Rotating body device

Abstract

To provide a rotating body device with a shorter hight.SOLUTION: A rotating body device 100 includes: a second gear unit 20; a motor unit 30 which rotates with the second gear unit and is larger than the second gear unit in the direction of the diameter; and a driving circuit which drives the motor unit 30 to rotate, the driving circuit including a power module unit 40. At least a part of the power module unit is arranged between a virtual flat surface T2 passing through the top of the second gear unit and a virtual flat surface T1 passing through the top of the motor unit and parallel to the virtual flat surface T2.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a rotating body device. [Background technology]

[0002] One example of a rotating body device is a motor unit disclosed in Patent Document 1. The motor unit has a motor and an inverter unit installed on the upper surface of the motor. The inverter unit has a control board, a power module including an inverter circuit, and a drive circuit such as a capacitor. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] WO 2020 / 40278 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Incidentally, although not a conventional technology, a rotating body device may be configured to include not only a drive circuit and a motor but also multiple rotating bodies. In such a rotating body device, there is a risk that the height of the device may increase depending on the arrangement of the power module. In the above respects, or in other respects not mentioned, further improvements are required for the rotating body device.

[0005] One disclosed object is to provide a rotating body device with a reduced height. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The rotating body device disclosed herein is A rotating body portion (20); a large rotor portion (30) that rotates together with the rotor portion and is larger in size in the diameter direction than the rotor portion; a drive circuit (40, 50) that drives and rotates at least one of the rotating body section and the large rotating body section and includes a power module; At least a portion of the power module is disposed between a first imaginary plane passing through the apex of the rotating body portion and a second imaginary plane passing through the apex of the large rotating body portion and parallel to the first imaginary plane.

[0007] In this way, the rotating body device has the capacitors disposed adjacent to the second rotating body section and the third rotating body section. This allows the rotating body device to effectively utilize the dead space adjacent to the second rotating body section and the third rotating body section. This allows the rotating body device to be made smaller in size.

[0008] The aspects disclosed in this specification adopt different technical means to achieve their respective objectives. The claims and the parenthetical symbols described in this section are illustrative of the corresponding relationship with the embodiments described below, and are not intended to limit the technical scope. The objectives, features, and effects disclosed in this specification will become clearer by referring to the following detailed description and the attached drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a rotating body device. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a side view taken from the direction of arrow II in FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a rotating body device with an upper cover removed. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. [Diagram 5] 2 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration inside a housing as viewed from the direction of an arrow II in FIG. 1. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a rotating body device according to a first modified example. [Figure 8]FIG. 11 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a rotating body device of Modification 2 with an upper cover removed. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a rotating body device according to a third modified example. [Figure 10] 13 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration inside a housing of a rotating body device of Modification 4. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] In the following, several embodiments for carrying out the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In each embodiment, the same reference numerals may be used to designate parts corresponding to matters described in the preceding embodiment, and duplicated descriptions may be omitted. In each embodiment, when only a part of the configuration is described, other parts of the configuration may be applied by referring to the other embodiments described previously. Hereinafter, the Z direction is also referred to as the height direction.

[0011] In the following, the three mutually perpendicular directions are referred to as the X, Y, and Z directions. Furthermore, the plane defined by the X and Y directions is referred to as the XY plane, the plane defined by the X and Z directions is referred to as the XZ plane, and the plane defined by the Y and Z directions is referred to as the YZ plane.

[0012] As shown in Figures 1, 2, 3, etc., the rotating body device 100 includes a circuit board 1, a first gear section 10, a second gear section 20, a motor section 30, a drive circuit (power module section 40, capacitor section 50), a housing 60, etc. The rotating body device 100 is configured so as to be mountable on a vehicle. The rotating body device 100 is a drive source for the vehicle. The rotating body device 100 rotates the wheels via a drive shaft 70 by controlling the drive of the motor section 30.

[0013] The rotating body device 100 is mounted, for example, under the floor at the foot area of ​​the front seats of the vehicle, or under the luggage compartment of the vehicle. The rotating body device 100 may also be mounted under the brake mechanism of the vehicle. As will be explained later, the rotating body device 100 can be made low-profile. For this reason, the rotating body device 100 can be easily mounted in vehicle models where miniaturization is an issue.

[0014] <Rotation mechanism> The rotating body device 100 includes a first gear unit 10, a second gear unit 20, and a motor unit 30 as a rotation mechanism. The first gear unit 10 and the second gear unit 20 rotate in conjunction with the rotation of the motor unit 30. The first gear unit 10, the second gear unit 20, and the motor unit 30 are also collectively referred to as the rotation mechanisms 10-30.

