Power transmission

Abstract

To provide a power transmission device capable of shortening a time to be required for the temperature rise of oil.SOLUTION: A power transmission device 1 includes a case 10 including a first oil storage part 11 capable of storing oil 2, a second oil storage part 12 capable of storing the oil 2, and a partition 13 partitioning the first oil storage part 11 and the second oil storage part 12, a rotary member 20 capable of abutting on the oil 2 in the first storage part 11, and an opening / closing member 30 provided on the partition 13 for supplying the oil 2 from the second oil storage part 12 to the first oil storage part 11.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a power transmission. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, JP 2020-91001 A discloses a power transmission device including a case, oil, a rotating member, a scavenging pump, a feeding pump, and an oil cooler. The case has a first chamber, a second chamber, and a partition wall separating the first chamber and the second chamber. The rotating member is disposed in the first chamber. The oil in the first chamber is sent to the second chamber by the scavenging pump, and the oil in the second chamber is sent to the oil cooler by the feeding pump. The oil flowing out of the oil cooler is supplied to the rotating member, gears, etc., and flows into each chamber. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-91001 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the power transmission device described in JP 2020-91001 A, for example, when the oil temperature is low, the viscosity of the oil increases, so it is desirable to increase the oil temperature early.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a power transmission device capable of shortening the time required for the oil to increase in temperature. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A power transmission device according to one aspect of the present disclosure comprises a case including a first oil reservoir capable of storing oil, a second oil reservoir capable of storing the oil, and a partition separating the first oil reservoir and the second oil reservoir, the oil sealed within the case, a rotating member capable of contacting the oil in the first oil reservoir, and an opening / closing member provided on the partition capable of supplying the oil from the second oil reservoir to the first oil reservoir, wherein the oil level in the first oil reservoir when the opening / closing member is open is higher than the oil level in the first oil reservoir when the opening / closing member is closed, and is at a height such that at least a portion of the rotating member is immersed in the oil. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a power transmission device capable of shortening the time required for the oil temperature to increase. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic diagram of a power transmission device according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a power transmission device in a state where an opening / closing member is open. [Diagram 3] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a schematic diagram of a power transmission device according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present disclosure will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the same or corresponding components are designated by the same reference numerals.

[0010] (First embodiment) 1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic diagram of a power transmission device according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. The power transmission device 1 is preferably applied to a transaxle mounted on a vehicle or a drive unit incorporating a motor. The power transmission device 1 transmits torque output by a power source (not shown) to an output member such as a drive shaft.

[0011] As shown in Fig. 1, the power transmission device 1 includes a case 10, a rotating member 20, an opening / closing member 30, an oil cooler 40, a first feed section 51, a second feed section 52, and a control section 60. Note that Fig. 1 shows the power transmission device 1 during normal operation or when stopped.

[0012] The case 10 forms an outer shell of the power transmission device 1. Oil 2 is sealed inside the case 10. The case 10 has a first oil reservoir 11, a second oil reservoir 12, and a partition wall 13.

[0013] The first oil reservoir 11 is capable of storing the oil 2. The first oil reservoir 11 is formed in the lower part of the case 10.

[0014] The second oil reservoir 12 is capable of storing the oil 2. The second oil reservoir 12 is formed in the lower part of the case 10. In this embodiment, the second oil reservoir 12 is adjacent to the first oil reservoir 11.

[0015] The partition wall 13 separates the first oil reservoir 11 and the second oil reservoir 12 from each other.

[0016] The rotating member 20 is disposed in the first oil reservoir 11. The rotating member 20 is a member that rotates while receiving a supply of the oil 2 in the first oil reservoir 11. Examples of the rotating member 20 include a motor generator, a motor, a gear, and a bearing. As shown in FIG. 1, the rotating member 20 is disposed at a position higher than the oil level S11 in the first oil reservoir 11 during normal operation or when stopped. Therefore, the rotating member 20 rotates in the first oil reservoir 11 without substantially receiving the stirring resistance of the oil 2. The rotating member 20 is capable of contacting the oil 2 in the first oil reservoir 11.

