JP2020069972A - In-wheel motor drive device mounting structure - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an in-wheel motor drive device mounting structure which allows the reduction of the initial cost when in-wheel motor drive devices are mounted in a four-wheel-drive vehicle.SOLUTION: The in-wheel motor drive device mounting structure comprises first in-wheel motor drive devices (1) to be mounted in the inner space of the front wheels (91f) of a four-wheel-drive vehicle (90) and linked to the suspension via a suspension bracket, and second in-wheel motor drive devices (1) to be mounted in the inner space of the rear wheels (91b) and linked to the suspension via a suspension bracket. The suspension bracket is linked to a casing (10) via a hub attachment of a vehicle hub bearing. The casing (10) for the first and second in-wheel motor drive devices in the front wheels (91f) and rear wheels (91b) in the left side has the identical structure and shape, and the same applies to the casing for the first and second in-wheel motor drive devices in the front wheels and rear wheels in the right side.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a mounting structure for an in-wheel motor drive device, and more particularly to a mounting structure for an in-wheel motor drive device in which the in-wheel motor drive device is mounted on a four-wheel drive vehicle.

  An in-wheel motor drive device disposed inside a vehicle wheel includes a motor unit that drives the wheels, a wheel hub bearing unit to which the wheels are attached, and a speed reduction unit that reduces the rotation of the motor unit and transmits the rotation to the wheel hub bearing unit. (Deceleration mechanism).

  Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2009-142036 (Patent Document 1) discloses a vehicle in which an in-wheel motor drive device is mounted on both front wheels and rear wheels. In this four-wheel drive vehicle, the output characteristics of all the motors are made the same, and the reduction ratio of the reduction mechanism of the rear wheels is set to be larger than that of the reduction mechanism of the front wheels, so that the driving force for driving the front wheels The driving force to drive the rear wheels is set to a large value to ensure running stability.

  Further, Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2005-119548 (Patent Document 2) discloses a suspension structure for an electric vehicle, in which one end of a suspension arm is fixed to a motor case that receives a reaction force of a motor and the other end is fixed. It is swingably supported with respect to the vehicle body. In this suspension structure, a suspension up / down force is generated according to the magnitude of the driving reaction force of the motor, and a part of the suspension function is shared by the drive control of the motor, thereby optimizing the suspension function of the drive wheels. ..

JP, 2009-142036, A JP, 2005-119548, A

  When the in-wheel motors are provided on all four wheels of the vehicle as in Patent Document 1 and the suspension structure as in Patent Document 2 is applied, the suspension device (suspension arm) is directly attached to the casing (motor case). Therefore, the road load is directly transmitted to the casing. For example, since the brake load needs to move to the front wheels and be locked in front of the front wheels, the braking force of the front wheels is generally large. In this way, since the loads applied to the front wheels and the rear wheels are different, it is difficult to share the casing between the front and rear wheels.

  When the structure or shape of the casing is different between the front and rear wheels, the front wheel casing and the rear wheel casing are required separately, which may increase the initial cost.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object thereof is to reduce the initial cost when an in-wheel motor drive device is mounted on a four-wheel drive vehicle. An object of the present invention is to provide a mounting structure for a wheel motor drive device.

  An in-wheel motor drive mounting structure according to an aspect of the present invention is an in-wheel motor drive mounting structure in which an in-wheel motor drive device is mounted in a four-wheel drive vehicle, and the in-wheel motor drive device is mounted in an inner space of a front wheel and suspended. A first in-wheel motor drive connected to the suspension via a bracket; and a second in-wheel motor drive arranged in the inner space of the rear wheel and connected to the suspension via the suspension bracket. Prepare The first and second in-wheel motor drive devices each include a casing forming an outer shell thereof, and a wheel hub bearing portion having a hub attachment mounted and fixed to the casing, and the suspension bracket includes the hub attachment via the hub attachment. Connected to the casing. The left and right casings of the first and second in-wheel motor drive devices have the same structure and shape for the front wheels and the rear wheels.

  Preferably, the suspension bracket is located remote from the casing.

  Preferably, the type of suspension device is different between the front wheel and the rear wheel, and a suspension bracket attached to the casing of the first in-wheel motor drive device and a suspension bracket attached to the casing of the second in-wheel motor drive device. Have different structures and shapes.

  The shape of the hub attachment of the first in-wheel motor drive device may be different from the shape of the hub attachment of the second in-wheel motor drive device.

  Preferably, in both the first and second in-wheel motor drive devices, the motor portion is offset toward the vehicle front side or rear side with respect to the wheel hub bearing portion.

  The suspension applied to the front wheels or the rear wheels is preferably one of MacPherson strut type, torsion beam type, double wishbone type, multi-link type and rigid axle type.

  According to the present invention, the initial cost can be reduced.

