CN111512526A

CN111512526A - Motor unit

Info

Publication number: CN111512526A
Application number: CN201880084255.7A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 石川勇树; 中松修平
Original assignee: Nidec Corp
Current assignee: Nidec Corp
Priority date: 2017-12-28
Filing date: 2018-12-20
Publication date: 2020-08-07
Anticipated expiration: 2038-12-20
Also published as: WO2019131424A1; CN111512526B

Abstract

The motor unit has: a motor having a rotor that rotates about a motor axis extending in a horizontal direction and a stator that surrounds the rotor from a radially outer side of the motor axis; a housing in which a housing space for housing the motor is provided; and oil contained in the housing. The housing has a housing space in which a motor chamber housing the motor is provided. The housing is provided with an oil passage for circulating oil to cool the motor. The path of the oil path is provided with: a cooler that cools the oil passing through the oil passage; and a flow path connecting the cooler and an upper region of the housing space. The flow path passes through the inside of the wall of the housing space. The flow path extends in a circumferential direction of the motor axis. The positions of the flow path and the stator in the axial direction of the motor axis overlap each other.

Description

Motor unit

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a motor unit.

Background

In japanese laid-open gazette: in japanese patent laid-open No. 2016-: the refrigerant (oil) is cooled by a cooling device (cooler) provided outside the motor (rotating electrical machine), and the refrigerant is supplied to the motor by a pump provided outside the motor.

Documents of the prior art

Patent document

Patent document 1: japanese laid-open gazette: japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2016-73163

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

In the conventional structure, the oil cooled by the cooler flows through a pipe passing through the outside of the motor unit. The oil cools not only the motor but also the piping itself, and therefore, there is a problem that cooling efficiency is low.

In view of the above problems, an object of one embodiment of the present invention is to provide a motor unit including: the flow path is provided in the wall portion of the housing, and the motor can be efficiently cooled by the oil in the flow path.

A motor unit according to one embodiment of the present invention includes: a motor having a rotor that rotates about a motor axis extending in a horizontal direction and a stator that surrounds the rotor from a radially outer side of the motor axis; a housing in which a housing space for housing the motor is provided; and oil housed within the housing. The housing has a housing space in which a motor chamber housing the motor is provided. The housing is provided with an oil passage for circulating the oil to cool the motor. The path of the oil path is provided with: a cooler that cools the oil passing through the oil passage; and a flow path connecting the cooler and an upper region of the housing space. The flow path passes through the inside of the wall of the housing space. The flow path extends in a circumferential direction of the motor axis. The flow path and the stator overlap each other at a position in an axial direction of the motor axis.

Effects of the invention

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided the following motor unit: the flow path is provided in the wall portion of the housing, and the motor can be efficiently cooled by the oil in the flow path.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a conceptual diagram of a motor unit according to an embodiment.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a motor unit according to an embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a side schematic view of a motor unit of one embodiment.

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of an embodiment of a housing.

FIG. 5 is a side view of one embodiment of a motor unit.

Fig. 6 is a bottom view of the motor unit of the embodiment as viewed from the lower side.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view of a motor unit of an embodiment.

Fig. 8 is a partial sectional view of a motor unit of an embodiment.

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, a motor unit according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The scope of the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments, and can be arbitrarily changed within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention.

In the following description, the direction of gravity is defined according to the positional relationship when the motor unit is mounted on a vehicle on a horizontal road surface. In the drawings, an XYZ coordinate system is appropriately shown as a three-dimensional rectangular coordinate system. In the XYZ coordinate system, the Z-axis direction shows a vertical direction (i.e., the up-down direction), + Z direction is the upper side (the opposite side to the direction of gravity), and-Z direction is the lower side (the direction of gravity). The X-axis direction is a direction perpendicular to the Z-axis direction, and shows the front-rear direction of the vehicle on which the motor unit 1 is mounted, + X direction is the vehicle front direction, and-X direction is the vehicle rear direction. However, the + X direction may be the vehicle rear direction and the-X direction may be the vehicle front direction. The Y-axis direction is a direction perpendicular to both the X-axis direction and the Z-axis direction, and shows the width direction (left-right direction) of the vehicle, + Y direction is the left side of the vehicle, and-Y direction is the right side of the vehicle. However, when the + X direction is the rear of the vehicle, the + Y direction may be the right side of the vehicle and the-Y direction may be the left side of the vehicle. That is, regardless of the direction of the X-axis, only the + Y direction is one side of the vehicle left-right direction, and the-Y direction is the other side of the vehicle left-right direction.

In the following description, unless otherwise specified, a direction (Y-axis direction) parallel to the motor axis J2 of the motor 2 is simply referred to as "axial direction", a radial direction about the motor axis J2 is simply referred to as "radial direction", and a circumferential direction about the motor axis J2 (i.e., a direction around the motor axis J2) is simply referred to as "circumferential direction". However, the "parallel direction" also includes a substantially parallel direction.

Hereinafter, a motor unit (electric drive device) 1 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

Fig. 1 is a conceptual diagram of a motor unit 1 according to an embodiment. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the motor unit 1. Fig. 1 is a conceptual diagram, and the arrangement and size of each portion are not necessarily the same as those of the actual portion.

The motor unit 1 is mounted on a vehicle having a motor as a power source, such as a Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV), a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHV), or an Electric Vehicle (EV), and is used as a power source of the vehicle.

As shown in fig. 1, the motor unit 1 includes a motor (main motor) 2, a gear portion 3, a housing 6, oil O contained in the housing 6, an inverter unit 8, and a parking mechanism 7.

As shown in fig. 1, the motor 2 includes: a rotor 20 that rotates about a motor axis J2 extending in the horizontal direction; and a stator 30 located radially outside the rotor 20. The housing 6 is provided with a housing space 80 for housing the motor 2 and the gear portion 3. The housing space 80 is divided into a motor chamber 81 housing the motor 2 and a gear chamber 82 housing the gear portion 3.

< Motor >

The motor 2 is housed in a motor chamber 81 of the housing 6. The motor 2 has a rotor 20 and a stator 30 located radially outside the rotor 20. The motor 2 is an inner rotor type motor having a stator 30 and a rotor 20 rotatably disposed inside the stator 30.

The rotor 20 is rotated by supplying electric power to the stator 30 from a battery, not shown. The rotor 20 includes a shaft (motor shaft) 21, a rotor core 24, and a rotor magnet (not shown). The rotor 20 (i.e., the shaft 21, the rotor core 24, and the rotor magnet) rotates about a motor axis J2 extending in the horizontal direction. The torque of the rotor 20 is transmitted to the gear portion 3.

The shaft 21 extends centering on a motor axis J2 extending in the width direction of the vehicle in the horizontal direction. The shaft 21 rotates about a motor axis J2. The shaft 21 is a hollow shaft provided with a hollow portion 22, and the hollow portion 22 has an inner peripheral surface extending along the motor axis J2 therein.

