WO2018030323A1

WO2018030323A1 - Drive device

Info

Publication number: WO2018030323A1
Application number: PCT/JP2017/028550
Authority: WO
Inventors: 山口　康夫; 貴之右田; 勇樹石川
Original assignee: 日本電産株式会社
Priority date: 2016-08-09
Filing date: 2017-08-07
Publication date: 2018-02-15

Abstract

One embodiment of a drive device according to the present invention comprises: a motor that has a motor shaft positioned along a first central axis, said first central axis extending in one direction; a housing that can retain oil and has a first accommodation part accommodating the motor; a liquid cooling part that is positioned in thermal contact with an inverter unit, said inverter unit being electrically connected to the motor, a refrigerant liquid flowing in an interior of the liquid cooling part; and a piping part that is connected to the liquid cooling part and through which the refrigerant liquid in the liquid cooling part flows. The piping part passes within the housing.

Description

Drive device

The present invention relates to a drive device.

2. Description of the Related Art A rotating electric machine is known that includes a case for storing a lubricating fluid for lubrication and cooling such as a stator and a rotor. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a rotating electrical machine mounted on a vehicle.

JP 2013-055728 A

In the rotating electric machine as described above, in order to efficiently cool the stator or the like, it is preferable to cool the lubricating fluid supplied to the stator or the like to lower the temperature of the lubricating fluid. As a method for cooling the lubricating fluid supplied to the stator or the like, for example, a cooling device is provided in the middle of an oil passage for supplying the lubricating fluid stored in the case to the stator or the like, and the lubricating fluid is cooled by the cooling device. It is conceivable to cool the battery. *

However, in this method, since the lubricating fluid is cooled only while passing through the cooling device, the lubricating fluid may not be sufficiently cooled. Further, since it is necessary to separately provide a cooling device for cooling the lubricating fluid, there is a problem that the rotating electrical machine is likely to be large. *

In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a drive device having a structure capable of sufficiently cooling oil for cooling and suppressing an increase in size.

One aspect of the drive device of the present invention includes a motor having a motor shaft disposed along a first central axis extending in one direction, and a first accommodating portion that accommodates the motor, and can store oil. A liquid cooling part that is disposed in thermal contact with a housing and an inverter unit that is electrically connected to the motor, and in which a refrigerant liquid flows, and is connected to the liquid cooling part, and the refrigerant liquid in the liquid cooling part And a pipe part through which the pipe part passes.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a drive device having a structure that can sufficiently cool the cooling oil and can suppress the increase in size.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the drive device of the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the driving apparatus of the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the drive device of the first embodiment, and is a partial cross-sectional view taken along the line III-III in FIG. FIG. 4 is a perspective view schematically showing a part of the drive device of the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a part of the bus bar according to the first embodiment. 6 is a view showing the cooling unit of the first embodiment, and is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VI-VI in FIG. FIG. 7 is a perspective view schematically showing a part of a drive device which is a modified example of the first embodiment. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing the driving apparatus of the second embodiment. FIG. 9 is a perspective view schematically showing a part of the driving apparatus of the third embodiment. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a cooling unit that is another example of each embodiment.

The Z-axis direction shown as appropriate in each drawing is a vertical direction Z in which the positive side is the upper side and the negative side is the lower side. The Y-axis direction is a direction orthogonal to the Z-axis direction. The X-axis direction is a direction orthogonal to both the Z-axis direction and the Y-axis direction. In the following description, the Y-axis direction is simply referred to as “first direction Y”, the negative side in the Y-axis direction is referred to as “first direction one side”, and the positive side in the Y-axis direction is referred to as “first direction”. Call the other side. *

Further, the X-axis direction is a direction in which the first central axis J1 shown as appropriate in each drawing extends. That is, the axial direction of the first central axis J1 is a direction orthogonal to both the vertical direction Z and the first direction Y. In the following description, the X-axis direction is simply referred to as “axial direction X”, the negative side in the X-axis direction is referred to as “axial one side”, and the positive side in the X-axis direction is referred to as “axial other side”. Call it. The radial direction centered on the first central axis J1 is simply referred to as “radial direction”, and the circumferential direction centered on the first central axis J1 is simply referred to as “circumferential direction”. *

The vertical direction, the upper side, and the lower side are simply names for explaining the relative positional relationship between the respective parts, and the actual layout relationship is a layout relationship other than the layout relationship indicated by these names. May be. *

<First Embodiment>

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the drive device 10 of the present embodiment includes a housing 20, a motor 30, an inverter unit 40, a bus bar 70, a liquid cooling unit 50, and

piping units

61, 62, and 63. The differential device 80 is provided. The housing 20 accommodates the motor 30 and the differential device 80. As shown in FIG. 3, the housing 20 includes a first housing part 21 and a second housing part 22.

