opened in a region on the lower side than the center axis J2 in the inner peripheral surface of the first holding cylinder portion 66b. On the other hand, the communication hole 62p is opened in a region on the upper side than the motor axis J1 in the inner peripheral surface of the second holding cylinder portion 64b.

[0176] According to the present embodiment, since the first holding cylinder portion 66b and the second holding cylinder portion 64b are connected to each other via the communication hole 62p, it is possible to guide a part of the oil O introduced to the inside of the first holding cylinder portion 66b to the inside of the second holding cylinder portion 64b. Thereby, not only the first bearing 86, but also the second bearing 84 can be appropriately lubricated. According to the present embodiment, by supplying the oil O to the first bearing holding portion 66, it is possible to supply the oil O not only to the first bearing 86, but also to the second bearing 84.

[0177] The communication hole 62p has a recessed portion 62d, a first through-hole 62j, and a second through-hole 62k. The recessed portion 62d is provided on the face of the other axial side (+Y side) of the gear cover 62 (i.e., the wall portion of the housing 6). In addition, the recessed portion 62d is covered from the other axial side of the gear cover 62 by the cover member 62c (refer to FIG. 6). Figure 1 The first through-hole 62j and the second through-hole 62k each pass through the gear cover 62. In addition, the first through-hole 62j connects the recessed portion 62d and the inside of the first holding cylinder portion 66b. On the other hand, the second through-hole 62k connects the recessed portion 62d and the inside of the second holding cylinder portion 64b.

[0178] According to the present embodiment, the communication path of the oil O that connects the first holding cylinder portion 66b and the second holding cylinder portion 64b is the hole-shaped communication hole 62p that is surrounded by the periphery. That is, the communication path of the oil O is not a path that is not surrounded by a wall surface such as a notch or a groove. Therefore, the communication hole 62p can reliably transfer the oil O on the inside of the first holding cylinder portion 66b to the inside of the second holding cylinder portion 64b.

[0179] As Figure 1The first through-hole 62j and the second through-hole 62k of the present embodiment are shown to penetrate the gear cover 62 in the Y-axis direction. In addition, the recessed portion 62d is recessed toward the axial one side (-Y side) on the face of the axial other side (+Y side) of the gear cover 62. In a case where an attempt is made to form the communication hole 62p from the axial one side of the gear cover 62, it is necessary to insert a jig for machining (a drill bit or the like) into the first holding cylinder portion 66b or the second holding cylinder portion 64b, and thus there is a problem in that the manufacturing process becomes complicated. According to the present embodiment, it is possible to form the communication hole 62p from the axial other side of the gear cover 62 in order to sufficiently obtain a working space, and thus it is possible to simplify the manufacturing process.

[0180] Next, the oil O supplied from the communication hole 62p toward the inside of the second bearing holding portion 64 will be described mainly using Figure 3 The second bearing holding portion 64 has a fourth rib 64c, a fifth rib 64d, and a sixth rib 64e that are located inside the second holding cylinder portion 64b and protrude toward the axial one side from the second opposite face 64a.

[0181] The fourth rib 64c extends in a concave shape that is open toward the upper side. The fourth rib 64c has a first end portion 64ca on the vehicle front side (+X side) and a second end portion 64cb on the vehicle rear side (-X side). The fourth rib 64c is curved in a circular arc shape around the center axis J2 on the lower side of the center axis J2. The first end portion 64ca and the second end portion 64cb are disposed at positions that are radially inside the inner peripheral surface of the second holding cylinder portion 64b. The first end portion 64ca and the second end portion 64cb of the fourth rib 64c oppose the inner peripheral surface of the second holding cylinder portion 64b with a gap therebetween. In addition, the fifth rib 64d is connected to the second end portion 64cb.

[0182] When viewed in the axial direction, the lower end 64cp of the inner peripheral surface of the fourth rib 64c is located at a position that is lower than the upper end 46p of the inner peripheral surface 46a of the drive shaft 46. According to the present embodiment, by disposing the lower end 64cp of the inner peripheral surface of the fourth rib 64c at a position that is lower than the upper end 46p of the inner peripheral surface 46a of the drive shaft 46, it is possible to smoothly introduce the oil O that is accumulated at the opening of the fourth rib 64c into the inside of the drive shaft 46. In addition, the oil O that is introduced into the inner peripheral surface 46a of the drive shaft 46 passes through the hollow portion 46h of the drive shaft 46 to reach the end portion on the axial one side of the rotor shaft 21, and is used for lubrication of the sixth bearing 89b (refer to Figure 1 ).

