JP7272101B2 - Vehicle drive system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle drive system.

When the pressure inside the drive case increases, the power transmission device releases the increased pressure to the outside, and when the pressure inside the drive case decreases, introduces air into the drive case from the outside, It has a breather chamber that maintains constant pressure inside and outside the drive case.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is known a power transmission device having a breather chamber, which is disclosed in Patent Document 1. This power transmission device is provided with a breather chamber on the front side of the transmission case.

An air introduction hole is provided in the bottom wall of the breather chamber. and a rear air introduction hole positioned rearward in the oil scattering direction and above the front air introduction hole.

JP 2015-86935 A

However, in Patent Document 1, which describes a conventional power transmission device, there is absolutely no description regarding the sizes of the front side air introduction hole and the rear side air introduction hole.

As a result, if the oil that has entered the breather chamber through the upper rear air introduction hole spreads in the width direction of the vehicle due to the air flowing through the breather chamber or the vibration of the vehicle, it will be discharged from the front air introduction hole. it may not be done.

As a result, the oil may temporarily stay in the breather chamber, deteriorating the oil-air separation performance, and there is still room for improvement.

The present invention has been devised in view of the above circumstances, and even if the oil flowing inside the breather chamber spreads in the width direction of the vehicle, the oil is prevented from flowing out of the breather chamber. It is an object of the present invention to provide a vehicular drive system capable of discharging oil and improving separation performance between oil and air.

The present invention comprises a drive case, a plurality of rotating shafts including at least an input shaft and an output shaft accommodated in the drive case, and at least one shaft provided between the plurality of rotating shafts and connecting the plurality of rotating shafts. a speed reduction mechanism that has one or more gear pairs and that reduces and outputs power transmitted from a drive source; The breather chamber is surrounded by a peripheral wall portion having a bottom wall that slopes upward from a front end to a rear end, wherein the bottom wall is connected to the drive a first air introduction hole and a second air introduction hole communicating between the inside of the case and the breather chamber, wherein the second air introduction hole is located rearward of the first air introduction hole; , the first air introduction hole is located forward of the gear pair, and the first air introduction hole is located below the second air introduction hole and aligned with the second air introduction hole in the inclination direction of the bottom wall. The length of the first air introduction hole in the width direction of the vehicle is formed longer than the length of the second air introduction hole in the width direction of the vehicle , and the bottom portion of the drive case is housed in the drive case behind the speed reduction mechanism and has a differential device for distributing the power reduced by the speed reduction mechanism to left and right drive wheels; The differential has a first gear that outputs power transmitted from a drive source, and the differential has a second gear that meshes with the first gear and is immersed in oil stored in the bottom of the drive case. The drive case is provided above the speed reduction mechanism and includes a catch tank that temporarily stores oil that has been raked up by the second gear, and the catch tank is located on the breather chamber side. and a box-shaped oil reservoir for catching and storing oil scraped up by the second gear with the front wall, and the catch tank extends across the width of the vehicle. An imaginary plane extending along the lower surface of the bottom wall of the peripheral wall portion in a direction side view is installed so as to pass through the front wall.

Thus, according to the present invention, even if the oil flowing inside the breather chamber spreads in the width direction of the vehicle, the oil can be discharged from the breather chamber, and the oil-air separation performance can be improved. can improve.

FIG. 1 is a front view of a vehicle drive system according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a left side view of the vehicle drive system according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a left side view of the light case of the vehicle drive system according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a left side view of the light case of the vehicle drive system according to one embodiment of the present invention, showing a state in which the speed reduction mechanism and the differential gear are removed. FIG. 5 is a plan view of the speed reduction mechanism and the differential gear of the vehicle drive system according to one embodiment of the present invention. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VI-VI of FIG. 2. FIG. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing inclination of the drive case when the vehicle according to the embodiment of the present invention is traveling on an uphill road with a small inclination angle. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the inclination of the drive case when the vehicle according to one embodiment of the present invention runs uphill at the maximum inclination angle.

A vehicle drive system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a drive case, a plurality of rotation shafts including at least an input shaft and an output shaft housed in the drive case, and a plurality of rotation shafts provided between the plurality of rotation shafts. a speed reduction mechanism for reducing power transmitted from the drive source and outputting the power transmitted from the drive source; a breather chamber communicating between the inside and the outside of the vehicle drive device, wherein the breather chamber is surrounded by a peripheral wall portion having a bottom wall that slopes upward from the front end to the rear end, the bottom wall being , a first air introduction hole and a second air introduction hole communicating between the inside of the drive case and the breather chamber, the second air introduction hole being rearward of the first air introduction hole, and The first air introduction hole is located on the front side of the gear pair, and the first air introduction hole is located below the second air introduction hole and arranged side by side with the second air introduction hole in the direction of inclination of the bottom wall, The length of the first air introduction hole in the width direction of the vehicle is longer than the length of the second air introduction hole in the width direction of the vehicle.

