Drive unit

Abstract

To provide a technology which enables reduction of vibration transmitted to a high voltage component covered with a cover.SOLUTION: A drive device includes: an electric motor which drives wheels of a vehicle; a gear connected to the electric motor; a casing which houses at least one of the electric motor and the gear; a high voltage component which is fixed to a side wall of the casing from the outer side of the casing and electrically connected to the electric motor; and a cover which is fixed to the side wall of the casing from the outer side of the casing and covers the high voltage component. The cover is connected to a component located outside the cover.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The technology disclosed in this specification relates to a drive device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a drive unit that includes an electric motor that drives the wheels of a vehicle, a casing that houses the electric motor, an inverter body, and a cover that covers the inverter body. The drive unit is fixed to a subframe of the vehicle via a bracket. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] U.S. Patent No. 9,692,277 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In a vehicle, vibrations may be applied to a cover that covers an inverter body. In the above-described drive device, the inverter body is fixed to the cover, so vibrations applied to the cover are directly transmitted to the inverter body. This specification provides a technology that can reduce vibrations transmitted to high-voltage components covered by the cover. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The drive device disclosed in this specification includes an electric motor that drives wheels of a vehicle, a gear connected to the electric motor, a casing that houses at least one of the electric motor and the gear, a high-voltage component that is fixed to a side wall of the casing from the outside of the casing and is electrically connected to the electric motor, and a cover that is fixed to the side wall of the casing from the outside of the casing and covers the high-voltage component. In the drive device disclosed in this specification, the cover is connected to a component located outside the cover.

[0006] In the above-described vehicle, vibrations from components located outside the cover are transmitted to the cover that covers the high-voltage components. The high-voltage components are fixed to the side walls of the casing from the outside of the casing. Therefore, vibrations transmitted from the components to the cover are transmitted to the high-voltage components via the side walls of the casing. Therefore, the drive device disclosed in this specification can reduce vibrations transmitted from the components to the high-voltage components compared to conventional technologies in which vibrations transmitted from the components to the cover are transmitted directly to the high-voltage components.

[0007] Details and further improvements of the technology disclosed in this specification are described in the following "Description of Embodiments of the Invention." [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 shows a plan view of an electric vehicle 100 on which a drive device 10 of a first embodiment is mounted. [Figure 2] 2 shows a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG. 1. [Figure 3] 10 shows a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 2 of a driving device 10A according to a second embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 shows a plan view of a driving device 10B according to a third embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 shows a plan view of a driving device 10C according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 6] 10 shows a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 2 of a driving device 10D according to a fifth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] In one embodiment of the present technology, the casing may house the electric motor and the gear, however, in another embodiment, the casing may not house, for example, a gear.

[0010] In one embodiment of the present technology, the casing may include a first casing that houses the electric motor and a second casing that houses the gear. However, in another embodiment, for example, the first casing may house the electric motor and the gear.

[0011] In one embodiment of the present technology, the high-voltage component, the electric motor, and the gear may be arranged along an axial direction parallel to a rotation axis of the electric motor in the order of the high-voltage component, the electric motor, and the gear. However, in another embodiment, the high-voltage component, the electric motor, and the gear may be arranged in the order of the high-voltage component, the gear, and the electric motor. Parallel to the rotation axis of the electric motor The electric motor, the high-voltage component, and the gear may be arranged in this order along the axial direction. the electric motor The rotors may be arranged along an axial direction parallel to the rotation axis of the rotor.

[0012] In one embodiment of the present technology, the component may include at least one of a vehicle body of the vehicle, a component fixed to the vehicle body, and a vibration-generating component. In this case, the cover may be connected to the component via a bracket. With this configuration, for example, it is possible to suppress transmission of vibrations generated by vehicle movement or vibrations generated from the vibration-generating component to high-voltage components via the bracket.

[0013] In one embodiment of the present technology, the vehicle may include a subframe fixed to the vehicle body, and the component may include a mounting mount provided on the subframe. With this configuration, it is possible to suppress transmission of vibrations of the mounting mount provided on the subframe to the high-voltage component via the bracket.

[0014] In one embodiment of the present technology, the vehicle may include an air conditioning compressor, and the vibration generating member may be the compressor. With this configuration, it is possible to suppress transmission of vibration of the compressor to high-voltage components via the bracket.

