JP2004357432A - Motor unit and vehicle equipped therewith - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To mount a motor unit in a narrow space in a floor tunnel of a vehicle. <P>SOLUTION: The motor unit 30 comprises two motors that are installed in the floor tunnel of the vehicle and have rotating shafts coaxial with a drive shaft 90 via a differential gear. Installation parts of two connectors 50a, 50b for connecting terminals of phase coils of the two motors and terminals of cables 62a, 62b of inverter circuits 60a, 60b are arranged in a direction circumferentially offset with the rotating shaft of the motor as a center. By such a configuration, since the cables 62a, 62b of the inverter circuits 60a, 60b do not interfere with each other, the motor unit 30 can be arranged in the narrow space of the floor tunnel of the vehicle. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an electric motor unit and a vehicle including the same, and more particularly, to an electric motor unit including a plurality of electric motors at least partially disposed in a floor tunnel of the vehicle and having a rotation axis coaxial with a drive shaft, and a vehicle including the same. About.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, as this type of electric motor unit, there has been proposed an electric motor unit that converts the power from an engine into torque and outputs it to a drive shaft (for example, see Patent Document 1). This electric motor unit includes a first motor, a second motor, and a planetary gear mechanism which are arranged coaxially with an output shaft of the engine. Then, two connectors for connecting the terminals of the first motor and the second motor and the terminals of the two inverter circuits for driving the motors are usually attached to the case of the motor unit.
[0003]
[Patent Document 1]
JP-A-9-308012 (FIG. 1)
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
Such a motor unit does not pose a problem when the motor unit is arranged in a space in front of a vehicle where a relatively large space can be secured. However, when the space for arranging the motor unit is extremely limited, for example, in a floor tunnel of the vehicle, the motor unit is not used. In addition to the arrangement of each device constituting the unit and the shape of the case, the design must be made with due consideration given to the arrangement of the connectors attached to the case.
[0005]
The motor unit of the present invention and a vehicle including the same solve such a problem, and when a motor unit is arranged in a space in a floor tunnel of a vehicle where space is limited, a terminal of the motor and a drive circuit for driving the motor are provided. It is an object of the present invention to arrange a portion for attaching a connector for connecting a terminal to a more appropriate position.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems and Their Functions and Effects]
The motor unit of the present invention and a vehicle including the same employ the following means in order to achieve the above object.
[0007]
The first electric motor unit of the present invention comprises:
An electric motor unit including a plurality of electric motors, at least a part of which is arranged in a space in a floor tunnel of a vehicle and has a rotation axis coaxial with a drive shaft,
A plurality of connector mounting portions having a plurality of mounting holes to which a plurality of connectors for respectively connecting the terminals of the plurality of motors and the terminals from a plurality of drive circuits for driving the corresponding motors are provided,
The gist of the present invention is that the plurality of connector mounting portions are arranged at positions where a plurality of power lines connecting the plurality of connectors and the plurality of drive circuits do not interfere with each other.
[0008]
In the first motor unit of the present invention, a plurality of connector mounting portions having a plurality of mounting holes into which a plurality of connectors for connecting the terminals of the plurality of motors and the terminals of the plurality of drive circuits, respectively, are provided. The electric motor unit is arranged in a space in a narrow floor tunnel without increasing the space in the floor tunnel of the vehicle because the plurality of power lines respectively connecting the driving circuit and the plurality of connectors do not interfere with each other. It becomes possible.
[0009]
In the first electric motor unit of the present invention, the electric motor unit may be arranged in a direction offset in a circumferential direction about a rotation axis of the electric motor. In this case, the space required for attaching the connector can be reduced, and therefore, the motor unit can be more easily arranged in the space in the narrow floor tunnel.
[0010]
Further, in the first electric motor unit of the present invention, the plurality of electric motors, the plurality of drive circuits, and the plurality of connector attaching portions are even numbers, and the plurality of connector attaching portions include a rotating shaft of the electric motor. It may be arranged substantially symmetrically with respect to the vertical plane.
