Vehicle drive device

Abstract

The invention relates to a vehicle drive device. The second housing part (22) can be fixed to the first housing part (21) at a plurality of mutually different relative fixed angles, and a first joining surface (21b), which is a joining surface of the first housing part (21) with the second housing part (22), and a second joining surface (22b), which is a joining surface of the second housing part (22) with the first housing part (21), are joined at a plurality of relative fixed angles.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a vehicle drive device equipped with a rotary motor. Background Technology

[0002] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-0048736 (Patent Document 1) discloses a vehicle drive unit (1) that includes a rotary motor (2) and an inverter (9). This vehicle drive unit (1) is for four-wheel drive, and two vehicle drive units (1) with roughly the same structure are arranged at the front and rear of the vehicle in opposite directions (X). In addition, the housing (10) of the vehicle drive unit (1) includes an equipment storage chamber (E1) for housing the rotary motor (2) and the gear mechanism (6), and an inverter storage chamber (E2) for housing the rotary motor control device (9).

[0003] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-048736

[0004] Sometimes, the configuration requirements for inverters vary from vehicle to vehicle, depending on factors such as the shape of the mounting space on the vehicle side and the configuration of vehicle-side components electrically connected to the inverter. However, the position of the output shaft of the vehicle drive unit is determined according to the vehicle-side requirements. Therefore, to change the inverter configuration, it is necessary to change the overall configuration structure of the vehicle drive unit and significantly alter the shape of the housing. Consequently, there is a challenge that each vehicle requires a different vehicle drive unit, which can easily increase development and manufacturing costs. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Therefore, it is desirable to realize a vehicle drive unit whose inverter configuration can be easily changed according to the requirements of the vehicle side.

[0006] The first vehicle drive device of the present invention includes: a rotary motor; an output member connected to a wheel drive; a gear mechanism that transmits driving force between the rotary motor and the output member; and a housing that houses the rotary motor and the gear mechanism. The housing includes: a first housing portion forming a first housing chamber housing one of the gear mechanism and the rotary motor; and a second housing portion forming a second housing chamber housing the other of the gear mechanism and the rotary motor. The direction along the rotation axis of the rotary motor is defined as axial, and the direction around the rotation axis is defined as circumferential. The second housing portion is positioned such that... With one side engaged with the first housing portion, it is fixed to the first housing portion. An inverter for driving and controlling the rotary motor is disposed in a portion of the circumferential region of the second housing portion. The relative angle between the second housing portion and the first housing portion about an axis parallel to the axial direction is set as a relatively fixed angle. The second housing portion can be fixed to the first housing portion at multiple different relatively fixed angles, and the joint surface of the first housing portion and the second housing portion, i.e., the first joint surface, and the joint surface of the second housing portion and the first housing portion, i.e., the second joint surface, are joined at multiple relatively fixed angles.

[0007] According to this structure, the fixed angle between the second housing portion and the first housing portion can be changed without changing the orientation of the first housing portion in the vehicle-mounted state. Therefore, the inverter configuration can be changed together with the second housing portion according to the inverter configuration that meets the requirements of the vehicle side. In addition, according to this structure, even when the vehicle drive unit is mounted in multiple vehicles with different requirements for inverter configuration, the first housing portion and the second housing portion can be used relative to components shared by each vehicle. Therefore, the inverter configuration can be easily changed to meet the requirements of the vehicle side.

[0008] The second vehicle drive device of the present invention includes: a rotary motor; an output member connected to a wheel drive; a gear mechanism that transmits driving force between the rotary motor and the output member; and a housing that houses the rotary motor and the gear mechanism. The housing includes: a first housing portion forming a first housing chamber housing one of the gear mechanism and the rotary motor; and a second housing portion forming a second housing chamber housing the other of the gear mechanism and the rotary motor. The direction along the rotation axis of the rotary motor is defined as axial, and the direction around the rotation axis is defined as circumferential. The second housing portion is fixed in a state where it is engaged with the first housing portion from the axial side. An inverter for driving and controlling the rotary motor is disposed in a portion of the circumferential region of the first housing portion and the second housing portion. The housing is mounted on the vehicle via a first mounting member and a second mounting member. A first mounting fixing part for fixing the first mounting member is provided in the first housing portion, and a plurality of second mounting fixing parts for fixing the second mounting member are provided in the second housing portion. The plurality of second mounting fixing parts are distributed around an axis parallel to the axial direction. When the housing is mounted on the vehicle, the second mounting member is fixed to any one of the plurality of second mounting fixing parts, but not to the remaining second mounting fixing parts.

[0009] According to this structure, since multiple second mounting parts are distributed around an axis parallel to the axial direction, the second housing part can be mounted on the vehicle in an orientation corresponding to the requirements of the vehicle side by fixing the second mounting member to any one of the multiple second mounting parts. Therefore, for example, the orientation of the second housing part can be easily changed without changing the orientation of the first housing part in the vehicle-mounted state. In addition, according to this structure, the inverter configuration can be easily changed together with the second housing part according to the inverter configuration that meets the requirements of the vehicle side. Furthermore, according to this structure, even when the vehicle drive unit is mounted on multiple vehicles with different requirements for inverter configuration, the first housing part and the second housing part can be used as common components for each vehicle. Therefore, the inverter configuration that meets the requirements of the vehicle side can be easily changed.

[0010] The third vehicle drive device of the present invention includes: a rotary motor; an output member connected to a wheel drive; a gear mechanism that transmits driving force between the rotary motor and the output member; and a housing that houses the rotary motor and the gear mechanism. The housing includes: a first housing portion forming a first housing chamber housing one of the gear mechanism and the rotary motor; and a second housing portion forming a second housing chamber housing the other of the gear mechanism and the rotary motor. The direction along the rotation axis of the rotary motor is defined as axial, and the direction around the rotation axis is defined as circumferential. The second housing portion is fixed in a state where it is engaged with the first housing portion from the axial side. An inverter for driving and controlling the rotary motor is disposed in a portion of the circumferential region of the first housing portion and the second housing portion. The housing is mounted on the vehicle via a first mounting member and a second mounting member. A plurality of first mounting fixing parts for fixing the first mounting member are provided in the first housing portion, and a second mounting fixing part for fixing the second mounting member is provided in the second housing portion. The plurality of first mounting fixing parts are distributed around an axis parallel to the axial direction. When the housing is mounted on the vehicle, the first mounting member is fixed to any one of the plurality of first mounting fixing parts, but not to the remaining first mounting fixing parts.

[0011] According to this structure, multiple first mounting and fixing parts are distributed around an axis parallel to the axial direction. Therefore, by fixing the first mounting member to any one of the multiple first mounting and fixing parts, the first housing part can be mounted on the vehicle in an orientation corresponding to the requirements of the vehicle side. Thus, for example, the orientation of the first housing part can be easily changed without changing the orientation of the second housing part in the vehicle-mounted state. Attached Figure Description

[0012] Figure 1 This is a diagram showing the vehicle drive device according to the first embodiment.

[0013] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 An exploded perspective view of a vehicle drive system.

[0014] Figure 3 It means Figure 2 A diagram showing an example of the joining of the first housing part and the second housing part.

[0015] Figure 4 It means Figure 2 Figures show other examples of the joining of the first housing portion and the second housing portion.

[0016] Figure 5 Viewed from the first side of the axis Figure 2 A perspective view of the second shell section.

[0017] Figure 6 Viewed from the second side of the axis Figure 2 A perspective view of the second shell section.

[0018] Figure 7 This is an explanation Figure 2 A diagram showing the cooling process of a rotary motor.

[0019] Figure 8 This is an explanation Figure 2 The diagram shows the fixing of the housing to the first mounting component.

[0020] Figure 9 This is an explanation Figure 2 The diagram shows the fixing of the housing to the second mounting component.

[0021] Figure 10 This is a diagram showing an example of the joining of the first housing portion and the second housing portion in the second embodiment.

[0022] Figure 11 This is a diagram showing another example of the joining of the first housing portion and the second housing portion in the second embodiment.

[0023] Figure 12 This is a diagram showing the second mounting and fixing part of the third embodiment.

[0024] Figure 13 This is a diagram showing the first mounting and fixing part of the fourth embodiment.

[0025] Figure 14 This is a diagram showing the first mounting and fixing part of the fifth embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0026] [First Implementation]

[0027] Hereinafter, the vehicle drive device 10 of the first embodiment will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0028] Figure 1This diagram shows a vehicle 8 equipped with a vehicle drive unit 10. The vehicle drive unit 10 includes a rotary motor MG, an output component that is driven and connected to the wheels (W1, W2), and a gear mechanism GT that transmits driving force between the rotary motor MG and the output component. The vehicle drive unit 10 includes a housing 20 that houses the rotary motor MG and the gear mechanism GT. Here, the direction parallel to the rotation axis X1 of the rotor 12 of the rotary motor MG is defined as the axial direction L. The rotor 12 of the rotary motor MG is positioned on one side of the axial direction L, i.e., the first axial side L1, relative to the gear mechanism GT. The rotary motor MG is the driving force source of the vehicle 8. The gear mechanism GT includes a reducer 16 and a differential gear mechanism 15. Examples of "output components" include the first side gear 15a, the second side gear 15b, their spline engagement portion 15d, the first drive shaft DS1, the second drive shaft DS2, and the connecting shaft 17, which will be described later.

[0029] Furthermore, in this specification, "drive connection" refers to a state in which two rotating components are connected in a manner capable of transmitting driving force. This includes a state in which the two rotating components are connected in a manner that allows them to rotate as a whole, or a state in which the two rotating components are connected via one or more transmission components in a manner capable of transmitting driving force. Such transmission components include various components that transmit rotation at the same speed or at varying speeds, such as shafts, gear mechanisms, belts, chains, etc. In addition, transmission components may also include engagement devices that selectively transmit rotation and driving force, such as friction engagement devices, meshing engagement devices, etc. However, regarding the rotating components of a planetary gear mechanism, when referred to as "drive connection," it means a state in which they are driven connected without being via other rotating components of the planetary gear mechanism. Furthermore, in this specification, "rotation as a whole" means a situation in which they rotate as a whole regardless of whether they can be separated or not. That is, multiple components that rotate as a whole can be formed integrally from the same component, or they can be composed of different components and integrated through welding, spline joining, etc. Furthermore, in this specification, regarding the configuration of the two components, "overlapping when viewed from a specific direction" means that when an imaginary line parallel to the line of sight is moved in directions orthogonal to the imaginary line, the area where the imaginary line intersects with both components is at least partially present.