[0015] In one embodiment of the present technology, the vehicle may be a hybrid vehicle including an engine fixed to a vehicle body. In this case, the electric motor and the engine may be arranged along an axial direction parallel to a rotational axis of the electric motor. However, in another embodiment, the engine may be arranged along a direction perpendicular to the electric motor and the rotational axis of the electric motor.

[0016] In one embodiment of the present technology, the side wall of the casing may extend in a direction intersecting the rotation axis of the electric motor of the casing. In this case, the component may face an outer surface of the side wall. However, in another embodiment, the side wall of the casing may extend along the rotation axis of the electric motor of the casing. In this case, the component may face an outer surface of the side wall.

[0017] (First Example) FIG. 1 shows a plan view of an electric vehicle 100 equipped with a drive train 10 of a first embodiment. In addition to the drive train 10, the electric vehicle 100 includes a vehicle body 2, a front drive shaft 5F, a pair of front wheels 4F, a rear drive shaft 5R, a pair of rear wheels 4R, a battery pack 6, a rear suspension member 8, and a compressor 70. For ease of understanding, the vehicle body 2 of the electric vehicle 100 is shown with a dashed line in FIG. 1. In this specification, the electric vehicle 100 includes not only electric vehicles but also fuel cell vehicles. In the coordinate system in the figure, FR indicates the front of the electric vehicle 100, UP indicates the top of the electric vehicle 100, and LH indicates the left side of the electric vehicle 100. Below, "up," "down," "left," "right," "front," and "rear" are described based on the coordinate system in the figure.

[0018] The pair of front wheels 4F are provided at both ends of a front drive shaft 5F, and the pair of rear wheels 4R are provided at both ends of a rear drive shaft 5R.

[0019] The drive unit 10 is located below a rear seat (not shown) of the electric vehicle 100 and is disposed above a rear suspension member 8. In a modified example, the drive unit 10 may be located below a board that forms the bottom of the luggage space of the electric vehicle 100. The drive unit 10 drives a pair of rear wheels 4R via a rear drive shaft 5R of the electric vehicle 100. The drive unit 10 includes a casing 11, an inverter unit 20, a gear unit 30, and a motor unit 40. The inverter unit 20 includes an inverter 22. The gear unit 30 includes a link gear 32, a counter gear 33, and a differential gear 34. The motor unit 40 includes a motor 42.

[0020] The battery pack 6 is disposed below the floor panel 9 (see FIG. 2 ) of the electric vehicle 100. The battery pack 6 supplies power to the drive unit 10, which then drives the pair of rear wheels 4R. The drive unit 10 also functions as a generator. The battery pack 6 stores the power supplied from the drive unit 10. The inverter 22 is connected to the battery pack 6 via a power cable 7. The inverter 22 converts DC power from the battery pack 6 into AC power suitable for driving the motor 42. Therefore, the inverter 22 is a high-voltage component to which high-voltage power is applied. Here, “high voltage” refers to an operating voltage exceeding 60 V DC and not exceeding 1500 V, or exceeding 30 V AC (effective value) and not exceeding 1000 V AC (effective value). Furthermore, a “high-voltage component” in this specification may typically be a component electrically connected to the motor 42 and having a function of controlling the power supplied to the motor 42. In this case, a cable connected to the motor 42 does not fall under the category of a “high-voltage component.” In a modified example, the drive device 10 may incorporate, in place of or in addition to the inverter 22, a DC / DC converter that boosts the DC power of the battery pack 6, for example.

[0021] The compressor 70 is located in the front component 3 of the electric vehicle 100. The compressor 70 is an air conditioning compressor that adjusts the temperature inside the vehicle cabin of the electric vehicle 100.