It is a figure which shows typically the outline of the mounting structure of the in-wheel motor drive device which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a development sectional view showing an in-wheel motor drive concerning an embodiment of the invention. It is a typical sectional view showing the inside of an in-wheel motor drive concerning an embodiment of the invention. It is a typical front view showing the in-wheel motor drive concerning an embodiment of the invention. In the embodiment of the present invention, it is a diagram schematically showing a state in which the front wheels are viewed from the inside in the vehicle width direction. In the embodiment of the present invention, it is a diagram schematically showing a state in which the rear wheel is viewed from the inside in the vehicle width direction. It is the rear view which looked at the connection structure of the in-wheel motor drive device and the strut type suspension device which were provided in the front wheel from the back of vehicles. It is the perspective view which looked at the connection structure of the in-wheel motor drive provided in the front wheel and the strut type suspension device from the vehicle back and the vehicle width direction outside. It is the perspective view which looked at the connection structure of the in-wheel motor drive provided in the front wheel, and the strut type suspension device from the back of the vehicle and the inside of the cross direction. It is the perspective view which looked at the connection structure of the in-wheel motor drive provided in the front wheel and the strut type suspension device from the vehicle front and the vehicle width direction inside. It is sectional drawing which shows typically the connection structure of the hub attachment of an in-wheel motor drive device, and a suspension bracket. It is the rear view which looked at the connection structure of the in-wheel motor drive provided in the rear wheel and the torsion beam type suspension from the back of the vehicle. It is the perspective view which looked at the connection structure of the in-wheel motor drive device and the torsion beam type suspension device which were provided in the rear wheel from the vehicle back and the vehicle width direction outside. It is the perspective view which looked at the connection structure of the in-wheel motor drive device and the torsion beam type suspension device which were provided in the rear wheel from the vehicle rear and vehicle width direction inside. It is the perspective view which looked at the connection structure of the in-wheel motor drive device and the torsion beam type suspension device which were provided in the rear wheel from the vehicle front and the vehicle width direction inside. It is the side view which looked at the connection structure of the in-wheel motor drive provided in the front wheel, and the strut type suspension device which has a knuckle from the vehicle width direction inside. It is the rear view which looked at the connection structure of the in-wheel motor drive provided in the front wheel, and the strut type suspension device which has a knuckle from the back of vehicles. It is the perspective view which looked at the connection structure of the in-wheel motor drive provided in the front wheel, and the strut type suspension device which has a knuckle from the vehicle back and the vehicle width direction outside. It is the perspective view which looked at the connection structure of the in-wheel motor drive device provided in the front wheel, and the strut type suspension device which has a knuckle from the vehicle rear and vehicle width direction inside. It is the perspective view which looked at the connection structure of the in-wheel motor drive provided in the front wheel, and the strut type suspension device which has a knuckle from the vehicle front and the vehicle width direction inside. It is the side view which looked at the connection structure of the in-wheel motor drive device and the double wishbone type suspension device which were provided in the front wheel from the vehicle width direction inner side. It is the rear view which looked at the connection structure of the in-wheel motor drive provided in the front wheel and the double wishbone type suspension from the back of the vehicle. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a connecting structure of an in-wheel motor drive device provided on a front wheel and a double wishbone suspension device as seen from the vehicle rear side and the vehicle width direction outer side. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a connecting structure of an in-wheel motor drive device provided on a front wheel and a double wishbone suspension device as viewed from the vehicle rear side and the vehicle width direction inner side. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a connecting structure of an in-wheel motor drive device provided on a front wheel and a double wishbone suspension device as seen from the front side of the vehicle and the inner side in the vehicle width direction. It is the side view which looked at the connection structure of the in-wheel motor drive provided in the front wheel, and the multilink type suspension from the inside of the cross direction. It is the rear view which looked at the connection structure of the in-wheel motor drive provided in the front wheel and the multi-link type suspension from the back of the vehicle. It is the perspective view which looked at the connection structure of the in-wheel motor drive provided in the front wheel and the multilink type suspension from the vehicle back and the vehicle width direction outside. It is the perspective view which looked at the connection structure of the in-wheel motor drive provided in the front wheel and the multilink type suspension from the vehicle rear and the vehicle width direction inside. It is the perspective view which looked at the connection structure of the in-wheel motor drive provided in the front wheel and the multilink type suspension from the vehicle front and the vehicle width direction inside. It is the side view which looked at the connection structure of the in-wheel motor drive provided in the front wheel, and the multi-link type suspension device which has a third link from the vehicle width direction inside. It is the rear view which looked at the connection structure of the in-wheel motor drive provided in the front wheel, and the multilink type suspension system which has a third link from the back of vehicles. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a connecting structure of an in-wheel motor drive device provided on a front wheel and a multi-link suspension device having a third link, as viewed from the vehicle rear side and the vehicle width direction outer side. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a connecting structure of an in-wheel motor drive device provided on a front wheel and a multi-link suspension device having a third link, as viewed from the vehicle rear side and the vehicle width direction inner side. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a connecting structure of an in-wheel motor drive device provided on a front wheel and a multi-link suspension device having a third link, as viewed from the front side of the vehicle and the inner side in the vehicle width direction. It is the side view which looked at the connection structure of the in-wheel motor drive provided in the rear wheel, and the multi-link suspension from the inside of the cross direction. It is the rear view which looked at the connection structure of the in-wheel motor drive provided in the rear wheel, and the multilink type suspension from the back of the vehicle. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a connecting structure of an in-wheel motor drive device provided on a rear wheel and a multi-link suspension device as viewed from the vehicle rear side and the vehicle width direction outer side. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a connecting structure of an in-wheel motor drive device provided on a rear wheel and a multi-link suspension device as seen from the vehicle rear side and the vehicle width direction inner side. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a connecting structure of an in-wheel motor drive device provided on a rear wheel and a multi-link suspension device as seen from the front side of the vehicle and the inner side in the vehicle width direction. It is the side view which looked at the connection structure of the in-wheel motor drive device provided in the rear wheel, and the rigid suspension type suspension device which has a coil spring from the vehicle width direction inside. FIG. 3 is a rear view of a connecting structure of an in-wheel motor drive device provided on a rear wheel and a rigid suspension type suspension device having a coil spring as viewed from the rear of the vehicle. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a connecting structure of an in-wheel motor drive device provided on a rear wheel and a rigid suspension type suspension device having a coil spring, as seen from the vehicle rear side and the vehicle width direction outer side. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a connecting structure of an in-wheel motor drive device provided on a rear wheel and a rigid suspension type suspension device having a coil spring, as viewed from the vehicle rear side and the vehicle width direction inner side. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a connecting structure of an in-wheel motor drive device provided on a rear wheel and a rigid suspension type suspension device having a coil spring, as viewed from the front side of the vehicle and the inner side in the vehicle width direction. It is the side view which looked at the connection structure of the in-wheel motor drive device provided in the rear wheel, and the rigid suspension type suspension device which has a leaf spring from the vehicle width direction inside. FIG. 4 is a rear view of a connecting structure of an in-wheel motor drive device provided on a rear wheel and a rigid axle type suspension device having a leaf spring, as viewed from the rear of the vehicle. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a connecting structure of an in-wheel motor drive device provided on a rear wheel and a rigid suspension type suspension device having a leaf spring as seen from the vehicle rear side and the vehicle width direction outer side. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a connecting structure of an in-wheel motor drive device provided on a rear wheel and a rigid suspension type suspension device having a leaf spring, as viewed from the vehicle rear side and the vehicle width direction inner side. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a connecting structure of an in-wheel motor drive device provided on a rear wheel and a rigid suspension type suspension device having a leaf spring as seen from the front side of the vehicle and the inner side in the vehicle width direction.

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

(About outline)
FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing an outline of a mounting structure of an in-wheel motor drive device according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, an in-wheel motor drive device 1 is mounted on each of front wheels 91f and rear wheels 91b of a vehicle 90 that is a four-wheel drive vehicle. In the following description, the front wheels 91f and the rear wheels 91b will be referred to as wheels 91 when it is not necessary to distinguish between the front wheels 91f and the rear wheels 91b.

  The in-wheel motor drive device 1 is arranged in the internal space of each wheel 91. The in-wheel motor drive device 1 includes a motor unit 21 that drives the wheels 91, a wheel hub bearing unit to which the wheels 91 are attached, and a speed reduction unit that reduces the rotation of the motor unit 21 and transmits the rotation to the wheel hub bearing unit (speed reduction mechanism). ) 31 and. Further, the in-wheel motor drive device 1 includes a casing 10 that forms an outer shell of the in-wheel motor drive device 1, and a motor portion 21 and a speed reduction portion 31 are housed in the casing 10.

  In the present embodiment, in all four wheels, the motor unit 21 of the in-wheel motor drive device 1 is offset toward the vehicle front side with respect to the axle, and the axis M of the motor unit 21 is closer to the vehicle than the axis O of the wheels 91. It is located on the front side. That is, in both the in-wheel motor drive device 1 mounted on the front wheels 91f and the in-wheel motor drive device 1 mounted on the rear wheels 91b, the motor portion 21 is offset toward the vehicle front side with respect to the wheel hub bearing portion. ..

  In this case, since a space is formed on the vehicle rear side of the motor portion 21 in both the front wheels 91f and the rear wheels 91b, the space can be used as a part of the mounting space for the suspension device. As a result, various types of suspension devices can be applied to the front wheels 91f and the rear wheels 91b.

  Here, the casing 10 of the in-wheel motor drive device 1 is common regardless of the front wheels 91f and the rear wheels 91b. That is, the casing 10 of the in-wheel motor drive device 1 for the front wheels 91f and the casing 10 of the in-wheel motor drive device 1 for the rear wheels 91b have the same structure and shape on the left and right respectively.

  Therefore, according to the mounting structure of the in-wheel motor drive device 1 according to the present embodiment, compared with the case where the front wheel 91f and the rear wheel 91b have different casing structures or shapes, the molds and processing used for processing the casing are different. Since the cutting tool can be shared, the initial cost can be reduced. In this case, it is desirable that the output characteristic of the motor unit 21 and the reduction ratio of the reduction unit 31 included in the in-wheel motor drive device 1 are common regardless of whether the mounted wheels 91 are the front wheels 91f or the rear wheels 91b.

  The casing 10 of the in-wheel motor drive device 1 is connected to the suspension device via a suspension bracket (not shown in FIG. 1). Therefore, even if the structure and the shape of the casing 10 are the same for the front wheels 91f and the rear wheels 91b, it is possible to deal with the case where the types of suspension devices are different between the front wheels 91f and the rear wheels 91b.

