Oil cooler fixing structure

Abstract

To provide an oil cooler fixing structure which enables improvement of heat exchange efficiency in an oil cooler while fixing the oil cooler to a case body forming an exterior of a trans-axle.SOLUTION: In an oil cooler fixing structure 10, an oil cooler 70 is fixed to a trans-axle housing 40 forming an exterior of a trans-axle 1. The oil cooler 70 is fastened to the trans-axle housing 40 through a support part 90 at the outside of the trans-axle housing 40. Further, a gap 80 is provided between the oil cooler 70 and the trans-axle housing 40.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an oil cooler fixing structure in which an oil cooler is fixed to a case body that forms the exterior of a transaxle. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there has been provided a transaxle equipped with an oil passage structure configured using an oil cooler fixed to a case body forming the exterior of the transaxle, as disclosed in the following Patent Document 1. The oil passage structure of the transaxle disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a transaxle housing that houses an electric motor, an oil passage that serves as a flow path for oil that cools the electric motor, and an oil cooler located on the side of the transaxle housing, with at least a portion of the oil passage extending upward from below the electric motor, and the oil cooler also serving as a portion of the oil passage that extends upward. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-093867 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Here, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, when an oil cooler fixing structure is adopted in which the oil cooler is fixed to the case body that forms the exterior of the transaxle, there is an advantage in that the number of pipes and other components arranged on the outside of the case body can be minimized. On the other hand, when the oil cooler is configured to be fastened to the case body as disclosed in Patent Document 1, there is a demand for further improvement in the heat exchange efficiency of the oil cooler.

[0005] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide an oil cooler fixing structure that can fix an oil cooler to a case body that forms the exterior of a transaxle while improving the heat exchange efficiency of the oil cooler compared to conventional technology. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] (1) The oil cooler fixing structure of the present invention is characterized in that an oil cooler is fixed to a case body that forms the exterior of a transaxle, and the oil cooler is fastened to the case body via a support portion outside the case body, and a gap is provided between the oil cooler and the case body.

[0007] The oil cooler fixing structure of the present invention has a gap between the oil cooler and the case body, which allows air to flow through the gap, thereby improving the heat exchange efficiency of the oil cooler. Furthermore, by being configured as described in (1) above, the oil cooler fixing structure of the present invention can prevent an immediate impact from being applied to the transaxle when an external impact is applied to the transaxle from the side to which the oil cooler is fastened, such as when a vehicle equipped with a transaxle collides.

[0008] (2) The oil cooler fixing structure of the present invention is preferably characterized in that the oil cooler has a case-facing area facing the case body, an oil pipe connection part to which an oil pipe through which oil to be cooled flows is connected, and a refrigerant pipe connection part to which a refrigerant pipe through which a refrigerant for cooling the oil flows, and the oil pipe connection part and the refrigerant pipe connection part are provided in an area of ​​the oil cooler excluding the case-facing area.

[0009] The oil cooler fixing structure of the present invention, configured as described above in (2), can prevent a decrease in air permeability in the gap formed between the oil cooler and the case body by the oil pipe connection portion for connecting the oil pipe and the refrigerant pipe connection portion for connecting the refrigerant pipe, thereby further improving the heat exchange efficiency of the oil cooler.

[0010] (3) The oil cooler fixing structure of the present invention may be characterized in that the oil pipe connection portion and the refrigerant pipe connection portion are provided in an area of ​​the oil cooler that is on the opposite side from the case facing area.

[0011] The oil cooler fixing structure of the present invention, configured as described above in (3), can prevent a decrease in air permeability in the gap formed between the oil cooler and the case body by the oil pipe connection portion for connecting the oil pipe and the refrigerant pipe connection portion for connecting the refrigerant pipe. This allows the oil cooler fixing structure of the present invention to further improve the heat exchange efficiency of the oil cooler. Furthermore, by configuring the oil cooler fixing structure of the present invention as described above in (3), when an external impact is applied to the transaxle from the side where the oil cooler is fastened, such as when a vehicle equipped with a transaxle collides, the impact is first absorbed by the oil pipe connection portion, the refrigerant pipe connection portion, and the oil pipes and refrigerant pipes connected to these connection portions. This allows the oil cooler fixing structure of the present invention to prevent an impact from being immediately applied to the transaxle.