As a result, the vehicle drive system according to the embodiment of the present invention discharges oil from the breather chamber even when the oil flowing inside the breather chamber spreads in the width direction of the vehicle. It can improve the separation performance of oil and air.

A vehicle drive system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
1 to 8 are diagrams showing a vehicle drive system according to one embodiment of the present invention. In FIGS. 1 to 8, the vertical, front, rear, left, and right directions refer to the width direction of the vehicle, and the height of the vehicle, when the direction in which the vehicle equipped with the vehicle drive system advances is the front, and the direction in which the vehicle moves backward is the rear. The horizontal direction is the vertical direction.

First, the configuration will be explained.
In FIG. 1, a vehicle 1 includes a left side member 2L, a right side member 2R and a subframe 3. As shown in FIG.

The left side member 2L and the right side member 2R extend in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle 1 while being spaced apart in the width direction (lateral direction) of the vehicle 1 . Hereinafter, the width direction of the vehicle 1 will be referred to as the vehicle width direction. The subframe 3 extends in the vehicle width direction.

Vehicle 1 has a powertrain 6 . The powertrain 6 is installed in a motor room 5 in the front part of the vehicle 1 and positioned below the subframe 3 . The power train 6 includes a motor 7 and a drive device 8 connected to the left end of the motor 7 in the vehicle width direction. The drive device 8 of this embodiment constitutes the vehicle drive device of the present invention.

The motor 7 constitutes a driving source of the present invention and is driven by electric power supplied from a battery (not shown).

The drive device 8 has a drive case 9, and the drive case 9 has a left case 10 and a light case 11 fastened to the left case 10 with bolts 50A.

1 and 2, the left case 10 includes a vertically extending front wall 10A, a curved rear wall 10B, a lower wall 10C connecting the lower portion of the front wall 10A and the lower portion of the rear wall 10B, It has an upper wall 10D connecting the upper part of the front wall 10A and the upper part of the rear wall 10B.

The left case 10 has side walls 10E connecting the front wall 10A, the rear wall 10B, the lower wall 10C and the upper wall 10D. The upper wall 10D slopes upward from the rear wall 10B toward the front wall 10A.

1 and 3, the light case 11 includes a vertically extending front wall 11A, a curved rear wall 11B, a lower wall 11C connecting the lower portion of the front wall 11A and the lower portion of the rear wall 11B, It has an upper wall 11D connecting the upper part of the front wall 11A and the upper part of the rear wall 11B.

The light case 11 has side walls 11E extending vertically and horizontally connecting the front wall 11A, the rear wall 11B, the bottom wall 11C and the top wall 11D. The upper wall 11D slopes upward from the rear wall 11B toward the front wall 11A.

In FIG. 1, the right end of the left case 10 is provided with a flange portion 10M. A flange portion 11M is provided at the left end portion of the light case 11, and the left case 10 and the light case 11 are integrated by fastening the flange portions 10M and 11M with bolts 50A.

As shown in FIG. 3, the drive case 9 accommodates a speed reduction mechanism 12 and a differential gear 13 . In FIG. 3, the illustration of the left case 10 is omitted.

3 and 5, the speed reduction mechanism 12 includes an input shaft 14 to which power is transmitted from the motor 7, an input gear 15 provided on the input shaft 14 and rotating integrally with the input shaft 14, and the input gear 15. It has an output gear 16 and an output shaft 17 that rotates integrally with the output gear 16 . The input shaft 14 and the output shaft 17 are installed parallel to the vehicle width direction. The input gear 15 and the output gear 16 of this embodiment form a gear pair of the invention, and the input shaft 14 and the output shaft 17 form a rotating shaft of the invention.

The reduction mechanism 12 is provided on the output shaft 17 and has a final drive gear 18 that rotates integrally with the output shaft 17 . The input gear 15 has a smaller diameter than the output gear 16 , and the output gear 16 has a larger diameter than the final drive gear 18 .

The reduction mechanism 12 transmits the power of the motor 7 to the output shaft 17 via the input shaft 14 , the input gear 15 and the output gear 16 , thereby reducing the power of the motor 7 and outputting it from the final drive gear 18 .

As shown in FIG. 5 , the differential gear 13 includes a final driven gear 19 meshing with a final drive gear 18 , a differential case 20 having the final driven gear 19 attached to its outer periphery and rotating integrally with the final driven gear 19 , and housed in the differential case 20 . and a differential gear mechanism 21 . The differential case 20 of this embodiment constitutes the differential case of the present invention.

The differential gear mechanism 21 has a pinion shaft 21A fixed to the differential case 20, and a pinion gear (not shown) and a pinion gear 21B rotatably supported by the pinion shaft 21A.

The differential gear mechanism 21 meshes with a pinion gear (not shown) and a pinion gear 21B (not shown), and has a side gear (not shown) and a side gear 21C that distributes the power transmitted from the pinion gear (not shown) and the pinion gear 21B to the left and right drive wheels 22L and 22R. Drive shafts 23L and 23R connected to the left and right driving wheels 22L and 22R are spline-fitted to the side gear (not shown) and the side gear 21C.