  In the present embodiment, the types of suspension devices are different between the front wheels 91f and the rear wheels 91b. Therefore, the suspension bracket attached to the casing 10 of the in-wheel motor drive device 1 for the front wheels 91f and the suspension bracket attached to the casing 10 of the in-wheel motor drive device 1 for the rear wheels 91b have different structures and shapes. ..

  For example, a MacPherson strut suspension system is applied to the front wheels 91f of the vehicle 90, and a torsion beam suspension system is applied to the rear wheels 91b. A structure example and a mounting example of the suspension bracket in this case will be described in detail later.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the suspension bracket and the casing 10 are not directly connected, but are connected via a hub attachment described later so that the road surface load is not transmitted to the casing 10. Such a connecting structure will also be described in detail later.

(Example of basic configuration of in-wheel motor drive device)
With reference to FIGS. 2 to 4, a basic configuration example of the in-wheel motor drive device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 2 is a developed cross-sectional view showing the in-wheel motor drive device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 2, the right side of the drawing represents the inner side in the vehicle width direction (inboard side), and the left side of the drawing represents the outer side in the vehicle width direction (outboard side). The cross section shown in FIG. 2 is a developed plane in which the plane including the axis M and the axis N shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 and the plane including the axis N and the axis O are connected in this order.

  FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the inside of the in-wheel motor drive device 1, and shows a state in which the in-wheel motor drive device 1 is cut along line III-III in FIG. 2 and the cross-section is viewed in the direction of the arrow. FIG. 4 is a schematic front view showing the in-wheel motor drive device 1, showing a state in which the in-wheel motor drive device 1 is viewed from the outside in the vehicle width direction. To avoid complexity of the drawing, in FIG. 3, each gear is represented by a tip circle. 3 and 4, the right side of the drawing represents the front of the vehicle, the left 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. 3 and 4, the vehicle width direction inner side is viewed from the vehicle width direction outer side in the axis O direction.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the in-wheel motor drive device 1 includes a wheel hub bearing portion 11 provided at the center of a wheel 91, a motor portion 21 that drives the wheel 91, and a wheel hub that reduces the rotation of the motor portion 21. And a speed reduction unit 31 that transmits to the bearing unit 11. The motor portion 21 and the reduction gear portion 31 are arranged offset from the axis O of the wheel hub bearing portion 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 arranged on one side (outboard side) in the axial direction of the in-wheel motor drive device 1, and the motor portion 21 is the other axial direction (inboard side) of the in-wheel motor drive device 1. The axial direction position of the speed reducing portion 31 overlaps with the axial direction position of the wheel hub bearing portion 11.

  The in-wheel motor drive device 1 is housed in the inner space of the wheel W of the wheel 91. However, the motor portion 21 may protrude from the inner space area of the wheel W toward the inside in the vehicle width direction. In the present embodiment, the motor portion 21 is arranged offset from the wheel hub bearing portion 11 in front of the wheel hub bearing portion 11. However, the present invention is not limited to this. It may be arranged offset to the rear side.

  The wheel hub bearing portion 11 is a rotating inner ring / fixed outer ring, and is an inner ring 12 as a rotating ring (hub ring) that is coupled to the wheel W of the wheel 91, and a fixed ring coaxially arranged on the outer diameter side of the inner ring 12. Outer ring 13 and a plurality of rolling elements 14 arranged in an annular space between the inner ring 12 and the outer ring 13.

  With reference to FIG. 2, the outer ring 13 penetrates through an opening 39p formed in the front portion 39f of the main body casing 39. The main body casing 39 refers to a casing including an outer shell of the reduction gear unit 31, and accommodates a rotating element of the reduction gear unit 31. The front face portion 39f is a casing wall portion that covers one end of the main body casing 39 in the axis O direction of the reduction gear portion 31.

  The outer ring 13 is fixed to the front portion 39f of the main body casing 39 via a hub attachment 61. The hub attachment 61 is a plate-shaped member including a circular portion 65, an upper portion 66a that projects upward (outer diameter side) from the circular portion 65, and a lower portion 66b that projects downward from the circular portion 65.

  An outer ring protrusion 13g is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the outer ring 13, and a circular portion 65 of the hub attachment 61 is arranged adjacent to the other side of the outer ring protrusion 13g in the direction of the axis O. The hub attachment 61 is interposed between the outer ring protrusion 13g on one side in the axis O direction and the front portion 39f on the other side in the axis O direction.

  The outer ring 13 and the circular portion 65 of the hub attachment 61 are connected by a first bolt 62 (FIG. 8). The first bolt 62 is passed, for example, from the other side in the direction of the axis O, and the shaft portion of the first bolt 62 penetrates the through hole of the hub attachment 61 and is screwed into the female screw hole of the outer ring 13 to form the head of the first bolt 62. The portion abuts the hub attachment 61. As a result, the hub attachment 61 is securely attached and fixed to the outer ring 13 by the first bolt 62. As shown in FIG. 8 described later, the hub attachment 61 and the front portion 39f of the main body casing 39 are separated from each other in the direction of the axis O, and the head of the first bolt 62 is located between the hub attachment 61 and the front portion 39f of the main casing 39. Parts are arranged. The outer ring 13 may be attached and fixed to the hub attachment 61 by reversing the insertion direction of the first bolt 62.

  The inner ring 12 is a tubular body longer than the outer ring 13, and is passed through the center hole of the outer ring 13. A hub flange 12f is formed at one end of the inner ring 12 protruding from the outer ring 13 to the outside of the in-wheel motor drive device 1 in the direction of the axis O. In the present embodiment, the hub flange 12f has a petal shape in a front view, and the hub flange 12f has a plurality of protruding portions (coupling portions) 12a provided at intervals in the circumferential direction and between the protruding portions. And a plurality of valleys 12b located at The protruding portion 12a of the hub flange 12f constitutes a coupling seat portion for coaxially coupling with the brake disc BD and the wheel 91. The inner ring 12 is coupled to the wheel W at the protrusion 12a of the hub flange 12f and rotates integrally with the wheel 91.

  A plurality of rows of rolling elements 14 are arranged in an annular space between the inner ring 12 and the outer ring 13. The outer peripheral surface of the inner ring 12 at the central portion 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 ring 12r is fitted to the outer periphery of the other end of the inner ring 12 in the direction of the axis O. The outer peripheral surface of the inner race ring 12r constitutes an inner race surface of the plurality of rolling elements 14 arranged in the second row. The inner peripheral surface of one end of the outer ring 13 in the direction of the axis O forms the outer raceway surface of the rolling elements 14 in the first row. The inner peripheral surface of the other 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 second row. The 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 dust and foreign matter from entering. The output shaft 38 of the speed reducer 31 is inserted and fitted into the center hole at the other end of the inner ring 12 in the direction of the axis O. Such fitting is spline fitting or serration fitting.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the circular portion 65 of the hub attachment 61 has a mounting portion 61g located on the outer diameter side of the outer ring protruding portion 13g, and is fixed to the front portion 39f of the casing 10 at this mounting portion 61g. Has been done. For example, a through hole that extends parallel to the axis O is formed in the mounting portion 61g, and a female screw hole is formed in the front portion 39f located on the other side of the hub attachment 61 in the axis O direction. In this case, the second bolt 63 (FIG. 8) is inserted from one side in the direction of the axis O, the shaft portion of the second bolt 63 penetrates the attachment portion 61g of the hub attachment 61, and is screwed into the female screw hole of the front portion 39f. , The head of the second bolt 63 contacts the hub attachment 61. As a result, the hub attachment 61 is securely attached and fixed to the main body casing 39 by the second bolt 63.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the motor unit 21 has a motor rotating shaft 22, a rotor 23, a stator 24, and a motor casing 29, and they are sequentially arranged in this order from the axis M of the motor unit 21 toward the outer diameter side. The motor section 21 is an inner rotor / outer stator type radial gap motor, but may be an electric motor of another type. The motor casing 29 surrounds the outer circumference of the stator 24. One end of the motor casing 29 in the direction of the axis M is connected to the back surface portion 39b of the main body casing 39. The other end of the motor casing 29 in the direction of the axis M is sealed with a plate-shaped motor casing cover (hereinafter referred to as "rear cover") 29v. The back surface portion 39b is a casing wall portion that covers the other end of the deceleration portion 31 in the main body casing 39 in the axis M direction (axis O direction).

