WO2015011976A1

WO2015011976A1 - Driving and transmitting device

Info

Publication number: WO2015011976A1
Application number: PCT/JP2014/063670
Authority: WO
Inventors: 平野　弘之
Original assignee: 日産自動車株式会社
Priority date: 2013-07-24
Filing date: 2014-05-23
Publication date: 2015-01-29
Also published as: JP6137317B2; JPWO2015011976A1

Abstract

Provided is a driving and transmitting device configured so that the function of an air breather can be stabilized. A driving and transmitting device is characterized by comprising: a speed reduction mechanism (7) which transmits the rotation of a rotor shaft (61) to an output shaft (21), the rotation being inputted from an electric motor (6); a speed reducer chamber (10b) which houses the speed reduction mechanism (7) and in which lubricating oil is stored; a first gas-liquid separation chamber (91) and a second gas-liquid separation chamber (92), which are connected to the speed reducer chamber (10b) and which are arranged above the speed reduction mechanism (7) such that, when viewed in the direction along the rotating shaft of the speed reduction mechanism (7), the first and second gas-liquid separation chambers (91, 92) are located on both sides of the rotator shaft (61) so as to sandwich the rotor shaft (61); an air breather chamber (93) which is connected to the gas-liquid separation chambers (91, 92) through air connection openings (93a, 93b) and which is connected to the outside air; and an inter-chamber connection passage (95) which connects the gas-liquid separation chambers (91, 92) to each other at a position below the air connection openings (93a, 93b).

Description

Drive transmission device

The present invention relates to a drive transmission device that transmits the rotation of a drive source via a transmission mechanism such as a speed reducer, and more particularly to a gas-liquid separation function and an air breather function.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a drive transmission device that includes an air breather in a drive unit that includes a speed reducer is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
In this prior art, a first air breather chamber and a second air breather chamber are provided adjacent to each other in the axial direction of the input shaft. The first air breather chamber communicates with the atmosphere, and is connected to the upper portion of the second air breather chamber and a large diameter first chamber. It communicates through one communication hole. And the 2nd air breather chamber is connected with the casing inside which accommodates a reduction gear by the small 2nd communication hole.
Therefore, it is possible to prevent the lubricating oil that has excessively entered the first air breather from flowing out into the second air breather chamber through the first communication hole and leaking outside the unit.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-325456

However, in the above-described conventional technology, the first air breather chamber and the second air breather chamber are arranged to be deviated to one of the left and right when viewed from the axial direction with respect to the input shaft of the speed reducer. The communication hole and the second communication hole are also arranged so as to be biased to one of the left and right.
For this reason, if the lubricating oil scraped up by the gears or the like during high rotation hits the first communication hole, the second communication hole, or the opening connected to these communication holes in almost the same situation, the air breather chamber is closed by the lubricating oil. There is a risk of being in a broken state. In this case, since the air communication function (air breather function) between the reduction gear chamber and the outside is lowered, there is a possibility that the lubricating oil leaks from the inside of the unit to the relatively low pressure outside.

The present invention has been made paying attention to the above problem, and an object thereof is to provide a drive transmission device capable of stabilizing the air breather function.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides:
A first gas-liquid separation chamber and a second gas-liquid separation chamber communicated with the transmission mechanism accommodation chamber at positions above the transmission mechanism and on both sides of the rotation shaft as viewed from the direction along the rotation axis of the transmission mechanism. And place
An air breather chamber communicated with the outside air is communicated with both gas-liquid separation chambers through an air communication port.
The drive transmission device is characterized in that the gas-liquid separation chambers communicate with each other through a communication path between the gas-liquid separation chambers at a position below the air communication port.

In the drive transmission device of the present invention, since both gas-liquid separation chambers are arranged with the rotating body interposed therebetween, when the rotating body of the transmission mechanism rotates and scoops up the lubricating oil, it depends on the rotating direction of the rotating body. There is a difference in the way in which the lubricating oil is blown to both gas-liquid separation chambers.
Therefore, even if one side of both gas-liquid separation chambers is blocked by a large amount of lubricating oil and the communication portion with the transmission mechanism housing chamber is blocked, the lubricating oil is not easily blown to the other gas-liquid separation chamber. Communication with the accommodation room is ensured.
Also, if the rotating direction of the rotating body is reversed, the relationship between the side where a large amount of lubricating oil is applied in the gas-liquid separation chamber and the side where the lubricating oil is difficult to be blown is reversed, and the side where the lubricating oil is difficult to blow off The communication state with the transmission mechanism accommodation chamber can be maintained.
Therefore, regardless of the rotation direction of the rotating body, it is possible to maintain communication with the outside from the transmission mechanism housing chamber and at least one of the gas-liquid separation chambers via the air breather chamber, thereby stabilizing the air breather function. it can. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the leakage of the lubricating oil accompanying the deterioration of the air breather function.

