Drive unit

Abstract

This drive unit is a unit which is mounted on a vehicle and in which a high voltage unit electrically connected to a battery, a motor to which power from the high voltage unit is supplied via an inverter, and a gear box that accommodates a shaft gear provided on the shaft of the motor and having a diameter smaller than the outer diameter dimension of the motor are unitized. At least some of the components of the inverter are housed in a housing chamber formed as a space different from a gear chamber housing the shaft gear by the dimensional difference between the outer diameter dimension of the motor and the outer diameter dimension of the shaft gear. In the drive unit, the motor is disposed on one side of the gear box in the vehicle width direction in a vehicle mounted state, and the high voltage unit is disposed on the other side of the gear box in the vehicle width direction.

Description

Drive unit

[0001] The present invention relates to a drive unit.

[0002] JP2005-262894A discloses a vehicle that uses a motor as a drive source.

[0003] The vehicle is provided with an inverter and a motor in an engine compartment at the front of the vehicle, the motor receiving a drive signal from the inverter, and the output of the motor is transmitted to the drive wheels via a gear mechanism.

[0004] In this vehicle, the inverter and the motor are disposed at positions apart from each other, which poses a problem of requiring space for installation.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and has an object to provide a drive unit that can reduce the installation space.

[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention, a drive unit mounted on a vehicle includes a high-voltage unit electrically connected to a battery, a motor to which power from the high-voltage unit is supplied via an inverter, and a gearbox that is attached to the motor shaft and houses a shaft gear having a diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the motor. In this drive unit, at least some of the components of the inverter are housed in a housing chamber that is formed as a space separate from the gear chamber that houses the shaft gear due to the difference in outer diameter between the motor and the shaft gear. When mounted on the vehicle, the motor is disposed on one side of the gearbox in the vehicle width direction, and the high-voltage unit is disposed on the other side of the gearbox in the vehicle width direction.

[0007] In this drive unit, the gearbox has an accommodation chamber formed as a space separate from the gear chamber due to the difference in outer diameter between the motor and the shaft gear. This accommodation chamber accommodates at least some of the inverter components. This drive unit therefore requires less space than if all of the inverter components were located outside the gearbox.

[0008] The motor that sends driving force to the gearbox is disposed on one side of the gearbox in the vehicle width direction, and the high-voltage unit that supplies power to the inverter is disposed on the other side of the gearbox in the vehicle width direction, which houses the inverter components. This allows the motor, gearbox, and high-voltage unit to be arranged side by side and unitized without complicating the mechanical and electrical connections, making it possible to further reduce the installation space.

[0009] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a drive unit according to this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a drive unit according to this embodiment. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a drive unit according to this embodiment, with a part of the gearbox open. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of the drive unit according to this embodiment, with the motor housing cut away. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram used to explain the drive unit according to this embodiment. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a drive unit according to a first modified example of this embodiment. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a drive unit according to a second modified example of this embodiment, with the high-voltage unit removed. FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram used to explain the drive unit according to the second modified example of this embodiment.

[0010] <Embodiments> Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a drive unit 10 according to this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the drive unit 10 according to this embodiment. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the drive unit 10 according to this embodiment, in which a part of the gear box 12 is shown in an open state. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of the drive unit 10 according to this embodiment, in which the motor housing 14 is cut away. FIG. 5 is a schematic view used to explain the drive unit 10 according to this embodiment.

[0012] 1 to 3, a drive unit 10 is used in, for example, an electric vehicle. The drive unit 10 is mounted on the vehicle and drives the drive wheels provided on the vehicle. The drive unit 10 is disposed on the front (FR) side of the vehicle and drives the front wheels of the vehicle.

[0013] The drive unit 10 includes a high-voltage unit 28 electrically connected to a battery (not shown) mounted on the rear (RR) side of the vehicle. The high-voltage unit 28 exchanges power with the battery. The drive unit 10 includes a motor 22 to which power from the high-voltage unit 28 is supplied via an inverter 20. The drive unit 10 also includes a gearbox 12 that is attached to a shaft 24 (see FIG. 3) of the motor 22 and that houses a shaft gear 26 having a diameter smaller than the outer diameter D1 (see FIGS. 4 and 5) of the motor 22. The high-voltage unit 28, the motor 22, and the gearbox 12 are integrated into a single unit.

[0014] When the drive unit 10 is mounted on the vehicle, a motor 22 is disposed on the right side R of the vehicle, which is one side of the gearbox 12 in the vehicle width direction W. A high-voltage unit 28 is disposed on the left side L of the vehicle, which is the other side of the gearbox 12 in the vehicle width direction W.

[0015] When mounted on the vehicle, the drive unit 10 is disposed so that the shaft 24 extending from the motor 22 extends in the vehicle width direction W (see FIG. 3). In addition, in the drive unit 10, a differential gear 55 (see FIGS. 3 and 5) that drives the drive shaft 29 (see FIG. 2) of the drive wheels is disposed on the rearward (RR) side of the shaft 24 of the motor 22.

[0016] 4, the motor 22 is housed in a rectangular motor housing 14. The motor housing 14 has a motor housing bottom surface 14A and a motor housing front wall surface 14B extending upward in the U direction from the edge of the motor housing bottom surface 14A on the vehicle front (FR) side. The motor housing 14 also has a motor housing rear wall surface 14C extending upward in the U direction from the edge of the motor housing bottom surface 14A on the vehicle rear (RR) side, and a motor housing top surface 14D connecting the motor housing front wall surface 14B and the motor housing rear wall surface 14C.

