Vehicle drive systems

Abstract

To miniaturize the whole on-vehicle member group with a vehicle drive device as the core, including an on-vehicle air conditioner and an on-vehicle battery.SOLUTION: A vehicle drive device comprises in a vehicle loading state: a drive unit TA disposed at a cross-directional first side H1 relative to a cabin air conditioning unit 45 and an on-vehicle battery BT; a cooling medium circuit module 2 disposed at an upper side Z1 or a cross-directional second side H2 relative to a drive unit TA; an inverter module 4 disposed at least at any one of the upper side Z1, a lower side Z2, the cross-directional second side H2, a width directional first side, and a width directional second side relative to the drive unit TA; and a power source module 4 disposed at least at any one of the upper side Z1, the lower side Z2, the cross-directional second side H2, the width directional first side, and the width directional second side relative to the drive unit TA, and at the same side as the side at which the inverter module 4 is disposed or a side continuous to the side at which the inverter module 4 is disposed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2019-170077 discloses a vehicle drive device (1) including a rotating electric machine (rotor (20), stator (30)) serving as a driving force source for wheels (803, 804), a drive control device (131) for driving and controlling the rotating electric machine, a charger (136) for charging an in-vehicle battery (805) connected to the rotating electric machine via the drive control device (131) with electric power supplied from an external power source (900), and a case (10) for housing the rotating electric machine, the drive control device (131), and the charger (136). (In the background art, the reference numerals in parentheses refer to those in the cited document.) In the case (10), a first accommodation chamber for housing the rotating electric machine is formed on the lower side in the vertical direction (Z) in the in-vehicle posture in which the vehicle drive device (1) is mounted on the vehicle, and a second accommodation chamber for housing the drive control device (131) and the charger (136) is formed on the upper side. The first accommodation chamber is formed inside a cylindrical peripheral wall portion (10b) of the case (10). The second accommodation chamber is formed as a rectangular box-shaped space inside a rectangular tubular portion (10e) adjacent to the upper side in the vertical direction (Z) of the peripheral wall portion (10b) on the radially outer side of the peripheral wall portion (10b). Further, a cooling portion (60) in which a cooling flow path through which a refrigerant flows is formed along the peripheral wall portion (10b) is formed in the peripheral wall portion (10b).

[0003] The cooling channel formed along the peripheral wall (10b) has an inlet (16) for refrigerant to flow in and an outlet (17) for refrigerant to flow out on the side of the rectangular tube (10e). The drive control device (131) is located on the side of the refrigerant channel closer to the inlet (16), i.e., the upstream side of the refrigerant channel, and the charger (136) is located on the side of the refrigerant channel closer to the outlet (17), i.e., the downstream side of the refrigerant channel. This allows the drive control device (131), which generates heat when driving the rotating electric machine, to be efficiently cooled by the cold refrigerant. Since the on-board battery (805) is charged by an external power supply (900) while the vehicle is stopped, the temperature of the refrigerant does not rise easily due to heat exchange with the drive control device (131), and the charger (136) is properly cooled even though it is located on the downstream side of the refrigerant channel. In addition, reactors (140) and smoothing capacitors (141), which are used to improve the power factor of the power system and stabilize the voltage, are also arranged along the refrigerant flow path and are properly cooled by the refrigerant. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2019-170077 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0005] As described above, the vehicle drive system disclosed in the above-mentioned literature is equipped with a cooling structure that can efficiently cool multiple cooling targets. However, vehicles also have other devices that require thermal management, such as onboard air conditioners. Therefore, it is preferable that the cooling structure be designed considering not only the relationship with the drive control device and charger, but also the onboard air conditioner. Furthermore, since onboard batteries connected to rotating electric machines have high voltage and large power capacity, the wiring connecting the charger and the onboard battery tends to have a large weight per unit length. The energy efficiency of a vehicle is easier to improve as the vehicle is lighter. Therefore, it is preferable to miniaturize the entire group of onboard components centered on the vehicle drive system, taking into consideration the connecting members that connect the onboard air conditioner and onboard battery to the vehicle drive system.

[0006] In light of the above background, there is a need for technology to provide a miniaturized group of in-vehicle components, centered on the vehicle's drive system, including the in-vehicle air conditioner and in-vehicle battery. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A vehicle drive system in view of the above comprises a rotating electric machine with a rotor, an output member driven and connected to a wheel, a power transmission mechanism for transmitting driving force between the rotating electric machine and the output member, an inverter module for controlling the rotation of the rotating electric machine, a power module electrically connected to an on-board battery and comprising at least one of a voltage conversion circuit for converting the voltage of the on-board battery, a charging circuit for charging the on-board battery from an external power source, and a power supply circuit for supplying power from the on-board battery to the outside, a refrigerant circuit module constituting at least a part of a refrigerant circuit for circulating refrigerant for an on-board air conditioner, and a case that houses the drive unit including the rotating electric machine and the power transmission mechanism, and supports the inverter module, the power module, and the refrigerant circuit module, and when mounted on a vehicle, the drive unit is located below the cabin air conditioning unit of the on-board air conditioner and below the floor of the vehicle's cabin The refrigerant circuit module is positioned above or on the second side in the front-rear direction relative to the drive unit, with respect to the onboard battery being positioned on the first side in the front-rear direction of the vehicle, the opposite side in the front-rear direction of the vehicle being the second side in the front-rear direction, the direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction of the vehicle when viewed in the vertical direction being the width direction, one side of the width direction being the first side in the width direction, and the other side in the width direction being the second side in the width direction. The refrigerant circuit module is positioned above or on the second side in the front-rear direction relative to the drive unit, the inverter module is positioned above, below, on the second side in the front-rear direction, on the first side in the width direction, and on the second side in the width direction relative to the drive unit, with respect to the drive unit, at least one of these sides being the above, below, on the second side in the front-rear direction, on the first side in the width direction, and on the second side in the width direction, on the same side as the inverter module, or on a side continuous with the side of the inverter module.

[0008] According to this configuration, the drive unit, which includes a rotating electric machine and a power transmission mechanism, not only integrates an inverter module for driving and controlling the rotating electric machine, but also integrates a power supply module and a refrigerant circuit module through which refrigerant for the vehicle's air conditioner circulates, resulting in a vehicle drive system. Therefore, the amount of wiring and piping connecting the drive unit and inverter module to the power supply module and refrigerant circuit module can be minimized. Furthermore, since not only the drive unit and inverter module, but also the power supply module and refrigerant circuit module are integrally supported in the case, a vehicle drive system with many functions and integrated components can be realized, and it is easier to miniaturize the entire group of vehicle components centered on the vehicle drive system. In addition, the cabin air conditioning unit is generally often positioned above the drive unit due to the relationship between outside air intake and air supply to the vehicle interior. According to this configuration, since the refrigerant circuit module is positioned above the drive unit, or on the second side in the front-rear direction where the cabin air conditioning unit is positioned relative to the drive unit, it is easier to minimize the distance between the refrigerant circuit module and the cabin air conditioning unit, and thus easier to minimize the piping connecting them. Furthermore, with this configuration, the inverter module and power supply module are positioned on a side other than the first front-to-rear side opposite to the side where the onboard battery is located relative to the drive unit. Therefore, the distance between the inverter module and power supply module and the onboard battery can be kept short, and the wiring connecting the inverter module and power supply module and the onboard battery can also be kept short. Moreover, with this configuration, since the power supply module is positioned on the same side as the inverter module, or on a side continuous with the inverter module, the wiring connecting the power supply module and the inverter module can also be kept short. In other words, with this configuration, the piping and wiring connecting the vehicle drive system, cabin air conditioning unit, and onboard battery can be kept short. Therefore, with this configuration, the entire group of onboard components centered on the vehicle drive system, including the onboard air conditioner and onboard battery, can be made compact.

[0009] Further features and advantages of the vehicle drive system will become clear from the following description of exemplary and non-limiting embodiments, which will be illustrated with reference to the drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] Exploded perspective view of a vehicle's drive system [Figure 2] Skeleton diagram of the drive unit [Figure 3] Schematic control block diagram of a vehicle drive system [Figure 4] A schematic diagram showing the refrigerant circuit and cooling water circuit. [Figure 5] A schematic perspective view showing an example of a circuit module. [Figure 6] A schematic side view showing the first example of the relative arrangement of vehicle components. [Figure 7] A schematic perspective view showing the first example of the relative arrangement of vehicle components. [Figure 8] A schematic side view showing a second example of the relative arrangement of in-vehicle components. [Figure 9] A schematic side view showing a third example of the relative arrangement of in-vehicle components. [Figure 10] A schematic side view showing a fourth example of the relative arrangement of vehicle components. [Figure 11] A schematic side view showing a fifth example of the relative arrangement of vehicle components. [Figure 12] A schematic side view showing a sixth example of the relative arrangement of vehicle components. [Figure 13] A schematic side view showing the seventh example of the relative arrangement of vehicle components. [Figure 14] A schematic side view showing the eighth example of the relative arrangement of vehicle components. [Figure 15] A schematic side view showing the ninth example of the relative arrangement of vehicle components. [Figure 16] A schematic side view showing the tenth example of the relative arrangement of vehicle components. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of a vehicle drive device will be described with reference to the drawings. The vehicle drive device 100 of the present embodiment appropriately configures a thermal management system in the vehicle with the vehicle drive device 100 as the core while suppressing an increase in size. Further, the vehicle drive device 100 configures the entire group of vehicle-mounted members centered on the vehicle drive device 100, including an in-vehicle air conditioner and an in-vehicle battery, to be small. For example, in small vehicles such as A-segment vehicles in Europe and light vehicles in Japan, it is required to make vehicle-mounted components such as the vehicle drive device 100 as small and light as possible to improve the mounting efficiency. For example, it is also preferable to shorten the length of connection components such as wiring and piping by arranging vehicle-mounted components close to each other, or to integrate different devices to reduce wiring and piping.

