Vehicle drive device

Abstract

To provide a vehicle drive device capable of shortening not only a dimension in a vertical direction but also a dimension in a width direction even with a configuration with a rotating electric machine, a differential gear mechanism and an inverter device.SOLUTION: An inverter device 10 for controlling a rotating electric machine 1 is disposed above the rotating electric machine 1, and in a position overlapping with the rotating electric machine 1 when vertically viewed along a vertical direction V. A differential gear mechanism 4 comprises a differential input gear 41 being an input element thereof, the differential input gear 41, in such a manner that at least a portion thereof is located in an oil storage part 9a of a case 9, is disposed on a second axis X2 different from a first axis X1 being a rotating axial core of a rotor 12 of the rotating electric machine 1, the first axis X1 is disposed below the second axis X2, and a lower end of the rotor 12 is disposed above a lower end of the differential input gear 41.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle drive device including a rotating electric machine that functions as a driving force source for wheels, an input member drivingly connected to a rotor of the rotating electric machine, a pair of output members each drivingly connected to a wheel, a differential gear mechanism that distributes rotation transmitted from the input member to the pair of output members, and an inverter device that controls the rotating electric machine. [Background technology]

[0002] An example of such a vehicle drive device is disclosed in the following Patent Document 1. In the following explanations of the "Background Art" and "Problems to be Solved by the Invention", reference symbols in Patent Document 1 will be cited in parentheses.

[0003] In the vehicle drive device (100) of Patent Document 1, the differential gear mechanism (5) includes a differential input gear (51) that is an input element of the differential gear mechanism. The differential input gear (51) has a relatively large outer diameter. Therefore, in the vehicle drive device (100), the inverter device (7) is disposed above the rotation axis (A3) of the differential gear mechanism (5) and at a position that overlaps with the differential input gear (51) as viewed in the axial direction along the axial direction (L). In this way, the vertical dimension (V) of the vehicle drive device (100) is kept small. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2020 / 202963 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the vehicle drive device (100) of Patent Document 1, in order to avoid interference between the inverter device (7) and the rotating electric machine (1) while keeping the vertical dimension (V) of the vehicle drive device small, the inverter device (7) is arranged offset in the width direction (D) perpendicular to the axial direction (L) as viewed in the vertical direction from the rotation axis (A1) of the rotating electric machine (1). Therefore, it has been difficult to keep the dimension of the vehicle drive device (100) in the width direction (D) small.

[0006] It is therefore desirable to realize a vehicle drive device that can keep the width dimension small as well as the vertical dimension small even when the device is configured to include a rotating electric machine, a differential gear mechanism, and an inverter device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In view of the above, the characteristic configuration of the vehicle drive device is as follows: a rotating electric machine including a stator and a rotor and functioning as a driving force source for a wheel; an input member drivingly connected to the rotor; A pair of output members each drivingly connected to one of the wheels; a differential gear mechanism that distributes rotation transmitted from the input member to the pair of output members; an inverter device for controlling the rotating electric machine; a case that accommodates the rotating electric machine, the input member, the differential gear mechanism, and the inverter device, The case includes an oil reservoir in which oil is stored, the inverter device is disposed above the rotating electric machine and at a position overlapping with the rotating electric machine as viewed in the up-down direction, the differential gear mechanism includes a differential input gear that is an input element of the differential gear mechanism, the differential input gear is disposed on a second shaft different from a first shaft which is a rotation axis of the rotor such that at least a portion of the differential input gear is located within the oil reservoir; The first shaft is disposed below the second shaft, The lower end of the rotor is disposed above the lower end of the differential input gear.

[0008] According to this characteristic configuration, the first shaft, which is the rotation axis of the rotor, is disposed below the second shaft, which is the rotation axis of the differential gear mechanism. Therefore, even if the inverter device is disposed above the rotating electric machine and overlaps with the rotating electric machine in a vertical view along the vertical direction, the vertical dimension of the vehicle drive device can be easily kept small. Furthermore, this arrangement allows the arrangement area of ​​the inverter device in the width direction, which is a direction perpendicular to the first shaft in a vertical view, to be contained within an area relatively close to the first shaft. Therefore, even if the configuration includes a rotating electric machine, a differential gear mechanism, and an inverter device, it is possible to keep the width direction dimension small in addition to the vertical dimension. According to this characteristic configuration, at least a portion of the differential input gear is located in the oil reservoir where the oil is stored, and the lower end of the rotor is disposed above the lower end of the differential input gear, which reduces the oil stirring resistance of the rotor and makes it easy to scoop up the oil using the differential input gear and supply the oil to a target such as a rotating electrical machine. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view taken along an axial direction of a vehicle drive device according to an embodiment; [Diagram 2] 1 is a skeleton diagram of a vehicle drive device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the positional relationship of each element in the vehicle drive device according to the embodiment as viewed in the axial direction; [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the positional relationship of each element in a vehicle drive device according to an embodiment when viewed in the up-down direction; [Diagram 5] A diagram showing the positional relationship between the rotating electric machine and the terminal block when viewed from the axial direction. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] A vehicle drive device 100 according to an embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. As shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, the vehicle drive device 100 includes a rotating electric machine 1 including a stator 11 and a rotor 12, an input member 2, a pair of output members 3, a differential gear mechanism 4, and an inverter device 10. In this embodiment, the vehicle drive device 100 further includes a counter gear mechanism 5 and a case 9.

[0011] The rotating electric machine 1 is disposed on a first axis X1. The first axis X1 is the rotation axis of the rotor 12. In this embodiment, the input member 2 is also disposed on the first axis X1. The differential gear mechanism 4 is disposed on a second axis X2 different from the first axis X1. In this embodiment, the pair of output members 3 are also disposed on the second axis X2. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the counter gear mechanism 5 is disposed on a third axis X3 different from the first axis X1 and the second axis X2. In this example, the above-mentioned axes X1 to X3 are disposed parallel to one another.