[0017] The motor housing front wall 14B has a front opening 30, which is closed by a cover 32.

[0018] The motor 22 includes a motor case 22A. The motor case 22A is coupled to the motor housing 14 and holds the motor 22 in the motor housing 14. A stator 22B is provided in the motor case 22A along the inner wall surface of the motor case 22A. A rotor 22C is rotatably provided inside the stator 22B. A shaft 24 is provided on the rotor 22C. The shaft 24 passes through a partition wall 40 that separates the motor housing 14 and the gear box 12 and extends into the gear box 12. In this embodiment, the outer diameter dimension D1 of the motor 22 is determined by the outer diameter of the stator 22B.

[0019] The motor 22 is a so-called rotating electric machine that functions as an electric motor that receives power supply to rotate the drive wheels, and as a generator that receives rotational force from the drive wheels to generate electricity (regenerate).

[0020] 1 and 2, the high voltage unit 28 is a device that handles high voltage power from the battery that drives the motor 22. Power from the battery is supplied to the high voltage unit 28 via a connector 500.

[0021] The connector 500 is composed of a socket 502 provided on the high-voltage unit 28 and a plug 504 that is detachably connected to the socket 502. A wire harness 506 is connected to the plug 504, and the wire harness 506 is connected to the battery.

[0022] The high-voltage unit 28 incorporates a junction box that relays a high-voltage power supply, a DC-DC converter, and a charger (not shown). Power from the battery is sent to the DC-DC converter via the junction box. Power from the battery is also sent to an external air compressor and other accessories via the junction box. Power supplied from an external charging device is sent to the charger via the junction box. The charger charges the battery connected to the high-voltage unit 28.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 1, the high voltage unit 28 includes a rectangular high voltage unit housing 510 .

[0024] The high-voltage unit housing 510 has a high-voltage unit housing bottom surface 510A and a high-voltage unit housing front wall surface 510B extending upward in the direction U from the edge of the high-voltage unit housing bottom surface 510A on the front (FR) side of the vehicle. The high-voltage unit housing 510 also has a high-voltage unit housing rear wall surface 510C extending upward in the direction U from the edge of the high-voltage unit housing bottom surface 510A on the rear (RR) side of the vehicle. The high-voltage unit housing 510 also has a high-voltage unit housing top surface 510D connecting the high-voltage unit housing front wall surface 510B and the high-voltage unit housing rear wall surface 510C.

[0025] The high-voltage unit housing 510 includes a high-voltage unit housing bottom surface 510A, a high-voltage unit housing front wall surface 510B, a high-voltage unit housing rear wall surface 510C, and a left wall surface 510E that connects the high-voltage unit housing top surface 510D at the edge on the vehicle left side L. Note that the high-voltage unit housing 510 has a right wall surface 510F (see FIGS. 1 and 2) on the vehicle right side R that is configured as part of the high-voltage side component 50B (see FIGS. 1 and 2) of the gearbox housing 50, which will be described later.

[0026] (Gearbox) As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the gearbox 12 includes a gearbox housing 50.

[0027] The gearbox housing 50 is made up of a motor-side component 50A that constitutes the motor housing 14 side, and a high-voltage-side component 50B that constitutes the high-voltage unit 28 side.

[0028] The gearbox housing 50 comprises a box main body 60 that is mainly arranged between the motor housing 14 and the high-voltage unit housing 510, and a box extension 62 that extends from the box main body 60 toward the rear RR of the vehicle.

[0029] As shown in Figure 3, the motor-side component 50A constituting the box main body 60 is provided with the shaft gear 26 provided on the shaft 24 of the motor 22 and a portion of the meshing gear 52 that meshes with the shaft gear 26. The motor-side component 50A constituting the box extension 62 is also provided with the portion of the meshing gear 52 and the interlocking gear 54 (see Figure 5) that meshes with and interlocks with the meshing gear 52.

[0030] 5, the mesh gear rotation axis 52A of the mesh gear 52 is disposed on the upper U side of an imaginary straight line 520 that connects the shaft gear rotation axis 26A of the shaft gear 26 and the interlocking gear rotation axis 54A of the interlocking gear 54. In the drive unit 10, the length from the shaft gear 26 to the interlocking gear 54 is reduced compared to when the shaft gear rotation axis 26A of the shaft gear 26, the mesh gear rotation axis 52A of the mesh gear 52, and the interlocking gear rotation axis 54A of the interlocking gear 54 are disposed on a straight line. As a result, the dimension of the gearbox 12 in the vehicle fore-and-aft direction FB is reduced in the drive unit 10.

[0031] 2, the motor-side component 50A that constitutes the box main body 60 constitutes part of the gearbox housing 50. The high-voltage-side component 50B that constitutes the box main body 60 forms a right wall surface 510F of the high-voltage unit housing 510.

[0032] A differential gear 55 (see FIG. 5 ), to which driving force is transmitted from the interlocking gear 54, is disposed in the portion of the high-voltage side component 50B that constitutes the box extension 62. The portion of the high-voltage side component 50B in which the differential gear 55 is disposed constitutes a differential gear housing 530. The differential gear housing 530 has a central portion, through which the drive shaft 29 passes, formed in a mountain shape that protrudes toward the left side L of the vehicle in the vehicle width direction W.

[0033] The differential gear 55 housed in the differential gear housing portion 530 constitutes a differential device that drives the drive shaft 29 .

[0034] 3 and 5, the gear box 12 includes a gear mechanism 56 made up of a shaft gear 26, a meshing gear 52, an interlocking gear 54, and a differential gear 55. The meshing gear 52 has a larger diameter than the shaft gear 26, and the gear mechanism 56 constitutes a speed reduction mechanism. The gear mechanism 56 may also constitute a speed increase mechanism.

