Vehicle drive device

Abstract

To provide a vehicle drive device capable of improving NV performance and safety of a vehicle.SOLUTION: A vehicle drive device includes a rotating electric machine having a coil end around a rotating shaft on an end face in the direction of the rotating shaft, a cover that covers the end surface, and a plate-shaped member fixed to the back surface of the cover and facing at least a portion of the coil end, and the cover has one or more first ribs extending outward from the rotating shaft when the end face is viewed from the front, and the plate-shaped member extends in a direction orthogonal to a direction in which the one or more first ribs extend.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] Electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles are equipped with a drive unit that includes a rotating electric machine such as a motor or a generator as a drive source. The rotating electric machine is housed in a case and covered with a cover (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-54073 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The cover is formed thin to facilitate mounting of the drive unit on the vehicle and to reduce the vehicle weight, but as a result, the cover is prone to generate vibration and noise due to the rotation of the rotating electric machine, which may degrade the NV (Noise Vibration) performance of the vehicle.

[0005] Furthermore, if the drive unit is disposed near a side member of the vehicle, for example, there is a risk that the side member may break and come into contact with the cover during a vehicle collision. In this case, a weak part of the cover may break, and not only may the broken pieces come into contact with the coil of the rotating electric machine that is energized, but also the coil may be exposed to the outside through the broken part.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and has an object to provide a vehicle drive device that can improve the NV performance and safety of a vehicle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The vehicle drive device of the present invention includes: a rotating electric machine having a coil end around a rotating shaft at an end surface in a rotating shaft direction; A holding portion for holding one end of the rotating shaft is provided on the rear surface, A cover for covering the end surface; The above and a plate-shaped member fixed to the rear surface of the cover and facing at least a portion of the coil end, the cover having a plurality of first ribs extending radially outward from the rotating shaft when the end surface is viewed from the front, the plate-shaped member being The end of the cover is fixed to the rear surface of the cover, When viewed from the front of the cover, each of the multiple first ribs intersects with two or more adjacent ribs and extends along a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the two or more ribs extend, so as to straddle the space between the two or more ribs.

[0009] In the above configuration, the plate-like member is The cover It may be screwed to the back surface.

[0011] In the above configuration, the cover has a bent portion that is bent toward the coil end, and a gap between an outer peripheral end of the plate-shaped member and the bent portion is 12mm or less Good too.

[0012] In the above configuration, the plate-shaped member may face a part of the coil end and be fixed to the rear surface at both ends in an extending direction of the plate-shaped member.

[0013] In the above configuration, the plate-like member may be provided with a second rib along a direction in which the plate-like member extends.

[0014] In the above configuration, the plate-shaped member may be provided with a protruding portion that protrudes outward from the coil end. Effect of the Invention

[0015] According to the present invention, it is possible to improve the NV performance and safety of a vehicle. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a top view showing an example of a configuration of a drive system of a vehicle. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a left side view showing an example of a configuration of a drive system of a vehicle. [Diagram 3] 2 is a front view showing an example of an internal configuration of a drive device with a cover removed. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an example of a protective plate. [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is a rear view showing an example of a cover when a protective plate is removed. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a rear view showing an example of a cover when a protection plate is attached. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a front view showing an example of a cover. [Figure 8] 8 is a partial cross-sectional view of the drive mechanism taken along line AA in FIG. 7. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0017] (Vehicle drive system configuration) FIG. 1 is a top view showing an example of the configuration of the drive system of the vehicle 9, and FIG. 2 is a left side view showing an example of the configuration of the drive system of the vehicle 9. In this example, the vehicle 9 on which the drive unit 1 is mounted is a hybrid vehicle, but is not limited thereto and may be an electric vehicle. Note that, in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, arrows are shown indicating the front-rear direction, the left-right direction, and the up-down direction with respect to the traveling direction of the vehicle 9. These directions are the same in FIG. 3, FIG. 5, FIG. 6, and FIG. 7. FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of the internal configuration of the vehicle body 90 seen from above, and FIG. 2 shows a schematic view of the internal configuration of the vehicle body 90 seen from the left side.