[0015] The motor section 30 includes a rotor, a stator (windings), and the like. The rotor is fixed to a motor shaft 31. The motor shaft 31 is the rotating shaft of the motor section 30. The stator is electrically connected to the power module section 40 and the like via a bus bar or the like. The motor section 30 is rotated by the power module section 40. The motor section 30 is a heat-generating component that generates heat when the motor section 30 is rotated. The rotation of the motor section 30 refers to the rotation of the rotor and the motor shaft 31. It can be said that the motor section 30 includes the rotor and the motor shaft 31, which are motor mechanisms, as rotating parts. The motor shaft 31 is a straight line along the X direction.

[0016] As shown in Figs. 3, 5, etc., the motor section 30 has a substantially cylindrical shape. The motor sections 30 are arranged side by side in the direction of the rotation axis of the first gear section 10. In other words, the first gear section 10 is arranged in the axial direction of the motor shaft 31. Symbol CL1 in Fig. 3 is a center line passing through the center of the motor section 30. The center line CL1 coincides with the motor shaft 31. The center line CL1 also passes through the center of the first gear section 10. Note that the motor section 30 may be, for example, a brushless three-phase motor. The motor section 30 corresponds to a large rotating body section.

[0017] The first gear section 10 includes a helical gear, a planetary gear, and the like. The first gear section 10 is connected to the motor shaft 31. Therefore, it can be said that the first gear section 10 rotates together with the motor section 30. In addition, the direction of the rotation axis of the first gear section 10 coincides with the axial direction of the motor shaft 31. The first gear section 10 is a heat-generating component that generates heat by rotational driving. As shown in FIG. 3, FIG. 5, and the like, the first gear section 10 has a substantially cylindrical shape. The rotation of the first gear section 10 is the rotation of an arrow gear or a planetary gear. It can also be said that the first gear section 10 includes an arrow gear as a rotating part connected to the rotation axis of the motor section 30. The arrow gear of the first gear section 10 corresponds to the first gear. The first gear section 10 corresponds to the connecting rotor section.

[0018] The second gear portion 20 includes a helical gear, a differential gear, and the like. The second gear portion 20 is fixed to a drive shaft 70. Therefore, the drive shaft 70 rotates together with the second gear portion 20. Therefore, the drive shaft 70 coincides with the rotation axis of the second gear portion 20. The second gear portion 20 is a heat-generating component that generates heat when rotated.

[0019] 3 is a center line passing through the center of the second gear portion 20. The center line CL2 coincides with the drive shaft 70. It can also be said that the second gear portion 20 has a lubricant 71 and a drive shaft 70 disposed in the shaft hole 65 of the housing 60. The lubricant 71 is provided to prevent wear of the drive shaft 70 and the base 61.

[0020] The rotation axis of the second gear portion 20 is a straight line along the X direction. Therefore, the center line CL1 and the center line CL2 satisfy a parallel positional relationship. In other words, it can be said that the rotation axis of the second gear portion 20 and the rotation axis of the motor portion 30 are arranged parallel to each other. However, the center line CL1 and the center line CL2 may be misaligned in the Z direction. In this way, the rotating body device 100 has a biaxial configuration with two rotation axes.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 3, FIG. 5, etc., the second gear portion 20 is arranged side by side with the first gear portion 10 in an arrangement direction different from the rotation axis direction of the first gear portion 10. In this embodiment, an example is adopted in which the first gear portion 10 and the second gear portion 20 are arranged side by side in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis direction of the first gear portion 10. The first gear portion 10 and the second gear portion 20 are arranged side by side in the Y direction. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. The direction in which the first gear portion 10 and the second gear portion 20 are arranged side by side is also simply referred to as the arrangement direction.

[0022] Also, the second gear section 20 is arranged to mesh with the first gear section 10. That is, the second gear section 20 and the first gear section 10 have their helical gears meshed with each other. Therefore, the second gear section 20 rotates together with the first gear section 10. The second gear section 20 has an approximately cylindrical shape. The rotation of the second gear section 20 is the rotation of the helical gear, the differential gear, and the drive shaft 70. The second gear section 20 includes a helical gear as a part that is arranged adjacent to the helical gear of the first gear section 10 and rotates in mesh with it, and the arrow gear of the second gear section 20 corresponds to the second gear. The second gear section 20 corresponds to the rotating body section.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 3 and other figures, the first gear section 10 and the second gear section 20 have approximately the same length in the X direction. The first gear section 10 and the second gear section 20 are arranged side by side in the Y direction. Therefore, the area adjacent to the second gear section 20 and the motor section 30 becomes a dead space. For example, the area indicated by DS1 in FIG. 5 becomes part of the dead space. The area adjacent to the second gear section 20 and the motor section 30 is the area adjacent to the second gear section 20 in the X direction and the area adjacent to the arrangement direction of the motor section 30. The second gear section 20 here is a portion including a helical gear and a differential gear, excluding the drive shaft 70.

