Vehicle drive device

Abstract

To appropriately configure a heat management system in a vehicle with a vehicle drive device as a core, and to configure the vehicle drive device in a small size.SOLUTION: A vehicle drive device 1 comprises: a rotary electric machine 2 and an output member that are coaxially located on a rotor axis A1; a power transmission mechanism GT comprising an offset gear mechanism 3 which is located on an offset axis A2 positioned on a first side Y1 in a cross direction with respect to the rotor axis A1; and an inverter module 5. The inverter module 5 is positioned on an upper side Z1 with respect to the rotary electric machine 2 and the power transmission mechanism Gt and at a position overlapping with at least one of the rotary electric machine 2 and the power transmission mechanism Gt in a vertical direction Z view. Heat exchange circuit components 13, 15 are located on the first side Y1 in the cross direction with respect to the rotary electric machine 2, and at a position overlapping with the rotary electric machine 2 in a cross direction Y view and overlapping with the offset gear mechanism 3 in an axial direction L view.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle drive device. [Background technology]

[0002] JP 2019-170077 A discloses a vehicle drive device (1) including a rotating electric machine (rotor (20) and stator (30)) that serves as a driving force source for wheels (803, 804), a drive control device (131) that controls the drive of the rotating electric machine, a charger (136) that charges a battery (805) connected to the rotating electric machine via the drive control device (131) with power supplied from an external power source (900), and a case (10) that houses the rotating electric machine, the drive control device (131), and the charger (136). (Reference numerals in parentheses in the background art refer to reference documents.) The case (10) has a first accommodation chamber formed on the lower side in the vertical direction (Z) when the vehicle drive device (1) is mounted on a vehicle in a vehicle-mounted position, and a second accommodation chamber formed on the upper side that houses the drive control device (131) and the charger (136). The first storage chamber is formed inside the cylindrical peripheral wall portion (10b) of the case (10). The second storage chamber is formed as a rectangular box-shaped space inside a rectangular cylindrical portion (10e) that is adjacent to the upper side of the peripheral wall portion (10b) in the vertical direction (Z) and radially outside the peripheral wall portion (10b). The peripheral wall portion (10b) further has a cooling portion (60) formed therein, the cooling portion (60) having a cooling flow path through which a refrigerant flows along the peripheral wall portion (10b).

[0003] The cooling flow path formed along the peripheral wall portion (10b) has, on the side of the rectangular tube portion (10e), an inlet (16) through which the refrigerant flows and an outlet (17) through which the refrigerant flows. A drive control device (131) is disposed on the side of the refrigerant flow path closer to the inlet (16), i.e., on the upstream side of the refrigerant flow path, and a charger (136) is disposed on the side of the refrigerant flow path closer to the outlet (17), i.e., on the downstream side of the refrigerant flow path. This allows the drive control device (131), which generates heat when driving the rotating electric machine, to be efficiently cooled by the cold refrigerant. Because the battery (805) is charged by the external power source (900) while the vehicle is parked, the temperature of the refrigerant is not likely to increase due to heat exchange with the drive control device (131), and the charger (136) is appropriately cooled even though it is disposed downstream of the refrigerant flow path. In addition, a reactor (140) and a smoothing capacitor (141) used to improve the power factor of the power system and stabilize the voltage are also arranged along the refrigerant flow path and are appropriately cooled by the refrigerant. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-170077 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] As described above, the vehicle drive system disclosed in the above document has a cooling structure capable of efficiently cooling multiple cooling targets. However, a vehicle also has other devices that require thermal management, such as an air conditioner. The lighter the vehicle, the easier it is to improve the vehicle's energy efficiency. Furthermore, appropriate heat utilization and waste heat management also contribute to improving the vehicle's energy efficiency. Therefore, it is preferable to miniaturize the vehicle drive system, which accounts for a relatively large proportion of the weight of the on-board devices, and to use the vehicle drive system to implement more comprehensive thermal management of the on-board devices.

[0006] In view of the above background, it is desirable to provide a technology for appropriately configuring a thermal management system in a vehicle with the vehicle drive device at its core, and for configuring the vehicle drive device in a compact size. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In view of the above, a vehicle drive device includes a rotating electric machine having a rotor, an output member drivingly connected to a wheel, a power transmission mechanism that transmits driving force between the rotating electric machine and the output member, an inverter module for driving and controlling the rotating electric machine, and a heat exchange circuit component that is at least one of a refrigerant circuit component that is a component of a refrigerant circuit that circulates refrigerant for an on-board air conditioner and a coolant circuit component that is a component of a coolant circuit that circulates coolant, wherein the direction along a rotor axis that is the rotation axis of the rotor is defined as an axial direction, a direction perpendicular to the rotor axis as viewed in a vertical direction is defined as a front-rear direction, and one side of the front-rear direction is defined as a first front-rear direction side, The rotational axis of the output member is arranged coaxially with the rotor axis, the power transmission mechanism includes an offset gear mechanism arranged on an offset axis located on the first side of the rotor axis in the fore-and-aft direction, the inverter module is arranged above the rotating electric machine and the power transmission mechanism and in a position overlapping with at least one of the rotating electric machine and the power transmission mechanism when viewed in the up-and-down direction, and the heat exchange circuit component is arranged on the first side of the fore-and-aft direction with respect to the rotating electric machine and in a position overlapping with the rotating electric machine when viewed in the fore-and-aft direction along the fore-and-aft direction and overlapping with the offset gear mechanism when viewed in the axial direction along the axial direction.

[0008] In a vehicle drive device in which the inverter module, rotating electric machine, and power transmission mechanism are arranged as described above, a space that is likely to become dead space is easily formed on the first side of the rotating electric machine in the longitudinal direction, at a position that overlaps with the rotating electric machine in a longitudinal view and with the offset gear mechanism in an axial view. The offset gear mechanism is easy to configure simply, and transmitting power between the rotor and the output member via the offset gear mechanism is easier to increase transmission efficiency compared to a power transmission mechanism using, for example, a planetary gear mechanism. However, due to its structure, it has at least two rotational axes, making it easy to form the above-mentioned dead space. With this configuration, heat exchange circuit components are arranged to effectively utilize the dead space. Therefore, space utilization efficiency is easily improved when installing on-board components, including the vehicle's thermal management system. In other words, with this configuration, the vehicle's thermal management system can be appropriately configured with the vehicle drive device at its core, and the vehicle drive device can be configured compactly.

[0009] Further features and advantages of the vehicle drive device will become apparent from the following description of exemplary, non-limiting embodiments which are given with reference to the drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] Exploded perspective view of a vehicle drive device [Figure 2] Skeleton diagram of a vehicle drive system [Figure 3] Schematic circuit block diagram of a vehicle drive device [Figure 4] 1 is an axial cross-sectional view of a vehicle drive device as viewed in the front-rear direction; [Figure 5] 1 is an axial cross-sectional view of a vehicle drive device as viewed in a vertical direction; [Figure 6] Schematic circuit diagram of the refrigerant circuit and the cooling water circuit [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the layout relationship between a core device in a refrigerant circuit and a coolant circuit and a vehicle drive device; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] An embodiment of a vehicle drive device will be described below with reference to the drawings. As shown in Figs. 1, 2, 4, and 5, the vehicle drive device 1 includes a rotating electric machine 2 having a rotor 21, an output member (e.g., a differential side gear 44) drivingly connected to wheels W, a power transmission mechanism GT that transmits driving force between the rotating electric machine 2 and the output member, a power circuit assembly PE, and a case 9. As shown in Fig. 3, the power circuit assembly PE includes at least an inverter module 5 and a power supply module 7. The inverter module 5 is a circuit module for driving and controlling the rotating electric machine 2. The power supply module 7 is a high-voltage circuit module electrically connected to an on-board battery (high-voltage battery BH).