[0012] In the following description, a direction parallel to the above-mentioned axes X1 to X3 is referred to as the "axial direction L" of the vehicle drive device 100. One side of the axial direction L is referred to as the "first axial side L1", and the other side of the axial direction L is referred to as the "second axial side L2". In this embodiment, in the axial direction L, the side where the rotating electric machine 1 is arranged with respect to the input member 2 is referred to as the first axial side L1, and the opposite side is referred to as the second axial side L2. In addition, a direction perpendicular to each of the above-mentioned axes X1 to X3 is referred to as the "radial direction R" based on each axis. Note that when it is not necessary to distinguish which axis is used as the reference or when it is clear which axis is used as the reference, it may be simply referred to as the "radial direction R".

[0013] 1, a case 9 houses a rotating electric machine 1, an input member 2, a differential gear mechanism 4, and an inverter device 10. In this embodiment, the case 9 also houses a pair of output members 3 and a counter gear mechanism 5. The pair of output members 3 are housed in the case 9 with a portion of them exposed to the outside of the case 9.

[0014] A first housing section A1, a second housing section A2, a third housing section A3, and a fourth housing section A4 are formed inside the case 9. In this embodiment, the first housing section A1 is a space in which the rotating electric machine 1 is accommodated. The second housing section A2 is a space in which the input member 2 and the counter gear mechanism 5 are accommodated. The third housing section A3 is a space in which the pair of output members 3 and the differential gear mechanism 4 are accommodated. The fourth housing section A4 is a space in which the inverter device 10 is accommodated.

[0015] In this embodiment, the case 9 includes a partition portion 91, a first peripheral wall portion 92a, a first side wall portion 92b, a second peripheral wall portion 93a, a second side wall portion 93b, a third peripheral wall portion 94a, a third side wall portion 94b, a fourth side wall portion 94c, a storage wall portion 95a, and a lid portion 95b.

[0016] The partition wall portion 91 is formed to separate the first housing portion A1 and the second housing portion A2. In this embodiment, the partition wall portion 91 is formed to extend along the radial direction R. That is, the partition wall portion 91 separates the first housing portion A1 and the second housing portion A2 in the axial direction L.

[0017] The first circumferential wall portion 92a is formed so as to cover the outside of the rotating electric machine 1 in the radial direction R. The first side wall portion 92b is formed so as to cover the first axial side L1 of the rotating electric machine 1. In this embodiment, the first circumferential wall portion 92a is formed in a cylindrical shape with an opening on the first axial side L1. The opening on the first axial side L1 of the first circumferential wall portion 92a is closed by the first side wall portion 92b. Meanwhile, a partition wall portion 91 is integrally provided on a portion of the first circumferential wall portion 92a on the second axial side L2 with respect to the rotating electric machine 1. In this example, the partition wall portion 91, the first circumferential wall portion 92a, the third circumferential wall portion 94a, the third side wall portion 94b, and the housing wall portion 95a are integrally formed to constitute the first case portion 9A. The second case portion 9B including the first side wall portion 92b is joined to the first case portion 9A from the first axial side L1.

[0018] The second peripheral wall portion 93a is formed so as to cover the outside of the input member 2 and the counter gear mechanism 5 in the radial direction R. The second side wall portion 93b is formed so as to cover the second axial side L2 of the input member 2 and the counter gear mechanism 5. In this embodiment, the second side wall portion 93b is integrally provided on the second axial side L2 of the second peripheral wall portion 93a relative to the input member 2 and the counter gear mechanism 5. In this example, the second peripheral wall portion 93a, the second side wall portion 93b, and the fourth side wall portion 94c are integrally formed to constitute the third case portion 9C. The third case portion 9C is joined to the first case portion 9A from the second axial side L2. As a result, the opening of the second peripheral wall portion 93a on the first axial side L1 is blocked by the first case portion 9A (partition wall portion 91).

[0019] The third peripheral wall portion 94a is formed so as to cover the pair of output members 3 and the outside of the differential gear mechanism 4 in the radial direction R. The third side wall portion 94b is formed so as to cover the first axial side L1 of the differential gear mechanism 4. The fourth side wall portion 94c is formed so as to cover the second axial side L2 of the differential gear mechanism 4. In this embodiment, the third peripheral wall portion 94a and the third side wall portion 94b are both integrally formed with the first case portion 9A. The opening of the third peripheral wall portion 94a on the second axial side L2 is closed by the fourth side wall portion 94c. As described above, the fourth side wall portion 94c is formed integrally with the second peripheral wall portion 93a and the second side wall portion 93b.

[0020] In this embodiment, the first housing section A1 is formed by the partition wall 91, the first peripheral wall 92a, and the first side wall 92b. That is, the space surrounded by the partition wall 91, the first peripheral wall 92a, and the first side wall 92b inside the case 9 is formed as the first housing section A1.

[0021] In this embodiment, the second storage section A2 is formed by the partition wall 91, the second peripheral wall 93a, and the second side wall 93b. That is, the space surrounded by the partition wall 91, the second peripheral wall 93a, and the second side wall 93b inside the case 9 is formed as the second storage section A2. In this embodiment, the third storage section A3 is formed by the third peripheral wall 94a, the third side wall 94b, and the fourth side wall 94c. That is, the space surrounded by the third peripheral wall 94a, the third side wall 94b, and the fourth side wall 94c inside the case 9 is formed as the third storage section A3. In this embodiment, the second storage section A2 and the third storage section A3 are formed so as to communicate with each other.

[0022] In the present embodiment, the fourth storage section A4 is formed by the storage wall section 95a and the lid section 95b. That is, the space surrounded by the storage wall section 95a and the lid section 95b inside the case 9 is formed as the fourth storage section A4.

