Drive device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11732795-B2
Application number	US-202017603969-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 9, 2020
Priority date	Apr 19, 2019
Publication date	Aug 22, 2023
Grant date	Aug 22, 2023

Abstract

A drive device includes a motor, a housing, an oil passage in the housing, an oil pump in which a portion of the oil passage is provided, and a strainer inside the housing and in which a portion of the oil passage is provided. The oil passage includes an oil sump in which oil is accumulated and a suction path connecting the oil sump and the oil pump. A central axis of the oil pump extends in a direction intersecting the vertical direction. The strainer is in the suction path. The strainer includes a suction port to suction oil from the oil sump, a discharge port to discharge oil toward the oil pump, and a filter. The suction port opens downward in the vertical direction. The discharge port opens in a direction intersecting the vertical direction toward the oil pump.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A drive device that rotates an axle of a vehicle, the drive device comprising:
a motor;
a housing that accommodates the motor;
an oil passage in the housing;
an oil pump provided in the housing and in which a portion of the oil passage is provided; and
a strainer provided inside the housing and in which a portion of the oil passage is provided; wherein
the oil passage includes:
an oil sump provided inside the housing and in which oil accumulates; and
a suction path that connects the oil sump and the oil pump;

a first central axis that is a central axis of the oil pump extends in a direction intersecting a vertical direction;
the strainer is positioned in the suction path;
the strainer includes:
a suction port to suction oil from the oil sump;
a discharge port to discharge oil toward the oil pump; and
a filter that is provided inside the strainer and positioned between the suction port and the discharge port;

the suction port opens downward in the vertical direction; and
the discharge port opens in a direction intersecting the vertical direction toward the oil pump.

2. The drive device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a decelerator that is connected to the motor; and
a differential that is connected to the decelerator and rotates the axle about a differential axis; wherein
the housing includes:
a motor accommodation portion that accommodates the motor; and
a gear accommodation portion that accommodates the decelerator and the differential; and

the oil sump and the strainer are at a bottom portion of the gear accommodation portion.

3. The drive device according to claim 2 , wherein
the gear accommodation portion includes:
a first side wall portion to which the strainer is attached; and
a wall hole that opens on the first side wall portion and provides communication between the strainer and the oil pump;

the strainer includes:
a discharge tube that is inserted into the wall hole and in which the discharge port is provided; and
an attachment portion that comes into contact with the first side wall portion; and

the first side wall portion includes a detent portion that is opposed to and able to contact the attachment portion about a second central axis that is a central axis of the discharge tube.

4. The drive device according to claim 2 , wherein
the gear accommodation portion includes:
a first side wall portion that is opposed to the differential from one axial side of the differential axis;
a second side wall portion that is opposed to the differential from another axial side of the differential axis;
a plurality of screws that fix the first side wall portion and the second side wall portion in an axial direction of the differential axis; and
a suction recess portion that is in at least any of a bottom portion of the first side wall portion and a bottom portion of the second side wall portion, is recessed downward in the vertical direction, and defines a portion of the oil sump;

the differential includes a gear that rotates about the differential axis;
a lower end of the gear in the vertical direction is in the oil sump;
the suction recess portion is provided between a pair of the screws adjacent to each other in a horizontal direction when viewed from the axial direction of the differential axis; and
the suction port is in the suction recess portion.

5. The drive device according to claim 4 , wherein
the gear accommodation portion includes a projection portion that is in at least any of a bottom portion of the first side wall portion and a bottom portion of the second side wall portion and projects upward in the vertical direction; and
when viewed from the axial direction of the differential axis, a horizontal position of the projection portion is between a horizontal position of a vertical lower end of the gear and a horizontal position of the suction recess portion.

6. The drive device according to claim 2 , wherein,
the gear accommodation portion includes:
a first side wall portion to which the strainer is attached; and
a wall hole that opens on the first side wall portion and provides communication between the strainer and the oil pump;

the strainer includes a discharge tube that is inserted into the wall hole and in which the discharge port is provided; and
when viewed from an axial direction of the second central axis, which is a central axis of the discharge tube, the discharge port and the suction port are shifted in a horizontal direction.

7. The drive device according to claim 6 , wherein
the strainer includes:
a bottom wall portion that is provided with the suction port;
a top wall portion that is vertically above the bottom wall portion at a distance from the bottom wall portion; and
a peripheral wall portion that connects the bottom wall portion and the top wall portion and to which the discharge tube is connected; and

the top wall portion is positioned vertically upward from the suction port toward the discharge tube along the horizontal direction.

8. The drive device according to claim 2 , wherein
an outer diameter of a gear included in the decelerator is smaller than an outer diameter of a gear included in the differential; and
the strainer is immediately below a gear of the decelerator.

9. The drive device according to claim 2 , wherein
the gear accommodation portion includes:
a first side wall portion to which the strainer is attached; and
a wall hole that opens on the first side wall portion and provides communication between the strainer and the oil pump;

the strainer includes:
a discharge tube that is inserted into the wall hole and in which the discharge port is provided;
an attachment portion that comes into contact with the first side wall portion; and
an attachment hole that penetrates the attachment portion; and

a fixing screw that fixes the attachment portion to the first side wall portion is inserted into the attachment hole.

10. The drive device according to claim 9 , wherein
the strainer includes an elastic ring that is fitted to an outer peripheral surface of the discharge tube;
two of the attachment portions are provided; and
the discharge tube is positioned between the two attachment portions when viewed from an axial direction of a second central axis, which is a central axis of the discharge tube.

Assignees

• Nidec Corp

Inventors

• Ishikawa Yuki
• Oyama Takanobu
• Fukunaga Keisuke

Classifications

• F16H57/0475 Primary

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

• B60K1/00

  Arrangement or mounting of electrical propulsion units (B60K7/00 takes precedence; arrangement or mounting of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion B60K6/00) · CPC title

• B60K11/02

  with liquid cooling · CPC title

• F16H57/037

  Gearboxes for accommodating differential gearings (rotating cases for differential gearings F16H48/40) · CPC title

• F16H57/0404

  Lubricant filters · CPC title