Electric vehicle

Abstract

To provide an electric vehicle which can improve positioning accuracy of a terminal block.SOLUTION: In a case, a terminal block having a body, to which a bus bar with which an electric motor is connected on one end side and a power control device is connected on the other side is integrally fixed, is installed, and a hole having an opening fitted to a shape of the body and into which the body is fitted is formed. Thus, the terminal block is positioned by fitting the body into the hole having the opening fitted to the shape of the body of the terminal block, which is formed in the case. A relative position deviation amount among the bus bar, the electric motor and the power control device can be reduced in comparison with positioning the terminal block with a separate pin and a hole for inserting the pin, for example, by positioning the terminal block by the body integrated with the bus bar. Thus, positioning accuracy of the terminal block can be improved.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an electric vehicle equipped with a terminal block that connects an electric motor and a power control device by a bus bar. [Background technology]

[0002] There is a well-known electric vehicle that includes an electric motor, a power control device that controls the electric motor, a terminal block having a bus bar to which the electric motor is connected at one end and the power control device is connected at the other end and a body to which the bus bar is fixed integrally, and a case in which the terminal block is installed. For example, a drive unit described in Patent Document 1 is such an example. Patent Document 1 discloses that the terminal block is provided on a fixed base, and that the fixed base is installed so as to cover an opening of the case, sealing the electric motor within the case. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2012-170177 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In Patent Document 1, the fixed base on which the terminal block is provided is connected to the case via a surface seal, and since it is difficult to position the fixed base, the positioning accuracy of the terminal block may deteriorate. Since the bus bar of the terminal block is connected to an electric motor or a power control device, it is desirable to position the terminal block with high accuracy. For example, it is possible to position the terminal block by providing positioning pins at both ends of the fixed base and inserting the pins into holes formed in the case. However, since the two pins are separate from the fixed base, there is a backlash including the respective tolerances, and the backlash of the terminal block may be increased, which may increase the relative positional deviation between the bus bar and the electric motor or power control device. There is room for improvement in the positioning accuracy of the terminal block.

[0005] The present invention has been made in light of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an electric vehicle capable of improving the positioning accuracy of a terminal block. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The gist of a first invention is that (a) an electric vehicle comprising an electric motor, a power control device that controls the electric motor, a terminal block having a bus bar to which the electric motor is connected at one end and the power control device is connected at the other end, and a body to which the bus bar is integrally fixed, and a case in which the terminal block is installed, and (b) the case has an opening that matches the shape of the body, and a hole into which the body is fitted is formed. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the first aspect of the invention, a case in which a terminal block having a body to which a bus bar is integrally fixed, one end of which is connected to an electric motor and the other end of which is connected to a power control device, is installed has an opening formed to match the shape of the body, into which the body is fitted. As a result, the terminal block is positioned by fitting the body into a hole formed in the case and having an opening formed to match the shape of the terminal block body. By positioning using the body integrated with the bus bar, the amount of relative positional deviation between the bus bar and the electric motor or power control device can be reduced compared to positioning using, for example, a separate pin and a hole into which the pin is inserted. Thus, the positioning accuracy of the terminal block can be improved. In addition, a secondary effect is obtained in that a separate pin and a hole into which the pin is inserted are no longer necessary. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of an electric vehicle to which the present invention is applied; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of an electrical configuration related to control of an electric motor, etc. [Diagram 3]FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of an electromechanical integrated unit. [Figure 4] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a state in which a terminal block is installed. [Diagram 5] 4A to 4C are diagrams illustrating an example of the shape of a terminal block and an example of the positioning of the terminal block. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. EXAMPLES

[0010] Fig. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of an electric vehicle 10 to which the present invention is applied. In Fig. 1, the electric vehicle 10 is a hybrid vehicle equipped with an engine 12 that functions as a power source and a second electric motor MG2 that is an electric motor that also functions as a power source. The electric vehicle 10 also includes drive wheels 14, a power transmission device 16, and a first electric motor MG1.

[0011] The engine 12 is a known internal combustion engine. The drive wheels 14 are left and right wheels in the forward and backward directions of the electric vehicle 10. The power transmission device 16 is provided on a power transmission path between the engine 12 and the drive wheels 14, and on a power transmission path between the second electric motor MG2 and the drive wheels 14.