[0018] The vehicle 9 has a drive unit 1, a pair of front wheels 91f, a pair of rear wheels 91r, a front drive shaft 95f, a rear drive shaft 95r, a pair of front side members 92, an engine 93, and a transaxle 94. The pair of front wheels 91f are connected to each other via the front drive shaft 95f, and the pair of rear wheels 91r are connected to each other via the rear drive shaft 95r.

[0019] The engine 93 and the transaxle 94 are installed in the front compartment of the vehicle 9 and are connected to a front drive shaft 95f. Front side members 92 are provided on the left and right sides of the engine 93 and the transaxle 94. The transaxle 94 is connected to the engine 93 so that the power of the engine 93 can be transmitted to the front drive shaft 95f via a transmission mechanism.

[0020] The transaxle 94 is provided with a drive unit 1 equipped with a rotating electric machine in addition to a power transmission mechanism such as a transmission. The drive unit 1 has a case 10 that houses the rotating electric machine, and a cover 11 that covers an end face of the rotating electric machine. The cover 11 is formed thin in order to facilitate mounting the drive unit 1 on the vehicle 9 and to reduce the weight of the vehicle 9.

[0021] The drive unit 1 is disposed, for example, near the front side member 92 on the left side. Therefore, in the event of a collision of the vehicle 9, there is a risk that the front side member will break and come into contact with the cover 11. In this case, not only will a weak portion of the cover 11 break and its fragments come into contact with a coil of the rotating electric machine that is energized, but there is also a risk that the coil will be exposed to the outside from the broken portion.

[0022] Therefore, the drive unit 1 has a protection plate 12 that covers at least a part of the coil so as to prevent the coil from being exposed due to damage to the cover 11. The configuration of the drive unit 1 will be described in detail below.

[0023] (Driver configuration) Fig. 3 is a front view showing an example of the internal configuration of the drive device 1 with the cover 11 removed. The drive device 1 is an example of a vehicle drive device, and drives a vehicle 9. In Fig. 2, arrows indicating the forward / rearward and upward directions relative to the traveling direction of the vehicle 9 are shown.

[0024] The drive unit 1 includes rotating electric machines 2 and 3, a case 10, a cover 11, and a protective plate 12. The case 10 has an opening surface 100 that opens to the left of the traveling direction of the vehicle 9, and houses the rotating electric machines 2 and 3. The case 10 has an outer edge portion 101 that defines the opening surface 100. The outer edge portion 101 is provided with a screw hole 101a for assembling the cover 11 to the case 10. The case 10 is formed of aluminum, for example.

[0025] The rotating electric machine 2 is a motor that drives the front drive shaft 95f, and the rotating electric machine 3 is a generator that generates electricity using the driving force of the engine 93. The rotating electric machine 2 is located rearward with respect to the traveling direction of the vehicle 9, and the rotating electric machine 3 is located forward with respect to the traveling direction.

[0026] The rotating electric machine 2 has a rotor 20 and a coil 21. The rotor 20 has a rotating shaft 200 and a rotor core 201. The rotating electric machine 2 is disposed such that the rotating shaft 200 is aligned in the left-right direction with respect to the traveling direction.

[0027] The coil 21 is wound around teeth of a stator core (not shown) extending in the left-right direction relative to the traveling direction. At an end face Sa of the rotor 20 in the direction of the rotating shaft 200, a coil end 210 is provided around the rotating shaft 200 and the rotor core 201. The coil end 210 is an end of the coil 21 that is exposed to the outside.

[0028] The coil 21 is provided with terminals 22 to which power is supplied from a power unit (not shown). The coil 21 generates a rotating magnetic field by a three-phase alternating current input from the terminals 22. The rotor 20 rotates in accordance with the rotating magnetic field.

[0029] Similarly to the rotating electric machine 2 described above, the rotating electric machine 3 has a coil 31 wound around a stator core (not shown), and a rotor 30 inside the stator core. The rotor 30 has a rotating shaft 300 and a rotor core 301. The rotating electric machine 3 is disposed such that the rotating shaft 300 is aligned in the left-right direction with respect to the traveling direction. The coil 31 is provided with a terminal 32 for outputting the generated electric power. The terminal 32 is connected to, for example, a battery (not shown).

