Vehicle drive device

Abstract

A vehicle drive device comprising: an input member drivably coupled to an internal combustion engine; an output member drivably coupled to wheels; a single rotary electric wheel drive machine transmitting a driving force to the output member; a speed change mechanism provided on a power transmission path connecting between the rotary electric wheel drive machine and the output member; and an inverter device controlling the rotary electric wheel drive machine, wherein the input member, the rotary electric wheel drive machine, and the speed change mechanism are arranged coaxially and side by side in an axial direction; and the inverter device is arranged so as to overlap the speed change mechanism as viewed in a radial direction and so as not to overlap the rotary electric wheel drive machine as viewed in the radial direction.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle drive device comprising an input member drivably coupled to an internal combustion engine, an output member drivably coupled to wheels, a single rotary electric wheel drive machine, a speed change mechanism, and an inverter device. TECHNICAL BACKGROUND

[0002] JP 2011-213230 A and JP 2001-322439 A disclose vehicle drive devices. A device described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2004-153897 (JP 2004-153897 A) (Patent Document 1) is known as an example of the above-described vehicle drive device. In the drive device, a rotary electric wheel drive machine [electric motor 8] and a speed change mechanism [automatic transmission 5] are coaxially arranged with a predetermined distance between each other in the axial direction. An inverter device [inverter device 11] is arranged so as to overlap the rotary electric wheel drive machine in the radial direction, and with a part of the inverter device positioned between the rotary electric wheel drive machine and the speed change mechanism in the axial direction.

[0003] In this way, by disposing a part of the inverter device between the rotary electric wheel drive machine and the speed change mechanism in the axial direction, it is possible to suppress an increase in the radial dimension of the entire device. However, the rotary electric wheel drive machine, a part of the inverter device, and the speed change mechanism are arranged side by side in the axial direction, which increases the axial dimension of the entire device. It may be difficult to mount a vehicle drive device with a large axial dimension on, for example, a transverse-mounted type vehicle (a type in which the device is arranged with the axial direction of the device extending along the transverse direction of the vehicle). [Related art documents][Patent documents] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2004-153897 (JP 2004-153897 A) [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2011-213230 (JP 2011-213230 A) [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2001-322439 (JP 2001-322439 A) SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In view of the foregoing, it is desirable to provide a vehicle drive device having excellent vehicle mountability. [Means of solving the problem]

[0005] The present invention provides a vehicle drive device comprising: an input member drivably coupled to an internal combustion engine; an output member drivably coupled to wheels; a single rotary electric wheel drive machine transmitting a driving force to the output member; a speed change mechanism provided on a power transmission path connecting between the rotary electric wheel drive machine and the output member; and an inverter device controlling the rotary electric wheel drive machine, wherein: the input member, the rotary electric wheel drive machine, and the speed change mechanism are arranged coaxially and side by side in an axial direction; and the inverter device is arranged so as to overlap the speed change mechanism as viewed in a radial direction and not to overlap the rotary electric wheel drive machine as viewed in the radial direction.

[0006] In the present invention, the term "driveably coupled" means a state in which two rotating (rotary) elements are coupled to each other in such a way that enables the transmission of a driving force (a synonym for torque). The concept includes a state in which the two rotating elements are coupled to rotate together with each other, and a state in which the two rotating elements are coupled via one or more transmission members in such a way that enables the transmission of a driving force. Such transmission members may include various members that transmit rotation at a same speed or a changed speed (such as a shaft, a gear mechanism, and a belt), and engagement devices that selectively transmit rotation and a driving force (such asa friction engagement device and an engagement device of an intermeshing (toothed) type).

[0007] The term "rotary electric machine" for driving wheels refers to any one of an engine (electric motor), a generator (electric generator) and a motor generator that acts as both an engine and a generator as required.

[0008] With regard to the arrangement of two components, the expression "overlap each other as viewed in a certain direction" means that when an imaginary line parallel to the viewing direction is moved in directions perpendicular to the imaginary line, the imaginary line crosses both of the two components in at least some region.

[0009] According to the characteristic configuration, the rotary electric wheel drive machine and the speed change mechanism are arranged side by side in the axial direction. Thus, the axial dimension can be reduced to be small compared to a case where another component is arranged between the rotary electric wheel drive machine and the speed change mechanism. In this case, the speed change mechanism is arranged on the side opposite to the input component and the internal combustion engine with respect to the rotary electric wheel drive machine, and is arranged at a position spaced apart from the internal combustion engine compared to the rotary electric wheel drive machine. In the case where the vehicle assembly state is considered, auxiliary components are generally arranged near the internal combustion engine in many cases.Thus, at a position closer to the internal combustion engine, there tends to be a limitation of installation space. In the above-described characteristic configuration, taking this into account, the inverter device is arranged so as to overlap the speed change mechanism without overlapping the rotary electric wheel drive machine in the radial direction. With such a configuration, it is possible to effectively suppress an increase in the radial dimension of a portion (on the outer side of the rotary electric wheel drive machine) where there tends to be a limitation of installation space in the vehicle-mounted state in a configuration integrally including the inverter device, achieving good vehicle mountability.

[0010] Preferred aspects of the present invention are described below.

[0011] In one aspect, the speed change mechanism is preferably formed smaller in the radial direction than the rotary electric wheel drive machine; and the inverter device is arranged on an outer side in the radial direction with respect to the speed change mechanism.

[0012] There is an additional arrangement space on the radially outer side of the speed change mechanism, which is smaller in diameter than the radially outer side of the rotary electric wheel drive machine. Thus, it is easy to downsize the entire device in the radial direction by disposing the inverter device on the radially outer side of the speed change mechanism and at a position where the inverter device overlaps the speed change mechanism in the radial direction, as in the configuration described above.

[0013] In one aspect, the vehicle drive device preferably further comprises a terminal block having a transmission terminal for electrical connection between the inverter device and the rotary electric wheel drive machine; and the terminal block is arranged to overlap the speed change mechanism as viewed in the radial direction and to overlap the rotary electric wheel drive machine as viewed in the axial direction.

[0014] The protrusion amount of the terminal block in the radial direction can be reduced to a small extent by arranging the terminal block so that it overlaps the speed change mechanism in the radial direction and the rotary electric wheel drive machine in the axial direction. Therefore, the radial dimension of the entire device can be effectively reduced.

[0015] In one aspect, the speed change mechanism is preferably configured to be longer in length in the axial direction than the rotary electric wheel drive machine.

[0016] According to the configuration, the inverter device, which is arranged to overlap the speed change mechanism in the radial direction, can be easily formed into a flat shape, so that it is long in the axial direction and thin in the radial direction. Therefore, the radial dimension of the entire device can be effectively reduced.

