IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,912,133
Granted Patent B2
US 11,912,133 · App. 17/761,937 · Granted Feb 27, 2024

Vehicle drive unit

Inventors: Shoji Tanizawa (Tokyo, JP); Shinsuke Horibe (Tokyo, JP); Masaharu Yamagishi (Okazaki, JP); Chika Takaba (Tokyo, JP); Toshihiko Ando (Tokyo, JP); Kohei Higashitani (Tokyo, JP); Kenji Umemura (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: MITSUBISHI JIDOSHA KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
B60K6/46B60K6/26B60K6/28B60K6/40B60K11/04B60L1/003B60L9/18B60L50/61B60R16/0207B60R16/03B60L2210/40
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,912,133
App. No.
17/761,937
Granted
Feb 27, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

A vehicle drive unit includes an internal combustion engine ( 21 ), an electromotive unit ( 23 ) having a first electric motor ( 31 ) and a second electric motor ( 33 ), an inverter ( 27 ) disposed above the electromotive unit, a first harness ( 41 ) that electrically connects the inverter and a first terminal block ( 61 ) of the first electric motor, and a second harness ( 42 ) that electrically connects the inverter and a second terminal block ( 62 ) of the second electric motor. The first electric motor and the second electric motor are disposed in a vehicle front-rear direction. Of the first electric motor and the second electric motor, one electric motor is disposed on the front side in the front-rear direction, and the other electric motor is disposed on the rear side in the front-rear direction. The other electric motor is offset upward in the up-down direction with respect to the one electric motor. The electromotive unit has a predetermined space (A) formed: in a region above the one electric motor and in rear of the front end of the one electric motor; and in a region in front of the other motor and below the upper end of the other electric motor. The first terminal block and the second terminal block are located in the predetermined space.

Claims (35)

1. A vehicle drive unit, comprising:

an internal combustion engine disposed in an engine compartment of a vehicle;

an electromotive unit disposed on one side of the internal combustion engine in a vehicle left-right direction, the electromotive unit having a first electric motor that generates electricity by driving the internal combustion engine and a second electric motor that is driven by electric power supplied from a driving battery of the vehicle;

an inverter disposed above the electromotive unit;

a first harness that electrically connects the inverter and a first terminal block of the first electric motor; and

a second harness that electrically connects the inverter and a second terminal block of the second electric motor,

wherein the first electric motor and the second electric motor are disposed in a vehicle front- rear direction, and, with respect to one electric motor, another electric motor is offset upward in the up-down direction, the one electric motor being disposed on the front side in the front-rear direction out of the first electric motor and the second electric motor, the other electric motor being disposed on the rear side in the front-rear direction out of the first electric motor and the second electric motor,

the electromotive unit has a predetermined space formed in a region above the one electric motor and in rear of a front end of the one electric motor and a region in front of the other electric motor and below an upper end of the other electric motor, and

the first terminal block and the second terminal block are located in the predetermined space.

2. The vehicle drive unit according to claim 1 , wherein

the first harness and the second harness bend forward or backward in the vehicle front-rear direction.

3. The vehicle drive unit according to claim 1 , further comprising

a transmission disposed between the internal combustion engine and the electromotive unit,

wherein the first harness extends downward from the inverter toward the internal combustion engine side in the vehicle left-right direction, and is connected to the first terminal block of the first electric motor,

the second harness extends downward from the inverter toward the internal combustion engine side in the vehicle left-right direction, and is connected to the second terminal block of the second electric motor, and

the first harness and the second harness are located on the electromotive unit side in the vehicle left-right direction with respect to a joint portion between the transmission and the internal combustion engine.

4. The vehicle drive unit according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a braking device that brakes the vehicle; and

a braking force adding device that adds force required to operate the braking device,

wherein the braking force adding device is located on the rear side of the electromotive unit in the vehicle front-rear direction and the upper side in the up-down direction, and

the inverter is tilted forward so that a lower part in the up-down direction of the rear end in the vehicle front-rear direction is located on an upper side in the up-down direction and a front side in the front-rear direction with respect to a center of the braking force adding device in the vehicle up-down direction.

5. The vehicle drive unit according to claim 1 , further comprising

a radiator located in front of the electromotive unit,

wherein the radiator covers the front of the predetermined space when the radiator moves backward.

6. The vehicle drive unit according to claim 5 , wherein

the radiator has an upper end located in front of the inverter and a lower end fixed to front ends of a pair of left and right suspension cross members.

7. The vehicle drive unit according to claim 1 , wherein

the second electric motor is disposed on the rear side in the front-rear direction with respect to the first electric motor, and is also offset upward in the up-down direction with respect to the first electric motor,

the first harness and the second harness bend backward in the vehicle front-rear direction,

the first harness extends backward from the first terminal block of the first electric motor, and

the second harness extends forward from the second terminal block of the second electric motor.

8. The vehicle drive unit according to claim 1 , further comprising

a refrigerant pipe connected to each of a front end part and a rear end part of the inverter, the refrigerant pipe being a pipe through which a refrigerant for cooling the inverter flows.

9. The vehicle drive unit according to claim 1 , further comprising

a container, arranged on the vehicle rear side with respect to the inverter, for storing a liquid, the container being in line with the inverter in the vehicle longitudinal direction.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 21, 2022
From: TANIZAWA, SHOJI; HORIBE, SHINSUKE; YAMAGISHI, MASAHARU; TAKABA, CHIKA; ANDO, TOSHIHIKO; HIGASHITANI, KOHEI; UMEMURA, KENJI
To: MITSUBISHI JIDOSHA KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 059454/0971 →
Priority Claims (3)
JP 2019-220920 · Dec 6, 2019 · national
JP 2020-035969 · Mar 3, 2020 · national
JP 2020-035970 · Mar 3, 2020 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220371529A1 · Nov 24, 2022
Cited By (1)
US 12,589,810