[0017] The opening / closing member 30 is provided on the partition wall 13. The opening / closing member 30 is provided at a position on the partition wall 13 that is higher than the lower end of the rotating member 20. The opening / closing member 30 is, for example, a solenoid valve. When the opening / closing member 30 is opened, the first oil storage section 11 and the second oil storage section 12 communicate with each other, and when the opening / closing member 30 is closed, the first oil storage section 11 and the second oil storage section 12 are disconnected from each other. The opening / closing member 30 is closed during normal operation or when stopped. As shown in FIG. 1, the opening / closing member 30 is disposed at a position lower than the oil level S12 of the second oil storage section 12 during normal operation or when stopped. When the opening / closing member 30 is closed (when the power transmission device 1 is operating normally or when stopped), the oil level S12 of the second oil storage section 12 is higher than the oil level S11 of the first oil storage section 11. The opening / closing member 30 is capable of supplying the oil 2 from the second oil reservoir 12 to the first oil reservoir 11. Specifically, the opening / closing member 30 is switchable between an open state in which the oil 2 in the second oil reservoir 12 flows into the first oil reservoir 11, and a blocked state in which the oil 2 in the second oil reservoir 12 does not flow into the first oil reservoir 11.

[0018] The oil cooler 40 is provided outside the case 10. The oil cooler 40 is capable of cooling the oil by exchanging heat between the oil 2 and a cooling medium. The oil cooler 40 has an oil flow path 41 through which the oil 2 flows, and a cooling medium flow path 42 through which the cooling medium flows. The cooling medium flowing out of the cooling medium flow path 42 is supplied to a heating device, a battery, etc.

[0019] The first feeding section 51 feeds the oil 2 in the first oil reservoir 11 to the second oil reservoir 12. In this embodiment, the first feeding section 51 is configured with a scavenging pump. However, the first feeding section 51 is not limited to a scavenging pump.

[0020] The second feed section 52 feeds the oil 2 in the second oil reservoir 12 to the oil cooler 40. The second feed section 52 is formed of, for example, an oil pump. The oil 2 flowing out from the second feed section 52 flows into the oil flow path 41 of the oil cooler 40. The oil 2 flowing out from the oil flow path 41 is supplied to the rotating member 20 and other gears from the top of the case 10, and flows into each of the oil reservoirs 11, 12. In other words, the inside of the first oil reservoir 11 is in a so-called dry sump state.

[0021] The control unit 60 controls the opening and closing of the opening / closing member 30. The control unit 60 opens the opening / closing member 30 when an opening condition indicating that the opening of the opening / closing member 30 should be opened is satisfied. The control unit 60 determines that the opening condition is satisfied, for example, when it receives a request from a device that receives the supply of the cooling medium flowing out from the oil cooler 40 (when it receives a signal output when the heating switch is turned on, a signal output when battery warm-up is started, etc.). It is preferable that the control unit 60 opens the opening / closing member 30 when the rotating member 20 rotates.

[0022] The control unit 60 closes the opening / closing member 30 when a closing condition is satisfied that indicates that the opening / closing member 30 should be closed. The control unit 60 determines that the closing condition is satisfied, for example, when a request from the device is stopped (when the control unit 60 receives a signal output when the heating switch is turned off, a signal output when the battery warm-up is completed, or the like).

[0023] Next, the operation of the power transmission device 1 will be described.

[0024] When the power transmission device 1 is in steady operation or stopped, the opening / closing member 30 is closed (disconnected). At this time, the oil level S12 in the second oil reservoir 12 is higher than the oil level S11 in the first oil reservoir 11. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, the oil level S11 in the first oil reservoir 11 is at a position where it does not contact or only slightly contacts the rotating member 20, and the oil level S12 in the second oil reservoir 12 is located above the opening / closing member 30.

[0025] In the above state, when the control unit 60 receives a request from the device (for example, when it receives a signal output when the heating switch is turned on), it opens the opening / closing member 30 (puts it in an open state). This causes the oil 2 in the second oil reservoir 12 to flow into the first oil reservoir 11. Then, as shown in Fig. 2, the oil level S12 in the second oil reservoir 12 drops as indicated by the arrow AR2, while the oil level S11 in the first oil reservoir 11 rises as indicated by the arrow AR1. In Fig. 2, the oil levels S11 and S12 before the opening / closing member 30 is opened are indicated by two-dot chain lines.