[0011]
Further, in the first electric motor unit of the present invention, the plurality of connector mounting portions may be arranged in a space between the electric motor unit and the floor tunnel. In the electric motor unit according to the aspect of the present invention, the plurality of connector mounting portions may be arranged on an upper part of a case of the electric motor unit. Alternatively, in the first electric motor unit of the present invention, the plurality of connector mounting portions may be arranged on a side of a case of the electric motor unit. In the first electric motor unit according to the aspect of the present invention, the plurality of connector mounting portions may be arranged near a position on a horizontal plane including a rotation axis of the electric motor. In these embodiments, even when the exhaust system of the internal combustion engine is arranged near the electric motor unit when the internal combustion engine is mounted on the vehicle in combination with the electric motor unit, the exhaust system and the connector mounting portion can be arranged apart from each other. And the like can be prevented from being thermally affected by the exhaust system. In the motor unit according to the aspect of the present invention, the plurality of connectors may include a flat bus bar extending from the outside of the case of the motor unit to the inside of the case via the mounting hole. By doing so, the width of the connector in the radiation direction with respect to the mounting surface can be suppressed, so that the connector mounting portion can be more easily arranged in the space between the electric motor unit and the floor tunnel. In the first motor unit of the present invention of this aspect, the bus bar is formed in a shape bent from a direction substantially along the outside of the case of the motor unit to a direction in which the connector is mounted in the mounting hole. be able to. In the electric motor unit according to the aspect of the present invention, the bus bar may be formed in a substantially L-shape.
[0012]
Further, in the first electric motor unit of the present invention, a lubricating cooling liquid for lubricating and / or cooling the inside of the electric motor unit is stored in a case of the electric motor unit, and the plurality of connector attaching portions are The lubricating cooling liquid stored in the case may be disposed above the liquid level. This can prevent the terminals of the electric motor in the case from being constantly exposed to the lubricating cooling liquid, and can simplify the sealing structure of the terminals and the like.
[0013]
The second electric motor unit of the present invention comprises:
An electric motor unit including a plurality of electric motors, at least a part of which is arranged in a space in a floor tunnel of a vehicle and has a rotation axis coaxial with a drive shaft,
A plurality of connector mounting portions having a plurality of mounting holes to which a plurality of connectors for respectively connecting the terminals of the plurality of motors and the terminals from a plurality of drive circuits for driving the corresponding motors are provided,
The gist is that the plurality of connector mounting portions are arranged at portions of the electric motor unit protruding from the inside of the floor tunnel.
[0014]
In the second motor unit of the present invention, a plurality of connector mounting portions each having a plurality of mounting holes into which a plurality of connectors for respectively connecting terminals of the plurality of motors and terminals of the plurality of drive circuits are mounted, Since the motor unit is arranged so as to avoid the portion protruding from the floor tunnel, that is, the space in the narrow floor tunnel, the motor unit can be more easily arranged in the narrow floor tunnel and the degree of freedom of design of the connector and the connector mounting portion can be increased. Can be secured.
[0015]
In such a second electric motor unit of the present invention, the plurality of connector mounting portions may be arranged below a case of the electric motor unit. In this case, since a relatively large space can be secured in the lower portion of the case of the motor unit, the degree of freedom in designing the connector and the connector mounting portion can be more easily secured.
[0016]
Further, in the second electric motor unit of the present invention, the electric motor unit may be arranged in a direction offset in a circumferential direction about a rotation axis of the electric motor. With this configuration, it is possible to prevent interference between a plurality of power lines connecting the drive circuit and the connector and to reduce the space required for mounting the connector.
[0017]
The vehicle of the present invention
A vehicle including an internal combustion engine and the first or second electric motor unit of the present invention according to any one of the above aspects,
The motor unit includes: a first motor having a rotation shaft coaxially connected to an output shaft of the internal combustion engine as one of the plurality of motors; and an output shaft of the internal combustion engine and a rotation shaft of the first motor. And the drive shaft is connected to the drive shaft. When the power input / output to / from any two of the three shafts is determined, the power input / output to / from the remaining one shaft is determined. An axial power input / output mechanism, and a second motor having a rotating shaft connected to the drive shaft as one of the plurality of motors,
The internal combustion engine is disposed in a space in front of the vehicle,
The gist is that the drive shaft is connected to the rear wheel of the vehicle.