[0035] 3, the box extension 62 of the gearbox housing 50 is formed in a shape corresponding to the outer shapes of the meshing gear 52 and the differential gear 55 (see FIG. 5). The box extension 62 has a peripheral wall 62A that follows the outer peripheries of the meshing gear 52 and the differential gear 55.

[0036] The box main body 60 of the motor-side component 50A includes a main body bottom surface 60A and a main body front wall surface 60B extending upward in the U direction from the edge of the main body bottom surface 60A on the vehicle front (FR) side. The box main body 60 of the motor-side component 50A also includes a main body rear wall surface 60C extending upward in the U direction from the edge of the main body bottom surface 60A on the vehicle rear (RR) side and connected to the peripheral wall 62A of the box extension 62. The box main body 60 of the motor-side component 50A also includes a main body top surface 60D connecting the main body front wall surface 60B and the peripheral wall 62A of the box extension 62.

[0037] As a result, the box main body 60 of the motor-side component 50A is formed with a rectangular cross section, with a portion missing that contacts the box extension 62. In addition, the main body top surface 60D and the portion of the peripheral wall 62A of the box extension 62 to which the main body top surface 60D is connected form the gearbox top surface 540 of the gearbox housing 50 that is disposed in the upper U when mounted on the vehicle.

[0038] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the gearbox housing 50 has a shape in which the front wall surface 60B of the main body, which is located on the front (FR) side of the vehicle when mounted on the vehicle, does not protrude beyond the motor housing front wall surface 14B of the motor housing 14 and the high-voltage unit housing front wall surface 510B of the high-voltage unit housing 510.

[0039] A main body bottom surface 60A of the box main body 60 extends on the extension of the motor housing bottom surface 14A of the motor housing 14 (see FIG. 3) and the high-voltage unit housing bottom surface 510A of the high-voltage unit housing 510.

[0040] As shown in Figure 2, when the gearbox housing 50 is mounted on the vehicle, the front wall surface 60B of the main body of the gearbox housing 50, which is located on the front (FR) side of the vehicle, is positioned further inward of the gearbox housing 50 than the front wall surface 14B of the motor housing 14 and the front wall surface 510B of the high-voltage unit housing 510.

[0041] As a result, the main body front wall surface 60B of the box main body 60 extends to a position further toward the vehicle rear RR than the motor housing front wall surface 14B of the motor housing 14 and the high-voltage unit housing front wall surface 510B of the high-voltage unit housing 510.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 1, the main body top surface 60D of the box main body 60 extends at a height D below the motor housing top surface 14D of the motor housing 14 and the high-voltage unit housing top surface 510D of the high-voltage unit housing 510.

[0043] As a result, the main body top surface 60D of the gearbox housing 50, which is positioned at the upper U when mounted on the vehicle, forms a lower portion located at a lower D than the motor housing top surface 14D of the motor housing 14 and the high voltage unit housing top surface 510D of the high voltage unit housing 510.

[0044] This lower portion (main body top surface 60D) forms a recessed space 550 recessed downward D between the motor housing 14 and the high-voltage unit housing 510. A socket 502 constituting the connector 500 is provided in a portion of the right wall surface 510F of the high-voltage unit housing 510 facing this recessed space 550. A plug 504 of a wire harness 506 connected to the battery is detachably connected to the socket 502.

[0045] As a result, the connector 500, which is made up of the plug 504 and the socket 502 and which connects the wire harness 506 to the high-voltage unit 28, is disposed in the recessed space 550. The wire harness 506 is then routed along this recessed space 550.

[0046] In addition to the connector 500 that supplies battery power, this recessed space 550 may also be used to place a connector for connecting the high voltage unit 28 to an air compressor or other auxiliary equipment that receives high voltage power from the high voltage unit 28.

[0047] 3 and 5, the gearbox 12 has a gear chamber 70 that houses the shaft gear 26, which has a diameter smaller than the outer diameter D1 of the motor 22. The gearbox 12 also has an accommodation chamber 72 that is formed as a space separate from the gear chamber 70 that houses the shaft gear 26 due to the difference in dimension between the outer diameter D1 of the motor 22 and the outer diameter D2 (see FIG. 5) of the shaft gear 26. The gear chamber 70 and the accommodation chamber 72 are separated by a partition wall 80.

[0048] Specifically, the outer diameter D2 of the shaft gear 26 is smaller than the outer diameter D1 of the motor 22 (see FIG. 5). Furthermore, the gearbox housing 50 is arranged such that the main body bottom surface 60A of the box main body 60 is located on an extension of the motor housing bottom surface 14A of the motor housing 14. Therefore, a space exists between the shaft gear 26 and the wall surface of the gearbox housing 50 due to the difference in size between the outer diameter D1 of the motor 22 and the outer diameter D2 of the shaft gear 26, and an accommodation chamber 72 is formed in this space.

[0049] The storage chamber 72 is surrounded by the bottom surface 60A of the main body of the gearbox housing 50, the front wall surface 60B of the main body, the rear wall surface 60C of the main body, the partition wall 80, the partition wall 40, and the right wall surface 510F of the high-voltage unit housing 510.

[0050] 3, the partition wall 80 is formed with a partition wall extension portion 80A that extends from the middle of the main body front wall surface 60B toward the shaft gear 26 and along the main body bottom surface 60A, and a curved partition wall curved portion 80B that extends from the partition wall extension portion 80A. The partition wall 80 also has an inclined partition wall portion 80C that connects the partition wall curved portion 80B and the main body rear wall surface 60C.