[0012] (4) The oil cooler fixing structure of the present invention may be characterized in that, when the transaxle is mounted on a vehicle, the oil cooler is fastened to the case body at a position on the front side of the vehicle.

[0013] By configuring the oil cooler fixing structure of the present invention as described above in (4), when the vehicle experiences a frontal collision or the like, the impact of the collision can be absorbed first by the oil cooler, thereby preventing the impact from being immediately applied to the transaxle.

[0014] (5) In the oil cooler fixing structure of the present invention, when the transaxle is mounted on a vehicle, the oil cooler is fastened to the case body at a position on the front side of the vehicle, and the oil cooler is connected to an oil pipe through which oil to be cooled flows and a refrigerant pipe through which a refrigerant for cooling the oil flows, Preferably, at least one of the oil piping and the refrigerant piping has a bent portion bent near the oil cooler, and the oil cooler is positioned so that the bent portion is located further forward of the vehicle than the transaxle.

[0015] By configuring the oil cooler fixing structure of the present invention as described above in (5), when the vehicle experiences a frontal collision, the impact of the collision can be absorbed first by the oil pipe connection portion, the refrigerant pipe connection portion, and the oil pipe and refrigerant pipe that are arranged to form a bent portion further forward of the vehicle than the transaxle. As a result, the oil cooler fixing structure of the present invention can prevent an impact from being immediately applied to the transaxle.

[0016] (6) The oil cooler fixing structure of the present invention may be characterized in that the oil cooler is connected to the case body at least at one point.

[0017] The oil cooler fixing structure of the present invention, configured as described above in (6), can fix the oil cooler to the case body with sufficient strength.

[0018] (7) In the oil cooler fixing structure of the present invention, it is preferable that the side of the case body that forms the mounting side of the oil cooler has an inclined portion formed so that the region on one side is inclined relative to the region on the other side via a predetermined boundary portion, and the further away from the boundary portion the further away from the mounting side of the oil cooler becomes, and the oil cooler is arranged in a space that is triangular in side view and located below the inclined portion.

[0019] By configuring the oil cooler fixing structure of the present invention as described above in (7), the triangular space formed below the inclined portion can be effectively used as an installation space for the oil cooler. [Effects of the Invention]

[0020] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an oil cooler fixing structure that solves the above-mentioned problems associated with the present invention. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a transaxle equipped with an oil cooler fixing structure according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 1 is a perspective view showing a transaxle equipped with an oil cooler fixing structure according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 3] 1 is a side view showing a transaxle equipped with an oil cooler fixing structure according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a side view showing a transaxle equipped with an oil cooler fixing structure according to a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] An oil cooler fixing structure 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, prior to describing the details of the oil cooler fixing structure 10, a general configuration of the transaxle 1 to which the oil cooler 70 is to be attached will be described.

[0023] <About Transaxle 1> The transaxle 1 is provided in a vehicle V shown in Fig. 1. The vehicle V is provided with an engine (not shown) and a battery (not shown). The vehicle V is a so-called series hybrid vehicle, which is capable of running by using the engine as a power source to drive a first electric motor 20 (described later), which in turn drives a second electric motor 30 (described later), and also capable of running by stopping the engine and using a battery as a power source to drive the second electric motor 30 (EV running).

[0024] As shown in FIG. 1, the transaxle 1 includes a transaxle housing 40, a first electric motor 20 (electric motor), a second electric motor 30 (electric motor), and a differential mechanism 32.

[0025] The first electric motor 20 (MG1) is composed of a motor generator. A generator controller incorporating an inverter and the like is connected to the first electric motor 20. Although not shown, the generator controller is mounted on the top of the transaxle 1. The AC power output from the first electric motor 20 is converted to DC power by the generator controller, and the DC power is supplied to a battery, thereby charging the battery. The first electric motor 20 is driven by rotational power transmitted by an engine (not shown).

[0026] The second electric motor 30 (MG2) is made up of a motor generator. A motor controller incorporating an inverter and the like is connected to the second electric motor 30. Although not shown, the generator controller is mounted on the top of the transaxle 1. A battery is connected to the motor controller. DC power output from the battery is supplied to the motor controller, the DC power is converted to AC power by the motor controller, and the AC power is supplied to the second electric motor 30, thereby driving the second electric motor 30. In the following description, the first electric motor 20 (MG1) and the second electric motor 30 (MG2) may be collectively referred to simply as "electric motor 18."

