Transmission mechanism

Abstract

To provide a transmission mechanism capable of reliably lubricating a parking gear and a parking pole even in low-speed travel.SOLUTION: A transmission mechanism 10 includes a power shaft 30, a power gear 32 supported by the power shaft 30, a relay shaft 40 for transmitting power from the power shaft 30, a relay gear 42 supported by the relay shaft 40, a drive shaft 26 to which power from the relay shaft 40 is transmitted, a parking gear 44 supported by the relay shaft 40, a support shaft 63 arranged adjacent to the parking gear 44, and a parking pole 61 oscillative around the support shaft 63 and having a claw 62 engageable with the parking gear 44. The relay gear 42 and the parking gear 44 are arranged adjacent to each other in the axial direction of the relay shaft 40. A engagement part 45 between the claw 62 and the parking gear 44 is arranged on the lower side of the power gear 32 in an axial view from the relay shaft 40.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a speed change mechanism such as a transmission or transaxle mounted on a vehicle such as an electric vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, or an internal combustion engine vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, various transmissions are provided with a parking mechanism (parking lock mechanism) for maintaining a parked state (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The parking mechanism described in Patent Document 1 above includes a parking gear attached to a secondary shaft (output shaft) of the continuously variable transmission, and a parking pole with a pawl that can mesh with the parking gear. The parking pole is biased by a pole spring in a direction that disengages the parking pole from the parking gear. Therefore, the pawl of the parking pole does not mesh with the parking gear until the rotation of the parking gear reaches a predetermined speed.

[0003] However, with the parking mechanism described above, there have been cases where the driver accidentally shifts the gear into parking range (P range) while driving. In such cases, the parking pole continues to be repelled by the parking gear at high speed, raising concerns that the parking pole and parking gear may wear out or be damaged. Therefore, the prior art described in the aforementioned Patent Document 1 discloses a lubrication structure that releases oil scooped up by a rotating body toward the meshing portion between the parking gear and the parking pole. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-83156 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, the lubrication structure described in Patent Document 1 above has a problem in that, for example, when the vehicle starts (when it begins to travel), the rotation speed of the rotating body is low (a low-speed traveling state), and therefore, the rotating body does not sufficiently scoop up oil. Therefore, the lubrication structure described in Patent Document 1 above has a problem in that oil lubrication at the meshing portion between the parking gear and the parking pole is insufficient. If the driver mistakenly performs a parking operation (misshift) in such a state of insufficient oil lubrication, there is a problem in that wear at the meshing portion between the parking gear and the parking pole is accelerated. In particular, when the vehicle is traveling at a low speed when traveling in reverse, there is a problem in that lubrication at the meshing portion between the parking gear and the parking pole is likely to be insufficient, and wear at the meshing portion is significant.

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a transmission mechanism that can reliably lubricate the parking gear and the parking pole even when the vehicle is traveling at low speeds. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] (1) The speed change mechanism of the present invention, which is provided to solve the above-mentioned problems, comprises a power shaft, a power gear supported on the power shaft, an intermediate shaft that transmits power from the power shaft, an intermediate gear supported on the intermediate shaft, a drive shaft to which the power is transmitted via the intermediate shaft, a parking gear supported on the intermediate shaft, a support shaft arranged adjacent to the parking gear, and a parking pole that is supported so as to be swingable around the support shaft in a direction toward and away from the parking gear and has a pawl that can mesh with the parking gear as it swings, wherein the intermediate gear and the parking gear are arranged adjacent to each other in the axial direction of the intermediate shaft, and the meshing portion of the pawl and the parking gear is arranged below the power gear when viewed in the axial direction of the intermediate shaft.

[0008] By configuring the transmission mechanism of the present invention as described above in (1), the power gear can be positioned above the meshing portion of the parking pawl and parking gear. Here, oil used for lubrication while the vehicle is running is held between the power gear and the intermediate gear. Therefore, in the transmission of the present invention, when the vehicle starts (during low-speed running upon starting to run), the oil held in the power gear is supplied onto the parking pawl, and oil is also supplied (dribbled) down the parking pole to the meshing portion of the pawl and parking gear. This allows the transmission mechanism of the present invention to suppress wear and damage to the meshing portion of the parking gear and parking pawl, particularly when the vehicle is running at low speeds. Here, the transmission mechanism of the present invention is preferably applicable to a transmission or a transaxle equipped with a differential gear.

