Wheel driving unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10675966-B2
Application number	US-201916402350-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 3, 2019
Priority date	May 16, 2018
Publication date	Jun 9, 2020
Grant date	Jun 9, 2020

Abstract

A wheel driving unit including a casing in which an electric motor and a speed reducer are incorporated, the wheel driving unit being disposed in a rim of a wheel so as to rotate the wheel, wherein a portion of the wheel driving unit located below the electric motor and the speed reducer is a lubricant reservoir for storing lubricant in the casing, and wherein a protrusion is provided at a lower portion of the lubricant reservoir so as to protrude in a direction toward an inner circumferential surface of the rim.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wheel driving unit including a casing in which an electric motor and a speed reducer are incorporated, the wheel driving unit being disposed in a rim of a wheel so as to rotate the wheel,
wherein a portion of the wheel driving unit located below the electric motor and the speed reducer is a lubricant reservoir for storing lubricant in the casing,
wherein a protrusion is provided at a lower portion of the lubricant reservoir so as to protrude from an outer circumferential surface of the lubricant reservoir in a direction toward an inner circumferential surface of the rim, and
Wherein the protrusion has an elongated shape, so as to deflect foreign matter from entering a clearance between the outer circumferential surface of the lubricant reservoir and the inner circumferential surface of the rim.

2. The wheel driving unit according to claim 1 , wherein the protrusion is provided at the lower portion of a front-side portion of the lubricant reservoir.

3. The wheel driving unit according to claim 1 , wherein the protrusion extends throughout a region in which the lubricant reservoir and the inner circumferential surface of the rim are opposed to each other from one end of the region in a direction in which an axis of the wheel extends to the other end thereof in the direction.

4. The wheel driving unit according to claim 1 , wherein the protrusion is provided so as to be inclined with respect to an axis of the wheel such that a part of the protrusion closer to an open end of the rim is located more rearward than a part thereof farther from the open end of the rim.

5. The wheel driving unit according to claim 4 , wherein an angle of inclination between an axis of the protrusion extending along the elongated shape and the axis of the wheel is 20-45 degrees.

6. The wheel driving unit according to claim 1 , wherein the protrusion is a thickened portion of a wall that forms the outer circumferential surface of the lubricant reservoir.

7. The wheel driving unit according to claim 1 , wherein the protrusion protrudes downward from the lower outer circumferential surface of the lubricant reservoir.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yamada Masahiko

Classifications

• B60K7/0007 Primary

  the motor being electric · CPC title

• F16H57/0476

  Electric machines and gearing, i.e. joint lubrication or cooling or heating thereof · CPC title

• F16H57/045

  Lubricant storage reservoirs, e.g. reservoirs in addition to a gear sump for collecting lubricant in the upper part of a gear case · CPC title

• B60K17/043

  Transmission unit disposed in on near the vehicle wheel, or between the differential gear unit and the wheel · CPC title

• B60K2007/0061

  the motor axle being parallel to the wheel axle · CPC title