The first accommodating part 21 accommodates the motor 30. The 1st accommodating part 21 has the cylindrical part 21a and the protrusion part 21b. The cylindrical portion 21a has a substantially cylindrical shape extending in the axial direction X. In FIG. 3, the protruding portion 21 b protrudes from the cylindrical portion 21 a toward the lower side and slightly obliquely in the first direction. The cross-sectional shape orthogonal to the axial direction X of the protrusion 21b is a trapezoid whose width decreases as the distance from the cylindrical portion 21a increases. *

In the following description, a direction parallel to the direction in which the protruding portion 21b protrudes is referred to as a protruding direction P, and is indicated as a P-axis direction in each drawing. The protruding direction P is a direction slightly inclined with respect to the vertical direction Z toward the other side in the first direction. A direction orthogonal to both the projecting direction P and the axial direction X is referred to as a width direction W, and is indicated as a W-axis direction in each drawing. The width direction W is a direction inclined slightly downward with respect to the first direction Y. Further, the positive side of the protruding direction P is called the protruding direction upper side, and the negative side of the protruding direction P is called the protruding direction lower side. *

In FIG. 4 and the like, in which the protruding direction P is the vertical direction, the liquid surface OS1 of the oil O is schematically shown as a state when the protruding direction P is parallel to the vertical direction Z. That is, in the figure showing the protruding direction P as the vertical direction, the liquid surface OS1 of the oil O is shown as a surface orthogonal to the protruding direction P. *

The second accommodating portion 22 accommodates the differential device 80. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the second housing portion 22 is disposed on the other axial side of the first housing portion 21. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the second housing portion 22 extends in the first direction Y and protrudes further to the other side in the first direction than the first housing portion 21. Although illustration is omitted, the inside of the first housing portion 21 and the inside of the second housing portion 22 are the connection portion between the first housing portion 21 and the second housing portion 22, that is, the other in the axial direction of the first housing portion 21. It is connected at the end of the side. The lower end portion of the second accommodating portion 22 is disposed below the lower end portion of the first accommodating portion 21. *

As shown in FIG. 3, the housing 20 can store the oil O. In this embodiment, the 1st accommodating part 21 and the 2nd accommodating part 22 can store the oil O, respectively. In FIG. 3, the liquid level OS <b> 1 of the oil O stored in the first storage unit 21 is located above the liquid level OS <b> 2 of the oil O stored in the second storage unit 22. *

The motor 30 includes a motor shaft 31, a rotor core 32, and a stator 33 that are disposed along a first central axis J <b> 1 extending in one direction, that is, the axial direction X. The rotor core 32 is fixed to the motor shaft 31. The rotor core 32 has an annular shape that is fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the motor shaft 31. The rotor core 32 is disposed above the liquid surface OS1 of the oil O stored in the first storage unit 21. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the rotor core 32 from being immersed in the oil O stored in the first housing portion 21. Thereby, when the rotor core 32 rotates, it can suppress that oil O becomes rotational resistance of the rotor core 32. FIG. *

In the present embodiment, the upper limit of the liquid level OS1 of the oil O in the first storage unit 21 is, for example, the liquid level upper limit OS1a indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. The liquid level upper limit OS 1 a is in contact with the lower end of the rotor core 32. For example, when the driving device 10 is driven to rotate the differential device 80, the oil O stored in the second housing portion 22 is lifted up by the gear of the differential device 80 and flows into the first housing portion 21. . Thereby, the quantity of the oil O stored in the 1st accommodating part 21 increases, and liquid level OS1 of the oil O stored in the 1st accommodating part 21 rises. Even in this case, in the present embodiment, the liquid level OS1 of the oil O does not rise above the liquid level upper limit OS1a. *

The stator 33 faces the rotor core 32 via a gap in the radial direction. The stator 33 surrounds the outer side of the rotor core 32 in the radial direction. The stator 33 has a stator core 34 and a plurality of coils 35. The stator core 34 has an annular core back 34a and a plurality of teeth 34b extending radially inward from the core back 34a. The core back 34 a is fixed to the radially inner side surface of the first housing portion 21. The plurality of coils 35 are attached to the stator core 34. More specifically, the plurality of coils 35 are attached to each of the plurality of teeth 34b. *

The inverter unit 40 is electrically connected to the motor 30. The inverter unit 40 controls the current supplied to the motor 30. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the inverter unit 40 is fixed to the outer surface of the housing 20. As shown in FIG. 1, the inverter unit 40 includes a first unit 41 and a second unit 42. As shown in FIG. 3, the first unit 41 is fixed to the lower portion of the first housing portion 21. The first unit 41 includes a first inverter case 41 a and a first inverter unit 43. That is, the inverter unit 40 has a first inverter unit 43. *

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the first inverter case 41a has a substantially cubic box shape. As shown in FIG. 3, the first inverter case 41 a is fixed to the radially outer surface of the first housing part 21 and extends downward from the first housing part 21 in the protruding direction. The lower part of the first accommodating portion 21 is accommodated in the first inverter case 41a. More specifically, the lower portion of the cylindrical portion 21a in the protruding direction and the protruding portion 21b are accommodated in the first inverter case 41a. *

The first inverter unit 43 is accommodated in the first inverter case 41a. The 1st inverter part 43 is installed in the bottom face of the 1st inverter case 41a. The first inverter unit 43 includes a rectangular parallelepiped box-shaped case 43a and a plurality of power elements 43b accommodated in the case 43a. The case 43a opens to the upper side in the protruding direction. The opening of the case 43a is closed by a heat sink 55 described later. The power element 43b is attached to the lower surface of the heat sink 55 in the protruding direction. The amount of heat generated by the power element 43b is relatively large, for example, the largest among the elements of the inverter unit 40. *

