Drive systems and electric vehicles

Abstract

The present invention provides a drive device that efficiently lubricates hypoid gears and efficiently cools the motor. [Solution] The drive unit 100 has a first housing chamber 200 and a second housing chamber 300. A through hole 191 is provided in the partition wall 190 between the first housing chamber 200 and the second housing chamber 300. The reduction mechanism 40 includes a rotating shaft 44 that extends from the first housing chamber 200 through the through hole 191 to the second housing chamber 300, a first reduction gear 41 which is a hypoid gear, and a second reduction gear 42. The first housing chamber 200 houses the hypoid pinion 31 and the first reduction gear 41 and is filled with first oil. The second housing chamber 300 houses the second motor generator and is filled with second oil which has a lower viscosity than the first oil. The gap between the rotating shaft 44 and the through hole 191 is sealed by an oil seal 105.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a drive device and an electric vehicle.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle including an engine, a propeller shaft, a motor, a differential device, and a pair of rear-wheel drive shafts. The differential device distributes driving force transmitted from the propeller shaft and the motor to the pair of rear-wheel drive shafts. The motor, the differential device, and a plurality of gears that transmit driving force to the differential device are housed in a differential carrier.

[0003] The differential device and the plurality of gears that transmit driving force to the differential device are lubricated by oil contained in the differential carrier. The motor is cooled by the oil.

Prior Art Literature

Patent Literature

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problem to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] Among the plurality of gears that transmit driving force to the pair of rear-wheel drive shafts, a hypoid gear is often included. When the oil for lubricating the hypoid gear and the oil for cooling the motor are the same, if high-viscosity oil is used to lubricate the hypoid gear, there is a risk that the cooling efficiency of the motor may decrease.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0006] The drive device for solving the above problems is a drive device mounted on a vehicle. The drive device has a housing having a first housing chamber and a second housing chamber, with a through hole provided in the partition wall between the first housing chamber and the second housing chamber; a motor; an output gear provided on the output shaft of the motor; a hypoid pinion provided at the rear end of the propeller shaft in the vehicle's longitudinal direction; and a reduction mechanism that transmits the rotation of the output gear and the rotation of the hypoid pinion. The reduction mechanism includes a rotating shaft extending from the first housing chamber through the through hole to the second housing chamber; a first reduction gear which is a hypoid gear that meshes with the hypoid pinion; and a second reduction gear that meshes with the output gear. The reduction mechanism is configured such that the rotation of the propeller shaft is transmitted to the rotating shaft via the first reduction gear, and the rotation of the output shaft is transmitted to the rotating shaft via the second reduction gear, by fixing the first reduction gear and the second reduction gear to the rotating shaft. The first housing chamber houses the hypoid pinion and the first reduction gear and is filled with first oil. The second housing chamber houses the motor and is filled with second oil, which has a lower viscosity than the first oil. The gap between the rotating shaft and the through hole is sealed by an oil seal.

[0007] An electric vehicle for solving the above problems comprises an engine and a motor as power sources. The electric vehicle comprises a battery cell for storing the power supplied to the motor and a battery pack for housing the battery cell. The electric vehicle comprises a propeller shaft for transmitting the rotational power output from the engine to the rear of the vehicle in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and a drive unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] The above-described drive device can efficiently lubricate the hypoid gear by placing a first oil with high viscosity, suitable for lubricating the hypoid gear, into the first storage chamber. The above-described drive device can efficiently cool the motor by placing a second oil with lower viscosity than the first oil into the second storage chamber.

[0009] In the above-mentioned electric vehicle, the motor, which is the power source, is adequately cooled, making it easier to suppress the temperature rise of the motor while it is running. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the drive system and electrical system of an electric vehicle according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing the internal structure of the drive unit shown in Figure 1. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the drive unit along line 3-3 shown in Figure 2. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the drive unit along line 4-4 shown in Figure 2. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] The following description will explain one embodiment of the drive system and electric vehicle with reference to Figures 1 to 4. In the following description, "front," "rear," "left," "right," "up," and "down" refer to the directions as viewed from a passenger facing forward in the vehicle. The left-right direction coincides with the vehicle width direction.

