IP Library Granted Patent US 11,777,364
Granted Patent B2
US 11,777,364 · App. 17/519,819 · Granted Oct 3, 2023

Drive device and vehicle

Inventors: Yuki Ishikawa (Kyoto, JP); Hitoshi Kuroyanagi (Kyoto, JP); Naohiro Wada (Kyoto, JP)
Assignee: NIDEC CORPORATION
H02K5/203B60L53/22F16H57/02F16H57/043F16H57/0417F16H57/0424F16H57/0436F16H57/0476H02K7/116H02K9/193H02K11/33H02K21/16B60K2001/001F16H2057/02034F16H2057/02052
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,777,364
App. No.
17/519,819
Granted
Oct 3, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

A gear portion of a drive device is connected to a motor shaft. An oil passage through which oil to cool a motor flows includes a first oil passage, a second oil passage, a third oil passage, and a fourth oil passage. The first oil passage connects a gear accommodation portion and a pump accommodation portion. The second oil passage connects the pump accommodation portion and an oil cooler. The third oil passage connects the oil cooler and the fourth oil passage. The fourth oil passage connects the third oil passage and a motor accommodation portion. Each of the first oil passage, the second oil passage, and the third oil passage is in a first housing portion. The fourth oil passage is in a third housing portion.

Claims (77)

1. A drive device comprising:

a motor that includes a rotor including a motor shaft rotatable about a rotation axis extending along a horizontal direction, and a stator located radially outward of the rotor;

a gear portion that is connected to one axial end portion of the motor shaft;

a housing that accommodates the motor and the gear portion;

a pump to supply oil accommodated in the housing to the motor; and

an oil cooler to cool the oil; wherein

the housing includes:

a first housing portion that includes a tubular portion extending in an axial direction parallel to the rotation axis, a side plate portion covering one axial end portion of the tubular portion, and a pump accommodation portion accommodating the pump;

a second housing portion that is attached to one axial end portion of the side plate portion;

a third housing portion that closes another axial end portion of the tubular portion;

a motor accommodation portion that is a space surrounded by the tubular portion, the side plate portion, and the third housing portion and accommodates the motor;

a gear accommodation portion that is a space surrounded by the side plate portion and the second housing portion and accommodates the gear portion;

a side plate opening that penetrates the side plate portion in an axial direction and connects the motor accommodation portion and the gear accommodation portion; and

an oil passage through which the oil flows;

the oil passage includes a first oil passage, a second oil passage, a third oil passage, and a fourth oil passage;

the first oil passage connects the gear accommodation portion and the pump accommodation portion;

the second oil passage connects the pump accommodation portion and the oil cooler;

the third oil passage connects the oil cooler and the fourth oil passage;

the fourth oil passage connects the third oil passage and the motor accommodation portion;

each of the first oil passage, the second oil passage, and the third oil passage is in the first housing portion; and

the fourth oil passage is in the third housing portion.

2. The drive device according to claim 1 , further comprising:

an inverter to supply drive power to the motor, wherein

the housing further includes:

a fourth housing portion that is vertically above the tubular portion; and

an inverter accommodation portion that accommodates the inverter;

the first housing portion further includes:

a plate portion; and

a peripheral wall portion that surrounds the inverter accommodation portion;

the inverter accommodation portion is a space surrounded by the tubular portion, the plate portion, the peripheral wall portion, and the fourth housing portion; and

each of the second oil passage and the third oil passage are included in a same structure as one of the plate portion and the peripheral wall portion.

3. The drive device according to claim 2 , wherein

the inverter is integrally fixed to a fourth housing portion; and

the pump accommodation portion is in a peripheral wall portion surrounding the inverter accommodation portion.

4. The drive device according to claim 3 to be mounted on a vehicle, wherein

the gear portion transmits drive force of the motor to a drive shaft of the vehicle; and

the pump is between the fourth housing portion and the drive shaft.

5. The drive device according to claim 1 , wherein

in a front-rear direction perpendicular to an axial direction;

the pump and the oil cooler are at one end portion in a front-rear direction of the housing; and

the motor accommodation portion is in a portion on another side in a front-rear direction of the housing.

6. The drive device according to claim 1 , wherein

the oil passage further includes a connection pipe; and

the connection pipe is on an inner surface of one oil passage of the third oil passage and the fourth oil passage at a connection portion between the third oil passage and the fourth oil passage, and the connection pipe is fitted into another oil passage.

7. The drive device according to claim 1 further comprising:

an oil supply portion that is connected to the fourth oil passage to supply the oil to a radial outside surface of the stator; wherein

the motor shaft includes:

a shaft tubular portion extending in an axial direction;

a hollow portion inside the shaft tubular portion; and

a shaft hole portion radially penetrating the shaft tubular portion;

the rotor includes a rotor core fixed to a radial outside surface of the motor shaft;

the rotor core includes:

a rotor through hole axially penetrating the rotor core; and

a rotor space connecting the rotor through hole and the shaft hole portion;

the rotor through hole is connected to the fourth oil passage via the hollow portion; and

the oil is supplied from an axial end portion of the rotor through hole to an axial end portion of the stator when the rotor rotates.

8. The drive device according to claim 7 , wherein

the rotor core includes:

a first rotor core including a first rotor through hole extending in an axial direction;

a second rotor core having a second rotor through hole extending in an axial direction; and

an intermediate core between the first rotor core and the second rotor core in an axial direction;

the intermediate core includes:

an annular first annular portion radially outward of the motor shaft;

an annular second annular portion extending radially outward from a radially outer end portion of the first annular portion; and

a core opening penetrating the first annular portion;

a thickness of the second annular portion is greater than a thickness of the first annular portion in an axial direction;

the rotor space is between the first annular portion and at least one of the first rotor core and the second rotor core;

the rotor through hole includes the first rotor through hole, the second rotor through hole, and the core opening; and

the core opening overlaps at least a portion of the first rotor through hole and at least a portion of the second rotor through hole when viewed from an axial direction.

9. The drive device according to claim 7 , wherein

the fourth oil passage includes:

a first supply passage connected to the third oil passage;

a second supply passage having a tubular shape and connecting the first supply passage and the oil supply portion; and

a third supply passage having a tubular shape and connecting the first supply passage and the hollow portion of the motor shaft; and

an inner diameter of the second supply passage is larger than an inner diameter of the third supply passage.

10. The drive device according to claim 9 , wherein an inner diameter of the second supply passage is larger than about 1.6 times an inner diameter of the third supply passage.

11. A vehicle including the drive device according to claim 1 .

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 5, 2021
From: ISHIKAWA, YUKI; KUROYANAGI, HITOSHI; WADA, NAOHIRO
To: NIDEC CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 058031/0073 →
Priority Claims (2)
JP 2020-192836 · Nov 19, 2020 · national
JP 2021-068948 · Apr 15, 2021 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220158523A1 · May 19, 2022
Cited By (1)
US 12,345,321