The second unit 42 includes a second inverter case 42 a, a second inverter unit 44, and a connector unit 45. That is, the inverter unit 40 has a second inverter unit 44. As shown in FIG. 1, the second inverter case 42a has a substantially cubic box shape. The second inverter case 42 a is fixed to the radially outer side surface of the first housing part 21 and extends from the first housing part 21 to one side in the substantially first direction. The end of one side in the first direction of the first housing part 21 is housed inside the second inverter case 42a. The lower end portion of the second inverter case 42a is connected to the end portion on one side in the first direction of the first inverter case 41a. The inside of the second inverter case 42a is connected to the inside of the first inverter case 41a at the connection portion with the first inverter case 41a. *

As shown in FIG. 3, the second inverter unit 44 is accommodated in the second inverter case 42 a. The second inverter unit 44 is disposed on one side in the first direction of the first housing unit 21 in the first direction Y orthogonal to the vertical direction Z. Although not shown, the second inverter unit 44 is electrically connected to the first inverter unit 43. In the present embodiment, the elements included in the second inverter unit 44 are elements that generate a relatively small amount of heat or elements that do not generate heat. *

The connector part 45 protrudes upward from the upper surface of the second inverter case 42a. An external power supply (not shown) is connected to the connector unit 45. Power is supplied to the first inverter unit 43 and the second inverter unit 44 through an external power source connected to the connector unit 45. *

As shown in FIG. 4, the bus bar 70 has a rod shape extending in the protruding direction P. The lower end of the bus bar 70 in the protruding direction is electrically connected to the first inverter unit 43. The bus bar 70 extends from the first inverter portion 43 to the upper side in the protruding direction and passes through the housing 20. A plurality of bus bars 70 are provided along the width direction W. In FIG. 4, for example, three bus bars 70 are provided. *

As shown in FIG. 5, a crimp terminal 71 is fixed to the upper end of the bus bar 70 in the protruding direction. The crimp terminal 71 is fixed to the bus bar 70 by, for example, screws. The crimp terminal 71 may be fixed to the bus bar 70 by welding or the like. The lead wire 35 a is connected to the crimp terminal 71. The conducting wire 35a is, for example, an end portion of a conducting wire constituting the coil 35. Thus, the bus bar 70 is connected to the coil 35 via the crimp terminal 71 and electrically connects the inverter unit 40 and the motor 30. The conducting wire 35 a may be another wiring member that is electrically connected to the coil 35. *

As shown in FIG. 4, the end of the bus bar 70 on the upper side in the protruding direction is disposed on the upper side in the protruding direction with respect to the liquid surface OS <b> 1 of the oil O. As a result, the crimp terminal 71 is disposed above the liquid surface OS1 of the oil O stored in the first housing portion 21, that is, above the liquid surface of the oil O stored in the housing 20. Therefore, for example, even if the drive device 10 is vibrated and the oil O stored in the first housing portion 21 is shaken, the crimp terminal 71 is not easily affected by the oil O. Thereby, it can suppress that the connection of the bus-bar 70 and the conducting wire 35a remove | deviates. *

The liquid cooling unit 50 cools the inverter unit 40. As shown in FIG. 3, in this embodiment, the liquid cooling unit 50 is accommodated in the first inverter case 41a. The liquid cooling part 50 is fixed to the lower end part of the first housing part 21. The liquid cooling unit 50 is disposed below the rotor core 32. As shown in FIG. 6, the liquid cooling unit 50 includes a case 51, a heat sink 55, and a wall 52. As shown in FIG. 3, the case 51 has a rectangular parallelepiped box shape that opens downward in the protruding direction. The opening on the lower side in the protruding direction of the case 51 is closed by the heat sink 55. *

The case 51 has a plate-shaped top plate portion 51 a orthogonal to the protruding direction P. The top plate portion 51a faces the heat sink 55 in the protruding direction P with a gap therebetween. The top plate portion 51a is fixed in thermal contact with the lower surface of the protruding portion 21b in the protruding direction. In the present embodiment, the protruding portion 21b corresponds to a contact portion with which the liquid cooling portion 50 comes into thermal contact. That is, the housing 20 has the protrusion part 21b as a contact part with which the liquid cooling part 50 contacts thermally. *

In addition, in this specification, a certain object "contacts thermally" includes the case where certain objects contact directly, and the case where certain objects contact via a heat-transfer member. . Examples of the heat transfer member include silicon, compound, thermal tape, and grease. *

The heat sink 55 includes a bottom plate portion 55a and a plurality of fins 55b. The bottom plate portion 55a has a plate shape orthogonal to the protruding direction P. The lower surface of the bottom plate portion 55a in the protruding direction is the lower surface of the liquid cooling unit 50 in the protruding direction. The bottom plate portion 55a closes the opening on the lower side in the protruding direction of the case 51 and closes the opening on the upper side in the protruding direction of the case 43a. That is, the bottom plate part 55 a partitions the inside of the liquid cooling part 50 and the inside of the first inverter part 43 in the protruding direction P. *

