In-wheel motor

Abstract

To provide an in-wheel motor capable of effectively suppressing damage to a drain plug caused by a flying stone.SOLUTION: An in-wheel motor comprising a motor disposed inside a wheel, and a case accommodating the motor, has a lower arm mounting portion at which the case and a lower arm is connected. The lower arm mounting portion is disposed in a position facing the surface of the wheel. The case has a drain plug disposed in a position between the surface of the wheel and the lower arm mounting portion.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an in-wheel motor. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a structure of an in-wheel motor in which a drain plug is provided in a case that houses the motor, and the drain plug is disposed inside the wheel. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-055804 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, simply arranging the drain plug inside the wheel of the in-wheel motor as in the configuration described in Patent Document 1 has not been able to sufficiently prevent damage to the drain plug caused by flying stones.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has an object to provide an in-wheel motor that can effectively prevent damage to the drain plug caused by flying stones. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention is an in-wheel motor comprising a motor arranged inside a wheel and a case that houses the motor, the motor having a lower arm mounting portion that connects the case to a lower arm, the lower arm mounting portion being arranged in a position facing the surface of the wheel, and the case having a drain plug arranged in a position between the surface of the wheel and the lower arm mounting portion.

[0007] According to this configuration, the drain plug is positioned between the wheel surface and the lower arm mounting portion, thereby reducing the exposed area of ​​the drain plug, thereby effectively preventing damage to the drain plug from flying stones.

[0008] The drain plug may be provided in a lower portion of the case, facing downward in the vertical direction, and positioned higher than the lower arm mounting portion in the vertical direction.

[0009] According to this configuration, the drain plug can be disposed in a position where it is protected from flying stones by the lower arm mounting portion, and damage to the drain plug caused by flying stones can be suppressed. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] In the present invention, the drain plug is positioned between the wheel surface and the lower arm mounting portion, thereby reducing the exposed area of ​​the drain plug, thereby effectively preventing damage to the drain plug from flying stones. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically illustrating an in-wheel motor according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining the arrangement of a drain plug. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] An in-wheel motor according to an embodiment of the present invention will be specifically described below, although the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described below.

[0013] 1 is a diagram schematically illustrating an in-wheel motor according to an embodiment. The in-wheel motor 1 includes a case 2 that houses the motor and a drain plug 3 provided at the bottom of the case 2. The in-wheel motor 1 is disposed inside a wheel 4 of a vehicle.

[0014] The in-wheel motor 1 is mounted on a vehicle as a power source. The in-wheel motor 1 includes a motor that drives the wheels and a power transmission device that transmits the motor's power to the wheels. The motor has a rotor and a stator. The motor is located inside the wheel 4. The power transmission device includes a reducer that reduces the rotation of the motor before outputting it. In the in-wheel motor 1, the power output from the motor is transmitted to the wheels via the reducer. The motor and reducer are housed inside a case 2. The case 2 contains oil that cools the motor. This oil functions as cooling oil for the motor and also as lubricating oil that lubricates the reducer inside the case 2. The output shaft of the reducer is connected to the wheel via an axle hub so that it rotates integrally with the wheel. The axle hub forms the inner ring of the hub bearing. The hub bearing has an inner ring, rolling elements, and an outer ring, and the outer ring is fixed to the case 2. The inner ring of the hub bearing is formed by the cylindrical portion of the axle hub. The axle hub is attached to the disc portion of the wheel 4 and rotates integrally with the wheel. The wheel 4 has a disc portion and a rim portion. The axle hub and brake disc are fixed to the disc portion of the wheel 4 by bolting. In the in-wheel motor 1, the output shaft of the reducer, the axle hub, the brake disc, and the wheel 4 rotate as a single unit. The in-wheel motor 1 has a structure in which a case 2 is disposed inside the wheel 4 of the vehicle.

[0015] The case 2 is connected to a lower arm and is supported on the vehicle body via a suspension. The in-wheel motor 1 includes a lower arm mounting portion 5 where the case 2 and the lower arm are connected.

[0016] The lower arm mounting portion 5 is a part that is integrated with the case 2. That is, the case 2 may be configured to include the lower arm mounting portion 5. As shown in FIG. 1 , the lower arm mounting portion 5 is arranged below the center of rotation of the wheel 4 in the vertical direction of the vehicle. In the in-wheel motor 1, a drain plug 3 is arranged next to the lower arm mounting portion 5 on the case 2. The lower arm mounting portion 5 is arranged in a position that faces the surface of the wheel 4. The case 2 also has a drain plug 3 that is arranged in a position between the surface of the wheel 4 and the lower arm mounting portion 5.

[0017] The drain plug 3 is provided at the bottom of the case 2 and faces downward in the vertical direction. A drain hole that serves as a flow path for oil is formed in the case 2. This drain hole is blocked by the drain plug 3. The drain plug 3 is a component configured to be detachable from the drain hole. When the oil in the case 2 needs to be changed due to deterioration or other reasons, the drain plug 3 can be removed from the drain hole.

[0018] 1, the drain plug 3 is disposed above the lower arm mounting portion 5 in the vertical direction. Furthermore, the drain plug 3 is disposed within the wheel 4 as shown in FIG. 2. That is, the drain plug 3 is disposed between the case 2 and the wheel 4 in the vertical direction, and is provided between the lower arm mounting portion 5 and the wheel 4 in the width direction. The width direction can be expressed as the width direction of the wheel, the width direction of the vehicle, and the direction of the rotational center axis of the wheel 4.

[0019] When the vehicle is running, it is expected that flying stones kicked up by the wheels 4 will bounce off the inner surface of the wheel house as the wheels rotate. In the in-wheel motor 1, the lower arm attachment part 5 is located between the inner surface of the wheel house and the drain plug 3 in the width direction. In other words, in the in-wheel motor 1, the drain plug 3 is located at a position where the lower arm attachment part 5 functions as a wall against the inner surface of the wheel house. In other words, the drain plug 3 is located at a position where the lower arm attachment part 5 functions as a defensive wall against flying stones.

[0020] As described above, the drain plug 3 is disposed in a position within the wheel 4 that is protected by the lower arm mounting portion 5, thereby preventing damage to the drain plug 3 by flying stones. The lower arm mounting portion 5 functions as a protective wall for the drain plug 3, preventing flying stones from hitting the drain plug 3. [Explanation of symbols]

[0021] 1 In-wheel motor 2 cases 3 Drain plug 4 wheels 5 Lower arm mounting part

Claims

[Claim 1] An in-wheel motor comprising: a motor disposed inside a wheel; and a case that houses the motor, a lower arm attachment portion for connecting the case and the lower arm; the lower arm attachment portion is disposed at a position facing a surface of the wheel, the case has a drain plug disposed between a surface of the wheel and the lower arm mounting portion, The drain plug is provided in the lower part of the case, faces downward in the vertical direction, and is positioned above the lower arm mounting portion in the vertical direction. An in-wheel motor characterized by:

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