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US-12627195-B2 - Drive apparatus

US12627195B2US 12627195 B2US12627195 B2US 12627195B2US-12627195-B2

Abstract

A drive apparatus includes: a casing; a motor; a gear unit; an electric unit; a first route; a second route; and a heat exchanger. The casing includes: a motor chamber; a gear chamber; and an electric unit chamber. The electric unit chamber has at least a part positioned to be closer to one axial-direction side than the gear chamber. The motor shaft has one end on the one axial-direction side positioned in the gear chamber. The heat exchanger has at least a part that overlaps with the gear chamber in the axial direction and that overlaps with the electric unit chamber in a radial direction perpendicular to the axial direction.

Inventors

  • Masayuki Ishibashi

Assignees

  • TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA

Dates

Publication Date
20260512
Application Date
20241008
Priority Date
20231020

Claims (11)

  1. 1 . A drive apparatus, comprising: a casing including: a motor chamber; a gear chamber; and an electric unit chamber, the electric unit chamber having at least a part positioned to be closer to one axial-direction side than the gear chamber; a motor housed in the motor chamber and including a motor shaft, the motor shaft having one end on the one axial-direction side positioned in the gear chamber; a gear unit housed in the gear chamber and configured to be mechanically connected to the one end of the motor shaft; an electric unit housed in the electric unit chamber and configured to be electrically connected to the motor; a first route configured to supply a first heat medium configured to cool the motor to the motor; a second route configured to supply a second heat medium configured to cool the electric unit to the electric unit; and a heat exchanger configured to: be included on the first route and on the second route; exchange heat between the first heat medium and the second heat medium; and have at least a part that overlaps with the gear chamber in the axial direction and that overlaps with the electric unit chamber in a radial direction perpendicular to the axial direction.
  2. 2 . The drive apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein at least a part of the electric unit chamber is positioned to be positioned on the one axial-direction side relative to the heat exchanger.
  3. 3 . The drive apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein at least the part of the electric unit chamber overlaps with the gear chamber in the radial direction.
  4. 4 . The drive apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein at least the part of the electric unit chamber overlaps with the motor chamber in the axial direction.
  5. 5 . The drive apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein at least a part of the heat exchanger and at least a part of the first route are positioned on the one axial-direction side with respect to the gear chamber.
  6. 6 . The drive apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein at least the part of the first route is configured by a pipe member.
  7. 7 . The drive apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the first route extends into the electric unit chamber from an outside of the casing by passing through a wall surface that defines the electric unit chamber of the casing.
  8. 8 . The drive apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein: a part of the electric unit chamber is positioned on an extension line of the motor shaft toward the one axial-direction side; the one end of the motor shaft is supported by a separating wall between the gear chamber and the electric unit chamber; a flow passage is provided in an axial center of the motor shaft; the first route is configured to extend through an inside of the electric unit chamber and pass through the separating wall; and the first route is configured to be connected to the flow passage at the one end.
  9. 9 . The drive apparatus according to claim 8 , further comprising a pump configured to send out the first heat medium accumulated in the gear chamber to the first route, wherein: the pump is positioned on the one axial-direction side or the other axial-direction side with respect to the gear chamber; and within the first route, the heat exchanger is disposed in a section that connects the pump and the one end of the motor shaft to each other.
  10. 10 . The drive apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein: the motor chamber and the gear chamber are connected to each other by a communication hole configured such that the first heat medium flows through the communication hole; and the electric unit chamber is isolated from the motor chamber and the gear chamber in a liquid-tight manner.
  11. 11 . The drive apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein: the casing includes: a motor case including the motor chamber; a gear case configured to define at least a part of the gear chamber; and an electric unit case configured to define at least a part of the electric unit chamber; and the gear case and the electric unit case are fastened to the motor case by a plurality of fastening members.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-180984 filed on Oct. 20, 2023, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. BACKGROUND 1. Technical Field The present disclosure relates to a drive apparatus. 2. Description of Related Art An integrated drive apparatus including a motor chamber, a gear chamber, and an electric unit chamber has been known. A technology of mounting an oil cooler on the integrated drive apparatus has also been known. Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2020-68637 discloses a related technology. SUMMARY In integrated drive apparatuses, the physical size of the drive apparatus is desired to be downsized. However, depending on an aspect of mounting an oil cooler on the drive apparatus, there is a concern that the physical size of the drive apparatus may increase due to the oil cooler. A drive apparatus according to a first aspect of the present disclosure includes: a casing; a motor; a gear unit; an electric unit; a first route; a second route; and a heat exchanger. The casing includes: a motor chamber; a gear chamber; and an electric unit chamber. The electric unit chamber has at least a part positioned to be closer to one axial-direction side than the gear chamber. The motor is housed in the motor chamber and includes a motor shaft. The motor shaft has one end on the one axial-direction side positioned in the gear chamber. The gear unit is housed in the gear chamber and configured to be mechanically connected to the one end of the motor shaft. The electric unit is housed in the electric unit chamber and configured to be electrically connected to the motor. The first route is configured to supply a first heat medium configured to cool the motor to the motor. The second route is configured to supply a second heat medium configured to cool the electric unit to the electric unit. The heat exchanger is included on the first route and on the second route. The heat exchanger is configured to exchange heat between the first heat medium and the second heat medium. The heat exchanger has at least a part that overlaps with the gear chamber in the axial direction and that overlaps with the electric unit chamber in a radial direction perpendicular to the axial direction. In the configuration described above, at least a part of the heat exchanger overlaps with the gear chamber in the axial direction of the motor shaft. As a result, the increase in the width of the drive apparatus in the axial direction due to the heat exchanger can be reduced. In the configuration described above, at least a part of the heat exchanger overlaps with the electric unit chamber in the radial direction perpendicular to the axial direction. As a result, the increase in the width of the drive apparatus in the radial direction due to the heat exchanger can be reduced. It becomes possible to downsize the physical size of the drive apparatus. In the drive apparatus according to the first aspect of the present disclosure, at least a part of the electric unit chamber may be positioned to be positioned on the one axial-direction side relative to the heat exchanger. According to the configuration described above, the increase in the width of the drive apparatus in the axial direction due to the heat exchanger can be reduced. In the drive apparatus according to the first aspect of the present disclosure, at least the part of the electric unit chamber may overlap with the gear chamber in the radial direction. According to the configuration described above, the protruding amount of the electric unit chamber to the one axial-direction side can be reduced. It becomes possible to downsize the physical size of the drive apparatus. In the drive apparatus according to the first aspect of the present disclosure, at least the part of the electric unit chamber may overlap with the motor chamber in the axial direction. According to the configuration described above, the protruding amount of the electric unit chamber in the radial direction perpendicular to the axial direction can be reduced. It becomes possible to downsize the physical size of the drive apparatus. In the drive apparatus according to the first aspect of the present disclosure, at least a part of the heat exchanger and at least a part of the first route may be positioned on the one axial-direction side with respect to the gear chamber. In the drive apparatus according to the first aspect of the present disclosure, at least the part of the first route may be configured by a pipe member. In the drive apparatus according to the first aspect of the present disclosure, the first route may extend into the electric unit chamber from the outside of the casing by passing through a wall surface that defines the electric unit chamber of the casing. According to the configuration described above, the first route that reaches one end of the motor shaft via the wall surface of the gear chamber and th