[0023] The housing wall 95a is formed in a cylindrical shape surrounding the side of the inverter device 10. In this embodiment, the housing wall 95a extends from the first peripheral wall 92a and the second peripheral wall 93a toward the upper side in a vehicle-mounted state so as to form an opening for inserting and removing the inverter device 10 into and from the fourth housing portion A4. Here, the "vehicle-mounted state" refers to a state in which the vehicle drive device 100 is mounted on a vehicle. As described above, the housing wall 95a is formed integrally with the partition wall 91, the first peripheral wall 92a, the third peripheral wall 94a, and the third side wall 94b.

[0024] The lid portion 95b is formed so as to cover the opening in the storage wall portion 95a. In this embodiment, the lid portion 95b is configured to be detachable from the storage wall portion 95a.

[0025] The rotating electric machine 1 functions as a driving force source for the wheels WH (see FIG. 2). The rotating electric machine 1 has a function as a motor (electric motor) that receives a supply of electric power to generate power, and a function as a generator (electric power generator) that receives a supply of power to generate electric power. Specifically, the rotating electric machine 1 is electrically connected to an electric storage device (not shown) such as a battery or a capacitor. The rotating electric machine 1 generates driving force by running using electric power stored in the electric storage device. The rotating electric machine 1 also generates power using driving force transmitted from the wheels WH to charge the electric storage device.

[0026] The stator 11 of the rotating electric machine 1 includes a cylindrical stator core 111. The stator core 111 is fixed to a non-rotating member. In this embodiment, the stator core 111 is fixed to a first peripheral wall portion 92a of the case 9 as a non-rotating member. The rotor 12 of the rotating electric machine 1 includes a cylindrical rotor core 121. The rotor core 121 is supported rotatably relative to the stator core 111. In this embodiment, the rotor 12 further includes a rotor shaft 122 connected to the rotor core 121 so as to rotate integrally with the rotor core 121. The rotor shaft 122 is formed to extend along the first axis X1. In this embodiment, the rotor shaft 122 is formed in a cylindrical shape with the first axis X1 as its axis.

[0027] In this embodiment, the rotating electric machine 1 is an inner rotor type rotating electric machine. That is, the stator 11 is disposed on the outer side of the rotor 12 in the radial direction R. Therefore, the stator core 111 is disposed on the outer side of the rotor core 121 in the radial direction R. In addition, the rotor shaft 122 is disposed on the inner side of the rotor core 121 in the radial direction R.

[0028] In this embodiment, the rotating electric machine 1 is a rotating field type rotating electric machine. Therefore, a stator coil is wound around the stator core 111. In this embodiment, the stator coil is wound around the stator core 111 so as to form a first coil end portion 112 protruding from the stator core 111 to a first axial side L1 and a second coil end portion 113 protruding from the stator core 111 to a second axial side L2. Although not shown, the rotor core 121 is provided with a permanent magnet.

[0029] The input member 2 is drivingly connected to the rotor 12 of the rotating electric machine 1. In this embodiment, the input member 2 includes an input gear 21 and an input shaft 22.

[0030] Here, in this application, "driving connection" refers to a state in which two rotating elements are connected so as to be able to transmit a driving force, and includes a state in which the two rotating elements are connected so as to rotate integrally, or a state in which the two rotating elements are connected so as to be able to transmit a driving force via one or more transmission members. Such transmission members include various members that transmit rotation at the same speed or at a variable speed, such as shafts, gear mechanisms, belts, chains, etc. Note that the transmission members may also include engagement devices that selectively transmit rotation and driving force, such as friction engagement devices and meshing engagement devices.

[0031] The input gear 21 is connected to the input shaft 22 so as to rotate integrally with the input gear 21. In the example shown in FIG.

[0032] The input shaft 22 is formed to extend along the first axis X1. In this embodiment, the input shaft 22 penetrates the partition wall portion 91 of the case 9 in the axial direction L, and is coupled to the rotor shaft 122 so as to rotate integrally with the rotor shaft 122. In the example shown in FIG. 1, an end portion of the input shaft 22 on a first axial side L1 is disposed inside in the radial direction R with respect to an end portion of the rotor shaft 122 on a second axial side L2. These portions are coupled to each other by spline engagement so as to rotate integrally.

[0033] The counter gear mechanism 5 includes a counter input gear 51 that meshes with the input gear 21, a counter output gear 52 that rotates integrally with the counter input gear 51, and a counter shaft 53 that connects these gears 51, 52 to each other.

[0034] The counter input gear 51 and the counter output gear 52 are connected to each other via a counter shaft 53 so as to rotate integrally. The counter shaft 53 is formed to extend along the third axis X3. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the counter input gear 51 is connected to the counter shaft 53 by spline engagement. The counter output gear 52 is formed integrally with the counter shaft 53. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the counter output gear 52 is formed to have a smaller diameter than the counter input gear 51. The counter output gear 52 is disposed closer to the first axial side L1 than the counter input gear 51.

[0035] The differential gear mechanism 4 is configured to distribute rotation transmitted from the input member 2 to the pair of output members 3. In this embodiment, the differential gear mechanism 4 includes a differential input gear 41 that is an input element of the differential gear mechanism 4. Therefore, the differential gear mechanism 4 distributes the rotation of the differential input gear 41 to the pair of output members 3.

[0036] In this embodiment, the differential gear mechanism 4 further includes a differential case 42, a pair of pinion gears 43, and a pair of side gears 44. Here, the pair of pinion gears 43 and the pair of side gears 44 are both bevel gears.

[0037] The differential case 42 is a hollow member that houses a pair of pinion gears 43 and a pair of side gears 44. The differential case 42 is connected to the differential input gear 41 so as to rotate integrally with the differential case 42. In the example shown in Fig. 1, the differential input gear 41 is connected to the differential case 42 by bolt fastening.

[0038] The pair of pinion gears 43 are disposed to face each other with a gap therebetween in the radial direction R based on the second axis X2. The pair of pinion gears 43 are attached to a pinion shaft 43a supported to rotate integrally with the differential case 42. Each of the pair of pinion gears 43 is configured to be rotatable (spinning) about the pinion shaft 43a and rotatable (revolving) about the second axis X2.