The shaft 21 extends across a motor chamber 81 and a gear chamber 82 of the housing 6. One end of the shaft 21 protrudes toward the gear chamber 82 side. The 1 st gear 41 is fixed to an end of the shaft 21 projecting into the gear chamber 82.

The rotor core 24 is formed by laminating silicon steel plates. The rotor core 24 is a cylindrical body extending in the axial direction. A plurality of rotor magnets, not shown, are fixed to the rotor core 24. The plurality of rotor magnets are arranged in the circumferential direction such that the magnetic poles alternate.

The stator 30 surrounds the rotor 20 from the radially outer side. The stator 30 includes a stator core 32, a coil 31, and an insulator (not shown) interposed between the stator core 32 and the coil 31. The stator 30 is held by the housing 6. The stator core 32 has a plurality of magnetic pole teeth (not shown) extending radially inward from the inner circumferential surface of the annular yoke. The coil wire is wound between the magnetic pole teeth. The coil wire wound around the magnetic pole teeth constitutes the coil 31. The coil wire is connected to the inverter unit 8 via a bus bar, not shown. The coil 31 has a coil end 31a protruding from an axial end face of the stator core 32. The coil end 31a protrudes in the axial direction from the end of the rotor core 24 of the rotor 20. The coil end 31a protrudes to both axial sides with respect to the rotor core 24.

< gear part >

The gear portion 3 is housed in a gear chamber 82 of the housing 6. The gear portion 3 is connected to the shaft 21 on one axial side of the motor axis J2. The gear portion 3 has a reduction gear 4 and a differential gear 5. The torque output from the motor 2 is transmitted to the differential device 5 via the reduction gear 4.

< reduction gear >

The reduction gear 4 is connected to the rotor 20 of the motor 2. The reduction gear 4 reduces the rotation speed of the motor 2, and has a function of increasing the torque output from the motor 2 according to the reduction ratio. The reduction gear 4 transmits the torque output from the motor 2 to the differential device 5.

The reduction gear unit 4 has a 1 st gear (intermediate drive gear) 41, a 2 nd gear (intermediate gear) 42, a 3 rd gear (final drive gear) 43, and an intermediate shaft 45. The torque output from the motor 2 is transmitted to the ring gear 51 (gear) of the differential device 5 via the motor 2 shaft 21, the 1 st gear 41, the 2 nd gear 42, the counter shaft 45, and the 3 rd gear 43. The gear ratio of each gear, the number of gears, and the like can be variously changed according to the required reduction ratio. The reduction gear 4 is a parallel-axis gear type reduction gear in which the axes of the gears are arranged in parallel.

The 1 st gear 41 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the shaft 21 of the motor 2. The 1 st gear 41 rotates together with the shaft 21 about the motor axis J2. The intermediate shaft 45 extends along an intermediate axis J4 that is parallel to the motor axis J2. The intermediate shaft 45 rotates about the intermediate axis J4. The 2 nd gear 42 and the 3 rd gear 43 are provided on the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate shaft 45. The 2 nd gear 42 and the 3 rd gear 43 are connected via an intermediate shaft 45. The 2 nd gear 42 and the 3 rd gear 43 rotate about the intermediate axis J4. The 2 nd gear 42 meshes with the 1 st gear 41. The 3 rd gear 43 meshes with the ring gear 51 of the differential device 5. The 3 rd gear 43 is located on the partition wall 61c side with respect to the 2 nd gear 42.

< differential device >

The differential device 5 is connected to the motor 2 via the reduction gear 4. The differential device 5 is a device for transmitting the torque output from the motor 2 to the wheels of the vehicle. The differential device 5 has a function of absorbing a speed difference between the left and right wheels and transmitting the same torque to the axles 55 of the left and right wheels when the vehicle turns. The differential device 5 has a ring gear 51, a gear housing (not shown), a pair of pinion gears (not shown), a pinion shaft (not shown), and a pair of side gears (not shown).

The ring gear 51 rotates about a differential axis J5 parallel to the motor axis J2. The torque output from the motor 2 is transmitted to the ring gear 51 via the reduction gear 4. That is, the ring gear 51 is connected to the motor 2 via another gear.

(arrangement of axes)

Fig. 3 is a schematic side view of the motor unit 1.

The motor axis J2, the intermediate axis J4, and the differential axis J5 extend parallel to each other in the horizontal direction. The intermediate axis J4 and the differential axis J5 are located on the lower side with respect to the motor axis J2. Therefore, the reduction gear 4 and the differential gear 5 are located below the motor 2.

When viewed in the axial direction of the motor axis J2, a segment virtually connecting the motor axis J2 and the intermediate axis J4 is referred to as a 1 st segment L1, a segment virtually connecting the intermediate axis J4 and the differential axis J5 is referred to as a 2 nd segment L2, and a segment virtually connecting the motor axis J2 and the differential axis J5 is referred to as a 3 rd segment L3.

The 2 nd segment L2 extends substantially in the horizontal direction, i.e., the intermediate axis J4 and the differential axis J5 are substantially aligned in the horizontal direction, and in the present embodiment, the substantially horizontal direction in which the 2 nd segment L2 extends is a direction within ± 10 ° from the horizontal direction.

The angle α between the 2 nd line segment L2 and the 3 rd line segment L3 is 30 ° ± 5 °.

The 1 st segment L1 extends substantially in the vertical direction, that is, the motor axis J2 and the intermediate axis J4 are substantially aligned in the vertical direction, and in the present embodiment, the substantially vertical direction in which the 1 st segment L1 extends is a direction within ± 10 ° from the vertical direction.

The length L1 of the 1 st segment, the length L2 of the 2 nd segment, and the length L3 of the 3 rd segment satisfy the following relationship.

L1：L2：L3＝1：1.4～1.7：1.8～2.0

The reduction ratio from the motor 2 to the reduction mechanism of the differential device 5 is 8 or more and 11 or less. According to the present embodiment, the positional relationship among the motor axis J2, the intermediate axis J4, and the differential axis J5 as described above can be maintained, and a desired gear ratio (8 or more and 11 or less) can be achieved.

< outer case >

As shown in fig. 1, the motor 2 and the gear portion 3 are housed in a housing space 80 provided inside the housing 6. The housing 6 holds the motor 2 and the gear portion 3 in the housing space 80. The housing 6 has a partition wall 61 c. The housing space 80 of the housing 6 is partitioned by a partition wall 61c into a motor chamber 81 and a gear chamber 82. The motor chamber 81 houses the motor 2. The gear chamber 82 houses the gear portion 3 (i.e., the reduction gear 4 and the differential gear 5).

An oil reservoir P in which the oil supply O is stored is provided in a lower region in the housing space 80. In the present embodiment, the bottom 81a of the motor chamber 81 is located above the bottom 82a of the gear chamber 82. A partition wall 61c that partitions the motor chamber 81 and the gear chamber 82 is provided with a partition wall opening 68. The partition wall opening 68 communicates the motor chamber 81 with the gear chamber 82. The partition wall opening 68 moves the oil O accumulated in the lower region of the motor chamber 81 to the gear chamber 82.