[0024] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the diameters of the respective rotating mechanisms 10 to 30 are different. The relationship between the diameter D1 of the first gear portion 10, the diameter D2 of the second gear portion 20, and the diameter D3 of the motor portion 30 is D1 < D2 < D3. That is, it can be said that the motor portion 30 has a larger physical size in the diameter direction than the first gear portion 10 and the second gear portion 20. Note that D1 is the diameter of the portion having the maximum diameter of the first gear portion 10. D2 is the diameter of the portion having the maximum diameter of the second gear portion 20. D3 is the diameter of the portion having the maximum diameter of the motor portion 30. The diameters of the respective rotating mechanisms 10 to 30 can also be regarded as the diameters of the portions in the housing 60 that accommodate the respective rotating mechanisms 10 to 30.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 5, the second gear portion 20 and the motor portion 30 have different vertex positions in the height direction. For this reason, the virtual plane T2 passing through the vertex of the second gear portion 20 has a different position in the height direction from the virtual plane T1 passing through the vertex of the motor portion 30. The virtual plane T1 and the virtual plane T2 are planes along the XY plane. The virtual plane T1 can also be said to be a virtual plane parallel to the virtual plane T2. The space between the virtual plane T1 and the virtual plane T2 becomes a dead space DS2 in the height direction. Note that the virtual plane T1 corresponds to the second virtual plane. The virtual plane T2 corresponds to the first virtual plane.

[0026] <Drive Circuit> The drive circuit is a circuit that rotationally drives the motor portion 30, which is one of the rotating mechanisms. The drive circuit includes a power module portion 40 and a capacitor portion 50. Hereinafter, the power module portion 40 and the capacitor portion 50 are also collectively referred to as the drive circuits 40 to 50. The drive circuit may include a circuit board 1.

[0027] The power module section 40 includes a semiconductor device 41 including a plurality of semiconductor switching elements. The semiconductor device 41 constitutes a three-phase inverter including a plurality of semiconductor switching elements. The semiconductor switching elements can be MOSFETs, IGBTs, or the like. As shown in FIG. 4, the semiconductor device 41 is electrically connected to the circuit board 1 via a terminal 44. In the semiconductor device 41, the semiconductor switching elements are controlled to be turned on and off by a control signal from the circuit board 1. The power module section 40 is a heat generating component that generates heat by rotational driving. In other words, the semiconductor device 41 generates heat by turning on and off the semiconductor switching elements when the power module section 40 is rotated. The power module section 40 is mounted on a heat sink 42 provided with fins 43 for heat dissipation in order to cool the semiconductor device 41. The power module section 40 corresponds to a power module.

[0028] As shown in Fig. 3, at least a part of the power module portion 40 is disposed opposite to the second gear portion 20 in the Z direction. Also, as shown in Fig. 5, the power module portion 40 is disposed between imaginary planes T1 and T2.

[0029] The capacitor section 50 is a smoothing capacitor connected to the input side of the three-phase inverter. As shown in Fig. 4, the capacitor section 50 includes a capacitor element 51, a capacitor case 52, a fixing member 53, and the like. The capacitor element 51 has a positive terminal connected to the P bus bar 81a and a negative terminal connected to the N bus bar 81b. The capacitor element 51 is accommodated in the capacitor case 52. The capacitor case 52 may be one in which the capacitor element 51 is sealed with resin while a portion of the P bus bar 81a and the N bus bar 81b are exposed. The capacitor case 52 is fixed to the housing 60 by the fixing member 53. The capacitor section 50 corresponds to a capacitor.

[0030] As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, at least a part of the capacitor section 50 is disposed facing the drive shaft 70 in the Z direction. At least a part of the capacitor section 50 is disposed facing the motor section 30 along the Y direction, and facing the second gear section 20 in the X direction. That is, the capacitor section 50 is disposed adjacent to the second gear section 20 and the motor section 30. It can also be said that at least a part of the capacitor section 50 is disposed within the facing region of the motor section 30 and within the facing region of the second gear section 20. Furthermore, it is preferable that the capacitor section 50 is disposed within the facing region of the second gear section 20 in the X direction, and within a range of the diameter of the second gear section 20 along the Y direction and within a range of the diameter of the second gear section 20 along the Z direction.

[0031] <Case> As shown in Figs. 1, 2, 4, 6, etc., the housing 60 includes a base 61, an upper cover 62, a side cover 63, etc. The housing 60 houses the rotation mechanisms 10 to 30 and the drive circuits 40 to 50. The base 61 is mainly made of a metal such as aluminum. The base 61 is provided with a housing space that houses the rotation mechanisms 10 to 30 and the drive circuits 40 to 50. The base 61 is also provided with a housing space that opens in two directions, the X direction and the Z direction. The upper cover 62 is a member that is attached to the base 61 to close one of the openings. The side cover 63 is a member that is attached to the base 61 to close the other opening. The housing 60 corresponds to a case.

