JP7775699B2 - Vehicle drive unit - Google Patents

Description

The technology disclosed herein relates to a vehicle drive system.

Patent Document 1 describes a drive unit for a vehicle. This drive unit includes an electric motor and a reducer. The electric motor outputs driving force for running the vehicle. The reducer reduces the output of the electric motor. The reducer is located to the side of the electric motor in the direction of the motor shaft.

The electric motor and reducer are housed in a housing. An oil passage is formed in the housing. The oil passage extends in the direction of the motor shaft. A first branch passage and a second branch passage branch off from the oil passage. The first branch passage supplies oil to the electric motor. The second branch passage supplies oil to the reducer. The first branch passage and the second branch passage branch off from the oil passage at different positions in the direction of the motor shaft.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-157683

In the conventional drive unit described in Patent Document 1, the first branch path that supplies oil to the electric motor and the second branch path that supplies oil to the reducer are independent of each other. The first branch path and the second branch path are aligned in the direction of the motor shaft. When manufacturing the drive unit, these branch paths are formed separately. This can complicate the manufacturing process of the drive unit.

The technology disclosed herein provides a vehicle drive unit with a structure that makes it easy to form oil passages.

The technology disclosed herein relates to a vehicle drive device.
a motor for driving a vehicle, the motor shaft extending in a first direction perpendicular to the up-down direction;
a reducer located to the side of the motor in the first direction, connected to the motor shaft, and reducing the output of the motor;
a housing that accommodates the motor and the reducer,
the housing has a partition wall located between the motor and the reducer,
Within the partition wall,
a supply passage extending in a direction perpendicular to the first direction and configured to supply oil to the motor and the reducer;
a first branch passage branching from the supply passage toward the motor;
a second branch passage branching from the supply passage toward the reducer is formed,
The first branch passage and the second branch passage are coaxial with each other.

In this configuration, the housing accommodates the motor and the reducer. The partition wall within the housing is located between the motor and the reducer.

A supply passage, a first branch passage, and a second branch passage are formed within the partition wall. The supply passage extends in a direction perpendicular to the first direction. A motor is located on one side of the supply passage in the first direction, and a reducer is located on the other side.

The first branch passage and the second branch passage are connected to the supply passage. The first branch passage branches off from the supply passage and supplies oil to the motor. The second branch passage branches off from the supply passage and supplies oil to the reducer.

The first branch passage and the second branch passage are formed coaxially. The process for forming these two coaxial passages is simple. The vehicle drive system has a structure that makes it easy to form oil passages.

the supply passage extends in the vertical direction and is composed of a core hole portion formed during casting and a machined hole portion drilled at a tip of the core hole portion after casting,
at least one of the first branch passage and the second branch passage is a cast hole formed during casting,
The machined hole portion communicates with the cast hole that constitutes the first branch passage or the second branch passage .

This allows the supply passage, first branch passage, and second branch passage to be formed while minimizing machining of the cast hole. The process for forming these passages is simple.

The surfaces of the cast holes generally have a high degree of forming precision. The machined holes drilled after casting simply connect the cast holes to each other. With the above configuration, no machining is actually performed on the surfaces of the cast holes. This allows the supply passage, first branch passage, and second branch passage to maintain a high degree of forming precision.

The vehicle drive device
a first nozzle attached to the first branch passage and configured to inject oil toward the motor;
The oil supply device may further include a second nozzle attached to the second branch passage and configured to inject oil toward the reducer.

The passageway that supplies oil to the motor and reducer is formed by combining a passageway formed in the housing with a first nozzle and a second nozzle attached to the housing. This makes it easy to create a passageway that can supply oil to the motor and reducer.

the first nozzle injects oil in a direction along the axis of the first branch passage,
The first nozzle may have a base end formed with a threaded portion that is threadably engaged with the opening of the first branch passage.

The first nozzle sprays oil in a direction along the axis of the first branch passage, and therefore does not have a circumferential direction centered on the axis of the first branch passage. By threading the threaded portion of the first nozzle into the opening of the first branch passage, the first nozzle can be properly attached to the first branch passage. Furthermore, the first nozzle can be easily attached. The threaded portion is suitable for the attachment structure of the first nozzle.

The first nozzle may be configured to inject oil toward the rotor of the motor, relative to the position of a magnet on the rotor.