[0009] (2) The above-described speed change mechanism of the present invention may be characterized in that the parking pole is disposed so as to extend in the vertical direction, and the support shaft is disposed in a position adjacent to the power gear.

[0010] By configuring the transmission mechanism of the present invention as described above in (2), the meshing portion between the parking pole (claw) and the parking gear can be positioned below the power gear. This allows the transmission mechanism of the present invention to supply (drip) oil that runs down the parking pole to the meshing portion between the claw and the parking gear. Therefore, the transmission mechanism of the present invention can suppress wear and damage to the meshing portion between the parking gear and the parking pole, especially when the vehicle is traveling at low speeds.

[0011] (3) The above-described speed change mechanism of the present invention may be characterized in that the outermost diameter portion of the power gear is arranged so as to overlap in the vertical direction with at least a portion of the parking pole when viewed in the axial direction of the intermediate shaft.

[0012] By configuring the transmission mechanism of the present invention as described above in (3), oil held in the meshing portion of the power gear and the intermediate gear is supplied (dribbled) onto the parking pole as the power gear and the intermediate gear rotate. This allows the transmission mechanism of the present invention to supply oil running down the parking pole to the meshing portion of the parking pole claw and the parking gear, ensuring lubrication of the meshing portion of the parking pole and the parking gear even when the vehicle is traveling at low speeds. Therefore, the transmission mechanism of the present invention can suppress wear and damage to the meshing portion of the parking gear and the parking pole, especially when the vehicle is traveling at low speeds.

[0013] (4) In the above-described speed change mechanism of the present invention, the power shaft may be an output shaft of a drive motor.

[0014] By configuring the transmission mechanism of the present invention as described above in (4), it is possible to appropriately lubricate the parking gear and the parking pole in hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles, and the like.

[0015] (5) The speed change mechanism of the present invention described above may be characterized in that the power shaft, the intermediate shaft, and the drive shaft are arranged in this order in the vertical direction.

[0016] By configuring the transmission mechanism of the present invention as described above in (5), the parking gear can be disposed on the intermediate shaft below the power shaft, and oil held between the power gear and the intermediate gear is supplied (dribbled) from above the parking pole. This allows the transmission mechanism of the present invention to supply oil along the parking pole to the meshing portion between the parking pole (claw) and the parking gear, ensuring lubrication of the meshing portion between the parking pole and the parking gear even when the vehicle is traveling at low speeds. Therefore, the transmission mechanism of the present invention can suppress wear and damage to the meshing portion between the parking gear and the parking pole, especially when the vehicle is traveling at low speeds.

[0017] (6) The speed change mechanism of the present invention described above may be characterized in that the axis of the power shaft is shifted toward the parking pole with respect to the axes of the intermediate shaft and the drive shaft.

[0018] By configuring the transmission mechanism of the present invention as described above in (6), the power gear is reliably positioned above the parking pole, so that oil accumulated (retained) in the power gear is reliably supplied (dribbled) onto the parking pole when the power gear starts to rotate. This allows the transmission mechanism of the present invention to supply oil along the parking pole to the meshing portion between the parking pole (claw) and the parking gear, reliably lubricating the meshing portion between the parking pole and the parking gear even when the vehicle is traveling at a low speed. Therefore, the transmission mechanism of the present invention can suppress wear and damage to the meshing portion between the parking gear and the parking pole. Preferably, the parking pole and the parking pole support shaft are positioned downstream in the rotation direction of the power shaft when the vehicle is traveling backward. This allows the transmission mechanism of the present invention to reliably supply oil onto the parking pole when the vehicle is traveling backward (at a low speed). [Effects of the Invention]

[0019] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a transmission mechanism that can reliably lubricate the parking gear and the parking pole even when traveling at low speeds. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] 1 is a partially cutaway front view of a transmission mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from the front side of a vehicle. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a side view of the transmission mechanism of FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] A transmission mechanism 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Note that each drawing is a schematic representation for ease of understanding, and may differ from the actual shape, size, and arrangement of components. In this embodiment, the transmission mechanism 10 will be described as a transaxle 10 integrally equipped with a differential mechanism 20. In addition, the clockwise rotation direction of the power shaft 30 in FIG. 2 will be described as the forward rotation direction (forward direction), and the counterclockwise rotation direction will be described as the reverse rotation direction (reverse direction).