The case 43a and the power element 43b are fixed to the lower surface of the bottom plate portion 55a in the protruding direction. That is, the first inverter portion 43 is fixed to the bottom plate portion 55a. Thereby, the liquid cooling unit 50 is disposed in thermal contact with the inverter unit 40. The plurality of fins 55b have a rod shape that protrudes upward in the protruding direction from the upper surface of the bottom plate portion 55a in the protruding direction. The end of the fin 55b on the upper side in the protruding direction is disposed at a position farther to the lower side in the protruding direction than the top plate portion 51a of the case 51. As shown in FIG. 6, the plurality of fins 55 b are arranged in alignment along the width direction W and the axial direction X. *

The wall 52 extends from the upper surface in the protruding direction of the bottom plate 55a to the upper side in the protruding direction and is connected to the lower surface of the top plate 51a in the protruding direction. The wall portion 52 extends from the surface on one side in the axial direction to the other side in the axial direction on the inner side surface of the case 51. Inside the liquid cooling part 50, a flow path 50a surrounded by a case 51, a heat sink 55 and a wall part 52 is formed. The flow path 50a is U-shaped opening to one side in the axial direction.

The liquid cooling unit 50 includes a first inflow / outflow port 53 and a second inflow / outflow port 54. The first inflow / outflow port 53 and the second inflow / outflow port 54 are provided on the surface on one side in the axial direction of the case 51 so as to be separated in the width direction W. The first inlet / outlet 53 and the second inlet / outlet 54 connect the outside of the liquid cooling unit 50 and the flow path 50a, respectively. The first inflow / outflow port 53 is connected to one end of the flow path 50a. The second inlet / outlet 54 is connected to the other end of the flow path 50a. In the present embodiment, the refrigerant liquid flows into the flow path 50a via the second inflow / outflow port 54. The refrigerant liquid that has flowed into the flow path 50 a flows out from the first inflow / outflow port 53. In this way, the refrigerant liquid flows inside the liquid cooling unit 50. A refrigerant liquid is not specifically limited, For example, it is water. *

By flowing the coolant liquid through the flow path 50a, it is possible to cool components that are in thermal contact with the liquid cooling unit 50. In the present embodiment, since the inverter unit 40 and the housing 20 are in thermal contact with the liquid cooling unit 50, the inverter unit 40 and the housing 20 can be cooled by the liquid cooling unit 50. Here, as shown in FIG. 3, at least a part of the protruding portion 21b in which the liquid cooling unit 50 in the housing 20 is in thermal contact is disposed below the liquid level OS1 in the vertical direction Z. That is, at least a part of the protruding portion 21b as the contact portion is disposed below the liquid level OS1. Thereby, at least a part of the inner surface of the protruding portion 21 b comes into contact with the oil O stored in the first storage portion 21. Therefore, the oil O stored in the housing 20 can be cooled by cooling the protruding portion 21b by the liquid cooling portion 50. *

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the stored oil O can be cooled by the liquid cooling unit 50, and therefore, the oil O can be compared with a case where a cooling device is disposed in the flow path through which the oil O flows. It is easy to cool sufficiently. Moreover, since the liquid cooling part 50 which cools the inverter unit 40 which adjusts the electric current supplied to the motor 30 can be utilized, compared with the case where the cooling device which cools the oil O is provided separately, the drive device 10 whole becomes large. This can be suppressed. As described above, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to obtain the driving device 10 having a structure that can sufficiently cool the cooling oil O and can suppress an increase in size. Since the oil O can be sufficiently cooled, the motor 30 can be suitably cooled by the oil O. Moreover, since the number of parts of the drive apparatus 10 can be reduced, the effort and cost of assembling the drive apparatus 10 can be reduced. *

In the present specification, “at least a part of the contact portion is disposed below the oil level” means that the contact is made in at least a part of the mode and posture in which the driving device is used and in the posture. It suffices that at least a part of the portion is disposed below the oil level. That is, for example, if at least a part of the protruding portion 21b is arranged below the liquid surface OS1 in the state shown in FIG. 3, the driving device 10 is inclined in the circumferential direction from the posture shown in FIG. When it becomes, the whole protrusion part 21b may be arrange | positioned above liquid level OS1. Further, even when the liquid level OS1 changes in the vertical direction Z when the attitude of the driving device 10 does not change, at least a part of the protruding portion 21b in at least a part of the range of the vertical direction Z in which the liquid level OS1 changes. May be disposed below the liquid surface OS1. *

In the present embodiment, by providing the plurality of fins 55b, the surface area of the heat sink 55 that contacts the refrigerant liquid can be increased. Therefore, it is easy to radiate the heat of the power element 43b fixed to the bottom plate portion 55a to the refrigerant liquid flowing through the flow path 50a via the plurality of fins 55b. Accordingly, the first inverter unit 43 can be more easily cooled by the liquid cooling unit 50. *