This allows the parts of the rotor that generate the most heat to be cooled efficiently.

the reducer is a parallel shaft gear reducer that meshes with the motor shaft,
the second nozzle injects oil toward a meshing portion between the motor shaft and the reducer in a direction intersecting the axis of the second branch passage,
the second nozzle has a flange fixed to a boss formed on the partition wall,
The flange may have a fastening portion that is fastened to a fastening hole formed at a specific position in the circumferential direction of the boss.

The second nozzle sprays oil in a direction intersecting the axis of the second branch passage, and therefore has directionality in the circumferential direction centered on the axis of the second branch passage. The second nozzle must be attached to the second branch passage so that the nozzle opening faces in a specific circumferential direction.

The flange of the second nozzle has a fastening portion. The fastening portion is fastened to a fastening hole formed at a specific position on the boss. Because the position of the fastening portion is fixed, the nozzle opening of the second nozzle is oriented in a specific direction in the circumferential direction. Specifically, the nozzle opening faces the meshing point between the motor shaft and the parallel-shaft gear reducer. Oil is appropriately supplied to the meshing point between the motor shaft and the reducer.

the supply passage is located above the motor shaft;
the reducer is positioned on one side of the motor shaft in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and the vertical direction, and is engaged with the motor shaft;
The second nozzle may spray oil in a direction inclined toward the second direction with respect to a vertically downward direction when viewed in a direction along the first direction.

The parallel shaft gear reducer is offset in the second direction relative to the motor shaft. When the supply passage is located above the motor shaft, the position of the supply passage and the meshing position between the motor shaft and the reducer are offset in the second direction.

With this configuration, the second nozzle sprays oil in a direction tilted toward the second direction relative to a vertically downward direction when viewed along the first direction, so the second nozzle can spray oil toward the point where the gears of the reducer mesh.

The vehicle drive system described above has a structure that makes it easy to form branched oil passages.

FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a vehicle drive system. FIG. 2 shows a plan view of the front of the vehicle as seen from above. FIG. 3 shows a front view of the vehicle drive device. FIG. 4 shows a cross section taken along line IV-IV in FIG. FIG. 5 shows a cross section taken along line VV in FIG. FIG. 6 shows an enlarged view of the supply passage. FIG. 7 shows the jet direction of the second nozzle. FIG. 8 shows a part of the cross section taken along line VIII-VIII in FIG. FIG. 9 shows the mounting structure of the first and second nozzles.

Embodiments of a vehicle drive device will be described below with reference to the drawings. The vehicle drive device described here is an example.

(Overall configuration of vehicle drive device)
Fig. 1 is a block diagram of a vehicle drive system. Fig. 1 only shows a schematic diagram of each element constituting a drive system P mounted on a vehicle 1. The position of each element in Fig. 1 does not limit the actual position of each element.

Vehicle 1 is a series hybrid vehicle. Vehicle 1 is equipped with a drive system P consisting of an electric drive unit 10 for propelling vehicle 1 using electric power and an engine E for generating electricity.

The electric drive unit 10 has a drive motor 11, a reducer 12, and a generator 13. The drive motor 11 is driven by a supply of electric power. The reducer 12 reduces the output of the drive motor 11. The generator 13 generates electricity to be supplied to the drive motor 11.

The engine E is connected to the generator 13. The engine E drives the generator 13 to generate electricity. The power for propelling the vehicle 1 is generated by the drive motor 11. The power generated by the drive motor 11 is changed in speed by the reducer 12 and then transmitted to the drive wheels 92 (here, the front wheels) via the differential device 91.