[0017] In one aspect, the vehicle drive device preferably further comprises a differential gear device provided on the power transmission path for distributing a driving force transmitted from one side of the speed change mechanism to a plurality of output members, and a gear mechanism provided on the power transmission path and interposed between the speed change mechanism and the differential gear device; a rotational axis of the speed change mechanism, a rotational axis of the gear mechanism parallel to the axial direction, and a rotational axis of the differential gear device parallel to the axial direction are arranged at vertices of a triangle as viewed in the axial direction;In a vehicle-mounted state, the transmission mechanism is arranged such that an upper end portion of the transmission mechanism is positioned above an upper end portion of the speed change mechanism; and in the vehicle-mounted state, the terminal block is arranged to overlap the speed change mechanism when viewed in a vertical direction and to overlap the transmission mechanism when viewed in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the axial direction.

[0018] In a configuration in which the respective rotational axes of the speed change mechanism, the transmission mechanism, and the differential gear device are arranged in a triangular shape as viewed in the axial direction, there tends to be dead / unused space on the radially outer side of the transmission mechanism and on the radially outer side of the speed change mechanism. Thus, by disposing the terminal block in the vehicle-mounted state so that it overlaps the speed change mechanism in the vertical direction and so that it overlaps the transmission mechanism in the horizontal direction, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of dead / unused space within the device that effectively utilizes an area on the outer side of both the transmission mechanism and the speed change mechanism. As a result, the entire device can be effectively downsized.

[0019] In one aspect, the inverter device preferably comprises at least a plurality of switching elements for DC / AC conversion (DC / AC conversion).

[0020] According to the configuration, it is possible to appropriately configure the inverter device that controls the AC-driven rotary electric wheel drive machine, which is suitable for driving the wheels.

[0021] In one aspect, the vehicle drive device preferably further includes a casing that houses the rotary electric wheel drive machine and the speed change mechanism; a damper housing portion that houses a damper and is formed larger than the casing in the radial direction is provided between the casing and the internal combustion engine; and in the vehicle-mounted state, the inverter device is arranged such that an upper end portion of the inverter device is positioned below an upper end portion of the damper housing portion.

[0022] To suppress torsional vibration of the internal combustion engine, a damper is sometimes provided between the input member and the internal combustion engine. Generally, the damper is housed in the damper housing portion provided between the casing housing the rotary electric wheel drive machine and the speed change mechanism and the internal combustion engine. The damper housing portion often occupies a larger area in the up and down directions than the casing. For example, in some cases, the upper end portion of the casing (here, including the damper housing portion) in the vehicle-mounted state is prescribed by the upper end portion of the damper housing portion.According to the configuration described above, it is possible to integrate the vehicle drive device and the inverter device together while avoiding an increase in the size of the entire device in such cases. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [ Fig. 1] Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a vehicle drive device. [ Fig. 2] Fig. 2 shows the vehicle drive device viewed in the axial direction. [ Fig. 3] Fig. 3 is an enlarged partial view of Fig. 2. [ Fig. 4] Fig. 4 shows the vehicle drive device viewed in the vertical direction. [ Fig. 5] Fig. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the vehicle drive device. [ Fig. 6] Fig. 6 is a schematic view showing the arrangement relationship of components viewed in a certain horizontal direction. [ Fig. 7] Fig. 7 is a schematic view showing the arrangement relationship of the components as seen in the axial direction. WAYS FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0023] A vehicle drive device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. A vehicle drive device 1 according to the embodiment is a vehicle drive device (hybrid vehicle drive device) configured to drive a vehicle (hybrid vehicle) having both an internal combustion engine E and a rotary electric machine MG as driving power sources for wheels W. Specifically, the vehicle drive device 1 is configured as a drive device for a single-motor parallel-type hybrid vehicle. That is, the vehicle drive device 1 is configured as a drive device for a parallel-type hybrid vehicle having a rotary electric machine MG acting as a driving power source for the wheels W. In the following description, terms relating to the direction, position, etc.of each component may differ due to a manufacturing error. Furthermore, directions for each component indicate directions in which that component is mounted on the vehicle drive device 1. 1. Schematic design of the vehicle drive device

[0024] As in Fig. 1, the vehicle drive device 1 includes an input shaft I drivably coupled to the internal combustion engine E, output shafts O drivably coupled to the wheels W, the rotary electric machine MG, and a speed change mechanism TM. In the embodiment, the vehicle drive device 1 also includes an engagement device CL, a transmission / gear mechanism C, and a differential gear device DF. The engagement device CL, the rotary electric machine MG, the speed change mechanism TM, the transmission mechanism C, and the differential gear device DF are provided on a power transmission path connecting between the input shaft I and the output shafts O. Such components are provided in the order mentioned from the input shaft I side. Moreover, such components are housed in a casing (drive device casing) 2.In the embodiment, the input shaft I corresponds to the “input member” according to the present invention, and the output shafts O correspond to the “output member” according to the present invention.

[0025] The input shaft I, the rotary electric machine MG, and the speed change mechanism TM are arranged on a first axis A1. That is, the input shaft I, the rotary electric machine MG, and the speed change mechanism TM are arranged side by side along the extending direction of the first axis A1 with the first axis A1, which is an imaginary axis, as the rotation axis (see also Fig. 6). In addition, the gear mechanism C is arranged on a second axis A2. That is, the gear mechanism C is arranged along the extension direction of the second axis A2 with the second axis A2, which is an imaginary axis, as the rotation axis. In addition, the differential gear device DF is arranged on a third axis A3. That is, the differential gear device DF is arranged along the extension direction of the third axis A3 with the third axis A3, which is an imaginary axis, as the rotation axis. The three axes A1, A2, and A3 are arranged parallel to each other. In the embodiment, the direction parallel to the three axes A1, A2, and A3 is defined as an “axial direction L.” In addition, the direction in the axial direction L is from the speed change mechanism TM side toward the input shaft I side (to the right in Fig. 1) is set as a “first axial direction L1”, and the direction in the axial direction L from the input shaft I side toward the speed change mechanism TM side (to the left in Fig. 1) is defined as a “second axial direction L2”.

[0026] As in Fig. 2, the first axis A1, the second axis A2, and the third axis A3, which are separate axes, are arranged at different positions as viewed in the axial direction L. In the embodiment, the first axis A1, the second axis A2, and the third axis A3 are arranged so that they are positioned at the vertices of a triangle (an obtuse triangle in the example) as viewed in the axial direction L. In other words, the first axis A1, the second axis A2, and the third axis A3 are arranged such that imaginary lines connecting between the axes as viewed in the axial direction L form a triangle. In the embodiment, moreover, in a vehicle mounting state (a state in which the vehicle drive device 1 is mounted on a vehicle) shown in Fig. 2, the second axis A2 is arranged above (on the upper side in a vertical direction V with respect to) the first axis A1 and the third axis A3. In the example, the gear mechanism C is arranged such that the upper end portion of the gear mechanism C is positioned above the upper end portion of the speed change mechanism TM and the upper end portion of the differential gear device DF. Such a vehicle drive device 1 with a multi-axle configuration is suitable for being mounted on, for example, front-engine front-wheel drive (FF) vehicles.

