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BR-102025014299-A2 - VEHICLE DRIVE DEVICE

BR102025014299A2BR 102025014299 A2BR102025014299 A2BR 102025014299A2BR-102025014299-A2

Abstract

The present invention relates to a vehicle drive apparatus (10;110;210;310;410) comprising a motor (18) and a first drive unit (16f;116f;216f;316f) comprising (i) a first electric motor (MG1), (ii) a second electric motor (MG2), (iii) a planetary gear device (24;124;224;324) having a first rotating element (RE1), a second rotating element (RE2) and a third rotating element (RE3) which are rotating about a first shaft (CS1), (iv) a first gear pair (26) consisting of a counter-driven gear (34) and a counter-driven gear (36) meshed together, (v) a counter-driven shaft (28) on which the counter-driven gear (36) is disposed and (vi) a second gear pair (30) consisting of a final drive gear (38) and a driven final gear (32r) meshed together. The counter-drive gear (34), the planetary gear device (24;124;224;324) and the second electric motor (MG2) are arranged on the first shaft (CS1) and are arranged in this order of description, viewed in the opposite direction to the motor (18). The first electric motor (MG1) is arranged on a second shaft (CS2) parallel to the first shaft (CS1).

Inventors

  • Tatsuya Imamura
  • Hirotsugu Yoshino
  • Yosuke Suzuki
  • Daiki Kurihara

Assignees

  • TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA

Dates

Publication Date
20260310
Application Date
20250710
Priority Date
20240726

Claims (13)

  1. 1. A drive apparatus (10;110;210;310;410) for a vehicle (8;100;200;300), characterized in that it comprises: a motor (18); a first drive shaft (14f) for driving one of the front and rear wheels (12f, 12r) of the vehicle (8;100;200;300); and a first drive unit (16f;116f;216f;316f) including: (i) a first electric motor (MG1); (ii) a second electric motor (MG2); (iii) a planetary gear device (24;124;224;324) having a first rotating element (RE1), a second rotating element (RE2) and a third rotating element (RE3) which are rotating around a first shaft (CS1); (iv) a first pair of gears (26) consisting of a counter-driven gear (34) and a counter-driven gear (36) meshed together; (v) a counter-driven shaft (28) that is parallel to the first drive shaft (14f) and to the first shaft (CS1), and in which the counter-driven gear (36) is arranged in a non-rotational manner relative to the counter-driven shaft (28); and (vi) a second pair of gears (30) consisting of a final drive gear (38) and a driven final gear (32r) meshed together, such that the final drive gear (38) is arranged in parallel with the counter-driven gear (36) and is arranged on the counter-driven shaft (28) in a non-rotating manner relative to the counter-driven shaft (28), wherein the motor (18) and the first electric motor (MG1) are connected to the first rotating element (RE1), wherein the second electric motor (MG2) is connected to the second rotating element (RE2), wherein the first drive shaft (14f) is connected to the third rotating element (RE3) through the first pair of gears (26) and the second pair of gears (30), wherein the counter-drive gear (34), the planetary gear device (24;124;224;324) and the second electric motor (MG2) are arranged on the first axis (CS1) and are arranged in this order of description, as seen in a direction opposite to the motor (18), and in which the first electric motor (MG1) is arranged on a second axis (CS2) that is parallel to the first axis (CS1), and is connected to the first rotating element (RE1) by means of a power transmission mechanism (40).
  2. 2. Drive apparatus (10;410), according to claim 1, characterized in that the planetary gear device (24) is of the double pinion type and includes a sun gear (S), a carrier (C) and an annulus gear (R), wherein the first rotating element (RE1) is one of the carriers (C) and the sun gear (S), wherein the second rotating element (RE2) is the other of the carrier (C) and the sun gear (S), and wherein the third rotating element (RE3) is the annulus gear (R).
  3. 3. Actuating apparatus (10;410), according to claim 2, characterized in that the first actuating unit (16f) further includes a bearing (80) that supports the counter-actuating gear (34), and wherein the sun gear (S), the ring gear (R) and the counter-actuating gear (34) are helical gears with respective helix angles that are adjusted in such a way that a direction of a thrust force applied to the ring gear (R) by a meshing reaction force and a direction of a thrust force applied to the counter-actuating gear (34) by a meshing reaction force are opposite to each other.
  4. 4. Actuating apparatus (10;410), according to claim 3, characterized in that the angle of the helix of the ring gear (R) is adjusted so that the thrust force applied to the ring gear (R) by the meshing reaction force is in a direction towards the counter-actuating gear (34).
  5. 5. Drive apparatus (110), according to claim 1, characterized in that the planetary gear device (124) is of the double pinion type and includes a sun gear (S), a carrier (C) and a ring gear (R), wherein the first rotating element (RE1) is the ring gear (R), wherein the second rotating element (RE2) is one of the sun gears (S) and the carrier (C), and wherein the third rotating element (RE3) is the other of the sun gear (S) and the carrier (C).
  6. 6. Drive apparatus (210), according to claim 1, characterized in that the planetary gear device (224) is of the single pinion type and includes a sun gear (S), a carrier (C) and an annulus gear (R), wherein the first rotating element (RE1) is one of the annulus gear (R) and the sun gear (S), wherein the second rotating element (RE2) is the other of the annulus gear (R) and the sun gear (S), and wherein the third rotating element (RE3) is the carrier (C).
  7. 7. Drive apparatus (310), according to claim 1, characterized in that the planetary gear device (324) is of the single pinion type and includes a sun gear (S), a carrier (C) and a ring gear (R), wherein the first rotating element (RE1) is the carrier (C), wherein the second rotating element (RE2) is one of the sun gear (S) and the ring gear (R), and wherein the third rotating element (RE3) is the other of the sun gear (S) and the ring gear (R).
  8. 8. A drive apparatus (310), according to claim 7, characterized in that the second rotating element (RE2) is the sun gear (S) and the third rotating element (RE3) is the ring gear (R), wherein the first drive unit (316f) further includes a bearing (330) supporting the counter-drive gear (34), and wherein the sun gear (S), the ring gear (R) and the counter-drive gear (34) are helical gears with respective helix angles that are adjusted in such a way that a direction of a thrust force applied to the ring gear (R) by a meshing reaction force and a direction of a thrust force applied to the counter-drive gear (34) by a meshing reaction force are opposite to each other.
  9. 9. Actuating device (10;110;210;310;410), according to claim 1, characterized in that the counter-driven shaft (28) is located on a lower side of the first shaft (CS1) in a vertical direction of the vehicle (8;100;200;300) when the actuating device (10;110;210;310;410) is installed on the vehicle (8;100;200;300).
  10. 10. Drive apparatus (10;110;210;310;410), according to claim 1, characterized in that the final drive gear (38) is located between the counter-driven gear (36) and the second electric motor (MG2) in a direction parallel to the counter-driven shaft (28).
  11. 11. A drive device (10;110;210;310;410), according to claim 1, characterized in that the final driven gear (32r) is a rotating input member (32r) of a differential gear device (32) to which the first drive shaft (14f) is connected and is arranged on a shaft of the first drive shaft (14f).
  12. 12. Actuating apparatus (10;110;210;310;410), according to claim 1, characterized in that the first actuating unit (16f;116f;216f;316f) further includes a brake mechanism (BR;OWC) configured to interrupt the rotation of the first rotating element (RE1) when placed in an engaged state.
  13. 13. Drive apparatus (10;110;210;310;410), according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that it further comprises: a second drive shaft (14r) for driving the other front and rear wheel (12f,12r); and a second drive unit (16r;116r) including a third electric motor (MG3) connected to the second drive shaft (14r).

