Abstract: The technology disclosed in the present specification is embodied as a support device for supporting maintenance on an apparatus including an expendable component. The support device includes at least one computer. The at least one computer executes: a process of acquiring an index indicative of a consumption level of the expendable component; a process of, at a time point when the index indicative the consumption level reaches a predetermined threshold, specifying a necessary period of time required for replacement of the expendable component at the time point; and a process of restricting an operation of the apparatus when a remaining period of time of the expendable component, the remaining period of time being associated with the threshold, is shorter than the necessary period of time required for the replacement.

Abstract: A vehicular power transmitting system including a power transmitting member, an oil pump, and an oil piping assembly, and the oil piping assembly includes an oil piping body having an oil inlet and fixed, and a branch pipe. The branch pipe has a width direction parallel to a longitudinal direction of the oil piping body, and includes proximal and distal end portions. The proximal end portion is connected to the oil piping body, and the distal end portion has a delivery nozzle from which the oil is delivered toward the lubricated portion. The branch pipe has an opening formed in the proximal end portion, for communication of the branch pipe with the oil piping body, the opening having a dimension in a width direction of the branch pipe, which dimension is larger than a dimension of the distal end portion in the width direction of the branch pipe.

Abstract: A hybrid vehicle including an engine, a drive motor, a first oil pump, and a second oil pump is configured to, during forward travel, supply components to be cooled or lubricated with oil discharged from a discharge port of the first oil pump and a discharge port of the second oil pump via an oil passage, while the hybrid vehicle is configured to, during reverse travel, compensate for a driving force by supplying oil discharged from the discharge port of the second oil pump to the discharge port of the first oil pump via the oil passage to cause the first oil pump to operate as a hydraulic motor.

Abstract: A vehicle drive-force transmitting apparatus including: a casing; a drive-force transmitting mechanism disposed in the casing; and first and second oil pumps configured to suck, through respective inlet ports thereof, oil stored in a bottom portion of a casing, such that the drive-force transmitting mechanism is lubricated by the oil pumped up by the first and second oil pumps. The casing is provided with a drain hole through which the oil stored in the bottom portion of the casing is to be discharged to an exterior of the casing. A position of opening of the inlet port of the first oil pump is lower than a position of a lower end of the drain hole, and a position of opening of the inlet port of the second oil pump is higher than the position of the lower end of the drain hole.

Abstract: A lubricating device of a power transmitting system including a power transmitting mechanism. The lubricating device includes: an oil reservoir; an oil pump; an oil catcher provided to receive a portion of the oil delivered from the oil pump; and an oil piping assembly through which the oil delivered from the oil pump flows to be delivered to each of the at least one lubricated portion. The oil piping assembly has a first oil delivery nozzle from which the oil is delivered to each lubricated portion, and a second oil delivery nozzle from which the portion of the oil delivered from the oil pump flows into the oil catcher. The second oil delivery nozzle has a length larger than that of the first oil delivery nozzle.

Abstract: A vehicle drive-force transmitting apparatus including: a differential ring gear that is to be rotated about a first axis; a pump that is to be driven when the differential ring gear is rotated; a casing that stores therein the differential ring gear and the pump; a pipe that is connected to the pump so as to supply oil sucked by the pump, to lubrication-required elements of the drive-force transmitting apparatus; a catch tank that is provided by a rib provided in the casing; and a guide way that is provided by a rib provided in the casing. The guide way is configured to guide the oil discharged from the pipe, to the catch tank.

Abstract: A vehicle drive device including a generator rotationally driven to generate electric power by an engine via a planetary gear device, an electric motor operated by using an electric energy obtained by the generator, and a power transmission mechanism transmitting an output of the electric motor to wheels comprises: a housing case including a first housing space; and a lubricating device distributing an oil at least to the power transmission mechanism in the first housing space for lubrication. The planetary gear device and the power transmission mechanism are housed in the first housing space and a sun gear and a carrier of the planetary gear device are coupled to one and the other of the engine and the generator respectively, while a ring gear of the planetary gear device is non-rotatably held by the housing case.

Abstract: A hybrid vehicle including an engine, a drive motor, a first oil pump, and a second oil pump is configured to, during forward travel, supply components to be cooled or lubricated with oil discharged from a discharge port of the first oil pump and a discharge port of the second oil pump via an oil passage, while the hybrid vehicle is configured to, during reverse travel, compensate for a driving force by supplying oil discharged from the discharge port of the second oil pump to the discharge port of the first oil pump via the oil passage to cause the first oil pump to operate as a hydraulic motor.

Abstract: A vehicle drive-force transmitting apparatus including: a differential ring gear that is to be rotated about a first axis; a pump that is to be driven when the differential ring gear is rotated; a casing that stores therein the differential ring gear and the pump; a pipe that is connected to the pump so as to supply oil sucked by the pump, to lubrication-required elements of the drive-force transmitting apparatus; a catch tank that is provided by a rib provided in the casing; and a guide way that is provided by a rib provided in the casing. The guide way is configured to guide the oil discharged from the pipe, to the catch tank.

Abstract: A vehicle drive-force transmitting apparatus including: a casing; a drive-force transmitting mechanism disposed in the casing; and first and second oil pumps configured to suck, through respective inlet ports thereof, oil stored in a bottom portion of a casing, such that the drive-force transmitting mechanism is lubricated by the oil pumped up by the first and second oil pumps. The casing is provided with a drain hole through which the oil stored in the bottom portion of the casing is to be discharged to an exterior of the casing. A position of opening of the inlet port of the first oil pump is lower than a position of a lower end of the drain hole, and a position of opening of the inlet port of the second oil pump is higher than the position of the lower end of the drain hole.