[0012] The case 9 is configured to include a case main body 90, a first side cover 91, a second side cover 92, a support wall member 93, and an upper cover 94. An accommodation space is defined in a space surrounded by the case main body 90, the first side cover 91, the second side cover 92, and the upper cover 94. The case 9 includes a first accommodation chamber E1 that accommodates the rotating electric machine 2 and the power transmission mechanism GT, and a second accommodation chamber E2 that accommodates the inverter module 5 and the power supply module 7. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the rotating electric machine 2 and the power transmission mechanism GT are arranged to overlap with the second accommodation chamber E2 when viewed in the vertical direction Z.

[0013] As will be described later, the rotating electric machine 2 and the power transmission mechanism GT are cooled and lubricated by oil, and therefore oil splashes into the first housing chamber E1. For this reason, as shown in Fig. 4, the first housing chamber E1 and the second housing chamber E2 are separated by a partition wall (not shown). Electrical wiring connected to a bus bar connecting the stator coil 23 and the inverter 50, a rotation sensor, and the like must pass between the first housing chamber E1 and the second housing chamber E2. Therefore, a sealed communication section is provided between the first housing chamber E1 and the second housing chamber E2.

[0014] In addition, the area in the first housing chamber E1 where the rotating electric machine 2 is accommodated and the area where the power transmission mechanism GT is accommodated may be separated by a support wall (no reference numeral) such as the support wall member 93 that supports bearings and the like. Although the support wall or the support wall member 93 separates the first housing chamber E1, they are partially in communication with each other so that oil can flow through them. Naturally, there does not need to be a wall separating the first housing chamber E1. In this embodiment, the second housing chamber E2 is not separated, and accommodates the inverter module 5 and the power supply module 7. However, the second housing chamber E2 may be separated as long as they are in communication with each other so that electrical wiring can pass through.

[0015] In this specification, the term "driving connection" refers to a state in which two rotating elements are connected to each other so as to transmit a driving force, and includes a state in which the two rotating elements are connected to rotate integrally, or a state in which the two rotating elements are connected to each other so as to transmit a driving force via one or more transmission members. Examples of such transmission members include various components that transmit rotation at the same speed or at variable speeds, such as shafts, gear mechanisms, belts, and chains. The transmission members may also include engagement devices that selectively transmit rotation and driving force, such as friction engagement devices and meshing engagement devices. In this specification, the term "integrally rotated" refers to integral rotation regardless of whether the components are separable or inseparable. In other words, multiple components that rotate integrally may be integrally formed from the same material, or may be made of separate materials and integrated by welding, spline connection, or the like. Furthermore, in this specification, with regard to the arrangement of two elements, "overlapping when viewed in a particular direction" means that when an imaginary line parallel to the line of sight is moved in each direction perpendicular to the imaginary line, there is at least a partial area where the imaginary line intersects both of the two elements.

[0016] In this embodiment, the direction along the rotor axis (first axis A1), which is the rotation axis of the rotor 21 of the rotating electric machine 2, is defined as the axial direction L. One side in the axial direction L is defined as the axial first side L1, and the other side is defined as the axial second side L2. In this embodiment, the direction along the vertical direction when the vehicle is mounted on a vehicle in a standard posture (mounted state) is defined as the up-down direction Z, with the upper side in the up-down direction Z being defined as the upper side Z1 and the lower side being defined as the lower side Z2. In other words, the up-down direction Z is one direction in the vehicle drive device 1, and coincides with the vertical direction when the vehicle drive device 1 is mounted on a vehicle in a standard posture. Therefore, when the vehicle drive device 1 is mounted on a vehicle at an angle with respect to the standard posture, the up-down direction Z may not coincide with the vertical direction. This does not prevent the angle of inclination from exceeding 90 degrees. In addition, the direction perpendicular to the rotor axis (first axis A1) when viewed from the up-down direction Z, i.e., the direction perpendicular to the up-down direction Z and the axial direction L, is defined as the front-rear direction Y. One side in the front-rear direction Y is referred to as a first front-rear side Y1, and the other side is referred to as a second front-rear side Y2.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 2 and other figures, the rotating electric machine 2 is an inner rotor type rotating electric machine including a stator 22 fixed to a case 9 and a rotor 21 arranged radially inside the stator 22. A stator coil 23 is wound around the stator 22. The rotor 21 is connected to a rotor shaft 78 arranged radially inside the rotor 21, and the rotor 21 and the rotor shaft 78 rotate integrally. An input gear 29 (first gear) is integrally formed with the rotor shaft 78. In this embodiment, a parking gear 61 constituting a parking lock mechanism 6 for restricting rotation of an output member is also integrally formed with the rotor shaft 78. The input gear 29 and the parking gear 61 may be integrally formed with the rotor shaft 78 using the same member, or may be formed using separate members and connected by welding or the like.

[0018] In this embodiment, the rotor shaft 78 is a hollow cylindrical member, and as described below, a connecting member 49 that drivingly connects the wheels W and the differential side gears 44 (second differential side gears 46) penetrates the radially inner side of the rotor shaft 78. The rotor shaft 78, the rotor 21, the connecting member 49, the differential side gears 44 (first differential side gears 45, second differential side gears 46), and the drive shafts (first drive shafts DS1, second drive shafts DS2) are arranged on the first axis A1. The differential side gears 44 correspond to the output member of the vehicle drive system 1. The connecting member 49 and the drive shafts (first drive shafts DS1, second drive shafts DS2) can also be considered as output members. The output members to which power is distributed by the differential gear mechanism 4 include a first output member and a second output member. The first differential side gears 45 and the first drive shaft DS1 correspond to the first output member. The second differential side gear 46, the connecting member 49, and the second drive shaft DS2 correspond to a second output member.

[0019] The input gear 29 meshes with a first counter gear 31 (second gear). The first counter gear 31 rotates integrally with a second counter gear 32 (third gear) that has a smaller diameter than the first counter gear 31. As a result, the rotation transmitted from the rotor shaft 78 via the input gear 29 to the first counter gear 31 is reduced in speed and output from the second counter gear 32. The first counter gear 31 and the second counter gear 32 form a counter gear mechanism 3 that functions as a reducer. The counter gear mechanism 3 is disposed on a second axis A2 that is parallel to the first axis A1 and separate from the first axis A1. As shown in FIG. 1, the second axis A2 is located on the first side Y1 in the front-rear direction relative to the first axis A1 (the rotor axis and the output axis described later). Therefore, the second axis A2 can be said to be an offset axis that is offset to the first side Y1 in the front-rear direction relative to the first axis A1 (the rotor axis and the output axis described later). 1 and 2 (and FIGS. 4 and 5, which will be described later), in this embodiment, the counter gear mechanism 3 is disposed on the first axial side L1 relative to the rotating electrical machine 2.

[0020] In this embodiment, the offset gear mechanism is exemplified by the counter gear mechanism 3 with a fixed gear ratio. However, a stepped transmission may also be used. That is, the offset axis does not need to be a single axis, i.e., the second axis A2, but may be a parallel-axis type multi-stage transmission. For example, the offset gear mechanism may be a DCT (Dual Clutch Transmission). The reducer (transmission) may also be configured using a planetary gear mechanism arranged coaxially with the rotor axis (first axis A1). However, compared to the counter gear mechanism 3, a planetary gear mechanism has more gear meshings, which increases meshing loss and tends to reduce power transmission efficiency. When a planetary gear mechanism is used, the vehicle drive device 1 can be configured with a single shaft. However, by appropriately arranging components as in this embodiment, the vehicle drive device 1 can be easily downsized even if the vehicle drive device 1 has a two-or-more-shaft configuration.

