Vehicle drive device, motor housing of vehicle drive device, and manufacturing method thereof

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a vehicle drive device, a motor housing of the vehicle drive device, and a manufacturing method thereof. The motor housing (21) is a casting used in a vehicle drive device (20) and includes a device mounting seat (24) provided at an upper portion, an oil cooler connecting seat (31), and a long hole (32) opened on the oil cooler connecting seat. A seat surface (25) of the device mounting seat (24) is inclined in a manner of rising from one side to the other side, and the long hole (32) is inclined in a manner of rising from one side to the other side in parallel with the seat surface (25).

Description

[0001] Cross-references to related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-057087, filed on March 30, 2021, the entire contents of which, including the description, claims, drawings and abstract, are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This disclosure relates to the structure of a vehicle drive unit equipped with a vehicle control device, the structure of a motor housing used in the vehicle drive unit, and a method for manufacturing the same. Background Technology

[0004] Methods for forming oil passages in castings such as die castings have been proposed. For example, a method has been proposed in which a core hole extending in two orthogonal directions is formed by using a plastic core plug during casting, and the two core holes are connected by drilling after casting (for example, see Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 62-13711). Summary of the Invention

[0005] However, sometimes vehicle control devices and other equipment are installed on top of the motor housing of a vehicle drive unit manufactured by casting, such as die casting. The vehicle drive unit is mounted in the front compartment located at the front of the vehicle. Considering collision safety, the upper side of the front compartment is covered by an engine hood that is tilted at a predetermined angle so as to increase in height from the front of the vehicle toward the rear. Therefore, when mounting the vehicle drive unit in the front compartment, it is required that the upper surface of the equipment mounted on the motor housing of the vehicle drive unit be tilted so as to increase in height from the front of the vehicle toward the rear of the vehicle along the tilt of the engine hood. Therefore, it is necessary to form an equipment mounting seat with an inclined seat surface at the upper part of the motor housing of the vehicle drive unit.

[0006] Furthermore, it is required that the oil cooler be directly mounted on the motor housing of the vehicle's drive unit. In this case, an oil passage connecting to the oil cooler needs to be formed on the motor housing where the oil cooler is mounted.

[0007] Therefore, the purpose of this disclosure is to provide a motor housing structure in which an inclined device mounting base and an oil passage are formed by casting.

[0008] Methods for solving technical problems

[0009] The present disclosure discloses a motor housing for use in a vehicle drive system, characterized in that it comprises: an equipment mounting base disposed at an upper part; an oil cooler connecting base; and a core hole opening on the oil cooler connecting base, wherein the seat surface of the equipment mounting base is inclined in a manner that rises from one side to the other, and the core hole is inclined in a manner that rises from one side to the other parallel to the seat surface.

[0010] Therefore, it is possible to provide a motor housing structure in which the upper seat surface is set as an inclined equipment mounting base and oil passage can be formed by casting.

[0011] In the motor housing disclosed herein, it may also be provided with a machining hole that extends from the inside in a direction intersecting with the core hole and communicates with the core hole, and whose depth is shallower than the depth of the core hole.

[0012] Thus, since the longer side of the hole is formed by casting and the shorter side is formed by machining when constructing the L-shaped oil passage, the oil passage can be formed with less machining and the freedom of the oil passage shape can be increased.

[0013] In the motor housing disclosed herein, the oil cooler connector may also be positioned at the front, with one side being the front of the vehicle and the other side being the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle drive unit is mounted in a front compartment covered by an engine hood that is tilted to rise from the front of the vehicle toward the rear. When the vehicle drive unit is mounted in the front compartment, the seat surface of the equipment mounting base is tilted to rise from the front of the vehicle toward the rear along the tilt of the engine hood.

[0014] This allows for efficient installation of the vehicle's drive system within the front compartment.

[0015] The vehicle drive unit disclosed herein is mounted in a front compartment covered by an engine hood that is tilted upwards from the front of the vehicle toward the rear. The vehicle drive unit is characterized by comprising: a motor housing having an equipment mounting base, an oil cooler connection base, a core hole, and a machining hole, wherein the equipment mounting base is located at an upper portion, the oil cooler connection base is located at a front portion, the core hole opens on the oil cooler connection base, and the machining hole communicates internally with the core hole and has a depth greater than the depth of the core hole. The vehicle control unit is mounted above the seat surface of the equipment mounting base; an oil cooler is mounted on the oil cooler connector; a cooling pipe is connected to the machining hole; the seat surface of the equipment mounting base of the motor housing is inclined from front to rear, and the core hole is inclined from front to rear parallel to the seat surface; when mounted in the front compartment, the upper surface of the vehicle control unit is inclined from front to rear along the inclination of the hood.