[0032] In this embodiment, as an example, a housing 60 including a base 61, an upper cover 62, and a side cover 63 is used. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. The housing 60 may be a housing composed of two components, such as the base 61 and the upper cover 62.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 4, the base 61 is provided with a mounting portion 64 on which the power module unit 40 is mounted. The power module unit 40 is mounted on the mounting portion 64 via a heat sink 42. The mounting portion 64 is provided with a module cooling path 92b which is a part of a refrigerant flow path. The module cooling path 92b is a portion that is recessed from the surroundings. The power module unit 40 is mounted on the mounting portion 64 with the fins 43 of the heat sink 42 disposed in the module cooling path 92b. The refrigerant flow path will be described in detail later.

[0034] As shown in Fig. 4, the base 61 is provided with a shaft hole 65 in which the drive shaft 70 is disposed. Furthermore, lubricant 71 is disposed between the shaft hole 65 and the drive shaft 70. The lubricant 71 is provided to reduce frictional force and frictional heat generated between the drive shaft 70 and the base 61 when the drive shaft 70 rotates. Furthermore, the lubricant 71 is provided to prevent wear of the drive shaft 70 and the base 61. The shaft hole 65 corresponds to an axle hole.

[0035] 6, the base 61 is provided with a rotating body accommodating portion 66 for accommodating the rotating mechanisms 10 to 30. The rotating body accommodating portion 66 is a hole having a curved surface shape that follows the outer shape of each of the rotating mechanisms 10 to 30. The rotating body accommodating portion 66 may have lubricating oil disposed in the area that accommodates the first gear portion 10 and the second gear portion 20.

[0036] As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the base 61 (housing 60) is provided with a refrigerant flow path through which a refrigerant such as cooling water flows. The refrigerant flow path is provided to cool the motor section 30, the power module section 40, the condenser section 50, etc. The base 61 is also provided with two refrigerant ports 91 for the flow of refrigerant into and out of the refrigerant flow path. The refrigerant is supplied from one of the refrigerant ports 91, passes through the refrigerant flow path, and is discharged from the other refrigerant port 91. Note that in this embodiment, only one of the refrigerant ports 91 is shown. The refrigerant port 91 can be considered as part of the refrigerant flow path.

[0037] The refrigerant flow path includes an inlet 92a, a module cooling path 92b, an outlet 92c, a recess 92d, a connecting path 93, a counter cooling path 94, and a motor cooling path 95. The inlet 92a, the module cooling path 92b, the outlet 92c, the recess 92d, the connecting path 93, the counter cooling path 94, and the motor cooling path 95 are interconnected so that the refrigerant flows continuously.

[0038] The module cooling path 92b is provided in the opposing region of the power module section 40. The module cooling path 92b is provided to cool the power module section 40. The module cooling path 92b is a larger space than the connecting path 93, which will be described later, in order to cool the entire area of ​​the power module section 40. Therefore, the module cooling path 92b can also be said to be a cooling chamber through which a refrigerant flows.

[0039] The module cooling path 92b is provided with an inlet 92a and an outlet 92c. The inlet 92a is an inlet for the coolant to the module cooling path 92b. The outlet 92c is an outlet for the coolant to the module cooling path 92b. The outlet 92c opens in the direction of the rotation axis and communicates with the connecting path 93. This allows the rotating body device 100 to be compact in size in the Y direction. However, the direction of the outlet 92c is not limited to this. The inlet 92a and the outlet 92c correspond to water channel openings. Also, the outlet 92c corresponds to one of the water channel openings.

[0040] The inlet 92a opens in a direction different from the second gear portion 20, and is provided between the imaginary plane T1 and the second gear portion 20. In other words, the inlet 92a is arranged to overlap the second gear portion 20 in the height direction within a range not exceeding the imaginary plane T1. This allows the rotating body device 100 to be compact in the height direction. It can also be said that the rotating body device 100 can be made low-profile. As shown in FIG. 3, the refrigerant flow path has a bent shape in the range from the inlet 92a to the connecting path 93 in the XY plane. The refrigerant flow path may have an L-shape in the range from the inlet 92a to the connecting path 93 in the XY plane. The inlet 92a corresponds to the other water channel opening.

[0041] However, the inlet 92a and the outlet 92c are not limited thereto. The inlet 92a and the outlet 92c may open in the direction of the rotation axis. In other words, the inlet 92a may open in the same direction as the outlet 92c. In this case, the refrigerant flow path communicating with the inlet 92a can be arranged parallel to the refrigerant flow path communicating with the outlet 92c.

[0042] This allows the rotating body device 100 to be smaller in size in the Y direction than a configuration in which the inlet 92a and the outlet 92c open in different directions. In addition, the rotating body device 100 can utilize the dead space formed in the base 61 as a refrigerant flow path by providing the rotating body housing portion 66 for housing the cylindrical rotating mechanisms 10 to 30. The dead space here is a part of the base 61. The dead space is an area where the housing portion for the first gear portion 10 and the motor portion 30 faces the housing portion for the second gear portion 20. Therefore, it can be said that the rotating body device 100 can be smaller in size in the Y direction while maintaining the dimensions of the parts other than the refrigerant flow path. The dead space here can also be said to be a dead space between the rotating bodies. The housing portion for the first gear portion 10 and the motor portion 30 is a part of the rotating body housing portion 66. Similarly, the housing portion for the second gear portion 20 is a part of the rotating body housing portion 66.