[0021] The second counter gear 32 meshes with a differential ring gear 41 (fourth gear), which is an input gear (differential input gear) to the differential gear mechanism 4. The differential gear mechanism 4 of this embodiment is a bevel gear type differential gear mechanism and includes a differential pinion gear 42 and a differential side gear 44, both of which are bevel gears. A differential case 40, which rotates integrally with the differential ring gear 41, houses the differential pinion gear 42 and the differential side gear 44 therein. The differential pinion gear 42 is rotatably supported by a pinion shaft (not shown) that is supported by the differential case 40 and arranged to extend radially. The pinion shaft rotates integrally with the differential case 40, and the differential pinion gear 42 is configured to rotate about the pinion shaft and revolve about the rotation axis of the differential case 40 (here, the first axis A1). The multiple pinion shafts are arranged radially (for example, in a cross shape) around the rotation axis of the differential case 40, and a differential pinion gear 42 is attached to each of the multiple pinion shafts.

[0022] The differential side gears 44 are arranged in pairs spaced apart on the first axial side L1 and the second axial side L2. Each of the pair of differential side gears 44 meshes with a corresponding one of the differential pinion gears 42 and is arranged to rotate about the rotation axis (first axis A1) of the differential case 40. As shown in FIG. 2 , the first differential side gear 45 on the first axial side L1 is connected to the first drive shaft DS1 on the first axial side L1 and is drivingly connected to the wheels W on the first axial side L1. The second differential side gear 46 on the second axial side L2 is connected to the second drive shaft DS2 on the second axial side L2 via a connecting member 49 and is drivingly connected to the wheels W on the second axial side L2. Furthermore, since the differential gear mechanism 4 is arranged on the first axial side L1 relative to the rotating electric machine 2, the second drive shaft DS2 on the second axial side L2 is connected to the second differential side gear 46 via a connecting member 49 that penetrates the radial inside of the hollow cylindrical rotor shaft 78 and extends further toward the second axial side L2 than the rotating electric machine 2.

[0023] In this embodiment, the output shaft center, which is the rotation shaft center of the output member, is also the first shaft A1. That is, the vehicle drive device 1 of this embodiment has a two-shaft configuration in which the output shaft center, which is the rotation shaft center of the output member, is arranged on the first shaft A1, which is coaxial with the rotor shaft center, and the offset gear mechanism is arranged on the offset shaft center (second shaft A2). Because power is transmitted between the rotor 21 and the output member in the order of the first shaft A1, the second shaft A2, and the first shaft A1, it can also be considered that the power transmitted from the first shaft A1 to the second shaft A2 is folded back again to the first shaft A1. Therefore, the vehicle drive device 1 of this embodiment can also be said to have a "folded two-shaft configuration." Note that even if the offset gear mechanism has two or more parallel shafts, such as a DCT, it can also be said to have a "folded" shaft configuration as long as the rotor shaft center and the output shaft center are coaxial. A "folded two-shaft configuration" is any configuration in which the rotor shaft (input shaft) and output shaft are coaxial, and a gear mechanism that transmits power between the input (input gear 29) and output (output member, differential side gear 44) is located on a separate shaft, and can also be called a "folded multiple-shaft configuration." Therefore, the "two shafts" in "folded two-shaft" refers to "one input / output shaft" and "one or more separate shafts other than the input / output shaft," and is not limited to a total number of shafts being "two."

[0024] In the above description, a bevel gear mechanism has been exemplified as the differential gear mechanism 4. However, the differential gear mechanism 4 may be, for example, a planetary gear mechanism.

[0025] The parking lock mechanism 6 is provided to restrict the rotation of the pair of output members. In this embodiment, the parking lock mechanism 6 restricts the rotation of the pair of output members via the counter gear mechanism 3 and the differential gear mechanism 4 by restricting the rotation of the rotor shaft 78. As shown in FIG. 2 , the parking lock mechanism 6 includes a parking gear 61 and an engagement mechanism 62 that selectively engages with the parking gear 61 to restrict the rotation of the parking gear 61. An engagement recess is formed in the parking gear 61, and an engagement protrusion of the engagement mechanism 62 selectively engages with this engagement recess to restrict the rotation of the parking gear 61. The parking lock mechanism 6 also includes a parking actuator 63 that drives the engagement mechanism 62. The parking actuator 63 changes the position of the engagement protrusion of the engagement mechanism 62 between an engagement position where the engagement protrusion is engaged with the engagement recess of the parking gear 61 and a disengagement position where the engagement protrusion is not engaged with the engagement recess of the parking gear 61.

[0026] 5 , in the present embodiment, at least a portion of the engagement mechanism 62 is disposed between the rotating electric machine 2 and the differential gear mechanism 4 in the axial direction L, at a position overlapping with the rotating electric machine 2 and the differential gear mechanism 4 as viewed in the axial direction. Here, a form in which a portion of the engagement mechanism 62 overlaps with both the rotating electric machine 2 and the differential gear mechanism 4 as viewed in the axial direction is exemplified, but a form in which the engagement mechanism 62 is disposed at a position overlapping with at least one of the rotating electric machine 2 and the differential gear mechanism 4 may also be used.

[0027] In the vehicle drive device 1 having a folded two-shaft configuration, on the side where the axis of the counter gear mechanism 3 is not aligned with the axis of the rotor 21, such as the side opposite to the side where the second shaft A2 is aligned with the first shaft A1 as viewed in the axial direction, a dead space is likely to occur between the arrangement position of the differential gear mechanism 4 and the arrangement position of the rotating electric machine 2 in the axial direction L. When the engagement mechanism 62 of the parking lock mechanism 6 is arranged in a space that is likely to become such a dead space, as in this embodiment, it is easy to reduce the size of the vehicle drive device 1 without creating such a dead space.

[0028] The rotating electric machine 2 functions as a driving force source for a pair of wheels W. As shown in FIG. 3 , the rotating electric machine 2 is electrically connected via an inverter 50 to a high-voltage battery BH, which is a DC power supply configured from a rechargeable secondary battery such as a lithium-ion battery or an electric double-layer capacitor or other power storage device. The high-voltage battery BH is configured, for example, by integrating a plurality of battery cells. A first DC link capacitor 51 is provided between the high-voltage battery BH and the inverter 50, and functions as a smoothing capacitor that smoothes the voltage on the DC side of the inverter 50.

[0029] The rotating electric machine 2 functions as a motor (electric motor) that receives power from the high-voltage battery BH to generate power, and as a generator (electric power generator) that receives power from the wheels W to generate power. The rotating electric machine 2 generates driving force by running using the power stored in the high-voltage battery BH, and also generates electricity using the driving force transmitted from the pair of wheels W to charge the high-voltage battery BH. The rated voltage of the high-voltage battery BH is approximately 200 to 800 volts.

[0030] As described above, the rotating electric machine 2 is a driving force source for the wheels, and is a so-called traction rotating electric machine. In addition to the traction rotating electric machine, a vehicle may also be equipped with an auxiliary rotating electric machine M that serves as a driving force source for accessories such as an air conditioner or an electric oil pump. In conventional vehicles that use only an internal combustion engine as a driving force source for the wheels, the exhaust heat of the internal combustion engine can be used to power the air conditioner. However, hybrid vehicles and electric vehicles cannot expect to generate as much exhaust heat as an internal combustion engine, and therefore require the installation of a separate heater (a positive temperature coefficient heater (PTC heater)) or a heat pump-type heating mechanism. Heat pump-type temperature control that can be used for both cooling and heating tends to require a larger output from the auxiliary rotating electric machine M. Furthermore, unlike an internal combustion engine that operates constantly, such as idling, even when the vehicle is stopped (when the wheels are not rotating), the traction rotating electric machine stops when the vehicle is stopped. A mechanical oil pump, which draws in and discharges oil using the power of the internal combustion engine, cannot supply oil for lubrication or cooling while the vehicle is stopped, so an electric oil pump is used, and the output required of the auxiliary rotating electric machine M tends to be greater.