[0018]
In such a vehicle of the present invention, the electric motor unit may be arranged from the internal combustion engine in the order of the first electric motor, the power input / output mechanism, and the second electric motor.
[0019]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described using examples. FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 are configuration diagrams schematically showing the configuration of a hybrid vehicle 20 according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the hybrid vehicle 20 of the embodiment is provided with an engine 22 installed in a space in front of the vehicle as an internal combustion engine using gasoline as a fuel and an engine 22 installed in an empty space in a floor tunnel 70 of the vehicle. And a motor unit 30 capable of converting the generated power into torque and outputting the converted power to a drive shaft 90 connected to a rear wheel 94 via a differential gear 92. Further, in the hybrid vehicle 20 of the embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, an exhaust pipe 28 for discharging exhaust gas of the engine 22 to the outside is arranged along the shape of the motor unit 30.
[0020]
FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram schematically showing the configuration of the motor unit 30, and FIG. 4 is an external view showing the external appearance of the motor unit 30. As shown in FIG. 3, the motor unit 30 has a planetary gear mechanism in which a carrier 44 is connected to a rotating shaft 31 coaxially connected to an engine output shaft 26 connected to a crankshaft 24 of the engine 22 via a damper 25. 40, a motor MG1 capable of generating electric power attached to a rotating shaft 33 connected to a sun gear 42 of a planetary gear mechanism 40, and a drive shaft 90 connected to a ring gear 46 of the planetary gear mechanism 40 and via a gear unit 48. And a motor MG2 capable of generating electric power attached to the connected rotating shaft 32, which are housed in a housing 80 of the motor unit 30 forming a substantially closed space. In the housing 80 of the motor unit 30, a lubricating cooling liquid (for example, lubricating and cooling) for lubricating and cooling each part of the motor unit 30, such as the motor MG1, the motor MG2, the planetary gear mechanism 40, and the gear unit 48, is provided. , Hydraulic fluid such as automatic transmission fluid (ATF)), and constitutes the above-described motor unit 30 through a lubricating cooling liquid flow path (not shown) formed in the motor unit 30 by driving an oil pump (not shown). It is supplied to each part.
[0021]
4, the terminals of the cables 62a and 62b of the inverter circuits 60a and 60b for driving the motors MG1 and MG2 are connected to the terminals of the coils of the respective phases of the motors MG1 and MG2, as shown in FIG. A connector 50a and a connector 50b (connector 50) for electrical connection are attached (hereinafter, portions where the connectors 50a and 50b are attached as shown in FIG. 3 are referred to as connector attaching portions 82a and 82b). .
[0022]
FIG. 5 is an enlarged view showing the connector 50 in the motor unit 30 of FIG. 4 in an enlarged manner, and FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a section AA of the connector 50 of FIG. As shown in the figure, the connector 50 has a shield case 52 as a case formed of a conductive material, and is housed in the shield case 52 and has one end connected to the terminal of the cable 62 of the inverter circuit 60 and the other end. A bus bar 54 having a flat plate shape connected to terminals of each phase coil of the motors MG1 and MG2, and the bus bar 54 is covered by injecting an insulating resin into the shield case 52 in a state where the bus bar 54 is incorporated in the shield case 52. The motor unit 30 is fixed to the housing 80 by bolts 58 while being attached to a mounting hole 84 formed in the housing 80 of the motor unit 30. The bus bar 54 of the connector 50 has a small thickness in the radiation direction with respect to the mounting surface to the mounting hole 84, and extends from the portion connected to the terminal of each phase coil of the motor MG <b> 1 inside the housing 80 along the outer wall outside the housing 80. As a result, the shield case 52 can be made smaller in size, and the protrusion in the radiation direction from the mounting surface of the connector 50 can be reduced.