[0016] Therefore, while efficiently mounting the vehicle drive unit in the front compartment, the oil cooler can also be directly mounted on the motor housing of the vehicle drive unit, thus simplifying the structure.

[0017] The disclosed method for manufacturing a motor housing is for use in a vehicle drive system. The motor housing includes: an equipment mounting base; an oil cooler connection base; a core hole opening on the oil cooler connection base; and a machining hole communicating internally with the core hole. The method is characterized by the following steps: a mold assembly step, in which a first mold, a second mold, a third mold, a fourth mold, a fifth mold, and a sixth mold are combined to assemble the mold. Specifically, the first mold casts a first portion including the equipment mounting base; the second mold casts a second portion opposite to the first portion; the third mold casts a third portion including the oil cooler connection base and the core hole; and the fourth mold casts a fourth portion opposite to the third portion. The process involves: casting the fifth part using the fifth mold, casting the sixth part using the sixth mold; filling the molds with molten metal; demolding the first and second molds in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the equipment mounting base, demolding the third and fourth molds in a direction parallel to the surface of the equipment mounting base, and demolding the fifth and sixth molds in a direction orthogonal to the demolding directions of the third and fourth molds, to remove the casting including the equipment mounting base, the oil cooler connector, and the core hole; and machining the hole, wherein the machined hole extends from the interior of the casting in a direction intersecting with the core hole and communicates with the core hole, and its depth is shallower than the depth of the core hole.

[0018] Thus, by aligning the demolding direction of the first mold with the seat surface of the equipment mounting base, a hole communicating with the oil cooler can be formed through casting. Furthermore, since the longer side of the hole is formed by casting when constructing the L-shaped oil passage, and the shorter side is formed by machining, the oil passage can be formed with less machining while also increasing the freedom of shape for the oil passage.

[0019] In the manufacturing method of the motor housing disclosed herein, the equipment mounting base may also be disposed at the upper part of the motor housing, and the oil cooler connecting base may be disposed at the front part of the motor housing. The first part is the upper part including the equipment mounting base, and the first mold is the upper mold. The second part is the lower part opposite to the upper part, and the second mold is the lower mold. The third part is the front part including the oil cooler connecting base and the core hole, and the third mold is the front mold. The fourth part is the rear part opposite to the front part, and the fourth mold is the rear mold. The fifth part is the left part, and the fifth mold is the left mold. The sixth part is the right part, and the sixth mold is the right mold. The left mold and the right mold are demolded left and right respectively.

[0020] In the manufacturing method of the motor housing disclosed herein, a gate may also be provided on the upper mold, and the filling process fills the mold with molten metal from the gate.

[0021] Thus, by setting a gate on the upper mold and filling the molten metal from one side of the equipment mounting base, which is set to be inclined, the casting quality of the equipment mounting base can be ensured.

[0022] This disclosure provides a motor housing structure in which the upper seat surface is set as an inclined equipment mounting base and oil passage can be formed by casting. Attached Figure Description

[0023] Figure 1 An elevation view of a vehicle equipped with the vehicle drive device according to the embodiment.

[0024] Figure 2 This is a perspective view of the vehicle drive system according to an embodiment.

[0025] Figure 3 This is a perspective view of the motor housing used in the vehicle drive system according to the embodiment.

[0026] Figure 4 for Figure 3 The image shows a side view of the motor housing.

[0027] Figure 5 for Figure 4 The image shows a cross-sectional view (AA) of the motor housing.

[0028] Figure 6 To Figure 4 The diagram shows a cross-sectional view of the portion of the mold in which the motor housing is cast, with an elongated hole provided.