Part of the differential device 5 is immersed in the oil reservoir P. The oil O accumulated in the oil reservoir P is lifted by the operation of the differential device 5, a part of the oil is supplied to the 1 st oil passage 91, and a part of the oil is diffused in the gear chamber 82. The oil O diffused in the gear chamber 82 is supplied to the gears of the reduction gear 4 and the differential gear 5 in the gear chamber 82, and the oil O is distributed over the tooth surfaces of the gears. The oil O for the reduction gear 4 and the differential gear 5 drops and is collected by the oil reservoir P located below the gear chamber 82. The capacity of the oil reservoir P of the housing space 80 is such that a part of the bearings of the differential device 5 is immersed in the oil O when the motor unit 1 is stopped.

As shown in fig. 2, the housing 6 has a 1 st housing part 61, a 2 nd housing part 62, and a closing part 63. The 2 nd housing part 62 is located on one axial side of the 1 st housing part 61. The closing portion 63 is located on the other axial side of the 1 st housing part 61.

Fig. 4 is an exploded view of the housing 6.

The 1 st housing part 61 has: a cylindrical peripheral wall portion 61a surrounding the motor 2 from the outside in the radial direction; and a side plate portion 61b located on one axial side of the peripheral wall portion 61 a. The space inside the peripheral wall portion 61a constitutes a motor chamber 81. The side plate portion 61b includes a partition wall 61c and a protruding plate portion 61 d. The partition wall 61c covers the opening of the circumferential wall 61a on one axial side. The partition wall 61c is provided with a through-insertion hole 61f through which the shaft 21 of the motor 2 is inserted, in addition to the partition wall opening 68 described above. The side plate portion 61b includes a partition wall 61c and a protruding plate portion 61d that protrudes outward in the wire diameter direction with respect to the peripheral wall portion 61 a. The projecting plate portion 61d is provided with a 1 st axle passage hole 61e through which a drive shaft (not shown) that supports a wheel passes.

The closing portion 63 is fixed to the peripheral wall portion 61a of the 1 st housing member 61. The closing portion 63 closes the opening of the cylindrical 1 st case member 61. The closing portion 63 has a closing portion body 63a and a cover member 63 b. The closing portion body 63a is provided with a window portion 63c penetrating in the axial direction. The cover member 63b closes the window 63c from outside the housing space 80.

The 2 nd housing member 62 is fixed to the side plate portion 61b of the 1 st housing member 61. The shape of the 2 nd housing member 62 is a concave shape that opens to the side plate portion 61b side. The opening of the 2 nd housing member 62 is covered with the side plate portion 61 b. The space between the 2 nd housing member 62 and the side plate portion 61b constitutes a gear chamber 82 in which the gear portion 3 is housed. The 2 nd housing part 62 is provided with a 2 nd axle passage hole 62 e. The 2 nd axle passage hole 62e overlaps the 1 st axle passage hole 61e as viewed in the axial direction.

The peripheral wall 61a of the 1 st housing member 61 and the closing portion 63 constitute a motor chamber 81, surround the motor 2, and house the motor 2. That is, the peripheral wall portion 61a and the closing portion 63 constitute the motor housing portion 6a shown in fig. 1.

Similarly, the side plate portion 61b of the 1 st housing member 61 and the 2 nd housing member 62 form a gear chamber 82, surround the gear portion 3, and house the gear portion 3. That is, the side plate portion 61b and the 2 nd housing member 62 constitute the gear housing portion 6b shown in fig. 1.

Thus, the housing 6 has: a motor housing part 6a in which a motor chamber 81 housing the motor 2 is provided; and a gear housing portion 6b in which a gear chamber 82 housing the gear portion 3 is provided.

Fig. 5 is a side view of the motor unit 1. Fig. 6 is a bottom view of the motor unit 1 as viewed from below. In fig. 5 and 6, the inverter unit 8 is not shown.

As shown in fig. 5 and 6, the gear housing portion 6b has a protruding portion 6d that protrudes radially with respect to the motor housing portion 6a when viewed from the axial direction. In the present embodiment, the protruding portion 6d protrudes toward the vehicle rear side and the lower side with respect to the motor housing portion 6 a. The protruding portion 6d receives a part of the gear portion 3. More specifically, a part of the 2 nd gear 42 and a part of the ring gear 51 are housed inside the extension portion 6 d.

< oil >)

As shown in fig. 1, the oil O circulates in an oil passage 90 provided in the casing 6. The oil passage 90 is a path of the oil O that supplies the oil O from the oil reservoir P to the motor 2. The oil passage 90 circulates the oil O to cool the motor 2.

The oil O is used for lubrication of the reduction gear 4 and the differential 5. In addition, the oil O is used for cooling the motor 2. The oil O is accumulated in a lower region (i.e., the oil reservoir P) in the gear chamber 82. As the oil O, it is preferable to use an oil equivalent to an Automatic Transmission lubricating oil (ATF) having a relatively low viscosity so as to realize the functions of a lubricating oil and a cooling oil.

< oil passage >

As shown in fig. 1, an oil passage 90 is provided in the housing 6. The oil passage 90 is located in the housing space 80 in the housing 6. The oil passage 90 is configured to span the motor chamber 81 and the gear chamber 82 of the housing space 80. The oil passage 90 is a path of the oil O that passes through the motor 2 from the oil reservoir P on the lower side of the motor 2 (i.e., the lower region in the housing space 80) and is guided again to the oil reservoir P on the lower side of the motor 2.

In the present specification, the "oil passage" refers to a path of the oil O circulating in the housing space 80. Thus, "oil passage" is a concept as follows: the "flow path" for stably flowing the oil in one direction at all times is not limited to the formation, and a path (for example, a reserve tank) for temporarily retaining the oil and a path for dropping the oil are also included.

The oil passage 90 has a 1 st oil passage 91 that passes through the inside of the motor 2; and a 2 nd oil passage 92 (oil passage) passing through the outside of the motor 2. The oil O cools the motor 2 from the inside and the outside in the 1 st oil passage 91 and the 2 nd oil passage 92.

(common part of the 1 st oil path and the 2 nd oil path)

First, a common portion between the 1 st oil passage 91 and the 2 nd oil passage 92 will be described.