[0043] The positional relationship between the inlet 92a and the outlet 92c may be reversed, that is, the coolant may flow into the module cooling path 92b from the outlet 92c and flow out from the inlet 92a.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 6, the module cooling path 92b is provided between the second gear portion 20 and the power module portion 40. The module cooling path 92b is provided with a recess 92d that is recessed from the surrounding area. The recess 92d is provided on the side closer to the inlet 92a than the outlet 92c. The recess 92d is provided to temporarily hold the coolant that has flowed into the module cooling path 92b. This allows the coolant to flow evenly in the module cooling path 92b. In other words, the coolant does not flow from the inlet 92a and flow linearly toward the outlet 92c, but flows into the recess 92d and spreads in the X direction and tends to flow toward the outlet 92c. This allows the entire surface of the power module portion 40 facing the module cooling path 92b to be cooled.

[0045] 3 and 4, the outlet 92c communicates with the connecting path 93. The connecting path 93 is a portion that connects the module cooling path 92b and the counter cooling path 94. The connecting path 93 is provided in a portion of the base 61 that is disposed between the module cooling path 92b and the condenser unit 50. The outlet 92c and the counter cooling path 94 are provided with their positions shifted in the X, Y, and Z directions. For this reason, the connecting path 93 is provided at an incline with respect to the X, Y, and Z directions.

[0046] As shown in Figs. 3 and 6, at least a portion of the connecting passage 93 is disposed in an area surrounded by the imaginary plane T2, the second gear section 20, and the motor section 30. In other words, a portion of the connecting passage 93 is provided in an area having a triangular cross section surrounded by the second gear section 20, the motor section 30, and the imaginary plane T2 in Fig. 5. In other words, a portion of the connecting passage 93 is provided in the dead space between the rotors. This allows the rotating body device 100 to effectively utilize the dead space. Furthermore, the rotating body device 100 can achieve a low height while retaining the cooling capacity provided by the connecting passage 93.

[0047] Furthermore, the rotating body device 100 can easily ensure a cross-sectional area (area of ​​the space through which the refrigerant flows) of the connecting passage 93. Therefore, the rotating body device 100 can reduce pressure loss in the connecting passage 93. Accordingly, the rotating body device 100 can suppress a decrease in the flow rate and flow speed of the refrigerant between the outlet 92c and the counter cooling passage 94. However, the connecting passage 93 is not limited to the above configuration.

[0048] The coolant flows through the module cooling path 92b and flows out from the outlet 92c, and then flows through the connecting path 93 into the counter cooling path 94. The counter cooling path 94 is provided mainly for cooling the condenser unit 50. The counter cooling path 94 is provided facing the condenser unit 50 in the Z direction. The counter cooling path 94 is provided facing the condenser unit 50 via a part of the base 61. It is sufficient that at least a part of the counter cooling path 94 is provided facing the condenser unit 50. In other words, the counter cooling path 94 may be provided so as to face the entire area of ​​the bottom surface of the condenser unit 50 along the XY plane.

[0049] Moreover, the condenser unit 50 is disposed opposite the drive shaft 70 with the opposed cooling path 94 disposed therebetween. That is, the opposed cooling path 94 is disposed between the condenser unit 50 and the drive shaft 70. The drive shaft 70 is provided with the lubricating oil 71 between it and the shaft hole 65. The lubricating oil 71 generates heat as the drive shaft 70 rotates. Therefore, the lubricating oil 71 can be considered as a heat-generating component. However, since the opposed cooling path 94 is disposed in the rotating body device 100, it is possible to suppress the heat from the lubricating oil 71 from being transmitted to the condenser unit 50.

[0050] The coolant flows from the opposed cooling passage 94 to the motor cooling passage 95. The motor cooling passage 95 is provided in the circumferential direction about the rotation axis of the motor section 30. The motor cooling passage 95 is provided facing almost the entire circumference of the motor section 30, with a part of the base 61 interposed therebetween.

[0051] Incidentally, the condenser section 50 is mainly cooled by the refrigerant flowing through the opposing cooling path 94. However, the condenser section 50 is also arranged to face the module cooling path 92b, the connecting path 93, and the motor cooling path 95. Therefore, the condenser section 50 is cooled by the refrigerant flowing through the module cooling path 92b, the connecting path 93, and the motor cooling path 95 in addition to the refrigerant flowing through the opposing cooling path 94. Therefore, it can be said that the condenser section 50 has three cooling surfaces. Note that the present disclosure can also be adopted for a condenser section 50 having two cooling surfaces. Naturally, the condenser section 50 can improve the cooling efficiency with a configuration having three cooling surfaces rather than a configuration having two cooling surfaces.