[0039] The pair of side gears 44 mesh with the pair of pinion gears 43. The pair of side gears 44 are arranged to rotate about the second axis X2 as a rotation axis. The pair of side gears 44 are arranged to face each other with a gap between them in the axial direction L, sandwiching the pinion shaft 43a therebetween.

[0040] Each of the pair of output members 3 is drivingly connected to the wheel WH (see FIG. 2). In this embodiment, each of the pair of output members 3 is connected to the side gear 44 so as to rotate integrally with the side gear 44. In this embodiment, one of the pair of output members 3 penetrates the third side wall portion 94b in the axial direction L, and the other of the pair of output members 3 penetrates the fourth side wall portion 94c in the axial direction L. Each of the pair of output members 3 is connected to a drive shaft DS drivingly connected to the wheel WH so as to rotate integrally with the drive shaft DS. In the example shown in FIG. 1, each of the pair of output members 3 is formed in a cylindrical shape with the second axis X2 as its axis. Then, with the drive shaft DS disposed on the inside of each of the pair of output members 3 in the radial direction R, they are connected to each other by spline engagement.

[0041] The inverter device 10 is configured to control the rotating electric machine 1. In this embodiment, the inverter device 10 is electrically connected to the rotating electric machine 1 and the above-mentioned power storage device, and is a device that converts power between the direct current of the power storage device and the multiple-phase (three-phase here) alternating current of the rotating electric machine 1. In this example, the inverter device 10 includes a switching element unit having multiple switching elements that configure an inverter circuit, a smoothing capacitor that smoothes the voltage on the DC power supply side of the inverter circuit, and a control board that controls the inverter circuit.

[0042] In the following description, the up-down direction of the vehicle driving device 100 when mounted on the vehicle is referred to as the "up-down direction V." The upper and lower sides of the "up-down direction V" are simply referred to as the "upper side" and the "lower side," respectively. Also, the direction perpendicular to the first axis X1 when viewed in the up-down direction along the up-down direction V is referred to as the "width direction W."

[0043] 3, the case 9 has an oil reservoir 9a in which oil F is stored. In this embodiment, the oil reservoir 9a is a space surrounded by the inner surface of the lower part of the case 9. The differential input gear 41 is disposed such that at least a portion of the differential input gear 41 is located within the oil reservoir 9a.

[0044] The first axis X1, which is the rotation axis of the rotor 12, is disposed below the second axis X2, which is the rotation axis of the differential gear mechanism 4. In the example shown in Fig. 3, the third axis X3, which is the rotation axis of the counter gear mechanism 5, is disposed above the first axis X1 and below the second axis X2. That is, the second axis Lx2, which is a virtual line passing through the second axis X2 along the width direction W, the third axis Lx3, which is a virtual line passing through the third axis X3 along the width direction W, and the first axis Lx1, which is a virtual line passing through the first axis X1 along the width direction W, are disposed from the top in the described order.

[0045] The inverter device 10 is disposed above the rotating electric machine 1. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the inverter device 10 is disposed above the rotating electric machine 1, the input member 2, the differential gear mechanism 4, and the counter gear mechanism 5.

[0046] 4, the inverter device 10 is disposed so as to overlap with the rotating electric machine 1 when viewed in the up-down direction along the up-down direction V. Here, with regard to the arrangement of two elements, "overlapping when viewed in a specific direction" means that when a virtual line parallel to the line of sight is moved in each direction perpendicular to the virtual line, there exists at least a part of an area where the virtual line intersects both of the two elements.

[0047] As described above, the vehicle drive device 100 has the following features: A rotating electric machine 1 including a stator 11 and a rotor 12 and functioning as a driving force source for a wheel WH; an input member 2 drivingly connected to a rotor 12; A pair of output members 3 each of which is drivingly connected to a wheel WH; A differential gear mechanism 4 that distributes rotation transmitted from an input member 2 to a pair of output members 3; an inverter device 10 for controlling the rotating electric machine 1; The electric rotating machine includes a rotating electric machine (1), an input member (2), a differential gear mechanism (4), and a case (9) that houses an inverter device (10). The case 9 includes an oil reservoir 9a in which oil F is stored. The inverter device 10 is disposed above the rotating electric machine 1 and at a position overlapping with the rotating electric machine 1 as viewed in the up-down direction V. The differential gear mechanism 4 includes a differential input gear 41 that is an input element of the differential gear mechanism 4. The differential input gear 41 is disposed on a second axis X2 different from the first axis X1 which is the rotation axis of the rotor 12 so that at least a portion of the differential input gear 41 is located within the oil reservoir 9a. The first axis X1 is disposed below the second axis X2, The lower end of the rotor 12 is disposed above the lower end of the differential input gear 41 .

[0048] According to this configuration, the first axis X1, which is the rotation axis of the rotor 12, is disposed below the second axis X2, which is the rotation axis of the differential gear mechanism 4. Therefore, even if the inverter device 10 is disposed above the rotating electric machine 1 and at a position overlapping with the rotating electric machine 1 as viewed in the vertical direction V, it is easy to keep the dimension of the vehicle drive device 100 in the vertical direction V small. Furthermore, with this arrangement, the arrangement area of ​​the inverter device 10 in the width direction W, which is a direction perpendicular to the first axis X1 as viewed in the vertical direction, can be kept within an area relatively close to the first axis X1. Therefore, even if the configuration includes the rotating electric machine 1, the differential gear mechanism 4, and the inverter device 10, in addition to the dimension in the vertical direction V, the dimension in the width direction W can be kept small. Furthermore, according to this configuration, at least a portion of the differential input gear 41 is located within the oil reservoir 9a in which the oil F is stored. The lower end of the rotor 12 is disposed above the lower end of the differential input gear 41. This reduces the resistance to stirring the oil F caused by the rotor 12, and makes it easy to scoop up the oil F using the differential input gear 41 and supply the oil F to a supply target such as the rotating electric machine 1.