It is sectional drawing which shows the whole structure of the in-wheel motor unit to which the drive transmission device of Embodiment 1 is applied. It is a front view which shows the end surface shape of the motor case part of the said in-wheel motor unit, Comprising: The state seen from the arrow A direction of FIG. It is a front view which shows the end surface shape of the reduction gear case part of the said in-wheel motor unit, Comprising: The state seen from the arrow B direction of FIG. FIG. 3 is an operation explanatory diagram of the first embodiment, and is an enlarged view of a main part of FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is an operation explanatory diagram of the first embodiment, and is an enlarged view of a main part of FIG. 3. It is sectional drawing which shows the whole structure of the in-wheel motor unit to which the drive transmission device of Embodiment 2 is applied.

Hereinafter, the best mode for realizing the drive transmission device of the present invention will be described based on the embodiments shown in the drawings.
(Embodiment 1)
The drive transmission apparatus of Embodiment 1 is an example applied to the in-wheel motor unit MU that drives the wheels W of the vehicle, as shown in FIG.
Hereinafter, the drive transmission device according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.
(Overall schematic structure)
As shown in FIG. 1, the in-wheel motor unit MU (hereinafter referred to as a motor unit MU) has an axle 2 protruding from a unit housing 1, and a wheel portion of a wheel W can rotate integrally with the axle 2. It is supported.
The unit housing 1 is supported by the vehicle body (not shown) together with the wheels W via a suspension device (not shown).

(Drive unit internal structure)
Next, the internal structure of the motor unit MU will be described.
The unit housing 1 accommodates an electric motor 6 and a speed reduction mechanism 7 as a transmission mechanism.

The unit housing 1 is formed by coupling a motor case portion 11, a reduction gear case portion 12, a hub case portion 13, and a motor cover 14, and includes a motor chamber 10a and a reduction gear chamber 10b therein. The motor chamber 10a is held in a dry space while the reduction gear chamber 10b is filled with lubricating oil.
The motor case portion 11 includes a substantially cylindrical main body 11a, and the electric motor 6 is accommodated on the inner periphery of the main body 11a.
A partition wall 11b that divides the motor chamber 10a and the speed reducer chamber 10b is provided upright from one axial end (right end in the drawing) of the main body 11a toward the inner diameter direction. The partition wall 11b has an input shaft hole 11c through which a rotor shaft (input shaft) 61 described later is inserted. The input shaft hole 11c has oil that seals between the first drive gear bearing 31 that rotatably supports the rotor shaft 61 via a drive gear 71 described later, and the motor chamber 10a and the speed reducer chamber 10b. A seal 41 is provided.

Further, a vertical wall portion 11d that forms a lower side portion of the reduction gear chamber 10b extends from the lower end portion of the main body 11a in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 1, the speed reducer case portion 12 is coupled to the motor case portion 11 by fastening bolts. As shown in FIG. 3, which is a view from the direction of arrow B in FIG. 1, the speed reducer case portion 12 includes a drive gear housing portion 12 a in the upper portion and a planetary gear set housing portion 12 b in the lower portion. It is formed in a substantially elliptical shape that is long in the diagonally up and down direction.
As shown in FIG. 1, an axle through hole 12c through which the axle 2 passes is opened in the planetary gear set housing portion 12b.

The hub case portion 13 is coupled to one end of the reduction gear case portion 12 in the axial direction (the right end portion in the figure) by a bolt coaxially with the axle through hole 12c. The hub case portion 13 includes a cylindrical portion 13a that is coaxial with the axle 2. A hub bearing 33 that rotatably supports the wheel hub shaft 22 of the axle 2 is provided on the inner periphery of the cylindrical portion 13a.

The electric motor 6 includes a rotor shaft (input shaft) 61, a rotor 62, and a stator 63. One end of the rotor shaft 61 is rotatably supported via the rotor bearing 34 with respect to the motor cover 14 of the unit housing 1. The other end of the rotor shaft 61 is connected to the motor case 11 and the speed reducer case 12 via a pair of first drive gear bearing 31 and second drive gear bearing 32 via a drive gear 71 described later. And is rotatably supported.
The rotor 62 is fixed to the outer periphery of the rotor shaft 61 and is constituted by a laminated steel plate in which a permanent magnet is embedded. The stator 63 is fixed to the inner peripheral surface of the main body 11 a of the motor case portion 11 of the unit housing 1 and is disposed with respect to the rotor 62 via an air gap.