[0030] The output component is driven to connect with a pair of wheels (W1, W2). The pair of wheels includes a first wheel W1 and a second wheel W2. The first wheel W1 is driven to connect with a first drive shaft DS1, and the second wheel W2 is driven to connect with a second drive shaft DS2. In this embodiment, the output gears of the differential gear mechanism 15, i.e., a pair of side gears (15a, 15b), include a first side gear 15a and a second side gear 15b. The first side gear 15a is driven to connect with the first drive shaft DS1 via a connecting shaft 17, and the second side gear 15b is driven to connect with the second drive shaft DS2. For example, the first side gear 15a and the connecting shaft 17 are connected by a spline connection, and the second side gear 15b and the second drive shaft DS2 are also connected by a spline connection. The connection portion is a spline engagement portion 15d.

[0031] In the following description, as described above, the direction parallel to the rotation axis X1 of the rotor 12 is designated as "axial direction L". Furthermore, one side of axial direction L is designated as "first axial side L1", and the other side of axial direction L is designated as "second axial side L2". In this embodiment, the rotary motor MG, the reducer 16, and the differential gear mechanism 15 are arranged coaxially and arranged from the first axial side L1 toward the second axial side L2 in the order described. The vehicle drive unit 10 of this embodiment is a single-shaft structure. The shaft of the rotary motor MG, the reducer 16, and the differential gear mechanism 15, with the rotation axis X1 as its axis, is the rotation axis of the vehicle drive unit 10, and also the rotation axis of the rotary motor MG, the reducer 16, and the differential gear mechanism 15. The direction surrounding the rotation axis X1 is designated as circumferential. The direction orthogonal to the axial direction L is designated as "radial direction Z". When the vehicle drive unit 10 is mounted on the vehicle 8 with the rotation axis X1 of the rotor 12 horizontal, one direction in radial direction Z coincides with the vertical direction. When the vehicle drive unit 10 is mounted on the vehicle 8, the direction along the vertical direction is defined as the "vertical direction," the upper part is defined as the "upper side of the vertical direction," and the lower part is defined as the "lower side of the vertical direction." The direction orthogonal to the axis L and the vertical direction is defined as the "front-rear direction H," one side of the front-rear direction H is defined as the "first front-rear side H1," and the other side is defined as the "second front-rear side H2." In this embodiment, the first front-rear side H1 is the front side of the vehicle 8, and the second front-rear side H2 is the rear side. When viewed vertically, the direction orthogonal to the front-rear direction H of the vehicle body 90 is defined as the width direction. In this embodiment, the "width direction" of the vehicle 8 is parallel to the axis L, but it may not be parallel.

[0032] The rotary motor MG functions as the driving force source for the wheels (W1, W2). For example... Figure 1As shown, the rotary motor MG includes a stator 11 and a rotor 12 connected to the rotor shaft 13 in a manner that rotates integrally with the rotor shaft 13. The rotary motor MG is an internal rotor type rotary motor. The rotary motor MG includes a rotor 12 disposed on the inner side in the radial direction Z in a manner that allows it to rotate relative to the stator 11. The rotor 12 includes a rotor core 12a and a permanent magnet (not shown) fixed to the rotor core 12a. The rotor shaft 13 is formed as a cylindrical shape coaxial with the rotor core 12a, and the sun gear SG, which constitutes the planetary gear mechanism of the reducer 16, is disposed on the outer periphery of the second axial side L2 of the rotor shaft 13 in a manner that rotates integrally with the rotor shaft 13. As will be described later, the sun gear SG is the input component of the reducer 16. In the illustrated example, the rotary motor MG is a rotating magnetic field type rotary motor.

[0033] The stator 11 includes a cylindrical stator core 11a and a coil wound around the stator core 11a. The coil has a coil end 11b protruding outward from the stator core 11a in the axial direction L. The axis of the stator core 11a is the same as the rotation axis X1 of the rotor 12 described above. In this embodiment, the axis of the stator core 11a is the same as the rotation axis X1 of the differential housing 15c described later. In this embodiment, the stator 11 is fixed to the housing 20.

[0034] like Figure 1 As shown, the reducer 16 is configured as a planetary gear mechanism comprising an input member that rotates integrally with the rotor shaft 13, a fixed member fixed to the housing 20, an output member that rotates integrally with the differential input member (differential housing 15c), and planetary gears. This planetary gear mechanism is a composite planetary gear mechanism comprising a sun gear SG, two ring gears (first ring gear RG1, second ring gear RG2), two integrally rotating planetary gears (first planetary gear PG1, second planetary gear PG2), and a planet carrier CR supporting the two planetary gears for rotation. In this embodiment, the first planetary gear PG1 is formed with a diameter smaller than that of the second planetary gear PG2.

[0035] The sun gear SG rotates integrally with the rotor 12 and the rotor shaft 13. The second ring gear RG2 is fixed to the housing 20. The first ring gear RG1 is disposed on the second axial side L2 relative to the second ring gear RG2 and is connected to the differential housing 15c in a manner that allows it to rotate integrally with the differential housing 15c. The second planetary gear PG2 meshes with the sun gear SG and the second ring gear RG2, and the first planetary gear PG1 rotates integrally with the second planetary gear PG2 and meshes with the first ring gear RG1. In this embodiment, the sun gear SG is the input component, the second ring gear RG2 is the fixed component, and the first ring gear RG1 is the output component. The planet carrier CR is not connected to any rotating or fixed components.

[0036] The differential gear mechanism 15 is a bevel gear type differential gear mechanism, comprising a pinion 15p and side gears (15a, 15b) of the bevel gears. The pinion 15p is supported by the differential housing 15c and is rotatable by a pinion shaft 15s arranged extending radially along the Z direction. The pinion shaft 15s rotates integrally with the differential housing 15c, and the pinion 15p is configured to rotate about the pinion shaft 15s (rotation) and about the rotation axis X1 of the differential housing 15c (revolution). A plurality of pinion shafts 15s are arranged radially (e.g., cross-shaped) about the rotation axis X1 of the differential housing 15c, and the pinion 15p is mounted on each of the plurality of pinion shafts 15s. The differential housing 15c houses the pinion 15p, the side gears (15a, 15b), and the pinion shafts 15s internally.

[0037] The side gears (15a, 15b) each have a first side gear 15a and a second side gear 15b, and are arranged as a pair, separated along the axial direction L. The first side gear 15a and the second side gear 15b mesh with each of a plurality of pinions 15p, and are configured to rotate about the rotation axis X1 of the differential housing 15c. Figure 1 As shown, the first side gear 15a is connected to a connecting shaft 17 extending radially Z-inner to the reducer 16 and the hollow cylindrical rotor shaft 13, and extending axially L. The connecting shaft 17 is integrally rotatably connected to the first drive shaft DS1, which is driven by the wheel W1 on the first side L1. Therefore, the first side gear 15a is driven by the first wheel W1 via the connecting shaft 17. The second side gear 15b is integrally rotatably connected to the second drive shaft DS2, which is driven by the wheel W2 on the second side L2.

[0038] The first drive shaft DS1, the second drive shaft DS2, the connecting shaft 17, the first side gear 15a, and the second side gear 15b, which are connected to and rotate integrally with the wheels (W1, W2), can all be referred to as rotating components equivalent to output components. The first side gear 15a and the second side gear 15b are the differential gear mechanism 15 and can also be referred to as output components. Furthermore, the first side gear 15a and the second side gear 15b each have a gear portion that meshes with the pinion 15p and a spline engagement portion 15d that connects to the connecting shaft 17 and the second drive shaft DS2. Considering the functional division, the gear portion is equivalent to the rotating component included in the differential gear mechanism 15, while the spline engagement portion 15d is equivalent to the output component.

[0039] Figure 2This is a schematic exploded perspective view of the vehicle drive unit 10. The housing 20 includes a first housing portion 21 forming a first housing chamber E1 housing one of the gear mechanism GT and the rotary motor MG. The housing 20 also includes a second housing portion 22 forming a second housing chamber E2 housing the other of the gear mechanism GT and the rotary motor MG. In this embodiment, the housing 20 includes an inverter housing portion 23 forming an inverter housing chamber E3 housing an inverter 36 for driving and controlling the rotary motor MG. The second housing chamber E2 and the inverter housing chamber E3 are arranged along a radial direction Z. The second housing chamber E2 and the inverter housing chamber E3 are separated by a partition wall (not shown).

[0040] Here, the inverter housing chamber E3 side in the radial direction Z is designated as the first radial side Z1, and the second housing chamber E2 side is designated as the second radial side Z2. The inverter housing portion 23 has an opening 23a opening on the first radial side Z1 and a cover portion 25 covering the opening 23a. The first housing portion 21 has an opening 21a opening on the first axial side L1. The second housing portion 22 has an opening 22a opening on the second axial side L2. The first housing portion 21 has a hole 21d formed on the second axial side L2. The second housing portion 22 has a hole 22d formed on the first axial side L1 (see reference). Figure 5 ).

[0041] Inverter 36 is configured with multiple switching elements. Inverter 36 has multiple (here, three) arms of a single AC phase, each consisting of a series circuit of an upper-side switching element on the positive side and a lower-side switching element on the negative side. A freewheeling diode is provided in each switching element, and the direction from the negative to the positive (from the lower side to the upper side) is set to positive. Preferably, the switching elements are power semiconductor devices such as IGBT (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor), power MOSFET (Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor), SiC-MOSFET (Silicon Carbide-Metal Oxide Semiconductor FET), SiC-SIT (SiC-Static Induction Transistor), and GaN-MOSFET (Gallium Nitride-MOSFET). In this embodiment, the inverter 36 is configured as a power module integrating a freewheeling diode and a switching element.