[0031] In order to output a large driving force from the auxiliary rotating electric machine M, an increasing number of vehicles are configured so that the auxiliary rotating electric machine M is supplied with power from a high-voltage battery BH, similar to a traction rotating electric machine. Meanwhile, as the output required of the traction rotating electric machine increases, the rated voltage of the high-voltage battery BH tends to become higher. Therefore, if the rated voltage of the high-voltage battery BH is too high for the auxiliary rotating electric machine M, a voltage conversion circuit that reduces the DC power supplied from the high-voltage battery BH may be provided. In this embodiment, a configuration including a first DC-DC converter 75 as such a voltage conversion circuit is illustrated. A second DC link capacitor 52 is also provided on the side of the high-voltage battery BH in the first DC-DC converter 75 to smooth the DC voltage.

[0032] In this embodiment, the high-voltage battery BH is configured to be charged not only by the power generated by the rotating electric machine 2 but also by power supplied from an external AC power source, such as an AC commercial power source with a rated voltage of approximately 100 to 240 volts. Therefore, the high-voltage battery BH is configured to be connectable to an external power source (external AC power source) via an on-board charging device 70 equipped with a charging circuit. In recent years, it has been proposed to use batteries mounted on electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles as emergency power sources in the event of a disaster or the like. Therefore, in this embodiment, the on-board charging device 70 is configured to have the function of a power supply circuit for supplying power from the high-voltage battery BH to an external device, in addition to the function of a charging circuit. Naturally, the on-board charging device 70 may be configured to have only the function of a charging circuit.

[0033] The above-mentioned emergency power supply is often provided so as to be capable of outputting AC power to a location where an external AC power supply is connected, i.e., to the outside of the vehicle. On the other hand, some vehicles are provided with an AC power socket for supplying power to low-power household appliances and the like within the vehicle cabin. A power supply circuit for supplying AC power to such an AC power socket may be provided.

[0034] The on-board charging device 70 of this embodiment includes a dual active bridge (DAB) circuit with a transformer T, which converts AC power (AC IN) supplied from an external AC power supply into first and second DC power. From the AC side, the transformer T includes a primary coil and two secondary coils. For example, a full-bridge circuit using switching elements is connected to the primary coil to form a primary circuit 71. Similarly, a full-bridge circuit is connected to the first secondary coil to form a first secondary circuit 72, and a full-bridge circuit is connected to the second secondary coil to form a second secondary circuit 73.

[0035] The first secondary side circuit 72 generates first DC power for charging the high-voltage battery BH. An output section of the first secondary side circuit 72 is provided with a third DC link capacitor 53 that smoothes the voltage of the first DC power. The second secondary side circuit 73 generates second DC power that has a lower voltage than the first DC power. An output section of the second secondary side circuit 73 is provided with a fourth DC link capacitor 54 that smoothes the voltage of the second DC power.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 3 , the vehicle includes a high-voltage battery BH and a low-voltage battery BL with a lower rated voltage than the high-voltage battery BH. The rated power supply voltage of the low-voltage battery BL is, for example, approximately 12 to 24 volts. In conventional vehicles using only an internal combustion engine as a driving power source for the wheels W, the low-voltage battery BL is charged with power generated by an alternator using the power of the internal combustion engine. In the vehicle of this embodiment equipped with the high-voltage battery BH, the low-voltage battery BL can be charged with power supplied from the high-voltage battery BH or an external AC power source. The low-voltage battery BL can be charged from the high-voltage battery BH via a first secondary-side circuit 72, a transformer T, and a second secondary-side circuit 73, and from the external AC power source via a primary-side circuit 71, a transformer T, and a second secondary-side circuit 73. In this embodiment, a second DC-DC converter 76 is provided as a voltage conversion circuit that further reduces the voltage of the second DC power. The low-voltage battery BL may be, for example, a lead-acid battery, as in conventional vehicles using an internal combustion engine as a driving power source for the wheels.

[0037] In this embodiment, as described above with reference to FIG. 3, the in-vehicle charging device 70 is configured using the transformer T, so that insulation between the external AC power supply, the high-voltage battery BH, and the low-voltage battery BL can be ensured.

[0038] The external AC power supply and the on-board charging device 70 are connected via an EMI filter 79 that reduces EMI (Electro Magnetic Interference) noise. Even when the on-board charging device 70 functions as a power supply circuit, AC power (AC OUT) is output from the on-board charging device 70 via the EMI filter 79. In this embodiment, the power supply module 7 is formed by including the EMI filter 79, the on-board charging device 70 (charging circuit, power supply circuit), and voltage conversion circuits (first DC-DC converter 75, second DC-DC converter 76). The power supply module 7 is not limited to this form, and may be configured to include at least one of a charging circuit, a power supply circuit, and a voltage conversion circuit.

[0039] Charging the high-voltage battery BH using an external AC power source is possible even in an ordinary household, but the time required for charging is relatively long due to the power (rated voltage, rated current) of the available commercial power source. In contrast, at automobile dealerships and dedicated charging stations, the high-voltage battery BH may be charged using DC power (DC IN) supplied from a dedicated DC power source (external DC power source) with a rated voltage of, for example, 200 to 400 volts or more. This is sometimes called rapid charging, as it allows the high-voltage battery BH to be charged in a shorter time than charging using an external AC power source.

[0040] As described above, the high-voltage battery BH is configured with multiple battery cells. The high-voltage battery BH is connected to multiple circuits, including the inverter 50 and the on-board charging device 70. For this reason, the wiring within a battery unit integrating multiple battery cells is collected in a relay component called a junction box 77 (JCT) and connected to the multiple circuits. The junction box 77 includes a terminal board for connecting to the inverter 50, the on-board charging device 70, the first DC-DC converter 75, and other components, as well as high-voltage circuit components such as fuses and switches (relays), a power monitoring sensor, a communication coupler, and a controller for controlling the switches. In this embodiment, the junction box 77 is also housed within the case 9 (second housing chamber E2) of the vehicle drive system 1.

[0041] The rotating electric machine 2 is drive-controlled by a rotating electric machine control unit based on a target torque of the rotating electric machine 2 that is set in accordance with a command from a vehicle control unit (not shown), which is a higher-level control unit. The rotating electric machine control unit controls the switching of an inverter 50 that is configured with a plurality of switching elements, causing the inverter 50 to convert power between direct current and multi-phase (three-phase in this embodiment) alternating current. In this embodiment, the rotating electric machine control unit is configured as an integrated control unit 57 (ECU) mounted on an integrated control board together with a charging control unit that controls the on-board charging device 70, a first voltage conversion control unit that controls the first DC / DC converter 75, a second voltage conversion control unit that controls the second DC / DC converter 76, and the like. Note that the integrated control unit 57 may control only a portion of the junction box 77.

[0042] The integrated control device 57 is configured with a processor such as a microcomputer at its core, and operates at a voltage of 3.3 to 5 volts. The voltage applied to the inverter 50, which is connected to the high-voltage battery BH, is several hundred volts, and the voltage of the switching control signal for the switching elements, such as IGBTs (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors) and power MOSFETs (Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistors), constituting the inverter 50 is approximately 15 to 24 volts. Therefore, a drive circuit is provided between the integrated control device 57 and the inverter 50 to amplify the voltage of the switching control signal output from the integrated control device 57, increase the driving force, and supply it to the inverter 50. While the drive circuit is not shown in FIG. 3 , the inverter module 5, centered around the inverter 50, includes such a drive circuit. The inverter module 5 may also include a control circuit other than the drive circuit and at least a portion of the first DC link capacitor 51.