[0051] The partition curved portion 80B is formed to have an arcuate cross section that curves along the shaft gear 26. The partition curved portion 80B supports a bearing 82, which rotatably supports the tip end of the shaft 24, from below.

[0052] The partition curved portion 80B is formed so that the portion below the central axis of the shaft 24 is lowest. As a result, a first reservoir 84 that stores lubricating oil for lubricating each gear of the gear mechanism 56 is formed by the partition curved portion 80B on the surface of the partition 80 facing the gear chamber 70. The lubricating oil stored in the first reservoir 84 is scooped up by the rotating shaft gear 26.

[0053] The partition wall inclined portion 80C extends obliquely downward D from the partition wall curved portion 80B toward the main body rear wall surface 60C. As a result, a second reservoir 86 for storing lubricating oil is formed by the partition wall inclined portion 80C on the surface of the partition wall 80 facing the gear chamber 70. The lubricating oil stored in the second reservoir 86 is scooped up by the rotating interlocking gear 54 or differential gear 55.

[0054] A park lock actuator 90 that restricts rotation of the gear mechanism 56 including the shaft gear 26 is provided in a lower portion formed by the main body top surface 60D of the box main body 60 of the gearbox 12. The park lock actuator 90 is disposed to the side of the connector 500 (see FIG. 1).

[0055] An operating shaft 90A of the park lock actuator 90 extends into the gear chamber 70 and engages with an operating plate 92. An engaging pawl 92A is provided at the tip of the operating plate 92 to engage with teeth 94A of a lock gear 94 provided on the shaft 24.

[0056] When the park lock actuator 90 establishes the locked state, the operating shaft 90A rotates the operating plate 92 about the support shaft 92B, and the engaging pawl 92A is inserted between the teeth 94A of the lock gear 94. As a result, the park lock actuator 90 prevents the gear mechanism 56 from rotating.

[0057] When the park lock actuator 90 is in the unlocked state, the operating shaft 90A rotates the operating plate 92, and the engaging pawl 92A is pulled out from between the teeth 94A of the lock gear 94. As a result, the park lock actuator 90 allows the gear mechanism 56 to rotate.

[0058] The accommodation chamber 72 accommodates at least some of the components that make up the inverter 20 .

[0059] The inverter 20 includes a smoothing capacitor 100 that smoothes the voltage supplied from the battery via the high-voltage unit 28 (see FIG. 1 ). The inverter 20 also includes a semiconductor device 102 that generates three-phase AC from the voltage smoothed by the smoothing capacitor 100 to drive the motor 22, which is a three-phase motor. The inverter 20 also includes a three-phase electrode unit 104 that outputs the three-phase AC generated by the semiconductor device 102 to the motor 22.

[0060] In the drive unit 10 of this embodiment, the smoothing capacitor 100 , the semiconductor device 102 , and the three-phase electrode section 104 that constitute the inverter 20 are all housed in the housing chamber 72 .

[0061] The motor 22 is disposed on the right R side of the vehicle of the gearbox 12, and the accommodation chamber 72 of the gearbox 12 accommodates a three-phase electrode unit 104 for outputting three-phase AC generated by the semiconductor device 102 to the motor 22. This shortens the connection distance between the three-phase electrode unit 104 and the motor 22.

[0062] Furthermore, a high-voltage unit 28 (see FIG. 1) is disposed on the left side L of the vehicle of the gearbox 12, and a smoothing capacitor 100 that smoothes the voltage supplied from the high-voltage unit 28 is housed in the accommodation chamber 72 of the gearbox 12. This allows the length of the harness connecting the high-voltage unit 28 and the smoothing capacitor 100 to be shortened.

[0063] In the drive unit 10 of this embodiment, a case will be described in which all of the components of the inverter 20 are accommodated in the accommodation chamber 72, but the drive unit 10 is not limited to this configuration. For example, the drive unit 10 may accommodate only some of the components of the inverter 20 in the accommodation chamber 72.

[0064] A smoothing capacitor 100 is disposed in the accommodation chamber 72 on the vehicle rear (RR) side of the semiconductor device 102. A three-phase electrode unit 104 is disposed on the vehicle front (FR) side of the semiconductor device 102. The three-phase electrode unit 104 forms, for example, a bus bar.

[0065] This drive unit 10 receives power supplied via the high-voltage unit 28 from the PN terminal of the semiconductor device 102 via the smoothing capacitor 100. The drive unit 10 also outputs the output from the UVW terminals of the semiconductor device 102 to the motor 22 via three-phase electrodes 104 that form bus bars. This makes it easier to arrange the wiring compared to when the components of the inverter 20 are arranged in the order of, for example, the semiconductor device 102, the smoothing capacitor 100, and the three-phase electrodes 104.

[0066] In addition, the accommodation chamber 72 is arranged with the smoothing capacitor 100, the semiconductor device 102, and the three-phase electrode section 104 in that order from the rear RR side of the vehicle, and the PN terminals of the smoothing capacitor 100 and the semiconductor device 102 to which the smoothing capacitor 100 is connected are arranged on the rear RR side of the vehicle.

[0067] Therefore, in this embodiment in which the drive unit 10 is disposed on the front (FR) side of the vehicle, it is possible to shorten the distance from the battery, which is disposed on the rear (RR) side of the vehicle relative to the drive unit 10, to the PN terminal of the semiconductor device 102. As a result, in this embodiment, it is possible to shorten the wiring extending from the battery.