[0029] Figure 7 To indicate passage Figure 6 The image shows a cross-sectional view of the demolded motor housing after it has been cast from the mold. Detailed Implementation

[0030] Hereinafter, the vehicle drive unit 20 of the embodiment and the motor housing 21 used in the vehicle drive unit 20 will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, arrow FR points towards the front of the vehicle 10, arrow LH points towards the left of the vehicle 10, and arrow UP points towards the top of the vehicle 10. In the following description, unless otherwise specified, terms indicating directions such as front, back, left, right, up, and down refer to directions relative to the vehicle 10. Furthermore, in the drawings showing the vehicle drive unit 20 and the motor housing 21, arrows FR, LH, and UP represent the directions towards the front, left, and top of the vehicle, respectively, when the vehicle drive unit 20 and the motor housing 21 are mounted on the vehicle 10.

[0031] like Figure 1 As shown, the vehicle drive unit 20 in this embodiment includes motors 16 and 17 and an engine 15 (see reference) that drive the vehicle 10. Figure 2 The hybrid drive system is mounted in the front compartment 13 of the vehicle 10. The front compartment 13 is the space in front of the vehicle 10, separated from the passenger compartment 12 by the front wall 11. For collision safety, the front compartment 13 is covered on its upper side by an engine hood 14, which is raised in height from the front of the vehicle toward the rear, such that its upper surface is tilted at a predetermined angle θ relative to a line 90 parallel to the ground, like a dashed line 91.

[0032] A vehicle control unit 40, which controls the motors 16 and 17 of the vehicle drive unit 20, is mounted on the upper part of the vehicle drive unit 20. The vehicle control unit 40 is mounted obliquely, rising from the front of the vehicle toward the rear of the vehicle along the inclination of the front compartment 13. In addition, an oil cooler 50 is installed at the front of the vehicle drive unit 20 to cool the cooling oil that cools the motors 16 and 17.

[0033] like Figure 2 As shown, the vehicle drive unit 20 consists of motors 16 and 17, a motor housing 21 for housing the motors 16 and 17, a right cover 22, a left cover 23, and an engine 15. The motor housing 21 is, like... Figure 3 , 4 As shown, it is a roughly trapezoidal cross-section ring member with rounded corners and a rear height that is higher than the front height, and has a partition wall 28 inside to separate the left and right sides. Figure 3 The vehicle drive motors 16 and 17 are housed in the recess (not shown) on the left side of the partition wall 28 in the vehicle width direction, and the gear (not shown) between the motors 16 and 17 and the engine 15 is housed in the recess 29 on the right side of the partition wall 28 in the vehicle width direction. Figure 3 On the right flange 30 of the motor housing 21 shown, a bolt is attached to a [structure] like [something]. Figure 2 The right cover 22 covers the gears as shown. The right cover 22 has a flange 22a at its right end, and the engine 15 is mounted on the outer side of the flange 22a at the right end. Furthermore, as... Figure 2 As shown, a left cover 23 is installed on the left side of the motor housing 21 to cover the motors 16 and 17 housed in the left-side recess.

[0034] like Figure 2 , Figure 3 As shown, a mounting bracket 24 for mounting the vehicle control device 40 is provided on the upper part of the motor housing 21. Figure 3 As shown, the equipment mounting base 24 is composed of a front right seat 24a and a front left seat 24b that protrude obliquely upwards at the left and right sides of the front part of the motor housing 21, and a rear seat 24c that protrudes obliquely upwards at the rear part of the motor housing 21. The upper surface of the front right seat 24a becomes the front right seat surface 25a for mounting the mounting feet 42 of the frame 41 of the vehicle control device 40. Similarly, the upper surfaces of the front left seat 24b and the rear seat 24c also become the front left seat surface 25b and the rear seat surface 25c for mounting the mounting feet 42 of the frame 41 of the vehicle control device 40. In the following description, without distinguishing between the front right seat 24a, the front left seat 24b, and the rear seat 24c, they are referred to as the equipment mounting base 24. Similarly, without distinguishing between the front right seat surface 25a, the front left seat surface 25b, and the rear seat surface 25c, it is referred to as seat surface 25.

[0035] like Figure 4 As shown, the front right seat surface 25a, front left seat surface 25b, and rear seat surface 25c of the seat surface 25 are inclined at a predetermined angle θ, like a dashed line 93, relative to a line 90 parallel to the ground, in a manner that raises from the front of the vehicle toward the rear of the vehicle when the vehicle drive unit 20 is mounted on the vehicle 10. Therefore, when the mounting feet 42 of the vehicle control unit 40 are fixed above the seat surface 25, the upper surface of the vehicle control unit 40 is inclined at a predetermined angle θ, like a dashed line 94, in a manner that raises from the front of the vehicle toward the rear of the vehicle. Thus, when the vehicle drive unit 20 is mounted on the vehicle 10, the upper surface of the vehicle control unit 40 is inclined in a manner that raises from the front of the vehicle toward the rear of the vehicle along the inclination of the front compartment 13.

