Vehicle drive device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9849791-B2
Application number	US-201414780335-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 18, 2014
Priority date	May 31, 2013
Publication date	Dec 26, 2017
Grant date	Dec 26, 2017

Abstract

A vehicle drive device that includes a rotary electric machine that serves as a drive force source for wheels; a speed change mechanism; a pump motor that serves as a drive force source for an electric pump that generates a hydraulic pressure to be supplied to a servo mechanism for the speed change mechanism; a case that accommodates the speed change mechanism; and a first inverter that controls the rotary electric machine and a second inverter that controls the pump motor, the first inverter and the second inverter being connected to a common DC power source, wherein: the first inverter and the second inverter are disposed in the case; and a first wiring member that extends from the DC power source is branched in the case to be connected to each of the first inverter and the second inverter.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicle drive device comprising:
a rotary electric machine that serves as a drive force source for wheels;
a speed change mechanism;
a pump motor that serves as a drive force source for an electric pump that generates a hydraulic pressure to be supplied to a servo mechanism for the speed change mechanism;
a case; and
a first inverter that controls the rotary electric machine and a second inverter that controls the pump motor, the first inverter and the second inverter being connected to a common DC power source, wherein:
the case includes a first case portion that accommodates the speed change mechanism, the electric pump and the pump motor, and a second case portion that accommodates the rotary electric machine, the first case portion and the second case portion being formed to be split along a plane that is perpendicular to an axial direction of the rotary electric machine;
a control element accommodation chamber is formed along an outer peripheral wall of the first case portion;
the first inverter and the second inverter are accommodated in the control element accommodation chamber;
a first wiring member that extends from the DC power source is branched in the control element accommodation chamber to be connected to each of the first inverter and the second inverter; and

the first inverter is connected to the rotary electric machine in the case by a second wiring member, and the second inverter is connected to the pump motor in the case by a third wiring member.

2. The vehicle drive device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the rotary electric machine and the pump motor are accommodated in a drive element accommodation chamber formed in the case in an oil-tight manner;
the drive element accommodation chamber and the control element accommodation chamber communicate with each other via a communication hole; and
both the second wiring member that connects between the first inverter and the rotary electric machine and the third wiring member that connects between the second inverter and the pump motor pass through the communication hole.

3. The vehicle drive device according to claim 2 , wherein:
the second wiring member includes a relay terminal disposed in the communication hole and a plurality of bus bars that connect between the first inverter and the relay terminal; and
the plurality of bus bars and a substrate that constitutes the second inverter are integrally held by a holding member.

4. The vehicle drive device according to claim 3 , wherein
in a vehicle mounted state, the communication hole is disposed above a surface of oil in the drive element accommodation chamber.

5. The vehicle drive device according to claim 4 , further comprising:
a smoothing capacitor connected between the DC power source and the first inverter and the second inverter to smooth DC power to be supplied to both the first inverter and the second inverter, wherein
the smoothing capacitor and the first inverter are disposed side by side, and the first inverter and the second inverter are disposed side by side.

6. The vehicle drive device according to claim 3 , further comprising:
a smoothing capacitor connected between the DC power source and the first inverter and the second inverter to smooth DC power to be supplied to both the first inverter and the second inverter, wherein
the smoothing capacitor and the first inverter are disposed side by side, and the first inverter and the second inverter are disposed side by side.

7. The vehicle drive device according to claim 2 , wherein
in a vehicle mounted state, the communication hole is disposed above a surface of oil in the drive element accommodation chamber.

8. The vehicle drive device according to claim 7 , further comprising:
a smoothing capacitor connected between the DC power source and the first inverter and the second inverter to smooth DC power to be supplied to both the first inverter and the second inverter, wherein
the smoothing capacitor and the first inverter are disposed side by side, and the first inverter and the second inverter are disposed side by side.

9. The vehicle drive device according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a smoothing capacitor connected between the DC power source and the first inverter and the second inverter to smooth DC power to be supplied to both the first inverter and the second inverter, wherein
the smoothing capacitor and the first inverter are disposed side by side, and the first inverter and the second inverter are disposed side by side.

10. The vehicle drive device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a smoothing capacitor connected between the DC power source and the first inverter and the second inverter to smooth DC power to be supplied to both the first inverter and the second inverter, wherein
the smoothing capacitor and the first inverter are disposed side by side, and the first inverter and the second inverter are disposed side by side.

Assignees

• Aisin Aw Co

Inventors

• Suzuki Tomoyuki
• Uechi Tatsuyuki
• Kondo Tatsuya
• Ito Yoshinobu

Classifications

• B60Y2400/61

  Arrangements of controllers for electric machines, e.g. inverters · CPC title

• B60L15/007

  Physical arrangements or structures of drive train converters specially adapted for the propulsion motors of electric vehicles · CPC title

• B60K6/405

  Housings · CPC title

• Y02T10/70

  Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries · CPC title

• Y02T10/645

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic