WO2018181238A1

WO2018181238A1 - In-wheel motor drive device

Info

Publication number: WO2018181238A1
Application number: PCT/JP2018/012281
Authority: WO
Inventors: 直哉竹内; 四郎田村; 真也太向
Original assignee: Ntn株式会社
Priority date: 2017-03-30
Filing date: 2018-03-27
Publication date: 2018-10-04
Also published as: JP2018170908A

Abstract

This in-wheel motor drive device is provided with: a casing (25) for containing a motor; three motor-side terminals (43) which, within the casing, are each provided to one end of a corresponding one of three internal power lines extending from the motor; three external side terminals (45) each provided to one end of a corresponding one of three external power lines (44) routed from the outside into the casing; three electrically conductive members (52a-52c) for individually connecting the three motor-side terminals and the three external side terminals; and three sockets (53a-53c) for containing the electrically conductive members. At least one (53b, 53c) of the three sockets is supported by the casing at a plurality of longitudinal locations.

Description

In-wheel motor drive device

The present invention relates to a vehicle motor drive device, and more particularly to an in-wheel motor drive device arranged in an inner space of a wheel.

In a vehicle motor drive device such as an in-wheel motor drive device, the drive power of the motor is received from an inverter mounted on the vehicle body side through U, V, and W three-phase power lines. The motor is supported by the casing and sealed.

The casing includes a terminal box. In this terminal box, three terminals (hereinafter referred to as “external terminals”) respectively provided at one end of three power lines led into the casing from the outside, and extend from the motor. Three terminals (hereinafter referred to as “motor side terminals”) respectively provided at one ends of the three power lines are electrically connected.

In the electric vehicle described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-209016 (Patent Document 1), a terminal box (terminal housing chamber) is provided at the upper part of the motor case that protrudes from the concave portion, which is an inner space area of the wheel of the vehicle, to the vehicle body center side. Is provided. The connection structure of the power line in the motor drive apparatus of patent document 1 is shown in FIG. 8 and FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, in Patent Document 1, three motor side terminals 94 to 96 are provided along the outer peripheral surface of the motor case 90 in the terminal accommodating chamber 93 provided in the upper part of the motor case 90. They are spaced from each other. The motor side terminal 96 and the external side terminal (crimp terminal) 103 closest to the grommet 101 through which the power lines 97 to 99 extending from the outside pass are directly fixed by bolts 104. The remaining

motor side terminals

94 and 95 and the external side terminal 103 are fixed with bolts 104 via sockets 102 having different lengths.

Motor side terminals

94 and 95 are connected to one end side of the socket 102, and an external side terminal 103 is connected to the other end side of the socket 102. As a result, the three power lines 97 to 99 are fastened to the motor side terminals 94 to 96 while remaining in a straight line.

Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2015-160529 (Patent Document 2) discloses another connection structure for power lines. FIG. 10 shows a connection structure of power lines in the in-wheel motor drive device of Patent Document 2. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 10, three conductive members 131 having one end and the other end connected to the motor side terminal 119 and the external side terminal 112 partition the air chamber inside the terminal box and the motor chamber in which the motor is accommodated. It is arranged so as to extend across the non-conductive partition wall 141. In this Patent Document 1, when the external terminals 112 are arranged in a laminar shape, the lengths of the three conductive members 131 are different, and the external terminals 112 and the conductive members 131 are connected by crossing 90 °. Is disclosed.

JP2013-209016A (Patent No. 587358) JP2015-160529A

In Patent Document 1, as shown in FIG. 9, the external terminal 103 is connected to the other end of the socket 102 in the axial direction, and the other end of the socket 102 is not supported by the terminal accommodating chamber 93. That is, the connecting member including the socket 102 and the terminal is cantilevered regardless of its length. In this way, when the connecting member is cantilevered, the longer the connecting member is, the more unstable the posture becomes and vibration may occur. Therefore, the

power lines

97 and 98 extending from the external terminal 103 connected to the other end of the socket 102 in Patent Document 1 are disadvantageous in terms of bending strength as the length of the socket 102 increases. Moreover, since the head of the bolt 104 for fixing the

power lines

98 and 99 is close to the

adjacent power lines

97 and 98, there is a concern about contact due to external vibrations or the like.

As shown in FIG. 10, in the in-wheel motor driving device of Patent Document 2, three conductive members 131 extend through the partition wall 141, and are adjacent to each other between the conductive members 131 extending in parallel. This is a structure in which an insulator 147 is inserted. Therefore, even if the conductive member 131 having a relatively long length is supported in a cantilever state, vibration that may occur in the conductive member 131 is suppressed as compared with Patent Document 1. In addition, since the external terminal 112 is fixed to the conductive member 131 from a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the conductive member 131, the head of the bolt 122 that fixes the external terminal 112 and the adjacent power line 111 Can also be avoided.

However, as in the in-wheel motor drive device of Patent Document 2, there is room for improvement in terms of strength in the power line connection structure in which all the three conductive members 131 having different lengths are fixed at only one place. Further, in Patent Document 2, since an insulator 147 is separately required between the conductive members 131, there is room for improvement from the viewpoint of reducing the weight of the device or reducing the number of parts.