[0012] The first electric motor MG1 and the second electric motor MG2 are known rotating electric machines, so-called motor generators, each of which has a function as a motor that generates mechanical power from electric power and a function as a generator that generates electric power from mechanical power. The first electric motor MG1 and the second electric motor MG2 are provided in a non-rotatable case 18, which is a non-rotating member attached to the vehicle body. In this embodiment, when the first electric motor MG1 and the second electric motor MG2 are not particularly distinguished from each other, the first electric motor MG1 and the second electric motor MG2 are referred to as electric motors MG.

[0013] The power transmission device 16 includes, within a case 18, a damper 20, an input shaft 22, a transmission section 24, a compound gear 26, a driven gear 28, a driven shaft 30, a final gear 32, a differential gear 34, a reduction gear 36, etc. The power transmission device 16 also includes a pair of drive shafts 38 connected to the differential gear 34, etc.

[0014] The damper 20 is connected to the crankshaft 12a of the engine 12. The input shaft 22 functions as an input rotating member of the transmission unit 24. The input shaft 22 is connected to the damper 20, and is connected to the crankshaft 12a via the damper 20. The transmission unit 24 is connected to the input shaft 22. The compound gear 26 is a rotating body on the output side of the transmission unit 24. The compound gear 26 has a drive gear 26a formed on a part of its outer circumferential surface. The drive gear 26a is an output rotating member of the transmission unit 24. The driven gear 28 is meshed with the drive gear 26a. The driven shaft 30 fixes the driven gear 28 and the final gear 32 so that they cannot rotate relative to each other. The final gear 32 has a smaller diameter than the driven gear 28, and meshes with the differential ring gear 34a. The reduction gear 36 has a smaller diameter than the driven gear 28, and is in mesh with the driven gear 28. A rotor shaft of the second electric motor MG2 is connected to the reduction gear 36, and the second electric motor MG2 is connected to the reduction gear 36 so as to be capable of transmitting power.

[0015] The power transmission device 16 thus configured is suitable for use in FF (front engine, front drive) or RR (rear engine, rear drive) vehicles. The power transmission device 16 transmits the power output from the engine 12 to the driven gear 28 via the transmission unit 24. The power transmission device 16 also transmits the power output from the second electric motor MG2 to the driven gear 28 via the reduction gear 36. The power transmission device 16 transmits the power transmitted to the driven gear 28 to the driving wheels 14 via the driven shaft 30, the final gear 32, the differential gear 34, the drive shaft 38, and the like in this order. The driven gear 28, the driven shaft 30, and the final gear 32 are transmission mechanisms that transmit the power from the second electric motor MG2 to the differential gear 34, and transmit the power from the drive gear 26a to the differential gear 34. The differential gear 34 distributes power from the engine 12 and the second electric motor MG2 to the drive wheels 14. The drive shaft 38 transmits power from the differential gear 34 to the drive wheels 14. The second electric motor MG2 is connected to the drive wheels 14 so as to be able to transmit power.

[0016] The transmission unit 24 includes a first electric motor MG1 and a differential mechanism 40. The differential mechanism 40 is a known single-pinion type planetary gear device including a sun gear S, a carrier CA, and a ring gear R. The sun gear S is connected to a rotor shaft of the first electric motor MG1. That is, the differential mechanism 40, which is a part of the power transmission device 16, is connected to the first electric motor MG1 as an electric motor so as to be capable of transmitting power. The carrier CA is connected to the input shaft 22. That is, the differential mechanism 40 is connected to the engine 12 via the input shaft 22 and the like so as to be capable of transmitting power. The ring gear R is formed on a part of the inner circumferential surface of the compound gear 26, and is connected integrally to the drive gear 26a. That is, the differential mechanism 40 is connected to the drive wheels 14 so as to be capable of transmitting power.

[0017] The differential mechanism 40 functions as a differential mechanism that generates a differential action and is connected to the engine 12 so as to be capable of transmitting power. The differential mechanism 40 is a power split mechanism that mechanically splits the power of the engine 12 input to the carrier CA to the first electric motor MG1 and the drive gear 26a. The transmission 24 is a known electric transmission mechanism in which the differential state of the differential mechanism 40 is controlled by controlling the operating state of the first electric motor MG1.