[0027] The differential mechanism 32 is configured to allow differential motion between a pair of left and right drive shafts (not shown) that drive the left and right drive wheels, and to transmit rotational power to the pair of left and right drive shafts. As shown in Fig. 1, the differential mechanism 32 is configured with multiple gears including a differential ring gear 32a and a differential gear 32b.

[0028] The power of the second electric motor 30 is transmitted to a differential ring gear 32a of a differential mechanism 32 via multiple gears, and then transmitted from the differential mechanism 32 to the drive wheels 2. This causes the drive wheels 2 to rotate, and the vehicle V moves.

[0029] The transaxle housing 40 (case body) is a housing body that houses the first electric motor 20, the second electric motor 30, etc. As shown in Fig. 1, the transaxle housing 40 (case body) is a single housing body made up of three components. More specifically, the transaxle housing 40 is made up of a first component 40a, a second component 40b, and a third component 40c.

[0030] As shown in Fig. 1, the first component 40a forms a middle portion of the transaxle housing 40 in the width direction W. As shown in Fig. 1, a partition wall 43 is formed in the first component 40a, and the partition wall 43 separates a space that becomes the motor chamber 41 from a space that becomes the gear chamber 42. The second component 40b is attached to the motor chamber 41 side of the first component 40a. The third component 40c is attached to the gear chamber 42 side.

[0031] In the following description, the first component 40a, the second component 40b, and the third component 40c may be collectively referred to as the transaxle housing 40.

[0032] As described above, the internal space of the transaxle housing 40 is divided into the motor chamber 41 and the gear chamber 42 by the partition wall 43. As shown in Fig. 1, the first electric motor 20 and the second electric motor 30 are housed in the motor chamber 41. The gear chamber 42 houses the differential mechanism 32.

[0033] Furthermore, oil is contained inside the transaxle housing 40, and the oil is pumped by an oil pump 60 (described later) to cool the first electric motor 20 and the second electric motor 30.

[0034] As described above, the transaxle housing 40 of this embodiment is composed of three components, but the case body of the present invention is not limited to this embodiment and may be composed of a single component, or two or four or more components.

[0035] The oil cooler 70 is a heat exchanger (water-cooled cooler) that exchanges heat between oil and water. As shown in FIG. 2, the oil cooler 70 has a generally rectangular appearance when viewed from the front (Fr) side. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the oil cooler 70 is provided with an oil introduction section 76a serving as an oil inlet and an oil discharge section 76b serving as an oil outlet. The oil cooler 70 also is provided with a refrigerant introduction section 78a and a refrigerant discharge section 78b serving as inlets and outlets for a refrigerant (cooling water in this embodiment) for cooling the oil.

[0036] <About Oil Cooler Fixing Structure 10> Next, we will explain the oil cooler fixing structure 10. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the oil cooler fixing structure 10 is a fixing structure in which an oil cooler 70 is fixed to a transaxle housing 40 that forms the exterior of the transaxle 1. The oil cooler fixing structure 10 fastens the oil cooler 70 to the transaxle housing 40 outside the transaxle housing 40.

[0037] Here, transaxle housing 40 has a region on the side where oil cooler 70 is attached, where a region on one side (in this embodiment, a lower side) is inclined relative to a region on one side (in this embodiment, an upper side) via a predetermined boundary, and the region is formed so that the further away from the other side from the boundary, the further away from the side where oil cooler 70 is attached. In this embodiment, the portion of transaxle housing 40 that will be the front side when mounted on vehicle V is formed in this shape. Specifically, in the portion (front region 40F) that will be the front side when mounted on vehicle V, transaxle housing 40 has a lower region (lower region 40D) inclined relative to an upper region 40U located above a boundary located in the vertical middle, and a portion (inclined portion 40X) formed so that the further away from the boundary, the further away from the portion that will be the front side when mounted on vehicle V. As a result, as shown in FIG. 3 , a triangular space 40Z is formed when transaxle housing 40 is viewed from the side. Space 40Z is located in a position that is hidden by transaxle housing 40 when transaxle housing 40 is viewed from above (transaxle 40 viewed from above in FIG. 3).