The vehicle 1 is equipped with a high-voltage battery B1 and a low-voltage battery B2. The high-voltage battery B1 is charged with electricity generated by the generator 13. A power generation inverter 22 is provided between the generator 13 and the high-voltage battery B1. The power generation inverter 22 is electrically connected to the generator 13 and the high-voltage battery B1. Electricity generated from the generator 13 is supplied to the high-voltage battery B1 via the power generation inverter 22. A motor inverter 21 is provided between the drive motor 11 and the high-voltage battery B1. The motor inverter 21 is electrically connected to the drive motor 11 and the high-voltage battery B1. The motor inverter 21 converts electricity from the high-voltage battery B1 into power for driving the drive motor 11 and outputs it to the drive motor 11. A DC-DC converter 23 is provided between the high-voltage battery B1 and the low-voltage battery B2. The DC-DC converter 23 is electrically connected to the high-voltage battery B1 and the low-voltage battery B2. Electricity from the high-voltage battery B1 is supplied to the low-voltage battery B2 via the DC-DC converter 23. Electricity generated by the generator 13 is supplied to the low-voltage battery B2 via a power generation inverter 22 and a DC-DC converter 23. The motor inverter 21, power generation inverter 22, and DC-DC converter 23 form a control unit 20 that controls the electric drive unit 10.

(Drive unit mounting structure on vehicle)
2 shows a plan view of the front of the vehicle 1 as seen from above. In the following description, the front, rear, left, right, top, and bottom of the vehicle will be simply referred to as the front, rear, left, right, top, and bottom, respectively. When looking from the rear to the front, the left side is referred to as the left, and the right side is referred to as the right. The left and right directions are also the vehicle width directions.

The drive unit P is disposed in a power unit room 2 formed in the front of the vehicle 1. More specifically, the vehicle 1 has a pair of left and right front side frames 31 extending in the longitudinal direction, and the power unit room 2 for disposing the drive unit P is formed between these left and right front side frames 31. The drive unit P is supported by the left and right front side frames 31 via support members 32.

As shown in Figure 3, the electric drive unit 10 and the control unit 20 are arranged side by side in the vertical direction. Specifically, the control unit 20 is located above the electric drive unit 10.

As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the drive motor 11, reducer 12, and generator 13 are housed within the housing 100. The housing 100 is constructed by integrating multiple components. The housing 100 has a first housing 110, a second housing 120, a right end cover 130, and a left end cover 140.

The first housing 110 and the second housing 120 each have a cylindrical shape with both ends open. The right end cover 130 and the left end cover 140 each have a lid shape with one end closed. The second housing 120 is located on the left side of the first housing 110, and the left end cover 140 is located on the left side of the second housing 120. The right end cover 130 is located on the right side of the first housing 110. The right end cover 130, first housing 110, second housing 120, and left end cover 140 are arranged in that order from right to left. The first housing 110, second housing 120, left end cover 140, and right end cover 130 are integrated by bolting together flanges located on the left and right ends.

The first housing 110, second housing 120, left end cover 140, and right end cover 130 are each made of, for example, an aluminum alloy and are formed by casting.

The engine E is disposed to the left of the left end cover 140. In other words, the engine E is located to the left of the electric drive unit 10.

As shown in FIG. 5, the first housing 110 has partition walls 111 for dividing the interior of the housing 100 into multiple compartments. The partition walls 111 extend in a direction intersecting the left-right direction at a central position in the left-right direction of the first housing 110. More specifically, the partition walls 111 extend in both the up-down direction and the front-to-rear direction, which are perpendicular to the left-right direction (see also FIG. 4). The second housing 120 has partition walls 121. The partition walls 121 also extend in a direction intersecting the left-right direction, more specifically, in both the up-down direction and the front-to-rear direction, which are perpendicular to the left-right direction, at a central position in the left-to-right direction of the second housing 120.

The drive motor 11 is housed in a first chamber 101 separated by the right end cover 130 and the partition wall 111 of the first housing 110. The generator 13 is housed in a third chamber 103 separated by the partition wall 121 of the second housing 120 and the left end cover 140. The reducer 12 is housed in a second chamber 102 separated by the partition walls 111 and 121.

(Each element of the electric drive unit)
(Drive motor)
The drive motor 11 includes a rotor 11a, a stator 11b, and a motor shaft 11c. A rotating magnetic field is generated when a three-phase alternating current is supplied to the stator 11b, and the rotor 11a and the motor shaft 11c are rotated by the rotating magnetic field.

The rotor 11a is located in the first chamber 101. The rotor 11a has a magnet and a magnetic material. The rotor 11a is fixed to the motor shaft 11c. The rotor 11a and the motor shaft 11c rotate together.