[0018] The power transmission device 16 has a first axis CL1, a second axis CL2, a third axis CL3, and a fourth axis CL4. These four axes CL1, CL2, CL3, and CL4 are parallel to one another. The first axis CL1 is the axis of the input shaft 22 and the rotor shaft of the first electric motor MG1. That is, the first axis CL1 is the rotation axis of the first electric motor MG1. The transmission unit 24 and the first electric motor MG1 are disposed around the first axis CL1. The second axis CL2 is the axis of the driven shaft 30. The driven gear 28 and the final gear 32 are disposed around the second axis CL2. That is, the second axis CL2 is the rotation axis of the driven gear 28, the driven shaft 30, and the final gear 32. The third axis CL3 is the axis of the rotor shaft of the second electric motor MG2. That is, the third axis CL3 is the rotation axis of the second electric motor MG2. The second electric motor MG2 and the reduction gear 36 are disposed around the third axis CL3. The fourth axis CL4 is the axis of the drive shaft 38 and the axis of the differential gear 34. That is, the fourth axis CL4 is the rotation axis of the drive shaft 38 and the differential gear 34. The differential gear 34 is disposed around the fourth axis CL4. The second axis CL2 and the fourth axis CL4 are the rotation axes of the power transmission device 16.

[0019] The case 18 includes a housing 18a, a case body 18b, and a cover 18c. An engine block 12b of the engine 12 is connected to the open portion of the housing 18a on the engine 12 side. The housing 18a and the case body 18b are integrally connected by fasteners such as bolts so that the open portion of the housing 18a on the opposite side to the engine 12 and the open portion of the case body 18b on the engine 12 side are aligned. The case body 18b and the cover 18c are integrally connected by fasteners so that the open portion of the case body 18b on the opposite side to the engine 12 is closed by the cover 18c. The case body 18b is a case including a partition wall (not shown) that separates a gear chamber Rg that houses the transmission unit 24, the driven gear 28, the differential gear 34, etc., from a motor chamber Rm that houses the electric motor MG. The case body 18b and the housing 18a form the gear chamber Rg. The case body 18b and the cover 18c form a motor chamber Rm. In this manner, the case 18 accommodates the electric motor MG and the power transmission device 16 excluding the drive shaft 38 and the like.

[0020] Fig. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of an electrical configuration related to control of the electric motor MG, etc. In Fig. 2, the electric vehicle 10 further includes a high-voltage battery 50, an auxiliary battery 52, and a power control unit 54.

[0021] The high-voltage battery 50 is a chargeable and dischargeable DC power source, such as a secondary battery, such as a nickel-metal hydride secondary battery or a lithium-ion battery. The high-voltage battery 50 is connected to a power control unit 54. Stored power is supplied from the high-voltage battery 50 to, for example, the second electric motor MG2 via the power control unit 54. In addition, power resulting from power generation control of the first electric motor MG1 and power resulting from regeneration control of the second electric motor MG2 are supplied to the high-voltage battery 50 via the power control unit 54. The high-voltage battery 50 is a driving battery.

[0022] The power control unit 54 includes a DC-DC converter 56, a motor control device 58, a boost converter 60, and an inverter 62. The power control unit 54 is a power control device that controls the power exchanged between the high-voltage battery 50 and the motor MG. In other words, the power control unit 54 is a power control device that controls the motor MG.

[0023] The DCDC converter 56 is connected to the high-voltage battery 50. The DCDC converter 56 functions as a charging device that steps down the voltage of the high-voltage battery 50 to a voltage equivalent to that of the auxiliary battery 52 to charge the auxiliary battery 52. ​​The auxiliary battery 52 supplies power to operate the accessories provided in the electric vehicle 10, the motor control device 58, an electronic control device 70 (described later), and the like.

[0024] The boost converter 60 includes a reactor, a switching element, etc. (not shown). The boost converter 60 is a step-up / step-down circuit having a function of stepping up the voltage of the high-voltage battery 50 and supplying it to the inverter 62, and a function of stepping down the voltage converted to DC by the inverter 62 and supplying it to the high-voltage battery 50.

[0025] The inverter 62 includes an MG1 power module 64, an MG2 power module 66, etc. Each of the MG1 power module 64 and the MG2 power module 66 includes a plurality of transistors that are driven on and off as switching elements to convert DC current to AC current, etc. The electric vehicle 10 further includes a bus bar 68 to which the electric motor MG is connected at one end and to which the power control unit 54 is connected at the other end. The bus bar 68 is a power line that electrically connects the electric motor MG and the inverter 62, and includes a plurality of bus bars.