[0012] Also, the cooling water that cools devices that generate heat in the vehicle, such as the driving force source of the wheels, is discharged as waste heat by a radiator. Generally, the radiator is arranged at the very front of the vehicle in order to discharge waste heat by the running wind. Also, in small vehicles such as A-segment cars, in order to secure the in-vehicle space for passengers to board, in many cases, it is front-wheel-driven, and the driving force source of the wheels is also arranged in the front of the vehicle. Also, in vehicles equipped with an in-vehicle air conditioner that performs cooling and heating, etc., the in-vehicle air conditioner, many parts of the flow path through which the refrigerant used in the in-vehicle air conditioner flows, and functional components that perform heat exchange are also arranged in the front of the vehicle. Particularly regarding heating, in conventional vehicles that used an internal combustion engine as the driving force source of the wheels, it was easy to use the internal combustion engine as a heat source. However, in vehicles such as electric vehicles that do not have an internal combustion engine, there is no such heat source, and the heat pump method is exclusively adopted for heating. Compared with the method of using the waste heat of the internal combustion engine, the number of mounted components also tends to increase. By appropriately piping and wiring these vehicle-mounted components in the limited space in the front of the vehicle, the space available for the passenger compartment and the like can be widened. The vehicle drive device 100 of the present embodiment integrally configures functional components that perform thermal management using cooling water and refrigerant, etc., with the vehicle drive device 100.

[0013] Furthermore, in electric vehicles and the like, a rotating electric machine is used as the driving force source for the wheels, and power is supplied to the rotating electric machine from an on-board battery. Because the on-board battery connected to the rotating electric machine has a high voltage and a large power capacity, the wiring connecting the charger and the on-board battery tends to have a large weight per unit length. The energy efficiency of a vehicle is easier to improve as the vehicle is lighter. Therefore, it is preferable to consider not only the on-board air conditioner, but also the length of the connecting members that connect the on-board battery and the vehicle drive system. In this embodiment, the entire group of on-board components centered on the vehicle drive system 100, including the on-board air conditioner and on-board battery, is made compact, thereby achieving overall miniaturization, weight reduction, and cost reduction of on-board vehicle components.

[0014] The following describes preferred embodiments of such a vehicle drive system 100, but first, we will describe its function as a drive unit TA for driving the wheels W.

[0015] In the present specification, "driving connection" refers to a state in which two rotating elements are connected so as to be able to transmit a driving force, including a state in which the two rotating elements are connected so as to rotate integrally, or a state in which the two rotating elements are connected so as to be able to transmit a driving force via one or more transmission members. Such transmission members include various members that transmit rotation at the same speed or with speed change, such as shafts, gear mechanisms, belts, chains, etc. In addition, the transmission member may include an engagement device that selectively transmits rotation and driving force, such as a friction engagement device, a meshing engagement device, etc. However, when referring to "driving connection" for each rotating element of a planetary gear mechanism, it shall refer to a state in which a plurality of rotating elements in the planetary gear mechanism are connected without passing through each other via other rotating elements. Also, in the present specification, "rotating integrally" means rotating integrally regardless of whether it is separable or inseparable. That is, a plurality of members that rotate integrally may be integrally formed from the same member, or may be constituted by separate members and integrated by welding, spline connection, etc. Further, in the present specification, regarding the arrangement of two elements, "overlapping in a specific direction view" means that when a virtual straight line parallel to the line-of-sight direction is moved in each direction orthogonal to the virtual straight line, there is at least a part of a region where the virtual straight line intersects both of the two elements.

[0016] As shown in the exploded perspective view of Figure 1 and the skeleton view of Figure 2, the vehicle drive unit 100 comprises a rotating electric machine MG equipped with a rotor 12, an output member driven and connected to a wheel W, and a power transmission mechanism GT that transmits driving force between the rotating electric machine MG and the output member. As will be described later, the direction along the rotation axis A of the rotor 12 is defined as the axial direction L, and the power transmission mechanism GT is positioned on the axial first side L1, which is one side of the axial direction L relative to the rotor 12. As will be described in detail later, the rotating electric machine MG is the driving force source of the vehicle, and the power transmission mechanism GT includes a reduction gear 6 and a differential gear mechanism 5. Specifically, the vehicle drive unit 100 of this embodiment includes a rotating electric machine MG equipped with a rotor 12, a pair of output members each driven and connected to a wheel W, a reduction gear 6 that reduces the rotation of the rotor shaft 13, a differential gear mechanism 5 that distributes the driving force from the rotating electric machine MG transmitted to a differential input element (differential case 50) via the reduction gear 6 to the pair of output members, and a case 9 that forms a housing chamber (second housing chamber E2, described later) that houses the rotating electric machine MG, the reduction gear 6, and the differential gear mechanism 5.

[0017] The rotating electric machine MG and the power transmission mechanism GT correspond to the "drive unit TA" in the vehicle drive system 100. Furthermore, at least a portion of the output components may be included in the drive unit TA. The case 9 houses at least the drive unit TA, including the rotating electric machine MG and the power transmission mechanism GT, and also supports the inverter module INV, the power supply module PWR, and the refrigerant circuit module 2, which will be described later. Note that "support" is not limited to using the outside of the case 9, but also includes configurations where the components are supported on the inside of the case 9. In other words, at least one of the inverter module INV, the power supply module PWR, and the refrigerant circuit module 2 may be housed in the case 9.

[0018] The pair of wheels W includes a first wheel W1 and a second wheel W2, with the first wheel W1 being driven and connected to a first drive shaft DS1, and the second wheel W2 being driven and connected to a second drive shaft DS2. In this embodiment, the pair of side gears 52, which are the output gears of the differential gear mechanism 5, include a first side gear 53 and a second side gear 54. The first side gear 53 is driven and connected to the first drive shaft DS1 via a connecting shaft J, and the second side gear 54 is driven and connected to the second drive shaft DS2. For example, the first side gear 53 and the connecting shaft J are connected by a spline coupling, and the second side gear 54 and the second drive shaft DS2 are also connected by a spline coupling. These coupling parts are spline engagement parts 59. The output members are, for example, these spline engagement parts 59. Alternatively, the output members may be the first side gear 53, the second side gear 54, the first drive shaft DS1, the second drive shaft DS2, and the connecting shaft J.

[0019] In the following description, as mentioned above, the direction along the rotation axis A of the rotor 12 will be referred to as the "axial direction L". One side of the axial direction L will be referred to as the "first axial side L1", and the other side of the axial direction L will be referred to as the "second axial side L2". In this embodiment, the rotating electric motor MG, the reduction gear 6, and the differential gear mechanism 5 are arranged coaxially with each other in the order described, from the second axial side L2 to the first axial side L1. The vehicle drive unit 100 of this embodiment has a single-axis configuration, and the axis (rotation axis A) on which the rotating electric motor MG, the reduction gear 6, and the differential gear mechanism 5 are arranged is the rotation axis A of the vehicle drive unit 100, as well as the rotation axis of the rotating electric motor MG, the reduction gear 6, and the differential gear mechanism 5. Furthermore, the direction perpendicular to the rotation axis A of the rotor 12 will be referred to as the "radial direction". In the radial direction, the side of the rotor 12 that is the rotation axis A will be referred to as the "radial inner side", and the opposite side will be referred to as the "radial outer side". Furthermore, in the vehicle-mounted state where the vehicle drive unit 100 is mounted on a vehicle, the direction along the vertical direction is defined as the "up-down direction Z," with the upper side being defined as "upper side Z1 of the up-down direction Z" and the lower side as "lower side Z2 of the up-down direction Z." When the vehicle drive unit 100 is mounted horizontally on a vehicle, one of the radial directions coincides with the up-down direction Z. Also, the direction perpendicular to the axial direction L and the up-down direction Z is defined as the "vehicle longitudinal direction H," with one side of the vehicle longitudinal direction H being defined as the "first longitudinal direction side H1" and the other side as the "second longitudinal direction side H2." As shown in Figures 6 to 16, in this embodiment, the first longitudinal direction side H1 is the front side of the vehicle 10, and the second longitudinal direction side H2 is the rear side. Furthermore, the axial direction L corresponds to the "width direction" of the vehicle 10.

[0020] Furthermore, regarding the placement of other on-board devices relative to the "drive unit TA," when it is stated that "at least one side" of the drive unit TA, this also includes configurations in which the on-board devices are arranged across "multiple sides." For example, if the drive unit TA is rectangular, this could include configurations in which the on-board devices arranged opposite two sides of the rectangular drive unit TA are configured in an L-shape.

[0021] Furthermore, "the side continuous with a specific side of a specific device" means, for example, if the "specific device" is shaped like a rectangular prism, the side facing a specific face, which is one face of the rectangular prism, is the "specific side," and the side facing another face that shares an edge with that "specific face" is the "side continuous with the specific side." In other words, if the "specific device" is shaped like a rectangular prism, the "specific face" facing "a specific side of the specific device" is continuous with the "face" facing "the side continuous with a specific side of the specific device" via a specific edge.

[0022] As shown in Figure 1, the vehicle drive unit 100 further comprises an inverter module INV, a power supply module PWR, and a refrigerant circuit module 2. The inverter module INV is a circuit module that drives and controls the rotating electric machine MG. As shown in Figure 3, the power supply module PWR comprises at least one of the following: a converter 61 (voltage conversion circuit) electrically connected to the onboard battery BT to convert the voltage of the onboard battery BT; a charging circuit electrically connected to the onboard battery BT to charge the onboard battery BT from an external power source 60; and a power supply circuit electrically connected to the onboard battery BT to supply power from the onboard battery BT to the outside. In this embodiment, an example is provided in which a charging and power supply circuit 62 having bidirectional functions of charging the onboard battery BT and supplying power from the onboard battery BT is provided. That is, the charging and power supply circuit 62 has the functions of both a charging circuit and a power supply circuit. Also in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 5, a high-voltage circuit unit 4 including the inverter module INV and the power supply module PWR is formed. The refrigerant circuit module 2 constitutes at least a part of the refrigerant circuit 20 (see Figure 4) that circulates refrigerant for the air conditioner.

[0023] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the case 9 includes a first housing chamber E1 that houses the inverter module INV and the power supply module PWR (i.e., the high-voltage circuit unit 4), and a second housing chamber E2 that houses the rotating electric machine MG and the power transmission mechanism GT (i.e., the drive unit TA).