[0022] The internal structure of the drive unit 10 will be described with reference to FIG. 2. The casing 11 of the drive unit 10 is a rectangular box that defines a space for accommodating the motor 42 and a space for accommodating the link gear 32, counter gear 33, and differential gear 34 of the gear unit 30. The casing 11 has a left side wall 14 at its left end. The left side wall 14 is an outer wall that separates the inside and outside of the casing 11 and extends in the vertical direction. The drive unit 10 is fixed to a rear suspension member 8 via a pair of brackets 60L and 60R and a pair of mounting mounts 50L and 50R. The rear suspension member 8 is fixed to the upper surface of a floor panel 9 of the body 2 of the electric vehicle 100. The rear suspension member 8 is a subframe of the electric vehicle 100 formed by combining multiple frames. The pair of mounting mounts 50L and 50R are members provided on the rear suspension member 8. The pair of mounting mounts 50L and 50R are members that connect the rear suspension member 8 to the pair of brackets 60L and 60R, respectively. The pair of brackets 60L and 60R have shapes that are symmetrical to each other. Similarly, the pair of mounting mounts 50L and 50R have shapes that are symmetrical to each other. The following mainly describes the structures of the left bracket 60L and mounting mount 50L.

[0023] The motor 42 in the casing 11 is a so-called electric motor and includes a rotor 44 and a stator core 46. The rotor 44 extends in the left-right direction along the rotation axis A1 of the motor 42. The rotor 44 is made of a magnetic material and houses a permanent magnet (not shown) therein. The rotor 44 has a motor shaft 47 that extends in an axial direction (i.e., the left-right direction) parallel to the rotation axis A1. The motor shaft 47 is rotatably supported by the casing 11 via a pair of bearings 49.

[0024] 2 , in the drive device 10, the inverter unit 20, the gear unit 30, and the motor unit 40 are arranged in this order from the left along an axial direction parallel to the rotation axis A1. Furthermore, the gear unit 30 is located between the motor 42 and the inverter 22. Note that in a modified example, for example, a cooling unit may be interposed between the inverter unit 20 and the gear unit 30 to supply a heat medium for cooling the inverter 22 of the inverter unit 20 to the inverter unit 20. That is, in a modified example, in addition to the units 20, 30, and 40, other members may be arranged between the units 20, 30, and 40.

[0025] By arranging the units 20, 30, 40 in the left-right direction in this way, the vertical size of the drive unit 10 can be reduced compared to, for example, a configuration in which the units 20, 30, 40 are arranged in the vertical direction, thereby increasing the interior space of the electric vehicle 100. Furthermore, the left side wall 14 extends in a direction intersecting the rotation axis A1.

[0026] The stator core 46 has a cylindrical shape and extends in the left-right direction along the rotation axis A1. The stator core 46 is located radially outside the rotor 44. A gap is provided between the stator core 46 and the rotor 44. The stator core 46 is made of a magnetic material. A stator coil 48 is provided on the stator core 46. The stator coil 48 is made of a conductor and is wound around the outer surface of the stator core 46. The stator coil 48 of the motor unit 40 is electrically connected to the inverter 22 of the inverter unit 20. When power from the battery pack 6 is supplied to the stator coil 48 via the inverter 22, a magnetic force is generated between the stator coil 48 and the rotor 44. This causes the rotor 44 to rotate about the rotation axis A1.

[0027] The motor shaft 47 extends leftward from the motor unit 40 until it reaches the link gear 32 of the gear unit 30. The motor shaft 47 is coupled to the link gear 32 of the gear unit 30. That is, the motor 42 is mechanically connected to the link gear 32 via the motor shaft 47. As a result, the rotation of the rotor 44 of the motor 42 is transmitted to the link gear 32. The link gear 32 meshes with the counter gear 33. The counter gear 33 meshes with the differential gear 34. That is, the link gear 32 is mechanically connected to the differential gear 34 via the counter gear 33. The differential gear 34 is mechanically connected to the rear drive shaft 5R. As a result, the rotation of the link gear 32 is transmitted to the rear drive shaft 5R via the counter gear 33 and the differential gear 34. In this way, the motor 42 is coupled to the three gears 32 of the gear unit 30, 33、 The pair of rear wheels 4R are driven via the link gear 32 and differential gear 34. In a modified example, the gear unit 30 may not include the counter gear 33. In that case, the link gear 32 and differential gear 34 may be directly meshed with each other.

[0028] The inverter unit 20 includes a cover 21 in addition to an inverter 22. The inverter 22 includes a plurality of switching elements. The inverter 22 is fixed to the left side wall 14 of the casing 11 from the left side by a plurality of bolts B2. 11 The left side wall 14 of the casing 11 is fixed to the outside of the casing 11.