In the present embodiment, at least a part of the protruding portion 21 b which is a contact portion is disposed below the rotor core 32. Therefore, even when the liquid level OS1 is set below the rotor core 32 as described above, at least a part of the inner surface of the protruding portion 21b can be brought into contact with the oil O. Therefore, the oil O stored in the first accommodating portion 21 can be sufficiently cooled by cooling the protruding portion 21b by the liquid cooling portion 50 while suppressing the oil O from becoming the rotational resistance of the rotor core 32. *

In the present embodiment, the protruding portion 21 b that is a contact portion is a lower portion of the first accommodating portion 21. Therefore, the oil O stored in the first storage unit 21 can be cooled by the liquid cooling unit 50. Thereby, the motor 30 can be efficiently cooled by the oil O. In the present specification, the “lower part of the first housing part” means a part arranged below the center in the vertical direction Z of the first housing part when the drive device is arranged in a normal use posture. Including. *

In the present embodiment, the portion of the inverter unit 40 that is in thermal contact with the liquid cooling unit 50 is the first inverter unit 43. The first inverter unit 43 is disposed in thermal contact with the lower side of the liquid cooling unit 50. Therefore, the liquid cooling part 50 is easily sandwiched between the housing 20 and the first inverter part 43 in the vertical direction Z, and the liquid cooling part 50 is easily brought into thermal contact with both the housing 20 and the first inverter part 43. Further, for example, by mounting the power element 43b having a relatively large heat generation amount in the first inverter unit 43 as in the present embodiment, a portion that is particularly likely to generate heat in the inverter unit 40 can be easily cooled by the liquid cooling unit 50. *

In the present embodiment, the inverter unit 40 includes the second inverter unit 44 disposed on one side in the first direction of the first housing unit 21. Thus, the first inverter unit 43 is disposed on the lower side with respect to the first housing unit 21, and the second inverter unit 44 is disposed on one side in the first direction, whereby the entire inverter unit 40 is first housed. Compared with the case where it is arranged on the lower side or one side in the first direction with respect to the portion 21, the entire driving device 10 can be easily downsized. Moreover, even if the inverter unit 40 is divided into two inverter units by collecting and mounting the elements having a relatively large calorific value among the elements of the inverter unit 40 in the first inverter unit 43, the inverter unit 40 can be efficiently used. Can be cooled. As described above, according to the present embodiment, the liquid cooling unit 50 can efficiently cool the inverter unit 40 while suppressing the drive device 10 from becoming large. *

The

piping parts

61 and 62 shown in FIG. 4 are connected to the liquid cooling part 50, and the refrigerant liquid in the liquid cooling part 50 flows. A part of the piping part 61 is arranged in the first housing part 21. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, the piping portion 61 is inserted into the first housing portion 21 from the surface on one side in the axial direction of the first housing portion 21, and is U-shaped in the first housing portion 21. And protrudes from the surface on one side in the axial direction of the first housing portion 21 to the outside of the first housing portion 21. Thereby, the piping part 61 passes through the housing 20. Therefore, the inside of the housing 20 can be cooled by the piping portion 61, and the oil O stored in the housing 20 can be easily cooled. *

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the stored oil O can be cooled by the pipe portion 61, so that the oil O is sufficient as compared with the case where the cooling device is disposed in the flow path through which the oil O flows. Easy to cool down. Moreover, since the piping part 61 connected with the liquid cooling part 50 which cools the inverter unit 40 which adjusts the electric current supplied to the motor 30 can be utilized, compared with the case where the cooling device which cools the oil O is provided separately, the drive device 10. It can suppress that the whole enlarges. As described above, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to obtain the driving device 10 having a structure that can sufficiently cool the cooling oil O and can suppress an increase in size. Further, in the present embodiment, as described above, the oil O stored in the housing 20 can be cooled also by the liquid cooling unit 50, so that the oil O can be further cooled. *

The piping part 61 passes through the lower region in the vertical direction in the housing 20. Therefore, the piping part 61 can be easily passed through the oil O stored in the lower side of the vertical direction Z in the housing 20. Thereby, the oil O stored in the housing 20 can be more easily cooled by the pipe portion 61. *

In the present specification, the “vertical lower region in the housing” is a portion located below the center of the vertical direction Z in an arbitrary portion of the interior of the housing. That is, for example, in the first housing part 21, a portion located below the center in the vertical direction Z inside the first housing part 21 is a vertically lower region in the housing. Moreover, in the 2nd accommodating part 22, the part located below the center of the vertical direction Z in the inside of the 2nd accommodating part 22 is a vertical direction lower side area | region in a housing. That is, the position in the vertical direction Z of the lower region in the vertical direction in the housing may differ depending on the accommodating portion, for example. *

In the present embodiment, the piping part 61 passes through the lower region in the vertical direction in the first housing part 21. Therefore, it is easy to pass the piping part 61 into the housing 20 below the liquid level OS1, and the oil O stored in the first accommodating part 21 can be suitably cooled by the piping part 61. At least a part of the piping part 61 disposed in the housing 20 is disposed below the liquid level of the oil O stored in the housing 20, that is, below the liquid level OS1 in this embodiment. Therefore, the piping part 61 can be brought into contact with the oil O, and the oil O can be more easily cooled by the refrigerant liquid flowing through the piping part 61. *