[0024] As shown in Figure 1, the case 9 comprises a case body 90, which is the core housing member of the first housing chamber E1 and the second housing chamber E2, and three cover members (first cover 93, second cover 94, and third cover 95). The case body 90 has a first case section 91 and a second case section 92. The first case section 91 is the part that forms the first housing chamber E1, which houses the inverter module INV and the power supply module PWR. The second case section 92 is the part that forms the second housing chamber E2, which houses the rotating electric machine MG and the power transmission mechanism GT. Given its function as a "drive unit TA" that drives the wheels W, the power supply module PWR does not necessarily have to be mounted on the vehicle drive unit 100, and in this case, the first case section 91 can also be a case that houses the inverter module INV.

[0025] In this embodiment, the first case portion 91 and the second case portion 92 are shown as being integrally formed from the same material, but the structure of the case 9 is not limited to this. The case 9 may be configured such that the first case portion 91 and the second case portion 92 are made of separate materials and integrated by fastening members such as bolts or welding.

[0026] The first case portion 91 is formed in the shape of a rectangular box with an opening at the upper side Z1 in the vertical direction Z when mounted on a vehicle. The first case portion 91 has a peripheral wall portion 96 that surrounds the first opening 9a and extends along the vertical direction Z when mounted on a vehicle. The first opening 9a is closed by the first cover 93. The first opening 9a is the opening of the case 9 that houses the inverter module INV, and the first cover 93 is a cover that closes this opening. In this embodiment, the first housing chamber E1 and the second housing chamber E2 are arranged to be aligned in the vertical direction Z.

[0027] The second case portion 92 is formed in a cylindrical shape with openings on both sides in the axial direction L, and is equipped with a cylindrical peripheral wall portion 97. The cylindrical peripheral wall portion 97 surrounds the power transmission mechanism GT from the radially outer side and corresponds to the portion surrounding the second housing chamber E2 of the case 9. The opening formed on the axial second side L2 is the second opening 9b, and the opening formed on the axial first side L1 is the third opening 9c. The second opening 9b is closed by the second cover 94, and the third opening 9c is closed by the third cover 95. The second cover 94 and the third cover 95 have through holes through which the aforementioned drive shafts (first drive shaft DS1, second drive shaft DS2) pass.

[0028] The rotating electric motor MG functions as a driving force source for a pair of wheels W. As shown in Figure 3, the rotating electric motor MG is electrically connected via an inverter circuit PM to an on-board battery BT, which is a DC power source composed of energy storage devices such as secondary batteries and capacitors. The rotating electric motor MG has the function of a motor that generates power by receiving power from the on-board battery BT, and the function of a generator that generates power by receiving power from the wheels W. The rotating electric motor MG generates driving force by moving using the power stored in the on-board battery BT, and also generates electricity from the driving force transmitted from the pair of wheels W to charge the on-board battery BT. The on-board battery BT is a high-voltage DC power source with a rated voltage of approximately 48 to 400 volts.

[0029] The onboard battery BT has a large power capacity and is large in size because it supplies power to the rotating electric motor MG, which is the driving force source for the wheels W. Therefore, in order to secure space for the passenger compartment (cabin), it is located under the cabin floor of the vehicle 10. The onboard battery BT may also be located in an area that does not overlap with the passenger compartment when viewed from above, for example, in an area that overlaps with the hood when viewed from above. In this case as well, the onboard battery BT is located below Z2 relative to the cabin air conditioning unit 45, which will be described later.

[0030] In this embodiment, the on-board battery BT is configured to be charged not only by the power generated by the rotating electric machine MG, but also by power supplied from an external power source 60, such as an AC commercial power source with a rated voltage of approximately 100 to 240 volts. For this reason, the on-board battery BT is configured to be connectable to the external power source 60 via the charging power supply circuit 62. Figure 3 illustrates a configuration in which the external power source 60 and the charging power supply circuit 62 are connected by a wire, for example, an external connection port PT equipped with a connector. However, the configuration is not limited to this, and for example, the external connection port PT may receive power from the external power source 60 non-contactually by electromagnetic induction, and power may be supplied to the on-board battery BT via the charging power supply circuit 62. A charging power supply control unit 64 is provided to control the charging power supply circuit 62.

[0031] In recent years, it has been proposed to use the on-board batteries BT of electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles as emergency power sources during disasters and other emergencies. The charging and power supply circuit 62 is configured to have both a charging circuit function and a power supply circuit function so that the on-board battery BT can be used as such an emergency power source. Naturally, if the use of such an on-board battery BT is not considered, the charging and power supply circuit 62 may be configured to have only a charging circuit function.

[0032] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the on-board battery BT also supplies power to a low-voltage DC power supply B with a rated voltage of approximately 12 to 24 volts. The low-voltage DC power supply B serves as a power source for auxiliary equipment in the vehicle 10, such as headlights, power windows, power steering, air conditioner, and electric oil pump, as well as for various control devices within the vehicle 10. Conventionally, in typical vehicles, the low-voltage DC power supply B was charged by electricity generated by an alternator linked to the vehicle's power source (e.g., an internal combustion engine). However, in this embodiment, the low-voltage DC power supply B is charged by electricity from the on-board battery BT (high-voltage DC power supply), which has a higher voltage and larger storage capacity than the low-voltage DC power supply B. This eliminates the need to install an alternator and also suppresses power loss in the vehicle's power source (in this embodiment, a rotating electric machine MG) associated with the operation of the alternator.

[0033] In order to charge the low-voltage DC power supply B with the power from the vehicle battery BT, a converter 61 (voltage conversion circuit) is provided to convert the voltage of the vehicle battery BT. As mentioned above, since the rated voltage of the vehicle battery BT is higher than the rated voltage of the low-voltage DC power supply, the converter 61 is configured as, for example, a step-down DC / DC converter. DC / DC converters include non-isolated types such as chopper type and charge pump type, and isolated types that use transformers. If it is preferable for the circuit supplied with power from the vehicle battery BT and the circuit supplied with power from the low-voltage DC power supply B to be electrically isolated, then the converter 61 should be of the isolated type. An isolated DC / DC converter is configured with switching elements, and the converter 61 is controlled by a converter control unit 63.

[0034] Furthermore, some vehicles are equipped with AC power sockets (alternating current power sockets) for supplying power to common household appliances. Such AC power sockets are configured to output alternating current with a rated voltage of 100 to 200 volts. The alternating current power supplied from the AC power socket is generated from the vehicle battery BT using an inverter (not shown). Such an inverter also corresponds to a voltage conversion circuit, and if such an inverter is present, the inverter and the inverter control unit that controls it can also be included in the power module PWR.

[0035] Thus, the power module PWR is electrically connected to the vehicle battery BT and includes at least one of the following: a converter 61 (voltage conversion circuit) that converts the voltage of the vehicle battery BT, a charging circuit for charging the vehicle battery BT from an external power source 60, and a power supply circuit for supplying power from the vehicle battery BT to an external source. In this embodiment, the charging and power supply control unit 64 and the converter control unit 63 described above are also included in the power module PWR.

[0036] As shown in Figure 2, the rotating electric machine MG comprises a stator 11 fixed to a case 9 and a rotor 12 connected to the rotor shaft 13 so as to rotate integrally with the rotor shaft 13. The rotating electric machine MG is an inner rotor type rotating electric machine, with the rotor 12 positioned radially inward of the stator 11. The rotating electric machine MG is a rotating field type rotating electric machine, and the stator 11 includes a stator core 11a and stator coils 11b wound around the stator core 11a. The rotor 12 includes a rotor core 12a and permanent magnets (not shown) fixed to the rotor core 12a. The rotor shaft 13 is formed in a cylindrical shape coaxial with the rotor core 12a, and a sun gear SG of the planetary gear mechanism constituting the reduction gear 6 is positioned on the outer circumference of the rotor shaft 13 on the first axial side L1 so as to rotate integrally with the rotor shaft 13. As will be described later, the sun gear SG is an input element of the reduction gear 6.

[0037] As shown in Figure 3, the rotating electric machine MG is driven and controlled by the rotating electric machine control unit 17 based on the target torque of the rotating electric machine MG, which is set according to a command from the vehicle control device 300, which is a higher-level control device. The rotating electric machine control unit 17 controls the switching of an inverter circuit PM, which is composed of multiple switching elements, to convert power between DC and multi-phase (three-phase in this embodiment) AC in the inverter circuit PM. The operating voltage of the rotating electric machine control unit 17 is approximately 3.3 volts to 5 volts, the input and output voltages of the inverter circuit PM are approximately 48 volts to 400 volts, and the voltage of the switching control signals of the switching elements constituting the inverter circuit PM is approximately 15 volts to 24 volts. For this reason, a driver 18 is provided between the rotating electric machine control unit 17 and the inverter circuit PM to amplify the voltage of the switching control signals output from the rotating electric machine control unit 17, thereby increasing the driving force and supplying it to the inverter circuit PM.

[0038] The inverter circuit PM is composed of multiple switching elements. The inverter circuit PM has multiple sets (three sets in this case) of AC single-phase arms, each consisting of a series circuit of an upper switching element on the DC positive side and a lower switching element on the negative side. Each switching element is equipped with a freewheeling diode with the forward direction being from the negative to the positive side (from the lower side to the upper side). It is preferable to use power semiconductor elements such as IGBTs (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors), power MOSFETs (Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistors), SiC-MOSFETs (Silicon Carbide - Metal Oxide Semiconductor FETs), SiC-SITs (SiC - Static Induction Transistors), and GaN-MOSFETs (Gallium Nitride - MOSFETs) as switching elements. In this embodiment, the inverter circuit PM is configured as a power module in which switching elements are integrated together with freewheeling diodes.

[0039] When the rotating electric machine MG is driven, a large current flows through the switching elements constituting the inverter circuit PM, causing the switching elements to generate heat. Therefore, the amount of heat generated by the inverter circuit PM, which has multiple switching elements, is large. For this reason, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 5, a cooling unit 38 is provided to cool the switching elements. The cooling unit 38 has a cooling water channel 39 through which cooling water flows. Note that cooling is not limited to a form of direct heat exchange between the part to be cooled and the cooling water, but also includes a form of heat exchange with the cooling water via a heat transfer medium such as oil or a heat sink.