[0043] In this embodiment, a power circuit assembly PE is configured including an inverter module 5 and a power supply module 7. As shown in FIG. 3, the power supply module 7 is provided with an EMI filter 79. As shown in FIG. 4, the EMI filter 79 is disposed on the first axial side L1 of the inverter module 5 so as to protrude downward from the inverter module 5 to a lower side Z2. That is, the power supply module 7 is provided with a protruding component (EMI filter 79) disposed on the first axial side L1 of the inverter module 5 so as to protrude downward from the inverter module 5 to a lower side Z2. A relay component (junction box 77) that relays electrical connection between an external DC power supply and a high-voltage battery BH is disposed between the inverter module 5 and the rotating electric machine 2 in the vertical direction Z, at a position overlapping the inverter module 5 and the rotating electric machine 2 in the vertical direction Z. In other words, the position of the junction box 77 in the vertical direction Z is between the position of the inverter module 5 in the vertical direction Z and the position of the rotating electric machine 2 in the vertical direction Z.

[0044] 4, when the power supply module 7 includes a protruding part such as the EMI filter 79, dead space is likely to occur in an area adjacent to the EMI filter 79 in the axial direction L. For example, dead space is likely to occur on the lower side Z2 of the inverter module 5, closer to the second axial side L2 than the EMI filter 79. In this embodiment, the junction box 77 is disposed in a space that is likely to become such a dead space, and therefore, the vehicle drive device 1 can be easily downsized without creating dead space.

[0045] In such a vehicle drive device 1, the rotating electric machine 2 and the power transmission mechanism GT are often lubricated (including cooled) by oil, and the vehicle drive device 1 of this embodiment is also lubricated by oil. For example, oil collected in an oil reservoir formed on the lower side Z2 of the case 9 is scooped up by an oil pump 16 (see FIGS. 1 and 6) and the gears of the power transmission mechanism GT, and is supplied to parts to be lubricated, such as bearings, and parts to be cooled, such as the stator coil 23 of the rotating electric machine 2. The oil flow path shown in FIG. 6 exemplifies a form in which oil discharged from the oil pump 16 is supplied to the rotating electric machine 2 (such as the bearings of the stator coil 23 and the rotor shaft 78) and the power transmission mechanism GT (such as the bearings of the gears). Naturally, the temperature of the oil used for cooling rises, so an oil cooler 15 for cooling the oil is also connected to the oil flow path. The oil cooler 15 cools the oil by exchanging heat with cooling water. In this embodiment, the oil cooler 15 exchanges heat with the cooling water, but the oil cooler 15 may exchange heat with the refrigerant.

[0046] The inverter module 5 includes a cooling plate 14 that cools the switching elements that constitute the inverter 50. The cooling plate 14 is connected to a coolant circuit 10 that circulates coolant through a path that passes through a radiator 11. As shown in FIG. 6 , in this embodiment, the coolant circuit 10 is connected to the radiator 11, a reservoir tank 12 (R / T), a water pump 13, the cooling plate 14, an oil cooler 15, and a chiller 85. The chiller 85 is a heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the refrigerant and the coolant of the vehicle air conditioner. For example, the chiller 85 can remove heat from a refrigerant that is hotter than the coolant during cooling, and can provide heat to a refrigerant that is colder than the coolant during heating.

[0047] The coolant cooled (heat dissipated) by heat exchange with outside air in the radiator 11 is sent to the coolant circuit 10 by the water pump 13, exchanges heat with the inverter module 5 and the power supply module 7 in the cooling plate 14, exchanges heat with oil in the oil cooler 15, and exchanges heat with the refrigerant in the chiller 85, and returns to the radiator 11 to be dissipated. Although not shown in FIG. 6 , a thermostat and a three-way valve are preferably provided in the coolant circuit 10 before the radiator 11. When the coolant temperature is lower than a specified temperature, the coolant is circulated bypassing the radiator 11, making it easier to raise the coolant temperature without dissipating heat through the radiator 11. For example, this makes it easier to raise the coolant temperature when warming up is required in cold weather. By quickly raising the coolant temperature in cold weather, the refrigerant temperature is also raised through heat exchange with the chiller 85, allowing the heating function to be quickly activated.

[0048] As described above, the chiller 85 is connected to the refrigerant circuit 80 through which the refrigerant for the air conditioner flows. As shown in Fig. 6, the refrigerant circuit 80 is connected to an air-cooled condenser 81, a first electromagnetic expansion valve 82, an evaporator 83, a two-way valve 84, the chiller 85, an accumulator 86, a compressor 87, a cabin condenser 88, and a second electromagnetic expansion valve.

[0049] The evaporator 83 is a core functional component of the air conditioner, and removes heat from the surroundings by vaporizing the refrigerant and dissipates cool air into the vehicle cabin. During cooling, the two-way valve 84 is closed, and the refrigerant is supplied to the evaporator 83 through the first electromagnetic expansion valve 82. The refrigerant that has passed through the evaporator 83 is supplied to the accumulator 86. During heating, the first electromagnetic expansion valve 82 is closed, and the refrigerant is supplied to the accumulator 86 through the two-way valve 84 (non-expansion valve). The accumulator 86 separates the liquid from the refrigerant, which is a mixture of gas and liquid, and supplies only the gas (refrigerant gas) to the compressor 87. The separated liquid passes through a path (not shown) and joins the flow path through which the liquid refrigerant flows, or is atomized and flows in small amounts from the accumulator 86 to the input pipe to the compressor 87 so as not to place a load on the compressor 87. The compressor 87 compresses a relatively low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant gas to a high temperature and high pressure. The cabin condenser 88 is a heat source for heating using a heat pump system, and releases the heat of condensation generated by the compressor 87 into the vehicle interior. During cooling, the flow of air through the cabin condenser 88 is blocked, and no heat exchange occurs in the cabin condenser 88. The refrigerant that leaves the cabin condenser 88 passes through a second electromagnetic expansion valve 89 and is supplied to the air-cooled condenser 81, where it exchanges heat with the outside air.

[0050] The core functional components of the air conditioner, namely, an evaporator 83, an accumulator 86, a compressor 87, and a cabin condenser 88, are configured as a cabin unit 8 that adjusts the temperature and air volume during heating and cooling and selects the air outlet in the air conditioner. The cabin unit 8 is mounted on the vehicle as a single on-board device called, for example, HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning).

[0051] In this embodiment, the battery cooler 18 (BC) also cools the high-pressure battery BH by exchanging heat with the refrigerant. Like the evaporator 83 in the air conditioner, the battery cooler 18 is supplied with low-temperature refrigerant that has passed through an expansion valve (BC electromagnetic expansion valve 19). Naturally, this does not prevent the battery cooler 18 from exchanging heat to warm up the high-pressure battery BH in a low-temperature environment. Note that, although this embodiment illustrates a configuration in which the battery cooler 18 exchanges heat with the refrigerant, this does not prevent the battery cooler 18 from exchanging heat with the cooling water.

[0052] The vehicle drive device 1 of this embodiment is configured to include the above-described coolant circuit 10 and part of the refrigerant circuit 80. That is, the vehicle drive device 1 of this embodiment is characterized in that it appropriately configures a thermal management system in the vehicle with the vehicle drive device 1 as its core and is configured to be compact.

[0053] FIG. 7 schematically shows the positions of the vehicle drive device 1, radiator 11, air-cooled condenser 81, cabin unit 8, and battery cooler 18 in the vehicle as viewed in the axial direction. Piping members connecting the respective devices in the coolant circuit 10 and the refrigerant circuit 80 are omitted. Here, a vehicle drive device 1 is illustrated as driving the front wheels. The radiator 11 and the air-cooled condenser 81, which exchange heat with outside air, are arranged parallel to the first side Y1 in the longitudinal direction relative to the vehicle drive device 1. That is, they are arranged closest to the first side Y1 in the longitudinal direction (e.g., the front side of the vehicle) so that heat exchange between the outside air and the coolant and between the outside air and the refrigerant is promoted by running wind. The cabin unit 8 is arranged on the second side Y2 in the longitudinal direction relative to the vehicle drive device 1. That is, the cabin unit 8 is arranged on the second side Y2 in the longitudinal direction, which is the side closest to the passenger compartment, so that the cool air generated by the evaporator 83 and the warm air generated by the cabin condenser 88 can be easily guided into the passenger compartment.

[0054] The vehicle drive device 1 is disposed in the longitudinal direction Y between a heat exchanger (the radiator 11 and the air-cooled condenser 81) that exchanges heat with the outside air and a heat exchanger for an air conditioner (the cabin unit 8 (evaporator 83, cabin condenser 88)). As described above with reference to FIG. 6, the heat exchanger that exchanges heat with the outside air and the heat exchanger for the air conditioner are connected to the refrigerant circuit 80. Therefore, by disposing at least some of the refrigerant circuit components in the vehicle drive device 1 that is positioned midway in the longitudinal direction Y, it is easy to improve the mounting efficiency when mounting each member (the vehicle drive device 1, the refrigerant circuit components, etc.) on the vehicle.

[0055] 6, this embodiment is also configured to enable heat exchange between the coolant and the refrigerant using, for example, the chiller 85. Therefore, by arranging at least some of the coolant circuit components in the vehicle drive device 1 located at the middle in the front-to-rear direction Y, heat exchange between the coolant and the refrigerant can be easily performed. Furthermore, by arranging the coolant circuit components such as the water pump 13 in the vehicle drive device 1, it is easy to improve the mounting efficiency when mounting each component on the vehicle.

[0056] In electric vehicles and the like, the high-voltage battery BH has a large capacity and tends to be large in size. For this reason, the high-voltage battery BH is often disposed under the passenger compartment. The battery cooler 18, which exchanges heat with the high-voltage battery BH, is preferably disposed near the high-voltage battery BH. Therefore, the battery cooler 18 is disposed on the second side Y2 (rear side) in the fore-and-aft direction of the cabin unit 8 and on the lower side Z2 of the cabin unit 8.

[0057] As described above, the vehicle drive system 1 includes the rotating electric machine 2 having the rotor 21, an output member (differential side gear 44) drivingly connected to the wheels W, a power transmission mechanism GT that transmits driving force between the rotating electric machine 2 and the output member, and an inverter module 5 for driving and controlling the rotating electric machine 2. The vehicle drive system 1 also includes heat exchange circuit components that are at least one of refrigerant circuit components that are components of a refrigerant circuit 80 that circulates refrigerant for an air conditioner and coolant circuit components that are components of a coolant circuit 10 that circulates coolant. Here, the refrigerant circuit components that correspond to the heat exchange circuit components are at least one of the following components that constitute the refrigerant circuit 80 shown in FIG. 6: (1) piping members through which refrigerant flows (such as target piping 8P, which will be described later), (2) valve members (expansion valves such as a first electromagnetic expansion valve 82 and a second electromagnetic expansion valve 89, and valves such as a two-way valve 84), and (3) a heat exchanger such as a chiller 85. The coolant circuit components corresponding to the heat exchange circuit components are at least one of the components constituting the coolant circuit 10: (1) piping members (not shown) through which the coolant flows, (2) valve members (not shown), (3) pumps such as the water pump 13, and (4) heat exchangers such as the cooling plate 14, oil cooler 15, and chiller 85. When the oil cooler 15 exchanges heat with the refrigerant, the oil cooler 15 is included in the refrigerant circuit components.

[0058] 1 and 4, the inverter module 5 is disposed above the rotating electric machine 2 and the power transmission mechanism GT on the upper side Z1, and at a position overlapping with at least one of the rotating electric machine 2 and the power transmission mechanism GT in a vertical view. In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 1, the water pump 13 (coolant circuit component, heat exchanger circuit component), the oil cooler 15 (second heat exchanger, coolant circuit component, heat exchanger circuit component), and target pipes 8P (refrigerant connection member, refrigerant circuit component, heat exchanger circuit component) are disposed on the first side Y1 in the front-rear direction relative to the rotating electric machine 2, and at a position overlapping with the rotating electric machine 2 in a front-rear direction view and with the counter gear mechanism 3 in an axial view. Note that although the target pipes 8P, which will be described later, are omitted in Fig. 1 etc., they are connected, for example, to a pipe connection opening (not referenced) formed on the first side Y1 in the front-rear direction of the case body 90.

[0059] In the vehicle drive system 1 having a power transmission path with two folded shafts as in this embodiment, a dead space is likely to occur on the first side Y1 in the longitudinal direction relative to the rotating electric machine 2, at a position that overlaps with the rotating electric machine 2 in the longitudinal direction and with the counter gear mechanism 3 in the axial direction. In this embodiment, a water pump 13 and an oil cooler 15, which are examples of heat exchange circuit components, are disposed in the dead space. Although not shown, piping members for coolant and refrigerant can also be disposed in the dead space. For example, it is preferable that the piping members (target piping 8P) that form the path indicated by the symbol 8P in the refrigerant circuit 80 shown in FIG. 6 be disposed in the dead space. In other words, a thermal management system in the vehicle can be appropriately configured with the vehicle drive system 1 as its core, and the vehicle drive system 1 can be configured to be compact.

[0060] As described above, the case 9 includes a first housing chamber E1 that houses the rotating electric machine 2 and the power transmission mechanism GT and a second housing chamber E2 that houses the inverter module 5 and the power supply module 7. The rotating electric machine 2 and the power transmission mechanism GT are arranged so as to overlap with the second housing chamber E2 in a vertical view. In this embodiment, the heat exchange circuit components (the water pump 13, the oil cooler 15, and the target pipe 8P) are also arranged so as to overlap with the second housing chamber E2 in a vertical view. Here, the second housing chamber E2 includes the case member that forms the second housing chamber E2. In other words, "overlapping with the second housing chamber E2 in a vertical view" means that at least a portion of the second housing chamber E2, including the case, overlaps with the inner side of the outer edge of the second housing chamber E2. Therefore, the rotating electric machine 2, the power transmission mechanism GT, and the heat exchange circuit components may partially protrude from the outer edge of the second housing chamber E2. In this embodiment, the rotating electric machine 2 and the power transmission mechanism GT are entirely disposed inside the outer edge of the second housing chamber E2, and a portion of the heat exchange circuit components protrudes from the outer edge of the second housing chamber E2. Since the rotating electric machine 2, the power transmission mechanism GT, and the heat exchange circuit components overlap with the second housing chamber E2 in a vertical view, the projected area of ​​the vehicle drive device 1 in a vertical view tends to fit within the range of the projected area of ​​the second housing chamber E2. In other words, it is easy to reduce the dimensions of the vehicle drive device 1 in the axial direction L and the front-rear direction Y.