The motor shaft 11c extends in the left-right direction. The first bearing 11d rotatably supports the right end of the motor shaft 11c. The right end cover 130 holds the first bearing 11d. The left end of the motor shaft 11c extends through the partition wall 111 of the first housing 110 to the second chamber 102. The second bearing 11e rotatably supports the left end of the motor shaft 11c. The first boss 122, which is formed integrally with the partition wall 121, holds the second bearing 11e. The first boss 122 protrudes rightward from the partition wall 121 into the second chamber 102.

The stator 11b surrounds the rotor 11a. The stator 11b has a coil. The stator 11b is held by the first housing 110 and the right end cover 130.

(generator)
The generator 13 includes a rotor 13a, a stator 13b, and a generator shaft 13c. When the generator shaft 13c and the rotor 13a are rotated by the power of the engine E, the stator 13b generates electricity by electromagnetic induction.

The rotor 13a is located in the third chamber 103. The rotor 13a has a magnet and a magnetic material. The rotor 13a is fixed to the generator shaft 13c. The rotor 13a and the generator shaft 13c rotate together.

The generator shaft 13c extends in the left-right direction. In this configuration example, the generator shaft 13c and the motor shaft 11c are positioned coaxially. However, the generator shaft 13c and the motor shaft 11c may be misaligned. The third bearing 13d rotatably supports the right end of the generator shaft 13c. The second boss portion 123, which is formed integrally with the partition wall 121, holds the third bearing 13d. The second boss portion 123 protrudes leftward from the partition wall 121 into the third chamber 103. The right end of the generator shaft 13c and the left end of the motor shaft 11c face each other with a gap between them at positions corresponding to the partition wall 121.

The left end of the generator shaft 13c passes through the left end cover 140 and extends to the left. The left end of the generator shaft 13c is connected to the output shaft of the engine E. The fourth bearing 13e rotatably supports the left end of the generator shaft 13c. The left end cover 140 holds the fourth bearing 13e.

The stator 13b surrounds the rotor 13a. The stator 13b has a coil. The stator 13b is held by the second housing 120 and the left end cover 140.

The outer diameter of the drive motor 11 is the same as the outer diameter of the generator 13. More specifically, the outer diameter of the rotor 11a of the drive motor 11 is the same as the outer diameter of the rotor 13a of the generator 13, and the outer diameter of the stator 11b of the drive motor 11 is the same as the outer diameter of the stator 13b of the generator 13. The motor shaft 11c and the generator shaft 13c are positioned coaxially. The outer periphery of the front side of the first housing 110 and the second housing 120 is an arc-shaped outer periphery of the same size so that drive motors 11 and generators 13 with the same outer diameter can be accommodated (see Figure 4).

(reduction gear)
As described above, the reducer 12 is located between the drive motor 11 and the generator 13. The reducer 12 is located to the left of the drive motor 11 in the left-right direction. The reducer 12 is also located behind the motor shaft 11c in the front-rear direction.

The reducer 12 is connected to the motor shaft 11c. The reducer 12 is a parallel-axis gear reducer. As shown in FIG. 4, the reducer 12 has a first gear 12a, a second gear 12b, and a third gear 12c. The first gear 12a meshes with an output gear 11f fixed to the motor shaft 11c. The output gear 11f is located between the partition wall 111 and the second bearing 11e. The first gear 12a has a larger diameter than the output gear 11f.

The first gear 12a rotates integrally with the first shaft 12d. The first shaft 12d is parallel to the motor shaft 11c. More specifically, the first shaft 12d extends in the left-right direction at a position rearward of the motor shaft 11c. The housing 100 rotatably supports the first shaft 12d.

The second gear 12b is located to the left of the first gear 12a. The second gear 12b rotates integrally with the first shaft 12d and the first gear 12a. The second gear 12b has a smaller diameter than the first gear 12a.

The third gear 12c meshes with the second gear 12b. The third gear 12c has a larger diameter than the second gear 12b. The third gear 12c rotates integrally with the second shaft 12e. The second shaft 12e is parallel to the motor shaft 11c and the first shaft 12d. More specifically, the second shaft 12e extends in the left-right direction at a position behind and below the first shaft 12d. The housing 100 rotatably supports the second shaft 12e.

The second shaft 12e is connected to the drive shaft 93 via the differential device 91. As shown in Figure 2, the drive shaft 93 extends to the left and right at a position rearward of the drive unit P. The reducer 12 reduces the output of the drive motor 11 at a predetermined reduction ratio and outputs the reduced output to the differential device 91.