[0012] <Structure of electric vehicle 10> Figure 1 schematically shows the configuration of the drive system and electrical system of the electric vehicle 10, which is equipped with the drive unit 100. The dashed lines in Figure 1 indicate electrical connections.

[0013] In Figure 1, the relative positions of the rear propeller shaft 30, hypoid pinion 31, second motor generator 50, reduction mechanism 40, and rear differential 60, which constitute part of the drive system of the electric vehicle 10, are not necessarily reflected. Similarly, the relative positions of the battery pack 90, first inverter 92, second inverter 93, first charging port 94, second charging port 95, onboard charger 96, and charging port 97, which constitute part of the electrical system of the electric vehicle 10, are not necessarily reflected.

[0014] As shown in Figure 1, the electric vehicle 10 is equipped with an engine 11, a first motor generator 13, and a second motor generator 50, which are power sources. The engine 11 is a power source located on the front wheel 28 side and is a well-known internal combustion engine. The electric vehicle 10 is equipped with a pair of left and right front wheels 28 and a pair of left and right rear wheels 67. The rear wheels 67 are the main drive wheels, which are driven wheels in both two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive modes. The front wheels 28 are the secondary drive wheels, which are driven wheels in two-wheel drive mode and drive wheels in four-wheel drive mode. The electric vehicle 10 is a four-wheel drive vehicle based on the FR (front engine, rear drive) system.

[0015] <Electrical system of electric vehicle 10> The electric vehicle 10 is equipped with a battery pack 90. ​​The battery pack 90 houses multiple battery cells 91 inside. In Figure 1, the multiple battery cells 91 arranged inside the battery pack 90 are shown together enclosed by a dashed line. The multiple battery cells 91 store the power supplied to the first motor generator 13 and the second motor generator 50. The first motor generator 13 and the second motor generator 50 function as motors MG, which are the power source of the electric vehicle 10. In other words, the multiple battery cells 91 store the power supplied to the motors MG, which are the power source of the electric vehicle 10.

[0016] The electric vehicle 10 is equipped with a first inverter 92 that performs power conversion between a battery cell 91 and a first motor generator 13. The electric vehicle 10 is equipped with a second inverter 93 that performs power conversion between the battery cell 91 and a second motor generator 50.

[0017] The first motor generator 13 and the second motor generator 50 are rotating electric machines having at least a prime mover function among the prime mover function of generating mechanical power from electric power and the generator function of generating electric power from mechanical power. For example, the first motor generator 13 and the second motor generator 50 are three-phase synchronous motors.

[0018] The first motor generator 13 includes a stator 14, a rotor 15, and a rotation shaft 16. The stator 14 is non-rotatably fixed to the electric vehicle 10. The rotor 15 is rotatable relative to the stator 14. The rotation shaft 16 is fixed to the rotor 15. That is, the rotation shaft 16 rotates together with the rotor 15. The rotation shaft 16 extends in the front-rear direction of the vehicle.

[0019] The second motor generator 50 includes a stator 51, a rotor 52, and an output shaft 53. The stator 51 is non-rotatably fixed to the electric vehicle 10. For example, the stator 51 is fixed to a housing 70 described later. The rotor 52 is rotatable relative to the stator 51. The output shaft 53 is fixed to the rotor 52. That is, the output shaft 53 rotates together with the rotor 52. The output shaft 53 extends in the vehicle width direction. An output gear 54 is fixed to the output shaft 53. That is, the output gear 54 rotates together with the output shaft 53.

[0020] The first inverter 92 and the second inverter 93 are, for example, ones in which switching elements or the like are mounted on a plate-shaped circuit board. The first inverter 92 and the second inverter 93 are well-known power supply circuits that convert direct current to alternating current and alternating current to direct current.

[0021] The electric vehicle 10 includes a charging port 97 that is connectable to an external power source for charging the battery cells 91 with electric power supplied from the external power source. That is, the electric vehicle 10 is a plug-in hybrid vehicle.