Both the 1 st oil passage 91 and the 2 nd oil passage 92 are paths for supplying the oil O from the oil reservoir P to the motor 2 and for recovering the oil O from the oil reservoir P again. In the 1 st oil passage 91 and the 2 nd oil passage 92, the oil O drops from the motor 2 and is accumulated in a lower region in the motor chamber 81. The oil O accumulated in the lower region of the motor chamber 81 moves to the lower region (i.e., the oil reservoir P) of the gear chamber 82 via the partition wall opening 68. That is, the 1 st oil passage 91 and the 2 nd oil passage 92 include a path for moving the oil O from a lower region in the motor chamber 81 to a lower region in the gear chamber 82.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view of the motor unit 1, the section of fig. 7 is shifted in the axial direction in each region, the illustration of the inverter unit 8 is omitted in fig. 7, the partition wall opening 68 is shown by a broken line in fig. 7, and the liquid level O L of the oil O accumulated in the lower region of the motor chamber 81 is shown by a two-dot chain line.

The partition wall opening 68 penetrates the partition wall 61c in the axial direction, and communicates the motor chamber 81 and the gear chamber 82. The width of the partition wall opening 68 in the horizontal direction as viewed in the axial direction becomes wider toward the upper side. The vertical position of the lower end 68a of the partition wall opening 68 reaches the vicinity of the lower end of the stator 30. The upper end 68b of the partition wall opening 68 is positioned slightly above the lower end of the rotor 20 in the vertical direction. The upper end 68b of the partition wall opening 68 has a width in the horizontal direction larger than that of the lower end 68 a. The inner peripheral surface of the partition wall opening 68 includes a 1 st sidewall surface (sidewall surface) 68c and a 2 nd sidewall surface 68d extending from the lower end side toward the upper end side. The 1 st side wall surface 68c is located on the outer peripheral surface side of the motor housing portion 6a with respect to the 2 nd side wall surface 68 d. The 2 nd side wall surface 68d extends parallel to the vertical direction. On the other hand, the 1 st sidewall surface 68c extends linearly and obliquely in a direction away from the 2 nd sidewall surface 68d toward the upper side.

Fig. 8 is a partial sectional view of the motor unit 1 in the axial direction.

As shown in fig. 8, the 1 st side wall surface 68c of the partition wall opening 68 extends from the partition wall 61c toward the motor chamber 81 side in the axial direction. The inner peripheral surface 81b of the motor chamber 81 is partially radially outwardly expanded at the 1 st side wall surface 68 c. Thus, the 1 st side wall surface 68c efficiently guides the oil O in the motor chamber 81 to the partition wall opening 68.

The supply amount of the oil O per unit time supplied from the oil passage 90 (i.e., the 1 st oil passage 91 and the 2 nd oil passage 92) to the motor 2 increases by the driving of the motor 2, whereby the liquid level O L of the oil O stored in the lower region of the motor chamber 81 rises, and as described above, the width of the partition wall opening 68 in the horizontal direction becomes wider toward the upper side as viewed in the axial direction, and therefore, the amount of movement of the oil O from the motor chamber 81 to the gear chamber 82 via the partition wall opening 68 increases as the liquid level O L of the oil O in the motor chamber 81 rises, and as a result, the liquid level O L of the oil O in the motor chamber 81 is suppressed from becoming excessively high, that is, the rotor 20 in the motor chamber 81 can be suppressed from being immersed in the oil O or excessively lifting the oil O.

(1 st oil path)

As shown in fig. 1, in the 1 st oil passage 91, the oil O is lifted from the oil reservoir P by the differential device 5 and is guided to the inside of the rotor 20. Inside the rotor 20, a centrifugal force based on the rotation of the rotor 20 is applied to the oil O. Thereby, the oil O is uniformly diffused toward the stator 30 surrounding the rotor 20 from the radial outside, and cools the stator 30.

The 1 st oil passage 91 has a lift path 91a, a shaft supply path 91b, a shaft inner path 91c, and a rotor inner path 91 d. Further, a 1 st reservoir 93 is provided in the path of the 1 st oil passage 91. The 1 st storage tank 93 is provided in the gear chamber 82.

The lift path 91a is a path for lifting the oil O from the oil reservoir P by the rotation of the ring gear 51 of the differential device 5 and receiving the oil O from the 1 st reserve tank 93. As shown in fig. 3, the 1 st bin 93 is disposed between the intermediate axis J4 and the differential axis J5. The 1 st storage tank 93 is open to the upper side. The 1 st storage tank 93 receives the oil O lifted by the ring gear 51. Further, the 1 st storage tank 93 receives the oil O lifted by the 2 nd gear 42 and the 3 rd gear 43 in addition to the oil lifted by the ring gear 51, such as in a case where the liquid level of the oil reservoir P is high immediately after the motor 2 is driven.

The shaft supply path 91b guides the oil O from the 1 st reservoir 93 to the motor 2. The shaft supply path 91b is formed by a hole portion 94 provided in the 2 nd housing part 62. The in-shaft path 91c is a path through which the oil O passes through the hollow portion 22 of the shaft 21. The rotor inner path 91d is a path through which the oil O passes from the communication hole 23 of the shaft 21 to the inside of the rotor core 24 and splashes toward the stator 30.

In the in-shaft path 91c, a centrifugal force based on the rotation of the rotor 20 is applied to the oil O inside the rotor 20. Thereby, the oil O continuously splashes radially outward from the rotor 20. The path inside the rotor 20 becomes negative pressure as the oil O splashes, and the oil O stored in the 1 st reservoir 93 is sucked into the rotor 20 to fill the path inside the rotor 20 with the oil O.

The oil O that has reached the stator 30 takes heat from the stator 30. The oil O that has cooled the stator 30 drops downward and is accumulated in the lower region in the motor chamber 81. The oil O accumulated in the lower region of the motor chamber 81 moves to the gear chamber 82 through the partition wall opening 68 provided in the partition wall 61 c.

(2 nd oil path)

As shown in fig. 1, in the 2 nd oil passage 92, the oil O is lifted up from the oil reservoir P to the upper side of the motor 2 and supplied to the motor 2. The oil O supplied to the motor 2 is transferred to the outer peripheral surface of the stator 30, and takes heat from the stator 30 to cool the motor 2. The oil O transferred to the outer peripheral surface of the stator 30 drops downward and is accumulated in the lower region in the motor chamber 81. The oil O in the 2 nd oil passage 92 and the oil O in the 1 st oil passage 91 merge in a lower region in the motor chamber 81. The oil O accumulated in the lower region of the motor chamber 81 moves to the lower region (i.e., the oil reservoir P) of the gear chamber 82 via the partition wall opening 68.

The 2 nd oil passage 92 has a 1 st flow passage 92a, a 2 nd flow passage 92b, and a 3 rd flow passage (flow passage) 92 c. A pump 96, a cooler 97, and a 2 nd reservoir tank 98 are provided in the path of the 2 nd oil passage 92. The pump 96 supplies the oil O to the motor 2. Cooler 97 cools oil O passing through 2 nd oil passage 92. In the 2 nd oil passage 92, the oil O passes through the 1 st flow passage 92a, the pump 96, the 2 nd flow passage 92b, the cooler 97, the 3 rd flow passage 92c, and the 2 nd reservoir tank 98 in this order, and is supplied to the motor 2.