[0183] According to the present embodiment, a gap is provided between the first end portion 64ca of the fourth rib 64c and the inner peripheral surface of the second holding cylinder portion 64b. Therefore, a portion of the oil O flowing into the opening of the fourth rib 64c can be supplied to a position lower than the fourth rib 64c through the gap between the first end portion 64ca and the second holding cylinder portion 64b. The oil O flowing to the lower side of the fourth rib 64c is accumulated in the lower region on the inner side of the second holding cylinder portion 64b to improve the lubricity of the second bearing 84. That is, according to the present embodiment, the lubricity of each portion can be improved uniformly using the oil O flowing into the inner side of the second holding cylinder portion 64b from the oil passage 90.

[0184] The fifth rib 64d connects the second end portion 64cb of the fourth rib 64c to the inner peripheral surface of the second holding cylinder portion 64b. The fifth rib 64d extends in a straight line. The fifth rib 64d is disposed on the extension line of the fourth rib 64c on the second end portion 64cb side. The fifth rib 64d is positioned on the lower side of the opening of the communication hole 62p. That is, the fifth rib 64d reaches the fourth rib 64c from the lower side of the opening of the communication hole 62p of the inner peripheral surface of the second holding cylinder portion 64b. The protrusion height of the fifth rib 64d is lower than the protrusion height of the fourth rib 64c.

[0185] The fifth rib 64d of the present embodiment connects the inner peripheral surface of the second holding cylinder portion 64b to the fourth rib 64c, and thus can efficiently guide the oil O flowing into the inner side of the second holding cylinder portion 64b from the communication hole 62p into the opening of the fourth rib 64c. As a result, a sufficient amount of oil O can be introduced from the fourth rib 64c into the inside of the drive shaft 46. In addition, since the protrusion height of the fifth rib 64d is lower than the protrusion height of the fourth rib 64c, a portion of the oil O can be used for lubrication of the second bearing 84.

[0186] The sixth rib 64e is disposed on the opening side of the fourth rib 64c. That is, the sixth rib 64e is positioned directly above the fourth rib 64c. In addition, the sixth rib 64e is positioned directly above the center axis J2. The sixth rib 64e extends in a circular arc shape with the center axis J2 as the center. The protrusion height of the sixth rib 64e is equal to the protrusion height of the fourth rib 64c.

[0187] Although not illustrated, in the axial direction, the same oil guide 47 as the oil guide provided to the first bearing holding portion 66 is disposed between the second opposing surface 64a of the second bearing holder portion 64 and the second bearing 84. The front end of the fourth rib 64c and the sixth rib 64e are in contact with the oil guide 47. Thereby, the inclination of the oil guide 47 can be suppressed. The oil guide 47 disposed inside the second bearing holder portion 64 guides the oil O to the inside of the drive shaft 46.

[0188] As Figure 1As shown, according to this embodiment, the end of the drive shaft 46 on one axial side (-Y side) is connected to the rotor shaft 21. Therefore, a portion of the oil O guided into the drive shaft 46 reaches the opening on the axial side (-Y side) of the rotor shaft 21. This oil O is used to lubricate the sixth bearing 89b that holds the end of the rotor shaft 21 on one axial side.

[0189] In this embodiment, the case where the shaft connected to the rotor shaft 21 is a shaft held by the second bearing holding part 64 (drive shaft 46) is described. However, the shaft connected to the rotor shaft 21 may also be a shaft held by the first bearing holding part 66 that supplies oil O directly from the collection box 70 (reverse shaft 45).

[0190] (Variation Example 1)

[0191] Next, based on Figure 7 The structure of the first bearing retainer 166 in Modified Example 1, which can be used in the above embodiment, will be explained. Furthermore, components that are the same as those in the above embodiment will be given the same reference numerals, and their descriptions will be omitted.