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-described problems, and its purpose is when the distance between the connection point of the motor-side terminal and the connection point of the external-side terminal needs to be relatively large. Even so, the present invention is to provide an in-wheel motor drive device that can suppress the vibration of the connecting member that connects these terminals with a simple configuration.

An in-wheel motor drive device according to an aspect of the present invention includes a casing incorporating a motor, three motor-side terminals respectively provided at one end of three internal power lines extending from the motor, and a casing from the outside. Three conductive members respectively connecting three external terminals provided at one end of three external power lines led into the interior, three motor-side terminals and three external terminals, and each conductive member A cylindrical non-conductive member that houses three sockets having a length. At least one of the three sockets is supported by the casing at a plurality of locations in the longitudinal direction.

According to the in-wheel motor drive device of the present invention, even when at least one of the three sockets is relatively long, the one or more sockets are attached to the casing at a plurality of positions in the longitudinal direction. Since it is supported, vibration of the socket and the conductive member inside the socket can be suppressed with a simple configuration. Therefore, such a socket support structure is also effective when it is necessary to provide a relatively large distance between the connection portion of the motor side terminal and the connection portion of the external terminal.

Preferably, the three sockets include a first socket supported by the casing only at one place and a second socket longer than the first socket and supported by the casing at a plurality of places.

Preferably, the casing includes a first space in which the motor-side terminal is disposed, a second space in which the external-side terminal is disposed, and a partition wall through which each socket is inserted to partition the first space and the second space. . In this case, one location of each socket is supported by this partition wall.

Each socket is preferably bolted to the partition wall.

Preferably, the outer peripheral surface of one end of each of the first and second sockets is provided with a notch for receiving the external terminal, and on the inner wall surface of the casing facing the one end surface of the first socket, A support portion for supporting one end of the second socket is provided.

The support part is, for example, a recess into which one end of the second socket is fitted. In this case, it is desirable that an elastic material is provided at the fitting portion between the recess and the one end of the second socket.

Preferably, the first and second sockets extend in parallel with the rotation axis of the motor, and the casing has three through holes through which three external power lines are inserted, penetrating in the vehicle front-rear direction. In this case, the position of the through hole of the external power line connected to the conductive member inside the second socket is connected to the conductive member inside the first socket in the vertical direction when viewed in the same direction as the rotating shaft. It is desirable that at least a part of the position of the through hole of the external power line overlaps. Thereby, a casing can be reduced in size in radial direction.

According to the present invention, at least one of the three sockets that accommodate the conductive member that connects the motor side terminal and the external side terminal is supported by the casing at a plurality of locations in the longitudinal direction. Therefore, the vibration of the socket and the conductive member therein can be suppressed with a simple configuration.

It is a transverse cross section showing typically an example of basic composition of an in-wheel motor drive concerning an embodiment of the invention. It is an expanded sectional view showing typically an example of basic composition of an in-wheel motor drive concerning an embodiment of the invention. It is the figure which shows typically the connection structure of the power line in embodiment of this invention, and is the figure which looked at the inside of the motor casing from the vehicle width direction inner side. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the motor casing taken along the line IV-IV in FIG. 3, and is a view of the power line connection structure viewed from below. In embodiment of this invention, it is a figure which shows typically the arrangement pattern of three through-holes which looked at the power line terminal box from the vehicle rear side. In embodiment of this invention, it is a figure which shows typically the support structure of a comparatively long socket. In embodiment of this invention, it is a figure which shows typically the other support structure of a comparatively long socket. It is a figure which shows the connection structure of the conventional power line. It is a figure which shows the connection structure of the conventional power line. It is a figure which shows the connection structure of the other conventional power line.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof will not be repeated.

<About basic configuration>
First, a basic configuration example of the in-wheel motor driving device according to the present embodiment will be described.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the in-wheel motor drive device 10 and shows a state in which the inside of the in-wheel motor drive device 10 is viewed from the outside in the vehicle width direction of the electric vehicle. In FIG. 1, the left side of the drawing represents the front of the vehicle, the right side of the drawing represents the rear of the vehicle, the upper side of the drawing represents the upper side of the vehicle, and the lower side of the drawing represents the lower side of the vehicle. FIG. 2 is a developed cross-sectional view schematically showing the in-wheel motor drive device 10. 2 is a developed plane obtained by connecting the plane including the axis M and the axis N shown in FIG. 1 and the plane including the axis N and the axis O in this order. In FIG. 2, the left side in the drawing represents the outside in the vehicle width direction, and the right side in the drawing represents the inside in the vehicle width direction.

The in-wheel motor drive device 10 includes a wheel hub bearing portion 11 connected to the center of the wheel wheel W represented by the phantom line shown in FIG. 1, a motor portion 21 having a motor rotating shaft 22 that drives the wheel wheel W, And a speed reduction part 31 for reducing the rotation of the motor rotating shaft 22 and transmitting it to the wheel hub bearing part 11. The motor unit 21 and the speed reduction unit 31 are arranged offset from the axis O of the wheel hub bearing unit 11. The axis O extends in the vehicle width direction and coincides with the axle. Regarding the position in the axis O direction, the wheel hub bearing portion 11 is disposed on one side in the axial direction of the in-wheel motor drive device 10 (outside in the vehicle width direction), and the motor portion 21 is on the other side in the axial direction of the in-wheel motor drive device 10 (in the vehicle width direction). The speed reduction part 31 is arrange | positioned in the axial direction center part of the in-wheel motor drive device 10.