The power transmitted from the motor 7 to the differential case 20 through the speed reduction mechanism 12 is transmitted to the side gear and the side gear 21C (not shown) through the pinion gear and the pinion gear 21B (not shown), and the drive shafts 23L and 23R are transmitted from the side gear and the side gear 21C (not shown). distributed to the drive wheels 22L and 22R via the

A rear wall 10B of the left case 10 and a rear wall 11B of the right case 11 are curved along the circular outer peripheral shape of the final driven gear 19 . The final drive gear 18 of this embodiment constitutes the first gear of the invention, and the final driven gear 19 constitutes the second gear of the invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the sub-frame 3 is connected to the left side member 2L and the right side member 2R via a left support member 24L and a right support member 24R.

The motor 7 is elastically supported on the right end of the sub-frame 3 by the right mount member 41R, and the left case 10 of the driving device 8 is elastically supported on the left end of the sub-frame 3 by the left mount member 41L. ing. A rear portion of the light case 11 is elastically supported by the sub-frame 3 by a rear mount member 41B.

Thereby, the power train 6 is suspended from the sub-frame 3 and is elastically supported by the sub-frame 3 by the left mount member 41L, the right mount member 41R and the rear mount member 41B. The lower portion of the light case 11 is elastically supported by a lower cross member (not shown) by a torque rod (not shown).

In FIG. 2, a side wall portion 10E of the left case 10 is provided with bearing holding portions 10F, 10G, and 10H. In FIG. 4, a side wall portion 11E of the light case 11 is provided with bearing holding portions 11F, 11G, and 11H.

A left end portion 20a (see FIG. 5) of the differential case 20 is rotatably supported by the bearing holding portion 10F via a bearing 28A. A right end portion 20b (see FIG. 5) of the differential case 20 is rotatably supported by the bearing holding portion 11F via a bearing 28B.

A left end portion 14a (see FIG. 5) of the input shaft 14 is rotatably supported by the bearing holding portion 10H via a bearing 28C. A right end portion 14b (see FIG. 5) of the input shaft 14 is rotatably supported by the bearing holding portion 11H via a bearing 28D.

A left end portion 17a (see FIG. 5) of the output shaft 17 is rotatably supported by the bearing holding portion 10G via a bearing 28E. A right end portion 17b (see FIG. 5) of the output shaft 17 is rotatably supported by the bearing holding portion 11H via a bearing 28F.

The bearing holding portions 11G and 11H project cylindrically from the side wall portion 11E toward the left case 10 (that is, to the left).

Lubricating oil O (see FIGS. 3 and 4) is stored in the bottoms of the left case 10 and the right case 11, and the lower part of the final driven gear 19 and the lower part of the differential case 20 are soaked in the oil O.

The differential case 20 and the final driven gear 19 are installed on the side of the rear walls 10B and 11B of the side wall portion 10E of the left case 10 and the side wall portion 11E of the right case 11, respectively.

When the final driven gear 19 is rotated by the final drive gear 18, the oil O is raked up by the final driven gear 19 and flows (scatters) along the upper walls 10D and 11D toward the front walls 10A and 11A.

In FIG. 4, a breather chamber 27 is provided in front of the speed reduction mechanism 12 . The breather chamber 27 is surrounded by a peripheral wall portion 29 that protrudes from the side wall portion 11E toward the left case 10 (to the left) (see FIG. 6).

4, the peripheral wall portion 29 is composed of a space surrounded by a bottom wall 29A, side walls 29B, the upper portion of the front wall 11A of the light case 11, and the front portion of the upper wall 11D of the light case 11. .

The bottom wall 29A slopes upward from the front end 29f toward the rear end 29r. The bottom wall 29A is provided with a first air introduction hole 29a and a second air introduction hole 29b.

The first air introduction hole 29a and the second air introduction hole 29b form an accommodation space 40 (accommodation space 40 for the drive case 9) inside the left case 10 and the right case 11 that accommodate the speed reduction mechanism 12 and the differential gear 13. and the breather chamber 27 are communicated with each other.

As shown in FIG. 6, the second air introduction hole 29b is located behind the first air introduction hole 29a and forward of the input gear 15 and the output gear 16. As shown in FIG.

In FIG. 4, the first air introduction hole 29a is positioned below the second air introduction hole 29b, and is provided side by side with the second air introduction hole 29b in the direction of inclination of the bottom wall 29A. .

As shown in FIG. 6, the length of the first air introduction hole 29a in the vehicle width direction is longer than the length of the second air introduction hole 29b in the vehicle width direction. A width W1 of the first air introduction hole 29a in the vehicle width direction is about half the width W of the front wall 11A of the light case 11 in the breather chamber 27. As shown in FIG.

A side wall portion 11E of the light case 11 in the breather chamber 27 is inclined forward toward the left case 10 from the vehicle width direction outer side (right side).

