Abstract: Having three or more vehicle wheels (1, 29 and also having a diverting mechanism (4) that can independently divert each of the vehicle wheels (1, 2), a driving wheel of the vehicle wheels (1, 2) is run driven by a run drive mechanism (5) having an independent prime mover (6). Accordingly, an unusual traveling operation, which results in a in-situ swing or a sidewise movement is enabled. In an automobile of the above given construction, a travel mode switching unit (41) is provided to perform switching between a usual travel mode and an unusual travel mode. By so constructing, the switching of a travel mode between an unusual travel mode and a usual travel mode can be implemented as intended by a driver and there is no possibility that the switching may occur accidentally.

Abstract: An electric vehicle is provided in which left and right drive wheels (2, 2) are driven by respective motors (6,6), and which enables slip control in a simple structure while preventing a driver who used to drive an engine vehicle with a differential from feeling uncomfortable. The vehicle includes a controller (11) controlling the two motors (6, 6) including a basic control unit (14), a slip determiner (15), and a dual-wheel-drive-reduction unit (16). The control unit (14) determines driving forces of the motors (6) such that the forces are equal to each other, depending on a depression of an accelerator pedal (22). The determiner (15) detects slippage between each of the wheels (2, 2), and a road surface. The dual-wheel-drive-reduction unit (16) reduces, when the determiner (15) determines that greater slippage has occurred at at least one of the wheels (2), drive currents of the motors (6, 6).

Abstract: A vehicular motor drive device is provided with an electric motor and a speed reducer having two gear trains capable of switching a fixed gear ratio. Driving force curves, which are determined depending on an output characteristic of the motor and represent a relationship between an output rotation speed in the respective gear train and an output torque, which is obtainable maximally at such output rotation speed, have a constant torque curve section, a gradually decreasing torque curve section and a constant speed curve section. The gear trains have respective speed reduction ratios such that the driving force curve of a gear train having a larger speed reduction ratio and the driving force curve of a gear train having a smaller speed reduction ratio continue to and partially overlap with each other in the gradually decreasing torque curve sections.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to maintain a predetermined positional relationship between an outer pin holder and a housing in a speed reducer section B, to prevent damage to such components as revolving members, outer circumferential engagers, and motion conversion mechanism upon a large axial load due to turning or sudden acceleration/deceleration, and to eliminate rattling noise caused by a housing and the outer pin holder. An elastic member is disposed on one or both axial end surfaces of the outer pin holder, between the outer pin holder and the housing. As a result, even if there is an axial load exerted on the outer pin holder, the outer pin holder is always held at a predetermined position by restoring force from the elastic member(s), in a proper positional relationship with the housing.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to achieve improvements in the rotational accuracy of the input shaft and the durability of the bearings, and suppression of rotational noise, by improving the support structure of the input shaft of the speed reduction unit. Provided is a drive device for an electric vehicle, including: an electric motor; a speed reduction unit including an input shaft driven by output of the electric motor; and a hub unit rotationally driven by an output member of the speed reduction unit, wherein the input shaft of the speed reduction unit is supported by bearings provided at two locations in an axial direction, the drive device for an electric vehicle being configured such that the bearings at the two locations are attached together to the output member.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to prevent lubricant oil of a speed reduction unit from moving to an electric motor side and besides to prevent an eccentric load from acting on bearings supporting an input shaft. In a drive device for an electric vehicle including: a speed reduction unit including an input shaft driven by output of an electric motor; a hub unit rotationally driven by an output member of the speed reduction unit; and a housing accommodating the electric motor and the speed reduction unit, the configuration is made such that a partition for partitioning an accommodation section into respective accommodation spaces of the electric motor and the speed reduction unit is provided in the housing, and an oil seal member is placed between a peripheral edge portion of a center hole of the partition and a rotor support member the electric motor.

