Vehicle drive apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9845869-B2
Application number	US-201515104715-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 8, 2015
Priority date	Jan 17, 2014
Publication date	Dec 19, 2017
Grant date	Dec 19, 2017

Abstract

A mechanical oil pump, an electric oil pump, and a strainer are disposed inside a transmission case. As a suction oil passage that returns an excess hydraulic pressure in a hydraulic control device to the mechanical oil pump, a common oil passage extending from the hydraulic control device, a branch point, a first oil passage extending from the branch point to the mechanical oil pump, and a second oil passage extending from the branch point to the electric oil pump are formed in the transmission case. A meeting point where an inlet oil passage for suctioning oil via the strainer and the first oil passage of the suction oil passage meet is formed inside a pump body of the mechanical oil pump. Accordingly, the suction oil passage of the mechanical oil pump and an inlet oil passage of the electric oil pump have a portion in common.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicle drive apparatus comprising:
a case configured to accommodate a transmission apparatus;
a mechanical oil pump that is disposed in the case and is configured to be driven by an internal combustion engine;
an electric oil pump that is disposed in the case and is configured to be electrically driven;
a hydraulic control device that is joined and attached to the case, and hydraulically controls the transmission apparatus based on hydraulic pressures generated by the mechanical oil pump and the electric oil pump;
a strainer that is disposed inside the case;
a first discharge oil passage that supplies the hydraulic pressure discharged by the mechanical oil pump to the hydraulic control device;
a second discharge oil passage that supplies the hydraulic pressure discharged by the electric oil pump to the hydraulic control device; and
a suction oil passage that returns an excess hydraulic pressure in the hydraulic control device to the mechanical oil pump and the electric oil pump, wherein:
the suction oil passage includes a common oil passage extending from the hydraulic control device to an inside of the case, a branch point where the common oil passage splits toward the mechanical oil pump and the electric oil pump, a first oil passage extending from the branch point to the mechanical oil pump, and a second oil passage extending from the branch point to the electric oil pump, and the common oil passage, the branch point, the first oil passage, and the second oil passage are formed in the case;
the mechanical oil pump includes a hydraulic pressure generating unit that generates the hydraulic pressure, and a pump body which contains the hydraulic pressure generating unit and in which an inlet port for suctioning oil from an oil reservoir via the strainer, a discharge port communicating with the first discharge oil passage, and a suction connection port communicating with the first oil passage of the suction oil passage are formed; and
a meeting point where the inlet port and the suction connection port meet is provided inside the pump body.

2. The vehicle drive apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein in a joining section between the case and the hydraulic control device, the common oil passage of the suction oil passage is disposed so as to pass through a center side with respect to the first discharge oil passage and the second discharge oil passage.

3. The vehicle drive apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the mechanical oil pump is disposed on one side of the branch point of the suction oil passage in an axial direction of the transmission apparatus and the electric oil pump is disposed on the other side in the axial direction with the branch point of the suction oil passage provided therebetween.

4. The vehicle drive apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the inlet port and the suction connection port of the mechanical oil pump are disposed on a side of the branch point of the suction oil passage with respect to the hydraulic pressure generating unit.

5. The vehicle drive apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein in a joining section between the case and the hydraulic control device, the first discharge oil passage and the second discharge oil passage are disposed so as to pass through an outer edge side thereof.

6. The vehicle drive apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the inlet port and the suction connection port of the mechanical oil pump are disposed on a side of the branch point of the suction oil passage with respect to the hydraulic pressure generating unit.

7. The vehicle drive apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the mechanical oil pump is disposed on one side of the branch point of the suction oil passage in an axial direction of the transmission apparatus and the electric oil pump is disposed on the other side in the axial direction with the branch point of the suction oil passage provided therebetween.

8. The vehicle drive apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the inlet port and the suction connection port of the mechanical oil pump are disposed on a side of the branch point of the suction oil passage with respect to the hydraulic pressure generating unit.

9. The vehicle drive apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the inlet port and the suction connection port of the mechanical oil pump are disposed on a side of the branch point of the suction oil passage with respect to the hydraulic pressure generating unit.

10. The vehicle drive apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein in a joining section between the case and the hydraulic control device, the first discharge oil passage and the second discharge oil passage are disposed so as to pass through an outer edge side thereof.

11. The vehicle drive apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein in a joining section between the case and the hydraulic control device, the first discharge oil passage and the second discharge oil passage are disposed so as to pass through an outer edge side thereof.

12. The vehicle drive apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein in a joining section between the case and the hydraulic control device, the first discharge oil passage and the second discharge oil passage are disposed so as to pass through an outer edge side thereof.

13. The vehicle drive apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein in a joining section between the case and the hydraulic control device, the first discharge oil passage and the second discharge oil passage are disposed so as to pass through an outer edge side thereof.

14. The vehicle drive apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein in a joining section between the case and the hydraulic control device, the first discharge oil passage and the second discharge oil passage are disposed so as to pass through an outer edge side thereof.

15. The vehicle drive apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein in a joining section between the case and the hydraulic control device, the first discharge oil passage and the second discharge oil passage are disposed so as to pass through an outer edge side thereof.

Assignees

• Aisin Aw Co
• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Shirasaka Haruki
• Iwatsuru Yuji
• Maruyama Tetsuya
• Yamamoto Kozo
• Nakada Hirofumi

Classifications

• F04B41/06

  Combinations of two or more pumps · CPC title

• F16H57/0441

  Arrangements of pumps · CPC title

• Y10T137/86131

  Plural · CPC title

• F16H57/0489

  with endless flexible members, e.g. belt CVTs · CPC title

• F16H47/08

  the mechanical gearing being of the type with members having orbital motion · CPC title