[0029] The cover 21 of the inverter unit 20 has a box shape that is open on the right side. The cover 21 includes an end wall 24, an annular wall 23, and a pair of flanges 26U and 26D. The outer peripheral edge of the end wall 24, which extends in the vertical direction, is connected to the pair of flanges 26U and 26D by the annular wall 23, which extends in the left-right direction. After the inverter 22 is fixed to the left side wall 14 of the casing 11, the cover 21 is fixed to the left side wall 14 from the left side of the inverter 22. As a result, the cover 21 covers the inverter 22 from the left side. The inverter 22 is fixed to the left side wall 14 of the casing 11 from the left side via the pair of flanges 26U and 26D with multiple bolts B2. The casing 11 may further accommodate a smoothing capacitor that smoothes the output of the inverter 22 and / or a filter that suppresses noise generation at the input of the inverter 22.

[0030] A bracket 60L is fixed to the end wall 24 of the cover 21 by a plurality of bolts B1. The bracket 60L has a fixing portion that abuts against the end wall 24 of the cover 21 and a main body portion that is bent in an L shape. A boss of the mounting mount 50L is inserted into the lower end of the main body portion of the bracket 60L. This fixes the bracket 60L to the mounting mount 50L. As a result, as shown in FIG. 2, the left surface of the left side wall 14 faces the mounting mount 50L. In a modified example, the bracket 60L is fixed to the cover 2 It may be fixed to the end wall 24 of the first member 22 by adhesive or by welding.

[0031] For example, when the electric vehicle 100 travels, the vehicle body 2 (e.g., floor panel 9) vibrates. In this case, the vibration of the floor panel 9 is transmitted to the drive unit 10 via the rear suspension member 8, the pair of mounting mounts 50L and 50R, and the pair of brackets 60L and 60R. Here, it is particularly necessary to reduce the vibration of the inverter 22, which is a high-voltage component. The inverter 22 is covered by a cover 21, which is fixed to the rear suspension member 8 via the mounting mount 50L and the bracket 60L. For this reason, the vibration of the mounting mount 50L is transmitted to the cover 21 that covers the inverter 22 via the bracket 60L.

[0032] In the drive device 10, the inverter 22 is fixed to the left side wall 14 of the casing 11 from outside the casing 11. In other words, the inverter 22 is not directly fixed to the cover 21 that covers the inverter 22. Therefore, even if vibration is transmitted from the mounting mount 50L to the cover 21, the vibration is not directly transmitted from the cover 21 to the inverter 22. The vibration is first transmitted to the left side wall 14 of the casing 11, attenuated by the left side wall 14, and then transmitted to the inverter 22. In this way, according to the drive device 10 of this embodiment, it is possible to reduce the vibration transmitted from the mounting mount 50L to the inverter 22 compared to the conventional technology in which the inverter 22 is directly fixed to the cover 21.

[0033] (Second Example) A drive device 10A of the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 3. The drive device 10A of the second embodiment differs from the drive device 10 of the first embodiment in the arrangement of the motor unit 40 and the gear unit 30. Specifically, in the drive device 10A of the second embodiment, the inverter unit 20, the motor unit 40, and the gear unit 30 are arranged in this order from left to right along an axial direction parallel to the rotation axis A1 (i.e., the left-right direction). Furthermore, in the drive device 10A of the second embodiment, the motor 42 is located between the gear unit 30 and the inverter 22. In the drive device 10A of the second embodiment, the inverter 22 is fixed to the left wall 14 of the casing 11 from the outside. Therefore, similar to the drive device 10 of the first embodiment, vibrations transmitted from the mounting mount 50L to the inverter 22 can be reduced. Similar to the first embodiment described above, in the second embodiment, in addition to the units 20, 30, and 40, other members may be arranged between the units 20, 30, and 40.