The 1 st flow path 92a, the 2 nd flow path 92b, and the 3 rd flow path 92c pass through a wall portion of the casing 6 surrounding the housing space 80. The 1 st flow path 92a connects the oil reservoir P in the lower region of the housing space 80 and the pump 96. The 2 nd flow path 92b connects the pump 96 and the cooler 97. The 3 rd flow path 92c connects the cooler 97 and the upper region of the housing space 80.

In the present embodiment, the 1 st flow path 92a, the 2 nd flow path 92b, and the 3 rd flow path 92c pass through the inside of the wall portion of the casing 6 surrounding the housing space 80. Therefore, it is not necessary to separately prepare a pipe material, which contributes to reduction in the number of components.

The pump 96 is an electrically driven electric pump. The pump 96 sucks up the oil O from the oil reservoir P through the 1 st passage 92a, and supplies the oil O to the motor 2 through the 2 nd passage 92b, the cooler 97, the 3 rd passage 92c, and the 2 nd reservoir tank 98. That is, the pump 96 is provided to circulate the oil O in the 2 nd oil passage 92.

As shown in fig. 6, the pump 96 includes a pump mechanism portion 96p, a pump motor 96m, a suction port 96a, and a discharge port 96 b. In the present embodiment, the pump mechanism portion 96p is a trochoidal pump (not shown) in which an external gear and an internal gear are meshed with each other and rotate. The pump motor 96m rotates the internal gear of the pump mechanism portion 96 p. A gap between the internal gear and the external gear of the pump mechanism portion 96p is connected to the suction port 96a and the discharge port 96 b.

The suction port 96a of the pump 96 is connected to the 1 st flow path 92 a. Further, the discharge port 96b of the pump 96 is connected to the 2 nd flow path 92 b. The pump 96 sucks up the oil O from the oil reservoir P through the 1 st passage 92a, and supplies the oil O to the motor 2 through the 2 nd passage 92b, the cooler 97, the 3 rd passage 92c, and the 2 nd reservoir tank 98.

The pump motor 96m rotates the internal gear of the pump mechanism portion 96 p. The pump motor 96m has a rotational axis J6 parallel to the motor axis J2. The pump 96 having the pump motor 96m is easily formed into a shape elongated in the direction of the rotation axis J6. According to the present embodiment, the radial dimension of the motor unit 1 can be reduced by making the rotation axis J6 of the pump motor 96m parallel to the motor axis J2. Further, by reducing the radial dimension of the motor unit 1, the pump 96 can be easily disposed to overlap the extension portion 6d of the housing 6 when viewed from the axial direction. As a result, the projection area in the axial direction of the motor unit 1 is suppressed from increasing, and a structure that facilitates downsizing of the motor unit 1 can be realized.

The pump 96 is located on the lower side of the motor chamber 81. The pump 96 is fixed to a surface of the protruding portion 6d facing the motor housing portion 6 a. The suction port 96a of the pump 96 is disposed opposite to the extension portion 6 d. The 1 st flow path 92a connected to the suction port 96a of the pump 96 linearly penetrates the wall surface of the extension portion 6d in the axial direction, and opens to a lower region in the gear chamber 82. That is, the 1 st flow path 92a is provided in the extension portion 6d, and the 1 st flow path 92a extends in the axial direction and is connected to the pump 96 from a lower region (i.e., the oil reservoir P) in the gear chamber 82.

According to the present embodiment, since the pump 96 is disposed below the motor chamber 81, the suction port 96a is easily disposed in the vicinity of the oil reservoir P. As a result, the 1 st flow path 92a connecting the oil reservoir P and the suction port 96a can be shortened. Further, since the oil reservoir P is located at a short distance from the suction port 96a, the 1 st flow path 92a can be a straight flow path. By making the 1 st flow path 92a straight and short flow path, the pressure loss in the path from the oil reservoir P to the pump 96 can be reduced, and efficient circulation of the oil O can be achieved.

As shown in fig. 1, the 1 st flow path 92a and the 2 nd flow path 92b are connected to the cooler 97. The 1 st flow path 92a and the 2 nd flow path 92b are connected via an internal flow path of the cooler 97. A cooling water pipe 97j through which cooling water cooled by a radiator (not shown) passes is connected to the cooler 97. The oil O passing through the cooler 97 and the cooling water passing through the cooling water pipe 97j are cooled by heat exchange. Further, an inverter unit 8 is provided in a path of the cooling water pipe 97 j. The cooling water passing through the cooling water pipe 97j cools the inverter unit 8.

As shown in fig. 7, the cooler 97 is located on the lower side of the motor chamber 81 in the vertical direction. The cooler 97 is fixed to the outer circumferential surface of the motor housing portion 6a facing radially outward. The cooler 97 has a contact surface 97a that contacts the outer peripheral surface of the motor housing portion 6 a. The contact surface 97a is located on the lower side of the motor chamber 81 in the vertical direction. As shown in fig. 1, the oil O supplied to the motor 2 temporarily accumulates in the lower region in the motor chamber 81, and then moves to the lower region in the gear chamber 82 via the partition wall opening 68. That is, the 1 st oil passage 91 and the 2 nd oil passage 92 pass through a lower region of the motor chamber 81. According to the present embodiment, the cooler 97 is located below the motor chamber 81 with respect to the contact surface 97a of the motor housing 6 a. Thus, the 1 st oil passage 91 and the 2 nd oil passage 92 include a path passing between the motor 2 and the contact surface 97a in the lower region of the motor chamber 81. Therefore, the oil O passing through the lower region in the motor chamber 81 via the wall surface of the motor housing portion 6a can be cooled by the contact surface 97 a. The oil O accumulated in the lower region of the motor chamber 81 is cooled, and the stator 30 of the motor 2 immersed in the oil O is cooled from below. This enables the motor 2 to be cooled efficiently.

As shown in fig. 8, the contact surface 97a of the cooler 97 is disposed offset in the axial direction toward the gear chamber 82 side of the motor chamber 81. In the present embodiment, the 1 st oil passage 91 and the 2 nd oil passage 92 include a path through which the oil supply O moves from a lower region in the motor chamber 81 to a lower region in the gear chamber 82. Therefore, by disposing the contact surface 97a of the cooler 97 in the vicinity of the boundary portion with the gear chamber 82 in the lower side of the motor chamber 81, the oil O moving from the motor chamber 81 to the gear chamber 82 can be efficiently cooled. This enables the gear portion 3 in the gear chamber 82 to be efficiently cooled.

As shown in fig. 7, the contact surface 97a of the cooler 97 and the partition wall opening 68 overlap each other at least partially in the radial direction of the motor axis J2. The oil O flowing from the lower region of the motor chamber 81 toward the gear chamber 82 passes through the partition wall opening 68. According to the present embodiment, the oil O passing through the partition wall opening 68 can be cooled by the contact surface 97a of the cooler 97.