[0026] As a result, since at least a portion (lower portion) of the rotating member 20 is immersed in the oil 2, the contact area between the rotating member 20 and the oil 2 increases, and the stirring resistance of the oil 2 by the rotating member 20 increases. This causes the temperature of the oil 2 in the first oil reservoir 11 to rise. The oil 2 in the first oil reservoir 11 is sent to the second oil reservoir 12 by the first feed section 51, so that the temperature of the oil 2 in the second oil reservoir 12 also rises. Therefore, the temperature of the oil 2 sent to the oil flow passage 41 of the oil cooler 40 also rises, so that the temperature of the cooling medium flowing out from the cooling medium flow passage 42 rises quickly.

[0027] Next, when the request from the device is stopped (for example, when the control unit 60 receives a signal output when the heater is switched off), it closes the opening / closing member 30 (sets it to a cut-off state). Then, the oil levels S11, S12 of the first oil reservoir 11 and the second oil reservoir 12 return to positions when the power transmission device 1 is in normal operation or stopped, for example.

[0028] As described above, in the power transmission device 1 of this embodiment, the oil 2 in the second oil reservoir 12 flows into the first oil reservoir 11 by opening the opening / closing member 30, and the temperature of the oil in the first oil reservoir 11 increases due to the rotation of the rotating member 20. Then, the oil 2 in the first oil reservoir 11 flows into the oil cooler 40 via the second oil reservoir 12, where it exchanges heat with the cooling medium. This makes it possible to shorten the time required for the temperature of the cooling medium flowing out of the oil cooler 40 to increase.

[0029] Second embodiment Next, a power transmission device 1 according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Note that in the second embodiment, only the parts different from the first embodiment will be described, and the description of the same structure, action, and effect as the first embodiment will not be repeated.

[0030] In this embodiment, the second oil reservoir 12 is disposed above the first oil reservoir 11. The first feed section 51 is formed of a rotating member 20. As shown by an arrow AR3 in FIG. 3, the rotating member 20 scoops up the oil 2 in the first oil reservoir 11 toward the second oil reservoir 12.

[0031] In this embodiment, the partition wall 13 defines the second oil reservoir 12. The partition wall 13 has a shape that opens upward. The partition wall 13 has a bottom portion 13a and a peripheral wall portion 13b. The bottom portion 13a is formed in a flat plate shape. The peripheral wall portion 13b stands from the edge of the bottom portion 13a and is formed in an annular shape.

[0032] The peripheral wall portion 13b includes an overlapping portion 13c. The overlapping portion 13c is located above the rotating member 20 in the vertical direction. The overlapping portion 13c has a shape that is inclined so as to gradually approach the rotating member 20 as it extends upward from the bottom portion 13a. The upper end of the overlapping portion 13c is located below the upper end of the rotating member 20.

[0033] The opening / closing member 30 is provided in the overlapping portion 13c. In Fig. 3, the oil levels S11, S12 when the opening / closing member 30 is open are indicated by solid lines, and the oil levels S11, S12 before the opening / closing member 30 is opened are indicated by two-dot chain lines.

[0034] In this embodiment, since the rotating member 20 also serves as the first feed section 51, a dedicated device (such as an oil pump) for feeding the oil 2 from the first oil reservoir 11 to the second oil reservoir 12 can be omitted.

[0035] It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the exemplary embodiments described above are examples of the aspects described below.

[0036] [Aspect 1] A case including a first oil reservoir capable of storing oil, a second oil reservoir capable of storing the oil, and a partition wall separating the first oil reservoir and the second oil reservoir; The oil sealed in the case; and A rotating member capable of coming into contact with the oil in the first oil reservoir; an opening and closing member that is provided in the partition wall and is capable of supplying the oil from the second oil reservoir to the first oil reservoir, A power transmission device, wherein the oil level in the first oil reservoir when the opening / closing member is open is higher than the oil level in the first oil reservoir when the opening / closing member is closed, and is at a height such that at least a portion of the rotating member is immersed in the oil.

[0037] In this power transmission device, the oil in the second oil reservoir flows into the first oil reservoir when the opening / closing member is opened, and the temperature of the oil in the first oil reservoir increases due to the rotation of the rotating member.