[0026] The inverter 62 converts the DC current from the boost converter 60 into AC current for driving the electric motor MG. The inverter 62 converts the AC current generated by the first electric motor MG1 by the power of the engine 12 and the AC current generated by the second electric motor MG2 by regenerative braking into DC current. The inverter 62 supplies the AC current generated by the first electric motor MG1 as power for driving the second electric motor MG2 according to the running state.

[0027] The electric vehicle 10 further includes an electronic control device 70, a communication line 72, and the like. The electronic control device 70 transmits and receives signals to and from the DCDC converter 56, the electric motor control device 58, and the like via the communication line 72. The electronic control device 70 performs various controls of the electric vehicle 10 based on signals from, for example, sensors (not shown). The communication line 72 is, for example, a known CAN (Controller Area Network) communication line. The electric motor control device 58 controls the boost converter 60 and the inverter 62 based on commands from the electronic control device 70, and controls the electric motor MG.

[0028] FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining an example of a schematic configuration of the drive unit 90. FIG. 3 is a side view from the left side of the electric vehicle 10. In FIG. 3, the transaxle 92 and the power control unit 54 are housed in the same case 18 as the drive unit 90. The drive unit 90 is a unit in which the transaxle 92 and the power control unit 54 are integrated, that is, an electromechanical integrated unit. The transaxle 92 is a drive device including a power transmission device 16 (26a, 28, 32, 34a, 36, etc.) and an electric motor MG. The vertical direction and forward / reverse direction in the figure indicate the directions in the mounted state in the electric vehicle 10. The vehicle width direction is a horizontal direction perpendicular to the forward / reverse direction of the electric vehicle 10 and is parallel to the axial directions of the first axis CL1, the second axis CL2, the third axis CL3, and the fourth axis CL4.

[0029] The case 18 further includes a protective plate 18d in addition to the housing 18a, case body 18b, and cover 18c described above. The case body 18b has a bottom wall and side walls extending vertically upward from the outer periphery of the bottom wall at the front and rear sides in the forward and rearward travel direction, and has an opening at the top in the vertical direction. The protective plate 18d is a plate-shaped member that closes the opening at the top in the vertical direction of the case body 18b. The case body 18b has a partition wall (not shown) inside, and the interior is divided by the partition wall into two spaces: a lower space A, which is a space at the bottom in the vertical direction, and an upper space B, which is a space at the top in the vertical direction.

[0030] When mounted on electric vehicle 10, transaxle 92 is housed in lower space A of case body 18b and housing 18a.

[0031] The power control unit 54 is housed in an upper space B in the case body 18b when mounted on the electric vehicle 10. The upper space B includes a surplus space B1 created by the arrangement of the electric motor MG and a top space B2 vertically above the second electric motor MG2. The surplus space B1 has a shorter length in the forward / reverse direction than the top space B2. When mounted on the electric vehicle 10, the power control unit 54 is disposed adjacent to and vertically above the electric motor MG.

[0032] The surplus space B1 accommodates, for example, the DCDC converter 56 and a reactor (not shown) provided in the boost converter 60, taking into consideration that these are relatively short components of the power control unit 54 and relatively easy to replace.

[0033] 3, when the transaxle 92 is mounted on the electric vehicle 10, the first axis CL1, the second axis CL2, the third axis CL3, and the fourth axis CL4 are arranged so that they are parallel to a horizontal direction perpendicular to the forward and backward travel direction of the electric vehicle 10. When the transaxle 92 is mounted on the electric vehicle 10, the positions of the first axis CL1, the second axis CL2, the third axis CL3, and the fourth axis CL4 of the transaxle 92 are, from top to bottom in the vertical direction, in the order of second electric motor MG2, driven shaft 30, first electric motor MG1, and differential gear 34, and, from front to rear in the forward and backward travel direction, in the order of first electric motor MG1, driven shaft 30, differential gear 34, and second electric motor MG2. Focusing on the first electric motor MG1 and the second electric motor MG2, the transaxle 92 is arranged in the order of the third axis CL3 and the first axis CL1 from top to bottom in the vertical direction when mounted on the electric vehicle 10. This allows the vertical size of the transaxle 92 to be reduced while appropriately ensuring the inter-axis distances between the first axis CL1, the second axis CL2, the third axis CL3, and the fourth axis CL4. Thus, the arrangement of the first electric motor MG1 and the second electric motor MG2 creates a surplus space B1, and an uppermost space B2 is created above the second electric motor MG2 in the vertical direction. The power control unit 54 is mounted in this upper space B (B1+B2).