(Outline of the oil supply system for the drive unit)
The drive device P includes a supply system 5 that supplies lubricating and/or cooling oil to each of the drive motor 11, the reducer 12, and the generator 13. The supply system 5 includes an oil pump 51, an oil cooler 52, an oil passage 6, and an oil pipe 7. The oil pipe 7 is divided into a first oil pipe 71 and a second oil pipe 72.

An oil reservoir 105 is formed at the bottom of the second chamber 102 inside the housing 100. As described below, oil supplied to the drive motor 11, reducer 12, and generator 13 falls due to gravity. The oil that falls flows laterally toward the center of the housing 100 and collects at the bottom of the second chamber 102. The oil circulates within the housing 100.

A strainer 53 is installed in the oil reservoir 105. The strainer 53 separates the oil from foreign matter. An oil temperature sensor 54 is also installed in the oil reservoir 105. The oil temperature sensor 54 measures the temperature of the oil stored in the oil reservoir 105.

The oil pump 51 is mounted on the outside of the housing 100. The oil pump 51 is mounted on the bottom of the housing 100. The oil pump 51 draws oil from the oil reservoir 105 through the strainer 53 and discharges it from the discharge port. The oil pump 51 is electrically driven.

A first oil pipe 71 is connected to the discharge port of the oil pump 51. The first oil pipe 71 is disposed within the second chamber 102. The first oil pipe 71 connects the oil pump 51 and the oil cooler 52.

The oil cooler 52 is a water-cooled heat exchanger that exchanges heat between cooling water and oil. In addition to cooling the oil, the cooling water also cools the electric drive unit 10 and control unit 20 of the drive unit P. The oil cooler 52 has a cooling water inlet 521 and outlet 522.

The oil cooler 52 is disposed downstream of the oil pump 51 in the oil supply system 5. The oil cooler 52 is located at the front of the lower part of the first housing 110. The oil pump 51 and oil cooler 52 are located at approximately the same height in the vertical direction. As shown in Figure 4, this position corresponds to a position below the drive motor 11. The oil cooler 52 is disposed so that it does not protrude forward beyond the front end of the housing 100. This arrangement is advantageous in terms of improving the collision safety of the vehicle 1.

A first through hole 112 and a second through hole 113 are formed in the partition wall 111 of the first housing 110 (see Figure 4). The first through hole 112 and the second through hole 113 each extend approximately radially, providing communication between the inside and outside of the housing 100. These first through hole 112 and second through hole 113 are cast holes formed, for example, during casting. The first through hole 112 is connected to the oil inlet of the oil cooler 52, and the second through hole 113 is connected to the oil outlet.

The first oil pipe 71 is connected to the first through-hole 112. The second oil pipe 72 is connected to the second through-hole 113. The second oil pipe 72 connects the oil cooler 52 and the oil passage 6.

The oil passage 6 consists of a main passage 60, multiple distribution passages 61-67, and a supply passage 68. These passages 60-68 are, for example, cast holes formed during casting.

The main passage 60 is located at the upper end of the housing 100. The main passage 60 extends in the left-right direction. The main passage 60 spans the right end cover 130, the first housing 110, the second housing 120, and the left end cover 140.

The distribution passages 61 to 67 branch off from the main passage 60. The first distribution passage 61 is formed at the right end of the right end cover 130. The first distribution passage 61 mainly supplies oil to the stator 11b and first bearing 11d of the drive motor 11.

The second distribution passage 62 is formed at the left end of the right end cover 130. The second distribution passage 62 mainly supplies oil to the stator 11b of the drive motor 11.

The third distribution passage 63 is formed to the right of the partition wall 111 of the first housing 110. The third distribution passage 63 mainly supplies oil to the stator 11b of the drive motor 11.

The fourth distribution passage 64 is formed in the partition wall 121 of the second housing 120. The fourth distribution passage 64 extends downward from the main passage 60 to near the positions of the motor shaft 11c and generator shaft 13c. The fourth distribution passage 64 supplies oil to the rotor 11a of the drive motor 11, the second bearing 11e, the third bearing 13d, and the rotor 13a of the generator 13 via the motor shaft 11c and the generator shaft 13c.