[0192] The first bearing retaining portion 166 in this modified example, like the embodiment described above, includes: a first opposing surface 166a; a first retaining sleeve portion 166b, which protrudes axially from the first opposing surface 166a to one side (-Y side); and a first rib 166c and a second rib 166d, which are located inside the first retaining sleeve portion 166b and protrude axially from the first opposing surface 166a. Furthermore, similar to the embodiment described above, a cutout portion 166n is provided on the first retaining sleeve portion 166b of the first bearing retaining portion 166.

[0193] The first rib 166c extends in a concave shape with an upward opening. The first rib 166c is curved into an arc shape with the central axis J2 as its center on the lower side. The two ends of the first rib 166c are positioned radially inward from the inner circumferential surface of the first retaining cylinder 166b. The two ends of the first rib 166c are positioned opposite the inner circumferential surface of the first retaining cylinder 166b with a gap between them.

[0194] One end 166da of the second rib 166d is connected to the inner circumferential surface of the first retaining sleeve portion 166b below the cut-out portion 166n. The second rib 166d extends linearly inward from the inner circumferential surface of the first retaining sleeve portion 166b. The second rib 166d slopes downward away from the inner circumferential surface of the first retaining sleeve portion 166b. The other end 166db of the second rib 166d is located directly above the opening of the first rib 166c. In this embodiment, the protrusion height of the second rib 166d is equal to the protrusion height of the first rib 166c. Alternatively, the protrusion height of the second rib 166d may be lower than the protrusion height of the first rib 166c.

[0195] In this modified example, the second rib 166d can guide the oil O flowing from the cutout 166n into the inside of the first retaining cylinder 166b to directly above the first rib 166c. Thus, the oil O is adequately stored in the opening of the first rib 166c, and can be efficiently guided into the interior of the reversing shaft 45 in the same manner as in the embodiment described above.

[0196] Alternatively, in the first bearing retaining portion 166 of this modified example, an oil guide 47 may also be provided in the same manner as in the above embodiment. In this case, the front end of the first rib 166c contacts the oil guide 47.

[0197] (Variation Example 2)

[0198] Next, based on Figure 8 The structure of the first bearing retainer 266 in Modified Example 2, which can be used in the above embodiments, will be described. Furthermore, components that are the same as those in the above embodiments will be given the same reference numerals, and their descriptions will be omitted.

[0199] The first bearing retaining portion 266 in this modified example is the same as in the above embodiment, and includes: a first opposing surface 266a; a first retaining sleeve portion 266b, which protrudes from the first opposing surface 266a toward one axial side (-Y side); and a first rib 266c and a seventh rib 266d, which are located inside the first retaining sleeve portion 266b and protrude from the first opposing surface 266a toward one axial side. Furthermore, as in the above embodiment, a cutout portion 266n is provided on the first retaining sleeve portion 266b of the first bearing retaining portion 266.

[0200] The first rib 266c extends in a concave shape with an upward opening. The first rib 266c is curved into an arc shape with the central axis J2 as its center on the lower side of the central axis J2. One end 266ca of the first rib 266c in the extending direction faces the inner circumferential surface of the first retaining sleeve portion 266b with a gap between them. On the other hand, the other end of the first rib 266c in the extending direction is connected to the inner circumferential surface of the first retaining sleeve portion 266b on the lower side of the cutout portion 266n.

[0201] The seventh rib 266d extends in a straight line. It is disposed on the extension line of the extending direction of the first rib 266c at one end 266ca. One end 266da of the seventh rib 266d in the extending direction is opposite to one end 266ca of the first rib 266c with a gap. On the other hand, the other end of the seventh rib 266d in the extending direction is connected to the inner circumferential surface of the first retaining cylinder portion 266b.

[0202] According to this modification, a portion of the oil O flowing into the opening of the first rib 266c from the cutout portion 266n can be supplied from the gap between the one end portion 266ca of the first rib 266c and the one end portion 266da of the seventh rib 266d to a position lower than the first rib 266c. The oil O flowing to the lower side of the first rib 266c is accumulated in the lower region of the inner side of the first holding cylinder portion 266b and supplied to the first bearing 86. Such an effect is obtained by the one end portion 266ca of the extension direction of the first rib 266c or the other end portion of the extension direction being opposed to the inner peripheral surface of the first holding cylinder portion 266b with a gap therebetween without being connected to each other.