[0068] When the drive unit 10 is disposed on the rear (RR) side of the vehicle, the positions of the smoothing capacitor 100 and the three-phase electrode unit 104 are reversed.

[0069] (Operations and Effects) As described above, the drive unit 10 of this embodiment is a unit mounted on a vehicle. The drive unit 10 comprises, as a unit, a high-voltage unit 28 electrically connected to a battery, a motor 22 to which power from the high-voltage unit 28 is supplied via an inverter 20, and a gearbox 12 that is attached to a shaft 24 of the motor 22 and accommodates a shaft gear 26 having a diameter smaller than the outer diameter D1 of the motor 22. The drive unit 10 accommodates at least some of the components of the inverter 20 in an accommodation chamber 72 that is formed as a space separate from a gear chamber 70 that accommodates the shaft gear 26 due to the difference in dimension between the outer diameter D1 of the motor 22 and the outer diameter D2 of the shaft gear 26. When the drive unit 10 is mounted on a vehicle, the motor 22 is disposed on the right side R of the vehicle, which is one side of the gearbox 12 in the vehicle width direction W, and the high-voltage unit 28 is disposed on the left side L of the vehicle, which is the other side of the gearbox 12 in the vehicle width direction W.

[0070] This allows the excess space generated within the gearbox housing 50 due to the difference in size between the outer diameter D1 of the motor 22 and the outer diameter D2 of the shaft gear 26 to be effectively utilized as the accommodation chamber 72.

[0071] At least some of the components of the inverter 20 are accommodated in the accommodation chamber 72. Therefore, the drive unit 10 can reduce the space required for arrangement compared to when all of the components of the inverter 20 are arranged outside the gear box 12.

[0072] The motor 22 that sends driving force to the gearbox 12 is disposed on one side of the gearbox 12 in the vehicle width direction W, and the high-voltage unit 28 that supplies power to the inverter 20 is disposed on the other side of the gearbox 12 in the vehicle width direction W, which houses the components of the inverter 20. This allows the motor 22, gearbox 12, and high-voltage unit 28 to be arranged side by side and unitized without complicating the mechanical and electrical connections, making it possible to further reduce the space required for arrangement.

[0073] In the drive unit 10 of this embodiment, all of the components of the inverter 20 are housed in the housing chamber 72 of the gear box 12. Therefore, the drive unit 10 can be made even smaller than when some of the components of the inverter 20 are disposed externally.

[0074] Furthermore, the center of gravity of the drive unit 10 can be lowered compared to when the inverter unit, which houses some of the components of the inverter 20, is disposed on top of the motor housing 14 or the gearbox housing 50. This reduces lateral shaking of the drive unit 10 during driving, thereby suppressing vibration and improving driving stability.

[0075] In the drive unit 10, the motor 22 is disposed on the right side R of the vehicle, which is one side of the gearbox 12 in the vehicle width direction W, and the high-voltage unit 28 is disposed on the left side L of the vehicle, which is the other side of the gearbox 12 in the vehicle width direction W. Therefore, the drive unit 10 can have a lower center of gravity than when the high-voltage unit 28 is disposed above the motor 22.

[0076] Furthermore, compared to when the motor 22 and high-voltage unit 28 are disposed on one side of the gearbox 12, the drive unit 10 makes it easier to dispose the gearbox 12 at the center of the vehicle, improving the balance of the center of gravity of the vehicle in the vehicle width direction W. Furthermore, disposing the gearbox 12 at the center of the vehicle makes it possible to make the lengths of the drive shafts 29 extending from the gearbox 12 to the left and right drive wheels approximately the same.

[0077] The accommodation chamber 72 of the gearbox 12 accommodates a three-phase electrode unit 104 for outputting the three-phase AC generated by the semiconductor device 102 to the motor 22. Therefore, the connection distance between the three-phase electrode unit 104 and the motor 22 can be shortened compared to when the three-phase electrode unit 104 is disposed at a position distant from the motor 22.

[0078] Furthermore, a smoothing capacitor 100 that smoothes the voltage supplied from the high-voltage unit 28 is housed in the housing chamber 72 of the gearbox 12. Therefore, the length of the harness connecting the high-voltage unit 28 and the smoothing capacitor 100 can be shortened compared to when the smoothing capacitor 100 is located at a distance from the high-voltage unit 28.

[0079] In addition, in this embodiment, the gearbox housing 50 of the gearbox 12 has a shape in which the main body front wall surface 60B, which is at least one of the walls located on the vehicle fore-and-aft direction FB side when mounted on the vehicle, does not protrude beyond the motor housing front wall surface 14B, which is the wall surface of the motor housing 14 that houses the motor 22, and the high-voltage unit housing front wall surface 510B, which is the wall surface of the high-voltage unit housing 510 of the high-voltage unit 28.

[0080] In this configuration, the main body front wall surface 60B of the gearbox housing 50 does not protrude further toward the front FR side of the vehicle than the wall surfaces of the motor housing 14 and the high-voltage unit housing 510.

[0081] Therefore, for example, in the event of a vehicle collision, it is possible to prevent the gearbox housing 50 from interfering with the vehicle body frame or the like before the motor housing 14 and the high-voltage unit housing 510. This enables the drive unit 10 to protect the components of the inverter 20 housed in the gearbox 12.

[0082] In addition, in this embodiment, the main body front wall surface 60B, which is a wall surface of the gearbox housing 50 that is arranged on at least one of the vehicle fore-and-aft directions FB when mounted on the vehicle, is positioned further inward of the gearbox housing 50 than the motor housing front wall surface 14B, which is a wall surface of the motor housing 14, and the high-voltage unit housing front wall surface 510B, which is a wall surface of the high-voltage unit housing 510.