Abstract: The present structure does not require a knuckle on the vehicle body side, improves rotational accuracy of an input shaft of a speed reduction unit, increases durability of bearings, and suppresses rotation noise of the bearings by improving the supporting structure of the input shaft of the speed reduction unit. In a drive device for an electric vehicle comprising: a speed reduction unit including an input shaft driven by an electric motor; a hub unit rotationally driven by an output member of the speed reduction unit; and a housing accommodating the electric motor and the speed reduction unit, wherein the input shaft of the speed reduction unit is supported by bearings provided at two locations in the axial direction, the drive device is configured such that the bearings provided at the two locations are both supported by the output member, and the housing is provided with a suspension joining portion.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to achieve reduction in cost and size of power supply means for an electric motor by obviating the need of a power supply connector therefor as an independent part. In a drive device for an electric vehicle including: a speed reduction unit including an input shaft driven by output of an electric motor; a hub unit rotationally driven by an output member of the speed reduction unit; and a housing accommodating the electric motor and the speed reduction unit, there is provided with a power supply terminal box made up of: an accommodation recessed portion provided in a rear end surface of the housing; a power supply terminal provided inside the accommodation recessed portion; a communication hole in communication with the accommodation recessed portion and an interior of the housing; and a cover member of the accommodation recessed portion.

Abstract: A drive device for an electric vehicle in which, by improving a supporting structure of an input shaft of a speed reduction unit, the bearing stiffness of a hub bearing is improved, while the rotational accuracy and the durability of an input shaft of a speed reduction unit are improved and noise is suppressed. The drive device includes: a speed reduction unit including an input shaft driven by an electric motor; a hub unit rotationally driven by the speed reduction unit; and a housing. The input shaft of the speed reduction unit is supported by bearings provided at two locations in the axial direction. The bearings are both supported by the output member, and the PCD of the inboard-side hub bearing of the hub bearings disposed at the two locations in the axial direction of the hub unit is larger than the PCD of the outboard-side hub bearing.

Abstract: In an electric linear motion actuator, planetary rollers 7 rotatably supported on their radially inner surfaces by respective support pins 6b are radially inwardly biased by radially compressible ring springs 18 enveloping the support pins 6b, thereby biasing and pressing the respective planetary rollers 7 against the radially outer surface of a rotary shaft 4. Thus, it is possible to stably transmit torque of the rotary shaft 4 to the respective planetary rollers 7 without applying a preload to the planetary rollers 7 with a negative gap between the radially outer surface of the rotary shaft 4 and the radially inner surface of the outer ring member 5.

Abstract: A speed reducer part includes a casing, an input shaft arranged in the casing, eccentric members eccentric with respect to an axis of the input shaft and coupled to an end of the input shaft, revolution members supported by outer circumferences of the eccentric members through a rolling bearing, to make a revolution motion around the axis together with a rotation of the input shaft, an outer circumference engagement member engaging with outer circumferential parts of the revolution members to cause the revolution members to make a rotation motion, and an output shaft engaging the revolution members to extract the rotation motion. A bearing lubricant oil hole supplies oil to a surface in rolling contact with a rolling body. The lubricant oil hole is arranged in a non-load range, where a load applied from the output shaft and the outer circumference engagement member to the revolution members is not shared.

Abstract: An electric motor drive device (1) includes a motor (11), a speed reducing part (31) to reduce speed of a rotation outputted from the motor (11) and transmit it to the side of a wheel, and a connection/disconnection part (21) to disconnect or connect rotation transmission of the speed reducing part, a motor side rotation member (18) serving as an input shaft to input the rotation from the motor (11), an output shaft (34) to output the rotation to the side of the wheel, a double shaft (33) arranged coaxially with the input shaft and including a tube-shaped outer side rotation shaft (33o) and an inner side rotation shaft (33i) inserted into the outer side rotation shaft.

Abstract: An in-wheel motor drive unit (21) includes a motor portion A, a speed reduction portion B, and a wheel hub C. The speed reduction portion B includes outer pins (27) engaging with circumferences of curve plates (26a) and (26b) to generate rotation movements of the curved plates, and an outer pin holding portion (45) fixedly fitted in an inner diameter surface of a casing (22) holding the speed reduction portion B, to hold the outer pins (27) parallel to a rotation axis of a motor side rotation member (25). The outer pin holding portion (45) includes a cylindrical portion (46), a pair of ring portions (47) and (48) extending from axial both ends of the cylindrical portion (46) to radially inner side, and a pair of outer pin holding holes (47a) and (48a) provided at opposed positions of the pair of ring portions (47) and (48), and extending parallel to the rotation axis of the motor side rotation member (25) to hold the axial ends of the outer pin (27).

