Drive device for vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9657825-B2
Application number	US-201314378368-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 15, 2013
Priority date	Feb 27, 2012
Publication date	May 23, 2017
Grant date	May 23, 2017

Abstract

A drive device for a vehicle includes a first drive shaft, a second drive shaft, a differential mechanism, a speed reduction mechanism, and a case. The second speed reduction pinion gear of the speed reduction mechanism, and the first pinion gear and the second pinion gear of the differential mechanism are arranged out of phase in a rotation direction, and are arranged at a position in an axial direction so that at least any one of the first pinion gear and the second pinion gear of the differential mechanism overlaps with the second speed reduction pinion gear of the speed reduction mechanism.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A drive device for a vehicle, comprising:
a first drive shaft and a second drive shaft whose axial ends are caused to oppose each other so as to be coaxially arranged;
a differential mechanism that has a first sun gear which is connected to the first drive shaft, a second sun gear which is connected to the second drive shaft, a first pinion gear which meshes with the first sun gear, a second pinion gear which meshes with the second sun gear and the first pinion gear, and a carrier which rotatably supports the first pinion gear and the second pinion gear;
a speed reduction mechanism that has an input sun gear which is connected to an input shaft, a first speed reduction pinion gear which meshes with the input sun gear and is rotatably supported by the carrier, a second speed reduction pinion gear which is connected to the first speed reduction pinion gear and is rotatably supported by the carrier, and a ring gear which meshes with the second speed reduction pinion gear; and
a case that encloses the differential mechanism and the speed reduction mechanism which are coaxially arranged, that rotatably supports the carrier, and to which the ring gear is fixed,
wherein the second speed reduction pinion gear of the speed reduction mechanism and the first pinion gear and the second pinion gear of the differential mechanism are arranged out of phase in a rotation direction, and the second speed reduction pinion gear of the speed reduction mechanism and the first pinion gear and the second pinion gear of the differential mechanism are arranged at a position in an axial direction so that at least any one of the first pinion gear and the second pinion gear of the differential mechanism overlaps with the second speed reduction pinion gear of the speed reduction mechanism and the ring gear.

2. The drive device for a vehicle according to claim 1 ,
wherein a revolution outer diameter of the first pinion gear and the second pinion gear of the differential mechanism is smaller than an inner diameter of the ring gear of the speed reduction mechanism, and a revolution inner diameter of the second speed reduction pinion gear of the speed reduction mechanism is larger than an outer diameter of the first sun gear and the second sun gear of the differential mechanism.

3. The drive device for a vehicle according to claim 2 ,
wherein the first sun gear and the second sun gear of the differential mechanism are arranged at a position in the axial direction so that the first sun gear and the second sun gear of the differential mechanism overlap with the second speed reduction pinion gear of the speed reduction mechanism and the ring gear.

4. The drive device for a vehicle according to claim 3 ,
wherein a meshing part of a first gear portion with a second gear portion is arranged between a meshing part of the first gear portion with the first sun gear and a meshing part of the second gear portion with the second sun gear in the axial direction, the first gear portion being a gear portion of the first pinion gear of the differential mechanism and the second gear portion being a gear portion of the second pinion gear.

5. The drive device for a vehicle according to claim 4 ,
wherein the second sun gear is arranged in the axial direction at a position such that the second sun gear overlaps with a portion of the first pinion gear of the differential mechanism in which the first gear portion is not arranged, and
the first sun gear is arranged in the axial direction at a position such that the first sun gear overlaps with a portion of the second pinion gear of the differential mechanism in which the second gear portion is not arranged.

6. The drive device for a vehicle according to claim 2 ,
wherein a meshing part of a first gear portion with a second gear portion is arranged between a meshing part of the first gear portion with the first sun gear and a meshing part of the second gear portion with the second sun gear in the axial direction, the first gear portion being a gear portion of the first pinion gear of the differential mechanism and the second gear portion being a gear portion of the second pinion gear.

7. The drive device for a vehicle according to claim 6 ,
wherein the second sun gear is arranged in the axial direction at a position such that the second sun gear overlaps with a portion of the first pinion gear of the differential mechanism in which the first gear portion is not arranged, and
the first sun gear is arranged in the axial direction at a position such that the first sun gear overlaps with a portion of the second pinion gear of the differential mechanism in which the second gear portion is not arranged.

8. The drive device for a vehicle according to claim 7 ,
wherein the first pinion gear and the second pinion gear of the differential mechanism are formed in a substantially same dimension, and are arranged so as to be bilaterally symmetrical to each other.

9. The drive device for a vehicle according to claim 6 ,
wherein the first pinion gear and the second pinion gear of the differential mechanism are formed in a substantially same dimension, and are arranged so as to be bilaterally symmetrical to each other.

10. The drive device for a vehicle according to claim 2 ,
wherein the carrier has a first carrier member, a second carrier member, and a third carrier member, and the second carrier member is configured to be interposed between the first carrier member and the third carrier member,
wherein the first pinion gear and the second pinion gear of the differential mechanism are rotatably attached to the first carrier member and the second carrier member by being interposed therebetween, and
wherein the first speed reduction pinion gear and the second speed reduction pinion gear of the speed reduction mechanism are rotatably attached to the first carrier member and the third carrier member by being interposed therebetween.

11. The drive device for a vehicle according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a collar that is fixed to one end surface of the carrier so as to be radially overlapped with the first sun gear in order to regulate a movement of the first sun gear in the axial direction,
wherein the collar includes a locking portion which is radially overlapped with a shaft of the first pinion gear and the second pinion gear in the differential mechanism on an outward side of the axial direction of the shaft.

12. The drive device for a vehicle according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first sun gear and the second sun gear of the differential mechanism are arranged at a position in the axial direction so that the first sun gear and the second sun gear of the differential mechanism overlap with the second speed reduction pinion gear of the speed reduction mechanism and the ring gear.

13. The drive device for a vehicle according to claim 12 ,
wherein a meshing part of a first gear portion with a second gear portion is arranged between a meshing part of the first gear portion with the first sun gear and a meshing part of the second gear portion with the second sun gear in the axial direction, the first gear portion being a gear portion of the first pinion gear of the differential mechanism and the second gear portion being a gear portion of the second pinion gear.

14. The drive device for a vehicle according to claim 13 ,
wherein the second sun gear is arranged in the axial direction at a position such that the second sun gear overlaps with a portion of the first pinion gear of the differential mechanism in which the first gear portion is not arranged, and
the first sun gear is arranged in the axial directio

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ohmura Jun
• Nakayama Shigeru

Classifications

• 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

• F16H2200/0021

  specially adapted for electric vehicles · CPC title

• B60K17/165 Primary

  provided between independent half axles (B60K17/18, B60K17/20 take precedence) · CPC title

• F16H2048/106

  characterised by two sun gears · CPC title

• F16H2200/2097

  comprising an orbital gear set member permanently connected to the housing, e.g. a sun wheel permanently connected to the housing · CPC title