[0038] When the transaxle 1 is mounted on the vehicle V, the oil cooler 70 is fastened to the transaxle housing 40 at a position that corresponds to the upper region 40U in the front region 40F, which is on the front side of the vehicle V. Specifically, the oil cooler 70 is fastened at its upper end to the upper region 40U of the transaxle housing 40 with almost no gap using fasteners such as bolts. Meanwhile, the oil cooler 70 is fastened at its lower end to the transaxle housing 40 via a support portion 90 with a gap. Specifically, the support portion 90 is formed by a cylindrical boss or collar. The lower end of the oil cooler 70 is fastened to the inclined portion 40X that forms the lower region 40D of the transaxle housing 40 with fasteners such as bolts inserted into the cylindrical support portion 90. This provides a gap 80 between the oil cooler 70 and the transaxle housing 40. Additionally, the oil cooler 70 is disposed in a triangular space 40Z provided below the inclined portion 40X. This allows the space 40Z to be effectively utilized as an installation space for the oil cooler 70. Therefore, in the oil cooler fixing structure 10, the oil cooler 70 is disposed without protruding from the transaxle housing 40 in the front-to-rear direction (the front side in the arrangement of this embodiment) or the up-to-down direction (the lower side in the arrangement of this embodiment).

[0039] The oil cooler 70 has a case-facing region 72 and an opposite-side region 74. The case-facing region 72 is a region that faces the transaxle housing 40 (front region 40F) when attached to the transaxle housing 40. The oil cooler 70 is installed in a triangular space 40Z provided below the transaxle housing 40, so that a gap is formed between the case-facing region 72 and the transaxle housing 40. This allows air to freely flow in and out of the case-facing region 72, and also allows tools or the like to be inserted from the side through this gap to access the transaxle housing 40. As a result, with the oil cooler fixing structure 10 installed, work on the transaxle housing 40 can be performed through the gap provided behind the oil cooler 70. Specifically, with the oil cooler fixing structure 10 of this embodiment, work such as attaching and detaching bolts 40Y provided in the transaxle housing 40 can be performed.

[0040] The opposite side region 74 is a region of the oil cooler 70 opposite to the case facing region 72. In the opposite side region 74, an oil pipe connection portion 76 and a refrigerant pipe connection portion 78 are provided.

[0041] The oil pipe connection portion 76 is connected to an oil pipe 100 through which oil to be cooled in the oil cooler 70 flows. Specifically, the oil pipe connection portion 76 of the oil cooler 70 includes an oil inlet portion 76a, which serves as an oil inlet to the oil cooler 70, and an oil outlet portion 76b, which discharges the oil from the oil cooler 70. The oil pipe 100 also includes an oil inlet pipe 102, which introduces oil taken out from the transaxle housing 40 toward the oil cooler 70, and an oil outlet pipe 104, which discharges the oil from the oil cooler 70 and returns it to the transaxle housing 40. The oil inlet pipe 102 is connected to the oil inlet portion 76a. The oil outlet pipe 104 is connected to the oil outlet portion 76b. This allows oil to flow between the oil cooler 70 and the transaxle housing 40.

[0042] The refrigerant pipe connection portion 78 is connected to a refrigerant pipe 110 for introducing and discharging a refrigerant (cooling water in this embodiment) to the oil cooler 70. Specifically, the oil cooler 70 has, as the refrigerant pipe connection portion 78, a refrigerant introduction portion 78a which serves as a refrigerant inlet to the oil cooler 70, and a refrigerant discharge portion 78b for discharging the refrigerant from the oil cooler 70. The refrigerant pipe 110 also includes a refrigerant introduction pipe 112 which introduces refrigerant supplied from a refrigerant supply source (not shown) toward the oil cooler 70, and a refrigerant discharge pipe 114 which discharges the refrigerant from the oil cooler 70 toward the refrigerant supply source. The refrigerant introduction pipe 112 is connected to the refrigerant introduction portion 78a. The refrigerant discharge pipe 114 is connected to the refrigerant discharge portion 78b. Thus, the oil cooler 70 is connected to the refrigerant supply source so that the refrigerant can flow back and forth between the oil cooler 70 and the refrigerant supply source.

[0043] The oil pipe connection portion 76 and the refrigerant pipe connection portion 78 described above are provided in the oil cooler 70 in a region excluding the case-opposing region 72. In the present embodiment, the oil pipe connection portion 76 and the refrigerant pipe connection portion 78 are provided in the opposite region 74. Therefore, the oil pipe connection portion 76 and the refrigerant pipe connection portion 78 are provided outside the gap 80. Therefore, the oil inlet pipe 102 and the oil outlet pipe 104 that constitute the oil pipe 100, and the refrigerant inlet pipe 112 and the refrigerant outlet pipe 114 that constitute the refrigerant pipe 110 are also disposed outside the gap 80.