[0036] In addition, such as Figure 3As shown, a terminal block holder 26 for mounting the terminal blocks of motors 16 and 17 is provided on the upper part of the motor housing 21. The upper surface of the terminal block holder 26 becomes the terminal block mounting surface 27 for mounting the terminal blocks. Similar to the mounting surface 25 described above, the terminal block mounting surface 27 is inclined at a predetermined angle θ relative to a line 90 parallel to the ground, in a manner that raises from the front of the vehicle toward the rear of the vehicle when the vehicle drive unit 20 is mounted on the vehicle 10. Therefore, when the terminal blocks are mounted on the terminal block mounting surface 27, the terminal blocks, like the vehicle control unit 40, are inclined in a manner that raises from the front of the vehicle toward the rear of the vehicle along the inclination of the front compartment 13 when the vehicle drive unit 20 is mounted on the vehicle 10. The terminal blocks of motors 16 and 17 and the vehicle control unit 40 are connected together by a cable (not shown).

[0037] like Figure 3 As shown, at the front of the motor housing 21, a power supply is provided on the top surface 31a, 33a. Figure 2 The oil cooler 50 shown is connected to oil cooler connectors 31 and 33. (As shown...) Figure 4 As shown, the oil cooler connecting seats 31 and 33 are cylindrical rod-shaped portions protruding obliquely downwards from the front surface of the motor housing 21, and have elongated holes 32 and 34 on their top surfaces 31a and 33a. Figure 4 As shown, when the vehicle drive unit 20 is mounted on the vehicle 10, the elongated hole 32 extends in the same direction as the seat surface 25 of the equipment mounting base 24 described above, inclined at a predetermined angle θ relative to the line 90 parallel to the ground, like the dashed line 92, in a manner that rises from the front of the vehicle toward the rear of the vehicle. Therefore, the elongated hole 32 extends in a direction that rises parallel to the seat surface 25 of the equipment mounting base 24 from the front of the vehicle toward the rear of the vehicle. Here, as explained later, the elongated hole 32 is a core hole formed by casting during the casting of the motor housing 21.

[0038] like Figure 4 , Figure 5 As shown, an oil cooler connector 31 has a cylindrical protrusion 35 extending in the front-rear direction and a cylindrical cooling pipe connector 36 extending in a direction orthogonal to the protrusion 35 on the inner side of the motor housing 21. An elongated hole 32 provided on the oil cooler connector 31 extends in the front-rear direction in communication with the interior of the protrusion 35.

[0039] On the cooling pipe connector 36, there is a shallower short hole 37 that extends in a direction orthogonal to and communicates with the long hole 32. As will be explained later, the short hole 37 is a machined hole formed by machining with a drilling machine or the like after the motor housing 21 has been cast. A cooling pipe 39 for supplying cooling oil is connected to the short hole 37. The long hole 32 and the short hole 37 constitute part of an oil passage that allows cooling oil to flow between the oil cooler 50 and the motors 16 and 17.

[0040] In addition, such as Figure 5 As shown, the oil cooler 50 is directly mounted on the top surfaces 31a and 33a of the oil cooler connectors 31 and 33.

[0041] Next, in reference Figure 6 , 7 At the same time, the manufacturing method of the motor housing 21 will be explained. For example... Figure 6 As shown, the motor housing 21 is a casting in which molten metal is filled into a mold 60 composed of six molds: an upper mold 61, a lower mold 62, a front mold 63, a rear mold 64, a right mold 65, and a left mold (not shown). First, the structure of the mold 60 will be explained.