[0027] As in Fig. 1, the input shaft (drive device input shaft) I is drivably coupled to the internal combustion engine E. The internal combustion engine E is an engine (such as a gasoline engine or a diesel engine) that is driven by burning fuel within the engine to extract power. In the embodiment, the input member I is drivably coupled to an output shaft (such as a crankshaft) of the internal combustion engine E. The output shaft of the internal combustion engine E and the input shaft I may be drivably coupled to each other via a damper or the like.

[0028] The engagement device CL is provided on a power transmission path connecting between the input shaft I and the rotary electric machine MG. The engagement device CL selectively drivably couples the input shaft I (engine E) and the rotary electric machine MG. The engagement device CL functions as an engine-disengaging engagement device that disengages the engine E from the wheels W. In the embodiment, the engagement device CL is configured as a hydraulically driven friction engagement device. The engagement device CL may be an electromagnetically driven friction engagement device, a meshing-type engagement device, or the like.

[0029] The rotary electric machine MG includes a stator St fixed to the housing 2 and a rotor Ro supported on the radially inner side of the stator St so as to be freely rotatable. The rotary electric machine MG can function as a motor (electric motor) supplied with electric power to generate power and as a generator (electric generator) supplied with power to generate electric power. The rotary electric machine MG is electrically connected to an electricity accumulation device B (such as a battery or a capacitor) via a first inverter 30.The rotary electric machine MG is supplied with electric power from the electricity accumulation device B to perform power running, or supplies electric power generated using torque of the internal combustion engine E or an inertial force of the vehicle to the electricity accumulation device B to accumulate the electric power. The rotor Ro of the rotary electric machine MG is drivably coupled to an intermediate shaft M so that it rotates together with the intermediate shaft M. The intermediate shaft M serves as an input shaft of the speed change mechanism TM (transmission input shaft).

[0030] In the embodiment, the speed change mechanism TM is a stepped automatic transmission including a plurality of gear mechanisms and a plurality of shift engagement devices (shift engagement devices) for switchably providing a plurality of shift speeds with different speed ratios. A continuously variable automatic transmission with continuously variable speed ratios, a stepped (manual) shift transmission that switchably provides a plurality of shift speeds with different speed ratios, a fixed transmission that provides a single shift speed with a fixed speed ratio, or the like can also be used as the speed change mechanism TM.The speed change mechanism TM transmits rotation and torque input to the intermediate shaft M to a transmission output gear Go of the speed change mechanism TM with the speed changed at a speed ratio at each time point and with converted torque.

[0031] The transmission output gear Go is drivably coupled to the gear mechanism (counter gear mechanism / counter gear mechanism) C. The gear mechanism C includes a first gear G1 and a second gear G2, both formed on a common shaft member. The first gear G1 is meshed with the transmission output gear Go of the speed change mechanism TM. The second gear G2 is meshed with a differential input gear Gi of the differential gear device DF. In the embodiment, the second gear G2 is arranged on the side in the first axial direction L1 (engine E side) with respect to the first gear G1. The second gear G2 is formed smaller in diameter than the first gear G1 (has fewer teeth).

[0032] The differential gear device (output differential gear device) DF is drivably coupled to the wheels W via the output shafts O. The differential gear device DF includes the differential input gear Gi and a differential body portion (a body portion of the differential gear device DF) coupled to the differential input gear Gi. The differential body portion is configured to include a plurality of bevel gears meshed with each other and a differential case housing the plurality of bevel gears, and plays a central role in a differential mechanism. The differential gear device DF distributes and transmits rotation and torque input from the rotary electric machine MG side to the differential input gear Gi via the speed change mechanism TM and the gear mechanism C to the two left and right output shafts O (i.e.,the two, left and right, wheels W) through the differential body section.

[0033] This allows the vehicle drive device 1 to transmit torque for driving the vehicle from at least one of the internal combustion engine E and the rotary electric machine MG to the wheels W. The internal combustion engine E transmits driving force to the wheels W via the input shaft I, the engagement device CL, the intermediate shaft M, the speed change mechanism TM, the transmission mechanism C, the differential gear device DF, and the output shafts O with the engagement device CL engaged. The rotary electric machine MG transmits driving force to the wheels W via the intermediate shaft M, the speed change mechanism TM, the transmission mechanism C, the differential gear device DF, and the output shafts O. In the embodiment, the rotary electric machine MG corresponds to the “rotary electric wheel drive machine” according to the present invention.In this way, in the embodiment, only one rotary electric machine MG for driving the wheels W is provided, which transmits a driving force to the output shafts O and the wheels W. That is, the vehicle drive device 1 according to the embodiment has a single (single) rotary electric machine MG for driving wheels.

[0034] The vehicle drive device 1 includes a mechanical pump (not shown) that is drivably coupled to the intermediate shaft M so as to rotate together with the intermediate shaft M. The mechanical pump discharges oil using torque of at least one of the internal combustion engine E and the rotary electric machine MG, wherein at least one of the internal combustion engine E and the rotary electric machine MG rotates. In the embodiment, the vehicle drive device 1 also includes an electric pump EOP driven by a pump motor PM (see also Fig. 2) provided independently of the power transmission path connecting the input shaft I and the output shafts O. The pump motor PM does not transmit drive power to the wheels W and thus could not be the "rotary electric wheel drive machine" according to the present invention. In other words, the presence of the pump motor PM does not affect the fact that the vehicle drive device 1 has a "single" / "only" rotary electric machine MG for driving wheels.

[0035] The pump motor PM is electrically connected to the electricity accumulation device B via a second inverter 40. In this embodiment, the rotary electric machine MG controlled by the first inverter 30 and the pump motor PM controlled by the second inverter 40 are driven using the common electricity accumulation device B as the electric power source. A battery at a higher voltage (100 [V] or more) than an auxiliary battery (e.g., at 12 [V]) provided in the vehicle as an electric power source for auxiliary devices such as a compressor of an air conditioner and audio equipment is used as the electricity accumulation device B. The pump motor PM can be driven using the low-voltage auxiliary battery as the electric power source.