[0042] Figure 3This is a diagram showing an example of the engagement of the first housing portion 21 and the second housing portion 22. Figure 4 Another example of the engagement of the first housing portion 21 and the second housing portion 22 is shown. Here, the relative angle between the second housing portion 22 and the first housing portion 21 about an axis parallel to the axial direction L is set as a relatively fixed angle. The second housing portion 22 is fixed to the first housing portion 21 in a state where it is engaged with the first housing portion 21 from one side of the axial direction L, that is, the first side L1 of the axial direction. The second housing portion 22 can be fixed to the first housing portion 21 at a plurality of relatively fixed angles, and the engagement surface of the first housing portion 21 with the second housing portion 22, that is, the first engagement surface 21b, and the engagement surface of the second housing portion 22 with the first housing portion 21, that is, the second engagement surface 22b, are engaged at the plurality of relatively fixed angles.

[0043] Figure 4 This shows that when the relative angle is kept constant, it is relative to... Figure 3 The first mating surface 21b and the second mating surface 22b are joined together after a 90-degree change in orientation. In this embodiment, the second housing portion 22 can be fixed to the first housing portion 21 by rotating relative to the first housing portion 21 about the rotation axis X1 of the rotary motor MG. That is, the rotation axis X1 of the rotary motor MG is the relative rotation axis of the second housing portion 22 relative to the first housing portion 21, and the relative fixing angle is the relative angle of the second housing portion 22 relative to the first housing portion 21 about the rotation axis X1. The first mating surface 21b and the second mating surface 22b are joined, for example, in a state where there is no gap, an airtight state, or an oiltight state that connects the interior and exterior of the housing 20.

[0044] As an example of the aforementioned multiple relatively fixed angles, if the relatively fixed angle of a configuration where the radial direction Z is the same as the vertical direction and the first radial side Z1 is the upper side is set to 0 degrees, then all angles in the range of -180 degrees to +180 degrees, eight angles every 45 degrees, four angles every 90 degrees, etc., can be given. Furthermore, the multiple relatively fixed angles can also be all angles in the range of -135 degrees to +135 degrees, the range of -90 degrees to +90 degrees, etc., angles every 45 degrees, angles every 90 degrees, etc. The multiple relatively fixed angles are determined, for example, by the first mating surface 21b and the second mating surface 22b, the fixing mechanism 85 described later, etc.

[0045] In this embodiment, the first mating surface 21b and the second mating surface 22b are annular or regular polygonal annular when viewed along the axial direction L. Here, the mechanism for fixing the first housing portion 21 and the second housing portion 22 is designated as a fixing mechanism 85. Examples of fixing mechanisms 85 include those based on bolt fastening, rivet, welding, riveting, brazing, etc. In this embodiment, the fixing mechanism 85 for the first housing portion 21 and the second housing portion 22 includes: a plurality of bolts 80, a plurality of internally threaded holes 82 provided in one of the first housing portion 21 and the second housing portion 22 for the bolts 80 to screw into, and a plurality of through holes 81 provided in the other of the first housing portion 21 and the second housing portion 22 for the bolts 80 to pass through. In the illustrated example, a plurality of through holes 81 are formed in the first housing portion 21, and a plurality of internally threaded holes 82 are formed in the second housing portion 22.

[0046] In this embodiment, the circumferential positions of the plurality of through holes 81 and the plurality of internally threaded holes 82 are consistent in each of the plurality of relatively fixed angles. In the illustrated example, the number of bolts 80, the number of through holes 81, and the number of internally threaded holes 82 are the same, but their numbers may also be different. The number of through holes 81 and internally threaded holes 82 used for actual fixing may also be less than the number of through holes 81 and internally threaded holes 82 provided in the first housing portion 21 or the second housing portion 22.

[0047] Figure 5 This is a perspective view of the second housing portion 22 as seen from the first axial side L1. Figure 6 This is a perspective view of the second housing portion 22 as seen from the second axial side L2. A connection portion 22h for connecting the inverter 36 and the rotating motor MG is provided in a portion of the circumferential direction of the second housing portion 22. Examples of connection portions 22h include: a connection portion when the second housing portion 22 and the inverter housing portion 23 are integrally formed; a fixing portion for a connector electrically connecting the inverter 36 and the rotating motor MG; a wiring outlet for electrically connecting the inverter 36 and the rotating motor MG when the second housing portion 22 and the inverter housing portion 23 are separately configured; and an outlet for removing the three-phase power lines of the rotating motor MG when a connector for the three-phase terminals of the rotating motor MG is mounted on the outer surface of the housing.

[0048] In this embodiment, the second housing portion 22 and the inverter housing portion 23 are integrally fixed. Examples of this fixing include bolt tightening, riveting, welding, brazing, etc. In the illustrated example, the second housing portion 22 and the inverter housing portion 23 are integrally formed.

[0049] In this embodiment, the gear mechanism GT is housed in the first storage chamber E1 of the first housing portion 21, and the rotary motor MG is housed in the second storage chamber E2 of the second housing portion 22. The rotary motor MG is fixed to the second housing portion 22 (in the illustrated example, it is secured by four bolts). Thus, a connecting portion 22h is provided on the side of the second housing portion 22 where the rotary motor MG is housed, so that the electrical connection between the rotary motor MG and the inverter 36 can be easily made even if the relative fixed angle is changed.

[0050] In this embodiment, the inverter housing portion 23 is integrally fixed to the second housing portion 22, and a portion of the circumferential region of the second housing portion 22 protrudes radially outward relative to the second housing portion 22. The connecting portion 22h is the connection portion between the second housing portion 22 and the inverter housing portion 23. In the illustrated example, the radially outward relative to the second housing portion 22 is the side away from the aforementioned relative rotation axis.

[0051] In this embodiment, an inverter 36 for driving and controlling the rotary motor MG is disposed in a portion of the circumferential region of the second housing portion 22. The inverter 36 can be disposed either inside the radial Z direction relative to the outer circumferential surface of the second housing portion 22 or outside the radial Z direction.

[0052] Figure 7 This diagram illustrates the cooling of the rotary motor MG. The vehicle drive unit 10 includes an oil pump OP that draws in oil OL and discharges it. The oil pump OP includes a suction section 63 for drawing in oil OL. The oil pump OP also includes a discharge section 64 for discharging oil OL. In this embodiment, the rotary motor MG is lubricated or cooled by oil OL. The gear mechanism GT is also lubricated or cooled by oil OL. For example, oil OL stored in an oil reservoir formed on the lower side of the housing 20 is supplied to lubrication points such as the bearings of each gear, cooling points such as the bearings of the rotor shaft 13, and the coil ends 11b by the oil pump OP or by the lifting caused by the gears of the gear mechanism GT.

[0053] Examples of oil flow paths include flow paths formed on the walls of housing 20, flow paths formed on the rotating shaft of rotating components, and flow paths formed through pipes disposed within housing 20. The oil flow path may also include a first receiving chamber E1 and a second receiving chamber E2. The oil flow path may also include a path where oil supplied to the rotary motor MG is supplied to the gear mechanism GT. Examples of "oil flow" include automatic transmission fluid (ATF) and gear oil.

[0054] like Figure 7As shown, oil OL discharged from the discharge section 64 of the oil pump OP is supplied to the oil cooler 61 of the vehicle 8. In the oil cooler 61, heat exchange occurs between the oil OL and the coolant. The coolant is supplied by the radiator 67 of the vehicle 8 (see reference). Figure 8 )cool down.

[0055] In this embodiment, oil OL is stored inside the housing 20, and the suction part 63 of the oil pump OP inside the housing 20 is fixed relative to the first housing part 21. Here, the state in which the vehicle drive unit 10 is mounted on the vehicle 8 is defined as the "vehicle-mounted state". Examples of the suction part 63 drawing oil OL from inside the housing 20 include drawing it from an oil pan provided in the housing 20, drawing it from an oil reservoir formed above or below the first storage chamber E1 in the vehicle-mounted state, and drawing it from an oil reservoir formed above or below the second storage chamber E2 in the vehicle-mounted state. In this embodiment, in the vehicle-mounted state, a specific position of the first housing part 21 is positioned above the suction part 63. Examples of specific positions include the center of the hole 21d and the first mounting fixing part 21c, which will be described later.

[0056] In this embodiment, an annular oil passage component 70 is fixed to the second housing portion 22. The oil passage component 70 is, for example, an annular or regular polygonal annular shape when viewed axially along the axial direction L. The oil passage component 70 forms an annular first oil passage 71 and a plurality of (four in the illustrated example) first oil passage connection portions 71a. The first oil passage connection portions 71a are formed at multiple circumferential locations. At least one of the first oil passage connection portions 71a formed on the oil passage component 70 is connected to the discharge portion 64 of the oil pump OP. At least one of the other first oil passage connection portions 71a formed on the oil passage component 70 is connected to the oil cooler 61. The first oil passage 71 includes the path of the aforementioned oil OL. First oil passage connection portions 71a not connected to the path of oil OL cannot allow oil OL to enter or exit, and are sealed during the formation of the oil passage component 70 or by a sealing member (not shown).

[0057] The oil passage component 70 forms an annular second oil passage 72 and multiple (four in the illustrated example) second oil passage connection portions 72a. The annular second oil passage 72 is formed parallel to the annular first oil passage 71 along the axial direction L. The second oil passage connection portions 72a are formed at multiple circumferential locations. The second oil passage connection portions 72a are formed parallel to the first oil passage connection portions 71a along the axial direction L. At least one of the second oil passage connection portions 72a formed in the oil passage component 70 is connected to the oil cooler 61. At least one of the other second oil passage connection portions 72a formed in the oil passage component 70 is connected to the path of the oil supply OL at the lubrication target location. The second oil passage 72 is included in the path of the oil OL. Second oil passage connection portions 72a that are not connected to the path of the oil OL cannot allow the oil OL to enter or exit, and are sealed during the formation of the oil passage component 70 or by a sealing member (not shown).