[0049] 4, in this embodiment, the differential input gear 41 is arranged so as not to overlap with the inverter device 10 when viewed in the up-down direction along the up-down direction V. In the example shown in FIG 4, the input gear 21, the counter input gear 51, and the counter output gear 52 are also arranged so as not to overlap with the inverter device 10 when viewed in the up-down direction along the up-down direction V.

[0050] With this configuration, it is easy to arrange the inverter device 10 and the differential gear mechanism 4 close to each other in the vertical direction V, so that it is easier to reduce the dimension of the vehicle drive device 100 in the vertical direction V compared to a configuration in which the differential input gear 41 is arranged so as to overlap with the inverter device 10 when viewed in the vertical direction.

[0051] 3, in this embodiment, in a steady circulation state in which the oil F circulates in the case 9 is in a steady state, the oil level position FL is located above a differential lower end line Lb2, which is an imaginary line that passes through the lower end of the differential input gear 41 along the width direction W. In other words, in the steady circulation state, the position of the oil level (oil level position FL), which is the upper surface of the oil stored in the case 9, is above the lower end of the differential input gear 41. Therefore, in this embodiment, the oil F stored in the case 9 is scooped up by the differential input gear 41 as the differential input gear 41 rotates.

[0052] Furthermore, in this embodiment, in the steady circulation state, the oil level position FL is located below a rotor bottom end line Lb12, which is an imaginary line that passes through the bottom end of the rotor 12 along the width direction W. In other words, in the steady circulation state, the position of the oil level (oil level position FL), which is the upper surface of the oil stored in the case 9, is below the bottom end of the rotor 12.

[0053] Here, the "steady circulation state" refers to a state in which the circulation state of the oil F in the case 9 is steady. Specifically, the "steady circulation state" refers to a state in which the differential input gear 41 that scoops up the oil F stored in the case 9 is rotating and the oil level position FL is stable. If an oil pump that pumps up the oil F stored in the case 9 and supplies it to the rotating electric machine 1 or the like is provided, the state in which the oil pump is operating is also included in the "steady circulation state." Basically, the "steady circulation state" occurs when the vehicle is traveling (while the rotating electric machine 1 is rotating), but this does not exclude the "steady circulation state" occurring while the vehicle (the rotating electric machine 1, the wheels WH) is stopped.

[0054] Thus, in this embodiment, in a steady circulation state in which the circulation state of oil F in case 9 is steady, the oil level position FL is above the lower end of the differential input gear 41 and below the lower end of the rotor 12.

[0055] According to this configuration, while a vehicle equipped with the vehicle drive device 100 is traveling, the stirring resistance of the oil F caused by the rotor 12 is reduced, while the oil F is scooped up by the differential input gear 41, so that the oil F can be supplied to a supply target such as a rotating electric machine 1.

[0056] As shown in Fig. 3, in this embodiment, the stator core 111 includes a cylindrical main body portion 114 and three protruding portions 115 protruding outward in the radial direction R from an outer circumferential surface 114a of the main body portion 114. For ease of explanation, the first coil end portions 112 are not shown in Fig. 3. The same applies to Fig. 5.

[0057] In this embodiment, the outer diameter of the stator 11 is smaller than the outer diameter of the differential input gear 41. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the outer diameter of the counter input gear 51 of the counter gear mechanism 5 is smaller than the outer diameter of the stator 11 and the outer diameter of the differential input gear 41. Here, the outer diameter of the stator 11 is the dimension in the radial direction R of the outer circumferential surface 114a of the main body 114. The outer diameter of the stator 11 coincides with the distance in the vertical direction V between a stator upper end line Lu1, which is a virtual line passing through the upper end of the outer circumferential surface 114a of the main body 114 along the width direction W, and a stator lower end line Lb11, which is a virtual line passing through the lower end of the outer circumferential surface 114a of the main body 114 along the width direction W. And the outer diameter of the differential input gear 41 coincides with the distance in the vertical direction V between a differential upper end line Lu2, which is a virtual line passing through the upper end of the differential input gear 41 along the width direction W, and a differential lower end line Lb2, which is a virtual line passing through the lower end of the differential input gear 41 along the width direction W. In addition, the outer diameter of the counter input gear 51 coincides with the distance in the vertical direction V between a counter upper end line Lu3, which is a virtual line passing through the upper end of the counter input gear 51 along the width direction W, and a counter lower end line Lb3, which is a virtual line passing through the lower end of the counter input gear 51 along the width direction W.

[0058] 3, the differential upper end wire Lu2, the stator upper end wire Lu1, and the counter upper end wire Lu3 are arranged from the top in the order shown, and the differential lower end wire Lb2, the stator lower end wire Lb11, and the counter lower end wire Lb3 are arranged from the bottom in the order shown.

[0059] In this manner, in the present embodiment, the stator 11 is disposed on the outer side of the rotor 12 in the radial direction R of the first axis X1, The outer diameter of the stator 11 is smaller than the outer diameter of the differential input gear 41 .

[0060] According to this configuration, it is easy to secure space for disposing the inverter device 10 at a position above the rotating electric machine 1 and overlapping with the rotating electric machine 1 as viewed in the up-down direction V. Therefore, the dimension of the vehicle drive device 100 in the up-down direction V can be kept small.

[0061] In this embodiment, the second axis X2, which is the rotation axis of the differential gear mechanism 4, is arranged so as not to overlap with the arrangement area in the width direction W of the rotating electric machine 1. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the second axis X2 is arranged so as not to overlap with the arrangement area in the width direction W of the counter gear mechanism 5 either. In addition, the third axis X3, which is the rotation axis of the counter gear mechanism 5, overlaps with the arrangement area in the width direction W of the rotating electric machine 1. Note that, in the example shown in FIG. 3, the third axis X3 is arranged between the first axis X1 and the second axis X2 in the width direction W.