[0036] The electric pump EOP discharges oil with the rotating pump motor PM using torque of the pump motor PM. Oil discharged from at least one of the mechanical pump and the electric pump EOP generates hydraulic pressure to be supplied to a hydraulic servomechanism (not shown) of the speed change mechanism TM, which is to be used to control the engagement state of the shift engagement devices provided in the speed change mechanism TM. In addition, oil discharged from at least one of the mechanical pump and the electric pump EOP is also used for cooling the rotary electric machine MG, lubricating various sections, and so on.In the embodiment, with the provision of the electric pump EOP, oil for engaging the shift engagement devices can be supplied to the shift engagement devices to properly start the vehicle even when the internal combustion engine E is stationary. The vehicle drive device 1 according to the embodiment can be suitably applied to a drive device for a hybrid vehicle having an idle stop function. 2. Structure for fixing the inverter device to the housing

[0037] In the embodiment, as shown in Fig. 4, the housing 2 has a first housing portion 21 and a second housing portion 28, which are configured to be divided in the axial direction L. The first housing portion 21 forms an accommodating space substantially for the speed change mechanism TM and the gear mechanism C. The second housing portion 28 forms an accommodating space substantially for the rotary electric machine MG and the engagement device CL. A space obtained by adding the accommodating spaces for the speed change mechanism TM, the gear mechanism C, the rotary electric machine MG, and the engagement device CL is a closed space (see FIG. Fig. 6) which is formed in an oil-tight manner in the housing 2. In the embodiment, the closed space is referred to as a “drive element accommodating chamber Q”. In the embodiment, an accommodating space for the differential gear device DF is formed so as to extend between the first housing portion 21 and the second housing portion 28 (see also Fig. 5). The second housing portion 28 is connected to the first housing portion 21 from the side in the first axial direction L1.

[0038] In the example, the vehicle drive device 1 further includes a damper, and a third housing portion 29 forming a receiving space for the damper is connected to the second housing portion 28 from the side in the first axial direction L1. In this way, the third housing portion 29, the second housing portion 28, and the first housing portion 21 are arranged such that the distance from the internal combustion engine E along the axial direction L becomes longer in the order in which they are mentioned. As shown in Fig. 6, the third housing portion 29 is formed larger in the radial direction than the first housing portion 21 and the second housing portion 28 constituting the housing 2. In the embodiment, the third housing portion 29 corresponds to the "damper housing portion" according to the present invention.

[0039] As in Fig. As shown in Figure 2, an inverter device 3 that performs conversion between DC power and AC power is integrally mounted on the casing 2. In the embodiment, the inverter device 3 includes the first inverter 30 that controls the rotary electric machine MG and the second inverter 40 that controls the pump motor PM. The inverter device 3 is integrally mounted on the casing 2 directly, not via an inverter case that houses the inverter device 3 or the like. That is, the vehicle drive device 1 according to the embodiment adopts a caseless inverter structure.

[0040] In the embodiment, as in Fig. 4 and Fig. 6, the inverter device 3 is fixed to the first housing portion 21 that houses the speed change mechanism TM, etc., not to the second housing portion 28 that houses the rotary electric machine MG, etc. In the embodiment, in order to suppress the length of the entire device in the axial direction L to be short, the rotary electric machine MG, which is large in diameter and thin, is used. Therefore, the speed change mechanism TM is shaped to be smaller in diameter and longer in the axial direction L than the rotary electric machine MG.Consequently, due to the difference between the outer diameter of the rotary electric machine MG and the outer diameter of the speed change mechanism TM, an annular space having an axial length matching the length of the speed change mechanism TM in the axial direction L is formed on the radially outer side of the speed change mechanism TM. Thus, the entire vehicle drive device 1 with the built-in inverter device 3 can be downsized by disposing the inverter device 3 while effectively utilizing at least a part of the annular space. Furthermore, the inverter device 3 is fixed to the first housing portion 21, which is arranged opposite to the internal combustion engine E with respect to the second housing portion 28.In this way, by arranging the inverter device 3 at a greater distance from the internal combustion engine E, it is possible to prevent radiant heat from the internal combustion engine E from reaching the inverter device 3.

[0041] The first inverter 30 is electrically connected to the rotary electric machine MG and the electricity accumulation device B (see Fig. 1), and electric power coordinates exchange between the electricity accumulation device B and the rotary electric machine MG in accordance with a control command from a control device (drive device control device). In the embodiment, the first inverter 30 converts electric power between DC power exchanged with the electricity accumulation device B and AC power (three-phase AC power) exchanged with the rotary electric machine MG. To this end, the first inverter 30 includes a plurality of DC / AC conversion switching elements 33.

[0042] As in Fig. 3, the first inverter 30 includes a base plate 32 in a flat shape, and the plurality of switching elements 33 are fixed to the base plate 32. The base plate 32 is formed of a highly thermally conductive material (e.g., a metal material such as copper or aluminum) and also functions as a heat sink (a heat sink). For example, IGBTs, MOSFETs, and so on can be used as the switching elements 33. The first inverter 30 may include a rectifying element formed of, for example, a diode or the like, and the rectifying element may be connected in parallel with the switching elements 33.

[0043] Fins 32a are formed on a surface (no-element arrangement surface) of the base plate 32 opposite to a surface (element arrangement surface) on which the switching elements 33 are arranged. The fins 32a are formed to stand upright along the direction normal to the base plate 32. The fins 32a can have various shapes, such as a plate shape and a pin shape. Furthermore, a control substrate 34 that controls switching of the switching elements 33 is fixed to the base plate 32. The control substrate 34 is arranged parallel to the base plate 32 on the side opposite to the base plate 32 with respect to the switching elements 33. The first inverter 30 is formed as a whole in a flat rectangular parallelepiped shape.

[0044] As in Fig. As shown in Figure 1, the second inverter 40 is electrically connected to the pump motor PM and the electricity accumulation device B, and electric power coordinates between the electricity accumulation device B and the pump motor PM switch in accordance with a control command from the control device (drive device control device). In the embodiment, the second inverter 40 converts electric power between DC power exchanged with the electricity accumulation device B and AC power (three-phase AC power) exchanged with the pump motor PM. To this end, the second inverter 40 includes a plurality of switching elements for DC / AC conversion. Furthermore, the second inverter 40 includes a control substrate that controls the switching elements.In the embodiment, the switching elements are integrated on the control substrate to form the second inverter 40. As with the first inverter 30, the second inverter 40 is also formed flat as a whole (see also . Fig. 2).

[0045] The inverter device 3 includes a smoothing capacitor 36 electrically connected to the first inverter 30 and the second inverter 40. The smoothing capacitor 36 smoothes (suppresses fluctuations in) DC power exchanged between the electricity accumulation device B and the first inverter 30 and the second inverter 40. A film capacitor made of a synthetic resin, a ceramic capacitor made of an inorganic material, or the like can be used as the smoothing capacitor 36. Such a smoothing capacitor 36 has a relatively large degree of design freedom in terms of size and shape and can be adjusted in accordance with the size and shape of the space in which the smoothing capacitor 36 is arranged.In the example, the smoothing capacitor 36 is formed in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped (block) with low flatness compared to the first inverter 30 and the second inverter 40.