[0203] The above describes various embodiments of the present application, but each structure in each embodiment and combinations thereof and the like are only examples, and addition, omission, substitution, and other changes of the structure can be made within a range not departing from the gist of the present application. In addition, the present application is not limited to the embodiments.

Claims

1. A drive device comprising: a motor; a transmission mechanism having a plurality of gears, a first shaft, and a bearing supporting the first shaft, and transmitting power of the motor; a case accommodating the transmission mechanism and holding the bearing on an inner surface; oil accumulated in a lower region inside the case; a catch tank arranged in the case and opened upward; an oil passage through which the oil passes; and an oil pump provided to the oil passage, the oil passage having: a first path connecting the oil pump and the catch tank; and a lift-up path lifting up the oil by rotation of the gears and guiding the oil to the catch tank, the catch tank having a supply portion supplying the oil to the gears or the bearing, the transmission mechanism including: an output shaft extending along an output axis and connected to a wheel; and a differential device engaged with the gears at a ring gear rotating around the output axis and connected to the output shaft, the oil pump having a discharge port, the first path having a first end portion, the first end portion connected to the discharge port, the first end portion arranged overlapping the ring gear when viewed in an axial direction, the catch tank arranged at a position higher than the ring gear and overlapping the ring gear when viewed in a vertical direction.

2. The drive device according to claim 1, wherein the first path has a second end portion, the second end portion connected to the catch tank, the first path being a hole portion provided to the case.

3. The drive device according to claim 2, wherein the first end portion and the second end portion are located at a position higher than the output axis.

4. The drive device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein either one of the inner surface of the case and the catch tank is provided with a hollow pipe portion protruding toward the other, and the other is provided with a recess portion into which the pipe portion is fitted, the pipe portion connected to the first path.

5. The drive device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising an oil cooler cooling the oil, the oil passage having: a second path in which the oil is supplied from the oil pump to the oil cooler; and a third path in which the oil is supplied from the oil cooler to the motor.

6. The drive device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the output shaft extends in parallel with the first shaft, the transmission mechanism has an output shaft bearing supporting an outer circumferential surface of the output shaft, the inner surface of the case is provided with an output shaft bearing holding portion holding the output shaft bearing, the catch tank has a storage portion having a first discharge portion, the oil passage has a first supply path connecting the first discharge portion and the output shaft bearing holding portion.

7. The drive device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the motor has a rotor shaft rotating around a motor axis, the case supports the rotor shaft to be rotatable via a rotor shaft bearing.

8. The drive device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the differential device has a differential case, the differential case having a differential case opening, the differential case opening being connected to the first path.

9. The drive device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the differential case has a differential case opening, the differential case opening being connected to the first path.

10. The drive device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the differential case has a differential case opening, the differential case opening being connected to the first path.

11. The drive device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the differential case has a differential case opening, the differential case opening being connected to the first path.

12. The drive device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the differential case has a differential case opening, the differential case opening being connected to the first path.

13. The drive device according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the differential case has a differential case opening, the differential case opening being connected to the first path.

14. The drive device according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the differential case has a differential case opening, the differential case opening being connected to the first path.

15. The drive device according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the differential case has a differential case opening, the differential case opening being connected to the first path.

16. The drive device according to any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein the differential case has a differential case opening, the differential case opening being connected to the first path.

17. The drive device according to any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein the differential case has a differential case opening, the differential case opening being connected to the first path.

18. The drive device according to any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein the differential case has a differential case opening, the differential case opening being connected to the first path.

19. The drive device according to any one of claims 1 to 18, wherein the differential case has a differential case opening, the differential case opening being connected to the first path.

20. The drive device according to any one of claims 1 to 19, wherein the differential case has a differential case opening, the differential case opening being connected to the first path. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ The trap tank has a storage portion and a second discharge portion that discharges the oil of the storage portion, A second supply path is provided in the inside space of the housing, in which the oil discharged from the second discharge portion is supplied to the rotor shaft bearing.

8. The drive device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the transmission mechanism has a second shaft that rotates around a motor axis, a pinion is fixed to the second shaft, the pinion engages with a reverse gear fixed to the first shaft, the center of the first shaft is located at a position higher than the center of the second shaft when viewed in the axial direction.