[0034] (Third Example) A drive unit 10B of the third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 4. FIG. 4 shows a plan view of the drive unit 10B of the third embodiment. Unlike the drive unit 10 of the first embodiment, the drive unit 10B of the third embodiment is disposed in the front component 3 (see FIG. 1) of the electric vehicle 100B. The drive unit 10B of the third embodiment includes a motor unit 40F and a gear unit 30F, and drives a pair of front wheels 4F (see FIG. 1) via a front drive shaft 5F. The motor unit 40F has a motor 42F, and the gear unit 30F has a link gear 32F and a differential gear 34F. The structure of the motor unit 40F is similar to that of the motor unit 40 of the first embodiment. The structure of the gear unit 30F is similar to that of the gear unit 30 of the first embodiment.

[0035] The drive unit 10B of the third embodiment is fixed to the floor surface of the front component 3, i.e., the floor panel 9C, from the left side by a left mount 52L, a left bracket 62L, and a plurality of bolts B1 and B3. Furthermore, the drive unit 10B of the present embodiment is fixed to the floor panel 9C from the right side by a right mount 52R, a right bracket 62R, and a plurality of bolts B1 and B3.

[0036] In the drive device 10B of the third embodiment, the inverter unit 20F is disposed in front of the drive device 10B. That is, the inverter unit 20F is not arranged along an axial direction parallel to the rotation axis A2 of the motor unit 40F, gear unit 30F, and motor 42F. The inverter unit 20F is fixed to a front wall 14F of a casing 11F of the drive device 10B with a plurality of bolts B2. Unlike the left side wall 14 of the first embodiment, the front wall 14F extends along the rotation axis A2 of the motor 42F.

[0037] Furthermore, in the drive device 10B of the third embodiment, unlike the drive device 10 of the first embodiment described above, the front wall 14F is formed by the casing of the motor unit 40F and the casing of the gear unit 30F. Therefore, the inverter unit 20 is fixed to the front wall 14F across the motor unit 40F and the gear unit 30F.

[0038] Furthermore, a compressor 70 is fixed to the cover 21F by a bracket 64F and a plurality of bolts B1. The compressor 70 is located in front of the drive unit 10B. The compressor 70 faces the front surface of the front wall 14F.

[0039] The compressor 70 compresses and expands the heat transfer medium by reciprocating a piston (not shown). Therefore, the compressor 70 is a vibration generating member that generates vibrations when operated.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 4 , in the drive device 10B of this embodiment, the compressor 70 is connected to the cover 21F via a bracket 64F. Therefore, vibrations of the compressor 70 are transmitted to the drive device 10B via the bracket 64F. However, in the drive device 10B, the inverter 22F of the inverter unit 20F is fixed to the front wall 14F of the casing 11F with multiple bolts B2, not to the cover 21F. Therefore, compared to the conventional technique in which the inverter 22F is fixed to the cover 21F, it is possible to reduce vibrations transmitted from the compressor 70 to the inverter 22F. Furthermore, by fixing the compressor 70 to the drive device 10B via the bracket 64F, it is possible to reduce restrictions on the arrangement of equipment housed in the front component 3.

[0041] (Fourth Example) A drive unit 10C of a fourth embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Unlike the drive units 10, 10A, and 10B of the above-described embodiments, the drive unit 10C of the fourth embodiment is disposed in a front component 3C of a hybrid vehicle 100C. The hybrid vehicle 100C includes an engine 80.

[0042] Furthermore, unlike the drive unit 10B of the third embodiment, the drive unit 10C of this embodiment does not include a gear unit 30F. Therefore, the motor 42C of the motor unit 40C is directly connected to the front drive shaft 5F inside the casing 11C. Furthermore, the engine 80 is disposed to the left of the drive unit 10C. That is, the motor 42C and the engine 80 are arranged along an axial direction (i.e., the left-right direction) parallel to the rotation axis A3 of the motor 42C. Note that in a modified example, a gear unit may be provided between the motor unit 40C and the engine 80.

[0043] Furthermore, a storage space S1 is provided in the front of the casing 11C of the drive unit 10C of this embodiment. The storage space S1 is a recess provided in the front of the casing 11C, and is open to the front. A bottom wall 14C of the storage space S1 extends in the left-right direction along the rotation axis A3 of the motor 42C.

[0044] An inverter 22C is disposed in the accommodation space S1. The inverter 22C is fixed from the front side to a bottom wall 14C of the accommodation space S1 by a plurality of bolts B2. Furthermore, a cover 21C is fixed to the front surface of the casing 11C by a plurality of bolts B2. The cover 21C is a flat plate-shaped member that extends parallel to the bottom wall 14C of the accommodation space S1. The cover 21C is a lid that closes the accommodation space S1. The cover 21C covers the inverter 22C disposed in the accommodation space S1.