The speed reduction mechanism 7 is interposed between the rotor shaft 61 and the axle 2 and includes a spur gear mechanism 70 and a planetary gear mechanism 80.
The spur gear mechanism 70 includes a drive gear 71 and a driven gear 72 at the top and bottom.
The drive gear 71 is serrated to the front end portion of the rotor shaft 61 in the vehicle width direction (right direction in FIG. 1), and is connected to the motor case portion 11 via the pair of

drive gear bearings

31 and 32 described above. And it is rotatably supported by the reducer case 12.
The driven gear 72 is formed to have a larger diameter than the drive gear 71 and is integrally formed on the outer periphery of the driven shaft 73 disposed below the rotor shaft 61.
Based on the gear ratio of the two

gears

71 and 72, the rotation of the rotor shaft 61 is decelerated and transmitted to the driven shaft 73.

The driven shaft 73 is rotatably supported by the driven

bearings

35 and 36. The driven bearing 35 is supported by the motor case portion 11. The driven bearing 36 is supported on the inner periphery of an output shaft 21 (described later) of the axle 2.

Here, the axle 2 will be described.
The axle 2 is provided coaxially with the driven shaft 73 on the vehicle outer side in the vehicle width direction, and includes an output shaft 21 and a wheel hub shaft 22.
The output shaft 21 receives rotation from the planetary gear mechanism 80, is supported by the reduction gear case 12 of the unit housing 1 via the driven bearing 36, and is a shaft that outputs rotation from the speed reduction mechanism 7. . The output shaft 21 is serrated with a member on the outer side of the driven bearing 36 in the radial direction.
The wheel hub shaft 22 is engaged with the output shaft 21 in the circumferential direction, and is serrated and coupled so as to be relatively movable in the axial direction. The wheel hub shaft 22 is supported by the hub case portion 13 via a hub bearing 33, and the wheel portion of the wheel W is It is bolted.

The planetary gear mechanism 80 includes a sun gear 81, a pinion 82, a pinion carrier 83, and a ring gear 84. The sun gear 81 is formed integrally with the driven shaft 73 and meshes with the pinion 82. The pinion 82 is supported so as to be rotatable relative to the pinion carrier 83 and meshes with the sun gear 81 and the ring gear 84. The pinion carrier 83 is formed integrally with the output shaft 21. The ring gear 84 is formed integrally with the motor case portion 11 of the unit housing 1.
By the planetary gear mechanism 80 having the above configuration, the rotation of the driven shaft 73 is decelerated and transmitted to the output shaft 21 (axle 2).

(Oil channel structure)
Next, the oil passage structure will be briefly described.
Lubricating oil for lubricating and cooling the speed reduction mechanism 7 is accommodated in the speed reducer chamber 10b of the unit housing 1, and the

bearings

31, 32, 33 in the speed reducer chamber 10b are accommodated in the lubricating oil. , 35, 36.

In the unit housing 1, an oil storage portion 101 that stores lubricating oil by gravity is provided below the reduction gear chamber 10 b. In the figure, an alternate long and two short dashes line OIL indicates an example of the oil level in the oil reservoir 101.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2, an upper first oil catch portion 111 and an upper second oil catch portion 112 are formed on the partition wall 11 b of the motor case portion 11 at a height coaxial with the rotor shaft 61. Yes.
Both

oil catch portions

111 and 112 are for catching the lubricating oil scraped up in the speed reducer chamber 10b, and

flanges

11f and 11g protruded from the motor case portion 11 and the speed reducer case portion 12 in the axial direction. , 12f, 12g (see FIG. 3) are contacted in the axial direction.

Further, the lubricating oil captured by both the

oil catch portions

111 and 112 is sucked by the upper suction structure 120 shown in FIG. 3 and supplied to the central portion of the rotor shaft 61 and the drive gear 71, and then in the outer diameter direction. Supplied to both

drive gear bearings

31, 32, etc. That is, the speed reducer case portion 12 has

supply holes

121a and 121b opened in the axial direction side portions of the

oil catch portions

111 and 112. These

supply holes

121a and 121b pass through the

communication passages

122a and 122b formed in the speed reducer case portion 12, and are lubricant oil that is opened in the axial direction with respect to the central portion of the rotor shaft 61 and the drive gear 71. The

supply ports

123a and 123b communicate with each other.
Further, as shown in FIG. 1, a lubricating oil supply path 61 a is formed in the axial direction at the axial center portion of the rotor shaft 61 that overlaps the drive gear 71 in the radial direction. The lubricating oil supply path 61a, the speed reducer chamber 10b, and the innermost portion of the lubricating oil supply path 61a are positioned in the axial direction between the first drive gear bearing 31 and the oil seal 41. Is formed so as to penetrate in the radial direction.