[0061] In this embodiment, the heat exchange circuit components arranged on the first side Y1 in the front-rear direction relative to the rotating electric machine 2, at a position overlapping with the rotating electric machine 2 as viewed in the front-rear direction and overlapping with the counter gear mechanism 3 as viewed in the axial direction, are the water pump 13, the oil cooler 15, and the target pipe 8P. That is, the illustrated embodiment shows a configuration in which the heat exchange circuit components include at least a refrigerant connection member (target pipe 8P) connected to a first heat exchanger (air-cooled condenser 81) that exchanges heat between a refrigerant and air, and a second heat exchanger (oil cooler 15) that exchanges heat between oil circulating inside the case 9 and the coolant. However, it is preferable that the two-way valve 84, the first electromagnetic expansion valve 82, and the chiller 85 are also attached to the vehicle drive device 1.

[0062] The vehicle drive device (1) described above will be briefly summarized below.

[0063] In view of the above, a vehicle drive device (1) includes: a rotating electric machine (2) having a rotor (21); an output member (44) drivingly connected to wheels (W); a power transmission mechanism (GT) that transmits driving force between the rotating electric machine (2) and the output member (44); an inverter module (5) for driving and controlling the rotating electric machine (2); and heat exchange circuit components (8P, 13, 15, etc.) that are at least one of refrigerant circuit components (8P, etc.) that are components of a refrigerant circuit (80) that circulates refrigerant for an on-vehicle air conditioner and coolant circuit components (13, 15, etc.) that are components of a coolant circuit (10) that circulates coolant, wherein a direction along a rotor axis (A1) that is the rotation axis of the rotor (21) is defined as an axial direction (L); a direction perpendicular to the rotor axis (A1) as viewed in a vertical direction (Z) is defined as a front-rear direction (Y); and one side of the front-rear direction (Y) is defined as a first front-rear direction side (Y1). The rotation axis of the output member (44) is arranged coaxially with the rotor axis (A1), the power transmission mechanism (GT) includes an offset gear mechanism (3) arranged on an offset axis (A2) located on the first side (Y1) in the front-to-rear direction with respect to the rotor axis (A1), the inverter module (5) is arranged above (Z1) the rotating electric machine (2) and the power transmission mechanism (GT) and at a position overlapping with at least one of the rotating electric machine (2) and the power transmission mechanism (GT) when viewed in the up-down direction (Z), and the heat exchange circuit components (8P, 13, 15, etc.) are arranged on the first side (Y1) in the front-to-rear direction with respect to the rotating electric machine (2) and at a position overlapping with the rotating electric machine (2) when viewed in the front-to-rear direction (Y) along the front-to-rear direction (Y) and overlapping with the offset gear mechanism (3) when viewed in the axial direction (L) along the axial direction (L).

[0064] In a vehicle drive device (1) in which the inverter module (5), the rotating electric machine (2), and the power transmission mechanism (GT) are arranged as described above, a space that is likely to become a dead space is easily formed on the first longitudinal side (Y1) of the rotating electric machine (2), overlapping with the rotating electric machine (2) as viewed in the longitudinal direction (Y) and overlapping with the offset gear mechanism (3) as viewed in the axial direction (L). The offset gear mechanism (3) is easy to configure simply, and transmitting power between the rotor (21) and the output member (44) via the offset gear mechanism (3) is easy to improve transmission efficiency compared to a power transmission mechanism (GT) using, for example, a planetary gear mechanism. However, due to its structure, it has at least two rotational axes, so the above-mentioned dead space is easily formed. With this configuration, the heat exchange circuit components (8P, 13, 15, etc.) are arranged to effectively utilize the dead space. Therefore, space utilization efficiency is easily improved when installing on-board components, including a thermal management system in the vehicle. That is, according to this configuration, a heat management system in a vehicle can be appropriately configured with the vehicle drive device (1) as its core, and the vehicle drive device (1) can be configured to be compact.

[0065] In addition, in the vehicle drive device (1), the output member (44) includes a first output member (45) and a second output member (46) each of which is drivingly connected to different wheels (W), and the power transmission mechanism (GT) includes the offset gear mechanism (3) including a first gear (29) which rotates integrally with the rotor (21), a second gear (31) which meshes with the first gear (29), and a third gear (32) which rotates integrally with the second gear (31), a differential gear mechanism (4) which includes a fourth gear (41) which meshes with the third gear (32) and distributes rotation of the fourth gear (41) to the first output member (45) and the second output member (46), and a parking lock mechanism (6), and It is preferable that the gear mechanism (4) is arranged coaxially with the rotor axis (A1), the first gear (29) and the second gear (31) are arranged between the rotating electric machine (2) and the differential gear mechanism (4) in the axial direction (L), the parking lock mechanism (6) includes a parking gear (61) that rotates integrally with the first gear (29) and an engagement mechanism (62) that engages with the parking gear (61), and at least a part of the engagement mechanism (62) is arranged between the rotating electric machine (2) and the differential gear mechanism (4) in the axial direction (L) and at a position that overlaps with at least one of the rotating electric machine (2) and the differential gear mechanism (4) when viewed in the axial direction (L).

[0066] At least the first gear (29) is coaxially disposed between the differential gear mechanism (4) disposed on the rotor axis (A1) and the rotating electric machine (2). Therefore, the second gear (31) disposed on an offset axis (A2) separate from the rotor axis (A1) and meshing with the first gear (29) is also disposed between the differential gear mechanism (4) and the rotating electric machine (2) in the axial direction (L). Therefore, a dead space is likely to be generated between the differential gear mechanism (4) and the rotating electric machine (2) in the axial direction (L) on the side where the offset axis (A2) is not located relative to the rotor axis (A1), such as the side opposite to the side where the offset axis (A2) is located relative to the rotor axis (A1) as viewed in the axial direction (L). This configuration effectively utilizes the dead space to dispose the engagement mechanism (62) of the parking lock mechanism (6), thereby facilitating the miniaturization of the vehicle drive device (1).

[0067] The vehicle drive device (1) further includes a power supply module (7) electrically connected to an on-board battery (BH) electrically connected to the rotating electric machine (2) via the inverter module (5), and a case (9). The power supply module (7) includes a voltage conversion circuit (75, 76) for converting the voltage of the on-board battery (BH), a charging circuit (70) for charging the on-board battery (BH) from an external power source, and a power supply circuit (71) for supplying power from the on-board battery (BH) to an external device. and at least one power supply circuit (70) for the rotating electric machine (2), the case (9) has a first housing chamber (E1) for housing the rotating electric machine (2) and the power transmission mechanism (GT), and a second housing chamber (E2) for housing the inverter module (5) and the power supply module (7), and it is preferable that the rotating electric machine (2), the power transmission mechanism (GT), and the heat exchange circuit components (8P, 13, 15) are arranged so as to overlap with the second housing chamber (E2) when viewed in the vertical direction (Z).

[0068] In this configuration, when the rotating electric machine (2), the power transmission mechanism (GT), and the heat exchange circuit components (8P, 13, 15, etc.) overlap with the second housing chamber (E2) as viewed in the vertical direction (Z), it is easy to prevent the projected area of ​​the vehicle drive device (1) as viewed in the vertical direction (Z) from becoming larger than the projected area of ​​the second housing chamber (E2). That is, it is easy to reduce the dimensions of the vehicle drive device (1) in the axial direction (L) and the front-rear direction (Y).

[0069] Furthermore, the vehicle drive device (1) is preferably configured such that one side of the axial direction (L) is an axial first side (L1), the power transmission mechanism (GT) is arranged on the axial first side (L1) relative to the rotating electric machine (2), the power supply module (7) has a protruding part (79) arranged to protrude further downward (Z2) than the inverter module (5) on the axial first side (L1), and a relay part (77) that relays the electrical connection between the on-board battery (BH) and at least an external DC power source is arranged between the inverter module (5) and the rotating electric machine (2) in the vertical direction (Z) and at a position that overlaps with the inverter module (5) and the rotating electric machine (2) when viewed in the vertical direction (Z).