In the present embodiment, the entire portion of the piping portion 61 disposed in the housing 20 is disposed below the liquid level OS1 and passes through the oil O. As shown in FIG. 3, the piping part 61 disposed in the housing 20 is disposed below the rotor core 32. In this embodiment, the piping part 61 passes through the inside of the protruding part 21b. *

As shown in FIG. 4, the pipe portion 61 that protrudes from the first housing portion 21 to the outside of the first housing portion 21 is connected to the second inlet / outlet 54 of the liquid cooling portion 50. Thereby, the refrigerant liquid flowing in the piping part 61 flows into the liquid cooling part 50, that is, the flow path 50a through the second inlet / outlet 54. The piping part 62 is connected to the first inlet / outlet 53 of the liquid cooling part 50. Thereby, the refrigerant liquid in the liquid cooling part 50, that is, in the flow path 50 a flows out to the pipe part 62 through the first inflow / outlet 53. *

The piping part 63 shown in FIG. 3 is connected to the piping part 61 or the piping part 62, and is connected to the liquid cooling part 50 via the piping part 61 or the piping part 62. The piping part 63 passes through the housing 20. More specifically, the piping part 63 passes through the lower region in the vertical direction in the second housing part 22. Therefore, it is easy to cool the oil O stored in the second accommodating portion 22 by the piping portion 63. At least a part of the pipe part 63 is disposed below the liquid surface OS2 of the oil O stored in the second storage part 22.

Although illustration is omitted, the piping part 61 and the piping part 62 are drawn from the first inverter case 41a into the second inverter case 42a, and are drawn out of the driving device 10 from the second inverter case 42a. The piping part 61 and the piping part 62 drawn out of the driving device 10 are connected to a pump (not shown). The pump circulates the refrigerant liquid in the order of the piping part 61, the flow path 50 a, and the piping part 62. In the present embodiment, for example, the refrigerant liquid flows through the pipe part 61 or the pipe part 63 connected to the pipe part 62 during the circulation. The piping unit 62 is connected to a radiator (not shown) outside the driving device 10. The radiator cools the refrigerant liquid in the pipe part 62. Thereby, the heat absorbed from the oil O stored in the inverter unit 40 and the housing 20 can be radiated by the refrigerant liquid. *

The driving force from the motor 30 is transmitted to the differential device 80 shown in FIG. More specifically, the differential device 80 is connected to the motor shaft 31 via a reduction mechanism (not shown), and the rotation of the reduced motor shaft 31 is transmitted. The differential device 80 has a connecting hole 81 centered on the second central axis J2. The second central axis J2 is parallel to the first central axis J1, and is arranged in the first direction Y on the opposite side of the second inverter unit 44 with respect to the first central axis J1, that is, on the other side in the first direction. . *

For example, an output shaft disposed along the second central axis J2 is coupled to the coupling hole 81. The differential device 80 can output the driving force transmitted from the motor shaft 31 via the speed reduction mechanism to the output shaft coupled to the coupling hole 81. That is, the differential device 80 can output a driving force around the second central axis J2 with respect to the output shaft. The output shaft is, for example, a vehicle axle. *

According to the present embodiment, in the first direction Y, the second central axis J2 is disposed at a position sandwiching the first central axis J1 with the second inverter unit 44. Therefore, it can suppress that the 2nd inverter part 44, ie, the 2nd unit 42, is arrange | positioned in the position which overlaps with the connection hole part 81 and the axial direction X. FIG. Thereby, it is easy to connect the output shaft to the connection hole 81. *

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and other configurations can be employed. In the following description, the same configurations as those in the above embodiment may be omitted by appropriately attaching the same reference numerals. *

The entire inverter unit 40 may be disposed on the lower side with respect to the first housing portion 21 or on either one side in the first direction Y. In this case, the first unit 41 and the second unit 42 may be combined into one unit. A part of the liquid cooling unit 50 may be disposed above the liquid level OS1. The second unit 42 may be provided with another liquid cooling unit that cools the second inverter unit 44. In this case, the other liquid cooling unit may be connected to the liquid cooling unit 50 via the piping unit 61 and the piping unit 62, for example. The shape of the plurality of fins 55b may be a shape along the flow of the refrigerant liquid flowing through the flow path 50a. The bus bar 70 and the conductive wire 35a may be directly fixed without using the crimp terminal 71. The bus bar 70 and the conductive wire 35a may be directly fixed by screws, for example, or may be directly fixed by welding. *

<Modification of First Embodiment>

As shown in FIG. 7, in the drive device 110 according to this modification, the first housing 121 of the housing 120 has a window 121c. The window part 121c is an opening part provided on the surface of the first housing part 121 on one side in the axial direction. The window part 121 c connects the inside of the first housing part 121 and the outside of the first housing part 121. The window 121c has a rounded rectangular shape extending in the width direction W.