[0022] As shown in Fig. 1, the transaxle 10 is provided in a vehicle V. The vehicle V also includes an engine, a battery, and the like, which are not shown.

[0023] The vehicle V in this embodiment is, for example, a so-called series hybrid vehicle. Specifically, the vehicle V runs by using an engine as a power source to drive a first electric motor 14, which will be described later, and the first electric motor 14 drives a second electric motor 16, which will be described later. The vehicle V can also run (EV running) by stopping the engine and using a battery as a power source to drive the second electric motor 16.

[0024] In the following description, the up-down direction when the transaxle 10 is mounted on the vehicle V will be simply referred to as the "up-down direction H" or the "height direction H." In addition, in the height direction H, the upside will be simply referred to as the "upside Up," and the downside will be simply referred to as the "downside Lw."

[0025] Furthermore, in the following description, when the transaxle 10 is mounted on the vehicle V, the width direction of the vehicle V will be simply referred to as the "width direction W."

[0026] As shown in Figure 1, the transaxle 10 includes a transaxle housing 50, a first electric motor 14 (electric motor), a second electric motor 16 (electric motor), and a differential mechanism 20. The transaxle 10 also includes a power shaft 30, an intermediate shaft 40, a drive shaft 26, a parking mechanism 60 (see Figure 2), and the like.

[0027] The power shaft 30 is connected to the second electric motor 16 and rotates when power is transmitted from the second electric motor 16. That is, in this embodiment, the power shaft 30 is configured as an output shaft of the second electric motor 16 (drive motor). The power shaft 30 is provided with a power gear 32 and a bearing 34. Therefore, as the power shaft 30 rotates, the power gear 32 rotates integrally with the power shaft 30. The power shaft 30 is disposed so that its axis is aligned with the width direction W of the vehicle V, and is rotatably supported by the bearing 34.

[0028] The power gear 32 has a predetermined outer diameter and is in mesh with the relay gear 42, which will be described later. Therefore, the power gear 32 can transmit power to the relay gear 42. As will be described in detail later, the power gear 32 is disposed so as to be located on the upper Up side of the parking pole 61 (see FIG. 2).

[0029] The intermediate shaft 40 is rotatably supported by the transaxle housing 50 via a bearing 34. As shown in FIG. 2, the intermediate shaft 40 is disposed on the lower Lw side of the power shaft 30. As shown in FIG. 1, the intermediate shaft 40 is provided with an intermediate gear 42 and a parking gear 44.

[0030] The relay gear 42 and the parking gear 44 are disposed adjacent to each other in the axial direction of the intermediate shaft 40. The relay gear 42 meshes with the power gear 32 and a differential ring gear 22 (described later). Therefore, when the power shaft 30 rotates, the intermediate shaft 40 rotates in the opposite direction to the power shaft 30 via the power gear 32 and the relay gear 42. Furthermore, the rotation of the intermediate shaft 40 causes the drive shaft 26 (described later) to rotate via the relay gear 42 and the differential ring gear 22. The relay gear 42 can change the rotational speed of the drive shaft 26 at an appropriate gear ratio. In this embodiment, the relay gear 42 changes the rotational speed of the drive shaft 26 to a lower speed. Therefore, the rotational speed of the parking gear 44 can also be reduced. Therefore, in this embodiment, wear due to contact between the parking gear 44 and the claws 62 of the parking pole 61 (described later) is reduced.

[0031] The first electric motor 14 (MG1) is configured as a motor generator. A generator controller (not shown) incorporating an inverter and the like is connected to the first electric motor 14. Although not shown, the generator controller is mounted, for example, on the upper part of the transaxle 10. The AC power output from the first electric motor 14 is converted into DC power by the generator controller, and the DC power is supplied to a battery, thereby charging the battery. The first electric motor 14 is driven by rotational power transmitted by driving an engine (not shown).