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION [001] The present invention relates to a drive apparatus for a vehicle, wherein the drive apparatus is provided with a motor and a drive unit which includes two electric motors and a drive unit including a planetary gear device. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [002] A drive apparatus for a vehicle is well known, in which the drive apparatus is provided with (a) a motor, (b) a first drive shaft for driving one of the front and rear wheels of the vehicle, and (c) a first drive unit comprising (c-i) a first electric motor, (c-ii) a second electric motor, and (c-iii) a planetary gear device having a first rotating element, a second rotating element, and a third rotating element. Document JP 2014-80135 A describes a drive apparatus for a hybrid electric vehicle as an example of such a drive apparatus. In the drive apparatus disclosed in this Japanese Patent Application Publication, an axial dimension of the first drive unit is reduced by arranging the input and output shafts of the first electric motor substantially parallel to the input and output shafts of the motor. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [003] To establish various drive modes, it may be possible to construct the drive apparatus in such a way that the motor and the first electric motor are connected to the first rotating element of the planetary gear device, in such a way that the second electric motor is connected to the second rotating element of the planetary gear device, and in such a way that the first drive shaft is connected to the third rotating element of the planetary gear device. As various drive modes, there are the HEV (Hybrid Electric Vehicle) mode and the BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle) mode, for example. In HEV mode, the motor is operated and electrical power is transferred between the first electric motor and the second electric motor. In BEV mode, the motor is stopped and torque is generated in the first electric motor and the second electric motor. In the vehicle drive apparatus constructed in this way, it is also desirable to reduce the axial dimension of the first drive unit, which is, for example, the length of the first drive unit in the direction of a first shaft that is a center of rotation of the planetary gear device. [004] The present invention was carried out with a view to the technique described above. Therefore, an objective of the present invention is to provide a drive device for a vehicle, wherein the drive device is capable of establishing various modes and includes a first compact drive unit in an axial dimension. [005] The objective indicated above is achieved in accordance with the following aspects of the present invention. [006] According to a first aspect of the invention, a drive apparatus for a vehicle is provided. The drive apparatus includes: a motor; a first drive shaft for actuating one of the front and rear wheels of the vehicle; and a first drive unit including: (i) a first electric motor; (ii) a second electric motor; (iii) a planetary gear device having a first rotating element, a second rotating element and a third rotating element that are rotatable around a first shaft; (iv) a first gear pair consisting of a counter-driven gear and a counter-driven gear meshed with each other; (v) a counter-driven shaft that is parallel to the first drive shaft and the first shaft, and in which the counter-driven gear is arranged in a non-rotating manner relative to the counter-driven shaft; (vi) a second pair of gears consisting of a final drive gear and a counter-driven gear meshed together, such that the final drive gear is arranged parallel to the counter-driven gear and is arranged on the counter-driven shaft in a non-rotating manner relative to the counter-driven shaft. The motor and the first electric motor are connected to the first rotating element. The second electric motor is connected to the second rotating element. The first drive shaft is connected to the third rotating element via the first pair of gears and the second pair of gears. The counter-drive gear, the planetary gear device, and the second electric motor are arranged on the first shaft and arranged in this order of description, viewed in the opposite direction to the motor. The first electric motor is arranged on a second shaft parallel to the first shaft and connected to the first rotating element via a power transmission mechanism. [007] According to a second aspect of the invention, in the drive apparatus according to the first aspect of the invention, the planetary gear device is of the double pinion type and includes a sun gear, a carrier and an annulus gear, wherein the first rotating element is one of the carriers and of the sun gear, wherein the second rotating element is the other of the carriers and of the sun gear, and wherein the third rotating element is the annulus gear. [008] According to a third aspect of the invention, in the drive apparatus according to the second aspect of the invention, the first drive unit f