[0040] The inverter module INV comprises at least switching elements constituting the inverter circuit PM and a cooling unit 38 for cooling the switching elements. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 3, the inverter module INV further comprises a rotating electric motor control unit 17 and a driver 18. That is, in this embodiment, the inverter module INV is configured with a rotating electric motor control unit 17, a driver 18, an inverter circuit PM, and a cooling unit 38. Of course, the inverter module INV may be configured with only switching elements constituting the inverter circuit PM and a cooling unit 38, without including the rotating electric motor control unit 17 and the driver 18.

[0041] As shown in Figure 3, a DC link capacitor 16 (smoothing capacitor) is provided on the DC side of the inverter circuit PM, that is, between the inverter circuit PM and the vehicle battery BT, to smooth the voltage on the DC side of the inverter circuit PM. The inverter module INV may also include the DC link capacitor 16.

[0042] The rotating electric machine control unit 17 drives and controls the rotating electric machine MG via the inverter circuit PM by performing current feedback control based on the rotational position of the rotor 12 (the magnetic pole position of the permanent magnet), the rotational speed of the rotor 12, and the current flowing through the stator coils 11b of each of the three phases. The current flowing through the stator coils 11b is detected by a current sensor 15. The current sensor 15 is preferably a non-contact type current sensor installed near a power line, such as a busbar connecting the inverter circuit PM and the stator coils 11b of the rotating electric machine MG, as shown in Figure 5.

[0043] Furthermore, the power module PWR is configured to include at least a converter 61 (voltage conversion circuit) and a charging power supply circuit 62. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 5, the converter 61 and the charging power supply circuit 62 are configured using a common circuit board. Also in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 3, the power module PWR includes a converter 61, a converter control unit 63, a charging power supply circuit 62, and a charging power supply control unit 64.

[0044] In this embodiment, the rotating electric motor control unit 17 included in the inverter module INV and the converter control unit 63 and charging / power supply control unit 64 included in the power supply module PWR are formed on a single, identical circuit board to constitute the control board ECU. The control board ECU can also be referred to as an integrated control board in which the functions of multiple control units are integrated.

[0045] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 5, an inverter circuit PM (switching element), a DC link capacitor 16, a converter 61, and a charging power supply circuit 62 are mounted on the first surface 38a of the cooling unit 38, which is the upper surface of the cooling unit 38. The DC link capacitor 16, which smooths the pulsating DC voltage, generates heat due to the inflow and outflow of current. The converter 61 is equipped with a switching element, and this switching element also generates heat due to the current that flows during switching operation. The charging power supply circuit 62 also generates heat because current supplied from the external power supply 60 to charge the on-board battery BT flows through it. The cooling unit 38 is equipped with a cooling water passage 39 through which cooling water flows, and these heat-generating components are properly cooled by being mounted on the first surface 38a of the cooling unit. The inverter circuit PM generates the most heat and reaches the highest temperature.

[0046] For example, the cooling water passage 39 is formed within the cooling unit 38 such that the part cooling the inverter circuit PM is on the downstream side, that is, the cooling water flows from the power module PWR side to the inverter module INV side. By circulating the cooling water from the low-heat-generating region to the high-heat-generating region, the heat-generating object to be cooled can be appropriately cooled while suppressing the rise in the temperature of the cooling water. Also, when the rotating electric machine MG is running, that is, when the vehicle 10 is in motion, the on-board battery BT is almost never charged from the external power supply 60. While it is possible for power to be supplied non-contact from a power supply device installed on the road while driving on the road, this is not generally put into practical use. Therefore, when the rotating electric machine MG is running, the charging power supply circuit 62 is often stopped. In addition, the current that flows when charging the low-voltage DC power supply B is smaller than the current that flows through the charging power supply circuit 62 when charging the on-board battery BT, and the amount of heat generated is also small. For this reason, even if the low-voltage DC power supply B is charged while the rotating electric machine MG is running, the amount of heat generated by the converter 61 is smaller than that of the charging power supply circuit 62. Therefore, even when the cooling water is circulated in this manner, the inverter circuit PM can be properly cooled.

[0047] A driver 18 is positioned above the inverter circuit PM in the vertical direction Z1. The control board ECU is positioned across the rotating electric motor control unit 17, the converter control unit 63, and the charging and power supply control unit 64. Generally, the control board ECU is positioned such that, in a vertical view, the inverter circuit PM, driver 18, and rotating electric motor control unit 17 overlap, the converter 61 and converter control unit 63 overlap, and the charging and power supply circuit 62 and charging and power supply control unit 64 overlap. In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 1 and 5, the power supply module PWR is positioned adjacent to the inverter module INV on the first axial side L1. The control board ECU is positioned along the axial direction L, spanning across the rotating electric motor control unit 17, the converter control unit 63, and the charging and power supply control unit 64. The control board ECU is positioned between the inverter circuit PM (switching element) and the refrigerant circuit module 2 in the vertical direction Z, as shown in Figure 1.

[0048] As shown in Figure 2, the reducer 6 is configured as a planetary gear mechanism comprising an input element that rotates integrally with the rotor shaft 13, a fixed element fixed to the case 9, an output element that rotates integrally with the differential input element (differential case 50), and planetary gears. This planetary gear mechanism is a composite type planetary gear mechanism comprising one sun gear SG, two ring gears (first ring gear RG1, second ring gear RG2), two planetary gears that rotate integrally (first planetary gear PG1, second planetary gear PG2), and a carrier CR that rotatably supports the two planetary gears. In this embodiment, the first planetary gear PG1 is formed to have a smaller diameter than the second planetary gear PG2.

[0049] The sun gear SG rotates integrally with the rotor 12 and rotor shaft 13. The second ring gear RG2 is fixed to the case 9. The first ring gear RG1 is positioned axially on the first side L1 relative to the second ring gear RG2 and is connected to the differential case 50 so as to rotate integrally with the differential case 50. The second planetary gear PG2 meshes with the sun gear SG and the second ring gear RG2, and the first planetary gear PG1 rotates integrally with the second planetary gear PG2 and also meshes with the first ring gear RG1. In this embodiment, the sun gear SG is the input element, the second ring gear RG2 is the fixed element, and the first ring gear RG1 is the output element. The carrier CR is not connected to any of the rotating or fixed elements.

[0050] The differential gear mechanism 5 is a bevel gear type differential gear mechanism, and each includes a bevel gear pinion gear 51 and side gears 52. The pinion gear 51 is supported by a pinion shaft 55 which is supported by the differential case 50 and is arranged to extend radially. The pinion shaft 55 rotates integrally with the differential case 50, and the pinion gear 51 is configured to rotate freely (rotate) around the pinion shaft 55 and to rotate freely (revolve) around the rotation axis A of the differential case 50. Multiple pinion shafts 55 are arranged radially (for example, in a cross shape) around the rotation axis A of the differential case 50, and a pinion gear 51 is attached to each of the multiple pinion shafts 55. The differential case 50 houses the pinion gear 51, side gears 52, and pinion shafts 55 inside.

[0051] The side gear 52 comprises a first side gear 53 and a second side gear 54, arranged as a pair spaced apart in the axial direction L. The first side gear 53 and the second side gear 54 mesh with each of the multiple pinion gears 51 and are arranged to rotate about the rotation axis A of the differential case 50. As shown in Figure 2, the first side gear 53 is connected to a connecting shaft J that extends along the axial direction L through the radially inward side of the reduction gear 6 and the hollow cylindrical rotor shaft 13. The connecting shaft J is connected to a first drive shaft DS1 which is driven to the first wheel W1, which is the wheel W on the axial second side L2, so as to rotate integrally with it. Therefore, the first side gear 53 is driven to the first wheel W1 via the connecting shaft J. The second side gear 54 is connected to a second drive shaft DS2 which is driven to the second wheel W2, which is the wheel W on the axial first side L1, so as to rotate integrally with it.

[0052] The first drive shaft DS1, the second drive shaft DS2, the connecting shaft J, the first side gear 53, and the second side gear 54, which are driven and connected to the wheel W and rotate integrally with the wheel W, can all be considered rotating members corresponding to output members. The first side gear 53 and the second side gear 54 can be considered both the differential gear mechanism 5 and the output members. The first side gear 53 and the second side gear 54 each have a gear portion that meshes with the pinion gear 51 and a spline engagement portion 59 that is connected to the connecting shaft J and the second drive shaft DS2, respectively. When considered functionally separately, the gear portion corresponds to the rotating member included in the differential gear mechanism 5, and the spline engagement portion 59 corresponds to the output member.

[0053] In such vehicle drive systems 100, the rotating electric motor MG and power transmission mechanism GT are often lubricated (including cooled) with oil, and the vehicle drive system 100 of this embodiment is also lubricated with oil. For example, oil accumulated in an oil reservoir formed on the lower side Z2 of the case 9 is supplied to lubrication targets such as bearings and cooling targets such as the stator coil 11b of the rotating electric motor MG by the oil pump OP (see Figure 4) and by being scraped up by the gears of the power transmission mechanism GT. The oil passage 40 shown in Figure 4 illustrates a configuration in which oil discharged from the oil pump OP is supplied to the rotating electric motor MG (stator coil 11b, bearings of the rotor shaft 13, etc.) and the power transmission mechanism GT (bearings of each gear, etc.). Naturally, the temperature of the oil used for cooling rises, so an oil cooler OC for cooling the oil is also connected to the oil passage 40. The oil cooler OC cools the oil by exchanging heat with cooling water.

[0054] As described above, the inverter module INV is equipped with a cooling unit 38 that cools the switching elements constituting the inverter circuit PM. Therefore, the vehicle drive unit 100 has a cooling water circuit module 3 that constitutes a cooling water circuit 30 that circulates cooling water through a path passing through the cooling unit 38 and the radiator 37 (onboard radiator). As shown in Figure 4, the cooling water circuit 30 is connected to the radiator 37, the first water pump 36, the cooling unit 38, and the three-way valve 35. The cooling water circuit module 3 includes at least a water channel formed in the case 9 and the cooling unit 38. The cooling water circuit module 3 may also further include the three-way valve 35 and the first water pump 36. The cooling water cooled (heat dissipated) by the radiator 37 is sent to the cooling water circuit 30 by the first water pump 36, absorbs heat from the inverter module INV and the power module PWR in the cooling unit 38, and returns to the radiator 37 via the three-way valve 35 for waste heat.