[0022] The charging port 97 is provided with a first charging inlet 94 and a second charging inlet 95 serving as charging inlets for connecting a connector of an external power source. The first charging inlet 94 is a charging inlet used for rapid charging performed using a high-voltage DC power source such as 50kW. The second charging inlet 95 is a charging inlet used for normal charging performed using an AC power source such as 100V or 200V. The electric vehicle 10 is connected to the external power source by connecting the connector of the external power source to the charging inlet.

[0023] The first charging inlet 94 is electrically connected to the battery pack 90. A DC power source is connected to the first charging inlet 94. DC power input from the DC power source connected to the first charging inlet 94 is supplied to the battery cells 91.

[0024] The second charging inlet 95 is electrically connected to the on-board charger 96. The on-board charger 96 is electrically connected to the battery pack 90. The on-board charger 96 charges the battery cells 91 by converting AC power input from the AC power source connected to the second charging inlet 95 into DC power, and then outputting the DC power toward the battery cells 91.

[0025] <Drive System of Electric Vehicle 10> A crankshaft 12 of the engine 11 is connected, via a clutch mechanism 17 enclosed by a two-dot chain line, to a front portion of a rotating shaft 16 of a first motor generator 13 in the vehicle front-rear direction.

[0026] The clutch mechanism 17 is a mechanism that adjusts the amount of torque transmitted between the crankshaft 12 and the rotating shaft 16 of the first motor generator 13. When the clutch mechanism 17 is engaged, the crankshaft 12 and the rotating shaft 16 of the first motor generator 13 are connected. On the other hand, when the clutch mechanism 17 is disengaged, the connection between the crankshaft 12 and the rotating shaft 16 of the first motor generator 13 is released.

[0027] The rear of the rotation shaft 16 of the first motor generator 13 in the vehicle's longitudinal direction is connected to the input shaft of the transmission 18. The transmission 18 has a well-known configuration. The output shaft of the transmission 18 is connected to the input shaft of the transfer case 19.

[0028] The transfer case 19 is a well-known front and rear wheel power distribution device that either distributes all of the rotational power of the engine 11 or the first motor generator 13 to the rear wheels 67, or distributes the rotational power of the engine 11 or the first motor generator 13 to the front wheels 28 and the rear wheels 67, respectively.

[0029] <Power transmission path between transfer case 19 and front wheel 28> The electric vehicle 10 includes, in order from the transfer case 19 side, a front propeller shaft 20, a front differential 21, and a pair of front drive shafts 27 in the power transmission path between the transfer case 19 and the front wheels 28. These are well-known configurations.

[0030] The front propeller shaft 20 is a rotating member that transmits rotational power from the engine 11 or the first motor generator 13 to the front wheels 28. The transfer case 19 is equipped with a clutch mechanism that adjusts the amount of torque transmitted between the transfer case 19 and the front propeller shaft 20. When this clutch mechanism is disengaged, the electric vehicle 10 is capable of two-wheel drive. When this clutch mechanism is engaged, the electric vehicle 10 is capable of four-wheel drive.

[0031] The front differential 21 includes a front differential ring gear 22 and a front differential case 23. The front differential ring gear 22 is located on the outer circumference of the front differential case 23. The front differential ring gear 22 meshes with a pinion gear located at the front end of the front drive shaft 27. Inside the front differential case 23 are a front differential pinion shaft 24, a pair of front differential pinion gears 25, and a pair of front differential side gears 26. The pair of front differential pinion gears 25 and the pair of front differential side gears 26 are, for example, bevel gears.

[0032] The front differential pinion shaft 24 is fixed inside the front differential case 23. A pair of front differential pinion gears 25 pass through the front differential pinion shaft 24. Each of the pair of front differential pinion gears 25 meshes with both of the pair of front differential side gears 26. The right front differential side gear 26 is connected to the right front drive shaft 27. The left front differential side gear 26 is connected to the left front drive shaft 27.

[0033] The right front drive shaft 27 is a rotating member that connects the right front differential side gear 26 to the right front wheel 28. The left front drive shaft 27 is a rotating member that connects the left front differential side gear 26 to the left front wheel 28.

[0034] <Power transmission path between transfer case 19 and rear wheel 67> The electric vehicle 10 is equipped with a power transmission path between the transfer case 19 and the rear wheels 67, in the order of the transfer case 19 side, a rear propeller shaft 30, a drive unit 100, and a pair of rear drive shafts 66.