[0042] The upper mold 61 is a mold for casting the upper part of the motor housing 21, including the equipment mounting base 24. The upper mold 61 is composed of a front seat forming portion 71 that forms the front right seat 24a and the front left seat 24b of the equipment mounting base 24, a rear seat forming portion 72 that forms the rear seat 24c, and an upper forming portion 73 that forms the upper part in the middle. When the vehicle drive unit 20 is mounted on the vehicle 10, the lower surfaces of the front seat forming portion 71 and the rear seat forming portion 72 that form the seat surface 25 extend in the same direction as the seat surface 25, at a predetermined angle θ that is inclined relative to a line 90 parallel to the ground, like a dashed line 93, in a manner that rises from the front of the vehicle toward the rear of the vehicle. Furthermore, gates 74 for pressing molten metal are provided on the front seat forming portion 71 and the rear seat forming portion 72 of the upper mold 61, respectively.

[0043] The front mold 63 has a cylindrical recess 81 on its inner side that forms an oil cooler connecting seat 31. A cylindrical plastic plug 82 for forming an elongated hole 32 is provided at the center of the recess 81. When the vehicle drive unit 20 is mounted on the vehicle 10, the recess 81 and the plastic plug 82, like the elongated hole 32, extend in a direction inclined at a predetermined angle θ relative to a line 90 parallel to the ground, like a dashed line 92, in a manner that rises from the front of the vehicle toward the rear of the vehicle.

[0044] The lower mold 62 is a mold for forming the lower part that is opposite to the upper part of the motor housing 21, and the rear mold 64 is a mold for forming the rear part that is opposite to the front part of the motor housing 21.

[0045] The right mold 65 is embedded in the hollow portion formed when the upper mold 61, lower mold 62, front mold 63, and rear mold 64 are combined, and forms... Figure 2 The mold shown is for the recess 29 on the right side of the motor housing 21. The right mold 65 is provided with a protrusion 35 forming the interior of the motor housing 21 and a recess 83 for a cooling pipe connector 36. When the right mold 65 and the front mold 63 are assembled together, the plastic plug 82 of the front mold 63 enters the recess 83 of the right mold 65. The left mold (not shown) has the same structure as the right mold 65.

[0046] The parting line 66 of the upper mold 61 and the front mold 63 forms the corner of the front end of the front seat forming portion 71. Furthermore, the parting line 67 of the upper mold 61 and the rear mold 64 forms the corner of the rear end of the rear seat forming portion 72. The demolding direction of the upper mold 61 is perpendicular to the dotted line 93, that is, perpendicular to the lower surface of the front seat forming portion 71 and the lower surface of the rear seat forming portion 72 of the forming seat surface 25, which is the direction of the dotted line 95. Furthermore, the demolding directions of the front mold 63 and the rear mold 64 are parallel to the lower surface of the front seat forming portion 71 and the lower surface of the rear seat forming portion 72 of the forming seat surface 25, and are the directions of extension of the dotted lines 92 and 93. Furthermore, the parting lines 69 of the lower mold 62 and the rear mold 64 are located near the lower and rear edges of the motor housing 21, while the parting line 68 of the lower mold 62 and the front mold 63 is located on the lower side opposite to the upper parting line 66. The demolding direction of the lower mold 62 is the same as that of the upper mold 61, which is the direction of the dotted line 95 perpendicular to the dotted line 93, and the demolding direction of the rear mold 64 is the same as that of the front mold 63, which is parallel to the dotted lines 92 and 93. Furthermore, when the vehicle drive unit 20 is mounted on the vehicle 10, the demolding directions of the right mold 65 and the left mold (not shown) are directions that extend in the left-right direction within the same plane as the line 90 parallel to the ground.

[0047] Next, the manufacturing method of the motor housing 21 will be described. First, the process will be carried out according to... Figure 6 The mold assembly process involves combining the upper mold 61, lower mold 62, front mold 63, rear mold 64, right mold 65, and left mold (not shown) to assemble the mold 60. Next, a filling process is performed to fill the mold 60 with molten metal through the gate 74 of the upper mold 61. As the temperature of the molten metal decreases and solidification occurs, a process similar to... Figure 7The demolding process involves removing the upper mold 61, lower mold 62, front mold 63, rear mold 64, right mold 65, and left mold as shown. At this time, the upper mold 61 is demolded along the dotted line 95, which is perpendicular to the dotted line 93, in a forward-sloping upward direction as shown by arrow 96. Furthermore, the front mold 63 is demolded parallel to the dotted lines 92 and 93, in a downward-sloping forward direction as shown by arrow 98. Since the demolding direction of the front mold 63 is aligned with the extension direction of the oil cooler connecting seat 31 and the elongated hole 32, the front mold 63 can be demolded, and the elongated hole 32 can be formed through the casting hole.