[0070] The power supply module (7) including the protruding part (79) is likely to produce dead space below the inverter module (5) on the second axial side (L2) of the protruding part (79). According to this configuration, the dead space is effectively utilized to arrange the relay part (77), which facilitates miniaturization of the vehicle drive device (1).

[0071] In addition, the vehicle drive device (1) including the rotating electric machine (2), the power transmission mechanism (GT), and a case (9) that houses the inverter module (5) preferably includes the heat exchange circuit components (8P, 13, 15, etc.) including a refrigerant connection member (8P) connected to a first heat exchanger (81) that exchanges heat between the refrigerant and air, and a second heat exchanger (15) that is at least one of the coolant circuit components and exchanges heat between the oil circulating in the case (9) and the coolant.

[0072] As described above, a dead space is likely to be formed on the first side (Y1) in the longitudinal direction of the rotating electric machine (2), at a position that overlaps with the rotating electric machine (2) as viewed in the longitudinal direction (Y) and with the offset gear mechanism (3) as viewed in the axial direction (L). This configuration allows the second heat exchanger (15) and the refrigerant connecting member (8P) to be disposed by effectively utilizing the dead space. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately configure a thermal management system for a vehicle with the vehicle drive device (1) at its core, while increasing the efficiency with which on-vehicle devices, including the vehicle drive device (1), are mounted on the vehicle. [Explanation of symbols]

[0073] 1: Vehicle drive unit, 2: Rotating electric machine, 3: Counter gear mechanism (offset gear mechanism), 4: Differential gear mechanism, 5: Inverter module, 6: Parking lock mechanism, 7: Power supply module, 9: Case, 10: Cooling water circuit, 13: Water pump (cooling water circuit component, heat exchange circuit component), 14: Cooling plate (cooling water circuit component, heat exchange circuit component), 15: Oil cooler (second heat exchanger, cooling water circuit component, heat exchange circuit component), 21: Rotor, 29: Input gear (first gear), 31: First counter gear (second gear ), 32: second counter gear (third gear), 41: differential ring gear (fourth gear), 44: differential side gear (output member), 45: first differential side gear (first output member), 46: second differential side gear (second output member), 49: connecting member (output member, second output member), 50: inverter, 61: parking gear, 62: engagement mechanism, 70: on-board charging device (charging circuit for charging the on-board battery from an external power source, power supply circuit for supplying power from the on-board battery to the outside), 75: first DC-DC converter (on-board battery 1: Second DC-DC converter (voltage conversion circuit that converts the voltage of the vehicle battery), 76: Second DC-DC converter (voltage conversion circuit that converts the voltage of the vehicle battery), 77: Junction box (relay component), 78: Rotor shaft, 79: EMI filter (protruding component), 80: Refrigerant circuit, 81: Air-cooled condenser (first heat exchanger), 82: First electromagnetic expansion valve (refrigerant circuit component, heat exchange circuit component), 84: Two-way valve (refrigerant circuit component, heat exchange circuit component), 85: Chiller (refrigerant circuit component, coolant circuit component, heat exchange circuit component), 89: Second electromagnetic expansion valve (refrigerant circuit component, heat exchange circuit components), 8P: target piping (refrigerant connection components, refrigerant circuit components, heat exchange circuit components), A1: first axis (rotor axis), A2: second axis (offset axis), BH: high-voltage battery (vehicle battery), DS1: first drive shaft (output member, first output member), DS2: second drive shaft (output member, second output member), E1: first housing chamber, E2: second housing chamber, GT: power transmission mechanism, L: axial direction, L1: axial first side, W: wheel, Y: longitudinal direction, Y1: longitudinal first side, Z: vertical direction, Z1: upper side, Z2: lower side

Claims

1. a rotating electric machine having a rotor; an output member drivingly connected to the wheels; a power transmission mechanism that transmits a driving force between the rotating electric machine and the output member; an inverter module for driving and controlling the rotating electric machine; a heat exchange circuit component that is at least one of a refrigerant circuit component that is a component of a refrigerant circuit that circulates a refrigerant for an on-vehicle air conditioner and a coolant circuit component that is a component of a coolant circuit that circulates coolant, a direction along a rotor axis that is a rotation axis of the rotor is defined as an axial direction, a direction perpendicular to the rotor axis when viewed in the up-down direction is defined as a front-rear direction, and one side of the front-rear direction is defined as a first front-rear direction side, a rotation axis of the output member is arranged coaxially with the rotor axis, the power transmission mechanism includes an offset gear mechanism arranged on an offset axis that is located on a first side in the front-rear direction with respect to the rotor axis, the inverter module is disposed above the rotating electric machine and the power transmission mechanism and at a position overlapping with at least one of the rotating electric machine and the power transmission mechanism when viewed in the up-down direction, The heat exchange circuit component is arranged on the first side of the rotating electric machine in the fore-and-aft direction, overlapping with the rotating electric machine when viewed in the fore-and-aft direction along the fore-and-aft direction, and overlapping with the offset gear mechanism when viewed in the axial direction along the axial direction.

2. the output member includes a first output member and a second output member, each of which is drivingly coupled to a different wheel; The power transmission mechanism includes: a first gear that rotates integrally with the rotor; the offset gear mechanism including a second gear that meshes with the first gear and a third gear that rotates integrally with the second gear; a differential gear mechanism including a fourth gear that meshes with the third gear and distributes rotation of the fourth gear to the first output member and the second output member; a parking lock mechanism; the differential gear mechanism is disposed coaxially with the rotor axis, the first gear and the second gear are disposed between the rotating electric machine and the differential gear mechanism in the axial direction, the parking lock mechanism includes a parking gear that rotates integrally with the first gear, and an engagement mechanism that engages with the parking gear, 2. The vehicle drive device according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the engagement mechanism is disposed between the rotating electric machine and the differential gear mechanism in the axial direction and at a position overlapping with at least one of the rotating electric machine and the differential gear mechanism when viewed in the axial direction.

3. a power supply module electrically connected to an on-board battery electrically connected to the rotating electric machine via the inverter module; and a case, the power supply module includes at least one of a voltage conversion circuit that converts the voltage of the vehicle battery, a charging circuit that charges the vehicle battery from an external power source, and a power supply circuit that supplies power from the vehicle battery to an external device; the case includes a first housing chamber that houses the rotating electric machine and the power transmission mechanism, and a second housing chamber that houses the inverter module and the power supply module, The vehicle drive device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the rotating electric machine, the power transmission mechanism, and the heat exchange circuit component are arranged so as to overlap with the second housing chamber when viewed in the up-down direction.

4. One side in the axial direction is defined as an axial first side, the power transmission mechanism is disposed on the first axial side of the rotating electric machine, the power supply module includes a protruding part that is disposed on the first axial side relative to the inverter module and protrudes downward relative to the inverter module, 4. The vehicle drive device according to claim 3, wherein a relay component that relays an electrical connection between the on-board battery and at least an external DC power source is arranged between the inverter module and the rotating electric machine in the vertical direction and at a position that overlaps with the inverter module and the rotating electric machine when viewed in the vertical direction.

5. a case that houses the rotating electric machine, the power transmission mechanism, and the inverter module; The heat exchange circuit component is a refrigerant connection member connected to a first heat exchanger that performs heat exchange between the refrigerant and air; 3. The vehicle drive system according to claim 1, further comprising: a second heat exchanger, which is at least one of the coolant circuit components and performs heat exchange between the oil circulating in the case and the coolant.

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