The in-wheel motor drive device 10 is a vehicle motor drive device that drives wheels of an electric vehicle. The in-wheel motor drive device 10 is connected to a vehicle body (not shown). The in-wheel motor drive device 10 can drive an electric vehicle at a speed of 0 to 180 km / h.

As shown in FIG. 2, the wheel hub bearing portion 11 is a rotating inner ring / fixed outer ring, and is disposed coaxially on the outer ring side of the inner ring 12 and the inner ring 12 as a rotating ring (hub ring) coupled to the wheel W. And a plurality of rolling elements 14 disposed in an annular space between the inner ring 12 and the outer ring 13.

A plurality of outer ring protrusions 13 f and outer ring protrusions 13 g are alternately erected on the outer peripheral surface of the outer ring 13 at different positions in the circumferential direction. A through hole is formed in each outer ring protrusion 13f protruding in the outer diameter direction. Each through-hole extends in parallel with the axis O, and the bolt 15 is passed from one side in the axis O direction. A shaft portion of each bolt 15 is screwed into a female screw hole formed in the front portion 38 f of the main body casing 38. Thereby, the outer ring 13 is connected and fixed to the front portion 38f. The front portion 38 f is a casing wall portion that covers one end of the speed reduction portion 31 in the axis O direction.

A suspension bracket 70 is attached and fixed to each outer ring protruding portion 13g protruding in the outer diameter direction from the other side in the axial direction. Specifically, a female screw hole is formed in each outer ring protrusion 13g, a through hole is formed in the suspension bracket 70, and a male screw is fastened to these holes from the other side in the axial direction. The suspension bracket 70 is an annular member that surrounds the axis O, and is connected to a suspension device (not shown).

The inner ring 12 is a cylindrical body longer than the outer ring 13 and is passed through the center hole of the outer ring 13. A coupling portion 12f is formed at one end portion in the axis O direction of the inner ring 12 protruding from the outer ring 13 to the outside of the in-wheel motor drive device 10. The coupling portion 12f is a flange and constitutes a coupling portion for coupling coaxially with a brake rotor and wheels (not shown). The inner ring 12 is coupled to the wheel at the coupling portion 12f and rotates integrally with the wheel.

In the annular space between the inner ring 12 and the outer ring 13, a plurality of rows of rolling elements 14 are arranged. The outer peripheral surface of the central portion of the inner ring 12 in the direction of the axis O constitutes the inner raceway surface of the plurality of rolling elements 14 arranged in the first row. An inner race 12r is fitted to the outer periphery of the other end of the inner ring 12 in the axis O direction. The outer peripheral surface of the inner race 12r constitutes the inner race of the plurality of rolling elements 14 arranged in the second row. The inner peripheral surface at one end of the outer ring 13 in the direction of the axis O constitutes the outer raceway surface of the rolling elements 14 in the first row. An inner peripheral surface of the other end portion of the outer ring 13 in the axis O direction forms an outer raceway surface of the rolling elements 14 in the second row. A sealing material 16 is further interposed in the annular space between the inner ring 12 and the outer ring 13. The sealing material 16 seals both ends of the annular space to prevent intrusion of dust and foreign matter. The output shaft 37 of the speed reduction unit 31 is inserted into the center hole at the other end in the axis O direction of the inner ring 12 and is spline-fitted.

The motor unit 21 includes a motor rotating shaft 22, a rotor 23, a stator 24, and a motor casing 25, and is sequentially arranged from the axis M of the motor unit 21 to the outer diameter side in this order. The motor 29 constituting the motor unit 21 is a radial gap motor of an inner rotor / outer stator type, but may be of other types. For example, although not shown, the motor 29 may be an axial gap motor. The motor 29 includes elements incorporated in the motor casing 25, that is, the motor rotating shaft 22, the rotor 23, and the stator 24.

The axis M that is the rotation center of the motor rotation shaft 22 and the rotor 23 extends in parallel with the axis O of the wheel hub bearing portion 11. That is, the motor unit 21 is disposed offset from the axis O of the wheel hub bearing unit 11. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the axis M of the motor unit is offset from the axis O in the vehicle front-rear direction, and specifically, is arranged in front of the vehicle with respect to the axis O.

Returning to FIG. 2, both end portions of the motor rotating shaft 22 are rotatably supported by the back surface portion 38 b of the main body casing 38 and the motor casing cover 25 v of the motor portion 21 via the rolling

bearings

27 and 28. . The motor casing 25 has a substantially cylindrical shape, and is integrally coupled to the back surface portion 38b of the main body casing 38 at one end in the axis M direction, and the other end in the axis M direction is sealed with a plate-like motor casing cover 25v. The motor 29 drives the inner ring 12.

Here, as shown in FIG. 2, a power line terminal box 40 is provided on the upper portion of the cylindrical portion of the motor casing 25, and the power line terminal box 40 receives the three-phase AC power from the inverter on the vehicle body side. . The power line connection structure in the power line terminal box 40 will be described later.