[0048] Furthermore, the lower mold 62 and the rear mold 64 are demolded in the downward and upward directions, respectively, as indicated by arrows 97 and 99. Additionally, the right mold 65 and the left mold are demolded in the right and left directions, respectively. When the right mold 65 is demolded, a protrusion 35 and a cooling pipe connector 36 are formed inside the motor housing 21.

[0049] When the demolding process is completed, the cast motor housing 21 is removed and then processed as follows: Figure 5 The hole machining process involves machining the short hole 37 on the cooling pipe connector 36 using a drilling machine or similar tool, as shown. When the short hole 37 is connected to the long hole 32, an oil passage is formed that connects the oil cooler 50 and the interior of the motor housing 21.

[0050] As explained above, in the motor housing 21 of the embodiment, the extending directions of the oil cooler connecting seat 31 and the elongated hole 32 are inclined parallel to the seat surface 25 of the equipment mounting seat 24, thereby aligning them with the demolding direction of the front mold 63. Therefore, the upper seat surface 25, which is set as an inclined equipment mounting seat 24, the front oil cooler connecting seat 31, and the elongated hole 32 can be formed by casting.

[0051] Furthermore, since the elongated holes 32 are formed by casting and the short holes 37 are formed by machining when constructing the L-shaped oil passage, the oil passage can be formed with less machining, while also increasing the freedom of the oil passage shape.

[0052] Furthermore, in the motor housing 21 of the embodiment, when the vehicle drive unit 20 is mounted on the vehicle 10, the seat surface 25 of the device mounting base 24 is tilted by a predetermined angle θ relative to the line 90 parallel to the ground, like a dashed line 93, in a manner that rises from the front of the vehicle toward the rear of the vehicle. Therefore, when the vehicle drive unit 20 is mounted in the front compartment 13 of the vehicle 10, the upper surface of the vehicle control device 40, which is mounted on the upper part of the motor housing 21, is tilted in a manner that rises from the front of the vehicle toward the rear of the vehicle along the tilt of the front compartment 13. As a result, the vehicle drive unit 20 can be mounted in the front compartment 13 with good space efficiency.

[0053] Furthermore, since a gate 74 is provided on the upper mold 61 and molten metal is filled from one side of the device mounting base 24 which is inclined from the seat surface 25, the casting quality of the device mounting base 24 can be ensured.

[0054] Although the vehicle drive unit 20 has been described above as a hybrid drive unit including motors 16 and 17 that drive the vehicle 10 and engine 15, it may also be an electric drive unit for electric vehicles that does not include engine 15 but includes a motor for driving the vehicle.

[0055] Although the above description of the vehicle drive unit 20 describes the case where the oil cooler 50 is installed at the front of the motor housing 21 and the oil cooler connector 31 is provided at the front of the motor housing 21, it is not limited to this. The oil cooler 50 may also be installed at the rear of the motor housing 21 and the oil cooler connector 31 may also be provided at the rear of the motor housing 21.

[0056] In this case, the oil cooler connecting seat 31 and the elongated hole 32, which serves as the core hole, are cast by a rear mold 64, which is cast at the rear. The rear mold 64, like the front mold 63, is demolded in a direction parallel to the seat surface 25 of the equipment mounting seat 24.

[0057] Furthermore, although the vehicle drive unit 20 described above is mounted in the front compartment 13, which is inclined from the front of the vehicle toward the rear, the situation is not limited to this. The vehicle drive unit 20 can also be mounted in the rear compartment, which is inclined from the front of the vehicle toward the rear. In this case, the motor housing 21 can also be configured such that the seat surface 25 of the device mounting base 24 is inclined from the rear of the vehicle toward the front along the inclination of the rear compartment, and the elongated hole 32, which is the core hole, is inclined from the rear of the vehicle toward the front parallel to the seat surface 25. The vehicle control device 40 is inclined such that its upper surface is inclined from the rear of the vehicle toward the front along the inclination of the rear compartment and is mounted on the upper part of the motor housing 21.