[0034] The power control unit 54 is disposed vertically above the transaxle 92 when mounted on the electric vehicle 10. In addition, the power control unit 54 is disposed at a position where a vertically lower portion of the power control unit 54 overlaps with a vertically upper portion of the transaxle 92, particularly the second electric motor MG2, when viewed horizontally, particularly in the forward / rearward direction, when mounted on the electric vehicle 10. Furthermore, the power control unit 54 is disposed vertically above the first electric motor MG1 when mounted on the electric vehicle 10. The vertically lower portion of the power control unit 54 is, for example, a component (e.g., DC-DC converter 56, reactor) accommodated in the surplus space B1 of the power control unit 54.

[0035] The power control unit 54 is mounted in the space created by reducing the vertical size of the transaxle 92, and space is created vertically above the drive unit 90.

[0036] 4 and 5, in the electric vehicle 10, a terminal block 80 to which a bus bar 68 is fixed is installed on the case 18. The installation of the terminal block 80 will be described in detail below. As described above, the bus bar 68 includes a plurality of bus bars, but for convenience, the installation of the terminal block 80 will be described with reference numeral 68 assigned to one bus bar.

[0037] Fig. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a state in which the terminal block 80 is installed. Fig. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a shape of the terminal block 80 and an example of the positioning of the terminal block 80.

[0038] 4 and 5, terminal block 80 includes bus bar 68 and terminal block main body 82. Terminal block main body 82 is the main body of terminal block 80 to which bus bar 68 is integrally fixed. When mounted on electric vehicle 10, terminal block 80 is disposed in the forward / rearward traveling direction of electric vehicle 10 with respect to second electric motor MG2 and disposed vertically above first electric motor MG1.

[0039] The bus bar 68 has an MG side terminal portion 68m that protrudes from one end side of the terminal block main body 82, i.e., toward the motor MG side, and a PCU side terminal portion 68p that protrudes from the other end side of the terminal block main body 82, i.e., toward the power control unit 54 side.

[0040] The MG side terminal portion 68m is connected to an MG bus bar 84 extending from the electric motor MG. The MG bus bar 84 is a power line that electrically connects the electric motor MG and the bus bar 68, and is a motor side bus bar.

[0041] The PCU side terminal portion 68p is connected to a PCU bus bar 86 extending from the power control unit 54, particularly the inverter 62. The PCU side terminal portion 68p is elongated extending from the terminal block main body 82 to the power control unit 54 side, and is a portion to which the power control unit 54 is connected at a tip end portion 68pt on the power control unit 54 side. The PCU side terminal portion 68p extends vertically upward from the terminal block main body 82 in a mounted state in the electric vehicle 10. The tip end portion 68pt of the PCU side terminal portion 68p is connected to a PCU bus bar 86 extending vertically downward from a vertical upper portion of the power control unit 54, for example, the inverter 62, in a mounted state in the electric vehicle 10. The PCU bus bar 86 is a power line that electrically connects the inverter 62 and the bus bar 68, and is a power control device side bus bar.

[0042] As a positioning method for installing the terminal block 80, for example, it is possible to provide positioning pins at both ends of the terminal block main body 82 and insert the pins into holes formed in the case 18. However, since the two pins are separate from the terminal block main body 82, there is a positional deviation between them, which increases the backlash of the terminal block 80 and results in poor positioning accuracy. If the positioning accuracy of the terminal block 80 is poor, for example, the relative positional deviation between the tip end 68pt of the PCU side terminal portion 68p and the PCU bus bar 86 may be large. If the relative positional deviation is large when the tip end 68pt and the PCU bus bar 86 are connected by bolt fastening, the amount of displacement of the PCU side terminal portion 68p and / or the PCU bus bar 86 increases, and the stress generated at that time increases. If the stress increases, the durability of the bus bar 68 and / or the PCU bus bar 86 may decrease. On the other hand, as a method for reducing the stress even if the amount of displacement is large, it is possible to extend the longitudinal length of the PCU side terminal portion 68p.