[0044] Furthermore, the oil inlet pipe 102 and the oil outlet pipe 104 that constitute the oil pipe 100 have bent portions 102a and 104a, respectively, that are bent near the oil cooler 70. The oil inlet pipe 102 and the oil outlet pipe 104 are arranged such that the bent portions 102a and 104a arrive on the front side of the vehicle V with respect to the oil cooler 70. Furthermore, the refrigerant inlet pipe 112 and the refrigerant outlet pipe 114 that constitute the refrigerant pipe 110 have bent portions 112a and 114a, respectively, that are bent near the oil cooler 70. The refrigerant inlet pipe 112 and the refrigerant outlet pipe 114 are arranged such that the bent portions 112a and 114a arrive on the front side of the vehicle V with respect to the oil cooler 70.

[0045] The oil cooler fixing structure 10 of the present embodiment described above has the following characteristic configurations (a) to (e), which enable the oil cooler fixing structure 10 to achieve the following unique effects.

[0046] (a) The oil cooler fixing structure 10 of this embodiment is characterized in that an oil cooler 70 is fixed to a transaxle housing 40 that forms the exterior of the transaxle 1, and the oil cooler 70 is fastened to the transaxle housing 40 via a support portion 90 outside the transaxle housing 40, and a gap 80 is provided between the oil cooler 70 and the transaxle housing 40.

[0047] In the oil cooler fixing structure 10 of this embodiment, a gap 80 is provided between the oil cooler 70 and the transaxle housing 40, and air can flow through this gap 80, thereby improving the heat exchange efficiency of the oil cooler 70. Furthermore, by being configured as described in (a) above, the oil cooler fixing structure 10 of this embodiment can prevent the immediate application of an impact to the transaxle 1 when an external impact is applied to the transaxle 1 from the side to which the oil cooler 70 is fastened, such as when the vehicle V on which the transaxle 1 is mounted collides.

[0048] (b) In the oil cooler fixing structure 10 of this embodiment, the oil cooler 70 has a case-facing region 72 facing the transaxle housing 40, an oil pipe connection portion 76 to which an oil pipe 100 through which oil to be cooled flows is connected, and a refrigerant pipe connection portion 78 to which a refrigerant pipe 110 through which a refrigerant for cooling the oil flows, and the oil pipe connection portion 76 and the refrigerant pipe connection portion 78 are provided in areas of the oil cooler 70 excluding the case-facing region 72.

[0049] The oil cooler fixing structure 10 of this embodiment, configured as described above in (b), can prevent a decrease in air permeability in the gap 80 formed between the oil cooler 70 and the transaxle housing 40 by the oil pipe connection portion 76 for connecting the oil pipe 100 and the refrigerant pipe connection portion 78 for connecting the refrigerant pipe 110. This allows the oil cooler fixing structure 10 of this embodiment to further improve the heat exchange efficiency in the oil cooler 70.

[0050] (c) In the oil cooler fixing structure 10 of this embodiment, the oil pipe connection portion 76 and the refrigerant pipe connection portion 78 are provided in the opposite side region 74 provided on the oil cooler 70 on the opposite side from the case facing region 72.

[0051] The oil cooler fixing structure 10 of this embodiment, by being configured as described in (c) above, can prevent a decrease in air permeability in the gap 80 formed between the oil cooler 70 and the transaxle housing 40 by the oil pipe connection portion 76 for connecting the oil pipe 100 and the refrigerant pipe connection portion 78 for connecting the refrigerant pipe 110. As a result, the oil cooler fixing structure 10 of this embodiment can further improve the heat exchange efficiency of the oil cooler 70. Furthermore, by being configured as described in (c) above, when an external impact is applied to the transaxle 1 from the side to which the oil cooler 70 is fastened, such as when the vehicle V on which the transaxle 1 is mounted collides, the impact is first absorbed by the oil pipe connection portion 76, the refrigerant pipe connection portion 78, and the oil pipe 100 and the refrigerant pipe 110 connected to these connection portions. As a result, the oil cooler fixing structure 10 of this embodiment can prevent an impact from being immediately applied to the transaxle 1.

