Staggered Motor Drive Unit for Compact Vehicle Packaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing front wheel drive unit configurations for vehicles result in increased size and higher center of gravity due to parallel arrangement of the electric motor and gear shaft, leading to interference with surrounding components and reduced maneuverability and stability.
Innovation Solution
The moving body drive unit is designed with the electric motor and gear shaft arranged at different positions in orthogonal directions, incorporating a differential gear device and intermediate gear mechanism to reduce size and prevent interference, with a recess in the case to accommodate the steering effort converting mechanism.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the electric motor and gear shaft are arranged in parallel in the right-and-left direction, then power transmission is simplified, but the right-and-left direction size of the drive unit increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a parallel arrangement (same dimension) to a staggered arrangement where the motor shaft and gear shaft are offset in both the right-and-left direction (second direction) and the up-and-down direction (third direction). This dimensional change allows compact packaging while maintaining functional connectivity through the bevel gear and intermediate gear mechanism.
2Volume of moving object
If the electric motor is located in front of the differential gear device, then the drive unit fits within the vehicle, but the center of gravity becomes higher and maneuverability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent positions the motor in the rearward direction relative to the differential gear device while using the up-and-down direction offset to accommodate the gear mechanisms. This allows the motor to be located lower and more centrally in the vehicle, improving the center of gravity position without compromising drive unit functionality.
3Device complexity
If the up-and-down direction size of the drive unit increases, then the motor and gear shaft can be arranged, but interference with the steering effort converting mechanism occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs an asymmetric staggered arrangement where the motor shaft and gear shaft are offset by specific distances in both the right-and-left and up-and-down directions. This asymmetric positioning creates clear spatial separation between the drive unit and the steering effort converting mechanism, eliminating interference while maintaining compact dimensions.
Data Source
AI summary
A moving body drive unit has an electric motor that is located inside the case and has a motor shaft extending in a first direction, a gear shaft that is located, inside the case, parallel to the motor shaft so as to extend in the first direction and has a bevel gear formed thereon, an intermediate gear mechanism that transmits power from the motor shaft to the gear shaft, and a differential gear device that is located inside the case and has a ring gear that meshes with the bevel gear to transmit power from the gear shaft to two output shafts extending in a second direction. The motor shaft and the gear shaft are arranged at different positions in both the second direction and in a third direction that is orthogonal to both the first direction and the second direction.