Electric vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10625591-B2
Application number	US-201816136665-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 20, 2018
Priority date	Sep 20, 2017
Publication date	Apr 21, 2020
Grant date	Apr 21, 2020

Abstract

An electric vehicle comprises: an electric drive unit including an electric motor used as a drive power source, a transaxle including a differential device and coupled to a motor shaft of the electric motor in a power transmittable manner on one end side of the electric motor in a direction of a motor centerline to transmit an output of the electric motor through the differential device to a pair of drive shafts, and a case housing the electric motor and the transaxle. The case includes a first end surface portion located on the other end side of the electric motor in the motor centerline direction and rotatably supporting the motor shaft, and an accessory component of the vehicle is attached to an outside surface of the first end surface portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electric vehicle comprising:
an electric drive unit including:
an electric motor used as a drive power source,
a transaxle including a differential device and coupled to a motor shaft of the electric motor in a power transmittable manner on one end side of the electric motor in a motor centerline direction to transmit an output of the electric motor through the differential device to a pair of drive shafts, and
a case housing the electric motor and the transaxle, wherein
the case includes a first end surface portion located on the other end side of the electric motor in the motor centerline direction and rotatably supporting the motor shaft, and
an accessory component of the vehicle is attached to an outside surface of the first end surface portion such that a gravity center of the accessory component is located at a position offset from the motor centerline.

2. The electric vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
the accessory component is attached to the first end surface portion via an attachment member such that the accessory component is separated from the first end surface portion.

3. The electric vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein
the electric drive unit is mounted on a front-side portion of the vehicle in a posture in which the motor centerline is parallel to a vehicle width direction, wherein
the accessory component is attached to the first end surface portion via the attachment member such that the accessory component protrudes from the electric drive unit in the vehicle width direction, and wherein
the attachment member has a strength set such that when a collision load is applied to the accessory component from the vehicle front side, the attachment member is deformed or broken before any one of the accessory component and the first end surface portion.

4. The electric vehicle according to claim 3 , wherein
the accessory component is a high-voltage electric component which works on a high voltage of AC 30 V or more and is electrically grounded by an earth cable of the high-voltage electric component connected to a vehicle body.

5. The electric vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
an elastic member is interposed between the accessory component and the first end surface portion.

6. The electric vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
the accessory component is a component generating vibration by itself.

7. The electric vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
the differential device is disposed on a second axis parallel to the motor centerline, wherein
the transaxle includes a gear type power transmission mechanism transmitting an output of the electric motor to the differential device, and wherein
the electric drive unit is mounted on the vehicle in a posture in which the motor centerline is parallel to a vehicle width direction.

8. The electric vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
the electric drive unit includes only the electric motor as the drive power source.

9. An electric vehicle comprising:
an electric drive unit including:
an electric motor used as a drive power source,
a transaxle including a differential device and coupled to a motor shaft of the electric motor in a power transmittable manner on one end side of the electric motor in a motor centerline direction to transmit an output of the electric motor through the differential device to a pair of drive shafts, and
a case housing the electric motor and the transaxle, wherein
the case includes a first end surface portion located on the other end side of the electric motor in the motor centerline direction and rotatably supporting the motor shaft, and
an accessory component of the vehicle is attached to an outside surface of the first end surface portion via an attachment member such that the accessory component is separated from the first end surface portion.

10. The electric vehicle according to claim 9 , wherein
the electric drive unit is mounted on a front-side portion of the vehicle in a posture in which the motor centerline is parallel to a vehicle width direction, wherein
the accessory component is attached to the first end surface portion via the attachment member such that the accessory component protrudes from the electric drive unit in the vehicle width direction, and wherein
the attachment member has a strength set such that when a collision load is applied to the accessory component from the vehicle front side, the attachment member is deformed or broken before any one of the accessory component and the first end surface portion.

11. The electric vehicle according to claim 10 , wherein
the accessory component is a high-voltage electric component which works on a high voltage of AC 30 V or more and is electrically grounded by an earth cable of the high-voltage electric component connected to a vehicle body.

12. The electric vehicle according to claim 9 , wherein
the accessory component is a component generating vibration by itself.

13. The electric vehicle according to claim 9 , wherein
the differential device is disposed on a second axis parallel to the motor centerline, wherein
the transaxle includes a gear type power transmission mechanism transmitting an output of the electric motor to the differential device, and wherein
the electric drive unit is mounted on the vehicle in a posture in which the motor centerline is parallel to a vehicle width direction.

14. The electric vehicle according to claim 9 , wherein
the electric drive unit includes only the electric motor as the drive power source.

15. An electric vehicle comprising:
an electric drive unit including:
an electric motor used as a drive power source,
a transaxle including a differential device and coupled to a motor shaft of the electric motor in a power transmittable manner on one end side of the electric motor in a motor centerline direction to transmit an output of the electric motor through the differential device to a pair of drive shafts, and
a case housing the electric motor and the transaxle, wherein
the case includes a first end surface portion located on the other end side of the electric motor in the motor centerline direction and rotatably supporting the motor shaft,
an accessory component of the vehicle is attached to an outside surface of the first end surface portion, and
an elastic member is interposed between the accessory component and the first end surface portion.

16. The electric vehicle according to claim 15 , wherein
the accessory component is a component generating vibration by itself.

17. The electric vehicle according to claim 15 , wherein
the differential device is disposed on a second axis parallel to the motor centerline, wherein
the transaxle includes a gear type power transmission mechanism transmitting an output of the electric motor to the differential device, and wherein
the electric drive unit is mounted on the vehicle in a posture in which the motor centerline is parallel to a vehicle width direction.

18. The electric vehicle according to claim 15 , wherein
the electric drive unit includes only the electric motor as the drive power source.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Nishikawa Yukinobu
• Kuwahara Takeshi
• Ito Eiji
• Yoshikawa Yasuki

Classifications

• B60K17/12

  of electric gearing · CPC title

• B60K2001/0405

  characterised by their position · CPC title

• B60K5/04

  with the engine main axis, e.g. crankshaft axis, transversely to the longitudinal centre line of the vehicle · CPC title

• B60K1/04

  of the electric storage means for propulsion · CPC title

• B60K17/105

  Units comprising at least a part of the gearing and a torque-transmitting axle, e.g. transaxles (B60K17/14 takes precedence) · CPC title