The second air introduction hole 29b is separated in the vehicle width direction from the input gear 15 closest to the second air introduction hole 29b in the longitudinal direction, and the first air introduction hole 29a is part of the right side. overlaps the input gear 15 in the vehicle width direction. 6 shows an imaginary straight line L1 extending in the front-rear direction along the left end of the input gear 15. As shown in FIG.

In FIG. 4, a partition wall 29C is provided in the breather chamber 27, and the partition wall 29C protrudes from the side wall portion 11E toward the left case 10 (left side). 29 C of partition walls are located between the top wall 11D and 29 A of bottom walls, and are extended in the front-back direction.

That is, the partition wall 29</b>C is provided in the breather chamber 27 so as to be positioned between the upper portion and the lower portion of the peripheral wall portion 29 . The breather chamber 27 is partitioned into an upper breather chamber 27A and a lower breather chamber 27B by a partition wall 29C.

The upper breather chamber 27A is composed of a space surrounded by a front wall 11A, an upper wall 11D, a side wall portion 11E, a side wall 29B and a partition wall 29C.

The lower breather chamber 27B is formed below the upper breather chamber 27A by a space surrounded by the front wall 11A, the side wall portion 11E, the bottom wall 29A and the partition wall 29C. The lower breather chamber 27B communicates with the housing space 40 through a first air introduction hole 29a and a second air introduction hole 29b.

An air discharge hole 29e is formed in the side wall portion 11E of the upper breather chamber 27A so as to penetrate the side wall portion 11E in the vehicle width direction. The air discharge hole 29e is located rearward of the second air introduction hole 29b, and communicates the upper breather chamber 27A with the outside of the drive case 9. As shown in FIG.

Specifically, the air discharge hole 29 e communicates with the closed space formed by the light case 11 and the motor 7 , and the light case 11 connects the closed space between the light case 11 and the motor 7 and the outside of the drive case 9 . A communicating air discharge hole (not shown) is provided.

As a result, the air introduced into the upper breather chamber 27A is discharged from the closed space formed by the light case 11 and the motor 7 to the outside of the drive case 9 through the air discharge hole (not shown) of the light case 11 through the air discharge hole 29e. be.

A front communication hole 29c is provided in the front portion of the partition wall 29C, and the front communication hole 29c communicates the upper breather chamber 27A and the lower breather chamber 27B.

A rear communication hole 29d is provided in the partition wall 29C, and the rear communication hole 29d communicates the upper breather chamber 27A and the lower breather chamber 27B. The rear side communication hole 29d is positioned between the front side communication hole 29c and the air discharge hole 29e in the front-rear direction and on the front side of the second air introduction hole 29b.

A breather plate 30 is fixed to the peripheral wall portion 29 with bolts 50B (see FIG. 3), and the breather chamber 27 is surrounded by the peripheral wall portion 29 and the breather plate 30 .

The partition wall 29C extends horizontally. Specifically, in the drive case 9 when the vehicle 1 is stopped or running on a flat road, the partition wall 29C extends horizontally. Further, when the drive case 9 is tilted while the vehicle 1 is running uphill or running downhill, the partition wall 29C is tilted.

In the drive device 8, when the drive case 9 inclines from the state in which the vehicle 1 travels on a flat road to the state in which the vehicle 1 travels uphill at a preset maximum inclination angle, the rear end 29m of the rear communication hole 29d (FIGS. 7 and 8) ) is located below the lower end of the air discharge hole 29e (see FIGS. 7 and 8), which varies depending on the inclination angle.

FIG. 7 shows the orientation of the light case 11 when the vehicle 1 travels on an uphill road with a small inclination angle. FIG. 8 shows the orientation of the light case 11 when the vehicle 1 runs uphill at a preset maximum tilt angle.

In FIG. 8, the air discharge hole 29e, the rear side communication hole 29d and the second air introduction hole 29b are connected to the lower end 29n of the air discharge hole 29e and the rear side communication hole when the vehicle 1 runs uphill at the preset maximum inclination angle. An imaginary straight line L2 connecting the rear end 29m of 29d and the central axis line C of the second air introduction hole 29b are provided so as to intersect at right angles.

In FIG. 3, the light case 11 is provided with a catch tank 35 . The catch tank 35 includes a box-shaped oil reservoir 36 and an oil guide 37 extending rearward from the oil reservoir 36 .

3 and 6, the oil reservoir 36 includes a bottom wall 36A, a front wall 36B positioned on the breather chamber 27 side and extending upward from the bottom wall 36A, and a front wall 36B positioned on the rear side of the front wall 36B. and a rear wall 36C extending upwardly from the bottom wall 36A.

The oil reservoir 36 has a left side wall 36D extending rearward from the left end of the front wall 36B and a right side wall 36E connecting the right end of the front wall 36B and the right end of the rear wall 36C, and is formed in a box shape. It is The oil guide portion 37 extends upward from the oil storage portion 36 toward the final driven gear 19 .