[0035] The rear propeller shaft 30 is a propeller shaft that transmits rotational power output from the engine 11 to the rear of the vehicle in the longitudinal direction. A hypoid pinion 31 is provided at the rear end of the rear propeller shaft 30 in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The hypoid pinion 31 is fixed to the rear propeller shaft 30 so as not to rotate relative to it. The hypoid pinion 31 is a frustoconical gear.

[0036] The drive unit 100 houses the rear portion of the rear propeller shaft 30, a hypoid pinion 31, a reduction mechanism 40, and a second motor generator 50 within a housing 70 fixed to the vehicle body. The drive unit 100 also houses the rear differential 60. The rear differential 60 is a differential gear. The rear differential 60 has a rear differential ring gear 61 and a rear differential case 62.

[0037] The reduction mechanism 40 comprises a rotating shaft 44 extending in the vehicle width direction, a first reduction gear 41, a second reduction gear 42, and a third reduction gear 43. The first reduction gear 41, the second reduction gear 42, and the third reduction gear 43 are fixed to the rotating shaft 44 so as not to rotate relative to each other. The third reduction gear 43 is positioned between the first reduction gear 41 and the second reduction gear 42.

[0038] The first reduction gear 41 is a hypoid gear that meshes with the hypoid pinion 31. The first reduction gear 41 is a frustoconical gear. The second reduction gear 42 meshes with the output gear 54 which is fixed to the output shaft 53 of the second motor generator 50. The third reduction gear 43 meshes with the rear differential ring gear 61.

[0039] Because the first reduction gear 41 is fixed to the rotating shaft 44, the rotation of the rear propeller shaft 30 is transmitted to the rotating shaft 44 via the first reduction gear 41. Because the second reduction gear 42 is fixed to the rotating shaft 44, the rotation of the output shaft 53 is transmitted to the rotating shaft 44 via the second reduction gear 42. Because the third reduction gear 43 is fixed to the rotating shaft 44, the rotation of the rotating shaft 44 is transmitted to the rear differential ring gear 61. In other words, because the third reduction gear 43 is fixed to the rotating shaft 44, the rotation of the rotating shaft 44 is transmitted to the differential.

[0040] The interior space of the rear differential case 62 houses a rear differential pinion shaft 63, a pair of rear differential pinion gears 64, and a pair of rear differential side gears 65. The pair of rear differential pinion gears 64 and the pair of rear differential side gears 65 are, for example, bevel gears.

[0041] The rear differential pinion shaft 63 is fixed inside the rear differential case 62. A pair of rear differential pinion gears 64 pass through the rear differential pinion shaft 63. Each pair of rear differential pinion gears 64 meshes with both of the pair of rear differential side gears 65. The right rear differential side gear 65 is connected to the right rear drive shaft 66. The left rear differential side gear 65 is connected to the left rear drive shaft 66.

[0042] The right rear drive shaft 66 is a rotating member that connects the right rear differential side gear 65 to the right rear wheel 67. The left rear drive shaft 66 is a rotating member that connects the left rear differential side gear 65 to the left rear wheel 67.

[0043] <Configuration of the drive unit 100> Figure 2 schematically shows the internal structure of the drive unit 100 in a vehicle side view, seen from the left side.

[0044] As shown in Figure 2, the housing 70 of the drive unit 100 has a through hole 71 on its front surface. The rear propeller shaft 30 is inserted through the through hole 71. The gap between the rear propeller shaft 30 and the through hole 71 is sealed by an oil seal 103.

[0045] The housing 70 has a through-hole 72 on the left side of the vehicle. The left rear drive shaft 66 is inserted through the through-hole 72. The gap between the left rear drive shaft 66 and the through-hole 72 is sealed by an oil seal 104. The housing 70 also has a through-hole on the right side of the vehicle. The right rear drive shaft 66 is inserted through this through-hole. As shown in Figure 3, the gap between the right rear drive shaft 66 and the through-hole is sealed by an oil seal 104.