The fifth distribution passage 65 is formed to the left of the partition wall 121 of the second housing 120. The fifth distribution passage 65 mainly supplies oil to the stator 13b of the generator 13.

The sixth distribution passage 66 is formed midway between the left and right sides of the second housing 120. The sixth distribution passage 66 mainly supplies oil to the stator 13b of the generator 13.

The seventh distribution passage 67 is formed in the left end cover 140. The seventh distribution passage 67 mainly supplies oil to the stator 13b and fourth bearing 13e of the generator 13.

The supply passage 68 is formed in the partition wall 111 of the first housing 110. As shown in FIG. 4, the supply passage 68 is formed directly above the motor shaft 11c. The supply passage 68 supplies oil to the main passage 60. The upper end of the supply passage 68 is connected to the main passage 60. The supply passage 68 also extends downward from the main passage 60. The lower end of the supply passage 68 is located above the motor shaft 11c and near the outer periphery of the rotor 11a of the drive motor 11. The supply passage 68 supplies oil to the rotor 11a of the drive motor 11 and also to the reducer 12.

A communication hole 681 is formed in the middle of the supply passage 68. The communication hole 681 opens leftward on the left surface of the partition wall 111. The second oil pipe 72 is connected to the communication hole 681.

Oil discharged from the oil pump 51 flows through the first oil pipe 71, oil cooler 52, and second oil pipe 72, before entering the supply passage 68. The oil flows from the supply passage 68 to the main passage 60 and is supplied to the drive motor 11, reducer 12, and generator 13 via each of the distribution passages 61-67 or from the supply passage 68.

(Detailed structure of supply passage)
As described above, the supply passage 68 supplies oil to both the drive motor 11 and the reducer 12. Because the supply passage 68 is formed inside the partition wall 111, the supply passage 68 is located between the drive motor 11 and the reducer 12 in the left-right direction.

As shown enlarged in Figure 6, a first branch passage 682 and a second branch passage 683 are connected to the lower end of the supply passage 68. The first branch passage 682 and the second branch passage 683 are connected to each other.

The first branch passage 682 extends to the right from the supply passage 68. The first branch passage 682 and the supply passage 68 are perpendicular to each other. The first branch passage 682 opens to the right on the right side of the partition wall 111. The first branch passage 682 supplies oil to the drive motor 11. The second branch passage 683 extends to the left from the supply passage 68. The second branch passage 683 is perpendicular to the supply passage 68. The second branch passage 683 opens to the left on the left side of the partition wall 111. The second branch passage 683 supplies oil to the reducer 12.

The first branch passage 682 and the second branch passage 683 are coaxial passages that extend in the left-right direction. Because the two coaxial branch passages 682, 683 each branch off from a single supply passage 68, the process for forming these two branch passages 682, 683 is simplified. The drive unit P has a structure that makes it easy to form oil passages.

The molding of the supply passage 68, first branch passage 682, and second branch passage 683 will be described in more detail. The supply passage 68, which extends in the vertical direction, is composed of an upper cast hole portion 68a and a lower machined hole portion 68b (see also Figure 9). The cast hole portion 68a is a hole formed by a mold during casting. The upper end of the cast hole portion 68a opens into the top surface of the first housing 110. The opening is closed with a sealing plug. The molding precision of the surface of the cast hole portion 68a is relatively high. The machined hole portion 68b is a hole drilled using a tool after casting. The machined hole portion 68b is formed to extend downward from the tip of the cast hole portion 68a.

The first branch passage 682 has a smaller diameter than the second branch passage 683. The first branch passage 682 is drilled using a tool after the first housing 101 is cast. The larger-diameter second branch passage 683 is basically a cast-out hole. However, the machining required to attach the second nozzle 42 (described below) to the opening of the second branch passage 683 is performed on the second branch passage 683. The diameters of the first branch passage 682 and the second branch passage 683 may be appropriately determined depending on the ratio of the amount of oil supplied to the drive motor 11 to the amount of oil supplied to the reducer 12. Depending on the diameters of the first branch passage 682 and the second branch passage 683, the first branch passage 682 may be a cast-out hole and the second branch passage 683 may be drilled using a tool.