[0058] Furthermore, although the above description describes the case where a gate 74 is provided on the upper mold 61 and molten metal is filled from one side of the device mounting base 24 which is inclined from the seat surface 25, the direction of the gate only needs to be orthogonal to the casting hole direction, and it may not be provided on the upper mold 61, for example, it may be provided on the lower mold 62.

Claims

1. An electric machine housing that is a casting used in a vehicle drive device mounted on a vehicle, characterized by comprising: have: The equipment mounting base is located at the top; Oil cooler connection bracket; The core hole has an opening on the oil cooler connector. The mounting surface of the device is tilted so that it rises from one side to the other. The core hole extends in an inclined direction that rises from one side toward the other, parallel to the seat surface.

2. The motor housing as described in claim 1, characterized in that, It has a machining hole that extends from the inside in a direction intersecting with the core hole and communicates with the core hole, and has a shallower depth than the core hole.

3. The motor housing as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The oil cooler connector is located at the front. One side refers to the front of the vehicle, and the other side refers to the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle drive unit is mounted in a front compartment covered by an engine hood that is tilted upwards from the front of the vehicle toward the rear. When the vehicle drive unit is mounted in the front compartment, the seat surface of the equipment mount is tilted such that it rises from the front of the vehicle toward the rear of the vehicle along the inclination of the hood.

4. A vehicle drive unit mounted in a front compartment covered by an engine hood, the engine hood being tilted in a manner that raises from the front of the vehicle toward the rear, characterized in that, include: The motor housing includes an equipment mounting base, an oil cooler connection base, a core hole, and a machining hole. The equipment mounting base is located at the top, the oil cooler connection base is located at the front, the core hole opens on the oil cooler connection base, and the machining hole communicates with the core hole from the inside and has a shallower depth than the core hole. A vehicle control device is mounted above the seat surface of the equipment mounting base; An oil cooler, which is mounted on the oil cooler connector; A cooling pipe, which is connected to the machined hole, The mounting surface of the device seat in the motor housing is inclined in a manner that rises from the front to the rear, and the core hole is inclined in a manner that rises from the front to the rear parallel to the mounting surface. When mounted in the front compartment, the upper surface of the vehicle control unit is tilted so as to rise from the front of the vehicle toward the rear of the vehicle along the tilt of the hood.

5. A method for manufacturing an electric motor housing, the electric motor housing being used in a vehicle drive system and comprising: Equipment mounting base; Oil cooler connection bracket; A core hole, which opens on the oil cooler connector; The machined hole communicates internally with the core hole. The method for manufacturing the motor housing is characterized by comprising the following steps: In the mold assembly step, the first mold, the second mold, the third mold, the fourth mold, the fifth mold, and the sixth mold are combined to assemble the mold, wherein The first mold casts a first part including the equipment mounting base; the second mold casts a second part opposite to the first part; the third mold casts a third part including the oil cooler connecting seat and the core hole; the fourth mold casts a fourth part opposite to the third part; the fifth mold casts a fifth part; and the sixth mold casts a sixth part. The filling process involves filling the mold with molten metal. In the demolding process, the first mold and the second mold are demolded in a direction perpendicular to the seat surface of the equipment mounting base, the third mold and the fourth mold are demolded in a direction parallel to the seat surface of the equipment mounting base, and the fifth mold and the sixth mold are demolded in a direction orthogonal to the demolding directions of the third mold and the fourth mold, so as to remove the casting including the equipment mounting base, the oil cooler connecting seat and the core hole; The hole machining process involves machining the hole, which extends from the interior of the casting in a direction intersecting with the core hole and communicates with the core hole, and whose depth is shallower than that of the core hole.

6. The method for manufacturing a motor housing as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The equipment mounting base is located at the upper part of the motor housing, and the oil cooler connecting base is located at the front part of the motor housing. The first part is the upper part including the equipment mounting base, and the first mold is the upper mold. The second part is the lower part opposite to the upper part, and the second mold is the lower mold. The third part is the front portion including the oil cooler connector and the core hole, and the third mold is the front mold. The fourth part is the rear part opposite to the front part, and the fourth mold is the rear mold. The fifth part is the left part, and the fifth mold is the left mold. The sixth part is the right part, and the sixth mold is the right mold. The left mold and the right mold are demolded from the left and right sides respectively.

7. The method for manufacturing a motor housing as described in claim 6, characterized in that, A gate is provided on the upper mold. In the filling process, molten metal is filled into the mold through the gate.

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