[0062] In this manner, in the present embodiment, a direction perpendicular to the first axis X1 when viewed in the up-down direction along the up-down direction V is defined as a width direction W, The second axis X2 is disposed so as not to overlap with the arrangement area of ​​the rotary electric machine 1 in the width direction W.

[0063] Generally, in a configuration in which the second axis X2, which is the rotation axis of the differential gear mechanism 4, overlaps with the arrangement area of ​​the rotating electric machine 1 in the width direction W, the second axis X2 is often arranged inside the rotor 12 in the radial direction R. In such a configuration, it is difficult to arrange the first axis X1, which is the rotation axis of the rotor 12, spaced below the second axis X2. However, according to this configuration, since the second axis X2 is arranged outside the rotating electric machine 1 in the width direction W, it is easy to arrange the first axis X1 spaced below the second axis X2.

[0064] In this embodiment, the three protrusions 115 are disposed at equal intervals from one another in the circumferential direction of the main body 114. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the three protrusions 115 are disposed at different positions from one another in the vertical direction V. In the following description, the one located at the top of the three protrusions 115 is referred to as the "upper protrusion 115u." The one located at the bottom of the three protrusions 115 is referred to as the "lower protrusion 115b." The one located at the middle of the three protrusions 115 in the vertical direction V is referred to as the "middle protrusion 115m."

[0065] Moreover, the three protrusions 115 are fixed to a support member S (see FIG. 1) that supports the rotating electric machine 1. As shown in FIG. 1, in this embodiment, the support member S is a fixing portion 92c formed to protrude inward in the radial direction R from a first circumferential wall portion 92a of the case 9. In this example, the three protrusions 115 are connected to each other by bolt fastening in a state in which they abut against the fixing portion 92c from a first axial side L1.

[0066] As shown in FIG. 1, in this embodiment, the vehicle drive device 100 further includes a terminal block 6 that electrically connects the rotating electric machine 1 and the inverter device 10.

[0067] The terminal block 6 includes a conductor 61 electrically connected to a first coil end portion 112 of the rotating electric machine 1. In this embodiment, the conductor 61 penetrates the first peripheral wall portion 92a of the case 9 and is disposed across the first housing portion A1 and the fourth housing portion A4. A portion of the conductor 61 located in the first housing portion A1 is electrically connected to the first coil end portion 112 via a coil connection member 112a. A portion of the conductor 61 located in the fourth housing portion A4 is electrically connected to the inverter device 10 via an inverter connection member 10a.

[0068] In this embodiment, the conductor 61 is fixed to the first peripheral wall portion 92a of the case 9 via the insulating member 7. The insulating member 7 is made of a material having electrical insulation properties. Therefore, the insulating member 7 ensures electrical insulation between the conductor 61 and the case 9.

[0069] In this embodiment, the entire terminal block 6 is disposed on the first axial side L1 with respect to the stator core 111. In other words, the entire arrangement area of ​​the terminal block 6 in the axial direction L does not overlap with the arrangement area of ​​the stator core 111 in the axial direction L. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the entire conductor 61 is disposed on the first axial side L1 with respect to the stator core 111.

[0070] As described above, in this embodiment, the vehicle drive device 100 further includes the terminal block 6 that electrically connects the rotating electric machine 1 and the inverter device 10. The stator 11 includes a cylindrical stator core 111. The entire terminal block 6 is disposed on the first axial side L1 relative to the stator core 111.

[0071] According to this configuration, in the vehicle driving device 100, the terminal block 6 can be disposed close to the first axis X1 while preventing the terminal block 6 from interfering with the stator core 111. Therefore, the dimension of the vehicle driving device 100 in the up-down direction V can be kept small.

[0072] In this embodiment, the entire arrangement area of ​​the terminal block 6 in the axial direction L overlaps with the arrangement area of ​​the first coil end portion 112 in the axial direction L. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the entire arrangement area of ​​the conductor 61 in the axial direction L overlaps with the arrangement area of ​​the first coil end portion 112 in the axial direction L.

[0073] In this manner, in the present embodiment, in a configuration in which the entire terminal block 6 is disposed on the first axial side L1 with respect to the stator core 111, The stator 11 further includes a first coil end portion 112 protruding toward a first axial side L1 relative to the stator core 111. The entire arrangement area of ​​the terminal block 6 in the axial direction L overlaps with the arrangement area of ​​the first coil end portion 112 in the axial direction L.

[0074] According to this configuration, the axial direction L dimension of the vehicle driving device 100 can be kept small compared to a configuration in which at least a part of the axial direction L arrangement area of ​​the terminal block 6 does not overlap with the axial direction L arrangement area of ​​the first coil end portion 112, i.e., a configuration in which at least a part of the terminal block 6 is arranged protruding from the stator 11 in the axial direction L.

[0075] 5, in this embodiment, a plurality of conductors 61 are provided along the width direction W. In this example, the rotating electric machine 1 is driven by a three-phase AC (U phase, V phase, and W phase), so three conductors 61 are provided.

[0076] In this embodiment, the entire arrangement area of ​​the terminal block 6 in the width direction W overlaps with the arrangement area of ​​the stator core 111 in the width direction W. Here, "the entire arrangement area of ​​the terminal block 6 in the width direction W" refers to the entire arrangement area in the width direction W of the three conductors 61 arranged in the width direction W.

[0077] As described above, in this embodiment, the vehicle drive device 100 further includes the terminal block 6 that electrically connects the rotating electric machine 1 and the inverter device 10. The stator 11 includes a cylindrical stator core 111. The direction perpendicular to the first axis X1 when viewed in the vertical direction V is defined as the width direction W. The entire arrangement area of ​​the terminal block 6 in the width direction W overlaps with the arrangement area of ​​the stator core 111 in the width direction W.