The machined hole portion 68b of the supply passage 68 connects the tip of the cast hole portion 68a to the second branch passage 683. The machined hole portion 68b connects the cast holes to each other. Because little machining is performed on the surface of the cast hole, high precision is maintained on the surfaces of the cast hole portion 68a and the second branch passage 683. When forming the supply passage 68, first branch passage 682, and second branch passage 683, machining of the cast hole is kept to a minimum.

(First nozzle, second nozzle)
A first nozzle 41 is attached to the first branch passage 682. As shown in an enlarged view in Fig. 9, the first nozzle 41 is attached to an opening of the first branch passage 682 facing right. The first nozzle 41 protrudes from the partition wall 111 to the right.

The first nozzle 41 has a nozzle hole 411 and a threaded portion 412. The nozzle hole 411 extends to the right from the base end of the first nozzle 41. The diameter of the nozzle hole 411 is relatively small.

The nozzle holes 411 are open at both the base end and the tip end of the first nozzle 41. The tip end of the nozzle hole 411 opens to the right, toward the drive motor 11. The nozzle hole 411 of the first nozzle 41 has no direction in the circumferential direction centered on the axis of the first branch passage 682.

The threaded portion 412 is located at the base end of the first nozzle 41. A male thread is formed on the threaded portion 412. A female thread is formed at the opening of the first branch passage 682. The threaded portion 412 threads into the female thread of the first branch passage 682. When manufacturing the drive unit P, an operator can attach the first nozzle 41 to the first branch passage 682 by threading the first nozzle 41 into the first branch passage 682 (see the dashed-dotted arrow in Figure 9). The threaded portion 412 with the male thread makes it easy to attach the first nozzle 41.

As shown in Figures 6 and 8, the first nozzle 41 attached to the first branch passage 682 faces the rotor 11a of the drive motor 11 in the left-right direction. The first nozzle 41 sprays oil horizontally toward the side of the rotor 11a. As described above, oil is supplied to the rotor 11a through the motor shaft 11c, and also through the first nozzle 41. The oil supplied from multiple locations sufficiently cools the drive motor 11.

The first nozzle 41 faces a portion of the rotor 11a that is radially closer to the outer periphery. This radial position corresponds to the position of the magnet 11g on the rotor 11a, as shown in Figure 8. The oil cools the area around the magnet 11g. The position of the magnet 11g on the rotor 11a is the location that generates the most heat. Because oil is sprayed at this position, the rotor 11a is cooled efficiently.

A second nozzle 42 is attached to the second branch passage 683. As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the second nozzle 42 is located above the output gear 11f in both the left-right and front-rear directions. The second nozzle 42 has a main body 421, a flange 422, and an insertion portion 423. The insertion portion 423 is inserted into the opening of the second branch passage 683.

The main body 421 and the insertion portion 423 are continuous in the left-right direction. The main body 421 and the insertion portion 423 have a circular cross section, and an oil flow path 424 is formed therein. The oil flow path 424 extends leftward from the base end of the second nozzle 42. The oil flow path 424 is coaxial with the second branch passage 683. The oil flow path 424 opens only at the right end of the insertion portion 423.

A nozzle hole 425 is connected to the tip of the oil flow path 424, i.e., the left end of the oil flow path 424. As shown in Figures 7 and 9, the nozzle hole 425 intersects with the oil flow path 424. More specifically, the nozzle hole 425 is perpendicular to the oil flow path 424. Note that the nozzle hole 425 and the oil flow path 743 do not need to be perpendicular to each other. The nozzle hole 425 opens to the outer peripheral surface of the main body 421. The nozzle hole 425 is tilted rearward by an angle θ from a vertically downward direction in the circumferential direction centered on the axis of the second branch passage 683. The extension line of the axis of the nozzle hole 425 intersects near the meshing point between the output gear 11f of the motor shaft 11c and the first gear 12a of the reducer 12. The second nozzle 42 injects oil toward the meshing point, thereby effectively supplying oil to the reducer 12.

The nozzle hole 425 of the second nozzle 42 has a directionality relative to the circumferential direction centered on the axis of the second branch passage 683. When the drive unit P is manufactured, the second nozzle 42 is attached to the second branch passage 683 so that it is oriented in the specified direction.