The catch tank 35 is installed so that an imaginary plane L3 extending along the lower surface of the bottom wall 36A of the oil reservoir 36 passes through the front wall 36B in the vehicle width direction side view shown in FIG.

Oil raked up by the final driven gear 19 flows from the oil guide portion 37 to the oil storage portion 36 . The oil that has flowed into the oil reservoir 36 is captured by the front wall 36B and stored in the oil reservoir 36 .

As shown in FIG. 6, the left side wall 36D of the oil storage portion 36 is positioned closer to the left case 10 than the breather plate 30, and is positioned on an imaginary straight line L4 that crosses the center of the final driven gear 19 in the vehicle width direction in the front-rear direction. overlaps the left side wall 36D in the vehicle width direction.

A bottom wall 36A of the oil reservoir 36 is formed with oil delivery holes 36a, 36b, and 36c. A bottom wall 37A of the oil guide portion 37 is formed with an oil delivery hole 37a.

In FIG. 4, a side wall portion 11E of the light case 11 is provided with a concave portion 11I and a boss portion 11J for fastening a bolt, and the concave portion 11I and the boss portion 11J are provided above the bearing holding portion 11H.

An oil supply groove 11g is formed in the bearing holding portion 11G, and the oil supply groove 11g communicates the bottom surface 11i of the recess 11I and the bearing holding portion 11G. An oil supply groove 11h is formed in the bearing holding portion 11H, and the oil supply groove 11h communicates the bottom surface 11i of the recess 11I and the bearing holding portion 11H.

A right side wall 36E of the oil reservoir 36 is inserted into the recess 11I so as to be surrounded by the recess 11I, and the oil reservoir 36 is fastened to the boss 11J through a bolt 50C. Thereby, the catch tank 35 is fixed to the upper portion of the light case 11 .

A gap is formed between the bottom wall 36A of the oil reservoir 36 and the bottom surface 11i of the recess 11I (see FIG. 3). 36b is positioned above the oil supply groove 11h.

The oil stored in the oil storage portion 36 is introduced into the bearing holding portion 11G from the oil delivery hole 36a through the oil supply groove 11g. Thereby, the bearing 28F provided in the bearing holding portion 11G is lubricated.

The oil stored in the oil storage portion 36 is introduced into the bearing holding portion 11H from the oil delivery hole 36b through the oil supply groove 11h. Thereby, the bearing 28D provided in the bearing holding portion 11H is lubricated.

The oil delivery hole 36c is located above the meshing portion between the input gear 15 and the output gear 16. As shown in FIG. The oil stored in the oil storage portion 36 is supplied to the meshing portion between the input gear 15 and the output gear 16 from the oil delivery hole 36c, thereby lubricating the meshing portion between the input gear 15 and the output gear 16. As shown in FIG.

The oil delivery hole 37 a is positioned above the meshing portion between the final drive gear 18 and the final driven gear 19 . The oil stored in the oil storage portion 36 is supplied to the meshing portion between the final drive gear 18 and the final driven gear 19 through the oil delivery hole 37a, thereby lubricating the meshing portion between the final drive gear 18 and the final driven gear 19.

Next, the effect of the driving device 8 of this embodiment will be described.
In the drive device 8 of this embodiment, a breather chamber 27 is provided in the upper portion of the light case 11 in front of the speed reduction mechanism 12 to communicate between the housing space 40 of the drive case 9 and the outside of the drive case 9. The chamber 27 is surrounded by a peripheral wall portion 29 having a bottom wall 29A that slopes upward from a front end 29f to a rear end 29r.

The bottom wall 29</b>A has a first air introduction hole 29 a and a second air introduction hole 29 b that communicate between the housing space 40 of the drive case 9 and the breather chamber 27 .

The second air introduction hole 29b is located rearward of the first air introduction hole 29a and forward of the input gear 15 and the output gear 16. It is positioned below the introduction hole 29b and arranged side by side with the second air introduction hole 29b in the inclination direction of the bottom wall 29A.

As a result, when the vehicle 1 is tilted in the longitudinal direction, the oil is returned from the breather chamber 27 to the housing space 40 of the drive case 9 through either the first air introduction hole 29a or the second air introduction hole 29b. can be done.

Therefore, it is possible to prevent the oil from remaining on the upper surface of the bottom wall 29A of the breather chamber 27, thereby improving the separation performance between the air and the oil.

By the way, since the second air introduction hole 29b is located behind the first air introduction hole 29a and further forward than the input gear 15 and the output gear 16, the catch tank 35 and the input gear 15 are positioned. More oil supplied to the output gear 16 and splashed by the input gear 15 and the output gear 16 is splashed to the second air introduction hole 29b than to the first air introduction hole 29a.

On the other hand, in the driving device 8 of this embodiment, the bottom wall 29A is inclined upward from the front end 29f toward the rear end 29r, and the first air introduction hole 29a is connected to the second air introduction hole 29b. located anteriorly and downwardly.