The housing 120 has a lid portion 123 that closes the window portion 121c. The lid portion 123 has a plate shape orthogonal to the axial direction X. The shape of the lid 123 viewed along the axial direction X is a rounded rectangular shape extending in the width direction W. The lid portion 123 is fitted into the window portion 121c to close the window portion 121c. The material of the lid 123 is, for example, rubber or metal. A seal member such as FIPG (Formed In Place Gasket) is disposed between the window portion 121c and the lid portion 123, for example. Thereby, it can suppress that oil O leaks outside the 1st accommodating part 121 from the clearance gap between the window part 121c and the cover part 123. FIG. *

The lid portion 123 has holes that penetrate the lid portion 123 in the axial direction X at both ends in the width direction W. The hole part of the lid part 123 projects from the outside of the first housing part 121 to the portion of the piping part 61 inserted into the first housing part 121 and from the inside of the first housing part 121 to the outside of the first housing part 121. The piping part 61 to be passed is passed through. A seal member such as FIPG is disposed between the hole of the lid portion 123 and the piping portion 61. Thereby, it can suppress that oil O leaks outside the 1st accommodating part 121 from the clearance gap between the hole of the cover part 123, and the piping part 61. FIG. *

According to this modification, since the window part 121c is provided, it is easy to pass the pipe part 61 into the first accommodating part 121. Specifically, the pipe part 61 is passed through the hole of the lid part 123 and the lid part 123 is fixed to the pipe part 61. It inserts in the 1st accommodating part 121 via. And while inserting the piping part 61 to the other side of an axial direction, the cover part 123 is engage | inserted and fixed to the window part 121c. Thereby, a part of the piping part 61 can be easily arranged in the first housing part 121, and the piping part 61 can be easily passed through the first housing part 121. *

In the present modification, unlike the drive device 10 shown in FIG. 4, the refrigerant liquid flows into the liquid cooling unit 50 from the pipe unit 62, and the refrigerant liquid that flows into the liquid cooling unit 50 flows out of the pipe unit 61. That is, the flow direction of the refrigerant liquid in the

pipe portions

61, 62, 63 and the liquid cooling portion 50 in the present modification is opposite to that of the driving device 10 shown in FIG. As a result, the refrigerant liquid supplied from a pump (not shown) can flow into the liquid cooling unit 50 before the inside of the first storage unit 21. Therefore, the temperature of the refrigerant liquid flowing inside the liquid cooling unit 50 can be lowered, and the first inverter unit 43 can be cooled more suitably. *

Second Embodiment

As shown in FIG. 8, in the driving device 210 of the present embodiment, the first housing portion 221 opens to the lower side in the protruding direction. More specifically, the protrusion 221b opens downward in the protrusion direction. The opening on the lower side in the protruding direction of the protruding portion 221 b is closed by the top plate portion 251 a of the case 251 in the liquid cooling unit 250. That is, in this embodiment, a part of the liquid cooling unit 250 is also a part of the housing 220.

In the present specification, “the liquid cooling part is in thermal contact with the housing” includes the case where the refrigerant liquid flowing inside the liquid cooling part can be in thermal contact with the housing. In the present embodiment, since the top plate portion 251 a constitutes a part of the first housing portion 221, the refrigerant liquid flowing inside the liquid cooling unit 250 causes the top plate portion 251 a that constitutes a part of the first housing portion 221. In thermal contact. Accordingly, the liquid cooling unit 250 is in thermal contact with the housing 220. Thereby, since the oil O stored in the housing 220 can be cooled by the liquid cooling unit 250 as in the first embodiment, it is easier to cool the oil O. In particular, in the present embodiment, since the refrigerant liquid directly contacts the top plate portion 251a that constitutes a part of the first housing part 221 that stores the oil O, the refrigerant liquid more easily absorbs heat from the oil O, Oil O is easier to cool. *

The top plate portion 251a is fixed with screws to the lower end of the protruding portion 221b in the protruding direction. Although illustration is omitted, a seal member is disposed between the top plate portion 251a and the end portion on the lower side in the protruding direction of the protruding portion 221b. The seal member is, for example, FIPG. Thereby, it can suppress that the oil O in the 1st accommodating part 221 leaks to the exterior of the housing 220. FIG. *

<Third Embodiment>

In the drive device 310 of this embodiment shown in FIG. 9, the piping part 361 extends in a U-shape that opens to one side in the axial direction. The piping part 361 is inserted into the first accommodating part 21 from the surface on one side in the axial direction of the first accommodating part 21, and protrudes to the outside of the first accommodating part 21 from the surface on the other side in the axial direction of the first accommodating part 21. To do. The piping part 361 that protrudes from the surface on the other axial side of the first housing part 21 is folded back in a U-shape and extends to one axial direction while contacting the side surface on one side in the width direction of the protruding part 21b. Thereby, the piping part 361 is in thermal contact with the outer side surface of the first housing part 21, that is, the outer side surface of the housing 20. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the inside of the housing 20 can be cooled by the piping portion 361, and the housing 20 can also be cooled from the outside. Therefore, the oil O stored in the housing 20 can be further cooled.