[0058] In this embodiment, dripping members 75 are arranged at multiple circumferential locations (four locations in the illustrated example) of the oil passage component 70. In the illustrated example, the dripping members 75 are integrally formed with the oil passage component 70. A second oil passage connection portion 72a is formed in each of the plurality of dripping members 75. A dripping orifice 75a is formed in each of the plurality of dripping members 75.

[0059] In the second housing portion 22, a plurality of dripping ports 75a, which allow oil OL to drip from the top onto the rotary motor MG, are arranged at a plurality of different positions in the circumferential direction. In this embodiment, in the second housing portion 22, the dripping ports 75a, which allow oil OL to drip from the top onto the rotary motor MG, are fixed at a plurality of circumferential positions. The circumferential positions of the plurality of dripping ports 75a are set such that any one of them is positioned above the rotary motor MG in a manner that maintains a plurality of relatively fixed angles.

[0060] The drip outlet 75a only needs to be positioned above the rotary motor MG, and it does not necessarily have to be directly above the rotation axis X1. In this embodiment, the drip outlet 75a is provided above the coil end 11b and is configured to allow oil OL to drip onto the coil end 11b.

[0061] In this embodiment, with the housing 20 installed in the vehicle 8, a portion of the plurality of drip ports 75a are positioned on the upper side relative to the rotary motor MG, and at least a portion of the remaining drip ports 75a are positioned on the lower side relative to the rotary motor MG. Here, the drip ports 75a that are positioned on the lower side relative to the rotary motor MG in the vehicle-mounted state can also be sealed during the formation of the oil passage component 70 or by a sealing component (not shown) to prevent oil OL from dripping.

[0062] In the vehicle-mounted configuration, for the dripping component 75 positioned above the rotary motor MG, for example, the dripping port 75a can allow oil OL to drip onto the rotary motor MG, and the second oil passage connection 72a can be sealed. In the vehicle-mounted configuration, in the dripping component 75 positioned below the rotary motor MG, for example, the second oil passage connection 72a can also be connected to the oil cooler 61, and the dripping port 75a is sealed.

[0063] Figure 8 This is a diagram showing an example of a first mounting component 91 fixed to the housing 20. Figure 9 This diagram shows an example of a second mounting member 92 fixed to the housing 20. The housing 20 is mounted to the vehicle 8 via a first mounting member 91 and a second mounting member 92. The first mounting member 91 and the second mounting member 92 are connected to the vehicle body 90. In this embodiment, the first mounting member 91 and the second mounting member 92 each have a mounting bushing and a mounting bracket (not shown). Examples of the structure of the vehicle body 90 include a trapezoidal frame structure and a monocoque structure that integrally forms the frame components and the vehicle body. In this embodiment, although the vehicle body 90 is a frame that supports the various parts of the vehicle 8, it can also be a monocoque body, a trapezoidal frame, a subframe, etc.

[0064] In this embodiment, a first mounting fixing part 21c is provided in the first housing part 21 to fix the first mounting member 91. A second mounting fixing part 22c is provided in the second housing part 22 to fix the second mounting member 92 at multiple positions corresponding to multiple relative fixed angles. Examples of the first mounting fixing part 21c and the second mounting fixing part 22c include bolt fastening parts, rivet hole parts, welding parts, brazing parts, mating parts, protrusion parts, and base parts that can form them.

[0065] In this embodiment, the first mounting and fixing part 21c is a plurality of base parts arranged in three or more sections. The first mounting and fixing part 21c is provided in the first housing part 21 in a manner that, in the vehicle-mounted state, it is positioned in a circumferentially defined direction relative to the rotation axis (in the illustrated example, the rotation axis X1) of the second housing part 22 relative to the first housing part 21. Thus, the vertical orientation of the first housing part 21 is constant in the vehicle-mounted state. Two or more fixing positions (internal threaded holes, welded parts, etc.) are provided in the first mounting and fixing part 21c.

[0066] In this embodiment, the second mounting and fixing portion 22c is an annular pedestal portion continuously formed along the circumference. Alternatively, the second mounting and fixing portion 22c may be formed discontinuously along the circumference. The number of second mounting and fixing portions 22c may also be the same as the number of multiple relatively fixed angles that can fix the second housing portion 22 to the first housing portion 21. In the illustrated example, multiple second mounting and fixing portions 22c are continuously arranged to form an annular pedestal portion. This annular pedestal portion, for example, has two or more fixing positions (internal threaded holes, welded portions, etc.) relative to a relatively fixed angle.

[0067] In this embodiment, a first mounting fixing part 21c for fixing the first mounting member 91 is provided in the first housing part 21, and a plurality of second mounting fixing parts 22c for fixing the second mounting member 92 are provided in the second housing part 22. In this embodiment, the plurality of second mounting fixing parts 22c are arranged continuously around an axis parallel to the axial direction L, but they can also be arranged dispersedly around an axis parallel to the axial direction L.

[0068] In this embodiment, with the housing 20 installed on the vehicle 8, the second mounting member 92 is fixed to any one of the plurality of second mounting fixing parts 22c, but the second mounting member 92 is not fixed to the remaining second mounting fixing parts 22c.

[0069] As described above, in the vehicle drive unit 10 of this embodiment, the orientation of the connecting portion 22h of the second housing portion 22 can be changed by altering the fixed angle between the second housing portion 22 and the first housing portion 21, without changing the orientation of the first housing portion 21 in the vehicle-mounted state. Therefore, the orientation of the connecting portion 22h for connecting the rotary motor MG installed in the housing 20 to the inverter 36 can be changed according to the configuration of the inverter 36. For example, when the inverter housing E3 housing the inverter 36 is integrated with the second housing portion 22, the configuration of the inverter housing E3 can be changed along with the orientation of the connecting portion 22h in the second housing portion 22, according to the configuration of the inverter 36 that meets the requirements of the vehicle 8 side. For example, when the inverter housing E3 and the second housing portion 22 are separate, the orientation of the connecting portion 22h in the second housing portion 22 can also be changed according to the configuration of the inverter 36 that meets the requirements of the vehicle 8 side.

[0070] The housing 20 of the vehicle drive device 10 of this embodiment includes: a first housing portion 21 forming a first housing chamber E1 for housing one of the gear mechanism GT and the rotary motor MG, and a second housing portion 22 forming a second housing chamber E2 for housing the other of the gear mechanism GT and the rotary motor MG. The second housing portion 22 is fixed to the first housing portion 21 in a state where it is engaged with the first housing portion 21 from one side of the axial direction L (the first side of the axial direction L1). An inverter 36 for driving and controlling the rotary motor MG is disposed in a region of a portion of the circumferential direction of the second housing portion 22. The second housing portion 22 can be fixed to the first housing portion 21 at a plurality of relatively fixed angles that are different from each other, and the first engagement surface 21b of the first housing portion 21 and the second engagement surface 22b of the second housing portion 22 and the first housing portion 21 are engaged at a plurality of relatively fixed angles.

[0071] According to the vehicle drive unit 10 described above, the fixed angle of the second housing portion 22 relative to the first housing portion 21 can be changed without changing the orientation of the first housing portion 21 in the vehicle-mounted state. Therefore, the configuration of the inverter 36 can be changed simultaneously with the second housing portion 22, depending on the configuration of the inverter 36 to meet the requirements of the vehicle side. According to this structure, even when the vehicle drive unit 10 is mounted on multiple vehicles 8 with different requirements for the configuration of the inverter 36, the first housing portion 21 and the second housing portion 22 can be used as common components for each vehicle 8. Therefore, the configuration of the inverter 36 to meet the requirements of the vehicle side can be easily changed.

[0072] The vehicle drive unit 10 of this embodiment has a housing 20 comprising: a first housing portion 21 forming a first housing chamber E1 for housing one of the gear mechanism GT and the rotary motor MG; and a second housing portion 22 forming a second housing chamber E2 for housing the other of the gear mechanism GT and the rotary motor MG. The second housing portion 22 is fixed to the first housing portion 21 in a state where it is engaged with the first housing portion 21 from one side of the axial direction L (the first axial side L1). An inverter 36 for driving and controlling the rotary motor MG is disposed in a portion of the circumferential region of the second housing portion 22. The first mounting part 21c for fixing the first mounting part 91 is provided on the first housing part 21, and a plurality of second mounting parts 22c for fixing the second mounting part 92 are provided on the second housing part 22. The plurality of second mounting parts 22c are distributed around an axis parallel to the axial direction L. When the housing 20 is mounted on the vehicle 8, the second mounting part 92 is fixed to any one of the plurality of second mounting parts 22c, but not to the remaining second mounting parts 22c.

[0073] According to this structure, since the multiple second mounting parts 22c are distributed around an axis parallel to the axial direction L, the second housing part 22 can be mounted on the vehicle 8 in an orientation corresponding to the requirements of the vehicle side by fixing the second mounting member 92 to any one of the multiple second mounting parts 22c. Therefore, for example, the orientation of the second housing part 22 can be easily changed without changing the orientation of the first housing part 21 in the vehicle-mounted state. In addition, the configuration of the inverter 36 can be easily changed together with the second housing part 22 according to the configuration of the inverter 36 that meets the requirements of the vehicle side. According to this structure, even if the vehicle drive unit 10 is mounted on multiple vehicles 8 with different requirements for the configuration of the inverter 36, the first housing part 21 and the second housing part 22 can be used as common components for each vehicle 8. Therefore, the configuration of the inverter 36 that meets the requirements of the vehicle side can be easily changed.