[0055] As shown in Figure 4, the oil cooler OC described above is also connected to the cooling water circuit 30. The oil cooler OC cools the oil flowing through the oil passage 40 by exchanging heat with the cooling water flowing through the cooling water circuit 30. In addition, a water-cooled condenser 31 (a heat exchanger for the refrigerant) is also connected to the cooling water circuit 30. The water-cooled condenser 31 performs heat exchange between the refrigerant of the vehicle air conditioner and the cooling water to cool the refrigerant, which has become hot.

[0056] The coolant, whose temperature has risen after passing through the cooling unit 38, oil cooler OC, and water-cooled condenser 31, returns to the radiator 37 via the three-way valve 35 for heat dissipation. However, in cold weather or when heat dissipation is not necessary, or conversely, when it is desired to raise the oil temperature with the coolant, or when rapid heating is performed by the vehicle's air conditioner, heat dissipation by the radiator 37 is not required. In such cases, the three-way valve 35 switches the flow path of the coolant so that it circulates without passing through the radiator 37.

[0057] As described above, the water-cooled condenser 31 is connected to the refrigerant circuit 20 through which the refrigerant of the vehicle's air conditioner flows. The refrigerant circuit 20 has two paths: a first path 20a that goes from the water-cooled condenser 31 through the first valve V1 to the evaporator 44 and then to the accumulator 41, and a second path 20b that goes from the water-cooled condenser 31 through the second valve V2 to the accumulator 41, and then returns to the water-cooled condenser 31 via the compressor 42, cabin condenser 43, and third valve V3.

[0058] The evaporator 44 is a core functional component of the air conditioning system. It vaporizes the refrigerant, absorbing heat from the surroundings and releasing cool air into the passenger compartment. The accumulator 41 separates the liquid from the refrigerant, which is a mixture of gas and liquid, and supplies only the gas (refrigerant gas) to the compressor 42. The compressor 42 compresses the relatively low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant gas to a high-temperature, high-pressure state. The cabin condenser 43 is the heat source for the heat pump heating system and releases the heat condensed by the compressor 42 into the passenger compartment. The refrigerant that leaves the cabin condenser 43 flows to the water-cooled condenser 31 via the third valve V3, which is an expansion valve.

[0059] The compressor 42, cabin condenser 43, and evaporator 44 mentioned above are included in the cabin air conditioning unit 45, which adjusts the temperature and airflow during heating and cooling, and selects the air outlets in the vehicle air conditioner.

[0060] In this embodiment, the battery heatsink 34 also cools the on-board battery BT by heat exchange with the cooling water, and the cooling water, whose temperature has risen, is cooled by heat exchange with the refrigerant in the chiller 32. For this reason, a third flow path 20c is formed as a path for the refrigerant from the water-cooled condenser 31 through the fourth valve V4 and the chiller 32 to the accumulator 41.

[0061] The chiller 32 is connected to a second cooling water circuit 30B through which the cooling water discharged from the chiller 32 returns to the chiller 32 via the battery heat sink 34 and the second water pump 33. Similar to the water-cooled condenser 31, the chiller 32 performs heat exchange between the cooling water and the refrigerant, removing heat from the cooling water to cool it. The cooling water, whose temperature has risen due to heat exchange with the battery heat sink 34, is cooled in the chiller 32. By providing a second cooling water circuit 30B for cooling the onboard battery BT, and a third flow path 20c for cooling the cooling water flowing through the second cooling water circuit 30B, it becomes easier to relax the input / output current restrictions on the onboard battery BT, even when the current flowing to the onboard battery BT increases and the temperature of the onboard battery BT rises, such as during rapid charging or high-speed driving.

[0062] As described above, the refrigerant circuit 20 includes a first flow path 20a containing the refrigerant flow path from the water-cooled condenser 31 (heat exchanger for refrigerant) to the evaporator 44, a second flow path 20b containing the refrigerant flow path from the compressor 42 to the water-cooled condenser 31, and a third flow path 20c containing the refrigerant flow path including the chiller 32. The refrigerant flowing through the first flow path 20a is at a lower temperature than that flowing through the second flow path 20b and the third flow path 20c. Also, the refrigerant flowing through the third flow path 20c is at a lower temperature than that flowing through the second flow path 20b.

[0063] A portion of the flow path constituting the refrigerant circuit 20 can also be formed using the first cover 93 of the case 9. For example, as shown in Figure 1, control valves V (first valve V1, second valve V2, third valve V3, fourth valve V4) that control the flow rate or flow path of the refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit 20 are attached to the first surface 93a of the first cover 93. In this embodiment, the refrigerant circuit module 2 is composed of the refrigerant circuit 20 and control valves V formed on the first cover 93. Here, the portion of the first cover 93 in which the refrigerant circuit 20 is formed is referred to as the refrigerant manifold 21.

[0064] The refrigerant circuit module 2 is equipped with a water-cooled condenser 31, a chiller 32, and an accumulator 41, which are functional components that constitute the flow path of the refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit 20. The refrigerant circuit module 2 and these functional components together constitute the refrigerant module 1. However, if the vehicle battery BT is not cooled using cooling water, that is, if the third flow path 20c is not formed, the chiller 32 may not be provided. In that case, the refrigerant module 1 may be composed of the refrigerant circuit module 2, the water-cooled condenser 31, and the accumulator 41. Furthermore, the refrigerant circuit module 2 only needs to constitute at least a part of the refrigerant circuit that circulates the refrigerant for the vehicle air conditioner, and in addition to the refrigerant manifold 21, the control valve V, as well as the water-cooled condenser 31, chiller 32, and accumulator 41 may also be included in the refrigerant circuit module 2.

[0065] The refrigerant circuit components include a control valve V and functional components, and the functional components include a water-cooled condenser 31, a chiller 32, and an accumulator 41. In this embodiment, although not included in the refrigerant module 1, the compressor 42, cabin condenser 43, evaporator 44, and battery heat sink 34 are also functional components. The second water pump 33 is also a functional component, and if the second water pump 33 is integrally provided with the vehicle drive unit 100, as shown in Figure 4, it can be included in the refrigerant module 1. The accumulator 41 is included in the refrigerant module 1 when it is attached to the first cover 93, as shown in Figure 1, but it may also be configured to be located separately from the vehicle drive unit 100 and not included in the refrigerant module 1.

[0066] This configuration allows the refrigerant for the vehicle's air conditioner, which flows through the refrigerant circuit 20, to be cooled by the coolant. The coolant circulates through the radiator 37, so the heat from the refrigerant for the vehicle's air conditioner can be discharged outside the vehicle by the radiator 37. In addition, the water-cooled condenser 31 (heat exchanger) is integrally fixed to the case 9 via the refrigerant circuit components. Therefore, the number of pipes and other connections for the functional components constituting the refrigerant circuit 20 can be kept to a minimum.

[0067] The cooling structure of the vehicle drive unit 100 is preferably constructed taking into consideration the relationship between the vehicle drive unit 100 and the onboard air conditioner. Furthermore, since the onboard battery BT connected to the rotating electric machine MG has a high voltage and large power capacity, the wiring connecting the onboard charger, including the charging power supply circuit 62, and the onboard battery BT tends to have a large weight per unit length. The energy efficiency of the vehicle 10 is easier to achieve as the vehicle 10 is lighter. Therefore, it is preferable to miniaturize the entire group of onboard components centered on the vehicle drive unit 100, taking into consideration the connecting members that connect the onboard air conditioner and the onboard battery BT to the vehicle drive unit 100.

[0068] The following describes specific arrangement examples (Example 1 to Example 10) of the group of in-vehicle components centered around the vehicle drive unit 100, including the in-vehicle air conditioner and the in-vehicle battery BT, with reference to Figures 6 to 16. First, a representative example (Example 1) from among several specific examples will be described with reference to Figures 6 and 7.

[0069] In the vehicle-mounted configuration, the vehicle drive unit 100 has the drive unit TA positioned on the first side H1 in the longitudinal direction relative to the cabin air conditioning unit 45 of the vehicle air conditioner and the vehicle battery BT located under the floor of the vehicle cabin 10. The refrigerant circuit module 2 is positioned on the upper side Z1 relative to the drive unit TA. As will be described later for other examples, the refrigerant circuit module 2 is positioned on the upper side Z1 or the second side H2 in the longitudinal direction relative to the drive unit TA. The high-voltage circuit unit 4, including the inverter module INV, is also positioned on the upper side Z1 relative to the drive unit TA. As will be described later for other examples, the inverter module INV is positioned on at least one of the following sides relative to the drive unit TA: upper side Z1, lower side Z2, second side H2 in the longitudinal direction, first side in the width direction (first side L1 in the axial direction), and second side in the width direction (second side L2 in the axial direction). In other words, the inverter module INV is positioned in a three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system in the vertical direction Z, the vehicle longitudinal direction H, and the width direction (axial direction L), at a position other than the first longitudinal side H1 relative to the drive unit TA. The high-voltage circuit unit 4, including the power supply module PWR, is positioned on the upper side Z1, which is the same side as the side where the inverter module INV is positioned, relative to the drive unit TA. Similar to the inverter module INV, other examples will be described later, but the power supply module PWR is positioned on at least one side of the drive unit TA from the upper side Z1, lower side Z2, the second longitudinal side H2, the first width direction (first axial direction L1), and the second width direction (second axial direction L2), which is the same side as the side where the inverter module INV is positioned, or a side continuous with the side where the inverter module INV is positioned.

[0070] The vehicle drive unit 100 not only integrates the inverter module INV into the drive unit TA, but also integrates the power supply module PWR and the refrigerant circuit module 2 into the drive unit TA. Therefore, the amount of wiring and piping connecting the unit consisting of the drive unit TA and inverter module INV to the power supply module PWR and refrigerant circuit module 2 can be reduced. Furthermore, since not only the drive unit TA and inverter module INV, but also the power supply module PWR and refrigerant circuit module 2 are integrally supported in the case 9, a vehicle drive unit 100 with many functions can be realized as an integrated unit, and it is easier to miniaturize the entire group of on-board components centered on the vehicle drive unit 100.