The speed reduction unit 31 includes an input shaft 32 s that is coaxially coupled to the motor rotation shaft 22 of the motor unit 21, an input gear 32 that is provided coaxially on the outer peripheral surface of the input shaft 32 s, a plurality of

intermediate gears

33 and 35, An intermediate shaft 34 coupled to the center of the

gears

33, 35, an output shaft 37 coupled coaxially with the inner ring 12 of the wheel hub bearing portion 11, an output gear 36 provided coaxially on the outer peripheral surface of the output shaft 37, and a plurality of these The main body casing 38 accommodates the gears and the rotating shaft. The main body casing 38 occupies the central portion of the in-wheel motor drive device 10 and is also referred to as a speed reduction portion casing because it forms an outline of the speed reduction portion 31.

The input gear 32 is a helical gear with external teeth, and is a large number of teeth formed on the outer periphery of the other end of the input shaft 32s arranged along the axis M in the direction of the axis M. A central hole extending along the axis M is formed at the other axial end of the input shaft 32s, and one end of the motor rotating shaft 22 in the axial direction is inserted so as to prevent relative rotation (including serrations). The same shall apply hereinafter). The input shaft 32s is rotatably supported by the front portion 38f and the rear portion 38b of the main body casing 38 via rolling

bearings

32m and 32n on both ends of the input gear 32.

The axis N that is the center of rotation of the intermediate shaft 34 of the speed reduction portion 31 extends parallel to the axis O. Both ends of the intermediate shaft 34 are rotatably supported by the front portion 38f and the back portion 38b of the main body casing 38 via

bearings

34m and 34n. A first intermediate gear 33 and a second intermediate gear 35 are provided coaxially with the axis N of the intermediate shaft 34 at the center of the intermediate shaft 34. The first intermediate gear 33 and the second intermediate gear 35 are external helical gears, and the diameter of the first intermediate gear 33 is larger than the diameter of the second intermediate gear 35. The large-diameter first intermediate gear 33 is disposed on the other side in the axis N direction with respect to the second intermediate gear 35 and meshes with the small-diameter input gear 32. The small-diameter second intermediate gear 35 is disposed on one side in the axis N direction from the first intermediate gear 33 and meshes with the large-diameter output gear 36.

The axis N of the intermediate shaft 34 is disposed above the axis O and the axis M as shown in FIG. Further, the axis N of the intermediate shaft 34 is disposed in front of the vehicle with respect to the axis O and behind the vehicle with respect to the axis M. The speed reduction unit 31 is a three-axis parallel shaft gear reducer having axes O, N, and M that are arranged at intervals in the vehicle front-rear direction and extend parallel to each other.

Returning to FIG. 2, the output gear 36 is an external helical gear and is provided coaxially in the center of the output shaft 37. The output shaft 37 extends along the axis O. One end of the output shaft 37 in the direction of the axis O is inserted into the center hole of the inner ring 12 and is fitted so as not to be relatively rotatable. Such fitting is spline fitting or serration fitting. The tooth tip and the tooth bottom of the output gear 36 have a larger diameter than the outer ring protrusion 13f. The other end of the output shaft 37 in the direction of the axis O is rotatably supported by the back surface portion 38b of the main body casing 38 via a rolling bearing 37n.

An annular recess 36c is formed on one end surface of the output gear 36 in the axis O direction. The annular recess 36c is centered on the axis O. An annular convex portion 38g that is received in the annular concave portion 36c is formed in the front portion 38f of the main body casing 38. A rolling bearing 37m is provided between the inner diameter side portion of the annular recess 36c and the inner diameter side portion of the annular projection 38g. As a result, the central portion in the direction of the axis O of the output shaft 37 is rotatably supported by the front portion 38f of the main body casing 38 via the rolling bearing 37m.

The reduction gear 31 rotates the input shaft 32s by meshing the small-diameter drive gear and the large-diameter driven gear, that is, meshing the input gear 32 and the first intermediate gear 33, and meshing the second intermediate gear 35 and the output gear 36. Is decelerated and transmitted to the output shaft 37. The rotating elements from the input shaft 32 s to the output shaft 37 of the speed reduction unit 31 constitute a drive transmission path that transmits the rotation of the motor unit 21 to the inner ring 12.

The main body casing 38 includes a cylindrical part, and plate-like front part 38f and back part 38b covering both ends of the cylindrical part. The cylindrical portion covers the inside of the speed reducing portion 31 so as to surround the axes O, N, and M extending in parallel with each other. The plate-like front portion 38 f covers one side in the axial direction inside the speed reduction portion 31. The plate-like back surface portion 38 b covers the other side in the axial direction inside the speed reduction portion 31. The back surface portion 38 b of the main body casing 38 is a partition wall that is coupled to the motor casing 25 and partitions the internal space of the speed reduction portion 31 and the internal space of the motor portion 21.

That is, the motor casing 25 is supported by the main body casing 38 and protrudes from the main body casing 38 to the other side in the axial direction. The main body casing 38, the motor casing 25, and the motor casing cover 25v are integrally connected to constitute the casing 1 that forms the outline of the entire in-wheel motor drive device 10.