[0052] The three cooling surfaces are a wall surface along the YZ plane, a wall surface along the ZY plane, and a wall surface along the XZ plane in condenser section 50. The wall surface along the XY plane is an opposing surface facing opposing cooling path 94. The wall surface along the YZ plane is an opposing surface facing module cooling path 92b and connecting path 93. The XZ plane is an opposing surface facing motor cooling path 95.

[0053] It can also be said that in the rotating body device 100, module cooling path 92b, connecting path 93, opposing cooling path 94, and motor cooling path 95 are provided as heat shielding layers in the opposing region between the condenser unit 50 and the heat generating component. In the present embodiment, it can also be said that heat shielding layers are arranged opposite two or more opposing surfaces of the condenser unit 50 facing the heat generating component, as described above.

[0054] The heat shielding layer is a portion for suppressing heat transfer from the heat generating component to the capacitor section 50. In the present embodiment, a refrigerant flow path is used as an example of the heat shielding layer. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The heat shielding layer may be made of rubber (polymer member) or a plate material having low thermal conductivity.

[0055] Furthermore, the capacitor section 50 may be mounted on the base 61 via rubber as a heat shielding layer. In this case, the capacitor section 50 is supported by the heat shielding layer. The heat shielding layer provides a cushioning effect to the capacitor section 50. Therefore, the rotating body device 100 can improve the earthquake resistance of the capacitor section 50 compared to a configuration in which a heat shielding layer is not provided. The module cooling path 92b, the connecting path 93, the counter cooling path 94, and the motor cooling path 95 allow the refrigerant to flow through them, thereby cooling the surrounding spaces. In other words, in the rotating body device 100, a cooling space is formed around the module cooling path 92b, the connecting path 93, the counter cooling path 94, and the motor cooling path 95. The condenser unit 50 is disposed in that cooling space. Therefore, the rotating body device 100 can efficiently cool the condenser unit 50.

[0056] 1 and 2, the rotating body device 100 includes a PN connector 81 and a communication connector 82. The PN connector 81 and the communication connector 82 are provided in the housing 60. The PN connector 81 is a portion where the tips of a P bus bar 81a and an N bus bar 81b are disposed. A power source such as a battery is connected to the PN connector 81. When a power source is connected to the PN connector 81, the power source is connected to the P bus bar 81a and the N bus bar 81b.

[0057] The PN connector 81 is provided at a position different from the refrigerant flow path in the housing 60. More specifically, the PN connector 81 is provided at a position different from the refrigerant port 91 in the housing 60. Furthermore, the tips of the P bus bar 81a and the N bus bar 81b are arranged at the PN connector 81 in the direction of a surface of the six surfaces of the capacitor unit 50 on which the refrigerant water paths are not arranged opposite each other. This allows the rotating body device 100 to suppress leakage even if the refrigerant leaks from a refrigerant flow path such as the refrigerant port 91. The PN connector 81 corresponds to an external connection terminal of the drive circuit.

[0058] The communication connector 82 is a communication interface between the circuit board 1 and an electronic control device or the like provided outside the rotating body device 100. However, the rotating body device 100 does not necessarily have to be provided with the communication connector 82. Both the rotating body unit and the large rotating body unit may be motors. In this case, the drive circuit may drive and rotate both motors. Furthermore, both the rotating body unit and the large rotating body unit may be gears. In this case, the drive circuit may indirectly drive and rotate at least one of the rotating body unit and the large rotating body unit via a motor. Even in this case, the drive circuit drives and rotates the rotating body unit and the large rotating body unit.

[0059] <Effects> As described above, the capacitor section 50 is disposed adjacent to the second gear section 20 and the motor section 30. Therefore, the rotating body device 100 can effectively utilize the dead space DS1 in the Y direction. Therefore, the rotating body device 100 can be made compact in size.

[0060] It is desirable to reduce the size of the rotating body device 100. Therefore, in the rotating body device 100, the distance between the rotation mechanisms 10 to 30 and the drive circuits 40 to 50 must be reduced. In this case, in the rotating body device 100, the distance between the condenser section 50 and the heat-generating components is also reduced. Therefore, the condenser section 50 is more likely to receive heat damage. The output of the condenser section 50 is limited by the heat damage. However, by providing a refrigerant flow path in the dead space of the base 61, the rotating body device 100 can suppress the size from increasing while suppressing the heat damage of the condenser section 50.

[0061] Furthermore, in the rotating body device 100, the power module section 40 is disposed in the dead space DS2 between the imaginary plane T1 and the imaginary plane T2. This allows the rotating body device 100 to effectively utilize the dead space DS2. This allows the rotating body device 100 to be compact in size in the height direction. It can also be said that the rotating body device 100 can be made low-profile.

