Nidec Corporation

Keisuke Aso

Shuhei Nakamatsu

Tsubasa Tamura

Shinsuke Mizukami

Hibiki Takada

Shohei Fujimoto

Hideaki Matsuo

Ayumi Nakagawa

A drive apparatus includes a motor that has a motor shaft extending in an axial direction, a transmission mechanism that is connected on one side in the axial direction of the motor shaft, a lock mechanism that restricts driving of the transmission mechanism, a housing that houses the motor, the transmission mechanism, and the lock mechanism, an oil that is stored in the housing, and an oil passage that circulates the oil. The housing includes a motor room that houses the motor, a gear room that houses the transmission mechanism and the lock mechanism, and a partition that is provided between the motor room and the gear room. The oil passage includes a pump that pumps the oil in the oil passage, a first feed flow passage that feeds the oil to the motor, and a second feed flow passage that feeds the oil to the lock mechanism.

Drive apparatus

A gear portion of a power transmission device is connected to one side in an axial direction of a first shaft rotatable about a first axis extending along a horizontal direction. The first shaft is supported by a first bearing. The gear portion includes a second shaft rotatable about a second axis below the first axis. A lubricant is provided in a first bearing holding portion of the first bearing. A gear housing that houses the gear portion includes an oil passage below the first bearing. A first end of the oil passage is connected to the first bearing holding portion through the first bearing. A second end of the oil passage is connected to a second bearing holding portion of a second bearing that supports the second shaft through an opening below the first bearing.

Power transmission device, motor unit, and vehicle

In a drive apparatus, a ring gear of a differential device is rotatable about a third axis in a direction opposite to a counter gear of a deceleration device. The inner surface of the gear housing accommodating the deceleration device, the differential device, and the reservoir capable of storing a fluid includes first and second curved surfaces disposed in the +X direction with respect to the third and second axes, respectively. At least a part of the first curved surface faces the radially outer end portion of the ring gear in the radial direction and extends in the circumferential direction. At least a part of the second curved surface faces the radially outer end portion of the counter gear in the radial direction and extends in the circumferential direction. The position of the reservoir in the Y-axis direction overlaps the first curved surface and the second curved surface.

A parking mechanism includes a shaft, a movable portion rotatable with the shaft, a pawl having a claw and movable as the movable portion rotates, a parking gear meshable with the claw, and a stopper contactable with the movable portion. The pawl is switched between parking and non-parking positions in which the claw meshes with and separates from the parking gear, respectively. The movable portion has a first elastic member attached to the shaft, and a contact member connected to the shaft via the first elastic member and in contact with the pawl. The contact member is rotatable in a rotational direction relative to the shaft as the first elastic member is elastically deformed, and is contactable with the stopper in the rotational direction. The stopper faces the contact member at a distance in the rotational direction when the pawl is switched between the parking and non-parking positions.

Parking mechanism and drive apparatus

A transmission housing of a drive device is fixed to one side in an axial direction of a motor housing that includes a first housing and a second housing fixed to another side in the axial direction of the first housing. The transmission housing includes a third housing fixed to the first housing and a fourth housing fixed to one side in the axial direction of the third housing. A bolt fixing the first and second housings passes through a through-hole of the second housing from the another side in the axial direction, and is fixed to a bolt hole of the first housing. A bolt fixing the second and third housings passes through a through hole of the first housing from the another side in the axial direction, and is fixed to a bolt hole of the third housing.

Drive device

A drive apparatus includes a power assembly rotatable about a first axis, a transmission to transmit power of the power assembly, and a parking assembly provided in the transmission. The transmission includes a first gear rotatable around a first axis, a second gear to mesh with the first gear and rotatable around a second axis, a third gear to rotate around the second axis together with the second gear, and a fourth gear to mesh with the third gear and rotatable around a third axis. The parking assembly includes a parking gear rotatable around the first axis together with the first gear, a parking pawl that includes a meshing portion and is rotatable around a fourth axis, and a drive assembly to rotationally move the parking pawl around the fourth axis and operate the parking pawl.

A bearing device includes a gear portion and a gear housing that houses the gear portion and stores a lubricant therein. The gear housing includes a side plate extending in a direction intersecting the axial direction, a recess recessed from the side plate toward the other side in the axial direction, a saucer opened upward, and a groove including a shaft opening opposing the gear housing and a peripheral opening opened to the recess. The gear portion includes an output shaft rotatably supported by the gear housing via a bearing, and a first gear connected to the output shaft. The saucer includes an opposing surface opposing an outer peripheral surface of the first gear. The groove is inclined downward toward the peripheral opening and reaches the bearing, and the shaft opening of the groove reaches the saucer.

Growing community of inventors

Kyoto, Japan

Keisuke Aso