[0046] As in Fig. 5, the first inverter 30 and the second inverter 40 and the smoothing capacitor 36 are mounted at different positions in the outer peripheral portion (specifically, a region along an outer peripheral wall 22) of the first housing portion 21. The outer peripheral wall 22 is formed in the shape of a peculiarly shaped tube along the outer shape of the speed change mechanism TM, the gear mechanism C, and the differential gear device DF, which are constituent parts having the three axes, as viewed in the axial direction L. The first housing portion 21 has a protruding wall 23 protruding toward the outer side (in the example, substantially vertically upward) from the outer peripheral wall 22. As shown in Fig. 4 and Fig. 5, the projecting wall 23 includes a pair of opposing wall portions 23a and 23b extending in a direction crossing the axial direction L and arranged at different positions in the axial direction L so as to oppose each other, and a coupling wall portion 23c connecting on one side between respective end portions of the opposing wall portions 23a and 23b. The opposing wall portions 23a and 23b and the coupling wall portion 23c are formed integrally with each other. The opposing wall portions 23a and 23b are configured to cover the entire area occupied by the three axes A1, A2, and A3 in a specific horizontal direction Hs (see FIG. Fig. 2) to cover. As in Fig. 2 etc., the specific horizontal direction Hs is a horizontal direction H perpendicular to the axial direction L. The coupling wall portion 23c is arranged on the side opposite to the third axis A3 with respect to the first axis A1 in the specific horizontal direction Hs.

[0047] The protrusion height of the opposite wall portions 23a and 23b from the outer peripheral wall 22 along the vertical direction V is different in accordance with the position in the specific horizontal direction Hs (see FIG. Fig. 5). The opposing wall portions 23a and 23b and the coupling wall portion 23c are formed such that the upper end portions (upper surfaces) thereof extend along the horizontal direction H. The projection height of such wall portions is suppressed to be relatively low, and is approximately the same as the height of the first inverter 30 and the second inverter 40 in a range corresponding to the gear mechanism C on the second axis A2, which is at the highest position among the three axes.

[0048] As in Fig. 4 and Fig. 5, the first housing portion 21 includes a support portion 24 in the shape of a column or a plate formed at distal end portions (vertically upper end portions) in the protrusion direction of respective end portions of the pair of opposed wall portions 23a and 23b, which are opposite to the coupling wall portion 23c, for connecting between the pair of opposed wall portions 23a and 23b. The opposed (opposite) wall portions 23a and 23b and the support portion 24 are integrally formed with each other. The projecting wall 23 and the support portion 24 are formed such that the upper end portions (upper surfaces) thereof extend along the horizontal direction H. Furthermore, such constituent members are formed such that side surfaces thereof on the outer side in the specific horizontal direction Hs extend along the vertical direction V.

[0049] As in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, the first housing portion 21 includes a partition wall 25 projecting outward (in the example, substantially outward in the specific horizontal direction Hs) from the highest position of the outer peripheral wall 22 near a receiving portion for the gear mechanism C. The partition wall 25 has a predetermined thickness and is formed in the shape of a thick plate extending along the horizontal direction H. The partition wall 25 is configured to extend along the specific horizontal direction Hs to a position where the partition wall 25 opposes the support portion 24 via a predetermined gap. Such a partition wall 25 divides a space defined in a range across which the pair of opposing wall portions 23a and 23b oppose each other along the outer peripheral wall 22 of the first housing portion 21 into two spaces.

[0050] The two spaces formed along the outer peripheral wall 22 of the first housing portion 21 are a first accommodating portion P1 that accommodates the first inverter 30 and the second inverter 40, and a second accommodating portion P2 that accommodates the smoothing capacitor 36. That is, the first housing portion 21 has, in the outer peripheral portion thereof, the first accommodating portion P1 that accommodates the first inverter 30 and the second inverter 40, and the second accommodating portion P2 that accommodates the smoothing capacitor 36. The partition wall 25 described above can also be regarded as separating between the first accommodating portion P1 and the second accommodating portion P2. As shown in Fig. As shown in Figure 4, the first inverter 30 and the second inverter 40 are arranged adjacent to each other in the specific horizontal direction Hs in the first accommodation portion P1. In the example, the first inverter 30 is arranged in a wide area on the support portion 24 side, and the second inverter 40, which is smaller than the first inverter 30, is arranged in a narrow area on the coupling wall portion 23c side.

[0051] In the embodiment, a space defined by adding the two spaces defined by the first accommodating portion P1 and the second accommodating portion P2 is referred to as a “control element accommodating chamber P”. As shown in Fig. 6, the control element accommodating chamber P and the drive element accommodating chamber Q discussed above communicate with each other via a communication hole 26 formed in the outer peripheral wall 22 of the first housing portion 21. In the example, the control element accommodating chamber P and the drive element accommodating chamber Q communicate with each other only via the communication hole 26 and are completely separated from each other at portions other than the communication hole 26.

[0052] The partition wall 25 has recessed portions 25a formed to be dented in a recessed shape in a surface on the side of the first accommodating portion P1. The first inverter 30 (specifically, the base plate 32) is fixed to the partition wall 25 with the fins 32a accommodated in the recessed portions 25a. The partition wall 25 and the base plate 32 are connected to each other in a liquid-tight manner, for example, with a sealing member or the like interposed therebetween. A space defined by the recessed portions 25a between the partition wall 25 and the base plate 32 functions as a cooling water path F that allows circulation of cooling water (an example of a cooling liquid). In this embodiment, the cooling water path F is formed in the partition wall 25 separating between the first accommodating portion P1 and the second accommodating portion P2.The cooling water path F is formed along the first inverter 30. Furthermore, the cooling water path F is arranged on the speed change mechanism TM side (the transmission mechanism C side) with respect to the first inverter 30.

[0053] Cooling water introduced into the cooling water path F passes between the fins 32a to circulate. In this case, the switching elements 33 are cooled by heat exchange via the base plate 32. Consequently, the switching elements 33, which generate heat during switching operation, can be effectively cooled. Furthermore, in the structure according to the embodiment, the cooling water path F is interposed between the first inverter 30 and drive device components such as the speed change mechanism TM and the transmission mechanism C. Therefore, the first inverter 30 can be thermally shielded from the drive device components, which tend to be relatively hot. Therefore, the first inverter 30 (the switching elements 33) can be effectively thermally protected.