[0043] On the other hand, in the drive unit 90, the power control unit 54 is disposed vertically above the transaxle 92. In order to reduce the vertical size of the drive unit 90, it is necessary to shorten the physical distance between the transaxle 92 and the power control unit 54. However, if the longitudinal length of the PCU side terminal portion 68p is extended as a countermeasure against poor positioning accuracy of the terminal block 80, dead space will be generated. This makes it difficult to shorten the physical distance between the transaxle 92 and the power control unit 54. It is desirable to improve the positioning accuracy of the terminal block 80.

[0044] Therefore, in this embodiment, in order to improve the positioning accuracy of the terminal block 80, the positioning of the terminal block 80 and the case 18 is performed by the terminal block main body 82 which is integrated with the bus bar 68. For example, as shown in Fig. 5, the case 18, particularly the case main body 18b, is formed with a hole 88 into which the terminal block main body 82 is fitted. The hole 88 has an opening 88o that matches the shape of the terminal block main body 82.

[0045] The terminal block main body 82 includes an MG side main body 82m on one end side, i.e., on the motor MG side, and a PCU side main body 82p on the other end side, i.e., on the power control unit 54 side. The outer peripheral shape of the MG side main body 82m matches the shape of the opening 88o to such an extent that the MG side main body 82m can be fitted into the opening 88o without any backlash. When the MG side main body 82m is completely fitted into the hole 88, the PCU side main body 82p is brought into contact with the case main body 18b. The terminal block 80 is fixed to the case main body 18b by attaching the PCU side main body 82p to the case main body 18b with bolts 89 or the like.

[0046] As described above, according to this embodiment, case 18 is formed with hole 88 having opening 88o that matches the shape of terminal block main body 82, into which terminal block main body 82 is fitted. As a result, terminal block 80 is positioned by fitting terminal block main body 82 into hole 88. Positioning using terminal block main body 82 integrated with bus bar 68 reduces the amount of relative positional deviation between bus bar 68 and MG bus bar 84 or PCU bus bar 86 compared to positioning using a separate pin and a hole into which the pin is inserted, for example. This improves the positioning accuracy of terminal block 80. In addition, a secondary effect is obtained in that separate pins and holes into which the pins are inserted are no longer necessary, thereby improving space efficiency.

[0047] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the bus bar 68 has a longitudinal shape extending from the terminal block main body 82 toward the power control unit 54, and has a PCU side terminal portion 68p to which the power control unit 54 is connected at a tip portion 68pt on the power control unit 54 side. By improving the positioning accuracy of the terminal block 80, stress generated when connecting the tip portion 68pt and the PCU bus bar 86 is suppressed, so that the longitudinal length of the PCU side terminal portion 68p can be shortened (see FIG. 5). In other words, the bus bar 68 can be shortened.

[0048] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the PCU-side terminal portion 68p extends vertically upward from the terminal block main body 82 when mounted on the electric vehicle 10. By shortening the longitudinal length of the PCU-side terminal portion 68p, it is possible to reduce the vertical size of the drive unit 90 in which the power control unit 54 is disposed vertically above the transaxle 92 when mounted on the electric vehicle 10. In other words, it is possible to reduce the height of the drive unit 90, and therefore the mounting space for the drive unit 90 can be reduced.

[0049] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, when the terminal block 80 is mounted on the electric vehicle 10, it is disposed in the forward / rearward direction of the electric vehicle 10 relative to the second electric motor MG2 and disposed vertically above the first electric motor MG1. Since the terminal block 80 is disposed in the space created by the arrangement of the first electric motor MG1 and the second electric motor MG2, it is possible to appropriately reduce the height of the drive unit 90.

[0050] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, tip end 68pt of PCU side terminal portion 68p is connected to a PCU bus bar 86 extending vertically downward from a vertically upper portion of power control unit 54 when mounted on electric vehicle 10. By improving the positioning accuracy of terminal block 80, the longitudinal length of PCU side terminal portion 68p can be appropriately shortened, and the height of drive unit 90 can be appropriately reduced.

[0051] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the present invention can be applied to other embodiments.

[0052] For example, in the above-described embodiment, when the transaxle 92 is mounted on the electric vehicle 10, the respective positions of the first axis CL1, the second axis CL2, the third axis CL3, and the fourth axis CL4 may be in the order of the first electric motor MG1, the driven shaft 30, the differential gear 34, and the second electric motor MG2, from rear to front in the forward / reverse direction. The transaxle 92 and the power control unit 54 may be housed in separate cases. The power control unit 54 does not necessarily have to be disposed above the transaxle 92 in the vertical direction. The transaxle 92 and the power control unit 54 are housed in spaces separated by a partition within the case 18, but they may be housed in the same space without being separated by a partition.