[0052] (d) In the oil cooler fixing structure 10 of this embodiment, when the transaxle 1 is mounted on the vehicle V, the oil cooler 70 is fastened to the transaxle housing 40 at a position on the front side of the vehicle V.

[0053] By configuring the oil cooler fixing structure 10 of this embodiment as described in (d) above, when the vehicle V collides or the like at its front, the impact of the collision or the like can be absorbed first by the oil cooler 70. As a result, the oil cooler fixing structure 10 of this embodiment can prevent the impact from being immediately applied to the transaxle 1.

[0054] (e) In the oil cooler fixing structure 10 of this embodiment, when the transaxle 1 is mounted on the vehicle V, the oil cooler 70 is fastened to the transaxle housing 40 at a position on the front side of the vehicle V, and the oil cooler 70 is connected to an oil pipe 100 through which the oil to be cooled flows, and a refrigerant pipe 110 through which a refrigerant for cooling the oil flows, and at least one of the oil pipe 100 and the refrigerant pipe 110 has bent portions 102a, 104a, 112a, 114a that are bent near the oil cooler 70, and the oil cooler 70 is positioned so that the bent portions 102a, 104a, 112a, 114a are located at a position that is further forward of the vehicle V than the transaxle 1.

[0055] By configuring the oil cooler fixing structure 10 of this embodiment as described in (e) above, when the vehicle V experiences a frontal collision or the like, the impact of the collision can be absorbed first by the oil pipe connection portion 76, the refrigerant pipe connection portion 78, and the oil pipe 100 and the refrigerant pipe 110 that are arranged to form bent portions 102a, 104a, 112a, 114a on the front side of the vehicle V relative to the transaxle 1. As a result, the oil cooler fixing structure 10 of this embodiment can prevent an impact from being immediately applied to the transaxle 1.

[0056] (f) In the oil cooler fixing structure 10 of this embodiment, the oil cooler 70 is connected to the transaxle housing 40 at least at one point.

[0057] The oil cooler fixing structure 10 of this embodiment, by being configured as described above in (f), can fix the oil cooler 70 to the transaxle housing 40 with sufficient strength.

[0058] (g) In the oil cooler fixing structure 10 of this embodiment, the side surface of the transaxle housing 40 that forms the mounting side of the oil cooler 70 has an inclined portion 40X formed such that the region on one side (upper region 40U) is inclined relative to the region on the other side (lower region 40D) via a predetermined boundary portion, and the further away from the boundary portion the further away from the mounting side of the oil cooler 70 it becomes, and the oil cooler 70 is arranged in a space 40Z that is triangular in side view and located below the inclined portion 40X.

[0059] The oil cooler fixing structure 10 of this embodiment, by being configured as in (g) above, can effectively use the triangular space 40Z formed below the inclined portion 40X as an installation space for the oil cooler 70.

[0060] The oil cooler fixing structure 10 exemplified in this embodiment has various characteristic configurations including the configurations (a) to (g) described above, but the present invention is not limited to these. The oil cooler fixing structure 10 may have a configuration that omits any of the configurations included in the above (a) to (g), or may have other configurations in addition to or instead of the configurations included in (a) to (g), without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0061] Specifically, the oil cooler fixing structure 10 may be one in which a gap 80 is provided between the oil cooler 70 and the transaxle housing 40 as in (a) above, and it is possible to have a configuration without a support portion 90, or to have a support portion 90 different from the above-described one. For example, it is preferable to provide a bracket as shown in FIG. 4 as a support portion 190 in place of the cylindrical support portion 90 described above.

[0062] In the oil cooler fixing structure 10 described above, the oil pipe connection portion 76 and the refrigerant pipe connection portion 78 do not necessarily have to be provided in an area of ​​the oil cooler 70 other than the case-facing area 72 as in (b) above, but one or both of the oil pipe connection portion 76 and the refrigerant pipe connection portion 78 may be provided in the case-facing area 72. Even in such a configuration, it is preferable to ensure sufficient ventilation in the gap 80, for example, so that the oil cooler 70 can fully demonstrate its heat exchange efficiency.

[0063] In the oil cooler fixing structure 10 described above, as shown in (c) above, the oil pipe connection portion 76 and the refrigerant pipe connection portion 78 are provided in the opposite side region 74 of the oil cooler 70, which is provided on the opposite side from the case-facing region 72, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, either or both of the oil pipe connection portion 76 and the refrigerant pipe connection portion 78 may be provided in a region other than the case-facing region 72 and the opposite side region 74, such as the periphery of the oil cooler 70.