[0046] As shown in Figure 2, the housing 70 has a first accommodation chamber 200 and a second accommodation chamber 300 inside. A partition wall 190, shown by a dashed line, is provided between the first accommodation chamber 200 and the second accommodation chamber 300. The second accommodation chamber 300 is surrounded by the partition wall 190.

[0047] The output shaft 53 of the second motor generator 50 is positioned above the rear propeller shaft 30. The output shaft 53 of the second motor generator 50 is located inside the second housing chamber 300.

[0048] The rear propeller shaft 30, the hypoid pinion 31, and the first reduction gear 41 are housed in the first housing chamber 200. The rotation axis 31C of the hypoid pinion 31 and the rotation axis 41C of the first reduction gear 41, indicated by the dashed line, are in a torsional position.

[0049] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view along line 3-3 shown in Figure 2. The cross-sectional view along line 3-3 shows a cross-section of the drive unit 100 at a height equal to the rotation axis 53C of the output shaft 53. As shown in Figure 3, the second motor generator 50, the reduction mechanism 40, and the rear differential 60 are arranged from the front of the vehicle in the order of the second motor generator 50, the reduction mechanism 40, and the rear differential 60.

[0050] The second housing chamber 300 houses the stator 51, rotor 52, output shaft 53, output gear 54, and second reduction gear 42. The second housing chamber 300 also houses the third reduction gear 43 and rear differential 60. The second reduction gear 42 has a larger diameter than the output gear 54. The rear differential ring gear 61 has a larger diameter than the third reduction gear 43. Thus, the reduction mechanism 40 is set so that the rotational speed of the rear differential ring gear 61 is slower than the rotational speed of the output gear 54.

[0051] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view along line 4-4 shown in Figure 2. The cross-sectional view along line 4-4 shows a cross-section of the drive unit 100 at a height equal to the rotation axis 41C of the first reduction gear 41.

[0052] As shown in Figure 4, the partition wall 190 is provided with a through hole 191. The rotating shaft 44 of the reduction mechanism 40 passes through the through hole 191 and extends from inside the first housing chamber 200 to the second housing chamber 300. The gap between the rotating shaft 44 and the through hole 191 is sealed by an oil seal 105.

[0053] The first containment chamber 200 houses the hypoid pinion 31 and the first reduction gear 41. The first containment chamber 200 is filled with the first oil. The second containment chamber 300 is filled with the second oil, which has a lower viscosity than the first oil.

[0054] <Operation of this embodiment> The drive unit 100 can have oils of different viscosities placed in the first housing chamber 200, which houses the first reduction gear 41 and hypoid pinion 31, and the second housing chamber 300, which houses the second motor generator 50. The viscosity of the second oil in the second housing chamber 300 is lower than the viscosity of the first oil in the first housing chamber 200.

[0055] <Effects of this embodiment> (1) The drive unit 100 can efficiently lubricate the hypoid gear by placing a first oil with high viscosity, suitable for lubricating the hypoid gear, into the first storage chamber 200. The drive unit 100 can efficiently cool the second motor generator 50 because a second oil with lower viscosity than the first oil is placed in the second storage chamber 300.

[0056] (2) The drive unit 100 has a rear differential 60. The rear differential 60 is a differential gear. The rear differential 60 comprises a rear differential ring gear 61 and a rear differential case 62. The rear differential case 62 is fixed to the rear differential ring gear 61 and has an internal space. A pair of rear differential pinion gears 64 and a pair of rear differential side gears 65 are located in the internal space. The reduction mechanism 40 has a third reduction gear 43. The third reduction gear 43 meshes with the rear differential ring gear 61. The rotation of the rotating shaft 44 is transmitted to the rear differential 60 because the third reduction gear 43 is fixed to the rotating shaft 44 of the reduction mechanism 40. The rear differential 60 and the third reduction gear 43 are housed in the second housing chamber 300.

[0057] The oil used to lubricate the pair of rear differential pinion gears 64 and the pair of rear differential side gears 65 is preferably an oil with lower viscosity than the oil used to lubricate the hypoid gears. Similarly, the oil used to lubricate the rear differential ring gear 61 and the third reduction gear 43 is preferably an oil with lower viscosity than the oil used to lubricate the hypoid gears. The drive unit 100 can lubricate the pair of rear differential pinion gears 64, the pair of rear differential side gears 65, the rear differential ring gear 61, and the third reduction gear 43 with a second oil that has lower viscosity than the first oil.