[0032] The second electric motor 16 (MG2) is configured from a motor generator. A motor controller (not shown) incorporating an inverter and the like is connected to the second electric motor 16. Although not shown, the motor controller is mounted, for example, on the upper part of the transaxle 10. A drive battery is connected to the motor controller. DC power output from the battery is supplied to the motor controller, and the DC power is converted to AC power by the motor controller. The second electric motor 16 is driven by the AC power supplied to the second electric motor 16.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 1 , the differential mechanism 20 is configured to allow differential rotation between a pair of left and right drive shafts 26, 26 (also referred to as drive shafts 26, 26) that drive left and right drive wheels, and to transmit rotational power to the pair of left and right drive shafts 26, 26. Note that, hereinafter, unless there is a particular need to distinguish between them, the pair of drive shafts 26, 26 may be simply referred to as drive shafts 26. In this embodiment, the drive shaft 26 is disposed on the lower Lw side than the power shaft 30 and the intermediate shaft 40. In other words, the power shaft 30, the intermediate shaft 40, and the drive shaft 26 are disposed in this order in the vertical direction.

[0034] The differential mechanism 20 is made up of a plurality of gears including a differential ring gear 22 and a differential gear 24. The differential ring gear 22 is provided on one drive shaft 26 (in this embodiment, on the second electric motor 16 side).

[0035] The power transmitted from the second electric motor 16 to the power shaft 30 is transmitted to the differential ring gear 22 of the differential mechanism 20 via the power gear 32 and the intermediate gear 42, causing the drive shaft 26 to rotate in the opposite direction to the intermediate shaft 40. As the drive shaft 26 rotates, power is transmitted from the differential mechanism 20 (drive shaft 26) to the drive wheels 2, 2. This causes the drive wheels 2, 2 to rotate and the vehicle V to travel. In addition, the drive wheels 2, 2 of the vehicle V are locked when a parking gear 44 (described later) is locked by a parking mechanism 60.

[0036] The transaxle housing 50 (case body) is a housing for housing the first electric motor 14, the second electric motor 16, the transmission mechanism 10, and the like.

[0037] A partition wall 53 is formed in the transaxle housing 50, and the partition wall 53 separates a space that becomes a motor chamber 51 from a space that becomes a gear chamber 52.

[0038] The motor chamber 51 accommodates the first electric motor 14 and the second electric motor 16. The gear chamber 52 accommodates the power gear 32, the relay gear 42, the parking gear 44, parts that constitute the parking mechanism 60 (parking pole 61, rod 65, etc.), the differential mechanism 20, etc.

[0039] Furthermore, oil is contained inside the transaxle housing 50, and the oil is pumped by an oil pump (not shown) to cool the first electric motor 14 and the second electric motor 16.

[0040] 2 is a side view showing gear chamber 52 of transaxle 10. Parking mechanism 60 is used to lock drive wheels 2, 2 of vehicle V. Parking mechanism 60 includes components such as a parking pole 61, a support shaft 63, a torsion spring (not shown), and a rod 65.

[0041] The parking mechanism 60 locks the drive wheels 2 of the vehicle V based on the driver's operation. More specifically, the parking mechanism 60 restricts the rotation of the intermediate shaft 40 and locks the drive wheels 2, 2 based on the driver's operation to shift to P range (parking operation). The parking mechanism 60 will be described in detail below.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 2, the parking pole 61 is a member for locking the parking gear 44. The parking pole 61 is a plate-shaped metal member formed as a long pole. The parking pole 61 is disposed so as to extend in the up-down direction H. An upper Up side (upper end side) of the parking pole 61 is swingably supported on a support shaft 63 disposed adjacent to the parking gear 44 (in this embodiment, the power gear 32). That is, the parking pole 61 is supported so as to be swingable about the support shaft 63 in a direction toward and away from the parking gear 44. In other words, the parking pole 61 can swing toward and away from the parking gear 44, with the support shaft 63 as a swing fulcrum, while maintaining its posture along the up-down direction H of the vehicle V.

[0043] A claw 62 is formed on the lower Lw side (lower end side) of the parking pole 61 toward the parking gear 44. The claw 62 can mesh with the parking gear 44. A meshing portion 45 is formed at the portion where the parking pole 61 (claw 62) and the parking gear 44 mesh. In this embodiment, a protrusion 67 is provided adjacent to the claw 62 on the parking pole 61. The protrusion 67 abuts against the cutting edge (outer peripheral edge) of the parking gear 44 when the claw 62 and the parking gear 44 mesh, and is provided to prevent the claw 62 and the parking gear 44 from meshing too deeply.