[0038] [Aspect 2] The second oil reservoir is disposed above the first oil reservoir, 2. The power transmission device according to claim 1, wherein the rotating member scoops up the oil in the first oil reservoir toward the second oil reservoir.

[0039] In this embodiment, the oil in the first oil reservoir is sent to the second oil reservoir by the rotating member, making it possible to omit dedicated equipment (such as an oil pump) for sending oil from the first oil reservoir to the second oil reservoir.

[0040] [Aspect 3] the partition wall has an overlapping portion located above the rotating member in a vertical direction, 3. The power transmission device according to aspect 2, wherein the opening and closing member is provided in the overlapping portion.

[0041] In this embodiment, when the opening / closing member is opened, the oil in the second oil reservoir falls so as to come into contact with the rotating member, which increases the resistance to stirring the oil caused by the rotating member, thereby effectively raising the temperature of the oil in the first oil reservoir.

[0042] [Aspect 4] 4. The power transmission device according to any one of aspects 1 to 3, further comprising an oil cooler provided outside the case and capable of cooling the oil by exchanging heat between the oil and a cooling medium.

[0043] In this embodiment, the cooling medium that flows into the oil cooler exchanges heat with the oil that has been heated by the rotation of the rotating member inside the case, thereby making it possible to shorten the time required for the temperature of the cooling medium that flows out of the oil cooler to increase.

[0044] [Aspect 5] A control unit for controlling the opening and closing of the opening and closing member is further provided. The control unit opens the opening / closing member when an opening condition indicating that the opening / closing member is to be opened is satisfied, and closes the opening / closing member when a closing condition indicating that the opening / closing member is to be closed is satisfied.

[0045] [Aspect 6] A control unit for controlling the opening and closing of the opening and closing member is further provided. 5. The power transmission device according to aspect 4, wherein the control unit opens the opening / closing member when a request is received from a device to which the cooling medium flowing out of the oil cooler is supplied.

[0046] [Aspect 7] 7. The power transmission device of any one of aspects 4 to 6, further comprising a second delivery section that delivers the oil in the second oil reservoir to the oil cooler.

[0047] It should be noted that the embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative in all respects and should not be considered as limiting. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims, not by the description of the embodiments above, and further includes all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0048] 1 power transmission device, 10 case, 11 first oil storage section, 12 second oil storage section, 13 partition wall, 13a bottom section, 13b peripheral wall section, 13c overlapping section, 20 rotating member (first feed section), 30 opening / closing member, 40 oil cooler, 51 first feed section, 52 second feed section, 60 control section.

Claims

1. A case including a first oil reservoir capable of storing oil, a second oil reservoir capable of storing the oil, and a partition wall separating the first oil reservoir and the second oil reservoir; The oil sealed in the case; and a rotating member capable of coming into contact with the oil in the first oil reservoir; an opening and closing member that is provided on the partition wall and is capable of supplying the oil from the second oil reservoir to the first oil reservoir, an oil level in the first oil reservoir when the opening / closing member is open is higher than an oil level in the first oil reservoir when the opening / closing member is closed, and the oil level is such that at least a portion of the rotating member is immersed in the oil; The second oil reservoir is disposed above the first oil reservoir, The rotating member scoops up the oil in the first oil reservoir toward the second oil reservoir, the partition wall has an overlapping portion located above the rotating member in a vertical direction, The opening and closing member is provided at the overlapping portion.

2. A case including a first oil storage section capable of storing oil, a second oil storage section capable of storing the oil, and a partition wall separating the first oil storage section and the second oil storage section; The oil sealed in the case; and a rotating member capable of coming into contact with the oil in the first oil reservoir; an opening / closing member provided in the partition wall and capable of supplying the oil from the second oil reservoir to the first oil reservoir; an oil cooler provided outside the case and capable of cooling the oil by exchanging heat between the oil and a cooling medium; A control unit that controls the opening and closing of the opening and closing member, an oil level in the first oil reservoir when the opening / closing member is open is higher than an oil level in the first oil reservoir when the opening / closing member is closed, and the oil level is such that at least a portion of the rotating member is immersed in the oil; The control unit opens the opening / closing member when a request is received from a device to which the cooling medium flowing out of the oil cooler is supplied.

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