Vehicle drive device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9802470-B2
Application number	US-201515300135-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 28, 2015
Priority date	May 28, 2014
Publication date	Oct 31, 2017
Grant date	Oct 31, 2017

Abstract

A vehicle drive device that includes a wheel drive rotary electric machine and a transmission device on a power transmission path connecting an input member drivingly coupled to an internal combustion engine and an output member drivingly coupled to wheels; a pump electric motor that serves as a driving force source of a hydraulic pump; a case that accommodates the wheel drive rotary electric machine, the transmission device, and the pump electric motor; and a motor controller including a first inverter that controls the wheel drive rotary electric machine, a second inverter that controls the pump electric motor, a cooler that cools the first inverter and the second inverter, and a smoothing capacitor that smooths direct-current power to be supplied to the first inverter and the second inverter.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicle drive device comprising:
a wheel drive rotary electric machine and a transmission device on a power transmission path connecting an input member drivingly coupled to an internal combustion engine and an output member drivingly coupled to wheels;
a pump electric motor that serves as a driving force source of a hydraulic pump;
a case that accommodates the wheel drive rotary electric machine, the transmission device, and the pump electric motor;
a motor controller including a first inverter that controls the wheel drive rotary electric machine, a second inverter that controls the pump electric motor, a cooler that cools the first inverter and the second inverter, and a smoothing capacitor that smooths direct-current power to be supplied to the first inverter and the second inverter, wherein
a rotational axis of the input member and a rotational axis of the transmission device are aligned in a vehicle width direction;
in the motor controller, an inverter unit and the smoothing capacitor are arranged in a vehicle front-rear direction in an upward direction of the case, the inverter unit including the first inverter, the second inverter, and the cooler; and
one of the inverter unit and the smoothing capacitor having a smaller thickness in a vehicle up-down direction than the other is disposed in an upward direction of a highest located member, the highest located member being a member located at a highest position in a region of the case overlapping the motor controller as viewed in the vehicle up-down direction; and
a through connection terminal that is a relay connection terminal disposed on an electrical connection path electrically connecting a coil of the wheel drive rotary electric machine and the first inverter and that extends through the case, and an intermediate connection terminal that is a relay connection terminal disposed on an electrical connection path connecting the through connection terminal and the first inverter; wherein
the through connection terminal is disposed in a downward direction of the inverter unit or the smoothing capacitor; and
the intermediate connection terminal is disposed between the first inverter and the smoothing capacitor, in a region not overlapping both of the first inverter and the smoothing capacitor, as viewed in the vehicle up-down direction.

2. The vehicle drive device according to claim 1 , wherein the cooler is interposed between the first inverter and the second inverter in the vehicle up-down direction.

3. The vehicle drive device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first bus bar group including a plurality of bus bars electrically connecting the through connection terminal and the intermediate connection terminal, and a second bus bar group including a plurality of bus bars electrically connecting the intermediate connection terminal and the first inverter; wherein
the first bus bar group has a portion disposed in a downward direction of the smoothing capacitor; and
the second bus bar group has a portion overlapping the inverter unit as viewed in the horizontal direction.

4. The vehicle drive device according to claim 1 , wherein the rotational axis of the input member, a rotational axis of the wheel drive rotary electric machine, and the rotational axis of the transmission device are coaxially aligned.

5. The vehicle drive device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a counter gear mechanism disposed between the transmission device and the output member on the power transmission path; wherein
the rotational axis of the input member, a rotational axis of the wheel drive rotary electric machine, and the rotational axis of the transmission device are aligned with a first axis;
a rotational axis of the counter gear mechanism is aligned with a second axis parallel to the first axis and different from the first axis;
a rotational axis of the output member is aligned with a third axis parallel to the first axis and different from the first axis and the second axis;
the second axis and the third axis are disposed on one side in the vehicle front-rear direction with respect to the first axis, and the second axis is disposed in an upward direction with respect to the third axis; and
the motor controller is disposed in a position overlapping the first axis, the second axis, and the third axis, as viewed in the vehicle up-down direction.

Assignees

• Aisin Aw Co

Inventors

• Miyazawa Manabu
• Uechi Tatsuyuki

Classifications

• B60L2240/525

  Temperature of converter or components thereof · CPC title

• B60K6/54

  Transmission for changing ratio · CPC title

• B60L50/16

  with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion · CPC title

• F16H61/0006

  Electronic control units for transmission control, e.g. connectors, casings or circuit boards · CPC title

• B60K6/405

  Housings · CPC title