As shown in Figure 7, the flange 422 is shaped like an eight when viewed from the front. The flange 422 consists of a joint portion 426 and a fastening portion 427. The joint portion 426 is welded to the main body 421, and the fastening portion 427 is radially offset from the joint portion 426 and has a hole through which the bolt 43 passes.

An eight-shaped boss 114 is formed at the opening of the second branch passage 683 of the first housing 110. Note that the bottom view 901 in Figure 9 shows the boss 114 when viewed from left to right. The boss 114 is formed with an opening for the second branch passage 683 and a bolt hole 115 formed at a predetermined circumferential position around the axis of the second branch passage 683. The opening of the second branch passage 683 and the bolt hole 115 are offset in the radial direction around the opening of the second branch passage 683.

When manufacturing the drive unit P, a worker inserts the insertion portion 423 into the opening of the second branch passage 683 in the boss 114, passes the bolt 43 through the hole in the fastening portion 427 of the flange 422, and fastens the bolt 43 into the bolt hole 115. This attaches the second nozzle 42 to the second branch passage 683. At this time, the fastening portion 427 of the flange 422 is positioned at a specific position in the circumferential direction around the axis of the second branch passage 683, so the nozzle hole 425 of the second nozzle 42 is tilted rearward relative to a vertically downward orientation. The flange 422 enables the nozzle hole 425 of the second nozzle 42 to be positioned in a specific orientation.

By attaching a first nozzle 41 and a second nozzle 42 to the first branch passage 682 and the second branch passage 683 formed in the first housing 101, respectively, it is possible to easily create passages that supply oil to the drive motor 11 and the reducer 12, respectively.

1 Vehicle 11 Drive motor 11a Rotor 11c Motor shaft 11g Magnet 12 Reducer 13 Generator 100 Housing 111 Partition wall 114 Boss 41 First nozzle 412 Threaded portion 42 Second nozzle 422 Flange 427 Fastening portion 51 Oil pump 52 Oil cooler 6 Oil passage 68 Supply passage 68a Cast hole portion 68b Machined hole portion 682 First branch passage 683 Second branch passage P Drive device

Claims (6)

a motor for driving a vehicle, the motor shaft extending in a first direction perpendicular to the up-down direction;
a reducer located to the side of the motor in the first direction, connected to the motor shaft, and reducing the output of the motor;
a housing that accommodates the motor and the reducer,
the housing has a partition wall located between the motor and the reducer,
Within the partition wall,
a supply passage extending in a direction perpendicular to the first direction and configured to supply oil to the motor and the reducer;
a first branch passage branching from the supply passage toward the motor;
a second branch passage branching from the supply passage toward the reducer is formed,
the first branch passage and the second branch passage are coaxial with each other,
the supply passage extends in the vertical direction and is composed of a core hole portion formed during casting and a machined hole portion drilled at a tip of the core hole portion after casting,
at least one of the first branch passage and the second branch passage is a cast hole formed during casting,
The machined hole portion communicates with a cast hole that forms the first branch passage or the second branch passage . 2. The vehicle drive system according to claim 1 ,
a first nozzle attached to the first branch passage and configured to inject oil toward the motor;
a second nozzle attached to the second branch passage and configured to inject oil toward the reducer. 3. The vehicle drive system according to claim 2 ,
the first nozzle injects oil in a direction along the axis of the first branch passage,
A base end of the first nozzle is formed with a threaded portion that is threadably engaged with an opening of the first branch passage. 4. The vehicle drive system according to claim 2 ,
The first nozzle is positioned relative to a position of a magnet on a rotor of the motor and injects oil toward the rotor. The vehicle drive device according to any one of claims 2 to 4 ,
the reducer is a parallel shaft gear reducer that meshes with the motor shaft,
the second nozzle injects oil toward a meshing portion between the motor shaft and the reducer in a direction intersecting the axis of the second branch passage,
the second nozzle has a flange fixed to a boss formed on the partition wall,
The flange is located at a specific position in the circumferential direction of the boss and has a fastening portion that is fastened to the boss. 6. The vehicle drive system according to claim 5 ,
the supply passage is located above the motor shaft;
the reducer is positioned on the other side of the motor shaft in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and the up-down direction, and is engaged with the motor shaft;
The second nozzle injects oil in a direction inclined toward the second direction with respect to a vertically downward direction when viewed in a direction along the first direction.