As a result, the oil scattered by the input gear 15 and the output gear 16 and introduced into the breather chamber 27 through the second air introduction hole 29b flows forward along the bottom wall 29A (see oil O1 in FIG. 7). ) into the housing space 40 of the drive case 9 through the first air introduction hole 29a.

Therefore, it is possible to more effectively prevent the oil from remaining on the upper surface of the bottom wall 29A in the breather chamber 27, thereby more effectively improving the air-oil separation performance.

Further, according to the driving device 8 of this embodiment, the length in the vehicle width direction of the first air introduction hole 29a is formed longer than the length in the vehicle width direction of the second air introduction hole 29b.

As a result, when the oil introduced from the second air introduction hole 29b and flowing forward along the bottom wall 29A spreads in the vehicle width direction due to vibration of the vehicle 1, air flowing through the breather chamber 27, etc. (Fig. 6 oil O2) can be returned to the housing space 40 of the drive case 9 through the first air introduction hole 29a, which is wider than the second air introduction hole 29b.

Therefore, it is possible to more effectively prevent the oil from remaining on the upper surface of the bottom wall 29A in the breather chamber 27, thereby more effectively improving the air-oil separation performance.

The width W1 of the first air introduction hole 29a in the vehicle width direction is about half the width W of the front wall 11A of the light case 11 in the breather chamber 27. A side wall portion 11E of the light case 11 is inclined forward toward the left case 10 from the vehicle width direction outer side (right side).

As a result, when the oil spreads further in the vehicle width direction due to vibrations of the vehicle 1, air flowing through the breather chamber 27, or the like, the oil flows from the side wall portion 11E of the breather chamber 27 along the front wall 11A of the breather chamber 27. 2 can be guided to the air introduction hole 29b.

Therefore, it is possible to more effectively prevent the oil from remaining on the upper surface of the bottom wall 29A in the breather chamber 27, thereby more effectively improving the air-oil separation performance.

Further, according to the driving device 8 of the present embodiment, the second air introduction hole 29b is arranged in the vehicle width direction with respect to the input gear 15 closer to the second air introduction hole 29b than the output gear 16 in the longitudinal direction. is seperated.

As a result, it is possible to prevent the oil radially spattered from the input gear 15 closest to the second air introduction hole 29b in the longitudinal direction from being introduced into the second air introduction hole 29b and not introduced into the breather chamber 27. It is possible to reduce the amount of oil used. Therefore, the air-oil separation performance can be improved more effectively.

Further, according to the drive device 8 of this embodiment, the drive case 9 is provided above the speed reduction mechanism 12 and includes the catch tank 35 that temporarily stores the oil that has been raked up by the final driven gear 19 . .

The catch tank 35 has a front wall 36B located on the breather chamber 27 side, and is provided with a box-shaped oil storage portion 36 that stores oil captured by the front wall 36B.

In addition, the catch tank 35 is installed so that the imaginary plane L3 extending along the lower surface of the bottom wall 29A passes through the front wall 36B when viewed from the side in the vehicle width direction.

Thereby, the rear side of the second air introduction hole 29b can be covered with the front wall 36B. Therefore, as shown by the oil O3 in FIG. 3, it is possible to prevent the oil scraped up by the final driven gear 19 from colliding with the front wall 36B and scattering into the second air introduction hole 29b.

In addition, the left side wall 36D of the oil reservoir 36 is located closer to the left case 10 than the breather plate 30, and an imaginary straight line L4 crossing the center of the final driven gear 19 in the vehicle width direction is aligned with the vehicle. It overlaps with the left side wall 36D in the width direction.

As a result, it is possible to more effectively prevent the oil raked up by the final driven gear 19 from colliding with the front wall 36B and scattering into the second air introduction hole 29b.

As a result, the amount of oil introduced into the breather chamber 27 through the second air introduction hole 29b can be reduced, and the air/oil separation performance can be improved more effectively.

Further, according to the driving device 8 of the present embodiment, the partition wall 29C is provided in the breather chamber 27 so as to be positioned between the upper portion (top wall 11D) and the lower portion (bottom wall 29A) of the peripheral wall portion 29 .

The breather chamber 27 includes an upper breather chamber 27A located above the partition wall 29C, and an upper breather chamber 27A located behind the second air introduction hole 29b inside the upper breather chamber 27A. It has an air discharge hole 29e communicating with.

The breather chamber 27 has a lower breather chamber 27B located below the partition wall 29C and communicating with the housing space 40 of the drive case 9 through the first air introduction hole 29a and the second air introduction hole 29b.

A front side communication hole 29c that communicates between the upper breather chamber 27A and the lower breather chamber 27B is provided in the front portion of the partition wall 29C.

In addition to this, the partition wall 29C has an upper breather chamber 27A and a lower breather chamber positioned between the front communication hole 29c and the air discharge hole 29e in the front-rear direction and on the front side of the second air introduction hole 29b. A rear communication hole 29d communicating with 27B is provided.