  The main body casing 39 and the motor casing 29 form the casing 10 that forms the outer shell of the in-wheel motor drive device 1. In the following description, when it is not necessary to distinguish between the main body casing 39 and the motor casing 29, they are simply referred to as the casing 10.

  The stator 24 includes a cylindrical stator core 25 and a coil 26 wound around the stator core 25. The stator core 25 is formed by stacking ring-shaped steel plates in the direction of the axis M.

  Both ends of the motor rotation shaft 22 are rotatably supported by the back surface portion 39b of the main body casing 39 and the rear cover 29v of the motor portion 21 via the rolling bearings 27 and 28. Most of the motor rotating shaft 22 excluding the one end 22e in the axial direction is arranged in the motor casing 29. The one axial end 22e is arranged in the main body casing 39. That is, the motor rotating shaft 22 is housed in the casing 10 of the in-wheel motor drive device 1.

  An axis M, which is the center of rotation of the motor rotation shaft 22 and the rotor 23, extends parallel to the axis O of the wheel hub bearing 11. Specifically, the motor portion 21 is arranged offset from the axis O of the wheel hub bearing portion 11 toward the vehicle front side.

  The speed reduction unit 31 includes an input shaft 32 that is coaxially coupled to the motor rotation shaft 22 of the motor unit 21, an input gear 33 that is coaxially provided on the outer peripheral surface of the input shaft 32, a plurality of intermediate gears 34, 36, and intermediates between them. An intermediate shaft 35 that is connected to the centers of the gears 34 and 36, an output shaft 38 that is connected to the inner ring 12 of the wheel hub bearing portion 11, an output gear 37 that is coaxially provided on the outer peripheral surface of the output shaft 38, and a plurality of these. It has a main body casing 39 that houses the gear and the rotating shaft. Since the main body casing 39 forms the outer contour of the reduction gear unit 31, it is also called a reduction gear unit casing.

  The input gear 33 is a helical gear having external teeth. The input shaft 32 has a hollow structure, and one end 22e of the motor rotating shaft 22 in the axial direction is inserted into the hollow hole 32h for spline fitting or serration fitting so that relative rotation is impossible. The input shaft 32 is rotatably supported by the front portion 39f and the rear portion 39b of the main body casing 39 on both ends of the input gear 33 via rolling bearings 32a and 32b.

  The axis N, which is the center of rotation of the intermediate shaft 35 of the speed reducer 31, extends parallel to the axis O. Both ends of the intermediate shaft 35 are rotatably supported by the front surface portion 39f and the rear surface portion 39b of the main body casing 39 via rolling bearings 35a and 35b. A first intermediate gear 34 is coaxially provided at the other end of the intermediate shaft 35 in the direction of the axis N. A second intermediate gear 36 is coaxially provided in the central region of the intermediate shaft 35 in the direction of the axis N.

  In addition, a recess is formed in the other end surface of the first intermediate gear 34 in the direction of the axis N, and the bearing 35b is housed in the recess. As a result, the position of the bearing 35b in the direction of the axis N and the position of the tooth surface of the first intermediate gear 34 in the direction of the axis N overlap, and the length of the intermediate shaft 35 is shortened.

  The first intermediate gear 34 and the second intermediate gear 36 are helical gears having external teeth, and the diameter of the first intermediate gear 34 is larger than the diameter of the second intermediate gear 36. The large-diameter first intermediate gear 34 is arranged on the other side of the second intermediate gear 36 in the axis line N direction and meshes with the small-diameter input gear 33. The small-diameter second intermediate gear 36 is arranged on one side of the first intermediate gear 34 in the axis N direction and meshes with the large-diameter output gear 37.

  The axis N of the intermediate shaft 35 is disposed above the axis O and the axis M, as shown in FIG. The axis N of the intermediate shaft 35 is arranged in front of the axis O in the vehicle and rear of the axis M in the vehicle. The speed reducer 31 is a three-axis parallel shaft gear reducer that has axes O, N, and M that are arranged at intervals in the vehicle front-rear direction and have axes O, N, and M that extend in parallel to each other, and has a two-speed shift.

  Returning to the description of FIG. 2, the output gear 37 is a helical gear having external teeth, and is provided coaxially at the center of the axis O of the output shaft 38. The output shaft 38 extends along the axis O. One end of the output shaft 38 in the direction of the axis O is inserted into the center hole of the inner ring 12 and fitted so as not to rotate relative to each other. The central portion of the output shaft 38 in the direction of the axis O is rotatably supported by the front portion 39f of the main body casing 39 via the rolling bearing 38a. The other end of the output shaft 38 in the direction of the axis O is rotatably supported by the back surface portion 39b of the main body casing 39 via a rolling bearing 38b.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the reduction unit 31 meshes a small-diameter drive gear with a large-diameter driven gear, that is, meshes the input gear 33 with the first intermediate gear 34, and meshes the second intermediate gear 36 with the output gear 37. Thus, the rotation of the input shaft 32 is decelerated and transmitted to the output shaft 38. The rotating element from the input shaft 32 to the output shaft 38 of the speed reduction unit 31 constitutes a drive transmission path that transmits the rotation of the motor unit 21 to the inner ring 12.

  The main body casing 39 includes a tubular portion in addition to the front surface portion 39f and the rear surface portion 39b described above. The tubular portion covers the internal components of the speed reducing portion 31 so as to surround the axes O, N, M extending in parallel with each other. The plate-shaped front surface portion 39f covers the internal components of the speed reducing portion 31 from one side in the axial direction and is connected to one end of the tubular portion. The plate-shaped rear surface portion 39b covers the internal components of the speed reducing portion 31 from the other side in the axial direction and is joined to the other end of the tubular portion. The back surface portion 39b of the main body casing 39 is also a partition wall that is coupled to the motor casing 29 and partitions the internal space of the speed reduction unit 31 and the internal space of the motor unit 21. The motor casing 29 is supported by the main body casing 39 and projects from the main body casing 39 to the other side in the axial direction (inward in the vehicle width direction).

  The main body casing 39 partitions the internal space of the speed reducing unit 31, and accommodates all the rotating elements (rotating shafts and gears) of the speed reducing unit 31 in the internal space. Lubricating oil that lubricates the motor unit 21 and the speed reduction unit 31 is stored in the oil storage unit 30 that occupies the lower portion of the internal space of the main body casing 39.

  When electric power is supplied to the above-described coil 26 from the outside of the in-wheel motor drive device 1, the rotor 23 of the motor unit 21 rotates, and the rotation is output from the motor rotation shaft 22 to the reduction unit 31. The deceleration unit 31 decelerates the rotation input from the motor unit 21 to the input shaft 32 and outputs it from the output shaft 38 to the wheel hub bearing unit 11. The inner ring 12 of the wheel hub bearing portion 11 rotates at the same rotational speed as the output shaft 38, and drives the wheel 91 mounted and fixed to the inner ring 12.