[0044] Furthermore, the parking pole 61 is biased by a torsion spring (not shown) in a direction away from the parking gear 44. Therefore, when the parking mechanism 60 is not in parking operation, the parking pole 61 (claw 62) is separated from the parking gear 44 and is in a disengaged state. Furthermore, when the parking operation is performed and the rotation speed of the parking gear 44 is high, the parking pole 61 is configured such that the claw 62 is repelled by the parking gear 44 and the parking gear 44 and the claw 62 do not mesh with each other.

[0045] The rod 65 is capable of stroking in a direction (the front side of the paper in FIG. 2 ) intersecting the direction in which the parking pole 61 extends. Although not shown, the parking mechanism 60 moves so that the rod 65 strokes toward the parking pole 61 in conjunction with the driver's shift operation. Furthermore, when the rod 65 strokes toward the parking pole 61, the expanded diameter portion 65 a of the rod 65 advances in the stroke direction (the front side of the paper in FIG. 2 ), and the base end portion 61 a of the parking pole 61 is pressed in a direction approaching the parking gear 44 (to the right in the drawing). This causes the parking pole 61 to swing, and the claw 62 meshes with the parking gear 44, thereby forming the meshing portion 45. This locks the rotation of the drive wheels 2, 2 of the vehicle V.

[0046] Here, in the transaxle 10 of the present invention, the meshing portion 45 is disposed on the lower Lw side of the power gear 32 when viewed in the axial direction of the intermediate shaft 40. Also, when viewed in the axial direction of the intermediate shaft 40, the power gear 32 is disposed so that its outermost diameter portion overlaps (overlaps) at least a portion of the parking pole 61 in the up-down direction. In other words, when viewed in the axial direction of the intermediate shaft 40, the power gear 32 is disposed so that its outermost diameter portion intersects at least a portion of the parking pole 61 in the up-down direction H. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the axis of the power shaft 30 is disposed so as to be offset toward the parking pole 61 (in the width direction W) with respect to the axis of the intermediate shaft 40 and the drive shaft 26. Therefore, oil held (accumulated) between the power gear 32 and the intermediate gear 42 is supplied (dribbled) onto the parking pole 61 when the vehicle V starts (when traveling at a low speed at the start of traveling). The oil supplied onto the parking pole 61 flows down the parking pole 61 by gravity and is supplied to the claws 62 and the meshing portion 45. As a result, the meshing portion 45 is lubricated by the oil, and wear and damage to the parking pole 61 (claws 62) and the parking gear 44 is suppressed.

[0047] In this embodiment, the parking pole 61 is disposed on the left side of the power gear 32 when viewed in the axial direction of the power shaft 30, so that oil is easily supplied to the parking pole 61, particularly when the vehicle is traveling in reverse. That is, when the vehicle V is traveling in reverse, the power gear 32 rotates counterclockwise, so oil is easily discharged to the left side of the power gear 32. In the transmission mechanism 10 of the present invention, oil is supplied to the parking pole 61 as the power gear 32 rotates, even when the vehicle V is traveling forward (the power gear 32 rotates clockwise).

[0048] The above is one embodiment of the transaxle 10 (transmission mechanism 10) of the present invention. Next, the effects achieved by the transmission mechanism 10 of the present invention will be described below.

[0049] <Action and effect> The above-described transmission mechanism 10 has the following characteristic configurations (a) to (f). As a result, transmission mechanism 10 of the present invention can achieve the following unique effects that cannot be achieved with conventional technologies.

[0050] (a) The transmission mechanism 10 of the present invention described above comprises a power shaft 30, a power gear 32 supported on the power shaft 30, an intermediate shaft 40 that transmits power from the power shaft 30, the intermediate gear 42 supported on the intermediate shaft 40, a drive shaft 26 to which the power is transmitted via the intermediate shaft 40, a parking gear 44 supported on the intermediate shaft 40, a support shaft 63 arranged adjacent to the parking gear 44, and a parking pole 61 that is supported so as to be swingable around the support shaft 63 in a direction toward and away from the parking gear 44 and has a pawl 62 that can mesh with the parking gear 44 as it swings, and the intermediate gear 42 and the parking gear 44 are arranged adjacent to each other in the axial direction of the intermediate shaft 40, and the meshing portion 45 of the pawl 62 and the parking gear 44 is arranged below the power gear 32 when viewed in the axial direction of the intermediate shaft 40.