[0023]
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross section when the motor unit 30 of FIG. 3 is viewed from the AA plane. As shown, a connector mounting portion 82a where the connector 50a is mounted in the mounting hole 84 is disposed above the housing 80 of the motor unit 30 in a gap between the motor unit 30 and the floor tunnel 70 of the vehicle. ing. On the other hand, when the motor unit 30 is viewed from the plane BB opposite to the direction viewed from the plane AA in FIG. 3, the connector mounting portion 82b where the connector 50b is mounted in the mounting hole 84 is shown in FIG. Can be viewed as a similar arrangement. That is, when the motor MG1 and the motor MG2 are viewed from the same direction, the connector mounting portions 82a and 82b are circumferentially offset about the rotation shafts 33 and 32 of the coaxial motors MG1 and MG2 as shown in FIG. It is arranged in the direction. Therefore, when arranging the motor unit 30 in a narrow space in the floor tunnel 70 of the vehicle, the motor unit 30 can be arranged in the floor tunnel 70 without causing the cables 62a and 62b extending from the inverter circuits 60a and 60b to interfere with each other. It becomes possible. Moreover, as described above, the connectors 50a and 50b use the flat-shaped busbars 54 formed in an "L" shape in order to suppress the protrusion in the radiation direction from the mounting surfaces of the connector mounting portions 82a and 82b. In order to dispose the motor unit 30, it is not necessary to increase the space in the floor tunnel 70 at the expense of the livability of the passenger compartment of the vehicle. In the embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8, the connectors 50a and 50b are arranged symmetrically with respect to a vertical plane including the rotation axes of the motors MG1 and MG2, respectively. Further, by arranging the connector mounting portions 82a and 82b so as to be located above the housing 80 of the motor unit 30, the positions of the connector mounting portions 82a and 82b are higher than the level of the lubricating cooling liquid filled in the housing 80. (See FIGS. 7 and 8), the connecting portions between the bus bars 54 of the connectors 50a and 50b and the terminals of the phase coils of the motors MG1 and MG2 are constantly exposed to the lubricating cooling liquid. Can be prevented. Further, by disposing the connector mounting portions 82a and 82b above the housing 80 of the motor unit 30, the connector mounting portions 82a and 82b are separated from the exhaust pipe 28 of the engine 22 which is disposed substantially along the outer wall of the housing 80 of the motor unit 30. Since the connectors 50a and 50b can be disposed, it is possible to prevent the connectors 50a and 50b from being thermally affected by the exhaust pipe 28.
[0024]
According to the hybrid vehicle 20 of the embodiment described above, the terminals of the coils of the motors MG1 and MG2 of the motor unit 30 and the terminals of the cables 62a and 62b of the inverter circuits 60a and 60b that drive the motors MG1 and MG2 are electrically connected. Mounting portions 82a and 82b of connectors 50a and 50b for connection to each other are arranged in directions circumferentially offset around rotation shafts 33 and 32 of motors MG1 and MG2, so that connectors 50a and 50b and inverter circuit 60a are arranged. , 60b can be arranged in a narrow space in floor tunnel 70 of the vehicle without interfering with each other. Since the connectors 50a and 50b are composed of the flat bus bars 54 formed in an "L" shape, the connectors 50a and 50b can be prevented from projecting from the mounting surfaces of the connector mounting portions 82a and 82b in the radiation direction. The motor unit 30 can be arranged in the floor tunnel 70 without increasing the size of the floor tunnel 70.
[0025]
In the hybrid vehicle 20 of the embodiment, the connector mounting portions 82a and 82b are arranged above the housing 80 of the motor unit 30 as illustrated in FIG. 8, but the side portions of the housing 80 of the motor unit 30, that is, As illustrated in FIG. 9, the motor unit 30 may be disposed in the housing 80 near the horizontal plane including the rotation axes of the motors MG1 and MG2. Also in this case, since the lubricating cooling liquid filled in the housing 80 of the motor unit 30 can be disposed above the liquid surface, the terminals of the phase coils of the motors MG1 and MG2 are always exposed to the lubricating cooling liquid. State can be prevented. Further, as shown in FIG. 9, since the connector mounting portions 82a and 82b are arranged in a direction offset in the circumferential direction around the rotation shafts 33 and 32 of the motors MG1 and MG2, the motors MG1 and MG2 and the inverter circuit 60a, The motor unit 30 can be arranged in a narrow space in the floor tunnel 70 of the vehicle without interfering with the power lines connecting to the power line 60b.