[0045] The cover 21 is fixed to the floor surface of the front component 3C, i.e., to the floor panel 9C, via a bracket 64C. Furthermore, the engine 80 is fixed to the floor panel 9C from the left side by a left bracket 62L and multiple bolts B1 and B3. The drive unit 10C is fixed to the floor panel 9C from the right side by a right bracket 62R and multiple bolts B1 and B3.

[0046] In this way, drive unit 10C of this embodiment is fixed to floor panel 9C in the left-right direction by a pair of brackets 62L, 62R, and is also fixed to floor panel 9C from the front by bracket 64C. Therefore, drive unit 10C is more firmly fixed to floor panel 9C than in a configuration where drive unit 10C is fixed only in the left-right direction.

[0047] Furthermore, vibrations from the floor panel 9C are transmitted to the cover 21C via the bracket 64C. However, in the drive unit 10C, the inverter 22C is fixed to the bottom wall 14C of the accommodation space S1 of the casing 11C by a plurality of bolts B2, rather than to the cover 21C. Therefore, compared to the conventional technology in which the inverter 22C is fixed to the cover 21C, it is possible to reduce vibrations transmitted from the floor panel 9C to the inverter 22C. In this embodiment, the floor panel 9C is an example of a "component."

[0048] (Fifth Example) A driving device 10D of the fifth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 6. The driving device 10D of the fifth embodiment differs from the driving device 10A of the second embodiment in the configuration of the casing 11D. The casing 11D of the driving device 10D of this embodiment has a motor casing 15D and a gear casing 12D. The motor casing 15D houses the motor 42. In addition to the left side wall 14D, the motor casing 15D further has an extension wall 16D that extends leftward beyond the left side wall 14D. The extension wall 16D covers the inverter 22 of the inverter unit 20 from above and below. An opening 17D is provided at the left end of the motor casing 15D. The opening 17D connects the inside of the casing 11D, in which the inverter 22 is housed, with the outside of the casing 11D.

[0049] The opening 17D of the motor casing 15D is covered by a cover 21D. That is, the cover 21D covers the inverter 22. The cover 21D has a seat 28D extending toward the left. The seat 28D is fixed to the mounting mount 54L by a bolt B4. In this manner, the cover 21D of this embodiment is fixed to the mounting mount 54L via the seat 28D of the cover 21D. Note that in a modified example, the cover 21D may be fixed directly to the mounting mount 54L or to the vehicle body 2 without using the seat 28D.

[0050] The gear casing 12D is fixed to the motor casing 15D by a plurality of bolts B5. That is, the gear casing 12D and the motor casing 15D are fastened to each other. Furthermore, a seal member 19 is provided at the boundary between the casings 12D and 15D. The seal member 19 is, for example, an O-ring. The seal member 19 seals the space inside the gear casing 12D, thereby preventing, for example, leakage of lubricant used to smooth the rotation of the gears 32, 33, and 34 from the gear casing 12D. Thus, in this embodiment, the casing 11D is composed of two casings: the gear casing 12D and the motor casing 15D. That is, in this embodiment, the motor casing 15D is an example of a "first casing," and the gear casing 12D is an example of a "second casing." Note that, in a modified example, the casings 12D and 15D may be fixed to each other with an adhesive or by welding.

[0051] Like the cover 21D, the gear casing 12D also has a seat 13D. The seat 13D is fixed to the mounting mount 54R by bolts B4. In the drive device 10D of this embodiment, the inverter 22 is also fixed from the outside to the left side wall 14D of the motor casing 15D. Therefore, similar to the drive device 10 of the first embodiment, it is possible to reduce vibrations transmitted from the mounting mount 54R to the inverter 22.

[0052] While specific examples of the technology disclosed in this specification have been described in detail above, these are merely examples and do not limit the scope of the claims. The technology described in the claims includes various modifications and alterations of the specific examples exemplified above.