[0078] According to this configuration, it is easier to reduce the dimension of the vehicle drive device 100 in the width direction W compared to a configuration in which at least a portion of the arrangement area of ​​the terminal block 6 in the width direction W does not overlap with the arrangement area of ​​the stator core 111 in the width direction W.

[0079] In this embodiment, the upper protrusion 115u is arranged to protrude upward from the stator upper end line Lu1. That is, the upper protrusion 115u is arranged to protrude upward from the upper end of the outer circumferential surface 114a of the main body 114 in the stator core 111. Also, in this embodiment, the lower protrusion 115b is arranged to protrude downward from the stator lower end line Lb11. That is, the lower protrusion 115b is arranged to protrude downward from the lower end of the outer circumferential surface 114a of the main body 114 in the stator core 111. Also, in this embodiment, the intermediate protrusion 115m is arranged to overlap with the first axis line Lx1 when viewed in the axial direction along the axial direction L.

[0080] In this embodiment, the lower end of the terminal block 6 is disposed above the stator upper end line Lu1. That is, the lower end of the terminal block 6 is disposed above the upper end of the outer circumferential surface 114a of the main body 114 in the stator core 111. Also, the lower end of the terminal block 6 is disposed below the fourth upper end line Lu4, which is a virtual line passing through the upper end of the upper protrusion 115u along the width direction W. That is, the lower end of the terminal block 6 is disposed below the upper end of the upper protrusion 115u. Here, the "lower end of the terminal block 6" refers to the lower end located at the lowest position among the three conductors 61 arranged in the width direction W.

[0081] As described above, in this embodiment, the stator core 111 includes a cylindrical main body portion 114 and three protruding portions 115 protruding outward from an outer circumferential surface 114a of the main body portion 114 in the radial direction R of the first axis X1. The three protrusions 115 are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the main body 114 and are fixed to a support member S that supports the rotating electric machine 1. The uppermost one of the three protrusions 115 is designated as an upper protrusion 115u. The upper protrusion 115u is disposed so as to protrude upward from the upper end of the outer circumferential surface 114a of the main body 114, The lower end of the terminal block 6 is disposed above the upper end of the outer circumferential surface 114a of the main body 114 and below the upper end of the upper protrusion 115u.

[0082] According to this configuration, even if the upper protrusion 115u is arranged to protrude above the upper end of the outer circumferential surface 114a of the main body 114, the terminal block 6 can be arranged close to the first axis X1 while avoiding interference between the terminal block 6 and the upper protrusion 115u. In addition, it is easy to prevent either the intermediate protrusion 115m or the lower protrusion 115b, which are the two protrusions other than the upper protrusion 115u among the three protrusions 115 arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction, from being arranged at the bottom of the stator core 111. Therefore, the dimension of the vehicle drive device 100 in the up-down direction V can be kept small.

[0083] Other embodiments (1) In the above embodiment, a configuration in which the third axis Lx3 is disposed above the first axis Lx1 and below the second axis Lx2 has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration. For example, the third axis Lx3 may be disposed below the first axis Lx1. Alternatively, the third axis Lx3 may be disposed above the second axis Lx2.

[0084] (2) In the above embodiment, a configuration in which the stator bottom end line Lb11 is disposed above the differential bottom end line Lb2 has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration, and the stator bottom end line Lb11 may be disposed at the same position as the differential bottom end line Lb2 in the up-down direction V, or may be disposed below the differential bottom end line Lb2.

[0085] (3) In the above embodiment, a configuration has been described as an example in which, in a steady circulation state in which the circulation state of the oil F in the case 9 is steady, the oil level position FL is above the lower end of the differential input gear 41 and below the lower end of the rotor 12. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration. For example, in the steady circulation state, the oil level position FL may be at the same position in the up-down direction V as the lower end of the rotor 12, or may be above the lower end of the rotor 12. Furthermore, in a specific circulation state of the oil F in the case 9, the oil level position FL may be below the lower end of the differential input gear 41.

[0086] (4) In the above embodiment, a configuration has been described as an example in which the outer diameter of the stator 11 is smaller than the outer diameter of the differential input gear 41. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration, and the outer diameter of the stator 11 may be the same as the outer diameter of the differential input gear 41 or larger than the outer diameter of the differential input gear 41.

[0087] (5) In the above embodiment, the upper protrusion 115u is arranged to protrude above the stator upper end line Lu1. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration, and the entire upper protrusion 115u may be arranged below the stator upper end line Lu1. In the above embodiment, the lower protrusion 115b is arranged to protrude below the stator lower end line Lb11. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration, and the entire lower protrusion 115b may be arranged above the stator lower end line Lb11. In the above embodiment, the intermediate protrusion 115m is arranged to overlap with the first axis line Lx1 in the axial view. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration, and the entire intermediate protrusion 115m may be arranged above or below the first axis line Lx1.

[0088] (6) In the above embodiment, a configuration has been described as an example in which three protrusions 115 arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the main body 114 of the stator core 111 are arranged at different positions in the up-down direction V. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration, and two of the three protrusions 115 may be arranged at the same position in the up-down direction V. Furthermore, the three protrusions 115 may be arranged at different intervals in the circumferential direction of the main body 114. Furthermore, a configuration in which two or less or four or more protrusions 115 are provided may be used.

[0089] (7) In the above embodiment, a configuration has been described as an example in which the entire arrangement area of ​​the terminal block 6 in the width direction W overlaps with the arrangement area of ​​the stator core 111 in the width direction W. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration, and a configuration in which at least a part of the arrangement area of ​​the terminal block 6 in the width direction W does not overlap with the arrangement area of ​​the stator core 111 in the width direction W may be used.

[0090] (8) In the above embodiment, a configuration has been described in which the lower end of the terminal block 6 is disposed above the upper end of the outer circumferential surface 114a of the main body 114 and below the upper end of the upper protrusion 115u. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration, and for example, the lower end of the terminal block 6 may be disposed below the upper end of the outer circumferential surface 114a of the main body 114. Also, the lower end of the terminal block 6 may be disposed above the upper end of the upper protrusion 115u.