[0051] By configuring the transmission mechanism 10 of the present invention as described above in (a), the power gear 32 can be disposed on the upper Up side of the meshing portion 45 between the parking pole 61 (claw 62) and the parking gear 44. Here, oil used for lubrication while the vehicle V is traveling is retained (accumulated) between the power gear 32 and the intermediate gear 42. Therefore, in the transmission of the present invention, when the vehicle V starts (during low-speed traveling upon starting to travel), the oil retained in the power gear 32 is supplied onto the parking pole 61, and oil is supplied (dribbled) along the parking pole 61 to the meshing portion 45 between the claw 62 and the parking gear 44. As a result, the transmission mechanism 10 of the present invention can suppress wear and damage to the meshing portion 45 between the parking gear 44 and the parking pole 61, particularly when the vehicle V is traveling at low speeds. Here, the transmission mechanism 10 of the present invention can be preferably applied to a transmission or a transaxle equipped with a differential gear.

[0052] (b) The transmission mechanism 10 of the present invention described above is characterized in that the parking pole 61 is arranged to extend in the vertical direction H, and the support shaft 63 is arranged at a position adjacent to the power gear 32.

[0053] By configuring the transmission mechanism 10 of the present invention as described above in (b), the meshing portion 45 between the parking pole 61 (claw 62) and the parking gear 44 can be positioned 2Lw below the power gear 32. This allows the transmission mechanism 10 of the present invention to supply (drip) oil running down the parking pole 61 to the meshing portion 45 between the claw 62 and the parking gear 44. Therefore, the transmission mechanism 10 of the present invention can suppress wear and damage to the meshing portion 45 between the parking gear 44 and the parking pole 61, particularly when the vehicle V is traveling at low speeds.

[0054] (c) The above-described transmission mechanism 10 of the present invention is characterized in that the outermost diameter portion of the power gear 32 is arranged so as to overlap at least a portion of the parking pole 61 in the vertical direction H when viewed in the axial direction of the intermediate shaft 40.

[0055] By configuring the transmission mechanism 10 of the present invention as described above in (c), the oil held in the meshing portion 45 of the power gear 32 and the relay gear 42 is supplied (dribbled) onto the parking pole 61 as the power gear 32 and the relay gear 42 rotate. As a result, the transmission mechanism 10 of the present invention can supply the oil running down the parking pole 61 to the claws 62 of the parking pole 61 and the meshing portion 45 of the parking gear 44, thereby reliably lubricating the meshing portion 45 of the parking pole 61 and the parking gear 44 even when the vehicle V is traveling at a low speed. Therefore, the transmission mechanism 10 of the present invention can suppress wear and damage to the meshing portion 45 of the parking gear 44 and the parking pole 61, particularly when the vehicle V is traveling at a low speed.

[0056] (d) The transmission mechanism 10 of the present invention described above is characterized in that the power shaft 30 is the output shaft of a drive motor.

[0057] By configuring the transmission mechanism 10 of the present invention as described above in (d), the parking gear 44 and the parking pole 61 can be appropriately lubricated in hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles, and the like.

[0058] (e) The transmission mechanism 10 of the present invention described above is characterized in that the power shaft 30, the intermediate shaft 40, and the drive shaft 26 are arranged in this order in the vertical direction H.

[0059] By configuring the transmission mechanism 10 of the present invention as described above in (e), the parking gear 44 can be disposed on the intermediate shaft 40 below the power shaft 30, and therefore the oil held between the power gear 32 and the intermediate gear 42 is supplied (dribbled) from above the parking pole 61. This allows the transmission mechanism 10 of the present invention to supply oil along the parking pole 61 to the meshing portion 45 between the parking pole 61 (claw 62) and the parking gear 44, thereby reliably lubricating the meshing portion 45 between the parking pole 61 and the parking gear 44 even when the vehicle V is traveling at a low speed. Therefore, the transmission mechanism 10 of the present invention can suppress wear and damage to the meshing portion 45 between the parking gear 44 and the parking pole 61, particularly when the vehicle V is traveling at a low speed.

[0060] (f) The transmission mechanism 10 of the present invention described above is characterized in that the axis of the power shaft 30 is shifted toward the parking pole 61 side with respect to the axes of the intermediate shaft 40 and the drive shaft 26 .