Therefore, the lubricating oil captured by the

oil catch portions

111 and 112 is supplied from the

supply holes

121a and 121b to the lubricating

oil supply ports

123a and 123b through the

communication passages

122a and 122b. The lubricating oil supplied to the lubricating

oil supply ports

123a and 123b is supplied to the second driving gear bearing 32 paired with the first driving gear bearing 31 and the lubricating oil supply formed on the rotor shaft 61. The first drive gear bearing 31 is supplied through the path 61a and the radial communication hole 61b.

The rotational speed of the drive gear 71 that rotates integrally with the rotor shaft 61 increases in proportion to the increase in the vehicle speed, so that the centrifugal pressure acting on the oil passage in the rotor shaft 61 increases at an accelerated rate. Thereby, in the negative pressure suction part 610 comprised by the lubricating oil supply path 61a and the radial direction communication hole 61b, a negative pressure becomes large. Therefore, the lubricating oil in the upper first oil catch portion 111 and the upper second oil catch portion 112 is sucked out vigorously to the negative pressure suction portion 610 through the lubricating

oil supply ports

123a and 123b.

(Gas-liquid separation chamber and air breather chamber)
Next, the gas-

liquid separation chambers

91 and 92 and the air breather chamber 93 will be described.
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a first gas-liquid separation chamber 91, a second gas-liquid separation chamber 92, and an air breather chamber 93 are formed above the rotor shaft 61 and the

oil catch portions

111 and 112. .
The first gas-liquid separation chamber 91 and the second gas-liquid separation chamber 92 are positioned above the speed reduction mechanism 7 in the horizontal direction when viewed from the axial direction of the rotor shaft 61 and the drive gear 71 as the rotation shaft of the speed reduction mechanism 7. It is arrange | positioned at the both-sides position which pinches | interposes these. The first gas-liquid separation chamber 91 and the second gas-liquid separation chamber 92 cause the

flanges

11h and 12h protruding in the axial direction from the motor case portion 11 and the speed reducer case portion 12 to abut in the axial direction, respectively. Thus, the speed reducer chamber 10b is partitioned. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the gas-

liquid separation chambers

91 and 92 are respectively provided at the upper part of the upper first oil catch portion 111 and the upper second oil catch portion 112, and the speed reducer chamber communication port 94 a opened in the flange 12 h. , 94b, communicates with the reduction gear chamber 10b.

The speed reducer

chamber communication ports

94a and 94b are located at the deepest positions of the

oil catch portions

111 and 112, and are disposed at the horizontal ends of the flanges 12h, as shown in FIG. Further, they are arranged at positions that do not overlap with the drive gear 71 in the radial direction. As a result, the lubricating oil scooped up in the reducer chamber 10b is less likely to be directly applied to the reducer

chamber communication ports

94a and 94b.

The air breather chamber 93 is partitioned from the gas-

liquid separation chambers

91 and 92 at a position between the gas-

liquid separation chambers

91 and 92 in the horizontal direction orthogonal to the axial direction, as shown in FIGS. Is formed. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the air breather chamber 93 has

air communication ports

93a and 93b communicating with the upper portions of the gas-

liquid separation chambers

91 and 92, respectively.

A gas-liquid separation chamber communication passage 95 is provided between the air breather chamber 93 and the

flanges

11h and 12h in the vertical direction to communicate the lower ends of the gas-

liquid separation chambers

91 and 92 with each other. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the gas-liquid separation chamber communication passage 95 is formed in an upwardly convex arc shape based on the shapes of the

flanges

11 h and 12 h. The gas-liquid separation chamber communication passage 95 is arranged at a position lower than the

air communication ports

93a and 93b even at the highest position protruding upward. As a result, the lubricating oil in the gas-

liquid separation chambers

91 and 92 moves between the gas-

liquid separation chambers

91 and 92 via the gas-liquid separation chamber communication path 95 before reaching the

air communication ports

93a and 93b. To do.
Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the air breather chamber 93 communicates with the outside air via an air breather pipe 96 provided at the upper end, and the upper portion of the air breather chamber 93 and the motor chamber 10a are connected to the motor chamber. Communication is made via a passage 97.

(Lower catch structure)
The first embodiment is provided with a lower catch structure that catches the lubricating oil scraped up around the driven gear 72 and supplies it to the axial center portion of the driven shaft 73.
Below, this lower catch structure is demonstrated easily.
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the lower catch structure includes a lower first oil catch portion 131 and a lower second oil catch portion 132 provided at a position slightly higher than the axial center position of the driven shaft 73. ing. Each oil catch part 131,132 attaches | subjects the

flanges

11m, 11n, 12m, 12n of the substantially L-shaped cross section provided in both

case parts

11,12 to an axial direction similarly to both oil catch parts 111,112. It is formed with.
Further, the lubricating oil captured by the

oil catch portions

131 and 132 is supplied to the shaft center portion of the driven shaft 73 (see FIG. 1) by the lower suction structure 130, and then the driven

bearings

35, 36, the planetary gear mechanism 80, and the like. That is, supply holes 131 a and 132 a are opened in the axial direction side portions of both

oil catch portions

131 and 132 in the vertical wall portion 11 d of the motor case portion 11. These

supply holes

131a and 132a pass through the

communication passages

131b and 132b formed in the vertical wall portion 11d and are opened in the axial direction with respect to the axial center portion of the driven shaft 73 as shown in FIG. In addition, the lubricating oil supply port 133 is communicated.
Further, the lubricating oil supply port 133 is connected to a driven shaft oil passage 134 formed through the shaft center portion of the driven shaft 73.