[0083] When mounted on a vehicle, the drive unit 10 having this configuration can form a space between the motor housing 14 and the high-voltage unit housing 510 on the front FR side of the vehicle, which is at least one of the sides in the vehicle longitudinal direction FB. This further prevents the main body front wall surface 60B of the gearbox housing 50 from interfering with an interfering object before the motor housing 14 and the high-voltage unit housing 510 do so in the event of a vehicle collision.

[0084] By utilizing this space, it is possible to arrange the connector 500 for the wire harness 506 that carries high voltage, and to route the wire harness 506.

[0085] In this embodiment, when mounted on a vehicle, a gearbox top surface 540 serving as the top surface of the gearbox housing 50 has a lower portion (main body top surface 60D) located at a position D below a motor housing top surface 14D serving as the top surface of the motor housing 14 and a high-voltage unit housing top surface 510D serving as the top surface of the high-voltage unit housing 510. The connector 500 of the wire harness 506 connected to the high-voltage unit 28 is disposed in a recessed space 550 serving as a space formed between the motor housing 14 and the high-voltage unit housing 510 by the lower portion (main body top surface 60D).

[0086] In the drive unit 10 configured as described above, the connector 500 is disposed between the motor housing 14 and the high-voltage unit housing 510 .

[0087] Therefore, for example, in the event of a vehicle collision, an interfering object can be made to interfere with the motor housing 14 and the high-voltage unit housing 510 before the connector 500 does, thereby preventing damage to the connector 500 and preventing a short circuit in the high-voltage power supply that would otherwise occur due to damage to the connector 500.

[0088] The recessed space 550 is formed by the excess space in the gear box 12 that is formed around the shaft gear 26 due to the difference in size between the outer diameter D1 of the motor 22 and the outer diameter D2 of the shaft gear 26. This allows the drive unit 10 to effectively utilize the excess space in the gear box 12.

[0089] In this embodiment, a park lock actuator 90 capable of restricting rotation of the gear mechanism 56 including the shaft gear 26 is disposed to the side of the connector 500 on the main body top surface 60D that constitutes the lower portion.

[0090] In this configuration, the recessed space 550 formed between the motor housing 14 and the high-voltage unit housing 510 by the main body top surface 60D is effectively used as a space for arranging the parking lock actuator 90.

[0091] In this embodiment, the parking lock actuator 90 is disposed in the recessed space 550 on the vehicle front (FR) side of the connector 500 .

[0092] Therefore, for example, in the event of a vehicle collision, an interfering object can be made to interfere with the parking lock actuator 90 before the connector 500 does, thereby preventing damage to the connector 500 and preventing a short circuit in the high-voltage power supply that would otherwise occur due to damage to the connector 500.

[0093] <First Modification> Next, a drive unit 600 according to a first modification will be described.

[0094] 6 is a perspective view showing a drive unit 600 according to a first modified example of the present embodiment. In the drive unit 600 according to the first modified example, parts that are the same as or equivalent to those in the above-described embodiment are given the same reference numerals and will not be described again, and only the different parts will be described.

[0095] As shown in FIG. 6, a drive unit 600 according to the first modification differs from the embodiment described above in the position at which a connector 500 that connects a wire harness 506 and a high-voltage unit 28 is provided.

[0096] That is, the gearbox 12 includes a differential gear 55. A differential gear accommodating portion 530 of the gearbox housing 50 in which the differential gear 55 is arranged protrudes toward the vehicle rear RR, which is one side in the vehicle fore-and-aft direction FB, beyond a high-voltage unit housing rear wall surface 510C of the high-voltage unit housing 510 of the high-voltage unit 28 when the high-voltage unit 28 is mounted on the vehicle.

[0097] The differential gear accommodating portion 530 has a central portion through which the drive shaft 29 (see FIG. 2) passes, which is formed in a mountain shape that protrudes toward the left side L of the vehicle, which is one side in the vehicle width direction W.

[0098] Socket 502 of connector 500, which supplies power to high-voltage unit 28, is located on rear wall 510C of the high-voltage unit housing, on the side of differential gear housing 530 on the left side L of the vehicle in the vehicle width direction W. Socket 502 is also located in a position that avoids interference with differential gear housing 530, which is formed in a mountain shape.

[0099] As a result, connector 500, which is made up of socket 502 and plug 504 connected to socket 502, is disposed to the side of differential gear accommodating portion 530 while protruding in the protruding direction of differential gear accommodating portion 530. In other words, connector 500, which is made up of socket 502 and plug 504, is disposed within a projection plane of differential gear accommodating portion 530 projected in the vehicle width direction W.

[0100] The wire harness 506 connected to the plug 504 passes through the upper part of the differential gear housing portion 530 and is then routed along the rear wall surface 14C of the motor housing.

[0101] (Functions and Effects) The first modified example configured as above provides the same functions and effects as the above-described embodiment with respect to the parts that are the same as or equivalent to those of the above-described embodiment.

[0102] Furthermore, in drive unit 600 of this modified example, gearbox 12 includes differential gear 55, and differential gear housing 530 of gearbox housing 50 in which differential gear 55 is arranged protrudes toward the vehicle rear RR, which is one side in the vehicle fore-and-aft direction FB, beyond high-voltage unit housing 510 of high-voltage unit 28 when mounted on the vehicle. Connector 500 of wire harness 506 connected to high-voltage unit 28 is disposed to the side of differential gear housing 530, protruding in the protruding direction of differential gear housing 530.