[0058] (3) The electric vehicle 10 is equipped with an engine 11 and a second motor generator 50, which are power sources. The electric vehicle 10 is equipped with a battery cell 91 that stores the power supplied to the second motor generator 50 and a battery pack 90 that houses the battery cell 91 inside. The electric vehicle 10 is equipped with a rear propeller shaft 30 that transmits the rotational power output from the engine 11 to the rear of the vehicle in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and a drive unit 100. The drive unit 100 is equipped with a second oil that has a lower viscosity than the first oil and is placed in the second storage chamber 300, so that the second motor generator 50 can be cooled efficiently. Because the second motor generator 50, which is the power source of the electric vehicle 10, is suitably cooled, it is easy to suppress the temperature rise of the second motor generator 50 while driving.

[0059] (4) The electric vehicle 10 is equipped with a charging port 97 that can be connected to an external power source in order to charge the battery cell 91 with power supplied from an external power source. In other words, the electric vehicle 10 is a plug-in hybrid vehicle. Compared to a hybrid vehicle, a plug-in hybrid vehicle has more opportunities to use the second motor generator 50 as a prime mover. Therefore, the temperature of the second motor generator 50 tends to rise more easily in a plug-in hybrid vehicle compared to a hybrid vehicle. Compared to a hybrid vehicle, a plug-in hybrid vehicle needs to cool the second motor generator 50 more effectively. The electric vehicle 10 described above can cool the second motor generator 50 more effectively with an oil that has a lower viscosity than the oil that lubricates the hypoid gear. In the electric vehicle 10 described above, since the second motor generator 50, which is the power source, is more effectively cooled, the temperature rise of the second motor generator 50 can be suppressed even if the second motor generator 50 continues to function as a prime mover.

[0060] <Example of changes> This embodiment can be implemented with the following modifications. This embodiment and the following modifications to this embodiment can be combined with each other to the extent that they do not contradict each other technically.

[0061] The drive unit 100 may have an output gear 54 and a second reduction gear 42 housed in the first housing chamber 200. The drive unit 100 may have a rear differential 60 and a third reduction gear 43 housed in the first housing chamber 200.

[0062] The order of the first reduction gear 41, the second reduction gear 42, and the third reduction gear 43 is not limited to the order of first reduction gear 41, third reduction gear 43, and second reduction gear 42 from the left side of the vehicle to the right side of the vehicle. For example, in the drive unit 100, the second reduction gear 42 may be positioned between the third reduction gear 43 and the first reduction gear 41.

[0063] The electric vehicle 10 does not have to be a plug-in hybrid vehicle. Specifically, the electric vehicle 10 may be a hybrid vehicle that does not have a charging port 97. <Note> The technical concepts that can be understood from the above embodiments and modified examples are described below.

[0064] [Note 1] A drive unit mounted on a vehicle, comprising: a housing having a first housing chamber and a second housing chamber, with a through hole provided in the partition wall between the first housing chamber and the second housing chamber; a motor; an output gear provided on the output shaft of the motor; a hypoid pinion provided at the rear end of the propeller shaft in the vehicle's longitudinal direction; and a reduction mechanism that transmits the rotation of the output gear and the rotation of the hypoid pinion, wherein the reduction mechanism comprises a rotating shaft extending from the first housing chamber through the through hole to the second housing chamber; a first reduction gear which is a hypoid gear that meshes with the hypoid pinion; and a gear that meshes with the output gear A drive device comprising a first reduction gear and a second reduction gear, wherein the first reduction gear and the second reduction gear are fixed to the rotating shaft, so that the rotation of the propeller shaft is transmitted to the rotating shaft via the first reduction gear, and the rotation of the output shaft is transmitted to the rotating shaft via the second reduction gear, the first housing chamber houses the hypoid pinion and the first reduction gear and is filled with first oil, the second housing chamber houses the motor and is filled with second oil having a lower viscosity than the first oil, and the gap between the rotating shaft and the through hole is sealed by an oil seal.