Therefore, when the electric motor 6 is driven, the lubricating oil in the oil reservoir 101 is scraped up by the rotation of the driven gear 72. In addition, due to the negative pressure generated with the rotation of the driven shaft 73, the lubricating oil in both

oil catch portions

131 and 132 is sucked up into the oil passage 134 in the driven shaft and scattered by centrifugal force. In this case, on the front side of the driven shaft 73, the lubricating oil is supplied in the outer radial direction of the driven gear 72 through the driven bearing 35 in the outer radial direction. Further, the lubricating oil that has traveled to the back of the oil passage 134 in the driven shaft passes through the driven bearing 36 from between the output shaft 21 and the planetary gear mechanism 80.
Thereby, the surface of each rotation element of the speed reduction mechanism 7 can be lubricated.

(Operation of Embodiment 1)
Hereinafter, as an operation of the first embodiment, an air breather function in the reducer chamber 10b will be described.
The speed reducer chamber 10b passes from the gas-

liquid separation chambers

91 and 92 through the

air communication ports

93a and 93b as shown by arrows AR1 and AR2 in FIG. 4 and from the air breather chamber 93 to the air breather as shown by arrows AR0. The outside air communicates with the pipe 96.
As a result, the speed reducer chamber 10b is maintained at the same pressure as the external air pressure.
That is, in the reduction gear chamber 10b, the volume of the internal air increases and decreases due to temperature changes. Even in such a case, by communicating with the above-described outside air, air can be sucked and discharged according to the volume increase / decrease of the inside air of the speed reducer chamber 10b, and can be maintained at the same pressure as the outside air pressure.
Further, when the electric motor 6 is driven, the reduction mechanism 7 scoops up the lubricating oil. At this time, the rotation direction of each rotating element of the speed reduction mechanism 7 is reversed due to the difference between when the vehicle moves forward and when the vehicle moves backward. In this case, for example, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the drive gear 71 rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow H1, and the driven gear 72 rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow H2. This rotational direction is, for example, the rotational direction during forward travel.

At the time of this forward movement, in the vicinity of the driven gear 72, the lubricating oil scooped up from the oil reservoir 101 (see FIGS. 2 and 3) is scraped on the left side in the drawing of the driven gear 72 as shown by an arrow OI1 in FIG. The raising amount is larger than that on the right side in the figure.
Further, when this scooped-up lubricating oil is applied to the drive gear 71, the upper first

oil catch portions

111 and 112, as shown by the arrow OI2, are the upper first on the right side of the drive gear 71 in the drawing. The amount of springing up to the oil catch portion 111 increases.
As described above, in the speed reduction mechanism 7, the drive gear 71 and the driven gear 72, which are the rotation shafts, on both sides in the horizontal direction around the shaft, the left and right in FIG. 4, There is a bias in how to flip up. Further, at the time of retreating, the direction in which the lubricating oil is scraped is biased in the left-right direction opposite to the above.

Thereby, in the rotation state at the time of the forward movement, a large amount of lubricating oil is accumulated in the upper first oil catch portion 111, and the lubricating oil enters the first gas-liquid separation chamber 91 in both the gas-

liquid separation chambers

91 and 92. The possibility increases.
In such a case, even if the lubricating oil enters the first gas-liquid separation chamber 91 and the speed reducer chamber communication port 94a is blocked, the amount of accumulated lubricating oil in the upper second oil catch portion 112 is small, The reduction gear chamber communication port 94b is unlikely to be continuously blocked.
Therefore, as a result of ensuring the opening of the speed reducer chamber communication port 94b, the speed reducer chamber 10b includes the speed reducer chamber communication port 94b, the second gas-liquid separation chamber 92, the air communication port 93b, the air breather chamber 93, and the air breather pipe 96. This ensures communication with the outside air.

Further, in the first embodiment, the speed reduction mechanism 7 side of the speed reducer

chamber communication ports

94a, 94b that communicate the gas-

liquid separation chambers

91, 92 and the speed reducer chamber 10b is provided by

flanges

11f, 11g, 12f, 12g. Covering. For this reason, since it is difficult for lubricating oil to be directly applied to the reduction gear

chamber communication ports

94a and 94b, the reduction gear

chamber communication ports

94a and 94b are not easily blocked by the lubricating oil.