[0071] The cabin air conditioning unit 45 of the vehicle air conditioner is generally positioned above the drive unit TA at Z1 due to the need to introduce outside air and supply air to the vehicle interior. In particular, in a single-axis drive unit TA as in this embodiment, the drive unit TA is positioned coaxially with the wheel W, so the cabin air conditioning unit 45 is positioned above the drive unit TA at Z1. Since the refrigerant circuit module 2 is positioned above the drive unit TA at Z1, the distance between the refrigerant circuit module 2 and the cabin air conditioning unit 45 can be kept short, and the piping connecting them can be kept short.

[0072] Furthermore, the inverter module INV and power module PWR are positioned on the side opposite to the side where the onboard battery BT is located, other than the first side H1 in the front-to-rear direction. Therefore, the distance between the inverter module INV and power module PWR and the onboard battery BT can be kept short, and the wiring connecting the inverter module INV and power module PWR and the onboard battery BT can also be kept short.

[0073] Furthermore, since the power supply module PWR is located on the same side as the inverter module INV, the wiring connecting the power supply module PWR and the inverter module INV can be kept short. In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 1 and 5, the power supply module PWR and the inverter module INV are configured as an integrated high-voltage circuit unit 4, making it even easier to keep the wiring connecting the power supply module PWR and the inverter module INV short.

[0074] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 6, in this embodiment, when mounted on a vehicle, the drive unit TA is positioned lower Z2 relative to the external connection port PT provided on the vehicle 10 for electrical connection between the vehicle 10 and the outside. As shown in Figure 7, the external connection port PT is provided at one end in the width direction (axial direction L) on the side of the vehicle 10 so as to be able to connect to an external power supply 60. The power module PWR is positioned upper Z1 relative to the drive unit TA. In the configurations shown in Figures 6 and 7, both the power module PWR and the external connection port PT are positioned upper Z1 relative to the drive unit TA. In other words, the power module PWR and the external connection port PT are located close together. Therefore, it is easy to keep the distance between the power module PWR and the external connection port PT short, and easy to keep the wiring connecting the power module PWR and the external connection port PT short.

[0075] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, the low-voltage DC power supply B is also positioned above Z1 relative to the drive unit TA. When the power module PWR is positioned above Z1 relative to the drive unit TA, it is easier to keep the distance between the converter 61 and the low-voltage DC power supply B shown in Figure 3 short, and it is also easier to keep the wiring connecting the converter 61 and the low-voltage DC power supply B short.

[0076] As described above with reference to Figure 4, the vehicle drive unit 100 includes a water pump (first water pump 36) that circulates cooling water to cool at least one of the rotating electric machine MG and the inverter module INV. Figure 4 illustrates a configuration in which the cooling water circulated by the first water pump 36 cools the inverter module INV via a cooling unit 38. As shown in Figure 6, in the vehicle-mounted state, the drive unit TA is positioned on the second side H2 in the longitudinal direction relative to the radiator 37 that performs heat exchange between the cooling water and the outside air. As shown in Figures 1 and 6, the first water pump 36 is positioned on the first side H1 in the longitudinal direction relative to the drive unit TA and is supported by the case 9.

[0077] The water pump (first water pump 36) circulates the coolant, thereby properly cooling at least one of the rotating electric machine MG and the inverter module INV. Furthermore, because the water pump is positioned on the radiator 37 side relative to the drive unit TA, the distance between the radiator 37 and the water pump can be kept short, and the piping connecting the radiator 37 and the water pump can be kept short.

[0078] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4, the vehicle drive unit 100 includes a heat exchanger (water-cooled condenser 31) that performs heat exchange between cooling water and refrigerant to cool the inverter module INV. As shown in Figures 1, 6, and 7, the inverter module INV is located on the same side as the refrigerant circuit module 2 relative to the drive unit TA. As shown in Figure 1, the water-cooled condenser 31 is located in the region between the region where the refrigerant circuit module 2 is located and the region where the inverter module INV is located. Although other examples will be described later, the inverter module INV only needs to be located on the same side as the refrigerant circuit module 2 relative to the drive unit TA, or on a side continuous with the refrigerant circuit module 2.

[0079] Because the inverter module INV is positioned in this manner relative to the refrigerant circuit module 2, the distance between the inverter module INV and the refrigerant circuit module 2 can be kept short, and the piping constituting the respective flow paths for the refrigerant circulating in the refrigerant circuit module 2 and the cooling water cooling the inverter module INV can be kept short. Furthermore, because the heat exchanger (water-cooled condenser 31) is positioned in the area between the area where the refrigerant circuit module 2 is located and the area where the inverter module INV is located, both the flow path connecting the refrigerant circuit module 2 and the heat exchanger, and the flow path connecting the inverter module INV and the heat exchanger can be kept short, and the piping constituting the flow paths can also be kept short.

[0080] The configurations illustrated in Figures 1, 6, and 7 above are referred to as the first example of the relative arrangement of the vehicle components. In the first example, the refrigerant circuit module 2 is positioned at the uppermost part in the vertical direction Z of the vehicle drive unit 100, in order to shorten the piping between the refrigerant circuit module 2 and the cabin air conditioning unit 45 in the vehicle drive unit 100, in which the drive unit TA and the refrigerant circuit module 2 are integrally formed. In other words, the refrigerant circuit module 2 is positioned at the uppermost Z1 relative to the drive unit TA. By shortening the refrigerant piping, the amount of heat radiated to the atmosphere in cold weather and the amount of heat absorbed from the atmosphere in summer can be suppressed, thereby improving the efficiency of the vehicle air conditioner.

[0081] Furthermore, in the second to sixth examples shown in Figures 8 to 12, the refrigerant circuit module 2 is located at the top of the vehicle drive unit 100 in the vertical direction Z. Therefore, in the second to sixth examples, the piping between the refrigerant circuit module 2 and the cabin air conditioning unit 45 can be shortened. In the first to sixth examples, the placement position of the refrigerant circuit module 2 is common, but the placement position of the high-voltage circuit unit 4, including the power supply module PWR, differs in each example. In each example, the placement position of the power supply module PWR is determined in relation to the external connection port PT, the onboard battery BT, and the low-voltage DC power supply B.

[0082] Figure 8 shows a second example of the relative arrangement of the on-board components. In this second example as well, when mounted on the vehicle, the drive unit TA is positioned on the first side H1 in the longitudinal direction relative to the cabin air conditioning unit 45 and the on-board battery BT. The refrigerant circuit module 2 is also positioned on the upper side Z1 relative to the drive unit TA. However, in this second example, the high-voltage circuit unit 4, including the inverter module INV, is positioned on the first side H1 in the longitudinal direction relative to the drive unit TA. The high-voltage circuit unit 4, including the power module PWR, is positioned on the same side H1 in the longitudinal direction relative to the drive unit TA as the inverter module INV is positioned.

[0083] In the second example, as shown in Figure 8, the drive unit TA is positioned lower Z2 relative to the external connection port PT when mounted on the vehicle. In the second example, the high-voltage circuit unit 4, including the power supply module PWR, is positioned on the first side H1 in the longitudinal direction relative to the drive unit TA. With respect to the drive unit TA, the power supply module PWR is positioned on the side furthest from the external connection port PT. However, for example, if the converter 61 of the power supply module PWR is positioned on the upper side Z1 in the first side H1 in the longitudinal direction relative to the drive unit TA, the distance between the power supply module PWR and the low-voltage DC power supply B can be kept short.

[0084] In the second example as well, as shown in Figure 8, the drive unit TA is positioned on the second side H2 in the longitudinal direction relative to the radiator 37 when mounted on the vehicle. Since the radiator 37 is positioned furthest forward in the vehicle 10, similarly in the third to tenth examples, which will be described below with reference to Figures 9 to 16, the drive unit TA is positioned on the second side H2 in the longitudinal direction relative to the radiator 37. The first water pump 36 is preferably positioned on the first side H1 in the longitudinal direction relative to the drive unit TA. However, in cases where the high-voltage circuit unit 4 is positioned on the first side H1 in the longitudinal direction of the drive unit TA, as in the second example, it may be positioned on the first side (first side L1 in the axial direction) or the second side (second side L2 in the axial direction) of the width direction of the drive unit TA and supported by the case 9. For example, by positioning it on the first side H1 in the longitudinal direction of either the outer wall in the width direction (axial direction L) of the case 9, the distance to the radiator 37 can be shortened.

[0085] In addition, in Figures 8 to 16, which show the second to tenth examples, examples of the placement position of the first water pump 36 are omitted. As described above in the explanation of the second example, it is preferable that the first water pump 36 is placed on the first side H1 in the front-rear direction, the first side in the width direction (first side L1 in the axial direction), the second side in the width direction (second side L2 in the axial direction), etc., of the drive unit TA and supported by the case 9. In the following explanations of the third to tenth examples, the explanation of the placement position of the first water pump 36 is omitted. In addition, including the first example, the first water pump 36 may be mounted on the vehicle 10 without being supported by the case 9, that is, without being integrated with the drive unit TA (vehicle drive device 100). Furthermore, the arrangement relationship between the radiator 37 and the drive unit TA is common to all of the first to tenth examples, so the explanation for the third to tenth examples is omitted.

[0086] As shown in Figure 8, in the second example, the high-pressure circuit unit 4, including the inverter module INV, is positioned on the side of the drive unit TA that is continuous with the side where the refrigerant circuit module 2 is located. In the second example as well, it is preferable that the water-cooled condenser 31 (heat exchanger) is positioned in the region between the region where the refrigerant circuit module 2 is located and the region where the inverter module INV is located. Note that while Figure 1 illustrates the position of the water-cooled condenser 31 in the first example, the position of the water-cooled condenser 31 is not shown in the second to tenth examples. Of course, this does not prevent the water-cooled condenser 31 from being positioned in the region between the region where the refrigerant circuit module 2 is located and the region where the inverter module INV is located, including in the first example.

[0087] Figure 9 shows a third example of the relative arrangement of the on-board components. In this third example as well, when mounted on the vehicle, the drive unit TA is positioned on the first side H1 in the longitudinal direction relative to the cabin air conditioning unit 45 and the on-board battery BT. The refrigerant circuit module 2 is also positioned on the upper side Z1 relative to the drive unit TA. The high-voltage circuit unit 4, including the inverter module INV, is positioned on the second side in the width direction (second side L2 in the axial direction) relative to the drive unit TA. The high-voltage circuit unit 4, including the power module PWR, is also positioned on the same side as the inverter module INV, which is the second side in the width direction (second side L2 in the axial direction) relative to the drive unit TA.