[0061] By configuring the transmission mechanism 10 of the present invention as described above in (f), the power gear 32 is reliably positioned on the parking pole 61, and oil accumulated in the power gear 32 is reliably supplied (dribbled) onto the parking pole 61 as the power gear 32 starts to rotate. As a result, the transmission mechanism 10 of the present invention can supply oil along the parking pole 61 to the meshing portion 45 between the parking pole 61 (claw 62) and the parking gear 44, and can reliably lubricate the meshing portion 45 between the parking pole 61 and the parking gear 44 even when the vehicle V is traveling at a low speed. Therefore, the transmission mechanism 10 of the present invention can suppress wear and damage to the meshing portion 45 between the parking gear 44 and the parking pole 61. Here, it is preferable that the parking pole 61 and the support shaft 63 of the parking pole 61 are disposed downstream in the rotation direction of the power shaft 30 when the vehicle V rotates in the reverse direction. As a result, the transmission mechanism 10 of the present invention can reliably supply oil onto the parking pole 61 when the vehicle V is traveling backward (traveling at a low speed).

[0062] <<Variations>> The above are the effects obtained by the transmission mechanism 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention. However, the transmission mechanism 10 is not limited to the above embodiment and can be modified in various ways within the scope of the present invention. For example, the transmission mechanism 10 can be formed in various shapes and sizes as long as it is as described above in (a). For example, the shape and size of the transmission mechanism 10 can be modified in various ways. Furthermore, the arrangement of the transmission mechanism 10 on the vehicle V can be variously arranged depending on the vehicle V, etc. Furthermore, the transmission mechanism 10 of the present invention can be configured, for example, without some or all of the configurations described in (b) to (f) above, or with some or all of the configurations described in (b) to (f) above and other configurations.

[0063] In this embodiment, the vehicle V is described as a series hybrid vehicle, but the present invention is not limited to this and can be suitably adopted in various vehicles such as parallel hybrid vehicles, automatic transmission vehicles, and electric vehicles.

[0064] In this embodiment, a single intermediate shaft 40 is provided, but multiple intermediate shafts 40 may be provided as necessary. In such a case, it is preferable that oil held between multiple intermediate gears 42 and power gears 32 provided on the multiple intermediate shafts 40 is supplied directly or indirectly (for example, via a parking pawl 61) to the meshing portion 45 of the pawl 62 and the parking gear 44. Furthermore, multiple shafts other than the intermediate shaft 40, such as the power shaft 30 and the drive shaft 26, may also be provided.

[0065] Furthermore, various arrangements that can achieve the object of the invention can be adopted for the arrangement of the power shaft 30, the intermediate shaft 40, and the drive shaft 26. For example, the power shaft 30, the intermediate shaft 40, and the drive shaft 26 may be arranged linearly in the vertical direction H, or the power shaft 30, the intermediate shaft 40, and the drive shaft 26 may be arranged in a zigzag pattern, or a pair of shafts may be arranged linearly in the vertical direction H, and the other shaft may be arranged at an angle that is offset from the vertical direction H.

[0066] In this embodiment, the support shaft 63 of the parking pole 61 is provided on the upper end side of the parking pole 61. However, the support shaft 63 can be provided in various positions as long as the parking pole 61 can be positioned in the vertical direction H (including at an angle). The support shaft 63 can be provided in various positions as long as the claw 62 can be moved toward and away from the parking gear 44. For example, the support shaft 63 may be provided near the center of the parking pole 61. The power gear 32, the intermediate gear 42, the differential ring gear 22, and the differential gear 24 can be set to various sizes and gear ratios depending on the characteristics of the vehicle V, the drive motor (electric motor), etc. The power gear 32, the intermediate gear 42, and the differential ring gear 22 can be provided in various positions as long as the object of the invention can be achieved. The power shaft 30, the intermediate shaft 40, and the drive shaft 26 can be formed in various lengths (including divided shafts), and rotation can be supported by appropriate means such as the bearing 34. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the case where the transmission mechanism 10 is a transaxle 10 has been described as an example, but the transmission mechanism 10 of the present invention can be applied not only to a transmission having an integrated differential mechanism 20, but also to a transmission alone.