[0064] In the oil cooler fixing structure 10 described above, as shown in (d) above, the oil cooler 70 is fastened to the transaxle housing 40 at a position on the front side of the vehicle V, but the present invention is not limited to this. Specifically, the oil cooler fixing structure 10 may also be one in which the oil cooler 70 is fastened to the transaxle housing 40 at a position on the rear side or a position on the lateral side of the vehicle V.

[0065] In the oil cooler fixing structure 10 described above, as described in (e) above, both the oil piping 100 and the refrigerant piping 110 have bent portions 102a, 104a, 112a, and 114a bent near the oil cooler 70, and the oil cooler 70 is disposed so that the bent portions 102a, 104a, 112a, and 114a arrive at positions that are further forward of the transaxle 1 in terms of the vehicle V, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, it is possible for either or both of the oil piping 100 and the refrigerant piping 110 to not have the bent portions 102a, 104a, 112a, and 114a, or for the oil cooler 70 to be disposed so that some or all of the bent portions 102a, 104a, 112a, and 114a arrive at positions that are further rearward or to the side of the transaxle 1 in terms of the vehicle V.

[0066] In the oil cooler fixing structure 10 described above, as described in (f) above, the oil cooler 70 is directly connected to the transaxle housing 40 at at least one point (in the above embodiment, the upper portion of the oil cooler 70), but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the oil cooler fixing structure 10 may also indirectly fix the upper portion of the oil cooler 70 to the transaxle housing 40 via a member equivalent to the support portion 90. Also, in the above embodiment, an example is shown in which the upper portion of the oil cooler 70 is directly fixed to the transaxle housing 40 and the lower portion is indirectly fixed via the support portion 90, but the present invention is not limited to this. An upper side of the oil cooler 70 may be indirectly connected to the transaxle housing 40 and a lower side of the oil cooler 70 may be directly connected to the transaxle housing 40. Furthermore, the oil cooler 70 may be provided with fixing points on the left and right sides in addition to or instead of the upper and lower fixing points.

[0067] The oil cooler fixing structure 10 described above has an example in which the transaxle housing 40 has an inclined portion 40X and the oil cooler 70 is disposed in the space 40Z located below the inclined portion 40, as shown in (g) above. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, if the transaxle housing 40 does not have an inclined portion 40X and there is no equivalent to the space 40Z, the oil cooler 70 may be disposed in a location other than the above-described space 40Z, without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Furthermore, even if there is an equivalent to the space 40Z, the oil cooler 70 may be disposed in a location outside the space equivalent to the space 40Z, without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0068] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the oil cooler fixing structure 10 is illustrated as being provided on the transaxle 1 of the vehicle V, which is a series hybrid vehicle, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the structure can also be suitably employed as a structure for fixing an oil cooler to a transaxle in vehicles driven by power generated in an internal combustion engine, parallel hybrid vehicles, automatic transmission vehicles, electric vehicles, and other vehicles. [Industrial Applicability]

[0069] The oil cooler fixing structure of the present invention can be suitably used as a structure for fixing an oil cooler to a transaxle. [Explanation of symbols]

[0070] 1: Transaxle 10: Oil cooler fixing structure 40: Transaxle housing (case body) 70: Oil cooler 72: Case facing area 74: Opposite region 76: Oil pipe connection 78: Refrigerant piping connection 80: Gap 90: Support part 100: Oil piping 102a: Bent part 104a: Bent part 110: Refrigerant piping 112a: Bent part 114a: Bent part V: Vehicle

Claims

1. An oil cooler fixing structure in which an oil cooler is fixed to a case body that forms the exterior of a transaxle, the oil cooler is fastened to the case body via a support portion outside the case body, A gap is provided between the oil cooler and the case body, The oil cooler is connected to the case body at least at one point, An oil cooler fixing structure characterized in that an upper end side of the oil cooler is directly fastened to an upper region of the case body with almost no gap.

2. 2. The oil cooler fixing structure according to claim 1, wherein, of the side surfaces constituting the case body, the side surface on which the oil cooler is attached has an inclined portion formed such that the region on one side is inclined relative to the region on the other side via a predetermined boundary portion, and the further away from the boundary portion the further away from the attachment side of the oil cooler becomes, and the oil cooler is arranged in a space that is triangular in side view and located below the inclined portion.

Images