9. A drive device comprising: a motor; a transmission mechanism that has a plurality of gears, a first shaft, and a bearing that supports the first shaft, and that transmits power of the motor; a housing that houses the transmission mechanism and holds the bearing on an inner surface; oil that is accumulated in a lower region inside the housing; a trap tank that is disposed inside the housing and is open to an upper side; an oil passage through which the oil passes; and an oil pump that is provided to the oil passage, the oil passage has: a first path that connects the oil pump and the trap tank; and a lift-up path that lifts up the oil by rotation of the gears and guides the oil to the trap tank, the trap tank has a supply portion that supplies the oil to the gears or the bearing, includes an oil cooler that cools the oil, the oil passage has: a second path in which the oil is supplied from the oil pump to the oil cooler; and a third path in which the oil is supplied from the oil cooler to the motor, a flow passage cross-sectional area of the first path is smaller than a flow passage cross-sectional area of the second path.

10. The drive device according to claim 9, wherein the transmission mechanism has: an output shaft that extends in parallel with the first shaft; and an output shaft bearing that supports an outer peripheral surface of the output shaft, an output shaft bearing holding portion that holds the output shaft bearing is provided on an inner surface of the housing, the trap tank has a storage portion that has a first discharge portion, the oil passage has a first supply path that connects the first discharge portion and the output shaft bearing holding portion.

11. The drive device according to claim 9, wherein the motor has a rotor shaft that rotates around a motor axis, the housing rotatably supports the rotor shaft via a rotor shaft bearing, the trap tank has a storage portion and a second discharge portion that discharges the oil of the storage portion, a second supply path is provided in the inside space of the housing, in which the oil discharged from the second discharge portion is supplied to the rotor shaft bearing.

12. The drive device according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the transmission mechanism has a second shaft that rotates around a motor axis, a pinion is fixed to the second shaft, the pinion engages with a reverse gear fixed to the first shaft, the center of the first shaft is located at a position higher than the center of the second shaft when viewed in the axial direction. ​ ​ ​ The center of the first shaft is located on an upper side than the center of the second shaft when viewed in an axial direction.

13. A drive device comprising: a motor; a transmission mechanism having a plurality of gears, a first shaft, and a bearing supporting the first shaft, and transmitting power of the motor; a housing accommodating the transmission mechanism and holding the bearing on an inner surface; oil accumulated in a lower region inside the housing; a trapping tank provided in the housing and opened to an upper side; an oil passage through which the oil passes; and an oil pump provided in the oil passage, the oil passage has: a first path connecting the oil pump and the trapping tank; and a lift-up path lifting up the oil by rotation of the gears and guiding the oil to the trapping tank, the trapping tank has a supply portion supplying the oil to the gears or the bearing, a first bearing holding portion holding the bearing is provided on the inner surface of the housing, the first bearing holding portion has a holding cylinder portion holding a first bearing from a radially outer side, a cutout portion connecting an inner side and an outer side of the holding cylinder portion is provided on the holding cylinder portion, the trapping tank has a storage portion, the supply portion extends from the storage portion to the holding cylinder portion, and a front end portion of the supply portion is inserted into the cutout portion.

14. The drive device according to claim 13, wherein the transmission mechanism has: an output shaft extending in parallel with the first shaft; and an output shaft bearing supporting an outer peripheral surface of the output shaft, an output shaft bearing holding portion holding the output shaft bearing is provided on the inner surface of the housing, the storage portion has a first discharge portion, the oil passage has a first supply path connecting the first discharge portion and the output shaft bearing holding portion.

15. The drive device according to claim 13 or 14, wherein the motor has a rotor shaft rotating around a motor axis, the housing supports the rotor shaft to be rotatable via a rotor shaft bearing, the trapping tank has a second discharge portion discharging the oil of the storage portion, a second supply path is provided in an inner space of the housing, in which the oil discharged from the second discharge portion is supplied to the rotor shaft bearing.

16. The drive device according to claim 13 or 14, wherein the transmission mechanism has a second shaft rotating around a motor axis, a pinion is fixed to the second shaft, and the pinion engages with a reverse gear fixed to the first shaft, the center of the first shaft is located on an upper side than the center of the second shaft when viewed in an axial direction. ​ ​

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