Further, when the electric motor 6 is rotated at a high speed, a large amount of bubbles may be generated in the speed reducer chamber 10b, and there is a possibility that the bubbles are generated in the upper portion of the speed reducer chamber 10b. On the other hand, in the first embodiment, when the rotor shaft 61 and the drive gear 71 rotate at a high speed due to the high speed rotation of the electric motor 6, a negative pressure is generated at the negative pressure suction section 610 at the center of the shaft. . Due to this negative pressure, the upper suction structure 120 causes the lubricating oil captured by the

oil catch portions

111 and 112 to be negatively supplied through the

supply holes

121a and 121b, the

communication passages

122a and 122b, and the lubricating

oil supply ports

123a and 123b. Lubricating oil can be sucked into the pressure suction unit 610. Thereby, it can suppress that the bubble of lubricating oil leaks outside from each gas-

liquid separation chambers

91 and 92 through the air breather chamber 93. FIG.

(Effect of Embodiment 1)
The effects of the drive unit according to Embodiment 1 are listed below.
1) The drive unit of Embodiment 1 is
A speed reduction mechanism 7 as a transmission mechanism for transmitting rotation of the rotor shaft 61 as an input shaft input from the electric motor 6 as a drive source to the output shaft 21;
A reduction gear chamber 10b serving as a transmission mechanism accommodation chamber in which the reduction mechanism 7 is accommodated and lubricating oil is accommodated;
A first gas-liquid separation chamber 91 that is disposed above both the speed reduction mechanism 7 and on both sides of the rotor shaft 61 as a rotation axis when viewed from the direction along the rotation axis of the speed reduction mechanism 7 and communicates with the speed reducer chamber 10b. And a second gas-liquid separation chamber 92;
An air breather chamber 93 communicated with both gas-

liquid separation chambers

91 and 92 via

air communication ports

93a and 93b, and communicated with outside air;
A gas-liquid separation chamber communication passage 95 communicating the gas-

liquid separation chambers

91 and 92 at positions below the

air communication ports

93a and 93b;
It is characterized by having.
When the electric motor 6 is driven, the lubricating oil accumulated in the oil reservoir 101 is scraped up by the rotation of the rotating element of the speed reduction mechanism 7. At this time, in the gas-

liquid separation chambers

91 and 92, the lubricating oil supply amount to one side is relatively large based on the rotation direction of the rotating element of the speed reduction mechanism 7, but the other lubricating oil supply amount is relatively large. It will be in very few states.
Therefore, even if one of the gas-

liquid separation chambers

91 and 92 is blocked by the communicating portion (the reduction gear

chamber communication ports

94a and 94b) with the reduction gear chamber 10b due to a large amount of lubricating oil being scraped up, the other is lubricated. The state closed by the oil is not continued, and the air breather function can be secured.
In addition, when the rotation direction of the electric motor 6 is reversed in accordance with the forward / reverse switching of the vehicle, the relationship between the side of the gas-

liquid separation chambers

91 and 92 that is blocked by the lubricating oil and the side where the communication is maintained. Is reversed.
Therefore, the reduction gear chamber 10b maintains the communication state between at least one of the gas-

liquid separation chambers

91 and 92 and the outside air via the air breather chamber 93 regardless of whether the vehicle is moving forward or backward. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the lubricant (bubbles) from being ejected from the air breather pipe 96 due to the pressure increase in the gas-

liquid separation chambers

91 and 92.
Furthermore, if the lubricating oil enters one of the gas-

liquid separation chambers

91 and 92, the lubricating oil is separated before reaching the

air communication ports

93a and 93b opened in the upper air breather chamber 93. The gas is discharged to the other of the gas-

liquid separation chambers

91 and 92 via the inter-chamber communication passage 95. Therefore, the function as the gas-liquid separation chamber is sufficiently exhibited without securing a large volume as each of the gas-

liquid separation chambers

91 and 92.

2) The drive transmission device of Embodiment 1 is
The gas-liquid separation chamber communication passage 95 is characterized by being formed in a convex shape upward as viewed from the axial direction of the rotor shaft 61 as a rotating shaft.
Accordingly, when the lubricating oil enters the gas-

liquid separation chambers

91 and 92 into the gas-liquid separation chamber communication path 95, if the lubricating oil disappears from the gas-

liquid separation chambers

91 and 92, the gas-liquid separation chamber communication path. The lubricating oil in 95 is also smoothly and reliably discharged based on the inclination.

