Seal structure of drive device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11585352-B2
Application number	US-202117365404-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 1, 2021
Priority date	Jul 16, 2020
Publication date	Feb 21, 2023
Grant date	Feb 21, 2023

Abstract

A seal structure of a drive device is provided which includes a case in which a motor chamber for accommodating an electric motor and a gear chamber for accommodating a gear mechanism are located adjacent to each other, a partition that separates the motor chamber and the gear chamber, a bearing that supports a rotating shaft, a seal part that seals between the rotating shaft and the partition, a lubricating oil that lubricates the gear mechanism, and a coolant that cools the electric motor, and also includes a first bearing on the motor chamber side, a second bearing on the gear chamber side, a first seal part on the motor chamber side, a second seal part on the gear chamber side, and at least the second seal part of the first seal part and the second seal part is provided between the first bearing and the second bearing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A seal structure of a drive device comprising:
an electric motor;
a rotating shaft that rotates together with a rotor of the electric motor;
a gear mechanism connected to the rotating shaft;
a case in which a motor chamber for accommodating the electric motor and a gear chamber for accommodating the gear mechanism are adjacent to each other;
a partition that has a through hole into which the rotating shaft is inserted and separates the motor chamber and the gear chamber in the case;
a bearing that is attached to the partition to rotatably support the rotating shaft inserted in the through hole;
a seal part that is in line with the bearing in an axial direction of the rotating shaft to seal between the rotating shaft and the partition;
a lubricating oil that lubricates the gear mechanism inside the gear chamber; and
a coolant that cools the electric motor inside the motor chamber, the coolant being a different type of liquid from the lubricating oil, wherein
the bearing includes
a first bearing located on the motor chamber side with respect to the through hole, and
a second bearing located on the gear chamber side with respect to the through hole,

the seal part includes
a first seal part, and
a second seal part located on the gear chamber side with respect to the first seal part, with each of the first seal part and the second seal part being between the partition and the rotating shaft, and

the second seal part is between the first bearing and the second bearing.

2. The seal structure of the drive device according to claim 1 , wherein
the first seal part is a mechanical seal between the first bearing and the second bearing, and
the mechanical seal includes
a rotating ring on the rotating shaft, and
a stationary ring that is in contact with the rotating ring and is fixed to the partition.

3. The seal structure of the drive device according to claim 2 , wherein
the second seal part includes a seal lip part that is in contact with the rotating shaft, and
the second bearing is a rolling bearing lubricated by the lubricating oil.

4. The seal structure of the drive device according to claim 1 , wherein
the first seal part is a mechanical seal on the motor chamber side with respect to the first bearing, and
the mechanical seal includes
a rotating ring on the rotating shaft, and
a stationary ring that is in contact with the rotating ring and is fixed to the partition.

5. The seal structure of the drive device according to claim 4 , wherein the second seal part is constituted by a labyrinth structure.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Tominaga Satoshi
• Tokozakura Daisuke
• Iwama Yuki
• Shibata Hiroyuki

Classifications

• F16J15/447

  Labyrinth packings · CPC title

• H02K5/10

  with arrangements for protection from ingress, e.g. water or fingers · CPC title

• F16J15/3204

  with at least one lip · CPC title

• F16H57/021

  Shaft support structures, e.g. partition walls, bearing eyes, casing walls or covers with bearings · CPC title

• F04D29/106 Primary

  especially adapted for liquid pumps · CPC title