[0074] In the vehicle drive device 10 of this embodiment, in the second housing portion 22, the drip outlet 75a that allows oil OL to drip from the upper side to the rotary motor MG is fixed at multiple positions in the circumferential direction. When the housing 20 is installed in the vehicle 8, a portion of the multiple drip outlets 75a are arranged on the upper side relative to the rotary motor MG, and at least a portion of the remaining drip outlets 75a are arranged on the lower side relative to the rotary motor MG.

[0075] According to the aforementioned vehicle drive device 10, even if the orientation of the second housing portion 22 changes depending on whether the second mounting member 92 is fixed to any of the plurality of second mounting fixing portions 22c, at least a portion of the plurality of drip outlets 75a are disposed on the upper side relative to the rotary motor MG. Therefore, regardless of the orientation of the second housing portion 22, oil OL can be properly dripped onto the rotary motor MG.

[0076] The vehicle drive unit 10 of this embodiment also includes an oil pump OP that draws in and discharges oil OL. The oil OL is stored inside the housing 20, and the oil OL intake part 63 inside the housing 20 of the oil pump OP is fixed at a position relative to the first housing part 21.

[0077] According to the above-described vehicle drive unit 10, the position of the suction section 63 relative to the first housing section 21 is fixed, so the position of the suction section 63 will not change depending on the fixed relative angle of the fixed second housing section 22. Therefore, regardless of how the relative fixed angle is changed, the suction of oil OL stored inside the lower side of the housing 20 can be easily and properly performed.

[0078] In the vehicle drive device 10 of this embodiment, in the second housing 22, the dripping port 75a that allows oil OL to drip from the top to the rotary motor MG is fixed at multiple circumferential positions. In each of the multiple relatively fixed angles, the circumferential positions of the multiple dripping ports 75a are set such that any one of the multiple dripping ports 75a is arranged on the top side relative to the rotary motor MG.

[0079] According to the above-described vehicle drive device 10, by using any one of the multiple drip ports 75a according to the relative fixed angle between the second housing portion 22 and the first housing portion 21, oil OL can be appropriately dripped into the rotary motor MG regardless of the relative fixed angle between the second housing portion 22 and the first housing portion 21.

[0080] In the vehicle drive device 10 of this embodiment, the first mating surface 21b and the second mating surface 22b are annular or regular polygonal annular when viewed along the axial direction L. The fixing mechanism 85 that fixes the first housing part 21 and the second housing part 22 includes: a plurality of bolts 80, a plurality of internal threaded holes 82 provided in one of the first housing part 21 and the second housing part 22 for the bolts 80 to screw into, and a plurality of through holes 81 provided in the other of the first housing part 21 and the second housing part 22 for the bolts 80 to pass through. In each of the plurality of relatively fixed angles, the circumferential positions of the plurality of internal threaded holes 82 and the plurality of through holes 81 are consistent.

[0081] According to the above-described vehicle drive device 10, the first housing portion 21 and the second housing portion 22 can be released by removing the bolt 80, and the second housing portion 22 can be fixed to the first housing portion 21 at multiple relatively fixed angles by tightening the bolt 80. It can also appropriately realize a structure in which the first mating surface 21b of the first housing portion 21 and the second mating surface 22b of the second housing portion 22 are joined at multiple relatively fixed angles.

[0082] In the vehicle drive device 10 of this embodiment, the housing 20 is mounted on the vehicle 8 via a first mounting member 91 and a second mounting member 92. A first mounting fixing part 21c capable of fixing the first mounting member 91 is provided in the first housing part 21, and a second mounting fixing part 22c capable of fixing the second mounting member 92 at multiple positions corresponding to multiple relatively fixed angles is provided in the second housing part 22.

[0083] According to the above-described vehicle drive device 10, even if the relative fixed angle between the first housing portion 21 and the second housing portion 22 is set to any angle, the housing 20 can be properly mounted on the vehicle 8 via the first mounting member 91 and the second mounting member 92.

[0084] In the vehicle drive device 10 of this embodiment, the housing 20 further includes an inverter housing portion 23 that forms an inverter housing chamber E3 for housing the inverter 36. The direction orthogonal to the rotation axis X1 is set as radial Z. The inverter housing portion 23 is integrally fixed to the second housing portion 22 and is configured such that a portion of the circumferential region of the second housing portion 22 protrudes outward relative to the second housing portion 22 in the radial direction Z. A connection portion 22h for connecting the inverter 36 to the rotary motor MG is provided in a portion of the circumferential region of the second housing portion 22. The connection portion 22h is the connection portion between the second housing portion 22 and the inverter housing portion 23.

[0085] According to the above-described vehicle drive unit 10, the orientation of the inverter housing 23 protruding relative to the second housing 22 can be changed by altering the fixed relative angle between the second housing portion 22 and the first housing portion 21, without changing the orientation of the first housing portion 21 in the vehicle-mounted state. Therefore, common components can be used for the first housing portion 21, the second housing portion 22, and the inverter housing portion 23 constituting the housing 20, and the shape of the vehicle drive unit 10 can be easily changed according to the shape and configuration of the mounting space on the vehicle 8 side.

[0086] [Second Implementation]

[0087] Hereinafter, the vehicle drive device 10 of the second embodiment will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this embodiment, it differs from the first embodiment in that the gear mechanism GT is housed in the second storage chamber E2, and the gear mechanism GT has a multi-shaft structure. Hereinafter, the description will focus on the differences from the first embodiment described above. In addition, points not specifically described are the same as those in the first embodiment described above.

[0088] Figure 10 This is a diagram showing an example of the engagement of the first housing portion 21 and the second housing portion 22 in this embodiment. Figure 11 This shows that when the relative angle is kept constant, it is relative to... Figure 10 The state changes by 90 degrees, resulting in the engagement of the first mating surface 21b and the second mating surface 22b. In this embodiment, the rotary motor MG is housed in the first storage chamber E1 of the first housing portion 21, and the gear mechanism GT is housed in the second storage chamber E2 of the second housing portion 22. Although not shown in the figure, in this embodiment, the first housing portion 21 is provided with a first mounting fixing portion 21c capable of fixing the first mounting member 91, and the second housing portion 22 is provided with a second mounting fixing portion 22c capable of fixing the second mounting member 92 at multiple positions corresponding to multiple relatively fixed angles.

[0089] [Third Implementation Method]

[0090] Hereinafter, the vehicle drive device 10 according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this embodiment, it differs from the first embodiment in that the second mounting and fixing portion 22c is not an annular base portion but four elliptical base portions. The following description will focus on the differences from the first embodiment described above. Furthermore, the points specifically mentioned are the same as in the first embodiment described above.

[0091] Figure 12 This diagram shows the second mounting and fixing portion 22c of this embodiment. In this embodiment, a plurality of second mounting and fixing portions 22c are distributed around an axis parallel to the axial direction L. The second mounting member 92 is fixed to the plurality of second mounting and fixing portions 22c (see reference). Figure 9 In this embodiment, the relatively fixed angle can be set to four angles every 90 degrees or eight angles every 45 degrees.

[0092] For example, the second mounting component 92 (refer to) Figure 9 The second mounting component 92 is fixed at four positions: two positions on the uppermost second mounting part 22c in the vehicle-mounted state, one position on the upper part of the second mounting part 22c on the first side H1 in the front-rear direction, and one position on the upper part of the second mounting part 22c on the second side H2 in the front-rear direction. The second mounting component 92 is not fixed to the lowermost second mounting part 22c. For example, the second mounting component 92 is fixed at two positions on each of two adjacent second mounting parts 22c, totaling four positions, but not on the remaining two adjacent second mounting parts 22c.

[0093] [Fourth Implementation Method]

[0094] Hereinafter, the vehicle drive device 10 of the fourth embodiment will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this embodiment, unlike the first embodiment, the first mounting and fixing portion 21c is not divided into three pedestal portions, but rather consists of four elliptical pedestal portions. The following description will focus on the differences from the first embodiment. Furthermore, the points specifically mentioned are the same as those in the first embodiment.

[0095] Figure 13 This diagram shows the first mounting and fixing part 21c of this embodiment. In this embodiment, a plurality of first mounting and fixing parts 21c are distributed around an axis parallel to the axial direction L. First mounting member 91 (see reference) Figure 8 The components are fixed to a plurality of first mounting and fixing parts 21c. In this embodiment, the relative fixed angle can be set to four angles every 90 degrees or eight angles every 45 degrees.

[0096] For example, the first mounting component 91 (refer to) Figure 8The first mounting component 91 is fixed at four positions: two positions on the uppermost first mounting part 21c in the vehicle-mounted state, one position on the upper part of the first mounting part 21c on the first side H1 in the front-rear direction, and one position on the upper part of the first mounting part 21c on the second side H2 in the front-rear direction. The first mounting component 91 is not fixed to the lowermost first mounting part 21c. For example, the first mounting component 91 is fixed at two positions on each of two adjacent first mounting parts 21c, totaling four positions, but not on the remaining two adjacent first mounting parts 21c.

[0097] [Fifth Implementation Method]

[0098] Hereinafter, the vehicle drive device 10 according to the fifth embodiment will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this embodiment, unlike the first embodiment, a plurality of first mounting and fixing portions 21c are arranged in a ring shape instead of being divided into three pedestal portions. The following description will focus on the differences from the first embodiment. Furthermore, the points specifically mentioned are the same as in the first embodiment.

[0099] Figure 14 This diagram illustrates the first mounting and fixing portion 21c of this embodiment. In this embodiment, the first mounting and fixing portion 21c is an annular base portion continuously formed along the circumference. Alternatively, the first mounting and fixing portion 21c may be formed discontinuously along the circumference. The number of first mounting and fixing portions 21c may also be the same as the number of multiple relatively fixed angles at which the first housing portion 21 can be fixed to the second housing portion 22. In the illustrated example, multiple first mounting and fixing portions 21c are continuously arranged to form an annular base portion. For example, with respect to a relatively fixed angle, two or more fixing positions (internal threaded holes, welded portions, etc.) are provided on this annular base portion.

[0100] In this embodiment, a plurality of first mounting components 91 for fixing the first housing portion 21 are provided (see reference). Figure 8 The first mounting and fixing part 21c is provided, and the second housing part 22 is provided with a second mounting component 92 (see reference). Figure 9 The second mounting and fixing part 22c. In this embodiment, a plurality of first mounting and fixing parts 21c are continuously arranged around an axis parallel to the axial direction L.

[0101] In this embodiment, with the housing 20 installed on the vehicle 8, the first mounting component 91 (refer to...) Figure 8 The first mounting component 91 is fixed to any one of the plurality of first mounting fixing parts 21c, but is not fixed to the remaining first mounting fixing parts 21c.

[0102] [Other Implementation Methods]

[0103] Next, other embodiments of the vehicle drive unit 10 will be described.

[0104] (1) In the above embodiment, the gear mechanism GT is described as having a structure including a reducer 16 and a differential gear mechanism 15. However, it is not limited to such an example. For example, the gear mechanism GT may not have a reducer 16, but only have a differential gear mechanism 15. For example, the gear mechanism GT may also have a structure that transmits power from a rotary motor MG to a wheel, for example, without a differential gear mechanism 15 and only having a reducer 16. For example, the reducer 16 may not be a planetary gear mechanism with a fixed gear ratio, but a reducer structure with a multi-stage gear ratio. For example, the gear mechanism GT may not be a single-axis structure, but a multi-axis structure such as a dual-axis or triple-axis structure.

[0105] (2) In the above embodiment, the vehicle drive unit 10 is described as having an oil pump OP and an oil OL suction section 63 fixed at a position relative to the first housing section 21. However, it is not limited to that example; for example, the oil OL suction section 63 may also be fixed at a position relative to the second housing section 22. For example, the vehicle drive unit 10 may not have an oil pump OP. For example, the oil OL may not be housed inside the housing 20.

[0106] (3) In the above embodiment, an example was described using a structure in which an annular oil passage component 70 is fixed to the second housing portion 22, and the dripping port 75a of the oil passage component 70 is fixed at multiple circumferential positions. However, it is not limited to that example. For example, the dripping port 75a can also be provided in the housing 20 and fixed to the second housing portion 22. For example, it is also possible to form one or more dripping ports 75a in the annular oil passage component 70 and change the circumferential fixed position of the oil passage component 70 relative to the second housing portion 22 according to the relative fixed angle, so that the oil OL drips from the top to the rotary motor MG. For example, the oil passage component 70, the first oil passage 71, or the second oil passage 72 may not be annular but semi-circular, etc.

[0107] (4) In the above embodiment, the structure in which the first mating surface 21b and the second mating surface 22b are annular or regular polygonal when viewed along the axial direction L, and the first housing portion 21 and the second housing portion 22 are fastened by bolts 80, has been described as an example. However, it is not limited to such an example. For example, the first mating surface 21b and the second mating surface 22b may also be rhomboid or rectangular annular.

[0108] (5) In the above embodiment, the structure is described as follows: the first housing portion 21 is provided with an annular pedestal portion, i.e., the first mounting fixing portion 21c, which can fix the first mounting member 91 at multiple positions corresponding to multiple relatively fixed angles, or the second housing portion 22 is provided with an annular pedestal portion, i.e., the second mounting fixing portion 22c, which can fix the second mounting member 92 at multiple positions corresponding to multiple relatively fixed angles. However, it is not limited to such an example. For example, the mounting bracket of the first housing portion 21 and the first mounting member 91 or the mounting bracket of the second housing portion 22 and the second mounting member 92 may be integrally formed. For example, the first mounting fixing portion 21c may also be a regular polygonal annular, rectangular annular, or rhomboid annular pedestal portion when viewed along the axial direction L. For example, the second mounting fixing portion 22c may also be a regular polygonal annular, rectangular annular, or rhomboid annular pedestal portion when viewed along the axial direction L.

[0109] (6) In the above embodiment, an example was described where the inverter housing portion 23 is integrally fixed to the second housing portion 22 and is configured to protrude radially outward relative to the second housing portion 22 in a region circumferentially outward relative to the second housing portion 22. However, the embodiment is not limited to that example. For instance, the inverter housing portion 23 may also be configured such that a region circumferentially outward relative to the second housing portion 22 does not protrude radially outward relative to the second housing portion 22. For example, the housing 20 may not have the inverter housing portion 23. For example, the inverter 36 may not be disposed in a region circumferentially outward of the second housing portion 22.

[0110] (8) In the above embodiment, an example was described where a plurality of first mounting and fixing parts 21c are distributed around an axis parallel to the axial direction L, and the first mounting member 91 is fixed to any one of the plurality of first mounting and fixing parts 21c without being fixed to the remaining first mounting and fixing parts 21c when the housing 20 is mounted on the vehicle 8. However, the embodiment is not limited to that example. For example, the first mounting member 91 may be fixed to all of the plurality of first mounting and fixing parts 21c. For example, the plurality of first mounting and fixing parts 21c may not be distributed around an axis parallel to the axial direction L. For example, the first mounting member 91 may be a single unit. For example, the first mounting and fixing part 21c may be a single unit.

[0111] (7) In the above embodiment, an example was described where a plurality of second mounting and fixing parts 22c are distributed around an axis parallel to the axial direction L, and the second mounting member 92 is fixed to any one of the plurality of second mounting and fixing parts 22c when the housing 20 is mounted on the vehicle 8, without fixing the second mounting member 92 to the remaining second mounting and fixing parts 22c. However, the embodiment is not limited to that example. For example, the second mounting member 92 may be fixed to all of the plurality of second mounting and fixing parts 22c. For example, the plurality of second mounting and fixing parts 22c may not be distributed around an axis parallel to the axial direction L. For example, the second mounting member 92 may be a single unit. For example, the second mounting and fixing part 22c may be a single unit.

[0112] (9) In the above embodiment, an example was described where, with the housing 20 mounted on the vehicle 8, a portion of the plurality of drip outlets 75a are positioned above the rotary motor MG, and at least a portion of the remaining drip outlets 75a are positioned below the rotary motor MG. However, the embodiment is not limited to that example; for instance, with the housing 20 mounted on the vehicle 8, all of the plurality of drip outlets 75a may be positioned above the rotary motor MG. For example, the drip outlets 75a may not be fixed at multiple circumferential positions.

[0113] (10) In the above embodiment, the gear mechanism GT is housed in the first storage chamber E1 of the first housing portion 21, and the rotary motor MG is housed in the second storage chamber E2 of the second housing portion 22. The rotation axis X1 of the rotary motor MG is the relative rotation axis of the second housing portion 22 with respect to the first housing portion 21. However, the embodiment is not limited to that example. For example, the rotary motor MG may be housed in the first storage chamber E1 of the first housing portion 21, and the gear mechanism GT may be housed in the second storage chamber E2 of the second housing portion 22. For example, the gear mechanism GT may be a multi-axis structure such as a two-axis or a three-axis structure, and the relative rotation axis of the second housing portion 22 with respect to the first housing portion 21 may be an axis parallel to any one of the multiple axes of the gear mechanism GT.

[0114] (11) In the above embodiment, the power module PWR is described as having a structure that includes a converter 31 and a charging power supply circuit 32. However, it is not limited to such an example, for example, the power module PWR may not have a converter 31 or a charging power supply circuit 32.

[0115] (12) In the above embodiment, the structure in which a second oil passage connection portion 72a is formed in the dripping member 75 integrally formed with the oil passage component 70 has been described as an example. However, it is not limited to such an example. For example, the second oil passage connection portion 72a may be formed at a position other than the dripping member 75 of the oil passage component 70. For example, the oil passage component 70 and the dripping member 75 may be different components.

[0116] (13) Furthermore, the structures disclosed in the above embodiments can be combined with structures disclosed in other embodiments, provided that no contradiction arises. Regarding other structures, the embodiments disclosed in this specification are merely examples in all respects. Therefore, various modifications can be appropriately made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0117] [Summary of the above implementation methods]

[0118] The vehicle drive device of the present invention will be described below.

[0119] As one embodiment, the vehicle drive unit (10) includes: a rotary motor (MG); an output component that is drivenly connected to wheels (first wheel W1, second wheel W2); a gear mechanism (GT) that transmits driving force between the rotary motor (MG) and the output component; and a housing (20) that houses the rotary motor (MG) and the gear mechanism (GT). The housing (20) includes: a first housing portion (21) forming a first housing chamber (E1) housing one of the gear mechanism (GT) and the rotary motor (MG), and a second housing portion (22) forming a second housing chamber (E2) housing the other of the gear mechanism (GT) and the rotary motor (MG). The direction along the rotation axis of the rotary motor (MG) is set as axial ( L), with the direction around the rotation axis (X1) set as circumferential (X), the second housing part (22) is fixed to the first housing part (21) in a state where it is engaged with the first housing part (21) from one side of the axial direction (L) (the first side of the axial direction L1), and an inverter (36) for driving and controlling the rotary motor (MG) is arranged in a part of the circumferential direction of the second housing part (22). The second housing part (22) can be fixed to the first housing part (21) at multiple relatively fixed angles that are different from each other, and can engage the first engagement surface (21b) of the first housing part (21) and the second engagement surface (22b) of the second housing part (22) with the first housing part (21) at multiple relatively fixed angles.

[0120] According to this structure, the fixed angle of the second housing portion (22) relative to the first housing portion (21) can be changed without changing the orientation of the first housing portion (21) in the vehicle-mounted state. Therefore, the configuration of the inverter (36) can be changed together with the second housing portion (22) according to the configuration of the inverter (36) that meets the requirements of the vehicle side. According to this structure, even when the vehicle drive unit (10) is mounted on multiple vehicles (8) with different requirements for the configuration of the inverter (36), the first housing portion (21) and the second housing portion (22) can be used as common components for each vehicle (8). Therefore, the configuration of the inverter (36) that meets the requirements of the vehicle side can be easily changed.