3) The drive transmission device of Embodiment 1 is
Lower first

oil catching portions

94a and 94b for communicating the gas-

liquid separation chambers

91 and 92 and the speed reducer chamber 10b serving as a transmission mechanism accommodation chamber capture the lubricating oil in the speed reducer chamber 10b. 111, provided on the upper portion of the upper second oil catch portion 112.
Therefore, since the lubricating oil scooped up by the speed reduction mechanism 7 in the speed reducer chamber 10b directly hits the speed reducer

chamber communication ports

94a and 94b by the

oil catch portions

111 and 112, both gas-liquid separation chambers are prevented. Intrusion of the lubricating oil into 91 and 92 can be suppressed.

4) The drive transmission device of Embodiment 1 is
A motor chamber 10a for accommodating the electric motor 6 as a drive source is formed adjacent to the speed reducer chamber 10b as the transmission mechanism accommodating chamber,
The upper part of the air breather chamber 93 is communicated with the motor chamber 10 a through the motor chamber communication passage 97.
Since the upper part of the air breather chamber 93 and the motor chamber 10a are connected, the air breather chamber dedicated to the motor chamber 10a can be omitted, and the motor unit MU can be downsized.
In addition, it is possible to reduce the number of air breather pipes 96 that are routed up to the top of the vehicle for the purpose of preventing flooding during traveling. In particular, when the steered wheels are applied, and the like, when the movement amount of the motor unit MU is large and the arrangement space of the air breather pipe 96 is large, the effect of reducing to one system is remarkable.

5) The drive transmission device of Embodiment 1 is
Both

oil catch portions

111 and 112 are provided with an upper suction structure 120 that sucks the lubricating oil of both

oil catch portions

111 and 112 by the negative pressure generated by the rotation of the rotor shaft 61 as the input shaft and the drive gear 71. It is characterized by.
When the rotation speed of the electric motor 6 is increased, the rotation speed of the rotating element of the speed reduction mechanism 7 is increased, and the amount of lubricating oil captured by both the

oil catch portions

111 and 112 is increased.
On the other hand, in the upper suction structure 120, the higher the rotational speed of the rotor shaft 61 and the drive gear 71, the higher the negative pressure and the suction force.
Thus, as the amount of lubricating oil captured by both

oil catch portions

111 and 112 increases, the suction force of the upper suction structure 120 also increases, and the lubricating oil captured by both

oil catch portions

111 and 112 is increased. Sucked.
Therefore, it is possible to suppress the problem that the speed reducer

chamber communication ports

94a and 94b are blocked by the lubricating oil trapped by both the

oil catch portions

111 and 112, and it is possible to more reliably achieve the air breather performance described in 1) above. .

6) The drive transmission device of Embodiment 1 is
A lower first oil catch portion 131 and a lower second oil catch portion 132 are provided on both sides when viewed from the rotation axis of the driven gear 72,
A lower suction structure 130 is provided for sucking the lubricating oil captured by the

oil catch portions

131 and 132 by the negative pressure of the negative pressure suction portion 610 provided at the axial center portion of the driven gear 72.
Accordingly, the lubricating oil is scraped up by the driven gear 72, and the lubricating oil is also supplied by the lower suction structure 130, so that the lubricity is excellent.
And since it is excellent in lubricity in this way, ensuring of air breather performances, such as said 1), becomes more effective.

(Other embodiments)
Next, drive units according to other embodiments will be described.
In the description of the other embodiments, the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment are assigned to the same components as those in the first embodiment, and the description thereof is omitted. Only the differences from the first embodiment will be described. .

(Embodiment 2)
An in-wheel motor unit to which the drive transmission device of the second embodiment is applied will be described based on FIG.
The second embodiment is different from the first embodiment in the connection structure between the air breather chamber 293 and the outside.
That is, the air breather pipe 296 is connected to the upper part of the motor chamber 10a, and the air breather chamber 93 is connected to the outside air through the motor chamber communication path 97 and the motor chamber 10a. Further, in the second embodiment, the motor chamber communication path 97 is provided with a microfilter 200 that allows only gas to pass therethrough.

(Operation of Embodiment 2)
In the speed reducer chamber 10b, when the volume of the internal air increases or decreases due to a temperature change or the like, air is discharged from the gas breather chamber 93 from the gas-

liquid separation chambers

91 and 92, and further from the air breather pipe 296 via the motor chamber 10a. Can be maintained at the same pressure as the external pressure.
In addition, the motor chamber 10a is likely to be relatively hot and the internal air volume is likely to change. Since the motor chamber 10a is directly communicated to the outside by the air breather pipe 296, the amount of air flow in the air breather chamber 293 can be suppressed as compared with the case where air is sucked into and discharged from the outside via the air breather chamber 293. . As a result, leakage of the lubricating oil due to the change in the air volume of the motor chamber 10a can be prevented. In the unlikely event that the lubricating oil enters the air breather chamber 293, leakage of the lubricating oil to the outside is restricted by the microfilter 200. Is done.