[0026]
In the hybrid vehicle 20 of the embodiment, the connector mounting portions 82a and 82b are arranged on the upper portion of the housing 80 of the motor unit 30 as illustrated in FIG. 8, but as illustrated in FIG. The housing 80 may be arranged at a portion protruding from the inside of the floor tunnel 70, that is, at a lower portion (bottom portion) of the housing 80. The lower portion of the housing 80 of the motor unit 30 can secure a wider space than that which is disposed in the space between the floor tunnel 70 and the housing 80, such as the above-described upper portion and side portions of the housing 80. The freedom of design of the 50b is ensured. Therefore, a normal connector other than the connectors 50a and 50b illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6 described above may be employed as the connector, or the connectors may be circumferentially offset around the rotation shafts 33 and 32 of the motors MG1 and MG2 as described above. Instead, they can be arranged in the same direction. Of course, even in this case, the connectors 50a and 50b illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6 are used as the connectors, and the connector mounting portions 82a and 82b are circumferentially offset around the rotating shafts 33 and 32 of the motors MG1 and MG2. , It is possible to suppress the protrusion in the radiation direction from the mounting surface of the connector mounted on the motor unit 30. However, when the connector mounting portions 82a and 82b are arranged at the lower portion (bottom portion) of the housing 80 of the motor unit 30, as shown in FIG. May be exposed to the lubricating cooling liquid filled in the housing 80 of the motor MG1 or MG2. (E.g., providing a cover).
[0027]
In the hybrid vehicle 20 of the embodiment, the motor unit 30 disposed in the floor tunnel 70 of the vehicle includes the motor MG1, the motor MG2, and the planetary gear mechanism 40. However, the motor unit 30 is disposed in the floor tunnel of the vehicle. As long as the motor unit includes at least two motors coaxially connected to a drive shaft, the present invention can be applied to a vehicle including another motor unit.
[0028]
As described above, the embodiments of the present invention have been described using the examples. However, the present invention is not limited to these examples, and may be implemented in various forms without departing from the gist of the present invention. Obviously you can get it.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram schematically showing a configuration of a hybrid vehicle 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram schematically showing the configuration of a hybrid vehicle 20 according to one embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram schematically showing the configuration of a motor unit 30.
FIG. 4 is an external view showing the external appearance of the motor unit 30.
FIG. 5 is an enlarged view showing a connector 50 in the motor unit 30 of FIG. 4 in an enlarged manner.
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing an AA cross section of the connector 50 of FIG.
FIG. 7 is a sectional view showing a section when the motor unit 30 of FIG. 3 is viewed from the AA plane.
FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the arrangement of connector mounting portions 82a and 82b in the motor unit 30.
FIG. 9 is a diagram showing another example of the arrangement of the connector mounting portion in the motor unit.
FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another example of the arrangement of the connector mounting portion in the motor unit.
[Explanation of symbols]
Reference Signs List 20 hybrid vehicle, 22 engine, 24 crankshaft, 25 damper, 26 engine output shaft, 28 exhaust pipe, 30 motor unit, 31, 32, 33 rotation shaft, 40 planetary gear mechanism, 42 sun gear, 44 carrier, 46 ring gear, 48 Gear unit, 50, 50a, 50b connector, 52 shield case, 54 bus bar, 56 insulation, 58 volt, 60, 60a, 60b inverter circuit, 62, 62a, 62b cable, 70 floor tunnel, 80 housing, 82a, 82b connector Mounting part, 84 mounting hole, 90 drive shaft, 92 differential gear, 94 rear wheel, MG1, MG2 motor.