[0088] Furthermore, in the third example, as shown in Figure 9, the drive unit TA is positioned lower Z2 relative to the external connection port PT when mounted on the vehicle. In the third example, the high-voltage circuit unit 4, including the power supply module PWR, is positioned on the second side in the width direction (second side in the axial direction L2) relative to the drive unit TA. Even in this case, if the power supply module PWR is positioned on the upper Z1 on the second side in the width direction (second side in the axial direction L2) relative to the drive unit TA, the power supply module PWR can be positioned closer to the external connection port PT. Therefore, it is easier to keep the distance between the power supply module PWR and the external connection port PT short, and easier to keep the wiring connecting the power supply module PWR and the external connection port PT short.

[0089] Furthermore, if the high-voltage circuit unit 4, including the power module PWR, is positioned on the upper side Z1 on the second side in the width direction (second side L2 in the axial direction) relative to the drive unit TA, it is easier to keep the distance between the converter 61 and the low-voltage DC power supply B, as shown in Figure 4, short. Consequently, the wiring connecting the converter 61 and the low-voltage DC power supply B can also be kept short.

[0090] As shown in Figure 9, in the third example, the high-voltage circuit unit 4, which includes the inverter module INV, is positioned on the side of the drive unit TA that is continuous with the side where the refrigerant circuit module 2 is located. The position of the water-cooled condenser 31 (heat exchanger) is omitted, but in the third example as well, it is preferable that the water-cooled condenser 31 is positioned in the region between the region where the refrigerant circuit module 2 is located and the region where the inverter module INV is located.

[0091] Figure 10 shows a fourth example of the relative arrangement of the on-board components. In this fourth example as well, when mounted on the vehicle, the drive unit TA is positioned on the first side H1 in the longitudinal direction relative to the cabin air conditioning unit 45 and the on-board battery BT. The refrigerant circuit module 2 is also positioned on the upper side Z1 relative to the drive unit TA. The high-voltage circuit unit 4, which includes the inverter module INV and the power supply module PWR, is positioned on the second side H2 in the longitudinal direction and the first side in the width direction (first side L1 in the axial direction) relative to the drive unit TA. The inverter module INV and the power supply module PWR may each be positioned on different sides relative to the drive unit TA, or the circuit group constituting the inverter module INV and the circuit group constituting the power supply module PWR may each be positioned on different sides relative to the drive unit TA. The power supply module PWR included in the high-voltage circuit unit 4 is positioned on at least one of the sides relative to the drive unit TA that is the same side as the inverter module INV and the side that is continuous with the side where the inverter module INV is located.

[0092] Furthermore, in the fourth example, as shown in Figure 10, the drive unit TA is positioned below Z2 relative to the external connection port PT when mounted on the vehicle. In the fourth example, the high-voltage circuit unit 4, including the power supply module PWR, is positioned on the second side H2 in the front-rear direction and the first side in the width direction (first side L1 in the axial direction) relative to the drive unit TA. Therefore, the power supply module PWR can be positioned closer to the external connection port PT. Consequently, the distance between the power supply module PWR and the external connection port PT can be kept short, and the wiring connecting the power supply module PWR and the external connection port PT can be kept short. In addition, the distance between the converter 61 included in the power supply module PWR and the low-voltage DC power supply B can be kept short. Consequently, the wiring connecting the converter 61 and the low-voltage DC power supply B can also be kept short.

[0093] As shown in Figure 10, in the fourth example, the high-pressure circuit unit 4, which includes the inverter module INV, is located on the side of the drive unit TA that is continuous with the side where the refrigerant circuit module 2 is located. Here, the high-pressure circuit unit 4 is located on two different sides of the drive unit TA that are continuous with the side where the refrigerant circuit module 2 is located. The location of the water-cooled condenser 31 (heat exchanger) is omitted, but in the fourth example as well, it is preferable that the water-cooled condenser 31 is located in the region between the region where the refrigerant circuit module 2 is located and the region where the inverter module INV is located.

[0094] Figure 11 shows a fifth example of the relative arrangement of the on-board components. In this fifth example as well, when mounted on the vehicle, the drive unit TA is positioned on the first side H1 in the longitudinal direction relative to the cabin air conditioning unit 45 and the on-board battery BT. The refrigerant circuit module 2 is also positioned on the upper side Z1 relative to the drive unit TA. The high-voltage circuit unit 4, which includes the inverter module INV, is positioned on the second side H2 in the longitudinal direction relative to the drive unit TA. The power module PWR included in the high-voltage circuit unit 4 is positioned on the same side relative to the drive unit TA as the inverter module INV is positioned.

[0095] In the fifth example shown in Figure 11 and the sixth example shown in Figure 12, the refrigerant circuit module 2 is positioned above the drive unit TA at Z1, similar to the first to fourth examples. On the other hand, the position of the high-voltage circuit unit 4 relative to the drive unit TA differs between the fifth and sixth examples. However, in both the fifth and sixth examples, the high-voltage circuit unit 4 is positioned so that it is closer to the onboard battery BT and the wiring length is shortened.

[0096] Furthermore, in the fifth example, as shown in Figure 11, the drive unit TA is positioned below Z2 relative to the external connection port PT when mounted on the vehicle. In the fifth example, the high-voltage circuit unit 4, including the power module PWR, is positioned on the second side H2 in the front-rear direction relative to the drive unit TA. In other words, the power module PWR can be positioned closer to the on-board battery BT. Therefore, the distance between the power module PWR and the on-board battery BT can be kept short, and the wiring connecting the power module PWR and the on-board battery BT can also be made shorter. In addition, since the external connection port PT is positioned on the second side H2 in the front-rear direction relative to the drive unit TA, the wiring connecting the power module PWR and the external connection port PT can also be made shorter.

[0097] As shown in Figure 11, in the fifth example, the high-voltage circuit unit 4, which includes the inverter module INV, is positioned on the side of the drive unit TA that is continuous with the side where the refrigerant circuit module 2 is located. The position of the water-cooled condenser 31 (heat exchanger) is omitted, but in the fifth example as well, it is preferable that the water-cooled condenser 31 is positioned in the region between the region where the refrigerant circuit module 2 is located and the region where the inverter module INV is located.

[0098] Figure 12 shows a sixth example of the relative arrangement of the on-board components. In this sixth example as well, when mounted on the vehicle, the drive unit TA is positioned on the first side H1 in the longitudinal direction relative to the cabin air conditioning unit 45 and the on-board battery BT. The refrigerant circuit module 2 is also positioned above the drive unit TA at Z1. The high-voltage circuit unit 4, including the inverter module INV and the power supply module PWR, is positioned below the drive unit TA at Z2. The power supply module PWR is positioned on the same side of the drive unit TA as the inverter module INV.

[0099] Furthermore, in the sixth example, as shown in Figure 12, the drive unit TA is positioned below Z2 relative to the external connection port PT when mounted on the vehicle. In the sixth example, the high-voltage circuit unit 4, including the power module PWR, is positioned below Z2 relative to the drive unit TA. This means that the power module PWR can be positioned closer to the vehicle battery BT. Consequently, the distance between the power module PWR and the vehicle battery BT can be kept short, and the wiring connecting the power module PWR and the vehicle battery BT can also be shortened.

[0100] As shown in the sixth example in Figure 12, the high-voltage circuit unit 4, which includes the inverter module INV, may be located on a side of the drive unit TA that is neither on the same side as the refrigerant circuit module 2, nor on a side that is continuous with the side where the refrigerant circuit module 2 is located.

[0101] The first to sixth examples, with reference to Figures 6 to 12, illustrate a configuration in which the refrigerant circuit module 2 is located at the uppermost part of the vehicle drive unit 100 in the vertical direction Z. The seventh to tenth examples will now be described with reference to Figures 13 to 16. In the seventh to tenth examples, a configuration is illustrated in which the refrigerant circuit module 2 is located on the second longitudinal side H2 of the vehicle drive unit 100, that is, on the second longitudinal side H2 relative to the drive unit TA. Since the cabin air conditioning unit 45 is located on the second longitudinal side H2 relative to the drive unit TA, the piping between the refrigerant circuit module 2 and the cabin air conditioning unit 45 can be shortened in the seventh to tenth examples as well. In the seventh to tenth examples, the location of the refrigerant circuit module 2 is common, but the location of the high-voltage circuit unit 4, including the power supply module PWR, is different in each example. The location of the power supply module PWR is set in relation to the external connection port PT, the onboard battery BT, and the low-voltage DC power supply B in each example.

[0102] Figure 13 shows a seventh example of the relative arrangement of the on-board components. In the seventh example, when mounted on the vehicle, the drive unit TA is positioned on the first side H1 in the longitudinal direction relative to the cabin air conditioning unit 45 and the on-board battery BT. In the seventh example, the refrigerant circuit module 2 is positioned on the second side H2 in the longitudinal direction relative to the drive unit TA. The high-voltage circuit unit 4, including the inverter module INV and the power supply module PWR, is positioned on the lower side Z2 relative to the drive unit TA. The power supply module PWR is positioned on the same side relative to the drive unit TA as the inverter module INV is positioned.

[0103] Furthermore, in the seventh example, as shown in Figure 13, the drive unit TA is positioned below Z2 relative to the external connection port PT when mounted on the vehicle. In the seventh example, the high-voltage circuit unit 4, including the power module PWR, is positioned below Z2 relative to the drive unit TA. This means that the power module PWR can be positioned closer to the vehicle battery BT. Consequently, the distance between the power module PWR and the vehicle battery BT can be kept short, and the wiring connecting the power module PWR and the vehicle battery BT can also be shortened.

[0104] As shown in Figure 13, the high-voltage circuit unit 4, including the inverter module INV, is positioned on the side of the drive unit TA that is continuous with the side where the refrigerant circuit module 2 is located. The position of the water-cooled condenser 31 (heat exchanger) is omitted, but in the fifth example as well, it is preferable that the water-cooled condenser 31 is positioned in the region between the region where the refrigerant circuit module 2 is located and the region where the inverter module INV is located.

[0105] Figure 14 shows an eighth example of the relative arrangement of the on-board components. In the eighth example as well, when mounted on the vehicle, the drive unit TA is positioned on the first side H1 in the longitudinal direction relative to the cabin air conditioning unit 45 and the on-board battery BT. Similar to the seventh example, in the eighth example as well, the refrigerant circuit module 2 is positioned on the second side H2 in the longitudinal direction relative to the drive unit TA. The high-voltage circuit unit 4, including the inverter module INV and the power supply module PWR, is positioned on the upper side Z1 relative to the drive unit TA. The power supply module PWR is positioned on the same side relative to the drive unit TA as the inverter module INV is positioned.

[0106] Furthermore, in the eighth example, as shown in Figure 14, the drive unit TA is positioned below Z2 relative to the external connection port PT when mounted on the vehicle. In the eighth example, the high-voltage circuit unit 4, including the power module PWR, is positioned above Z1 relative to the drive unit TA. Therefore, the distance between the power module PWR and the external connection port PT can be kept short, and the wiring connecting the power module PWR and the external connection port PT can be kept short. In addition, the wiring connecting the power module PWR and the low-voltage DC power supply B can also be kept short.

[0107] As shown in Figure 14, the high-voltage circuit unit 4, which includes the inverter module INV, is positioned on the side of the drive unit TA that is continuous with the side where the refrigerant circuit module 2 is located. The position of the water-cooled condenser 31 (heat exchanger) is omitted, but in the eighth example as well, it is preferable that the water-cooled condenser 31 is positioned in the region between the region where the refrigerant circuit module 2 is located and the region where the inverter module INV is located.

[0108] Figure 15 shows a ninth example of the relative arrangement of the on-board components. In the ninth example as well, when mounted on the vehicle, the drive unit TA is positioned on the first side H1 in the longitudinal direction relative to the cabin air conditioning unit 45 and the on-board battery BT. Similar to the seventh and eighth examples, in the ninth example as well, the refrigerant circuit module 2 is positioned on the second side H2 in the longitudinal direction relative to the drive unit TA. The high-voltage circuit unit 4, including the inverter module INV and the power supply module PWR, is positioned on the first side in the width direction (first side L1 in the axial direction) relative to the drive unit TA. The power supply module PWR is positioned on the same side relative to the drive unit TA as the inverter module INV is positioned.

[0109] Furthermore, in the ninth example, as shown in Figure 15, the drive unit TA is positioned below Z2 relative to the external connection port PT when mounted on the vehicle. In the ninth example, the high-voltage circuit unit 4, including the power module PWR, is positioned on the first side in the width direction (first side in the axial direction L1) relative to the drive unit TA. When the power module PWR is positioned on the second side in the front-rear direction H2 on the first side in the axial direction L1 relative to the drive unit TA, the power module PWR can be positioned closer to the external connection port PT. Therefore, the distance between the power module PWR and the external connection port PT can be kept short. In addition, the power module PWR can be positioned closer to the on-board battery BT, so the distance between the power module PWR and the on-board battery BT can be kept short, making it easier to keep the wiring connecting the power module PWR and the on-board battery BT short.

[0110] As shown in Figure 15, the high-voltage circuit unit 4, which includes the inverter module INV, is positioned on the side of the drive unit TA that is continuous with the side where the refrigerant circuit module 2 is located. The position of the water-cooled condenser 31 (heat exchanger) is omitted, but in the ninth example as well, it is preferable that the water-cooled condenser 31 is positioned in the region between the region where the refrigerant circuit module 2 is located and the region where the inverter module INV is located.

[0111] Figure 16 shows a tenth example of the relative arrangement of the on-board components. In this tenth example, when mounted on the vehicle, the drive unit TA is positioned on the first side H1 in the longitudinal direction relative to the cabin air conditioning unit 45 and the on-board battery BT. Similar to the seventh to ninth examples, the refrigerant circuit module 2 is positioned on the second side H2 in the longitudinal direction relative to the drive unit TA. However, the high-voltage circuit unit 4, including the inverter module INV and the power supply module PWR, is positioned on the first side H1 in the longitudinal direction relative to the drive unit TA. The power supply module PWR is positioned on the same side relative to the drive unit TA as the inverter module INV is positioned.

[0112] In the tenth example, as shown in Figure 16, the drive unit TA is positioned lower Z2 relative to the external connection port PT when mounted on the vehicle. In the tenth example, the high-voltage circuit unit 4, including the power supply module PWR, is positioned on the first side H1 in the longitudinal direction relative to the drive unit TA. When the power supply module PWR is positioned on the upper Z1 on the first side H1 in the longitudinal direction relative to the drive unit TA, the power supply module PWR can be positioned closer to the low-voltage DC power supply B with respect to the drive unit TA. Therefore, the distance between the power supply module PWR and the low-voltage DC power supply B can be kept short.

[0113] As shown in the 10th example in Figure 16, the high-voltage circuit unit 4, which includes the inverter module INV, may be located on a side of the drive unit TA that is neither on the same side as the refrigerant circuit module 2, nor on a side that is continuous with the side where the refrigerant circuit module 2 is located.

[0114] [Other Embodiments] Other embodiments will be described below. Note that the configurations of each embodiment described below are not limited to being applied independently, but can also be applied in combination with the configurations of other embodiments, as long as no inconsistencies arise.

[0115] (1) In the above, an example was given of a power transmission mechanism GT comprising a reduction gear 6 and a differential gear mechanism 5. However, the power transmission mechanism GT is not limited to this configuration. For example, the power transmission mechanism GT may comprise only the differential gear mechanism 5 without the reduction gear 6. Alternatively, the power transmission mechanism GT may comprise only the reduction gear 6 without the differential gear mechanism 5, and transmit power from one rotating electric machine MG to one wheel W. Furthermore, in this embodiment, a planetary gear mechanism with a fixed gear ratio was given as an example of the reduction gear 6, but the reduction gear 6 may have multiple gear ratios.

[0116] (2) As shown in Figure 5, in a configuration where the DC link capacitor 16 is arranged on the first surface 38a of the cooling unit, next to the inverter circuit PM, the inverter module INV may include the DC link capacitor 16. However, for example, if the DC link capacitor 16 is arranged on the back side of the first surface 38a of the cooling unit, the inverter module INV may not include the DC link capacitor 16. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0117] 2: Refrigerant circuit module, 4: High-voltage circuit unit (inverter module, power module), 9: Case, 10: Vehicle, 12: Rotor, 20: Refrigerant circuit, 31: Water-cooled condenser (heat exchanger), 36: First water pump (water pump), 37: Radiator, 45: Cabin air conditioning unit, 52: Side gear (output component), 53: First side gear (output component), 54: Second side gear (output component), 60: External power supply, 100: Vehicle drive system, BT: Onboard battery DS1: First drive shaft (output component), DS2: Second drive shaft (output component), GT: Power transmission mechanism, H: Vehicle longitudinal direction, H1: First side in the longitudinal direction, H2: Second side in the longitudinal direction, INV: Inverter module, L: Axial direction (width direction), L1: First side in the axial direction (first side in the width direction), L2: Second side in the axial direction (second side in the width direction), MG: Rotating electric machine, PT: External connection port, PWR: Power module, TA: Drive unit, W: Wheel, Z: Up and down direction, Z1: Upper side, Z2: Lower side

Claims

1. A rotating electric machine equipped with a rotor, An output member that is driven and connected to the wheel, A power transmission mechanism that transmits driving force between the rotating electric machine and the output member, An inverter module for driving and controlling the aforementioned rotating electric machine, A power supply module comprising at least one of the following: a voltage conversion circuit electrically connected to the vehicle battery and performing voltage conversion of the vehicle battery; a charging circuit for charging the vehicle battery from an external power source; and a power supply circuit for supplying power from the vehicle battery to an external source. A refrigerant circuit module that constitutes at least a part of a refrigerant circuit for circulating refrigerant for an in-vehicle air conditioner, A case that houses the drive unit including the rotating electric machine and the power transmission mechanism, and that supports the inverter module, the power supply module and the refrigerant circuit module, Equipped with, When mounted in a vehicle, the drive unit is positioned on the first side in the longitudinal direction, which is one side in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, relative to the cabin air conditioning unit of the vehicle air conditioner and the vehicle battery located under the floor of the vehicle cabin. In the vehicle's longitudinal direction, the side opposite to the first longitudinal side is defined as the second longitudinal side, the direction perpendicular to the vehicle's longitudinal direction when viewed from above is defined as the width direction, one side of the width direction is defined as the first width direction side, and the other side of the width direction is defined as the second width direction side. The refrigerant circuit module is positioned above the drive unit or on the second side in the front-rear direction, The inverter module is positioned on at least one of the following sides relative to the drive unit: the upper side, the lower side, the second side in the front-rear direction, the first side in the width direction, and the second side in the width direction. A vehicle drive system wherein the power supply module is located on at least one of the following sides relative to the drive unit: the upper side, the lower side, the second side in the front-rear direction, the first side in the width direction, and the second side in the width direction, on the same side as the side on which the inverter module is located, or on a side continuous with the side on which the inverter module is located.

2. When mounted on the vehicle, the drive unit is positioned below the external connection port provided on the vehicle for electrical connection between the vehicle and the outside. The vehicle drive device according to claim 1, wherein the power supply module is arranged on at least one side of the drive unit, which is the upper side, the second side in the front-rear direction, the first side in the width direction, and the second side in the width direction.

3. The system further includes a water pump for circulating cooling water to cool at least one of the rotating electric machine and the inverter module, When mounted on the vehicle, the drive unit is positioned on the second side in the front-rear direction relative to the radiator that performs heat exchange between the coolant and the outside air. The vehicle drive device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the water pump is positioned on the first side in the front-rear direction relative to the drive unit and is supported by the case.

4. The system further comprises a heat exchanger that performs heat exchange between cooling water for cooling the inverter module and the refrigerant, The inverter module is positioned on the same side as the refrigerant circuit module, or on a side continuous with the refrigerant circuit module, relative to the drive unit. The vehicle drive system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the heat exchanger is located in the region between the region where the refrigerant circuit module is located and the region where the inverter module is located.

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