[0030] The protective plate 12 is fixed to the back surface of the cover 11 so as to face a portion of the coil end 210. The position at which the protective plate 12 is fixed is determined, for example, according to the surface rigidity of the cover 11. For example, if the surface rigidity of the rear portion of the cover 11 in the traveling direction of the vehicle 9 is lower and weaker than other portions, the protective plate 12 is fixed so as to face the rear portion of the coil end 210 that is covered by the weak portion of the cover 11.

[0031] Therefore, even if the front side member 92 breaks and comes into contact with a weak part of the cover 11, causing that part to break, the rear area of ​​the coil end 210 is covered by the protective plate 12, so exposure to the outside of the cover 11 is prevented, and safety is ensured.

[0032] Fig. 4 is a plan view showing an example of the protection plate 12. Description will be given below with reference to Fig. 4 together with Fig. 3.

[0033] The protective plate 12 is an example of a plate-like member that faces at least a portion of the coil end 210. The plate surface of the protective plate 12 is formed to describe an arc according to the shape of the portion of the coil end 210 that it covers. The protective plate 12 is formed of, for example, iron, but is not limited to this.

[0034] The protective plate 12 has fixed portions 12a-12c each having a screw hole 120a-120c, connecting portions 12d and 12e connecting the fixed portions 12a-12c, and a protruding portion 122 protruding upward from the fixed portion 12a. With respect to the traveling direction of the vehicle 9, the fixed portion 12a is provided at an end portion 12u facing upward, and the fixed portion 12c is provided at an end portion 12r facing downward. The fixed portions 12a and 12b are connected to each other by the connecting portion 12d, and the fixed portions 12b and 12c are connected to each other by the connecting portion 12d.

[0035] A step is provided between the fixing parts 12a-12c and the connecting parts 12d, 12e. The plate surfaces of the fixing parts 12a-12c and the plate surfaces of the connecting parts 12d, 12e extend at different positions in the left-right direction. The length of the connecting part 12d extending between the fixing parts 12a, 12b is longer than the length of the connecting part 12e extending between the fixing parts 12b, 12c.

[0036] The connecting portion 12d is provided with a rib 121 along the extending direction thereof. The rib 121 protrudes towards the cover 11 side, but may protrude towards the coil end 210 side instead. In this way, the protective plate 12 is provided with the rib 121 along the extending direction of the protective plate 12, and therefore the surface rigidity of the protective plate 12 is increased compared to a case where the rib 121 is not provided. The rib 121 is an example of a second rib.

[0037] The protruding portion 122 functions as a handle when an operator attaches or removes the protective plate 12. The plate surface of the protruding portion 122 is inclined toward the case 10 with respect to the plate surface of the fixed portion 12a. The protruding portion 122 protrudes outward from the coil end 210 when viewed from the rotating shaft 200. This allows an operator to easily attach or remove the protective plate 12.

[0038] The screw holes 120a to 120c are provided in the end portions 12i of the fixed portions 12a to 12c on the rotating shaft 200 side. That is, the screw holes 120a to 120c are provided on the inner peripheral side of the fixed portions 12a to 12c when viewed from the rotating shaft 200.

[0039] 5 is a rear view showing an example of the cover 11 when the protective plate 12 is removed. The rear surface Sb of the cover 11 is provided with shaft holding portions 112, 113 and fastening holes 115a to 115c. An outer edge portion 110 that is fixed to the outer edge portion 101 of the case 10 is provided around the rear surface Sb. The rear surface Sb is defined by the outer edge portion 110. The outer edge portion 110 is provided with a screw hole 110a for assembling the cover 11 to the case 10. The cover 11 is formed of aluminum, for example.

[0040] The shaft holders 112, 113 have, for example, a substantially cylindrical shape and respectively hold ends of the rotating shafts 200, 300 therein. The shaft holders 112, 113 are provided with, for example, bearings corresponding to the rotating shafts 200, 300. The shaft holder 112 is an example of a holder that holds one end of the rotating shaft 200.