The main body casing 38 defines an internal space of the speed reducing portion 31 and accommodates all the rotating elements (rotating shafts and gears) of the speed reducing portion 31 in the internal space. As shown in FIG. 1, the lower part of the main body casing 38 is an oil storage part 39. The oil reservoir 39 is disposed below the input gear 32. Lubricating oil that lubricates the motor unit 21 and the speed reduction unit 31 is stored in the oil storage unit 39 that occupies the lower part of the internal space of the main body casing 38. Lubricating oil stored in the oil storage unit 39 is sucked by an oil pump (not shown) and discharged to the heat generating element of the motor unit 21 and the rotating element of the speed reduction unit 31.

The input shaft 32s, the intermediate shaft 34, and the output shaft 37 are supported at both ends by the above-described rolling bearings. Regarding the axial positions of the parallel axes M and N, the axial positions of the rolling

bearings

32m and 34m on one side in the axial direction overlap each other. More preferably, as shown in FIG. 2, the axial positions of the rolling

bearings

32m and 34m coincide. Regarding the axial positions of the axial lines M and O parallel to each other, the axial positions of the rolling

bearings

32n and 37n on the other axial side overlap each other. More preferably, as shown in FIG. 2, the axial positions of the rolling

bearings

32n and 37n coincide. The rolling

bearings

32m, 34m, 37m, 32n, 34n, and 37n are radial bearings. With respect to the axial position, the rolling

bearings

37m, 34n are arranged between the rolling

bearings

34m, 37n.

The second intermediate gear 35 and the output gear 36 are arranged on one side in the axial direction, and the axial positions of these gears overlap each other. More preferably, the axial positions of these gears coincide. The input gear 32 and the first intermediate gear 33 are disposed on the other side in the axial direction, and the axial positions of these gears overlap each other. More preferably, the axial positions of these gears coincide. Thereby, the axial direction dimension of the deceleration part 31 can be made small.

The inner diameter portion of the output gear 36 is recessed in the direction of the axis O by the annular recess 36 c, and the plate thickness dimension of the inner diameter portion of the output gear 36 is made smaller than the tooth width formed on the outer edge of the output gear 36. The annular recess 36c accommodates the rolling bearing 37m. Thus, with respect to the position in the axis O direction, the output gear 36 and the rolling bearing 37m can be arranged so as to overlap each other, so that the dimension in the axis direction of the in-wheel motor drive device 10 can be reduced. As a result, all of the speed reduction unit 31 and most (or all) of the motor unit 21 are accommodated in the wheel W.

In the present embodiment, the speed reducing unit 31 is a three-axis parallel gear reducer having one intermediate shaft, but may be a four-axis parallel gear reducer having two intermediate shafts. . Or the reduction part 31 is not limited to a parallel shaft type gear reducer.

<About the power line connection structure>
With further reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, the power line connection structure will be described in detail. FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically showing the connection structure of the power lines, and is a view of the inside of the motor casing 25 as seen from the inside in the vehicle width direction. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the motor casing 25 taken along the line IV-IV in FIG. 3, and is a view of the power line connection structure looking up from below. In addition, in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 4, the entire power line connection structure is schematically shown for easy understanding.

As shown in FIG. 4 and the like, in the motor casing 25, three motor side terminals 43 and three external side terminals 45 are arranged. The three motor-side terminals 43 are respectively provided at one ends of three power lines (hereinafter referred to as “internal power lines”) 42 extending from the rotor coil 24 c of the motor unit 21. The three external terminals 45 are respectively provided at one ends of three power lines (hereinafter referred to as “external power lines”) 44 led into the motor casing 25 from the outside.

The three motor side terminals 43 and the three external terminals 45 are electrically connected by the conductive member 52. The conductive member 52 is typically a rod-like member formed of a metal such as copper and has conductivity. As shown in FIG. 2, each conductive member 52 extends in parallel with the axis M of the motor rotation shaft 22. Each conductive member 52 is accommodated in the socket 53. The socket 53 is a non-conductive member formed in a cylindrical shape, and is formed of, for example, resin.

The conductive member 52 is provided with an annular recess, and an annular seal material (O-ring) 72 is provided in the annular recess. Thereby, oil can be prevented from flowing into the second space S2 from the first space S1 through the fine gap between the conductive member 52 and the socket 53. The sealing material 72 also has a function of preventing slipping. Therefore, by providing the sealing material 72 in the annular recess, the conductive member 52 and the socket 53 constitute a connecting member 51 that connects the motor side terminal 43 and the three external terminals 45 together.

In the present embodiment, the first space S1 in which the three motor-side terminals 43 are arranged and the second space S2 in which the three external-side terminals 45 are arranged extend in a direction intersecting the axis M direction. It is partitioned by a partition wall 41. The first space S1 and the second space S2 are located radially outside and above the motor chamber R1 in which the motor 29 is disposed. The first space S1 communicates with the motor chamber R1, and the internal power line 42 is passed through the gap between the first space S1 and the motor chamber R1. The second space S2 is an internal space of the power line terminal box 40 and does not communicate with the motor chamber R1.

Each connecting member 51 extends in the direction of the axis M through the insertion hole of the partition wall 41. Thereby, one place in the longitudinal direction of each socket 53 is supported by the partition wall 41. In the description of the conductive member 52 and the socket 53, one side in the axis M direction corresponds to one side in the longitudinal direction, and the other side in the axis M direction corresponds to the other side in the longitudinal direction. That is, the conductive member 52 is connected to the external terminal 45 at one end portion in the longitudinal direction and is connected to the motor side terminal 43 at the other end portion in the longitudinal direction.