Claims (16)

An electric motor unit including a plurality of electric motors, at least a part of which is arranged in a space in a floor tunnel of a vehicle and has a rotation axis coaxial with a drive shaft,
A plurality of connector mounting portions having a plurality of mounting holes to which a plurality of connectors for respectively connecting the terminals of the plurality of motors and the terminals from a plurality of drive circuits for driving the corresponding motors are provided,
The electric motor unit, wherein the plurality of connector mounting portions are arranged at portions where a plurality of power lines connecting the plurality of connectors and the plurality of drive circuits do not interfere with each other. The motor unit according to claim 1,
An electric motor unit, wherein the plurality of connector mounting portions are arranged in a direction offset in a circumferential direction around a rotation axis of the electric motor. The motor unit according to claim 1 or 2,
The plurality of motors and the plurality of drive circuits and the plurality of connector mounting portions are an even number,
The motor unit, wherein the plurality of connector mounting portions are arranged substantially symmetrically with respect to a vertical plane including a rotation axis of the motor. 4. The motor unit according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of connector mounting portions are arranged in a space between the motor unit and the inside of the floor tunnel. 5. The motor unit according to claim 4, wherein
The electric motor unit, wherein the plurality of connector mounting portions are arranged on an upper part of a case of the electric motor unit. The motor unit according to claim 4, wherein
The motor unit, wherein the plurality of connector mounting portions are arranged on a side of a case of the motor unit. The motor unit according to claim 6, wherein
The electric motor unit, wherein the plurality of connector mounting portions are arranged near a position on a horizontal plane including a rotation axis of the electric motor. The motor unit according to claim 4, wherein:
The motor unit including a flat bus bar extending from the outside of the case of the motor unit to the inside of the case via the mounting hole. The electric motor unit according to claim 8, wherein
The motor unit, wherein the bus bar is formed in a shape bent from a direction substantially along the outside of the case of the motor unit to a direction in which the connector is mounted in the mounting hole. The motor unit according to claim 9,
An electric motor unit, wherein the bus bar is formed in a substantially L shape. The electric motor unit according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein
A lubricating cooling liquid for lubricating and / or cooling the inside of the motor unit is stored in a case of the motor unit,
The electric motor unit, wherein the plurality of connector mounting portions are disposed above a liquid surface of the lubricating cooling liquid stored in the case. An electric motor unit including a plurality of electric motors, at least a part of which is arranged in a space in a floor tunnel of a vehicle and has a rotation axis coaxial with a drive shaft,
A plurality of connector mounting portions having a plurality of mounting holes to which a plurality of connectors for respectively connecting the terminals of the plurality of motors and the terminals from a plurality of drive circuits for driving the corresponding motors are provided,
The motor unit, wherein the plurality of connector mounting portions are arranged at a portion of the motor unit protruding from the inside of the floor tunnel. The electric motor unit according to claim 12, wherein
The electric motor unit, wherein the plurality of connector mounting portions are arranged below a case of the electric motor unit. The electric motor unit according to claim 13, wherein
An electric motor unit, wherein the plurality of connector mounting portions are arranged in a direction offset in a circumferential direction around a rotation axis of the electric motor. A vehicle comprising: an internal combustion engine; and the electric motor unit according to any one of claims 1 to 14,
The motor unit includes: a first motor having a rotation shaft coaxially connected to an output shaft of the internal combustion engine as one of the plurality of motors; and an output shaft of the internal combustion engine and a rotation shaft of the first motor. And the drive shaft is connected to the drive shaft. When the power input / output to / from any two of the three shafts is determined, the power input / output to / from the remaining one shaft is determined. An axial power input / output mechanism, and a second motor having a rotating shaft connected to the drive shaft as one of the plurality of motors,
The internal combustion engine is disposed in a space in front of the vehicle,
The vehicle, wherein the drive shaft is connected to a rear wheel of the vehicle. The vehicle according to claim 15, wherein
A vehicle in which the electric motor unit is arranged in order from the internal combustion engine to the first electric motor, the power input / output mechanism, and the second electric motor.

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