In the present embodiment, the portion where the piping portion 361 is in thermal contact is the outer surface of the protruding portion 21b. The outer side surface of the protruding portion 21 b is the outer side surface of the lower region in the vertical direction in the first accommodating portion 21. That is, the piping part 361 is in thermal contact with the outer surface of the lower region in the vertical direction in the housing 20. Thereby, it is easier to cool the oil O stored in the housing 20 by the pipe portion 361. *

Note that the pipe portion 361 may be in thermal contact with the outer surface of the housing 20 other than the protruding portion 21b. For example, the piping part 361 may be in thermal contact with the outer surface of the second housing part 22. *

In each embodiment mentioned above, inflow and outflow of the refrigerant | coolant liquid with respect to the liquid cooling part were performed from the surface of the same side of the axial direction X of a liquid cooling part, but it is not restricted to this. The inflow and outflow of the refrigerant liquid with respect to the liquid cooling unit may be performed from the surface opposite to the axial direction X of the liquid cooling unit as in the liquid cooling unit 450 illustrated in FIG. As shown in FIG. 10, in the liquid cooling unit 450, the first inlet / outlet 453 is provided on the surface on the one side in the axial direction of the case 451. The second inlet / outlet 454 is provided on the other surface in the axial direction of the case 451. Thereby, for example, the refrigerant liquid that has flowed into the flow path 450a from the one side in the axial direction via the first inflow / outlet 453 flows out to the other side in the axial direction via the second inflow / outlet 454. *

The first inlet / outlet 453 is disposed at the center in the width direction W on the surface on one side in the axial direction of the case 451. The second inlet / outlet 454 is disposed at the center in the width direction W on the other surface in the axial direction of the case 451. In the liquid cooling unit 450, the refrigerant liquid may flow from the second inlet / outlet 454 to the flow path 450a, and the refrigerant liquid in the flow path 450a may flow out from the first inlet / outlet 453. *

Moreover, in each embodiment mentioned above, although the contact part which the liquid cooling part in a housing contacts thermally was made into a part of 1st accommodating part, it is not restricted to this. The contact portion may be a part of the second housing portion. In this case, the liquid cooling part is fixed in thermal contact with the lower end part of the second housing part, for example. That is, the contact portion of the housing with which the liquid cooling portion is in thermal contact is the lower portion of the second housing portion. Thereby, the oil O stored in the 2nd accommodating part by the liquid cooling part can fully be cooled. In this configuration, for example, the inverter unit is fixed to the lower surface of the liquid cooling unit. *

Moreover, in each embodiment mentioned above, although the liquid cooling part was set as the structure which contacts a housing thermally, it is not restricted to this. The liquid cooling unit may not be in thermal contact with the housing. That is, the housing may not have a contact portion. In this case, the liquid cooling unit and the inverter unit are arranged away from the housing. The location where the liquid cooling unit and the inverter unit are arranged is not particularly limited. Even in this case, since the piping portion passes through the housing, the oil stored in the housing can be cooled by the piping portion. *

Moreover, in each embodiment mentioned above, the drive device may be provided with the 2nd liquid cooling part different from a liquid cooling part. The second liquid cooling unit is in thermal contact with the housing and cools the housing and the oil O stored in the housing. For example, the second liquid cooling unit may be connected to the liquid cooling unit via a piping unit. The liquid cooling part and the second liquid cooling part may be arranged with the housing interposed therebetween. According to this configuration, since the oil O stored in the housing can be cooled by the liquid cooling unit and the second liquid cooling unit, the oil O can be more suitably cooled. *

In addition, the use of the drive device of each embodiment described above is not limited, and the drive device of each embodiment may be mounted on any device. Moreover, each structure mentioned above can be suitably combined in the range which is not mutually contradictory.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10,110,210,310 ... Drive device, 20,120,220 ... Housing, 21,121,221 ... 1st accommodating part, 22 ... 2nd accommodating part, 30 ... Motor, 31 ... Motor shaft, 40 ...

Inverter unit

50, 250, 450 ... liquid cooling part, 61, 62, 63, 361 ... piping part, 80 ... differential, J1 ... first central axis, O ... oil, OS1, OS2 ... liquid level, Z ... vertical direction

Claims

A motor having a motor shaft disposed along a first central axis extending in one direction;

A housing having a first housing for housing the motor and capable of storing oil;

A liquid cooling unit that is disposed in thermal contact with an inverter unit that is electrically connected to the motor, and in which a refrigerant liquid flows;

A pipe part connected to the liquid cooling part and through which the refrigerant liquid in the liquid cooling part flows;

With

The said piping part is a drive device which passes the inside of the said housing.
The driving device according to claim 1, wherein the pipe portion passes through a lower region in the vertical direction in the housing.
The first accommodating portion can store oil;

The driving device according to claim 2, wherein the pipe portion passes through a lower region in the vertical direction in the first housing portion.
A differential device that transmits a driving force from the motor via the motor shaft;

The housing has a second accommodating portion that accommodates the differential and stores oil.

The drive device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the pipe portion passes through a lower region in the vertical direction in the second housing portion.
5. The drive device according to claim 1, wherein at least a part of the pipe portion disposed in the housing is disposed below a level of oil stored in the housing. .
The driving device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the pipe portion is in thermal contact with an outer surface of a lower region in the vertical direction in the housing.