[0053] Also, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the electric vehicle may be an electric vehicle equipped with a driving motor. This electric vehicle is mainly different from the electric vehicle 10 of the above-mentioned embodiment in that, for example, it does not have each component (engine 12, transmission unit 24 including the first electric motor MG1) around the first axis CL1. Also, in this electric vehicle, for example, in the arrangement position of each component of the transaxle 92 shown in FIG. 3, the first electric motor MG1 is deleted, and the second electric motor MG2 functions as the electric motor of the electric vehicle. Alternatively, the electric vehicle may be a series hybrid vehicle equipped with an engine, a driving electric motor functioning as a power source, and an electric motor for supplying electric power that is connected to the engine so as to be capable of transmitting power and generates power by the power of the engine. In such a series hybrid vehicle, the power transmission path between the engine and the driving wheels may be interrupted or connected by the operation of a clutch. Alternatively, the electric vehicle may be a parallel hybrid vehicle equipped with an engine, a power transmission device that transmits power from the engine to the driving wheels, and an electric motor to which power is transmitted to the driving wheels via the power transmission device.

[0054] It should be noted that the above is merely one embodiment, and the present invention can be embodied in various modified and improved forms based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art. [Explanation of symbols]

[0055] 10: Electric vehicle 16: Power transmission device 18: Case 54: Power control unit (power control device) 68: Bus bar 68p: PCU side terminal portion (longitudinal portion at the tip portion to which the power control device is connected) 68pt: Tip portion 80: Terminal block 82: Terminal block main body (main body) 86: PCU bus bar (power control device side bus bar) 88: Hole 88o: Opening 90: Drive unit (mechanical integrated unit) 92: Transaxle (drive device) CL1: First axis (rotation axis of first electric motor) CL2: Second axis (rotation axis of power transmission device) CL3: Third axis (rotation axis of second electric motor) CL4: Fourth axis (rotation axis of power transmission device) MG: Electric motor MG1: First electric motor (electric motor) MG2: Second electric motor (electric motor)

Claims

1. An electric vehicle including: an electric motor; a power control device that controls the electric motor; a terminal block having a bus bar to which the electric motor is connected at one end and to which the power control device is connected at the other end and a main body to which the bus bar is integrally fixed; and a case in which the terminal block is installed, The case has an opening that matches the shape of the main body and has a hole into which the main body is fitted.

2. 2. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the bus bar has an elongated shape extending from the main body toward the other end and has a portion at a tip end of the other end to which the power control device is connected.

3. The vehicle further includes a power transmission device to which the electric motor is connected so as to be capable of transmitting power, the case accommodates the drive device including the electric motor and the power transmission device and the power control device as an integrated mechanical and electrical unit; the power control device is disposed adjacent to and above the electric motor in a vertical direction when the power control device is mounted on the electric vehicle, The electric vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein the longitudinal portion of the bus bar extends vertically upward from the main body when the bus bar is mounted on the electric vehicle.

4. The electric motor includes a first electric motor and a second electric motor, When the drive device is mounted on the electric vehicle, the rotation axis of the first electric motor, the rotation axis of the second electric motor, and the rotation axis of the power transmission device are each arranged parallel to a horizontal direction perpendicular to a forward / rearward traveling direction of the electric vehicle, and the rotation axis of the second electric motor and the rotation axis of the first electric motor are arranged in this order from above to below in the vertical direction, When the power control device is mounted on the electric vehicle, the vertically lower portion is disposed at a position overlapping with the vertically upper portion of the second electric motor as viewed in the forward / reverse direction, and the vertically lower portion is disposed above the first electric motor in the vertical direction, The electric vehicle according to claim 3, characterized in that, when mounted on the electric vehicle, the terminal block is disposed in the forward / reverse direction relative to the second electric motor and disposed above the first electric motor in the vertical direction.

5. 5. The electric vehicle according to claim 4, wherein a tip portion of the other end of the bus bar is connected to a power control device side bus bar extending vertically downward from the vertically upper portion of the power control device when the bus bar is mounted on the electric vehicle.

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