  The in-wheel motor drive device 1 having the above configuration is mounted on the front wheels 91f and the rear wheels 91b of the vehicle 90 shown in FIG. The internal configuration of the in-wheel motor drive device 1 is also common to the front wheels 91f and the rear wheels 91b. More specifically, as described above, the output characteristics of the motor unit 21 and the reduction ratio of the reduction unit 31 are the same as those of the front wheels 91f. It is the same regardless of the rear wheel 91b.

  However, the number of teeth of the gears of the speed reduction unit 31 may be different between the front wheels 91f and the rear wheels 91b while keeping the speed reduction ratio of the speed reduction unit 31 common. In this case, the forced vibration component of the gear can be made different between the front wheel 91f and the rear wheel 91b without changing the structure and shape of the casing 10. As a result, the front wheels 91f and the rear wheels 91b can have different vibration and noise generation cycles.

  The example in which the reduction gear unit 31 is a parallel triaxial gear reducer having axes O, R, and M extending parallel to each other has been shown, but a parallel axis gear reducer having a plurality of gears meshing with each other is shown. If it exists, it may be biaxial or biaxial or more. Alternatively, the speed reducer 31 may be composed of a speed reducer other than the parallel shaft type gear speed reducer.

(About suspension bracket)
As described above, for example, the MacPherson strut suspension device is connected to the in-wheel motor drive device 1 mounted on the front wheels 91f, and the in-wheel motor drive device 1 mounted on the rear wheels 91b is connected to the torsion beam suspension system, for example. The devices are connected. FIG. 5 schematically shows the front wheel 91f as viewed from the inside in the vehicle width direction (from the arrow V direction in FIG. 1), and FIG. 6 shows the rear wheel 91b from the inside in the vehicle width direction (in FIG. 1). The state viewed from the direction of arrow VI) is schematically shown.

  As shown in FIG. 5, in the front wheel 91 f, the in-wheel motor drive device 1 and the strut type suspension device 71 are connected via a suspension bracket 41. As shown in FIG. 6, in the rear wheel 91 b, the in-wheel motor drive device 1 and the torsion beam type suspension device 81 are connected via a suspension bracket 51. In FIGS. 5 and 6, the suspension brackets 41 and 51 are hatched for easy understanding.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the motor unit 21 of the in-wheel motor drive device 1 is arranged offset from the axle ahead of the vehicle. Therefore, when the single in-wheel motor drive device 1 is viewed from the vehicle width direction inner side, the vehicle width direction inner end surface of the main body casing 39 is exposed on the rear side of the motor casing 29, and the tubular portion of the motor casing 29 is exposed. A space is formed on the rear side of the main body casing 39 and inside the main body casing 39 in the vehicle width direction. The suspension bracket 41 or 51 is arranged in this space. However, the suspension bracket 41 or 51 is not directly attached to the casing 10 but is attached and fixed to the hub attachment 61.

  An example of the shape of the suspension bracket 41 applied to the front wheel 91f and a connection structure between the suspension bracket 41 and the hub attachment will be described with reference to FIGS. 7A to 7D and FIG. 8. FIG. 7A is a rear view of the connection structure of the in-wheel motor drive device 1 and the strut suspension 71 via the suspension bracket 41 as seen from the vehicle rear side, and FIG. 7B is the same structure as the vehicle rear side and vehicle width. It is the perspective view seen from the direction outside. FIG. 7C is a perspective view of the same connection structure as seen from the vehicle rear side and the vehicle width direction inner side, and FIG. 7D is a perspective view of the same connection structure as seen from the vehicle front side and the vehicle width direction inner side. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the connection structure between the hub attachment 61 and the suspension bracket 41, and corresponds to the cross-sectional view taken along the line VIII-VIII shown in FIG. Note that, also in FIGS. 7A to 7D, the suspension bracket 41 is hatched for easy understanding. 7A to 7C, the outer contour of the front wheel 91f is indicated by a broken line. The same applies to subsequent figures.

  The strut suspension device 71 includes a damper 71a extending in the vertical direction, a spring 71f, and a lower arm 71b extending in the vehicle width direction. The suspension bracket 41 includes a main body portion 41d, a damper connecting portion 41a connected to a lower end portion of the damper 71a, a lower arm connecting portion 41b connected to an outer end portion of the lower arm 71b in the vehicle width direction, and a plurality of protruding portions 41p. Included integrally. The suspension bracket 41 may also integrally include a tie rod connecting portion 41c connected to the vehicle width direction outer end portion of the tie rod 71c.

  The main body portion 41d is arranged behind the motor casing 29 and inside the main body casing 39 in the vehicle width direction, and is arranged apart from the inner end surface 39s of the main body casing 39 in the vehicle width direction. The main body portion 41d is typically formed in a flat plate shape, and is arranged in parallel to the flat inner end surface 39s in the vehicle width direction of the main body casing 39. The main body portion 41d is arranged, for example, so as to intersect (intersect) an extension line of the axis O at right angles. The body portion 41d overlaps the stator 24 (FIG. 2) when viewed in the vehicle front-rear direction. In other words, the position of the body portion 41d in the direction of the axis O overlaps the position of the stator 24 in the direction of the axis O.

  The damper connecting portion 41a is provided continuously with the upper end of the main body portion 41d, and is configured by, for example, an annular portion that passes through the lower end portion of the damper 71a. The lower arm connecting portion 41b is provided continuously to the lower end of the main body portion 41d, and is connected to the lower arm 71b via a ball joint 71d. The tie rod connecting portion 41c is provided continuously to the vehicle rear side of the body portion 41d, and is connected to the tie rod 71c via a ball joint 71e. The lower arm connecting portion 41b and the tie rod connecting portion 41c are configured by, for example, a socket fixing portion for fixing the socket of the ball joint.

  The protruding portion 41p horizontally protrudes outward from the position in the radial direction with respect to the main body portion 41d toward the outside in the vehicle width direction, and contacts the hub attachment 61. In the present embodiment, the projecting portion 41p includes one projecting portion 41p projecting outward in the vehicle width direction at a position higher than the body portion 41d and two projecting portions 41p projecting outward in the vehicle width direction at a position lower than the body portion 41d. Section 41p.

  The radial outer end portion of the upper portion 66a of the hub attachment 61 projects radially outward from the front surface portion 39f of the main body casing 39 at least at one location. The radially outer end of the lower portion 66b of the hub attachment 61 also projects radially outward from the front portion 39f of the main body casing 39 at at least two locations so as to sandwich the oil storage portion 30, for example.

  The tip end surface of the upper protruding portion 41p comes into contact with the abutting surface formed to protrude inward in the vehicle width direction from the radially outer end portion of the upper portion 66a of the hub attachment 61. Further, the tip end surface of the lower protruding portion 41p contacts the abutting surface of the radially outer end portion of the lower portion 66b of the hub attachment 61. The tip end surface of each protrusion 41p contacts the inner end surface of the hub attachment 61 in the vehicle width direction at a position where it does not interfere with the main body casing 39. The tip surfaces of the protruding portions 41p are all flush with each other.

  A female screw hole 41h is formed in each protrusion 41p. Each female screw hole 41h is formed in the tip surface of the protrusion 41p and extends parallel to the axis O. A plurality of circular through holes 66h are formed in the hub attachment 61 at positions corresponding to the female screw holes 41h. Each of the through holes 66h is formed in the abutting surface of the upper portion 66a or the lower portion 66b and extends parallel to the axis O. The abutting surface and the tip surface are arranged between the rolling bearings 38a and 38b which are separated from each other in the direction of the axis O.