The inner peripheral surface of the partition wall opening 68 includes a 1 st side wall surface 68c located on the cooler 97 side as viewed in the axial direction. The 1 st side wall surface 68c extends substantially parallel to the contact surface 97a of the cooler 97. This ensures the thickness of the housing 6 between the contact surface 97a and the partition wall opening 68, and the contact surface 97a can be disposed close to the partition wall opening 68. As a result, the oil O passing through the partition wall opening 68 can be efficiently cooled by the contact surface 97a of the cooler 97.

As shown in fig. 8, the contact surface 97a of the cooler 97 and the 1 st side wall surface 68c overlap each other at least partially in the axial direction. The 1 st side wall surface 68c of the partition wall opening 68 extends toward the motor chamber 81 in the axial direction with respect to the partition wall 61c, and guides the oil O from the motor chamber 81 side to the partition wall opening 68. According to the present embodiment, since the contact surface 97a and the 1 st sidewall surface 68c are overlapped with each other in the axial direction, the oil O introduced to the partition wall 61c at the 1 st sidewall surface 68c can be efficiently cooled by the contact surface 97a of the cooler 97.

As shown in fig. 5, the cooler 97 and the pump 96 at least partially overlap the protruding portion 6d of the gear housing portion 6b when viewed from the axial direction. The gear portion 3 is housed inside the protruding portion 6 d. The projected area of the projecting portion 6d in the axial direction is determined according to the size of each gear of the gear portion 3. The size of each gear constituting the gear portion 3 is set to satisfy a desired gear ratio. Therefore, it is difficult to reduce the projection area of the extension portion 6d in the axial direction. According to the present embodiment, the cooler 97 and the pump 96 are disposed so as to overlap the extension portion 6d in the axial direction, so that the cooler 97 and the pump 96 can be prevented from increasing the projection area of the motor unit 1 in the axial direction. This suppresses an increase in the projection area of the motor unit 1 in the axial direction, and the motor unit 1 can be downsized.

According to the present embodiment, the cooler 97 and the pump 96 at least partially overlap with the 2 nd gear 42 of the gear portion 3 when viewed from the axial direction. Therefore, even when the projected area as viewed in the axial direction of the projecting portion 6d is made as small as possible along the outer shape of each gear of the gear portion 3, the cooler 97 and the pump 96 can be configured to overlap the projecting portion 6d as viewed in the axial direction. As a result, the projection area in the axial direction of the motor unit 1 is suppressed from increasing, and the motor unit 1 can be downsized.

According to the present embodiment, the cooler 97 and the pump 96 are located above the lower end of the extension portion 6 d. That is, the cooler 97 and the pump 96 do not protrude further downward from the lower end of the protruding portion 6 d. Therefore, the motor unit 1 can be downsized in the vertical direction.

The position in the vertical direction of the cooler 97 overlaps the position in the vertical direction of the differential axis J5. This can suppress the cooler 97 from protruding upward or downward in the vertical direction, and can reduce the size of the motor unit 1 in the vertical direction.

As shown in fig. 6, the end portion of the cooler 97 on the side farthest in the horizontal direction from the motor axis J2 when viewed in the vertical direction is referred to as a first side end portion 97 k. The end of the housing 6 on one side in the horizontal direction is referred to as a 2 nd side end 6 j. The 1 st end 97k of the cooler 97 is located closer to the motor axis J2 than the 2 nd end 6J of the casing 6. Therefore, the cooler 97 can be prevented from being disposed to protrude to one side in the horizontal direction with respect to the housing 6, and the motor unit 1 can be downsized in the horizontal direction.

As shown in fig. 5, the cooler 97 and the pump 96 are located on the lower side in the vertical direction of the motor chamber 81. The motor unit 1 is disposed in a hood of a vehicle, for example. In the motor unit 1, the cooler 97 and the pump 96 are projections projecting from the housing 6. According to the present embodiment, by disposing the cooler 97 and the pump 96 on the lower side in the vertical direction of the motor chamber 81, even when the vehicle collides with the object due to an accident or the like, the cooler 97 and the pump 96, which are projections, can be prevented from sticking into the object.

According to the present embodiment, the pump 96 and the cooler 97 are fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the housing 6. Therefore, it is possible to contribute to downsizing of the motor unit 1, compared to a case where the pump 96 and the cooler 97 are fixed to a structure outside the housing 6.

As shown in fig. 7, the 2 nd flow path 92b passes through the inside of the wall of the motor housing portion 6 a. The 2 nd flow path 92b includes a straight portion 92ba and a connection hole portion 92 bb. In the 2 nd flow path 92b, the oil O flows through the straight portion 92ba and the connection hole portion 92bb in this order.

The linear portion 92ba extends linearly along the circumferential direction of the motor axis J2. One end of the straight portion 92ba on the upstream side is connected to a discharge port 96b of the pump 96. The other end of the straight portion 92ba on the downstream side extends radially inward of the cooler 97 and is connected to the connection hole portion 92 bb.

The connection hole portion 92bb extends in the radial direction. The connection hole 92bb opens to the outer peripheral surface of the motor housing 6 a. The opening of the connection hole 92bb is connected to the inlet 97b of the cooler 97.

According to the present embodiment, the 2 nd flow path 92b extends in the circumferential direction of the motor axis J2 inside the wall portion of the motor housing portion 6 a. The axial position of the 2 nd flow path 92b overlaps with the axial position of the stator 30. That is, the 2 nd flow path 92b and the stator 30 overlap each other in position in the axial direction. Therefore, the stator 30 can be cooled by the oil O passing through the 2 nd flow path 92 b.

The 3 rd flow path 92c passes through the inside of the wall of the motor housing portion 6 a. The 3 rd flow path 92c includes a 1 st connection hole 92ca, a 1 st linear portion 92cb, a 2 nd linear portion 92cc, and a 2 nd connection hole 92 cd. In the 3 rd flow path 92c, the oil O flows through the 1 st connecting hole 92ca, the 1 st linear portion 92cb, the 2 nd linear portion 92cc, and the 2 nd connecting hole 92cd in this order.

The 1 st coupling hole portion 92ca extends in the radial direction. The 1 st connecting hole portion 92ca opens on the outer peripheral surface of the motor housing portion 6 a. The opening of the 1 st connecting hole 92ca is connected to the outflow port 97c of the cooler 97.

The 1 st linear portion 92cb extends linearly in the circumferential direction of the motor axis J2. The 1 st straight line portion 92cb has an upstream end connected to the 1 st connecting hole portion 92 ca. The other end of the 1 st straight line portion 92cb on the downstream side is connected to the 2 nd straight line portion 92 cc.

The 2 nd linear portion 92cc linearly extends in the circumferential direction of the motor axis J2. The upstream end of the 2 nd linear portion 92cc is connected to the 1 st linear portion 92 cb. The other end of the 2 nd straight line portion 92cc on the downstream side is connected to the 2 nd connecting hole portion 92 cd.