[0054] As in Fig. 4 and Fig. 5, the upper surfaces of the protruding wall 23 (the pair of opposing wall portions 23a and 23b and the coupling wall portion 23c) and the support portion 24, which are installed, are formed into a frame shape as viewed in the vertical direction V in the vehicle mounting state. The first receiving portion P1 is formed in a space inside the frame shape. In addition, the side surfaces of the protruding wall 23 (the pair of opposing wall portions 23a and 23b) and the support portion 24, which are installed, are also formed into a frame shape by utilizing a part of the outer peripheral wall 22 as viewed in the specific horizontal direction Hs in the vehicle mounting state. The second receiving portion P2 is formed in a space inside the frame shape.The first receiving portion P1 and the second receiving portion P2 open toward the outside of the first housing portion 21 and in different directions. Specifically, in the vehicle-mounted state, the first receiving portion P1 opens upward, and the second receiving portion P2 opens laterally (along the specified horizontal direction Hs).

[0055] The first inverter 30 and the second inverter 40 can be inserted into the first receiving portion P1 in the vertical direction V so as to be fixed to the first housing portion 21. The smoothing capacitor 36 can be inserted into the second receiving portion P2 in the specific horizontal direction Hs so as to be fixed to the first housing portion 21. The first inverter 30 and the second inverter 40 and the smoothing capacitor 36 can be fixed to the first housing portion 21 through independent processes. With the first inverter 30, the second inverter 40, and the smoothing capacitor 36 fixed to the first housing portion 21, a first cover 46 is attached to block an opening portion in the vertical direction V, and a second cover 49 is attached to block an opening portion in the specific horizontal direction Hs.The first cover 46 is provided with a power source connector 47 to which a wiring member extending from the electricity accumulation device B is connected.

[0056] The first inverter 30, the second inverter 40, and the smoothing capacitor 36 constituting the inverter device 3 are electrically connected to each other using an electrical connection member such as a bus bar. In the embodiment, the first inverter 30 and the second inverter 40 are connected in parallel with the smoothing capacitor 36. That is, the first inverter 30 and the second inverter 40 share a single smoothing capacitor 36. The wiring member extending from the electricity accumulation device B is connected to the power source connector 47 (see FIG. Fig. 5), and the power source connector 47 is connected to the smoothing capacitor 36 via a first bus bar. The first inverter 30 and the second inverter 40, which are connected to the smoothing capacitor 36 via a second bus bar (which may include a wiring harness or the like as needed), are connected to a terminal block 51 via a third bus bar and a fourth bus bar, respectively.

[0057] As in Fig. 2 and Fig. 6, the terminal block 51 includes a plurality of transmission terminals 52 and a holding block 53 that holds the transmission terminals 52. The transmission terminals 52 are formed using a conductive material (in the example, a metal material), and the holding block 53 is formed using an insulating material (in the example, a resin material). The plurality of transmission terminals 52 are collectively held by the single holding block 53. The terminal block 51 (holding block 53) is arranged to be inserted into the communication hole 26 formed in the first housing portion 21. As a result, the transmission terminals 52 are arranged to be inserted through the communication hole 26 so that both end portions of the transmission terminals 52 are positioned in the control element accommodating chamber P (the first accommodating portion P1) and the drive element accommodating chamber Q.The busbars extending from the first inverter 30 and the second inverter 40 are connected to the corresponding transmission terminals 52 in the control element accommodating chamber P (the first accommodating portion P1). Further, the wiring components extending from the rotary electric machine MG and the pump motor PM are connected to the transmission terminals 52 in the drive element accommodating chamber Q. In this way, the inverter device 3 (the first inverter 30 and the second inverter 40) are electrically connected to the rotary electric machine MG and the pump motor PM via the terminal block 51 having the transmission terminals 52. 3. Arrangement of the inverter device

[0058] The inverter device 3 (the first inverter 30, the second inverter 40, and the smoothing capacitor 36) and the terminal block 51 are spatially (three-dimensionally) arranged as follows in relation to other drive device components. The arrangement of the components of the inverter device 3 and the terminal block 51 will be described below mainly as viewed in the radial direction and as viewed in the axial direction L. The arrangement of such components will be described as viewed in the axial direction L, particularly focusing on the relationship to seven reference planes formed by a first reference plane R1 to a seventh reference plane R7.

[0059] How to Fig. 4 and Fig. 5, the first inverter 30 and the smoothing capacitor 36 have approximately the same axial dimension (dimension). The second inverter 40 and the terminal block 51 are arranged such that the second inverter 40 and the terminal block 51 are completely accommodated in an area in the axial direction L occupied by the first inverter 30 and the smoothing capacitor 36. As a result, such components are arranged at the same position in the axial direction L. As shown in Fig. 6, the inverter device 3 and the terminal block 51 are arranged so as to overlap the speed change mechanism TM in the radial direction, and not to overlap the rotary electric machine MG. That is, the inverter device 3 and the terminal block 51 are arranged on the radially outer side of the speed change mechanism TM, which is smaller in diameter than the rotary electric machine MG, not on the radially outer side of the rotary electric machine MG. Among such constituents, the terminal block 51 is arranged so as to overlap the rotary electric machine MG (in the example, the stator St) in the axial direction L. Furthermore, in the vehicle-mounted state, the inverter device 3 is arranged such that the upper end portion of the inverter device 3 is positioned below the upper end portion of the third housing portion 29.Although in the example the upper end portion of the first cover 46 is positioned above the upper end portion of the third housing portion 29, the protrusion amount is suppressed (pressed down) to the necessary minimum.

[0060] As in Fig.As shown in Figure 7, the first reference plane R1 is an imaginary plane passing through the first axis A1 and the third axis A3. The second reference plane R2 and the third reference plane R3 are two imaginary planes perpendicular to the first reference plane R1 and tangent to a circle circumscribing the differential input gear Gi of the differential gear device DF. One such plane, positioned on the first axis A1 side with respect to the third axis A3, is set as the second reference plane R2, and the other, positioned opposite the first axis A1 side, is set as the third reference plane R3. The fourth reference plane R4 is an imaginary plane perpendicular to the first reference plane R1 and passing through the third axis A3.The fifth reference plane R5 is an imaginary plane perpendicular to the first reference plane R1 and tangential to the rotary electric machine MG (the stator St) on the side opposite to the third axis A3 with respect to the first axis A1. The sixth reference plane R6 is an imaginary plane passing through the first axis A1 and the second axis A2. The seventh reference plane R7 is an imaginary plane extending along the axial direction L and the vertical direction V and tangential to the outer edge of the first housing portion 21 on the side opposite to the first axis A1 with respect to the third axis A3.