[0121] As one embodiment, the vehicle drive unit (10) includes: a rotary motor (MG); an output component that is drivenly connected to wheels (first wheel W1, second wheel W2); a gear mechanism (GT) that transmits driving force between the rotary motor (MG) and the output component; and a housing (20) that houses the rotary motor (MG) and the gear mechanism (GT). The housing (20) includes: a first housing portion (21) forming a first housing chamber (E1) housing one of the gear mechanism (GT) and the rotary motor (MG), and a second housing portion (22) forming a second housing chamber (E2) housing the other of the gear mechanism (GT) and the rotary motor (MG). The direction along the rotation axis of the rotary motor (MG) is defined as axial (L), and the direction around the rotation axis (X1) is defined as circumferential (X). The second housing portion (22) is connected to the first wheel (MG) on one side (axial first side L1) from the axial (L) direction. With the housing part (21) engaged, an inverter (36) for driving and controlling a rotary motor (MG) is disposed in a portion of the circumferential region of the second housing part (22). The housing (20) is mounted on the vehicle (8) via a first mounting member (91) and a second mounting member (92). A first mounting fixing part (21c) for fixing the first mounting member (91) is provided in the first housing part (21), and a plurality of second mounting fixing parts (22c) for fixing the second mounting member (92) are provided in the second housing part (22). The plurality of second mounting fixing parts (22c) are distributed around an axis parallel to the axial direction L. With the housing (20) mounted on the vehicle (8), the second mounting member (92) is fixed to any one of the plurality of second mounting fixing parts (22c), but not to the remaining second mounting fixing parts (22c).

[0122] According to this structure, multiple second mounting parts (22c) are distributed around an axis parallel to the axial direction L. Therefore, by fixing the second mounting member (92) to any one of the multiple second mounting parts (22c), the second housing part (22) can be mounted on the vehicle (8) in an orientation corresponding to the requirements of the vehicle side. Therefore, for example, the orientation of the second housing part (22) can be easily changed without changing the orientation of the first housing part (21) in the vehicle-mounted state. According to this structure, the configuration of the inverter (36) can be easily changed together with the second housing part (22) according to the configuration of the inverter (36) that meets the requirements of the vehicle side. According to this structure, even when the vehicle drive unit (10) is mounted on multiple vehicles (8) with different requirements for the configuration of the inverter (36), the first housing part (21) and the second housing part (22) can be used as common parts for each vehicle 8. Therefore, the configuration of the inverter (36) that meets the requirements of the vehicle side can be easily changed.

[0123] As one embodiment, the vehicle drive unit (10) includes: a rotary motor (MG); an output component that is drivenly connected to wheels (first wheel W1, second wheel W2); a gear mechanism (GT) that transmits driving force between the rotary motor (MG) and the output component; and a housing (20) that houses the rotary motor (MG) and the gear mechanism (GT). The housing (20) includes: a first housing portion (21) forming a first housing chamber (E1) housing one of the gear mechanism (GT) and the rotary motor (MG), and a second housing portion (22) forming a second housing chamber (E2) housing the other of the gear mechanism (GT) and the rotary motor (MG). The direction along the rotation axis of the rotary motor (MG) is defined as axial (L), and the direction around the rotation axis (X1) is defined as circumferential (X). The second housing portion (22) is connected to the first wheel (MG) on one side (axial first side L1) from the axial (L) direction. With one housing part (21) engaged, an inverter (36) for driving and controlling a rotary motor (MG) is disposed in a portion of the circumferential region of the second housing part (22). The housing (20) is mounted on the vehicle (8) via a first mounting member (91) and a second mounting member (92). A plurality of first mounting fixing parts (21c) for fixing the first mounting member (91) are provided in the first housing part (21), and a second mounting fixing part (22c) for fixing the second mounting member (92) is provided in the second housing part (22). The plurality of first mounting fixing parts (21c) are distributed around an axis parallel to the axial direction L. With the housing (20) mounted on the vehicle (8), the first mounting member (91) is fixed to any one of the plurality of first mounting fixing parts (21c), but the first mounting member (91) is not fixed to the remaining first mounting fixing parts (21c).

[0124] According to this structure, multiple first mounting and fixing parts (21c) are distributed around an axis parallel to the axial direction L. Therefore, by fixing the first mounting member (91) to any one of the multiple first mounting and fixing parts (21c), the first housing part (21) can be mounted on the vehicle (8) in an orientation corresponding to the requirements of the vehicle side. Therefore, for example, the orientation of the first housing part (21) can be easily changed without changing the orientation of the second housing part (22) in the vehicle-mounted state.

[0125] As one embodiment, the vehicle drive unit (10) also includes an oil pump (OP) for sucking in and discharging oil (OL), and the oil (OL) is stored inside the housing (20). The position of the oil (OL) suction part (63) of the oil pump (OP) inside the housing (20) relative to the first housing part (21) is fixed. In the second housing part (22), the dripping port (75a) that allows the oil (OL) to drip from the upper side to the rotary motor MG is fixed at multiple positions in the circumferential direction. When the housing (20) is installed in the vehicle (8), a portion of the multiple dripping ports (75a) is arranged on the upper side relative to the rotary motor (MG), and at least a portion of the remaining dripping ports (75a) is arranged on the lower side relative to the rotary motor (MG).

[0126] According to the above-described vehicle drive device (10), even if the orientation of the second housing portion (22) changes due to fixing the second mounting member (92) to any of the plurality of second mounting fixing portions (22c), at least a portion of the plurality of drip ports (75a) are still positioned on the upper side relative to the rotary motor (MG). Therefore, regardless of the orientation of the second housing portion (22), oil (OL) can be properly dripped onto the rotary motor (MG).

[0127] As one embodiment, the vehicle drive unit (10) also includes an oil pump (OP) that draws in and discharges oil (OL), and the oil (OL) is stored inside the housing (20). The position of the oil pump (OP)'s oil (OL) intake part (63) inside the housing (20) relative to the first housing part (21) is fixed.

[0128] According to the above-described vehicle drive device (10), the position of the suction section (63) relative to the first housing section (21) is fixed, so the position of the suction section (63) will not change depending on the fixed relative angle of the fixed second housing section (22). Therefore, no matter how the fixed relative angle is changed, it is easy to properly suck in the oil (OL) stored inside the lower side of the housing (20).

[0129] In one embodiment, in the second housing part (22), the dripping port (75a) from which oil (OL) drips from the top to the rotary motor (MG) is fixed at multiple circumferential positions. The relative angle between the second housing part (22) and the first housing part (21) about an axis parallel to the axial direction (L) is set as a relatively fixed angle. In each of the multiple relatively fixed angles, the circumferential position of the multiple dripping ports (75a) is set such that any one of the multiple dripping ports (75a) is positioned on the top side relative to the rotary motor (MG).

[0130] According to the above-described vehicle drive device (10), by using any one of the multiple drip ports (75a) according to the relative fixed angle between the second housing part (22) and the first housing part (21), oil (OL) can be properly dripped onto the rotary motor (MG), regardless of the relative fixed angle between the second housing part (22) and the first housing part (21).

[0131] As one embodiment, the mating surfaces of the first housing portion (21) and the second housing portion (22), namely the first mating surface (21b) and the second housing portion (22) and the first housing portion (21), namely the second mating surface (22b), are joined together. The first mating surface (21b) and the second mating surface (22b) are annular or regular polygonal annular when viewed along the axial direction (L). The fixing mechanism (85) for fixing the first housing portion (21) and the second housing portion (22) includes: a plurality of bolts (80), provided on the first housing portion (21b) and the second housing portion (22). The first housing part (21) and the second housing part (22) each have a plurality of internal threaded holes (82) for screwing in with bolts (80), and the second housing part (22) each have a plurality of through holes (81) for bolts (80) to pass through. The relative angle of the second housing part (22) with respect to the first housing part (21) about an axis parallel to the axial direction L is set as a relatively fixed angle. In each of the plurality of relatively fixed angles, the circumferential positions of the plurality of internal threaded holes (82) and the plurality of through holes (81) are consistent.

[0132] According to the above-described vehicle drive device 10, the following structure can be achieved: the first housing part (21) and the second housing part (22) can be released by removing the bolt (80), and the second housing part (22) can be fixed to the first housing part (21) at multiple relatively fixed angles by tightening the bolt (80), and the first mating surface (21b) of the first housing part (21) and the second mating surface (22b) of the second housing part (22) can be joined at multiple relatively fixed angles.

[0133] As one embodiment, the housing (20) also includes an inverter housing section (23) forming an inverter housing chamber (E3) housing the inverter (36), with the direction orthogonal to the rotation axis (X1) set as radial (Z), the inverter housing section (23) is integrally fixed to the second housing section (22), and is configured such that a portion of the circumferential region of the second housing section (22) protrudes radially (Z) outward relative to the second housing section (22), and a connection section (22h) for connecting the inverter (36) and the rotating motor (MG) is provided in a portion of the circumferential region of the second housing section (22), the connection section (22h) being the connection portion between the second housing section (22) and the inverter housing section (23).

[0134] According to the above-described vehicle drive unit (10), by changing the fixed angle between the second housing portion (22) and the first housing portion (21), the orientation of the inverter housing portion (23) protruding relative to the second housing portion (22) can be changed without changing the orientation of the first housing portion (21) in the vehicle-mounted state. Therefore, the first housing portion (21), the second housing portion (22), and the inverter housing portion (23) constituting the housing (20) can use common components, and the shape of the vehicle drive unit (10) can be easily changed according to the shape, configuration, etc. of the mounting space on the vehicle (8) side.

[0135] In one embodiment, the housing 20 is mounted on the vehicle (8) via a first mounting member (91) and a second mounting member (92). A first mounting fixing part (21c) capable of fixing the first mounting member (91) is provided in the first housing part (21), and a second mounting fixing part (22c) capable of fixing the second mounting member (92) is provided in the second housing part (22). The first mounting fixing part (21c) in the first housing part (21) can fix the first mounting member (91) at multiple positions corresponding to multiple relative fixed angles, or the second mounting fixing part (22c) can fix the second mounting member (92) at multiple positions corresponding to multiple relative fixed angles.