The 2 nd connecting hole portion 92cd extends in the radial direction. The 2 nd connecting hole 92cd penetrates the wall of the motor housing 6a from inside to outside. One end of the 2 nd connecting hole portion 92cd is opened to the outer peripheral surface of the motor housing portion 6a and is covered with a cap member. Further, one end of the 2 nd connecting hole portion 92cd opens to the motor chamber 81 on the upper side of the 2 nd reservoir tank 98.

According to the present embodiment, the 3 rd flow path 92c extends in the circumferential direction of the motor axis J2 inside the wall portion of the motor housing portion 6 a. Further, the axial position of the 3 rd flow path 92c overlaps with the axial position of the stator 30. That is, the 3 rd flow path 92c and the stator 30 overlap each other at positions in the axial direction. Therefore, the stator 30 can be cooled by the oil O passing through the 3 rd flow path 92 c. In particular, the oil O immediately after passing through the cooler 97 flows through the 3 rd flow path 92 c. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the stator 30 can be efficiently cooled by the oil O flowing through the 3 rd flow passage 92 c.

In the present embodiment, cooler 97 is disposed downstream of pump 96 in 2 nd oil passage 92. However, cooler 97 may be disposed upstream of pump 96 in 2 nd oil passage 92. In this case, the pump 96 is disposed in a flow path (corresponding to the 3 rd passage 92c in the present embodiment) connecting the cooler 97 and the upper region of the housing space 80. Even in this case, when the axial position of the flow path connecting the cooler 97 and the upper region of the housing space 80 overlaps with the axial position of the stator 30, the stator 30 can be efficiently cooled by the oil O immediately after passing through the cooler 97.

As shown in fig. 8, the 3 rd flow path 92c is located substantially at the center of the stator 30 in the axial direction. Therefore, the cooling effect by the oil O flowing through the 3 rd flow passage 92c can be more efficiently given to the entire axial region of the stator 30.

Even when the cooler 97 is disposed on the upstream side of the pump 96, it is preferable that a flow path (corresponding to the 3 rd flow path 92c in the present embodiment) connecting the cooler 97 and the upper region of the housing space 80 is disposed substantially at the center of the stator 30 in the axial direction. This can more efficiently provide the entire axial region of the stator 30.

As shown in fig. 7, the 1 st and 2 nd linear portions 92cb, 92cc of the 3 rd flow path 92c extend linearly in different directions along the circumferential direction of the motor axis J2. In general, it is difficult to form a curved flow path in the wall portion of the housing 6 made of a metal material. On the other hand, the linear flow path can be easily provided in the wall portion of the housing 6 by cutting. However, the linear flow path is away from the motor 2 as it approaches one end side in the longitudinal direction, and therefore the cooling efficiency is lowered. According to the present embodiment, the 1 st and 2 nd straight portions 92cb, 92cc linearly extend in different directions along the circumferential direction, respectively. This makes it possible to combine straight flow paths to surround the motor 2 in the circumferential direction, and to improve the cooling efficiency of the motor 2 by the 3 rd flow path 92 c.

In the case where the cooler 97 is disposed upstream of the pump 96, the pump may be disposed between the 1 st and 2 nd linear portions 92cb and 92cc, for example.

The 1 st straight line portion 92cb extends linearly in a direction perpendicular to the radial direction of the motor axis J2, and this structure will be explained in more detail, assuming that an imaginary line V L extending in the radial direction from the motor axis J2 and perpendicular to the 1 st straight line portion 92cb, as shown in fig. 7, the 1 st straight line portion 92cb extends in the direction perpendicular to the imaginary line V L from the intersection with the imaginary line V L toward both circumferential sides, and the 1 st straight line portion 92cb can be disposed close to the motor axis J2 by adopting such a structure that the intersection with the imaginary line V L is closest to the motor axis J2., whereby the stator 30 can be efficiently cooled by the cooled oil O flowing through the 3 rd flow path 92 c.

The 3 rd flow passage 92c surrounds the stator 30 from the radially outer side within the range of the angle θ 1 centered on the motor axis J2. The angle θ 1 is preferably 45 ° or more, and more preferably 90 ° or more. That is, the 3 rd flow path 92c preferably surrounds the motor 2 in the circumferential direction by 45 ° or more, and more preferably 90 ° or more. This enables the stator 30 to be efficiently cooled using the cooled oil O flowing through the 3 rd flow passage 92 c.

Even when the cooler 97 is disposed upstream of the pump 96, the flow path (corresponding to the 3 rd flow path 92c in the present embodiment) connecting the cooler 97 and the upper region of the housing space 80 preferably extends over 45 ° or more, and more preferably over 90 ° or more, around the circumferential direction of the motor 2.

The 2 nd flow passage 92b and the 3 rd flow passage 92c surround the stator 30 from the radially outer side within the range of the angle θ 2 centered on the motor axis J2. The angle θ 2 is preferably 90 ° or more, and more preferably 135 ° or more. That is, the 2 nd flow path 92b and the 3 rd flow path 92c preferably surround a range of 90 ° or more in the circumferential direction of the motor 2, and more preferably surround a range of 135 ° or more in the circumferential direction of the motor 2. This enables the stator 30 to be efficiently cooled using the oil O flowing through the 2 nd flow path 92b and the 3 rd flow path 92 c.

As shown in fig. 6, according to the present embodiment, the position of the pump 96 and the position of the cooler 97 in the axial direction overlap each other. The cooler 97 and the pump 96 are connected via the 2 nd flow path 92 b. That is, 2 nd flow path 92b connecting pump 96 and cooler 97 is provided in 2 nd oil path 92. According to the present embodiment, the axial positions of the pump 96 and the cooler 97 are overlapped with each other, so that the 2 nd flow path 92b can be linearly extended in the direction perpendicular to the axial direction. That is, the 2 nd flow path 92b can be a straight and short flow path, and the pressure loss in the path from the pump 96 to the cooler 97 can be reduced, thereby achieving efficient oil O circulation.

As shown in fig. 1, the 2 nd storage tank 98 is located in the motor chamber 81 of the storage space 80. The 2 nd storage tank 98 is located at the upper side of the motor. The 2 nd reservoir tank 98 stores the oil O supplied to the motor chamber 81 through the 3 rd flow path 92 c. The 2 nd storage tank 98 has a plurality of outflow ports 98 a. The oil O accumulated in the 2 nd reservoir 98 is supplied to the motor 2 through the respective outflow ports 98 a. The oil O flowing out of the outflow port 98a of the 2 nd reserve tank 98 flows along the outer peripheral surface of the motor 2 from the upper side toward the lower side, and takes heat from the motor 2. This enables the entire motor 2 to be cooled.

The 2 nd storage tank 98 extends in the axial direction. The outlet 98a of the 2 nd reserve tank 98 is provided at both axial ends of the 2 nd reserve tank 98. The outflow port 98a is located on the upper side of the coil end 31 a. This allows the oil O to be poured onto the coil ends 31a located at both ends of the stator 30 in the axial direction, thereby directly cooling the coils 31.