[0103] In this configuration, the differential gear housing 530 that houses the differential gear 55 protrudes toward the rear RR of the vehicle, which is one side of the vehicle in the fore-and-aft direction FB, beyond the high-voltage unit housing 510, due to the structure that extends the drive shaft 29 (see FIG. 2) in the vehicle width direction W. For this reason, it is difficult to arrange components around the differential gear housing 530 of the drive unit 600, and the area around the differential gear housing 530 tends to become dead space.

[0104] Therefore, in the drive unit 600 of this modified example, the connector 500 connected to the high-voltage unit 28 is disposed to the side of the differential gear housing 530 with the connector 500 protruding from the rear wall surface 510C of the high-voltage unit housing in the protruding direction of the differential gear housing 530. This allows the dead space around the differential gear housing 530 to be effectively utilized as a location for arranging the connector 500.

[0105] Furthermore, the connector 500 protruding from the high-voltage unit housing 510 is disposed to the side of the differential gear housing portion 530 .

[0106] Therefore, for example, in the event of a vehicle collision, an interfering object can be made to interfere with the differential gear accommodating portion 530 before the connector 500 does, thereby preventing damage to the connector 500 and preventing a short circuit in the high-voltage power supply that would otherwise occur due to damage to the connector 500.

[0107] <Second Modification> Next, a drive unit 700 according to a second modification will be described.

[0108] Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing a drive unit 700 according to a second modified example of this embodiment, with the high-voltage unit 28 removed. Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram used to explain the drive unit 700 according to the second modified example of this embodiment.

[0109] In the drive unit 700 according to the second modification, the same or equivalent parts as those in the above-described embodiment or the first modification are designated by the same reference numerals and description thereof will be omitted, and only the different parts will be described.

[0110] As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the drive unit 700 according to the second modified example differs from the above-described embodiment or the first modified example in the position at which the connector 500 that connects the wire harness 506 and the high-voltage unit 28 (see Figure 1) is provided.

[0111] 8, the gearbox 12 includes a meshing gear 52 that meshes with the shaft gear 26, and an interlocking gear 54 that interlocks with the meshing gear 52. A meshing gear rotation axis 52A of the meshing gear 52 is disposed at a position shifted upward toward the U side from an imaginary line 520 that connects a shaft gear rotation axis 26A of the shaft gear 26 and an interlocking gear rotation axis 54A of the interlocking gear 54.

[0112] The gearbox housing 50 of the gearbox 12 has a recess 710 formed by the periphery of the gearbox housing 50 receding inward on the side opposite the meshing gear 52 across the imaginary straight line 520.

[0113] Specifically, the corner of the bottom surface 60A of the box main body 60 of the gearbox housing 50 on the rear RR side of the vehicle is recessed inside the gearbox housing 50, and the bottom surface 60A of the main body of the gearbox housing 50 is provided with a recess 710.

[0114] This recess 710 forms a lower recess space 712 between the motor housing 14 that houses the motor 22 and the high-voltage unit housing 510 of the high-voltage unit 28 (see FIG. 1, etc.).

[0115] A socket 502 (see FIG. 1 ) constituting connector 500 is provided on a portion of the wall of high-voltage unit housing 510 facing this lower recessed space 712. A plug 504 of a wire harness 506 (see FIG. 1 ) connected to the battery is detachably connected to socket 502.

[0116] As a result, the connector 500 consisting of the plug 504 and the socket 502 that connects the wire harness 506 to the high-voltage unit 28 is disposed in the lower recessed space 712 .

[0117] (Functions and Effects) The second modified example configured in this manner exhibits the same functions and effects as the above-described embodiment or first modified example with respect to the parts that are the same as or equivalent to those of the above-described embodiment or first modified example.

[0118] Furthermore, in the drive unit 700 of this modified example, the gearbox 12 includes a meshing gear 52 that meshes with the shaft gear 26 and an interlocking gear 54 that interlocks with the meshing gear 52. A meshing gear rotation axis 52A, which serves as the rotation axis of the meshing gear 52, is positioned offset upward toward U, which is one side of an imaginary line 520 that connects a shaft gear rotation axis 26A, which serves as the rotation axis of the shaft gear 26, and an interlocking gear rotation axis 54A, which serves as the rotation axis of the interlocking gear 54. A recess 710 is formed in the gearbox housing 50 of the gearbox 12, at a location on the opposite side of the imaginary line 520 from the meshing gear 52, by recessing the main body bottom surface 60A that forms the periphery of the gearbox housing 50 inward. A connector 500 of a wire harness 506 that is connected to the high-voltage unit 28 is positioned in the recess 710.

[0119] In this configuration, the mesh gear rotation axis 52A of the mesh gear 52 is located on the upper U side of an imaginary straight line 520 that connects the shaft gear rotation axis 26A of the shaft gear 26 and the interlocking gear rotation axis 54A of the interlocking gear 54. Therefore, the dimension of the gearbox 12 in the vehicle fore-and-aft direction FB can be reduced compared to when the shaft gear rotation axis 26A, the mesh gear rotation axis 52A, and the interlocking gear rotation axis 54A are located on a straight line extending in the vehicle fore-and-aft direction FB. This enables the drive unit 10 to be made more compact.

[0120] Furthermore, by positioning the meshing gear rotation axis 52A of the meshing gear 52 at a position U above the imaginary straight line 520 connecting the shaft gear rotation axis 26A of the shaft gear 26 and the interlocking gear rotation axis 54A of the interlocking gear 54, excess space is formed below the meshing gear 52.