The annular gap between the insertion hole of the partition wall 41 and the socket 53 is sealed with a sealing material 71. Thereby, since the first space S1 and the second space S2 are completely partitioned, the lubricating oil in the motor chamber R1 leaks into the second space S2 via the first space S1, or conversely the second space S2. Air does not enter the first space S1.

The three connection members 51 are arranged along the vehicle front-rear direction as shown in FIG. When it is necessary to distinguish between the three connecting members 51, the connecting member 51 located at the foremost position in the vehicle longitudinal direction is the connecting member 51a, the connecting member 51 located at the center is located at the connecting member 51b, and located at the rearmost position. The connecting member is referred to as a connecting member 51c.

The central connection member 51b is disposed at a position lower than the front connection member 51a and higher than the rear connection member 51c. The front connecting member 51a is farthest from the axis M, and the rear connecting member 51c is closest to the axis M. The connection members 51 that are vertically adjacent to each other partially overlap in the vertical direction. Thereby, the height of the power line terminal box 40 can be suppressed.

The socket 53 integrally has a tongue 55 protruding in the radial direction, and the tongue 55 is fixed to the partition wall 41. Specifically, the tongue portion 55 abuts against the surface of the partition wall 41 on the first space S1 side, and is fixed from the first space S1 side by the bolt 61. Thereby, the rotation and axial movement of the socket 53 and the conductive member 52 are restricted.

The motor side terminal 43 is fixed to the other end surface of the conductive member 52 with a bolt 62. Specifically, a female screw hole is formed in the other end face of the conductive member 52, and the bolt 62 is screwed into the female screw hole, whereby the motor side terminal 43 is connected to the conductive member 52. Therefore, the socket 53 does not cover the other end surface of the conductive member 52. As illustrated, the other end of the conductive member 52 may protrude from the socket 53.

As shown in FIG. 4, the projecting dimensions of the three conductive members 52 from the partition wall 41 toward the other side in the axis M direction (in the vehicle width direction) are all the same. In this case, the position of the connecting portion between the conductive member 52 and the motor side terminal 43 in the axis M direction is substantially the same position.

The external terminal 45 is fixed to the conductive member 52 from a direction intersecting (orthogonal) with the longitudinal direction of the conductive member 52. In the present embodiment, a notch 54 is provided on the outer peripheral surface near the one end of the socket 53. The notch 54 exposes the outer surface (side surface) 57 at one end of the conductive member 52. A female screw hole to be screwed with the bolt 63 is provided on the outer surface 57 of the conductive member 52 exposed from the notch 54. The external terminal 45 is disposed in the notch 54 and is connected to the conductive member 52 by a bolt 63.

In the present embodiment, the conductive member 52 has a cylindrical shape. Therefore, the outer surface 57 of the conductive member 52 is a flat surface so as to come into surface contact with the thin plate-like external terminal 45. One end surface of the conductive member 52 is covered with a socket 53.

The one end portion of the conductive member 52 is formed to have a smaller diameter than the other portion. Thereby, the protrusion dimension of the head of the bolt 63 from the notch 54 of the socket 53 can be suppressed.

The external power line 44 extending from the inverter on the vehicle body side is drawn into the second space S2 through the wall portion of the power line terminal box 40 and connected to the conductive member 52 via the external terminal 45. In the present embodiment, since the motor unit 21 is arranged offset from the axis O of the wheel hub bearing unit 11 to the front of the vehicle, the external power line 44 is from the vehicle rear side (that is, the offset direction of the motor unit 21). Is drawn into the power line terminal box 40 (from the opposite direction).

Therefore, three through holes 47 (47a to 47c) as lead-in ports for the external power lines 44 are provided in the rear wall portion of the power line terminal box 40. As shown in FIG. 4, the external power line 44 is accommodated in a cylindrical collar 46 and inserted through the through hole 47. The collar 46 is connected to a plate-like bracket 56, and the bracket 56 is fixed to the rear wall portion of the power line terminal box 40 with a bolt 64.

As shown in FIG. 3, the vehicle front-rear direction positions of the three through holes 47a to 47c are substantially the same position. The three through holes 47 are spaced apart from each other along the turning axis of the wheel on which the in-wheel motor drive device 10 is mounted in order to avoid stress concentration on the specific power line 44 as much as possible when turning the wheel. It is desirable to be arranged. The turning axis basically extends in the vertical direction, but may be slightly inclined in the vehicle width direction and / or the vehicle longitudinal direction.

On the other hand, if all of the three through holes 47 are arranged at intervals in the vertical direction, the height of the terminal box 40 increases, and the problem arises that the radial dimension of the in-wheel motor drive device 10 increases. .

Therefore, in the present embodiment, as schematically shown in FIG. 5, the two through

holes

47b and 47c are spaced apart from each other along the vertical direction, but the uppermost through hole 47a is The position in the direction of the axis M is shifted to one side or the other side from the position of the through hole 47i indicated by an imaginary circle. That is, the position of the through hole 47a is arranged with a phase shifted from the alignment line of the remaining two through

holes

47b and 47c, for example, on the other side in the axis M direction (in the vehicle width direction). FIG. 5 is a diagram schematically showing an arrangement pattern of the three through holes 47 when the power line terminal box 40 is viewed from the vehicle rear side.

