Vehicle Drive Unit Layout for Larger Inverter Packaging Space
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vehicle drive devices face challenges in increasing the space for housing the inverter device without significantly enlarging the overall size of the vehicle drive device, and there is a need to separate the inverter device from other components using a wall portion without increasing the overall size.
Innovation Solution
The vehicle drive device is designed with a rotating electrical machine and output members disposed on parallel axes, where the inverter device is positioned on the opposite side of the output member and separated by a peripheral wall portion that includes overlapping wall portions extending in different directions, allowing efficient use of space without increasing the overall size.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of stationary object
If the space for housing the inverter device is increased, then the capacity of the inverter device case is improved, but the overall size of the vehicle drive device increases
Solution Approach 1:
The inverter device is disposed above the output member in the vertical direction, utilizing the up-down dimension rather than extending in the vehicle front-rear direction. The peripheral wall portion includes a first wall portion extending in the vehicle front-rear direction and axial direction, and a second wall portion extending in the up-down direction and axial direction, creating a three-dimensional enclosure that maximizes vertical space utilization without increasing the overall footprint of the drive device.
2Device complexity
If a wall portion is added to separate the inverter device from other components, then the separation and organization is improved, but the overall size of the vehicle drive device increases
Solution Approach 1:
The case is divided into a motor room housing the rotating electrical machine and transmission mechanism, and an inverter room housing the inverter device, separated by a peripheral wall portion. This segmentation provides clear functional separation while the wall portion is integrated into the case structure without adding external protrusions, maintaining compact overall dimensions.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 2A
AI summary
A vehicle drive device is disclosed that includes a rotating electrical machine, a transmission mechanism, and an inverter device. The rotating electrical machine and a pair of output members have a two-axis configuration. The transmission mechanism includes, coaxially with the output members, an output gear drivingly connected to the output members. A first output member that is one of the pair of output members is interposed between the rotating electrical machine and the inverter device in a horizontal direction at a position in an up-down direction where both the rotating electrical machine and the inverter device are disposed. The output gear overlaps each of the rotating electrical machine and the inverter device as viewed in an axial direction. The inverter device is disposed on the opposite side of the first output member from the rotating electrical machine and above the first output member. A case includes a peripheral wall portion that separates the first output member and the inverter device from each other. The peripheral wall portion overlaps the output gear as viewed in the axial direction.