After cooling the coil 31, the oil O drops downward and is accumulated in a lower region in the motor chamber 81. The oil O accumulated in the lower region of the motor chamber 81 moves to the gear chamber 82 through the partition wall opening 68 provided in the partition wall 61 c.

According to the present embodiment, a cooler 97 for cooling oil O is provided in the path of 2 nd oil passage 92. The oil O cooled by the cooler 97 through the 2 nd oil passage 92 merges with the oil O passing through the 1 st oil passage 91 in the oil reservoir P. In the oil reservoir P, the oil O passing through the 1 st oil passage 91 and the 2 nd oil passage 92 are mixed with each other to perform heat exchange. Therefore, the cooling effect of cooler 97 disposed in the path of 2 nd oil passage 92 can be also applied to oil O passing through 1 st oil passage 91.

< inverter unit >

The inverter unit 8 is electrically connected to the motor 2. The inverter unit 8 controls the current supplied to the motor 2. As shown in fig. 5, the inverter unit 8 is fixed to the housing 6. More specifically, the inverter unit 8 is fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the motor housing portion 6a facing radially outward.

The inverter unit 8 overlaps at least a part of the protruding portion 6d of the gear housing portion 6b when viewed from the axial direction. According to the present embodiment, when viewed from the axial direction, the inverter unit 8 is disposed so as to overlap the extension portion 6d, whereby the inverter unit 8 can be prevented from increasing the projection area of the motor unit 1 in the axial direction. This suppresses an increase in the projection area of the motor unit 1 in the axial direction, and the motor unit 1 can be downsized.

According to the present embodiment, the inverter unit 8 at least partially overlaps the ring gear 51 of the gear portion 3 when viewed from the axial direction. Therefore, even when the projected area of the projecting portion 6d as viewed in the axial direction is made as small as possible along the outer shape of each gear of the gear portion 3, the inverter unit 8 can be configured to overlap the projecting portion 6d in the axial direction. As a result, the projection area in the axial direction of the motor unit 1 is suppressed from increasing, and the motor unit 1 can be downsized.

According to the present embodiment, the inverter unit 8 is located on the opposite side of the cooler 97 with respect to the motor axis J2 when viewed from the vertical direction. Therefore, when viewed from the axial direction, the region overlapping the protruding portion 6d is effectively used, the size of the motor unit 1 in the horizontal direction can be reduced, and the motor unit 1 can be downsized.

As shown in fig. 1, a coolant pipe 97j extending from an unillustrated radiator is connected to the inverter unit 8. This enables the inverter unit 8 to be efficiently cooled. The cooling water flowing through the cooling water pipe 97j also cools the motor housing portion 6a in contact with the housing portion via the housing portion of the inverter unit 8.

Parking mechanism

In an electric vehicle, since a brake mechanism for applying a brake is not provided in the vehicle except for a side brake, the parking mechanism 7 is required in the motor unit 1.

As shown in fig. 1, the parking mechanism 7 includes: a parking gear 71 fixed to the intermediate shaft 45 and rotating about an intermediate axis J4 together with the intermediate shaft 45; a rotation preventing portion 72 that moves between the teeth of the parking gear 71 and prevents rotation of the parking gear 71; and a parking motor 73 that drives the rotation blocking portion 72. When the motor 2 is operated, the rotation preventing portion 72 is retracted from the parking gear 71. On the other hand, when the shift lever is in the parking position, the parking motor 73 moves the rotation preventing portion 72 to the tooth space of the parking gear 71, and prevents the rotation of the parking gear 71.

While the embodiments and the modifications of the present invention have been described above, the configurations of the embodiments and combinations thereof are examples, and additions, omissions, substitutions, and other modifications of the configurations can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. In addition, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments.

Description of the reference symbols

1: a motor unit; 2: a motor; 3: a gear portion; 5: a differential device; 6: a housing; 6 a: a motor storage section; 6 b: a gear housing section; 6 d: a protruding portion; 8: an inverter unit; 20: a rotor; 21: a shaft; 21: a shaft (motor shaft); 30: a stator; 51: a ring gear; 61 c: a partition wall; 68: the partition wall is opened; 68 c: a 1 st side wall surface (side wall surface); 80: a storage space; 81: a motor chamber; 82: a gear chamber; 90: an oil path; 92: the 2 nd oil passage (oil passage); 92 a: a 1 st flow path; 92 b: a 2 nd flow path; 92 c: a 3 rd channel (flow path); 96: a pump; 97: a cooler; 97 a: a contact surface; 92 cb: a 1 st straight line part; 92 cc: a 2 nd straight line part; j2: a motor axis; j5: a differential axis; o: and (3) oil.

Claims

1. A motor unit having:

a motor having a rotor that rotates about a motor axis extending in a horizontal direction and a stator that surrounds the rotor from a radially outer side of the motor axis;

a housing in which a housing space for housing the motor is provided; and

an oil received within the housing,

the housing has a housing space in which a motor chamber housing the motor is provided,

an oil passage for circulating the oil to cool the motor is provided in the housing,

the path of the oil path is provided with:

a cooler that cools the oil passing through the oil passage; and

a flow path connecting the cooler and an upper region of the housing space,

the flow path passes through the inside of the wall portion of the housing space,

the flow path extends in a circumferential direction of the motor axis,

the flow path and the stator overlap each other at a position in an axial direction of the motor axis.

2. The motor unit according to claim 1,

the flow path surrounds a circumferential range of the motor by 45 ° or more.

3. The motor unit according to claim 1 or 2, wherein,

the flow path includes a 1 st linear portion and a 2 nd linear portion,

the 1 st and 2 nd linear portions extend linearly in different directions along the circumferential direction of the motor axis.

4. The motor unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3,

the flow path includes a 1 st straight portion extending linearly in a direction perpendicular to a radial direction of the motor axis.

5. The motor unit according to any one of claims 1 to 4,

the flow path is located substantially at the center of the stator in the axial direction of the motor axis.

6. The motor unit according to any one of claims 1 to 5,

in the path of the oil passage, in addition to the cooler and the flow passage as the 3 rd flow passage, there are provided:

a pump that circulates the oil;

a 1 st flow path connecting a lower region in the housing space and the pump; and

a 2 nd flow path connecting the pump and the cooler,

the 2 nd flow path passes through the inside of the wall portion of the housing space,

the 2 nd flow path extends in the circumferential direction of the motor axis,

the 2 nd flow path and the stator overlap each other in position in the axial direction of the motor axis.

7. The motor unit of claim 6,

the 2 nd flow path and the 3 rd flow path surround a range of 90 ° or more in a circumferential direction of the motor.

8. The motor unit according to claim 6 or 7,

the pump and the cooler overlap each other in position in the axial direction of the motor axis.