[0121] Therefore, the drive unit 700 is provided with a recess 710 formed by receding the main body bottom surface 60A of the gearbox housing 50 inward at a position D below the meshing gear 52, which is on the opposite side of the imaginary straight line 520 from the meshing gear 52. The connector 500 is disposed in a lower recess space 712 formed by the recess 710.

[0122] As a result, the surplus space formed below D of the meshing gear 52 is effectively utilized as a lower recessed space 712 in which the connector 500 is disposed.

[0123] The box body 60 of the gearbox housing 50 is provided on the vehicle front (FR) side of the connector 500 arranged in the lower recessed space 712, and the differential gear accommodating portion 530 protrudes on the vehicle rear (RR) side of the connector 500. In addition, the motor housing 14 is provided on the vehicle right (R) side of the connector 500, and the high-voltage unit housing 510 (see FIG. 1) is provided on the vehicle left (L) side of the connector 500.

[0124] Therefore, the connector 500 is protected by being surrounded by the gearbox housing 50, the differential gear accommodating portion 530, the motor housing 14, and the high-voltage unit housing 510. This makes it possible to prevent damage to the connector 500 caused by interference from an interfering object and to prevent a short circuit of the high-voltage power supply due to damage to the connector 500.

[0125] If the gearbox housing 50 is provided with a reinforcing rib that protrudes outward beyond the motor housing 14 and the high-voltage unit housing 510, an object that would otherwise interfere with the drive unit 10 during a vehicle collision can be made to interfere with the reinforcing rib before it interferes with the drive unit 10. This makes it possible to reduce the input to the connector 500, the motor 22 of the motor housing 14, or the inverter 20 provided in the gearbox 12.

[0126] The above describes the embodiments and modifications of the present invention, but the above embodiments and modifications merely illustrate some of the application examples of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the technical scope of the present invention to the specific configurations of the above embodiments and modifications.

[0127] The drive units 10, 600, and 700 of the present embodiment and each of the modified examples described above have been described using an electric vehicle that runs by driving the motor 22 with battery power as an example, but the drive units 10, 600, and 700 are not limited to this. For example, the drive units 10, 600, and 700 may be a series hybrid vehicle in which the motor 22 is driven by power generated by an engine in a vehicle equipped with an engine.

[0128] In addition, in the present embodiment and each modified example, the drive units 10, 600, and 700 are arranged so that the differential gear housing 530 of the gearbox housing 50 protrudes toward the rear (RR) side of the vehicle. However, the arrangement of the drive units 10, 600, and 700 is not limited to this. For example, the drive units 10, 600, and 700 may be arranged so that the differential gear housing 530 of the gearbox housing 50 protrudes toward the front (FR) side of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A drive unit mounted on a vehicle, A high-voltage unit electrically connected to a battery and handling a high-voltage power supply from the battery, A motor that receives power from the aforementioned high-voltage unit via an inverter, A gearbox, which is provided on the shaft of the motor and houses a shaft gear having a smaller diameter than the outer diameter of the motor, is integrated into a single unit. At least some of the components of the inverter are housed in a housing chamber formed as a separate space from the gear chamber that houses the shaft gear, due to the difference in dimensions between the outer diameter of the motor and the outer diameter of the shaft gear. In the vehicle-mounted state, the motor is positioned on one side of the gearbox in the vehicle width direction, and the high-voltage unit is positioned on the other side of the gearbox in the vehicle width direction. Drive unit.

2. The drive unit according to claim 1, The gearbox housing of the gearbox has a shape such that at least one wall surface, when mounted on a vehicle, is positioned on the vehicle's front-rear side and does not protrude more than the wall surface of the motor housing that houses the motor and the wall surface of the high-voltage unit housing of the high-voltage unit. Drive unit.

3. The drive unit according to claim 2, In the vehicle-mounted state, the wall surface of the gearbox housing, which is located on at least one side in the front-rear direction of the vehicle, is positioned further inward than the wall surface of the motor housing and the wall surface of the high-voltage unit housing. Drive unit.

4. The drive unit according to claim 2, When mounted in a vehicle, the top surface of the gearbox housing has a lower portion that is located below the top surface of the motor housing and the top surface of the high-voltage unit housing. The connector of the wire harness connected to the high-voltage unit is positioned in the space formed between the motor housing and the high-voltage unit housing by the lower portion. Drive unit.

5. The drive unit according to claim 4, A park lock actuator capable of restricting the rotation of the gear mechanism including the shaft gear is positioned on the side of the connector in the lower portion. Drive unit.

6. The drive unit according to claim 1, The gearbox includes a differential gear, and the differential gear housing portion of the gearbox housing where the differential gear is located protrudes to one side in the vehicle's longitudinal direction from the high-voltage unit housing of the high-voltage unit when mounted on the vehicle. The connector of the wire harness connected to the high-voltage unit is positioned to the side of the differential gear housing, protruding in the direction of protrusion of the differential gear housing. Drive unit.

7. The drive unit according to claim 1, The gearbox comprises a meshing gear that meshes with the shaft gear and a drive gear that is interlocked with the meshing gear, wherein the rotation axis of the meshing gear is offset to one side of a hypothetical straight line connecting the rotation axis of the shaft gear and the rotation axis of the drive gear. The gearbox housing of the gearbox is provided with a recess formed by the inward receding of the peripheral edge of the gearbox housing on the side opposite to the meshing gear with respect to the virtual straight line, and a connector for the wire harness connected to the high-voltage unit is arranged within the recess. Drive unit.