[0062] The rotating body device 100 is provided with a module cooling passage 92b between the second gear portion 20 and the power module portion 40. Therefore, the rotating body device 100 can suppress heat transfer between the second gear portion 20 and the power module portion 40.

[0063] The above describes the preferred embodiment of the present disclosure. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the present disclosure. Below, modifications 1 to 14 are described as other embodiments of the present disclosure. The above embodiment and modifications 1 to 4 can be implemented alone, but can also be implemented in appropriate combination. The present disclosure is not limited to the combinations shown in the embodiments, and can be implemented in various combinations.

[0064] (Variation 1) As shown in FIG. 7, the rotating body device 100 has a heat dissipation member 96 disposed between the condenser section 50 and the opposing cooling path 94. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 4. The heat dissipation member 96 may be in a sheet shape or a gel shape. The heat dissipation member 96 is provided in at least a part of the opposing region between the condenser section 50 and the opposing cooling path 94. In addition, in the present embodiment, as an example, the heat dissipation member 96 is disposed in a recess in the base 61. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. The heat dissipation member 96 may be provided on a flat surface of the base 61 that is not recessed.

[0065] By providing the heat dissipation member 96, the rotating body device 100 can reduce the thermal resistance between the condenser section 50 and the opposed cooling path 94. Therefore, the rotating body device 100 can improve the cooling effect compared to a configuration not provided with the heat dissipation member 96. The configuration of the modified example 1 can be implemented in combination with the above embodiment.

[0066] (Variation 2) As shown in FIG. 8, in the rotating body device 100, the size relationship between the first gear portion 10 and the second gear portion 20 may be reversed. That is, the relationship among the diameter D1 of the first gear portion 10, the diameter D2 of the second gear portion 20, and the diameter D3 of the motor portion 30 may be D2 < D1 < D3. FIG. 8 is a plan view corresponding to FIG. 3.

[0067] (Modification Example 3) As shown in FIG. 9, in the rotating body device 100, the outlet 92c communicates with an extension path 97 extending in the Y direction instead of the connection path 93. At least a part of the extension path 97 is provided in the dead space between the rotating bodies. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 6.

[0068] (Modification Example 4) As shown in FIG. 10, in the rotating body device 100, the diameter of the second gear portion 20 may be gradually reduced. In this Modification Example 4, the second gear portion 20 having different diameters in three steps is adopted. Note that the second gear portion 20 can also be adopted with a configuration having different diameters in two steps or four steps.

[0069] The virtual plane T2 is a virtual plane passing through the vertex of the portion of the second gear portion 20 having the largest diameter. The reference numeral T21 indicates the vertex of the portion having the second largest diameter. The reference numeral T22 indicates the vertex of the portion having the smallest diameter. For the second gear portion 20, for example, the portion having the largest diameter is a spur gear, and at least one of the portion having the second largest diameter and the portion having the largest diameter is a differential gear.

[0070] The diameter D2 of the second gear portion 20 is the diameter of the portion of the second gear portion 20 having the largest diameter. Also in the configuration of this modification example, the relationship D1 > D2 is satisfied. However, for the second gear portion 20, the diameters of the portion at the vertex T21 and the portion at the vertex T22 are smaller than the diameter D1 of the first gear portion 10.

[0071] The power module unit 40 is mounted between a portion that is the vertex T21 of the second gear unit 20 and the imaginary plane T1. Therefore, in this modification, a virtual plane that passes through the vertex T21 and is aligned with the XY plane can be regarded as the imaginary plane T2. The power module unit 40 may also be mounted between a portion that is the vertex T22 of the second gear unit 20 and the imaginary plane T1. In this case, a virtual plane that passes through the vertex T22 and is aligned with the XY plane can be regarded as the imaginary plane T2.

[0072] Modification 4 can be implemented in combination with the above-described embodiment and modifications 1 to 3. Modification 4 can achieve the same effects as the above-described embodiment. In FIG. 10, the heat sink 42, the heat dissipation fins 43, the mounting portion 64, and the like are omitted in order to simplify the drawing. However, the rotating body device 100 of modification 4 includes the heat sink 42, the heat dissipation fins 43, the mounting portion 64, and the like, similar to the above-described embodiment.

[0073] Although the present disclosure has been described based on the embodiment, it is understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiment or structure. The present disclosure also encompasses various modifications and modifications within the equivalent range. In addition, although various combinations and forms are shown in the present disclosure, other combinations and forms including only one element, more than one element, or less than one element are also within the scope and concept of the present disclosure.

[0074] (Disclosure of technical ideas) This specification discloses multiple technical ideas described in the following multiple dependent claims. Some of the claims may be described in a multiple dependent form, where the subsequent claim alternatively refers to the preceding claim. Furthermore, some of the claims may be described in a multiple dependent form, where the subsequent claim alternatively refers to the preceding claim. The claims described in these multiple dependent forms define multiple technical ideas.