As a result, when the vehicle 1 travels on an uphill road, the oil (see oil O4 in FIG. 7) accumulated on the partition wall 29C behind the rear communication hole 29d inside the breather chamber 27 is discharged from the upper breather chamber 27A to the rear side. It can be returned to the lower breather chamber 27B through the communication hole 29d.

Therefore, it is possible to prevent the oil from remaining on the upper surface of the partition wall 29C of the upper breather chamber 27A when the vehicle 1 travels on an uphill road, thereby improving the air-oil separation performance.

In addition, since the rear communication hole 29d is provided so as to be located between the front communication hole 29c and the air discharge hole 29e in the front-rear direction and to the front side of the second air introduction hole 29b, the second air introduction hole The oil introduced into the lower breather chamber 27B from 29b can collide with the partition wall 29C (see oil O5 in FIG. 4).

Therefore, the partition wall 29C can easily separate the oil from the air, and the separation performance between the air and the oil can be improved more effectively.

In addition to this, by blocking the oil introduced into the lower breather chamber 27B through the second air introduction hole 29b by the partition wall 29C, the oil introduced into the lower breather chamber 27B is discharged from the air discharge hole 29e into the drive case. 9 can be prevented from leaking out.

In addition, according to the driving device 8 of the present embodiment, the partition wall 29C extends in the horizontal direction. Therefore, when the drive case 9 tilts while the vehicle 1 is traveling on an uphill road, the front end of the partition wall 29C is pushed behind the partition wall 29C. 29 A of bottom walls incline so that it may be located above an edge.

As a result, oil accumulates on the partition wall 29C between the rear communication hole 29d and the air discharge hole 29e (see O4 in FIG. 7).

The drive device 8 of the present embodiment is designed so that when the drive case 9 inclines from the state in which the vehicle 1 travels on a flat road to the state in which the vehicle 1 travels uphill at a preset maximum inclination angle as shown in FIG. The air discharge holes 29e are arranged such that the rear ends 29m of the air discharge holes 29d are positioned below the lower ends 29n of the air discharge holes 29e.

As a result, even when the vehicle 1 is traveling uphill at the maximum inclination angle, as shown in FIG. It can be returned to the lower breather chamber 27B through the side communication hole 29d.

Therefore, oil can be prevented from leaking out of the drive case 9 from the air discharge hole 29e. Here, the preset inclination angle of the uphill road on which the vehicle 1 can climb is, for example, in the range of 40° to 50°.

Further, when the drive device tilts when the vehicle 1 travels on a downhill road, the partition wall 29C tilts such that the front end of the partition wall 29C is located below the rear end of the partition wall 29C.

As a result, the oil accumulated on the partition wall 29C is directly returned to the lower breather chamber 27B through the rear communication hole 29d.

Further, according to the driving device 8 of the present embodiment, the air discharge hole 29e, the rear side communication hole 29d and the second air introduction hole 29b are the air discharge holes when the vehicle 1 runs uphill at the preset maximum inclination angle. An imaginary straight line L2 connecting the lower end 29n of 29e and the rear end 29m of the rear side communication hole 29d and the central axis line C of the second air introduction hole 29b are provided so as to intersect at right angles.

As a result, when the vehicle 1 travels on an uphill road with the maximum possible inclination angle, the rear communication hole 29d and the second air introduction hole 29b can face each other in the vertical direction (see FIG. 8). For this reason, by directing the oil in the upper breather chamber 27A from the rear side communication hole 29d to the second air introduction hole 29b by its own weight, the oil does not temporarily stay in the lower breather chamber 27B, and the storage space 40 of the drive case 9 is removed. can be returned to

Therefore, when the vehicle 1 travels uphill at the preset maximum inclination angle, the oil is more effectively prevented from remaining on the upper surface of the partition wall 29C of the lower breather chamber 27B, and the storage space 40 of the drive case 9 is prevented. can be quickly returned to

As a result, it is possible to more effectively improve the performance of separating air and oil, and more effectively prevent the oil from leaking out of the drive case 9 through the air discharge hole 29e.

The speed reduction mechanism 12 of this embodiment includes a pair of rotating shafts consisting of an input shaft 14 and an output shaft 17 and a pair of gear pairs consisting of an input gear 15 and an output gear 16. The number of rotating shafts and gear pairs is is not limited to this.

Although embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed, it will be apparent that modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention. All such modifications and equivalents are intended to be included in the following claims.