[0061] The smoothing capacitor 36 is arranged between the second reference plane R2 and the third reference plane R3 in a region opposite (opposite) the first reference plane R1 with respect to the second axis A2. In the embodiment, the smoothing capacitor 36 is further arranged between the second reference plane R2 and the seventh reference plane R7. The smoothing capacitor 36 is arranged to overlap the differential gear device DF as viewed in a reference perpendicular direction D (a direction perpendicular to the first reference plane R1). The smoothing capacitor 36 is further arranged to overlap the first inverter 30 and the cooling water path F as viewed in the reference perpendicular direction D. In addition, the smoothing capacitor 36 is arranged so as to overlap the gear mechanism C in a direction parallel to the first reference plane R1 and perpendicular to the axial direction L.The smoothing capacitor 36 is arranged so as to overlap the gear mechanism C even when viewed in the specific horizontal direction Hs. Furthermore, the smoothing capacitor 36 is arranged such that at least a part of the smoothing capacitor 36 is positioned vertically below the sixth reference plane R6.

[0062] In this way, by disposing the smoothing capacitor 36 in a region positioned on both the radially outer side of the transmission mechanism C with respect to the second axis A2 and the radially outer side of the differential gear device DF with respect to the third axis A3, the space within the device can be effectively utilized. In particular, the smoothing capacitor 36 has a relatively high degree of freedom in shape, and therefore, it is easy for the external shape of the smoothing capacitor 36 to conform to the three-dimensional shape of a region on the outer side of both the transmission mechanism C and the differential gear device DF. Therefore, the entire vehicle drive device 1 including the inverter device 3 can be downsized as much as possible by suppressing the occurrence of a dead / unused space within the device.

[0063] The first inverter 30 is arranged between the second reference plane R2 and the fourth reference plane R4 in a region opposite (opposite) the first reference plane R1 with respect to the gear mechanism C. The first inverter 30 is arranged to overlap the differential gear device DF and the gear mechanism C as viewed in the reference perpendicular direction D. Further, the first inverter 30 is arranged to overlap the smoothing capacitor 36 as viewed in the reference perpendicular direction D. The first inverter 30 is arranged such that one of both end portions of the first inverter 30 in the specific horizontal direction Hs as viewed in the reference perpendicular direction D overlaps the gear mechanism C and the other end portion overlaps the smoothing capacitor 36.

[0064] The second inverter 40 is arranged between the second reference plane R2 and the fifth reference plane R5 in a region opposite (opposite) the first reference plane R1 with respect to the gear mechanism C. The second inverter 40 is arranged to overlap the gear mechanism C and the speed change mechanism TM as viewed in the reference vertical direction D. Furthermore, the second inverter 40 is arranged to overlap the first inverter 30 and the terminal block 51 as viewed in the specific horizontal direction Hs. The first inverter 30 and the second inverter 40, which are adjacent to each other along the specific horizontal direction Hs, are arranged in a region occupying substantially the same position in the vertical direction V.

[0065] The terminal block 51 is arranged between the second reference plane R2 and the fifth reference plane R5 in a region opposite (opposite) to the first reference plane R1 with respect to the second axis A2. The terminal block 51 is arranged to overlap the speed change mechanism TM as viewed in the reference vertical direction D. The terminal block 51 is arranged to overlap the speed change mechanism TM as viewed in the vertical direction V. The terminal block 51 is arranged in a lower region having the same position in the vertical direction V with respect to the second inverter 40, which is arranged adjacent to the terminal block 51 in the specific horizontal direction Hs. In addition, the terminal block 51 is arranged to overlap the smoothing capacitor 36 and the gear mechanism C in a direction parallel to the first reference plane R1 and perpendicular to the axial direction L.The terminal block 51 is arranged so as to overlap the smoothing capacitor 36 and the gear mechanism C even when viewed in the specific horizontal direction Hs.

[0066] The terminal block 51 includes the transmission terminals 52 having a predetermined length for insertion through the communication hole 26 formed in the first housing portion 21. Thus, the terminal block 51 tends to be formed in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped (block) with less flatness compared to the first inverter 30 and the second inverter 40. In this case too, in the configuration according to the embodiment, the space within the device can be effectively utilized by disposing the terminal block 51 in a region positioned on both the radially outer side of the transmission mechanism C with respect to the second axis A2 and the radially outer side of the speed change mechanism TM with respect to the first axis A1.Therefore, the entire vehicle drive device 1 including the inverter device 3 can be downsized by suppressing the occurrence of a dead / unused space within the device as much as possible.

[0067] In the embodiment, specifically, the smoothing capacitor 36 and the terminal block 51, both formed in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped (block), are arranged on both sides in the specific horizontal direction Hs with respect to the gear mechanism C, which is located at the highest position among the three-axis components. Such components are both arranged so as to overlap the gear mechanism C as viewed in the specific horizontal direction Hs. Therefore, the smoothing capacitor 36 and the terminal block 51, which are formed in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped (block), can be compactly arranged in an area on the radially outer side of the gear mechanism C with respect to the second axis A2.

[0068] In this embodiment, the first inverter 30, the second inverter 40, the smoothing capacitor 36, and the terminal block 51 are arranged to meet the above-discussed specifications in consideration of shape characteristics (such as the degree of freedom in shape and flatness). As a result, the entire vehicle drive device 1, which includes the first inverter 30 and the second inverter 40 constituting the inverter device 3, and the smoothing capacitor 36 and the terminal block 51 common to the first inverter 30 and the second inverter 40, is formed in a horizontally long rectangular shape as viewed in the axial direction L. Such components may have an aspect ratio of, for example, "5:4" to "3:2." In the illustrated example, the aspect ratio is approximately "14:11."The components are densely arranged in the horizontally long rectangular outer shape without interference, allowing the entire vehicle drive device 1 including the inverter device 3, etc., to be effectively downsized. Therefore, the vehicle drive device 1 can be fixed to the vehicle body while ensuring the minimum ground clearance, ensuring good mountability of the vehicle drive device 1 on the vehicle. 4. Other embodiments

[0069] Finally, vehicle drive devices according to other embodiments of the present invention will be described. A configuration disclosed in each of the following embodiments can be applied in combination with a configuration disclosed in any other embodiment, unless any contradiction occurs.

[0070] (1) In the embodiment described above, the terminal block 51 is arranged so as to overlap the speed change mechanism TM in the radial direction and not to overlap the rotary electric machine MG. In addition, the terminal block 51 is arranged so as to overlap the rotary electric machine MG (only the stator St) in the axial direction L. However, embodiments of the present invention are not limited to this. For example, the terminal block 51 may be arranged so as to also overlap the rotary electric machine MG in the radial direction and not to overlap the rotary electric machine MG in the axial direction L. In addition, the terminal block 51 may be arranged so as to also overlap the rotor Ro in addition to the stator St in the axial direction L.Depending on the shape of the terminal block 51, the terminal block 51 may also be arranged to overlap the rotary electric machine MG in the radial direction and the axial direction L.