  The female screw hole 41h and the through hole 66h are aligned with each other, and the bolt 67 is inserted into each through hole 66h of the hub attachment 61 from one side in the axis O direction. Each bolt 67 penetrates one through hole 66h in the direction of the axis O and is screwed into the female screw hole 41h in the other direction of the axis O. The hub attachment 61 and the suspension bracket 41 are connected and fixed by tightening each bolt 67 as a fixing means. In the present embodiment, as fixing means, there are three bolts 67, three through holes 66h for receiving the respective bolts 67, and three female screw holes 41h that are screwed into the respective bolts 67. However, the number of bolts 67 and the like is not limited to a predetermined number, and a plurality of bolts 67 and the like may be arranged around the outer ring 13.

  The upper protrusion 41p of the suspension bracket 41 is cantilevered by the damper connecting portion 41a. The lower protruding portion 41p is cantilevered and supported by the lower arm connecting portion 41b. The hub attachment 61 is also formed with a protruding portion including an abutting surface at a position corresponding to each protruding portion 41p. The projecting portion is also cantilevered by the main body portion (including the circular portion 65) of the hub attachment 61. As a result, when viewed from the rear of the vehicle, the outer peripheral surface of the main body casing 39 is exposed through the opening between the circular portion 65 of the hub attachment 61 and the main body portion 41d of the suspension bracket 41. Further, a part of the outer peripheral surface of the motor casing 29 (outer portion in the vehicle width direction) is also exposed. The protrusions 41p may be supported by the main body 41d of the suspension bracket 41 in a cantilever manner.

  An example of the shape of the suspension bracket 51 applied to the rear wheel 91b will be described with reference to FIGS. 9A to 8D. FIG. 9A is a rear view of the connecting structure of the in-wheel motor drive device 1 and the torsion beam type suspension device 81 via the suspension bracket 51 as seen from the vehicle rear side, and FIG. It is the perspective view seen from the direction outside. FIG. 9C is a perspective view of the connecting structure as seen from the vehicle rear side and the vehicle width direction inner side, and FIG. 9D is a perspective view of the same connecting structure as seen from the vehicle front side and the vehicle width direction inner side.

  The torsion beam suspension system 81 includes a damper 81a extending in the vertical direction, a coil spring 81c, a trailing arm 81b extending in the vehicle front-rear direction, and a torsion beam 81d integrated with the trailing arm 81b. The suspension bracket 51 includes a main body portion 51d, a damper coupling portion 51a coupled to a lower end portion of the damper 81a via a rubber bush, a trailing arm coupling portion 51b coupled to a rear end portion of the trailing arm 81b, It integrally includes a plurality of protrusions 51p. It is desirable that the suspension bracket 51 integrally includes a trailing arm 81b together with the trailing arm connecting portion 51b. The suspension bracket 51 may also integrally include a spring connecting portion 51c that is connected to the lower end portion of the coil spring 81c extending in the vertical direction on the front side of the damper 81a.

  The arrangement position of the main body portion 51d is the same as that of the main body portion 41d of the suspension bracket 41. The damper connecting portion 51a is provided continuously from the lower end of the main body portion 51d toward the vehicle rear side. The trailing arm connecting portion 51b is provided continuously from the lower end of the main body portion 51d to the vehicle front side. The spring connecting portion 51c is provided continuously from the lower end of the main body portion 51d inward in the vehicle width direction.

  Each of the protrusions 51p horizontally protrudes from a position on the outer side in the radial direction with respect to the main body 51d toward the outer side in the vehicle width direction, and contacts the hub attachment 61. Since the connection between the protruding portion 51p and the upper portion 66a and the lower portion 66b of the hub attachment 61 is the same as that of the suspension bracket 41 for the front wheel 91f, the description will not be repeated.

  As described above, since the suspension brackets 41, 51 are fixedly attached to the casing 10 of the in-wheel motor drive device 1 via the hub attachment 61, the road surface load is prevented from being transmitted to the casing 10 when the vehicle 90 is traveling. it can. In particular, since the suspension brackets 41 and 51 do not come into contact with any part of the casing 10 and are arranged apart from the casing 10, it is possible to effectively prevent the road surface load from being transmitted to the casing 10.

  As a result, the strength of the casing 10 can be reduced as compared with the form in which the suspension brackets 41 and 51 are directly attached and fixed to the casing 10. Therefore, the structure and shape of the casing 10 of the in-wheel motor drive device 1 mounted on the front wheels 91f and the rear wheels 91b can be made common as described above.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, since the front wheel 91f and the rear wheel 91b have the same structure and shape on the left and right sides, the mold and the processing blade used for processing the casing 10 can be common. Further, since the casing 10 is not required to have high strength, restrictions on the production of the casing 10 are reduced, so that a production method having a high cost merit such as die casting (injection molding) can be selected. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the total initial cost of the in-wheel motor drive device 1 required for the vehicle 90 that is a four-wheel drive vehicle.

  Further, by adopting a structure in which the in-wheel motor drive device 1 and the suspension devices 71, 81 are connected via the suspension brackets 41, 51, the front wheel 91f and the rear wheel 91b of the vehicle 90 are provided with the casing 10 having the same structure. Even if the in-wheel motor drive device 1 is mounted, different types of suspension devices can be used for the front wheels 91f and the rear wheels 91b without any trouble.

  In the present embodiment, the example in which the strut type suspension device 71 is applied to the front wheel 91f and the torsion beam type suspension device 81 is applied to the rear wheel 91b has been described. However, by changing the shape of the suspension bracket, the front wheel 91f and the rear wheel 91f are changed. Other types of suspensions can be applied to each of the 91b. An example of the shape of the suspension bracket when other types of suspension devices are applied to the front wheels 91f and the rear wheels 91b will be described below.

(Suspension bracket for front wheels)
10A to 10E are diagrams schematically showing a connecting structure between the in-wheel motor drive device 1 via the suspension bracket 42 and the strut type suspension device 72 having the knuckle 72c. This structure is a strut-type suspension structure in which the steering shaft is formed near the wheel center by disposing two ball joints in the wheel rim.

  The suspension device 72 includes a damper 72a, a lower arm 72b, a spring 72k, a tie rod 72f, and a knuckle 72c. The knuckle 72c extends in the vertical direction, and is connected at its upper end to the lower end of the damper 72a and at its lower end to the vehicle width direction outer end of the lower arm 72b. The knuckle 72c and the damper 72a are connected by inserting the lower end portion of the damper 72a into an annular portion 72j provided at the upper end portion of the knuckle 72c. The knuckle 72c and the lower arm 72b are connected via a ball joint 72i or a rubber bush, and are also connected via a link 72h.

  The suspension bracket 42 includes two knuckle connecting portions 42a and 42b, respectively, instead of the damper connecting portion 41a and the lower arm connecting portion 41b. That is, the suspension bracket 42 integrally includes the knuckle connecting portions 42a and 42b, the tie rod connecting portion 42d, the main body portion 42c, and the plurality of protruding portions 42p. The arrangement position of the main body portion 42c is the same as that of the main body portion 41d described above.

  The knuckle connecting portion 42a is provided continuously to the upper end of the main body 42c, and is connected to the upper end of the knuckle 72c via a ball joint 72d. The knuckle connecting portion 42b is provided continuously to the lower end of the main body 42c, and is connected to the lower end of the knuckle 72c via a ball joint 72e. The tie rod connecting portion 42d is provided continuously to the vehicle rear side of the main body portion 42c, and is connected to the tie rod 72f via a ball joint 72g.