[0136] According to the above-described vehicle drive device (10), even if the relative fixed angle between the first housing part (21) and the second housing part (22) is set to any angle, the housing (20) can be properly installed on the vehicle (8) via the first mounting member (91) and the second mounting member (92).

[0137] In one embodiment, the relative angle between the second housing portion (22) and the first housing portion (21) about an axis parallel to the axial direction (L) is set to a relatively fixed angle. The first mounting and fixing portion (21c) is provided in a plurality of locations about an axis parallel to the axial direction, such that the first mounting member (91) can be fixed at a plurality of positions corresponding to a plurality of relatively fixed angles. Alternatively, the second mounting and fixing portion (22c) is provided in a plurality of locations about an axis parallel to the axial direction, such that the second mounting member (92) can be fixed at a plurality of positions corresponding to a plurality of relatively fixed angles.

[0138] According to the above-described vehicle drive device (10), even if the relative fixed angle between the first housing part (21) and the second housing part (22) is set to any angle, the housing (20) can be properly installed on the vehicle (8) via the first mounting member (91) and the second mounting member (92).

[0139] The vehicle drive device of the present invention only needs to achieve at least one of the above-mentioned effects.

[0140] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0141] 8: Vehicle, 10: Vehicle drive unit, 20: Housing, 21: First housing part, 21b: First mating surface, 21c: First mounting and fixing part, 22: Second housing part, 22b: Second mating surface, 22c: Second mounting and fixing part, 22h: Connecting part, 23: Inverter housing part, 36: Inverter, 63: Suction part, 75a: Drip outlet, 80: Bolt, 81: Through hole, 82: Internal threaded hole, 85: Fixing mechanism, 91: First mounting component, 92: Second mounting component, E1: First storage chamber, E2: Second storage chamber, E3: Inverter storage chamber, GT: Gear mechanism, MG: Rotary motor, OL: Oil, OP: Oil pump, X1: Rotating shaft.

Claims

1. A vehicle drive system comprising: Rotary electric motor; Output components, which are connected to the wheel drive; A gear mechanism that transmits driving force between the aforementioned rotary motor and the aforementioned output component; and The housing contains the aforementioned rotary motor and gear mechanism. The aforementioned housing comprises: a first housing portion forming a first housing chamber for housing one of the aforementioned gear mechanism and the aforementioned rotary motor, and a second housing portion forming a second housing chamber for housing the other of the aforementioned gear mechanism and the aforementioned rotary motor. Let the direction along the rotation axis of the aforementioned rotary motor be defined as the axial direction, and the direction around the rotation axis be defined as the circumferential direction. The second housing portion is fixed to the first housing portion in a state where it is engaged with the first housing portion from one side of the axial direction. An inverter for driving and controlling the rotary motor is disposed in a region of the second housing portion in the circumferential direction. The relative angle between the second housing portion and the first housing portion about an axis parallel to the aforementioned axial direction is set as a relatively fixed angle. The second housing portion is fixed to the first housing portion at a plurality of different relative fixed angles, and the first joint surface of the first housing portion and the second housing portion and the second joint surface of the second housing portion are joined at the plurality of relative fixed angles.

2. A vehicle drive system, comprising: Rotary electric motor; Output components, which are connected to the wheel drive; A gear mechanism that transmits driving force between the aforementioned rotary motor and the aforementioned output component; and The housing contains the aforementioned rotary motor and gear mechanism. The aforementioned housing comprises: a first housing portion forming a first housing chamber for housing one of the aforementioned gear mechanism and the aforementioned rotary motor, and a second housing portion forming a second housing chamber for housing the other of the aforementioned gear mechanism and the aforementioned rotary motor. Let the direction along the rotation axis of the aforementioned rotary motor be defined as the axial direction, and the direction around the rotation axis be defined as the circumferential direction. The second housing portion is fixed to the first housing portion in a state where it is engaged with the first housing portion from one side of the axial direction. An inverter for driving and controlling the rotary motor is disposed in a region of the second housing portion in the circumferential direction. The aforementioned housing is mounted on the vehicle via the first mounting component and the second mounting component. The first housing portion is provided with a first mounting and fixing portion for fixing the first mounting component. The second housing portion is provided with a plurality of second mounting and fixing portions for fixing the second mounting component. The plurality of the aforementioned second mounting and fixing parts are distributed around an axis parallel to the aforementioned axial direction. When the aforementioned housing is installed in the vehicle, the aforementioned second mounting component is fixed to any one of the plurality of the aforementioned second mounting and fixing parts, but the aforementioned second mounting component is not fixed to the remaining of the aforementioned second mounting and fixing parts.

3. A vehicle drive system, comprising: Rotary electric motor; Output components, which are connected to the wheel drive; A gear mechanism that transmits driving force between the aforementioned rotary motor and the aforementioned output component; and The housing contains the aforementioned rotary motor and gear mechanism. The aforementioned housing comprises: a first housing portion forming a first housing chamber for housing one of the aforementioned gear mechanism and the aforementioned rotary motor, and a second housing portion forming a second housing chamber for housing the other of the aforementioned gear mechanism and the aforementioned rotary motor. Let the direction along the rotation axis of the aforementioned rotary motor be defined as the axial direction, and the direction around the rotation axis be defined as the circumferential direction. The second housing portion is fixed to the first housing portion in a state where it is engaged with the first housing portion from one side of the axial direction. An inverter for driving and controlling the rotary motor is disposed in a region of the second housing portion in the circumferential direction. The aforementioned housing is mounted on the vehicle via the first mounting component and the second mounting component. The first housing portion is provided with a plurality of first mounting and fixing portions for fixing the first mounting component. The second housing portion is provided with a second mounting and fixing portion for fixing the second mounting component. The plurality of the aforementioned first mounting and fixing parts are distributed around an axis parallel to the aforementioned axial direction. When the aforementioned housing is installed in a vehicle, the aforementioned first mounting component is fixed to any one of the plurality of the aforementioned first mounting and fixing parts, but the aforementioned first mounting component is not fixed to the remaining of the aforementioned first mounting and fixing parts.

4. The vehicle drive unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising: An oil pump, which draws in and discharges oil. The oil is stored inside the aforementioned casing. The position of the oil suction section of the oil pump inside the housing relative to the first housing section is fixed. In the second housing section described above, a drip outlet that allows oil to drip from the top onto the rotary motor is fixed at multiple positions along the circumference. With the housing installed in the vehicle, a portion of the plurality of drip outlets is positioned on the upper side relative to the rotary motor, and at least a portion of the remaining drip outlets is positioned on the lower side relative to the rotary motor.

5. The vehicle drive unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising: An oil pump, which draws in and discharges oil. The oil is stored inside the aforementioned casing. The position of the oil suction section of the oil pump inside the housing relative to the first housing section is fixed.

6. The vehicle drive unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, In the second housing section described above, a drip outlet that allows oil to drip from the top onto the rotary motor is fixed at multiple positions along the circumference. The relative angle between the second housing portion and the first housing portion about an axis parallel to the aforementioned axial direction is set as a relatively fixed angle. In each of the aforementioned relatively fixed angles, the circumferential position of the plurality of dripping orifices is set such that any one of the plurality of dripping orifices is positioned above the aforementioned rotary motor.

7. The vehicle drive unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The mating surfaces of the first housing portion and the second housing portion (i.e., the first mating surface) and the mating surfaces of the second housing portion and the first housing portion (i.e., the second mating surface) are joined together. The aforementioned first mating surface and the aforementioned second mating surface are annular or regular polygonal annular when viewed along the aforementioned axial direction. The fixing mechanism for securing the first housing portion and the second housing portion includes: a plurality of bolts, a plurality of internally threaded holes provided in the first housing portion and the second housing portion for the bolts to engage, and a plurality of through holes provided in the first housing portion and the second housing portion for the bolts to pass through. The relative angle between the second housing portion and the first housing portion about an axis parallel to the aforementioned axial direction is set as a relatively fixed angle. In each of the aforementioned relatively fixed angles, the circumferential positions of the aforementioned internal threaded holes and the aforementioned through holes are consistent.

8. The vehicle drive unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The aforementioned housing also includes an inverter housing section that forms an inverter housing chamber for housing the aforementioned inverter. Let the direction orthogonal to the aforementioned axis of rotation be defined as radial. The inverter housing portion is integrally fixed to the second housing portion, and is configured such that in a region of the second housing portion in the circumferential direction, it protrudes radially outward relative to the second housing portion. A connection portion for connecting the inverter and the rotary motor is provided in a region of the second housing portion in the circumferential direction. The aforementioned connection portion is the connection between the aforementioned second housing portion and the aforementioned inverter housing portion.

9. The vehicle drive unit according to claim 1, wherein, The aforementioned housing is mounted on the vehicle via the first mounting component and the second mounting component. The first housing portion is provided with a first mounting and fixing portion capable of fixing the first mounting component. The second housing portion is provided with a second mounting and fixing portion capable of fixing the second mounting component. The first mounting and fixing part described above can fix the first mounting component in multiple positions corresponding to the multiple relative fixed angles, or The second mounting and fixing part described above can fix the second mounting component at multiple positions corresponding to the multiple relative fixed angles described above.

10. The vehicle drive unit according to claim 2 or 3, wherein, The relative angle between the second housing portion and the first housing portion about an axis parallel to the aforementioned axial direction is set as a relatively fixed angle. The aforementioned first mounting and fixing parts are provided in a plurality of manner around an axis parallel to the aforementioned axial direction, such that the aforementioned first mounting component can be fixed at a plurality of positions corresponding to the plurality of the aforementioned relatively fixed angles. The aforementioned second mounting and fixing parts are provided in a plurality of locations in the second housing portion, such that the second mounting component can be fixed at a plurality of positions corresponding to the plurality of ...

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