[0075] (Technical thought 1) A rotating body portion (20); a large rotating body portion (30) that rotates together with the rotating body portion and has a larger diameter than the rotating body portion; a drive circuit (40, 50) that drives the rotation of one of the rotating body unit and the large rotating body unit and includes a power module; A rotating body device, wherein at least a portion of the power module is disposed between a first imaginary plane passing through a vertex of the rotating body section and a second imaginary plane passing through the vertex of the large rotating body section and parallel to the first imaginary plane.

[0076] (Technical thought 2) a cooling chamber (92b) in which a refrigerant flows, the cooling chamber being positioned opposite the power module; A rotating body device as described in Technical Idea 1, comprising: a connecting passage (93) communicating with the cooling chamber, at least a portion of which is located in an area surrounded by the first imaginary plane, the rotating body section, and the large rotating body section.

[0077] (Technical Thought 3) The rotation axis of the rotating body unit and the rotation axis of the large rotating body unit are arranged in parallel, The cooling chamber is provided with two water passages (92c, 92a) for the inflow and outflow of the refrigerant. A rotating body device according to Technical Idea 2, wherein one of the water channel ports opens in the direction of the rotation axis and communicates with the connecting passage.

[0078] (Technical Thought 4) A rotating body device as described in Technical Idea 3, wherein the other water channel opening opens in a direction different from the rotation axis direction and is provided between the second imaginary plane and the rotating body portion.

[0079] (Technical Thought 5) a case that houses the rotating body, the large rotating body, and the drive circuit; The rotating body device according to any one of Technical Concepts 2 to 4, wherein the connecting passage is provided in the case.

[0080] (Technical Thought 6) A connecting rotor part that rotates together with the large rotor part, The large rotating body portion includes a motor mechanism as a rotating part, the connecting rotor includes a first gear as a rotating part connected to a rotary shaft of the motor, The rotating body device according to any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 5, wherein the rotating body portion includes a second gear as a part that is disposed adjacent to the first gear and rotates in mesh with the first gear.

[0081] (Technical Thought 7) The rotating body device according to any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 6, which is mounted under a floor in a foot area of ​​a front seat of a vehicle, or under a luggage compartment of the vehicle. [Explanation of symbols]

[0082] Reference Signs List 1...circuit board, 10...first gear portion, 20...second gear portion, 30...motor portion, 31...motor shaft, 40...power module portion, 41...semiconductor device, 42...heat sink, 43...fins, 44...terminal, 50...capacitor portion, 51...capacitor element, 52...capacitor case, 53...fixing member, 60...housing, 61...base, 62...upper cover, 63...side cover, 64...mounting portion, 65...shaft Hole, 66...rotating body accommodating portion, 70...drive shaft, 71...lubricating oil, 81...PN connector, 81a...P bus bar, 81b...N bus bar, 82...communication connector, 91...coolant port, 92a...inlet, 92b...module cooling path, 92c...outlet, 92d...recess, 93...connecting path, 94...counter cooling path, 95...motor cooling path, 96...heat dissipation member (heat shield), 97...extension path, 100...rotating body device

Claims

1. A rotating body portion (20); A large rotating body portion (30) that rotates together with the rotating body portion and has a larger diameter than the rotating body portion; a drive circuit (40, 50) that drives and rotates at least one of the rotating body section and the large rotating body section and includes a power module; at least a portion of the power module is disposed between a first imaginary plane passing through an apex of the rotating body section and a second imaginary plane passing through an apex of the large rotating body section and parallel to the first imaginary plane, a cooling chamber (92b) in which a refrigerant flows, the cooling chamber being positioned opposite the power module; A rotating body device comprising: a connecting passage (93) communicating with the cooling chamber, at least a portion of which is located in an area surrounded by the first imaginary plane, the rotating body section, and the large rotating body section.

2. The rotation axis of the rotating body unit and the rotation axis of the large rotating body unit are arranged in parallel, The cooling chamber is provided with two water channel ports (92c, 92a) for the inflow and outflow of the refrigerant, 2. The rotating body device according to claim 1, wherein one of the water channel ports is open in the direction of the rotation axis and communicates with the connecting passage.

3. The rotating body device according to claim 2 , wherein the other water channel port opens in a direction different from the rotation axis direction and is provided between the second imaginary plane and the rotating body portion.

4. a case that houses the rotating body, the large rotating body, and the drive circuit; The rotating body device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the connecting passage is provided in the case.

5. A connecting rotor part that rotates together with the large rotor part, The large rotating body portion includes a motor mechanism as a rotating part, the connecting rotor portion includes a first gear as a rotating part connected to a rotation shaft of the motor mechanism, 4. The rotating body device according to claim 1, wherein the rotating body portion includes a second gear as a part that is disposed adjacent to the first gear and rotates in mesh with the first gear.

6. 4. The rotating body device according to claim 1, which is mounted under a floor at the foot area of ​​a front seat of a vehicle, or under a luggage compartment of the vehicle.

Images