1... vehicle, 7... motor (drive source), 8... drive device, 9... drive case, 10... left case (drive case), 11... light case (drive case) ), 12... Reduction mechanism, 13... Differential device, 14... Input shaft (rotating shaft), 15... Input gear (gear pair), 16... Output gear (gear pair), 17... Output shaft (rotating shaft), 18... Final drive gear (first gear), 19... Final driven gear (second gear), 22L, 22R... Drive wheels, 27.. Breather chamber 27A Upper breather chamber 27B Lower breather chamber 29 Surrounding wall 29A Bottom wall 29a First air introduction hole 29b Second air introduction hole 29C: Partition wall 29c: Front side communication hole 29d: Rear side communication hole 29e: Air discharge hole 29f: Front end (front end of bottom wall) , 29m... rear end (rear end of bottom wall), 29n... lower end (lower end of air discharge hole), 29r... rear end (rear end of rear communication hole), 35... catch tank , 36...Oil reservoir, 36B...Front wall, 40...Accommodating space (inside drive case), C...Center axis (center axis of second air introduction hole), L2.. . Virtual straight line (virtual straight line connecting the lower end of the air discharge hole and the rear end of the rear communication hole), L3... Virtual plane (virtual plane extending along the lower surface of the bottom wall of the peripheral wall)

Claims (5)

a drive case;
a plurality of rotating shafts including at least an input shaft and an output shaft housed in the drive case; and at least one or more gear pairs provided between the plurality of rotating shafts and connecting the plurality of rotating shafts. a reduction mechanism for reducing and outputting the power transmitted from the drive source;
a breather chamber provided in an upper portion of the drive case in front of the speed reduction mechanism and communicating between the inside and the outside of the drive case,
A vehicle drive device in which the breather chamber is surrounded by a peripheral wall portion having a bottom wall that slopes upward from a front end to a rear end,
the bottom wall has a first air introduction hole and a second air introduction hole communicating between the inside of the drive case and the breather chamber;
the second air introduction hole is positioned rearward of the first air introduction hole and forward of the gear pair;
The first air introduction hole is located below the second air introduction hole and arranged side by side with the second air introduction hole in the direction of inclination of the bottom wall,
The length of the first air introduction hole in the width direction of the vehicle is longer than the length of the second air introduction hole in the width direction of the vehicle,
Oil is stored in the bottom of the drive case,
a differential device that is housed in the drive case behind the speed reduction mechanism and distributes the power reduced by the speed reduction mechanism to left and right drive wheels;
The output shaft has a first gear that outputs power transmitted from the drive source,
The differential has a second gear that meshes with the first gear and is immersed in oil stored in the bottom of the drive case,
The drive case is provided above the speed reduction mechanism and includes a catch tank that temporarily stores oil scraped up by the second gear,
The catch tank has a front wall located on the breather chamber side, and is provided with a box-shaped oil reservoir that catches and stores oil that has been raked up by the second gear with the front wall. ,
The vehicle drive device, wherein the catch tank is installed so that a virtual plane extending along the lower surface of the bottom wall of the peripheral wall portion passes through the front wall in a side view in the width direction of the vehicle. a drive case;
a plurality of rotating shafts including at least an input shaft and an output shaft housed in the drive case; and at least one or more gear pairs provided between the plurality of rotating shafts and connecting the plurality of rotating shafts. a reduction mechanism for reducing and outputting the power transmitted from the drive source;
a breather chamber provided in an upper portion of the drive case in front of the speed reduction mechanism and communicating between the inside and the outside of the drive case,
A vehicle drive device in which the breather chamber is surrounded by a peripheral wall portion having a bottom wall that slopes upward from a front end to a rear end,
the bottom wall has a first air introduction hole and a second air introduction hole communicating between the inside of the drive case and the breather chamber;
the second air introduction hole is positioned rearward of the first air introduction hole and forward of the gear pair;
The first air introduction hole is located below the second air introduction hole and arranged side by side with the second air introduction hole in the direction of inclination of the bottom wall,
The length of the first air introduction hole in the width direction of the vehicle is longer than the length of the second air introduction hole in the width direction of the vehicle,
The breather chamber includes a partition wall positioned between an upper portion and a lower portion of the peripheral wall portion, an upper breather chamber positioned above the partition wall, and an inner portion of the upper breather chamber positioned above the second air introduction hole. An air discharge hole located rearward and communicating between the outside of the drive case and the upper breather chamber; a lower breather chamber communicating with the interior of the drive case;
A front communication hole is provided in a front portion of the partition wall to communicate the upper breather chamber and the lower breather chamber,
The partition wall is positioned between the front communication hole and the air discharge hole in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and on the front side of the second air introduction hole to separate the upper breather chamber and the lower breather chamber. A vehicular drive device , comprising: a communicating rear side communication hole . 3. The second air introduction hole is spaced apart in the vehicle width direction from a gear of the gear pair that is closest to the second air introduction hole in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The vehicle driving device according to claim 1 or 2. The partition wall extends horizontally,
The rear end of the rear communication hole is positioned below the lower end of the air discharge hole when the drive case inclines from the state in which the vehicle travels on a flat road to the state in which the vehicle travels uphill at a preset maximum inclination angle. 3. The vehicle drive system according to claim 2 , wherein the air discharge holes are arranged in such a manner as to be . When the vehicle runs uphill at the maximum inclination angle, the air discharge hole, the rear side communication hole and the second air introduction hole connect the lower end of the air discharge hole and the rear end of the rear side communication hole. 5. The vehicle drive system according to claim 4 , wherein the imaginary straight line and the central axis of the second air introduction hole are provided so as to intersect at right angles .

Images