[0091] (9) In the above embodiment, a configuration has been described as an example in which the entire terminal block 6 is disposed on the first axial side L1 with respect to the stator core 111. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration, and for example, the entire terminal block 6 may be disposed on the second axial side L2 with respect to the stator core 111. Alternatively, the arrangement area of ​​the terminal block 6 in the axial direction L may overlap with the arrangement area of ​​the stator core 111 in the axial direction L.

[0092] (10) In the above embodiment, a configuration has been described as an example in which the entire arrangement area of ​​the terminal block 6 in the axial direction L overlaps with the arrangement area of ​​the first coil end portion 112 in the axial direction L. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration, and at least a part of the arrangement area of ​​the terminal block 6 in the axial direction L does not have to overlap with the arrangement area of ​​the first coil end portion 112 in the axial direction L. Furthermore, the entire arrangement area of ​​the terminal block 6 in the axial direction L may overlap with the arrangement area of ​​the second coil end portion 113 in the axial direction L.

[0093] (11) In the above embodiment, a configuration has been described as an example in which the differential input gear 41 is arranged so as not to overlap with the inverter device 10 when viewed in the vertical direction. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration, and the differential input gear 41 may be arranged so as to overlap with the inverter device 10 when viewed in the vertical direction.

[0094] (12) In the above embodiment, a configuration has been described as an example in which the second axis X2 is disposed so as not to overlap with the arrangement area of ​​the rotating electric machine 1 in the width direction W. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration, and the second axis X2 may be disposed so as to overlap with the arrangement area of ​​the rotating electric machine 1 in the width direction W.

[0095] (13) The configurations disclosed in the above-described embodiments can be applied in combination with configurations disclosed in other embodiments, as long as no contradiction occurs. As for other configurations, the embodiments disclosed in this specification are merely examples in all respects. Therefore, various modifications can be made as appropriate within the scope of the present disclosure. [Industrial Applicability]

[0096] The technology disclosed herein can be utilized in a vehicle drive device that includes a rotating electric machine that functions as a driving force source for wheels, an input member drivingly connected to the rotor of the rotating electric machine, a pair of output members each drivingly connected to a wheel, a differential gear mechanism that distributes rotation transmitted from the input member to the pair of output members, and an inverter device that controls the rotating electric machine. [Explanation of symbols]

[0097] 100: vehicle drive device, 1: rotating electric machine, 11: stator, 12: rotor, 2: input member, 3: output member, 4: differential gear mechanism, 10: inverter device, WH: wheel, 1: first axis, X2: second axis, V: vertical direction

Claims

1. a rotating electric machine including a stator and a rotor and functioning as a driving force source for a wheel; an input member drivingly connected to the rotor; A pair of output members each drivingly connected to one of the wheels; a differential gear mechanism that distributes rotation transmitted from the input member to the pair of output members; an inverter device for controlling the rotating electric machine; a case that accommodates the rotating electric machine, the input member, the differential gear mechanism, and the inverter device, The case includes an oil reservoir in which oil is stored, the inverter device is disposed above the rotating electric machine and at a position overlapping with the rotating electric machine as viewed in the up-down direction, the differential gear mechanism includes a differential input gear that is an input element of the differential gear mechanism, the differential input gear is disposed on a second shaft different from a first shaft which is a rotation axis of the rotor such that at least a portion of the differential input gear is located within the oil reservoir; The first shaft is disposed below the second shaft, A vehicle drive device, wherein a lower end of the rotor is disposed above a lower end of the differential input gear.

2. 2. The vehicle drive device according to claim 1, wherein in a steady circulation state in which the oil circulation state in the case is in a steady state, the position of the oil level, which is the upper surface of the oil in the oil reservoir, is above the lower end of the differential input gear and below the lower end of the rotor.

3. the stator is disposed radially outward of the rotor with respect to the first shaft, 3. The vehicle drive device according to claim 1, wherein an outer diameter of the stator is smaller than an outer diameter of the differential input gear.

4. a terminal block electrically connecting the rotating electric machine and the inverter device; The stator includes a cylindrical stator core. A direction perpendicular to the first axis when viewed in the vertical direction is defined as a width direction, The vehicle drive device according to claim 1 , wherein an arrangement area of ​​the terminal block in the width direction entirely overlaps an arrangement area of ​​the stator core in the width direction.

5. The stator core includes a cylindrical main body and three protruding portions protruding from an outer circumferential surface of the main body to an outer side in a radial direction of the first shaft. the three protrusions are disposed at equal intervals from one another in a circumferential direction of the main body and are fixed to a support member that supports the rotating electric machine; The uppermost one of the three protrusions is defined as an upper protrusion, the upper protrusion is disposed so as to protrude upward beyond an upper end of the outer circumferential surface of the main body, The vehicle drive device according to claim 4 , wherein a lower end of the terminal block is disposed above an upper end of the outer circumferential surface of the main body and below an upper end of the upper protrusion.

6. a terminal block electrically connecting the rotating electric machine and the inverter device; The stator includes a cylindrical stator core. The vehicle drive device according to claim 1 , wherein the terminal block is entirely disposed on one side in the axial direction with respect to the stator core.

7. The stator further includes a coil end portion protruding from the stator core to one side in the axial direction, The vehicle drive device according to claim 6 , wherein an entire area in the axial direction where the terminal block is arranged overlaps an area in the axial direction where the coil end portion is arranged.

8. The vehicle drive device according to claim 1 , wherein the differential input gear is disposed so as not to overlap with the inverter device when viewed in the up-down direction.

9. A direction perpendicular to the first axis when viewed in the vertical direction is defined as a width direction, The vehicle drive device according to claim 1 , wherein the second shaft is disposed so as not to overlap with an arrangement area of ​​the rotating electric machine in the width direction.

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