[0071] (2) In the above-described embodiment, the terminal block 51 is arranged so as to overlap the speed change mechanism TM as viewed in the vertical direction V, and so as to overlap the gear mechanism C as viewed in the specific horizontal direction Hs. However, embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto. For example, the terminal block 51 may be arranged so as not to overlap the speed change mechanism TM as viewed in the vertical direction V. Furthermore, the terminal block 51 may be arranged so as not to overlap the gear mechanism C as viewed in the specific horizontal direction Hs.

[0072] (3) In the embodiment described above, the entire inverter device 3 is arranged so as to be positioned below the upper end portion of the third housing portion 29. In addition, the first cover 46 is arranged so as to protrude upward with respect to the upper end portion of the third housing portion 29. However, embodiments of the present invention are not limited to this. For example, not only the inverter device 3 but also the first cover 46 may be arranged so as not to protrude upward with respect to the upper end portion of the third housing portion 29. This allows the entire vehicle drive device 1 to be further downsized. Alternatively, the inverter device 3 may be arranged so as to protrude upward with respect to the upper end portion of the third housing portion 29.

[0073] (4) In the embodiment described above, the speed change mechanism TM is formed to be smaller in diameter and longer in the axial direction L than the rotary electric machine MG. However, the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to this. The relationship in dimensions in the radial direction and in the axial direction L between the rotary electric machine MG and the speed change mechanism TM can be set as desired. For example, the speed change mechanism TM may be approximately the same as the rotary electric machine MG in outer diameter and may be larger than the rotary electric machine MG in diameter. Furthermore, the speed change mechanism TM may be approximately the same as the rotary electric machine MG in axial length and may be shorter than the rotary electric machine MG in axial length.

[0074] (5) In the embodiment described above, the inverter device 3 is fixed to the first housing portion 21 accommodating the speed change mechanism TM, etc. However, embodiments of the present invention are not limited to this. For example, the inverter device 3 may be fixed to both the first housing portion 21 and the second housing portion 28 accommodating the rotary electric machine MG, etc., under the condition that the inverter device 3 is arranged so as not to overlap the rotary electric machine MG when viewed in the radial direction.

[0075] (6) Also with regard to other configurations, the embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative in all respects, and it should be understood that the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto. It would be easy for a person skilled in the art to understand that the present invention can be modified as appropriate without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. Thus, it goes without saying that other embodiments obtained by modifying the present invention without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention are also included within the scope of the present invention. INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

[0076] The present invention can be applied to a drive device for a hybrid vehicle. Description of reference symbols 1 VEHICLE DRIVE DEVICE 2 HOUSINGS 3 INVERTER DEVICE 29 THIRD HOUSING SECTION (DAMPER HOUSING SECTION) 33 SWITCHING ELEMENT 51 CONNECTION BLOCK 52 TRANSMISSION CONNECTION E INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE MG ROTARY ELECTRIC MACHINE (ROTARY ELECTRIC WHEEL DRIVE MACHINE) TM SPEED CHANGE MECHANISM C GEARBOX MECHANISM DF DIFFERENTIAL GEAR MECHANISM W RAD I INPUT SHAFT (INPUT COMPONENT) O OUTPUT SHAFT (OUTPUT COMPONENT) EOP ELECTRIC PUMP PM PUMP MOTOR A1 FIRST AXIS (ROTARY AXIS OF THE SPEED CHANGE MECHANISM) A2 SECOND AXIS (ROTATIONAL AXIS OF THE GEAR MECHANISM) A3 THIRD AXLE (ROTARY AXIS OF THE DIFFERENTIAL GEAR MECHANISM) L AXIAL DIRECTION H HORIZONTAL SETUP Hs DEFINITE HORIZONTAL DIRECTION (HORIZONTAL DIRECTION THAT IS PERPENDICULAR TO AXIAL DIRECTION) V VERTICAL DIRECTION P CONTROL ELEMENT RECEIVING CHAMBER Q DRIVE ELEMENT RECEIVING CHAMBER

Claims

[1] A vehicle drive device comprising: an input member drivably coupled to an internal combustion engine; an output member drivably coupled to wheels; a single rotary electric wheel drive machine transmitting a driving force to the output member; a speed change mechanism provided on a power transmission path connecting between the rotary electric wheel drive machine and the output member; and an inverter device controlling the rotary electric wheel drive machine, wherein the input member, the rotary electric wheel drive machine, and the speed change mechanism are arranged coaxially and side by side in an axial direction; and the inverter device is arranged so as to overlap the speed change mechanism as viewed in a radial direction and so as not to overlap the rotary electric wheel drive machine as viewed in the radial direction. [2] Vehicle drive device according to claim 1, wherein the speed change mechanism is smaller in the radial direction than the rotary electric wheel drive machine; and the inverter device is arranged on an outer side in the radial direction with respect to the speed change mechanism. [3] A vehicle drive device according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising: a terminal block having a transmission terminal for electrical connection between the inverter device and the rotary electric wheel drive machine, in which the terminal block is arranged so as to overlap the speed change mechanism in the radial direction and to overlap the rotary electric wheel drive machine in the axial direction. [4] A vehicle drive device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the speed change mechanism is formed larger in length in the axial direction than the rotary electric wheel drive machine. [5] A vehicle drive device according to claim 3, further comprising: a differential gear device provided on the power transmission path for distributing a driving force transmitted from one side of the speed change mechanism to a plurality of output components; and a gear mechanism provided on the power transmission path and interposed between the speed change mechanism and the differential gear device, in which a rotation axis of the speed change mechanism, a rotation axis of the gear mechanism parallel to the axial direction, and a rotation axis of the differential gear device parallel to the axial direction are arranged at vertices of a triangle as viewed in the axial direction; in a vehicle mounting state, the transmission mechanism is arranged such that an upper end portion of the transmission mechanism is positioned above an upper end portion of the speed change mechanism; and in the vehicle mounting state, the terminal block is arranged to overlap the speed change mechanism as viewed in a vertical direction and to overlap the gear mechanism as viewed in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the axial direction. [6] A vehicle drive device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the inverter device comprises at least a plurality of switching elements for DC / AC conversion. [7] Vehicle drive device according to one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising: a housing that houses the rotary electric wheel drive machine and the speed change mechanism, in which: a damper housing portion which houses a damper and which is larger in the radial direction than the housing is provided between the housing and the internal combustion engine; and in the vehicle mounting state, the inverter device is arranged such that an upper end portion of the inverter device is positioned below an upper end portion of the damper receiving case portion.

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