  Each of the protrusions 42p horizontally protrudes from the position on the outer side in the radial direction with respect to the main body 42c toward the outer side in the vehicle width direction, and contacts the hub attachment 61. The connection between the protrusion 42p and the upper portion 66a and the lower portion 66b of the hub attachment 61 is similar to that of the suspension bracket 41 described above.

  11A to 11E are diagrams schematically showing a connection structure between the in-wheel motor drive device 1 and the double wishbone suspension device 73 via the suspension bracket 43. This structure is a structure in which the wheels can be swung up and down and steered by the upper and lower suspension arms.

  The suspension device 73 includes a damper 73a, an upper arm 73b, a lower arm 73c, a spring 73h, and a tie rod 73f. The lower end of the damper 73a is connected to the lower arm 73c via a rubber bush. Further, the upper arm 73b may be arranged above the tire of the wheel 91f.

  The suspension bracket 43 integrally includes an upper arm connecting portion 43a, a lower arm connecting portion 43b, a tie rod connecting portion 43d, a main body portion 43c, and a plurality of protruding portions 43p. The arrangement position of the main body 43c is the same as that of the main body 41d described above.

  The upper arm connecting portion 43a is provided continuously to the upper end of the main body portion 43c, and is connected to the vehicle width direction outer end portion of the upper arm 73b via a ball joint 73d. The lower arm connecting portion 43b is provided continuously to the lower end of the main body portion 43c, and is connected to the vehicle width direction outer end portion of the lower arm 73c via a ball joint 73e. The tie rod connecting portion 43d is provided continuously to the vehicle rear side of the main body portion 43c, and is connected to the tie rod 73f via a ball joint 73g.

  Each of the projecting portions 43p horizontally projects outward from a position radially outside of the main body 43c and contacts the hub attachment 61. The connection between the protrusion 43p and the upper portion 66a and the lower portion 66b of the hub attachment 61 is similar to that of the suspension bracket 41 described above.

  12A to 12E are diagrams schematically showing a connection structure between the in-wheel motor drive device 1 and the multi-link suspension device 74 via the suspension bracket 44. This structure is a structure that allows the wheels to be swung up and down and steered by a plurality of suspension links.

  The suspension device 74 includes a damper 74a, a plurality of upper links 74b, a plurality of lower links 74c, a spring 74h, and a tie rod 74f. The upper end of the damper 74a is connected to the vehicle body via a rubber bush, and the lower end of the damper 74a is connected to the lower link 74c via a rubber bush. An inner end portion in the vehicle width direction of the upper link 74b is connected to the vehicle body via a rubber bush.

  The suspension bracket 44 integrally includes an upper link connecting portion 44a, a lower link connecting portion 44b, a tie rod connecting portion 44d, a main body portion 44c, and a plurality of protruding portions 44p. The arrangement position of the main body portion 44c is the same as that of the main body portion 41d described above.

  The plurality of upper link connecting portions 44a are provided continuously to the upper end of the main body portion 44c, and are connected to the vehicle width direction outer end portions of the upper links 74b via ball joints 74d. The plurality of lower link connecting portions 44b are provided continuously to the lower end of the main body portion 44c, and are connected to the vehicle width direction outer end portion of the lower link 74c via a ball joint 74e. The tie rod connecting portion 44d is provided continuously to the vehicle rear side of the main body portion 44c, and is connected to the tie rod 74f via a ball joint 74g.

  Each of the protrusions 44p horizontally protrudes from the position radially outside of the main body 44c toward the outside in the vehicle width direction, and contacts the hub attachment 61. The connection between the protrusion 44p and the upper portion 66a and the lower portion 66b of the hub attachment 61 is similar to that of the suspension bracket 41 described above.

  13A to 13E are diagrams schematically showing a connecting structure of the in-wheel motor drive device 1 via the suspension bracket 45 and the multi-link suspension device 75 having the third link 75d. This structure is a structure in which the wheels are swung up and down by the upper and lower suspension arms, and steerable by the third link 75d.

  The suspension device 75 includes a damper 75a, an upper arm 75b, a lower arm 75c, a tie rod 75g, and a third link 75d. The third link 75d extends in the vertical direction, and has an upper end connected to the vehicle width direction inner end of the upper arm 75b via a rubber bush, and a lower end connected to a lower end of the damper 75a via a rubber bush.

  The suspension bracket 45 integrally includes a third link connecting portion 45a, a lower arm connecting portion 45b, a tie rod connecting portion 45d, a main body portion 45c, and a plurality of protruding portions 45p. The arrangement position of the main body portion 45c is the same as that of the main body portion 41d described above.

  The third link connecting portion 45a is provided continuously to the upper end of the main body portion 45c, and is connected to the central portion of the third link 75d via a bearing 75e. The lower arm connecting portion 45b is provided continuously to the lower end of the main body portion 45c, and is connected to the vehicle width direction outer end portion of the lower arm 75c via a ball joint 75f. The tie rod connecting portion 45d is provided continuously to the vehicle rear side of the main body portion 45c, and is connected to the tie rod 75g via a ball joint 75h.

  Each of the projecting portions 45p horizontally projects outward from a position radially outward of the main body portion 45c and contacts the hub attachment 61. The connection between the protrusion 45p and the upper portion 66a and the lower portion 66b of the hub attachment 61 is similar to that of the suspension bracket 41 described above.

(Suspension bracket for rear wheel)
14A to 14E are diagrams schematically showing a connection structure of the in-wheel motor drive device 1 and the multi-link suspension device 82 via the suspension bracket 52. This structure allows the wheels to swing up and down by a plurality of suspension links and realizes a good alignment change. The suspension device 82 includes a damper 82a, a pair of upper links 82b, a pair of lower links 82c, a toe control rod 82d, and a coil spring 82e.

  The suspension bracket 52 integrally includes a damper connecting portion 52a, a pair of upper link connecting portions 52b, a pair of lower link connecting portions 52c, a toe control rod connecting portion 52e, a main body portion 52d, and a plurality of protruding portions 52p. Included. The arrangement position of the main body 52d is the same as that of the main body 51d described above.

  The damper connecting portion 52a is provided continuously to the lower end of the main body 52d, and is connected to the lower end of the damper 82a via a rubber bush. The upper link connecting portion 52b is provided continuously to the upper end of the main body portion 52d, and is connected to the vehicle width direction outer end portion of the upper link 82b via a rubber bush. The lower link connecting portion 52c is provided continuously to the lower end of the main body portion 52d, and is connected to the vehicle width direction outer end portion of the lower link 82c via a rubber bush. The toe control rod connecting portion 52e is provided continuously to the lower end of the main body portion 52d, and is connected to the vehicle width direction outer end portion of the toe control rod 82d via a rubber bush.

  Each of the protrusions 52p horizontally protrudes from the position radially outside of the main body 52d toward the outside in the vehicle width direction, and contacts the hub attachment 61. The connection between the protrusion 52p and the upper portion 66a and the lower portion 66b of the hub attachment 61 is similar to that of the suspension bracket 51 described above.

  15A to 15E are diagrams schematically showing a connection structure between the in-wheel motor drive device 1 via the suspension bracket 53 and the rigid axle type suspension device 83 having the coil spring 83c. In this structure, the left and right wheels are connected by a rigid axle, the wheels are positioned by a trailing arm and a lateral rod, and the wheels are vertically swung.

  The suspension device 83 includes a rigid axle 83a, a damper 83b, a coil spring 83c, a trailing arm 83d, and a lateral rod 83e. The lower end of the coil spring 83c is connected to the rigid axle 83a. The lower end of the damper 83b, the rear end of the trailing arm 83d, and the lateral rod 83e are connected to the rigid axle 83a via a rubber bush.