2-1) In the driving apparatus of the second embodiment,
The air breather chamber 293 communicates with the outside through an air breather pipe 296 provided at the upper portion of the motor chamber 10a through the motor chamber communication passage 97 and the motor chamber 10a.
In the structure in which the air breather pipe 296 is provided at the upper portion of the motor chamber 10a, the upper portion of the motor chamber 10a having a large diameter is likely to be the uppermost portion of the motor unit MU, and the possibility of water splashing on the air breather pipe 296 portion is reduced. It is easy to ensure watertightness.
Further, in the motor chamber 10a, which tends to be relatively high in temperature, the outside air is more likely to enter and exit from the reducer chamber 10b. By performing this frequent air flow in and out directly from the motor chamber 10a, the frequency of air flow in and out of the air breather chamber 293 and the outside can be suppressed as compared with the case where it is performed via the air breather chamber 293. Thereby, the lubricating oil leakage caused by the change in the air volume of the motor chamber 10a can be suppressed.

2-2) In the driving apparatus of the second embodiment,
The motor chamber communication path 97 is provided with a microfilter 200 that allows only gas to pass therethrough.
Therefore, even if the lubricating oil enters the air breather chamber 293, the lubricating oil can be prevented from entering the motor chamber 10a, and leakage of the lubricating oil from the motor chamber 10a can be prevented. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the deterioration of the insulation performance of the electric motor 6 and the deterioration of the lubrication performance due to the reduction of the lubricating oil in the speed reducer chamber 10b, thereby ensuring the reliability of the motor unit MU.

The drive transmission device of the present invention has been described above based on the embodiment. However, the specific configuration is not limited to this embodiment, and the gist of the invention according to each claim of the claims is described. Unless it deviates, design changes and additions are allowed.

For example, in the embodiment, a so-called wheel-in motor type in which one wheel is driven by one electric motor is illustrated, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, one electric motor may be arranged between the left and right wheels, and the rotation of the output shaft may be transmitted to the left and right wheels. Further, as the drive source, other means such as an internal combustion engine other than the electric motor can be used.
Moreover, as a wheel, you may apply to either the front wheel of a vehicle, or a rear wheel.
In the embodiment, the speed reduction mechanism is shown as the transmission mechanism. However, the speed reduction mechanism is not limited to this, and a speed increasing mechanism, a mechanism for changing the rotation direction regardless of whether or not there is a shift, etc. Can also be applied. In addition, in the embodiment, as the speed reducer, the one provided with the spur gear mechanism and the planetary gear mechanism is shown. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the structure without the planetary gear mechanism or the spur gear is a conical gear. Other structures such as the above structure can be used.
Further, in the embodiment, an example in which the gas-liquid separation chamber communication path is formed in an arc shape when forming the upward convex shape is shown, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and may be a mountain shape other than the arc.

Cross-reference of related applications

This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2013-153399 filed with the Japan Patent Office on July 24, 2013, the entire disclosure of which is fully incorporated herein by reference.

Claims

A transmission mechanism for transmitting the rotation of the input shaft input from the drive source to the output shaft;
While accommodating this transmission mechanism, the transmission mechanism accommodation chamber in which lubricating oil was accommodated,
A first gas-liquid separation chamber and a second gas are disposed above the transmission mechanism, on both sides of the rotation mechanism as viewed from the direction along the rotation axis of the transmission mechanism, and communicated with the transmission mechanism accommodation chamber. A liquid separation chamber;
An air breather chamber communicated with both gas-liquid separation chambers through an air communication port and communicated with outside air;
A gas-liquid separation chamber communication passage communicating the gas-liquid separation chambers at a position below the air communication port;
A drive transmission device comprising:
The drive transmission device according to claim 1,
The drive transmission device, wherein the gas-liquid separation chamber communication path is formed in a convex shape upward as viewed from the axial direction of the rotating shaft.
In the drive transmission device according to claim 1 or 2,
A drive transmission device characterized in that a communication port that communicates both the gas-liquid separation chamber and the transmission mechanism accommodation chamber is provided above an oil catch portion that captures the lubricating oil in the transmission mechanism accommodation chamber. .
The drive transmission device according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
A motor chamber that houses an electric motor as a drive source is formed adjacent to the transmission mechanism housing chamber,
An upper part of the air breather chamber is communicated with the motor chamber via the motor chamber communication passage.
The drive transmission device according to claim 4,
The drive transmission device, wherein the air breather chamber communicates with the outside through an air breather pipe provided at an upper portion of the motor chamber via the motor chamber communication path and the motor chamber.
In the drive transmission device according to claim 4 or 5,
A drive transmission device, wherein a micro filter that allows only the gas to pass through is installed in the motor chamber communication path.