[0041] The fastening holes 115a to 115c are used to fix the protection plate 12. The fastening holes 115a to 115c correspond to the screw holes 120a to 120c of the protection plate 12, respectively.

[0042] Fig. 6 is a rear view showing an example of the cover 11 when the protective plate 12 is attached. In Fig. 6, the same components as those in Fig. 5 are given the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted. The protective plate 12 is attached so as to be substantially parallel to the end face Sa of the rotating electric machine 2, for example.

[0043] The screw holes 120a to 120c of the protection plate 12 overlap with the fastening holes 115a to 115c of the cover 11, respectively. The protection plate 12 is fixed to the back surface Sb by the screws 116 passing through the screw holes 120a to 120c and screwing into the fastening holes 115a to 115c, respectively. Therefore, the protection plate 12 can increase the rigidity of the cover 11 compared to the case where the protection plate 12 is fixed to the cover 11 by, for example, fitting.

[0044] As described above, the screw holes 120a to 120c are provided at the ends 12i of the fixing parts 12a to 12c on the rotating shaft 200 side, and are therefore located on the shaft holding part 112 side. Since the shaft holding part 112 has higher rigidity than other parts of the cover 11, by fixing the protective plate 12 to the back surface Sb at the end 12i on the shaft holding part 112 side, the surface rigidity of the cover 11 can be increased compared to when the protective plate 12 is fixed on the opposite side of the end 12i.

[0045] As described above, the screw holes 120a, 120c are provided at the ends 12u, 12r in the vertical direction with respect to the traveling direction of the vehicle 9. As a result, the protection plate 12 is fixed to the back surface Sb at both ends 12u, 12r in the extending direction. Therefore, vibration of the protection plate 12 caused by the rotation of the rotating electric machines 2, 3 is suppressed compared to when the protection plate 12 is fixed at the center in the extending direction.

[0046] 7 is a front view showing an example of the cover 11. When the cover 11 is viewed from the front, the above-mentioned shaft holders 112, 113 are provided at positions overlapping with the rotating shafts 200, 300, respectively. The approximately circular bottoms of the shaft holders 112, 113 protrude toward the front side of the cover 11.

[0047] The cover 11 has a number of ribs 111 extending radially from the shaft holding portion 112 toward the outer edge portion 110. The direction in which the multiple ribs 111 extend is a direction toward the outside from the rotating shaft 200 when the end face Sa (see FIG. 3) in the rotating shaft 200 direction is viewed from the front. The ribs 111 are erected so as to protrude in the left direction with respect to the traveling direction of the vehicle 9.

[0048] Therefore, even if the thickness of the cover 11 is thin (for example, 4 (mm)), the rigidity of the cover 11 in the direction in which the ribs 111 extend is improved by the ribs 111. However, the rigidity of the cover 11 in the direction perpendicular to the ribs 111 is not improved.

[0049] Therefore, the protective plate 12 is fixed to the rear surface of the cover 11 so as to extend along a direction E perpendicular to the extending direction of the ribs 111. This improves the rigidity of the cover 11 not only in the extending direction of the ribs 111 but also in the direction E perpendicular to the extending direction. This improves the surface rigidity of the cover 11.

[0050] Therefore, vibration of the cover 11 caused by rotation of the rotating shaft 200 inside the shaft holding portion 112 is suppressed, improving the NV performance of the vehicle 9. Note that the rib 111 is an example of a first rib, and there is no limitation on the number of ribs 111, and it is sufficient that only a necessary number of ribs are provided in weak portions of the cover 11.

[0051] However, when multiple ribs 111 are provided on the front surface of the cover 11 as in this example, the rigidity of the cover 11 is improved compared to when only a single rib 111 is provided. Furthermore, since the protective plate 12 is provided so as to straddle between the multiple ribs 111 when viewed from the front of the cover 11, it is possible to further improve the surface rigidity of the portions between the ribs 111.