  The suspension bracket 53 integrally includes a rigid axle connecting portion 53a, a main body portion 53b, and a plurality of protruding portions 53p. The arrangement position of the main body 53b is the same as that of the main body 51d described above. The rigid axle connecting portion 53a is provided on an inner end surface in the vehicle width direction of the main body portion 53b, and is connected to an outer end portion in the vehicle width direction of the rigid axle 83a.

  Each of the protrusions 53p horizontally protrudes outward from the main body 53b in the radial direction and contacts the hub attachment 61. The connection between the protrusion 53p and the upper portion 66a and the lower portion 66b of the hub attachment 61 is similar to that of the suspension bracket 51 described above.

  16A to 16E are diagrams schematically showing a connection structure between the in-wheel motor drive device 1 via the suspension bracket 54 and the rigid axle type suspension device 84 having the leaf spring 84c. In this structure, the left and right wheels are connected by a rigid axle, the wheels are positioned by a leaf spring 84c, and the wheels are vertically swung.

  This suspension device 84 includes a rigid axle 84a, a damper 84b, and a leaf spring 84c. Also in this case, like the suspension bracket 53, the suspension bracket 54 integrally includes the rigid axle connecting portion 54a, the main body portion 54b, and the plurality of protruding portions 54p. The arrangement position of the main body portion 54b is the same as that of the main body portion 51d described above.

  The rigid axle connecting portion 54a is provided on the inner end surface in the vehicle width direction of the main body portion 54b, and is connected to the outer end portion in the vehicle width direction of the rigid axle 84a. The leaf spring 84c is fixed to the rigid axle 84a and the spring lower seat 84d with a U bolt 84e. The lower end of the damper 84b is connected to the spring lower seat 84d via a rubber bush.

  Each of the protrusions 54p horizontally protrudes outward from the position of the main body 54b in the radial direction and contacts the hub attachment 61. The connection between the protrusion 54p and the upper portion 66a and the lower portion 66b of the hub attachment 61 is similar to that of the suspension bracket 51 described above.

  Although the structure and shape of the suspension bracket according to the type of suspension device to be applied have been described, the shape of the hub attachment 61 connected to the suspension bracket may be changed depending on the type of suspension device to be applied. Specifically, the shape of the hub attachment 61 of the in-wheel motor drive device 1 mounted on the front wheel 91f may be different from the shape of the hub attachment 61 of the in-wheel motor drive device 1 mounted on the rear wheel 91b. . More specifically, the positions or shapes of the radially outer end portions of at least one of the upper portion 66a and the lower portion 66b of the hub attachment 61 may be different for the front wheel 91f and the rear wheel 91b.

  The suspension device described as being applied to the front wheel 91f may be applied to the rear wheel 91b, or conversely, the suspension device described as being applied to the rear wheel 91b may be applied to the front wheel 91f. Further, the same type of suspension device may be applied to the front wheels 91f and the rear wheels 91b.

  In the present embodiment, the motor portion 21 is arranged offset from the wheel hub bearing portion 11 toward the vehicle front side, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the motor portion 21 is disposed more toward the vehicle than the wheel hub bearing portion 11. It may be arranged offset to the rear side. Alternatively, the motor portion 21 and the wheel hub bearing portion 11 may be coaxially arranged without being offset in the vehicle front-rear direction.

  The embodiments disclosed this time are to be considered as illustrative in all points and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is shown not by the above description but by the claims, and is intended to include meanings equivalent to the claims and all modifications within the scope.

  1 in-wheel motor drive device, 10 casing, 11 wheel hub bearing part, 12 inner ring, 13 outer ring, 21 motor part, 22 motor rotating shaft, 29 motor casing, 29v rear cover, 32 input shaft, 33 input gear, 34, 36 intermediate Gear, 35 intermediate shaft, 37 output gear, 38 output shaft, 39 main body casing, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 51, 52, 53, 54 suspension bracket, 61 hub attachment, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 81, 82, 83, 84 Suspension device, 90 vehicle, 91b rear wheel, 91f front wheel, W wheel.

Claims (12)

A mounting structure of an in-wheel motor drive device in which an in-wheel motor drive device is mounted on a four-wheel drive vehicle,
A first in-wheel motor drive device that is arranged in the inner space of the front wheel and is connected to the suspension device via a suspension bracket;
A second in-wheel motor drive device disposed in the inner space of the rear wheel and connected to the suspension device via a suspension bracket;
Each of the first and second in-wheel motor drive devices includes a casing forming an outer shell thereof, and a wheel hub bearing portion having a hub attachment mounted and fixed to the casing,
The suspension bracket is connected to the casing via the hub attachment,
The mounting structure of the in-wheel motor drive device, wherein the casings of the first and second in-wheel motor drive devices have the same structure and shape for the front wheels and the rear wheels on the left and right respectively.   The in-wheel motor drive mounting structure according to claim 1, wherein the suspension bracket is disposed apart from the casing. The type of the suspension device is different between the front wheel and the rear wheel,
The suspension bracket attached to the casing of the first in-wheel motor drive device and the suspension bracket attached to the casing of the second in-wheel motor drive device have different structures and shapes. The mounting structure of the in-wheel motor drive device according to 2.   The mounting structure of the in-wheel motor drive device according to claim 3, wherein the shape of the hub attachment of the first in-wheel motor drive device is different from the shape of the hub attachment of the second in-wheel motor drive device.   In both of the first and second in-wheel motor drive devices, the motor portion is offset toward the vehicle front side or rear side of the wheel hub bearing portion. Mounting structure for wheel motor drive. The suspension applied to the front wheels or the rear wheels is a MacPherson strut suspension including a lower arm and a damper,
The mounting structure for an in-wheel motor drive device according to claim 1, wherein the suspension bracket includes at least a lower arm connecting portion connected to the lower arm and a damper connecting portion connected to the damper. .. The suspension applied to the front wheels or the rear wheels is a torsion beam type suspension including a trailing arm and a damper,
The in-wheel motor drive according to claim 1, wherein the suspension bracket includes at least a trailing arm connecting portion connected to the trailing arm and a damper connecting portion connected to the damper. Device mounting structure. The suspension applied to the front wheels or the rear wheels is a MacPherson strut type suspension including a lower arm connected to a knuckle and a damper,
The mounting structure of the in-wheel motor drive device according to claim 1, wherein the suspension bracket includes a knuckle connecting portion connected to the knuckle via a ball joint. The suspension applied to the front wheels or the rear wheels is a double wishbone suspension including an upper arm, a lower arm, and a damper,
The in-wheel motor drive device according to claim 1, wherein the suspension bracket includes at least an upper arm connecting portion connected to the upper arm and a lower arm connecting portion connected to the lower arm. Mounting structure. The suspension device applied to the front wheels or the rear wheels is a multi-link suspension device including an upper link, a lower link, and a damper,
The in-wheel motor drive according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the suspension bracket includes at least an upper link connecting portion connected to the upper link and a lower link connecting portion connected to the lower link. Device mounting structure. The suspension device applied to the front wheels or the rear wheels is a multi-link suspension device including an upper arm, a lower arm, a damper, and a third link connected to the upper arm and the damper,
The in-wheel motor drive device according to claim 1, wherein the suspension bracket includes at least a third link connecting portion connected to the third link and a lower arm connecting portion connected to the lower arm. Mounting structure. The suspension applied to the front wheels or the rear wheels is a rigid axle type suspension including a rigid axle, a damper, and a leaf spring or a coil spring,
The said suspension bracket is a mounting structure of the in-wheel motor drive device in any one of Claims 1-5 including the rigid-askul connection part connected with the said rigid askule.

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