[0053] The technical elements described in this specification or drawings may exhibit technical utility either alone or in various combinations, and are not limited to the combinations described in the claims at the time of filing. Furthermore, the technologies illustrated in this specification or drawings may achieve multiple objectives simultaneously, and achieving one of those objectives alone is technically useful. [Explanation of symbols]

[0054] 2: Body, 3, 3C: Front component, 4F: Front wheel, 4R: Rear wheel, 5F: Front drive shaft, 5R: Rear drive shaft, 6: Battery pack, 7: Power cable, 8: Rear suspension member, 9: Floor panel, 9C: Floor panel, 10, 10A, 10B, 10C: Drive unit, 11, 11C, 11F: Casing, 12D: Gear casing, 13D, 28D: seat, 14, 14D: left side wall, 14C: bottom wall, 14F: front side wall, 15D: motor casing, 16D: extension wall, 20, 20F: inverter unit, 21, 21C, 21F: cover, 22, 22C, 22F: inverter, 24: end wall, 26D, 26U: flange, 30, 30F: gear unit, 32, 32F: link gear, 34, 34F: differential gear, 40, 40C, 40F: motor unit, 42, 42C, 42F: motor, 44: rotor, 46: stator core, 47: motor shaft, 48: stator coil, 49: bearing, 50L, 50R: mounting mount, 52L: left mount, 52R: right mount, 60L, 62L, 64C, 64F: bracket, 62L: left bracket, 62R: right bracket, 70: compressor, 80: engine, 100, 100B: electric vehicle, 100C: hybrid vehicle, A1, A2, A3: rotating shaft

Claims

1. an electric motor that drives the wheels of the vehicle; a gear mechanically connected via a motor shaft of the electric motor; a casing that accommodates at least one of the electric motor and the gear; a side wall of the casing, the inner surface of which faces the end surface of the motor shaft, and a high-voltage component fixed from the outside of the casing to the side wall, the high-voltage component being electrically connected to the electric motor; a cover fixed to the side wall of the casing from the outside of the casing and covering the high-voltage components; Equipped with the cover is fixed to a component of the vehicle located outside the cover, The component is at least one of a body of the vehicle and a member fixed to the body. Drive unit.

2. The drive device according to claim 1 , wherein the casing houses the electric motor and the gear.

3. The drive device according to claim 1 , wherein the casing includes a first casing that houses the electric motor and a second casing that houses the gear.

4. 4. The drive device according to claim 2, wherein the high-voltage component, the electric motor, and the gear are arranged in the order of the high-voltage component, the electric motor, and the gear along an axial direction parallel to a rotation axis of the electric motor.

5. 4. The drive device according to claim 2, wherein the high-voltage component, the electric motor, and the gear are arranged in the order of the high-voltage component, the gear, and the electric motor along an axial direction parallel to a rotational axis of the electric motor.

6. The cover is fixed to the component via a bracket. The drive device according to claim 1 .

7. The vehicle includes a subframe fixed to the vehicle body, The cover is fixed to the subframe. The drive device according to claim 6.

8. the vehicle is a hybrid vehicle having an engine fixed to a vehicle body, The electric motor and the engine are arranged along an axial direction parallel to a rotational axis of the electric motor. The drive device according to claim 1 .

9. The component faces an outer surface of a side wall of the casing extending in a direction intersecting the rotation axis of the electric motor. The drive device according to claim 1 .

10. The component faces an outer surface of a side wall of the casing that extends along the rotation axis of the electric motor. The drive device according to claim 1 .

11. The drive device according to claim 1 , wherein the high-voltage component is an inverter and / or a DC / DC converter.

12. 2. The drive device according to claim 1, wherein the high-voltage component is a component having an operating voltage of more than 60 V DC and not more than 1500 V DC, or more than 30 V AC and not more than 1000 V AC in effective value.

13. an electric motor that drives the wheels of the vehicle; a gear mechanically connected via a motor shaft of the electric motor; a casing that accommodates at least one of the electric motor and the gear; a high-voltage component fixed from the outside of the casing to a side wall of the casing extending along the rotation axis of the motor shaft, and electrically connected to the electric motor; a cover fixed to the side wall of the casing from the outside of the casing and covering the high-voltage components; Equipped with The vehicle is equipped with an air conditioning compressor, The cover is fixed to the compressor. Drive unit.

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