[0065] [Note 2] The drive device according to Note 1, wherein the output gear and the second reduction gear are housed in the second housing chamber. [Note 3] The drive device according to Note 1 or Note 2, having a differential, wherein the differential comprises a ring gear, a differential case fixed to the ring gear and having an internal space, a pair of differential side gears and a pair of differential pinion gears located in the internal space, the reduction mechanism has a third reduction gear that meshes with the ring gear, and the rotation of the rotating shaft is transmitted to the differential by the third reduction gear being fixed to the rotating shaft, and the differential and the third reduction gear are housed in the second housing chamber.

[0066] [Note 4] The drive device according to Note 3, wherein the third reduction gear is positioned between the first reduction gear and the second reduction gear. [Note 5] An electric vehicle comprising an engine and a motor as power sources, a battery cell for storing electricity supplied to the motor, a battery pack for housing the battery cell, a propeller shaft for transmitting rotational power output from the engine to the rear of the vehicle in the vehicle's longitudinal direction, and a drive system as described in any one of Notes 1 to 4.

[0067] [Note 6] The electric vehicle according to Note 5, which is a plug-in hybrid vehicle equipped with a charging port that can be connected to the external power source in order to charge the battery cells with power supplied from the external power source. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0068] 10…Electric vehicles 11… Engine 31... Hypoid pinion 40...Reduction mechanism 41...First reduction gear 42... Second reduction gear 43...Third reduction gear 44…Rotation axis 50…Second motor generator 53…Output shaft 54…Output gear 70… Housing 90...Battery pack 91... Battery cell 97... Charging port 100... Drive unit 105… Oil seal 190...Bulkhead 191... Through hole 200... First containment cell 300... Second containment cell MG...motor

Claims

1. A drive system mounted on a vehicle, A housing having a first storage chamber and a second storage chamber, with a through-hole provided in the partition wall between the first storage chamber and the second storage chamber, Motor and, An output gear provided on the output shaft of the motor, A hypoid pinion is provided at the rear end of the propeller shaft in the vehicle's longitudinal direction, The device has a reduction mechanism that transmits the rotation of the output gear and the rotation of the hypoid pinion, The aforementioned reduction mechanism is A rotating shaft extending from the first housing chamber through the through hole to the second housing chamber, A first reduction gear, which is a hypoid gear that meshes with the hypoid pinion, It comprises a second reduction gear that meshes with the output gear, The first reduction gear and the second reduction gear are fixed to the rotating shaft, so that the rotation of the propeller shaft is transmitted to the rotating shaft via the first reduction gear, and the rotation of the output shaft is transmitted to the rotating shaft via the second reduction gear. The first housing chamber houses the hypoid pinion and the first reduction gear, and is filled with the first oil. The second housing chamber houses the motor and is filled with a second oil having a lower viscosity than the first oil. The gap between the rotating shaft and the through hole is sealed by an oil seal. Drive unit.

2. The output gear and the second reduction gear are housed in the second housing chamber. The drive device according to claim 1.

3. It has a differential, The differential device comprises a ring gear, a differential case fixed to the ring gear and having an internal space, and a pair of differential side gears and a pair of differential pinion gears located in the internal space. The reduction mechanism has a third reduction gear that meshes with the ring gear, Because the third reduction gear is fixed to the rotating shaft, the rotation of the rotating shaft It is configured to transmit to the differential device, The differential and the third reduction gear are housed in the second housing chamber. The drive device according to claim 1 or claim 2.

4. The third reduction gear is positioned between the first reduction gear and the second reduction gear. The drive device according to claim 3.

5. The engine and the motor are power sources, A battery cell that stores the power supplied to the motor, A battery pack that houses the aforementioned battery cells inside, The vehicle comprises a propeller shaft that transmits rotational power output from the engine to the rear of the vehicle in the vehicle's longitudinal direction, and the drive device according to claim 1. Electric vehicle.

6. A plug-in hybrid vehicle equipped with a charging port that can be connected to an external power source in order to charge the battery cells with power supplied from an external power source. The electric vehicle according to claim 5.

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