[0052] Furthermore, the extending direction of the protection plate 12 does not necessarily have to be at an angle of 90 degrees to the extending direction of each rib 111, and may be, for example, 75 degrees to 105 degrees. In other words, as long as the protection plate 12 is substantially perpendicular to the extending direction of the ribs 111 along the direction E perpendicular to the extending direction of the ribs 111, the surface rigidity of the cover 11 can be improved.

[0053] In addition, a plurality of ribs 114 are also provided in the direction from the shaft holding portion 113 toward the outer edge portion 110. Therefore, the rigidity of the cover 11 is improved in the direction in which the ribs 114 extend.

[0054] Fig. 8 is a partial cross-sectional view of the drive device 1 taken along the line AA in Fig. 7. Reference symbol F in Fig. 8 shows an enlarged view of the area circled with dotted lines.

[0055] One end of a rotating shaft 200 is held by the shaft holding portion 112. The rotating shaft 200 is press-fitted into a central hole 201a of a rotor core 201.

[0056] A stator core 212 is provided on the outer periphery of rotor core 201. Coils 21 are wound around stator core 212. Coil ends 210 are provided around rotating shaft 200 and exposed from stator core 212. The end face of coil end 210 on the cover 11 side faces protective plate 12. Therefore, even if cover 11 is damaged and protective plate 12 is exposed to the outside, exposure of coil end 210 during current flow is suppressed.

[0057] The cover 11 has a bent portion 117 between the shaft holding portion 112 and the outer edge portion 110, the bent portion 117 being bent towards the coil end 210. A gap SP between the outer peripheral end 12s of the protective plate 12 and the bent portion 117 is smaller than the size of a finger. Therefore, when the cover 11 is damaged and at least a part of the protective plate 12 is exposed to the outside through the damaged portion of the cover 11, a driver or worker is prevented from directly touching the coil end 210 with his or her fingers through the gap SP between the outer peripheral end 12s of the protective plate 12 and the bent portion 117.

[0058] For example, the shortest distance d between the outer peripheral edge 12s of the protection plate 12 and the bent portion 117 is 12 mm or less. Here, 12 mm corresponds to the diameter of the tip of a finger. This prevents a finger from being inserted through a damaged portion of the cover 11 and coming into contact with the coil end 210 on the back side of the protection plate 12.

[0059] The above-described embodiment is a preferred example of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to this embodiment and can be modified in various ways without departing from the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0060] 1 Drive unit (vehicle drive unit) 2,3 Rotating Electric Machines 9 Vehicles 10 Cases 11 Cover 12 Protective plate (plate-shaped member) 12u,12r,12i end 12s outer edge 111 Rib (First Rib) 121 Rib (2nd Rib) 112,113 Shaft holding part (holding part) 117 Bending section 122 Overhang 200,300 Rotation axis 210 Coil end Sa end face Sb back Sp Gap

Claims

1. a rotating electric machine having a coil end around a rotating shaft at an end surface in the rotating shaft direction; a holder for holding one end of the rotating shaft provided on a rear surface thereof and a cover for covering the end surface; a plate-shaped member fixed to the rear surface of the cover and facing at least a portion of the coil end, the cover has a plurality of first ribs extending radially outward from the rotation shaft when the end surface is viewed from the front, The plate-like member is fixed to the back surface of the cover at an end portion on the holding portion side, and when viewed from the front of the cover, the plate-like member intersects two or more adjacent ribs among the plurality of first ribs and extends along a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the two or more ribs extend, so as to straddle between the two or more ribs. A drive unit for a vehicle.

2. The plate-shaped member is fixed to the rear surface of the cover with a screw. The vehicle drive device according to claim 1 .

3. the cover has a bent portion bent toward the coil end, The gap between the outer peripheral end of the plate-like member and the bent portion is 12 mm or less. The vehicle drive device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The plate-shaped member faces a part of the coil end, and both ends of the plate-shaped member in an extending direction are fixed to the back surface.

4. A vehicle drive device according to claim 1.

5. A second rib is provided on the plate-like member along a direction in which the plate-like member extends.

5. A vehicle drive device according to claim 1.

6. The plate-shaped member is provided with a protruding portion that protrudes outward from the coil end.

6. A vehicle drive device according to claim 1.

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