In this case, as shown in FIG. 3, when viewed in the direction of the axis M, the position of the through hole 47a of the external power line 44 connected to the connection member 51a and the penetration of the external power line 44 connected to the connection member 51b. The position of the hole 47b partially overlaps in the vertical direction. Thereby, it can suppress that the magnitude | size of the power line terminal box 40 (motor casing 25) becomes large to radial direction.

In order to realize such an arrangement pattern of the through holes 47a to 47c, the length of the connecting member 51a for connecting the external power line 44 inserted through the through hole 47a and the external through which the other through

holes

47b and 47c are inserted. The lengths of the connecting

members

51b and 51c that connect the power lines 44 are different. In the present embodiment, the connecting

members

51b and 51c are longer than the connecting member 51a. That is, the connection location between the

conductive members

52 b and 52 c and the external terminal 45 is farther from the partition wall 41 than the connection location between the conductive member 52 a and the external terminal 45. In other words, the distance between the connection part of the motor side terminal 43 and the connection part of the external terminal 45 in the

conductive members

52b and 52c is the distance between the connection part of the motor side terminal 43 and the connection part of the external terminal 45 in the conductive member 52a. Greater than the interval.

As shown in FIG. 4, the connection point between the conductive member 52 a and the external terminal 45 is relatively close to the partition wall 41. That is, in the second space S2, the protruding dimension of the socket 53a from the partition wall 41 is not so large, and the protruding dimension of the socket 53a in the second space S2 is almost the same as the protruding dimension of the socket 53a in the first space S1. . One end surface of the socket 53a is arranged away from the inner wall surface 80 of the power line terminal box 40 that faces the socket 53a. The inner wall surface 80 is, for example, the back surface (the inner surface in the vehicle width direction) of the back surface portion 38b of the main body casing 38.

On the other hand, the connection location between the

conductive members

52 b and 52 c and the external terminal 45 is relatively far from the partition wall 41. Therefore, the protruding dimensions of the

sockets

53b and 53c in the second space S2 are larger than the protruding dimensions of the

sockets

53b and 53c in the first space S1.

In the present embodiment, one end (one end portion) of the relatively

long sockets

53b and 53c is fitted into a recess 81 provided on the inner wall surface 80. Therefore, the

sockets

53b and 53c are supported at two locations in the longitudinal direction by the partition wall 41 and the recess 81 provided in the wall portion of the power line terminal box 40.

When a socket having a relatively large projecting dimension from the partition wall 41 is cantilevered only by the partition wall 41, the socket may be vibrated. However, in this embodiment, since the two locations in the longitudinal direction of the

sockets

53b and 53c are supported by the casing 1 (motor casing 25), vibration of the

sockets

53b and 53c can be prevented or suppressed. Further, it is possible to prevent damage or breakage of the

sockets

53b and 53c due to torque applied during the fastening operation of the bolt 63 for connecting the external terminal 45 and the

conductive members

52b and 52c.

A specific support structure of the

sockets

53b and 53c will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 shows a support structure of the socket 53b as an example, but the socket 53c is the same.

The socket 53b has a protruding portion 59 protruding to one side in the longitudinal direction, and the protruding portion 59 and the concave portion 81 of the inner wall surface 80 are fitted. The outer diameter dimension L1 of the protrusion 59 is substantially equal to the outer diameter dimension of the central region in the longitudinal direction of the conductive member 52, for example. A sealing material 73 as an elastic material is provided at a fitting portion between the protruding portion 59 and the concave portion 81. Thereby, the slight vibration of the socket 53b can be absorbed. Sealing material 73 is, for example, an O-ring formed in an annular shape. In this case, the protrusion 59 may have an annular recess 59 a into which the sealing material 73 is fitted.

Thus, since the relatively long socket 53b is directly supported by the casing 1 at two locations in the longitudinal direction (one end side and the other end side), the socket 53b and the conductive member 52b accommodated therein are connected to the casing. 1 can be securely fixed. Therefore, for example, damage or deformation of the socket 53b and the conductive member 52b due to vibration can be prevented.

In addition, since each conductive member 52 is housed in the cylindrical socket 53, the in-wheel motor drive device 10 is lighter and the number of parts is reduced compared to a form in which an insulator is interposed between the conductive members. Can be realized.

Further, in the present embodiment, the lengths of all the three sockets 53 are not made different, but the length of one socket 53 is changed to the length of the other two sockets 53 (the lengths of these are It is the same.) Therefore, the manufacturing cost can be reduced as compared with the case where the lengths of all the three sockets 53 are made different.

In the present embodiment, the position of one end of the conductive member 52b is positioned on the other side in the axis M direction with respect to the position of the inner wall surface 80, and the recess 81 supports only the socket 53b. However, as shown in FIG. 7, both the socket 53 b and the conductive member 52 b may be supported by the recess 81 </ b> A of the inner wall surface 80. In this case, the protruding portion 59A of the socket 53b is fitted into the recess 81A in a state where the conductive member 52b is accommodated therein. The outer diameter L2 of the protrusion 59A is typically larger than the outer diameter L1 of the protrusion 59 shown in FIG.