[0067] In this embodiment, as shown in (a) above, the meshing portion 45 between the pawl 62 and the parking gear 44 is disposed below the power gear 32 when viewed in the axial direction of the intermediate shaft 40, but the meshing portion 45 is not limited to being disposed directly below the power gear 32. For example, the meshing portion 45 may be disposed diagonally below the power gear 32. In other words, the meshing portion 45 and the power gear 32 can be disposed in various positions as long as oil held between the power gear 32 and the intermediate gear 42 is supplied (dried) directly or indirectly to the meshing portion 45 as the power gear 32 rotates.

[0068] In this embodiment, the parking pole 61 is configured as shown in (b) above, but can be disposed at various angles as long as it extends at an angle toward the meshing portion 45. Furthermore, the support shaft 63 of the parking pole 61 can be disposed in various positions according to the shape and size of the parking pole 61, but it is desirable to dispose the meshing portion 45 (claw 62) adjacent to the power gear 32 so that it is located on the lower Lw side of the power gear 32.

[0069] In this embodiment, the power gear 32 is configured as in (c) above, but the outermost diameter portion thereof does not have to overlap the parking pole 61 in the vertical direction. In such a case, it is desirable that the parking pole 61 and the meshing portion 45 are disposed at a position where the oil supplied from the power gear 32 is supplied to the parking pole 61 or the meshing portion 45 as the power gear 32 rotates.

[0070] Furthermore, although this embodiment is configured as in (d) above, the power shaft 30 does not have to be the output shaft of a drive motor. For example, the power shaft 30 may be the output shaft of an engine.

[0071] In this embodiment, the configuration is as described above in (e), but the order (arrangement) in which the power shaft 30, the intermediate shaft 40, and the drive shaft 26 are arranged may be changed as long as oil from the power gear 32 is supplied to the parking pole 61 and the meshing portion 45.

[0072] In this embodiment, the power shaft 30 is configured as described above in (f), but the axis of the power shaft 30 does not necessarily have to be shifted toward the parking pole 61 relative to the axes of the intermediate shaft 40 and the drive shaft 26, and may not be shifted toward the parking pole 61. In other words, the parking pole 61 may be located directly below the power gear 32.

[0073] The above are various embodiments and modifications of the speed change mechanism 10 according to the present invention. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and modifications, and it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that other embodiments are possible within the scope of the claims and the teachings and spirit of the present invention. [Industrial Applicability]

[0074] The present invention can be used in a transmission mechanism for vehicles such as hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles, and engine vehicles. The present invention can also be used in various transmission mechanisms (transmissions, transaxles) that have a parking mechanism. [Explanation of symbols]

[0075] 10: Transaxle (transmission mechanism) 14:First electric motor (MG1) 16:Second electric motor (MG2) 20: Differential mechanism 22: Differential ring gear 24: Differential gear 26: Drive shaft 30: Power shaft 32: Power Gear 34: Bearing 40: Intermediate shaft 42: Relay gear 44: Parking gear 45: Interlocking part 60: Parking mechanism 61: Parking pole 62: Nails 63: Support shaft H: Vertical direction (height direction) V: Vehicle

Claims

1. A power shaft; a power gear supported on the power shaft; an intermediate shaft that transmits power from the power shaft; an intermediate gear supported by the intermediate shaft; a drive shaft to which the power is transmitted via the intermediate shaft; a parking gear supported by the intermediate shaft; a support shaft disposed adjacent to the parking gear; a parking pole supported so as to be swingable about the support shaft in a direction toward and away from the parking gear, and having a claw that can mesh with the parking gear as the parking pole swings; Equipped with the intermediate gear and the parking gear are disposed adjacent to each other in the axial direction of the intermediate shaft, A transmission mechanism characterized in that the meshing portion between the pawl and the parking gear is located below the power gear when viewed in the axial direction of the intermediate shaft.

2. The parking pole is arranged to extend in the vertical direction, 2. The transmission mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the support shaft is disposed adjacent to the power gear.

3. 3. The transmission mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the outermost diameter portion of the power gear is arranged to overlap at least a portion of the parking pole in the vertical direction when viewed in the axial direction of the intermediate shaft.

4. 3. The transmission mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the power shaft, the intermediate shaft, and the drive shaft are arranged in this order in a vertical direction.

5. 3. The transmission mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the axis of the power shaft is shifted toward the parking pole with respect to the axes of the intermediate shaft and the drive shaft.

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