Abstract: A differential gear device including: a differential casing; and a pair of side gears which are disposed within the differential casing such that the side gears are rotatable about the above-indicated axis and are axially opposed to each other, and such that a rotary motion of the differential casing about the above-indicated axis is transmitted to the side gears through at least one pinion gear, the differential casing having a pair of bearing portions which extend from its respective inner surfaces toward back surfaces of the respective side gears, which are coaxial with said axis and which have respective annular seating surfaces which receive axial loads from the side gears, and wherein each of the pair of bearing portions has a protrusion extending from an outer circumference of corresponding one of the annular seating surfaces in a radially outward direction of the annular seating surface.

Abstract: A lubricating device of a power transmitting system including a power transmitting mechanism. The lubricating device includes: an oil reservoir; an oil pump; an oil catcher provided to receive a portion of the oil delivered from the oil pump; and an oil piping assembly through which the oil delivered from the oil pump flows to be delivered to each of the at least one lubricated portion. The oil piping assembly has a first oil delivery nozzle from which the oil is delivered to each lubricated portion, and a second oil delivery nozzle from which the portion of the oil delivered from the oil pump flows into the oil catcher. The second oil delivery nozzle has a length larger than that of the first oil delivery nozzle.

Abstract: A vehicular power transmitting system including a power transmitting member, an oil pump, and an oil piping assembly, and the oil piping assembly includes an oil piping body having an oil inlet and fixed, and a branch pipe. The branch pipe has a width direction parallel to a longitudinal direction of the oil piping body, and includes proximal and distal end portions. The proximal end portion is connected to the oil piping body, and the distal end portion has a delivery nozzle from which the oil is delivered toward the lubricated portion. The branch pipe has an opening formed in the proximal end portion, for communication of the branch pipe with the oil piping body, the opening having a dimension in a width direction of the branch pipe, which dimension is larger than a dimension of the distal end portion in the width direction of the branch pipe.

Abstract: A lubricating device of a gear apparatus for a vehicle lubricates a low-rotation-side gear and a high-rotation-side gear meshing with the low-rotation-side gear. The lubricating device comprises a first tooth surface lubricating oil supply part configured to supply a lubricating oil directly to a tooth surface position located more upstream of a rotating direction of the low-rotation-side gear than a meshing position of the low-rotation-side gear with the high-rotation-side gear so as to spray some of the lubricating oil from the tooth surface position toward a tooth surface of the high-rotation-side gear, and an in-shaft lubricating oil supply part configured to supply the lubricating oil into a shaft of the high-rotation-side gear.

Abstract: A hybrid vehicle comprises an engine; a first rotary machine configured to drive the hybrid vehicle; a power transmission system configured to transmit drive force from the engine and the first rotary machine via an output unit to driven wheels; a first oil pump configured to be mechanically rotary-driven along with rotation of the output unit; a second oil pump configured to be rotary-driven by a rotary drive source that is different from the output unit; a first supply passage connected to a discharge side of the first oil pump, and the first supply passage configured to supply lubricating oil at least to the first rotary machine; a second supply passage connected to a discharge side of the second oil pump, and the second supply passage configured to supply lubricating oil at least to the first rotary machine; and an oil cooler provided to the second supply passage.

Abstract: A vehicle drive device including a generator rotationally driven to generate electric power by an engine via a planetary gear device, an electric motor operated by using an electric energy obtained by the generator, and a power transmission mechanism transmitting an output of the electric motor to wheels comprises: a housing case including a first housing space; and a lubricating device distributing an oil at least to the power transmission mechanism in the first housing space for lubrication. The planetary gear device and the power transmission mechanism are housed in the first housing space and a sun gear and a carrier of the planetary gear device are coupled to one and the other of the engine and the generator respectively, while a ring gear of the planetary gear device is non-rotatably held by the housing case.

Abstract: A differential gear device including: a differential casing; and a pair of side gears which are disposed within the differential casing such that the side gears are rotatable about the above-indicated axis and are axially opposed to each other, and such that a rotary motion of the differential casing about the above-indicated axis is transmitted to the side gears through at least one pinion gear, the differential casing having a pair of bearing portions which extend from its respective inner surfaces toward back surfaces of the respective side gears, which are coaxial with said axis and which have respective annular seating surfaces which receive axial loads from the side gears, and wherein each of the pair of bearing portions has a protrusion extending from an outer circumference of corresponding one of the annular seating surfaces in a radially outward direction of the annular seating surface.

Abstract: During the travel of a vehicle, the oil level of lubricating oil is lowered due to the suction by at least a first oil pump and the scraping-up by the rotation of a differential ring gear and so on. In particular, until the oil level becomes equal to or lower than an upper end of a first partition wall, the oil level is lowered due to both the suction by the first oil pump and the scraping-up by the rotation of the differential ring gear and so on, and therefore, a region, that is immersed in the lubricating oil, of the differential device rapidly becomes smaller. Since a suction port of the first oil pump is disposed in a second oil storage portion, the oil level in the second oil storage portion during the travel of the vehicle can be adjusted independently of that in a first oil storage portion.

Abstract: A lubricating apparatus for a vehicle, comprises a first oil pump and a second oil pump, and a first supply passage connected to a discharge side of the first oil pump on which the lubricating oil is discharged so as to supply the lubricating oil discharged from the first oil pump to lubricated parts of the power transmission system, a second supply passage that is provided independently from the first supply passage and is connected to a discharge side of the second oil pump on which the lubricating oil is discharged so as to supply the lubricating oil discharged from the second oil pump to the lubricated parts of the power transmission system.

Abstract: A first electric motor generates torque in the case where a vehicle speed becomes lower than a specified threshold in a travel state where a second electric motor is exclusively used as a drive source among an engine, the first electric motor, and the second electric motor and during a speed reducing travel.