In the case of the configuration shown in FIG. 7, one end of the resin socket 53b (that is, the protruding portion 59A) is supported by the recess 81A in a state where a metal (for example, copper) conductive member 52b enters the inside. . Therefore, it is possible to ensure the strength as compared with the configuration in which only one end portion of the resin socket 53b (that is, the protruding portion 59) is supported by the concave portion 81. Therefore, from the viewpoint of improving the support strength of the connection member 51 including the socket 53b, the support structure shown in FIG. 7 is more preferable than the support structure shown in FIG.

In the present embodiment, the position of the uppermost through hole 47a is shifted, but any one position of the through

holes

47b and 47c may be shifted.

Further, although one relatively short socket 53 is provided and two relatively long sockets 53 are provided, on the contrary, two relatively short sockets 53 may be provided and one relatively long socket 53 may be provided. Alternatively, all three sockets may have the same length, and all the sockets may be supported by the casing 1 at two locations in the longitudinal direction.

Further, in the present embodiment, the inner wall surface 80 of the power line terminal box 40 has the concave portion 81 that receives one end of the socket 53 as a support portion that supports one end of the relatively long socket 53. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the support portion that supports one end of the socket 53 may be a convex portion that engages with a concave portion provided on one end surface of the socket 53.

The socket 53 is directly supported by the casing 1, but may be indirectly supported by the casing 1 through a socket support member (not shown). In addition, the relatively long socket 53 may be directly or indirectly supported by the casing 1 at three or more locations in the longitudinal direction.

The embodiment disclosed this time should be considered as illustrative in all points and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the terms of the claims, rather than the description above, and is intended to include any modifications within the scope and meaning equivalent to the terms of the claims.

1 casing, 10 in-wheel motor drive device, 11 wheel hub bearing, 12 inner ring, 13 outer ring, 14 rolling element, 15, 61, 62, 63, 64, 104, 122 bolt, 16, 71, 72, 73 sealant , 21 motor part, 22 motor rotating shaft, 23 rotor, 24 stator, 24c rotor coil, 25 motor casing, 25v motor casing cover, 27, 28, 32m, 32n, 34m, 34n, 37m, 37n rolling bearing, 29 motor, 31 speed reducer, 32 input gear, 32s input shaft, 33, 35 intermediate gear, 34 intermediate shaft, 36 output gear, 37 output shaft, 38 main body casing, 38b rear portion, 38f front portion, 39 oil reservoir, 40 power line Terminal box, 41, 141 partition wall, 43 94 to 96, 119 Motor side terminal, 42, 44, 97 to 99, 111 Power line, 45, 103, 112 External side terminal, 46 collar, 47, 47a to 47c through hole, 51, 51a to 51c connecting member, 52 , 52a to 52c, 131 conductive member, 53, 53a to 53c, 102 socket, 54 notch, 55 tongue, 56 bracket, 59, 59A protrusion, 70 suspension bracket, 80 inner wall, 81, 81A recess, 90 Motor case, 93 terminal accommodating chamber, 101 grommet, 147 insulator, M, N, O axis, R1 motor chamber, S1 first space, S2 second space, W wheel wheel.

Claims

A casing with a built-in motor;
In the casing, three motor-side terminals respectively provided at one end of three internal power lines extending from the motor;
Three external terminals respectively provided at one end of three external power lines led into the casing from the outside;
Three conductive members for connecting the three motor side terminals and the three external terminals,
A cylindrical non-conductive member that accommodates each of the conductive members, comprising three sockets having a length,
An in-wheel motor drive device, wherein at least one of the three sockets is supported by the casing at a plurality of locations in the longitudinal direction.
The three sockets include a first socket supported by the casing only at one location and a second socket that is longer than the first socket and supported by the casing at multiple locations. 2. The in-wheel motor drive device according to 1.
The casing includes a first space in which the motor-side terminal is disposed, a second space in which the external-side terminal is disposed, and a partition wall through which the sockets are inserted to partition the first space and the second space. And
The in-wheel motor drive device according to claim 2, wherein one location of each of the sockets is supported by the partition wall.
The in-wheel motor drive device according to claim 3, wherein each socket is bolted to the partition wall.
The outer peripheral surface of one end of the first and second sockets is provided with a notch for receiving the external terminal,
The in-wheel motor drive device of Claim 3 or 4 with which the support part which supports the one end of the said 2nd socket is provided in the inner wall surface of the said casing facing the one end surface of the said 1st socket. .
The support portion is a recess into which one end of the second socket is fitted,
The in-wheel motor drive device of Claim 5 with which the elastic material (sealing material) is provided in the fitting part of the said recessed part and the one end of the said 2nd socket.
The first and second sockets extend in parallel with a rotation axis of the motor;
The casing has three through holes that penetrate in the vehicle front-rear direction and through which the three external power lines are inserted,
When viewed in the same direction as the rotating shaft, the position of the through hole of the external power line connected to the conductive member inside the second socket is the conductive member inside the first socket in the vertical direction. The in-wheel motor drive device according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein at least a part of the position of the through hole of the external power line connected to the vehicle overlaps.