Abstract: An in-wheel motor drive device (21) includes a motor part A, a reducer part B, a wheel hub C, and a reducer part lubricating mechanism to supply a lubricant oil to the reducer part. The reducer part lubricating mechanism includes a lubricant oil path (25c), a lubricant oil supply port (25d), a lubricant oil discharge port (22b), a circulation oil path (45) passing through a casing (22) to connect the lubricant oil discharge port (22b) to the lubricant oil path (25c), and to return the lubricant oil discharged from the lubricant oil discharge port (22b) to the lubricant oil path (25c), a cooling water path (22e) provided in the casing (22) so as to be in contact with the circulation oil path (45) to cool down the lubricant oil passing through the circulation oil path (45), and a partition member (49) arranged in a contact position between the circulation oil path (45) and the cooling water path (22e), to separate them.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to maintain a predetermined positional relationship between an outer pin holder and a housing in a speed reducer section B, to prevent damage to such components as revolving members, outer circumferential engagers, and motion conversion mechanism upon a large axial load due to turning or sudden acceleration/deceleration, and to eliminate rattling noise caused by a housing and the outer pin holder. An elastic member is disposed on one or both axial end surfaces of the outer pin holder, between the outer pin holder and the housing. As a result, even if there is an axial load exerted on the outer pin holder, the outer pin holder is always held at a predetermined position by restoring force from the elastic member(s), in a proper positional relationship with the housing.

Abstract: This air-cooled type in-wheel motor drive assembly 21 includes a lubrication oil circuit for lubricating a speed reduction unit B by allowing lubrication oil discharged from a lubrication oil pump 51 to flow through interconnected oil passages 54, 55, 56 provided to a casing 22, motor-rotary-shaft oil passage 57, speed-reduction-unit input-shaft oil passage 58 and interior of the speed reduction unit B, and for cooling a motor unit A and the speed reduction unit B with the lubrication oil cooled with the aid of outer fins 22f while flowing through the oil passages 54, 55, 56 provided to the casing.

Abstract: A motor drive apparatus for a vehicle is provided which can prevent its transmission and motor from being rotated by vehicle wheels, and which allows quick gear change. This apparatus includes an electric motor (10), a first shaft (21) driven by the electric motor (10), a second shaft (22), first and second reduction gear trains (23 and 24) disposed between the first and second shafts (21 and 22). Two-way roller clutches (30A and 30B) are mounted between a first output gear (23b) of the first reduction gear train (23) and the second shaft (22) and between a second output gear (24b) of the second reduction gear train (24) and the second shaft (22), respectively. Gear changes are made by selectively engaging and disengaging the two-way roller clutches (30A and 30B) with a speed changing mechanism (50).

Abstract: An electric motor drive device (1) includes a motor (11), a speed reducing part (31) to reduce speed of a rotation outputted from the motor (11) and transmit it to the side of a wheel, and a connection/disconnection part (21) to disconnect or connect rotation transmission of the speed reducing part.

Abstract: An in-wheel motor drive unit (21) includes a motor portion A, a speed reduction portion B, and a wheel hub C. The speed reduction portion B includes outer pins (27) engaging with circumferences of curve plates (26a) and (26b) to generate rotation movements of the curved plates, and an outer pin holding portion (45) fixedly fitted in an inner diameter surface of a casing (22) holding the speed reduction portion B, to hold the outer pins (27) parallel to a rotation axis of a motor side rotation member (25). The outer pin holding portion (45) includes a cylindrical portion (46), a pair of ring portions (47) and (48) extending from axial both ends of the cylindrical portion (46) to radially inner side, and a pair of outer pin holding holes (47a) and (48a) provided at opposed positions of the pair of ring portions (47) and (48), and extending parallel to the rotation axis of the motor side rotation member (25) to hold the axial ends of the outer pin (27).

Abstract: A spring clutch is provided for which durability is improved by preventing a clutch spring from breaking due to fatigue. A cylindrical clutch spring made from a wire having a square section is mounted between a pulley and a pulley hub mounted in the pulley. An end of the clutch spring is coupled to the pulley hub. A clutch surface is formed on the inner periphery of the pulley and is formed with a large-diameter recess at a position opposite to the end portion of the clutch spring including the torque transmission end. When the pulley rotates in one direction, the clutch spring expands. At this time, the end portion of the clutch spring including the torque transmission end expands in the large-diameter recess, thus relaxing sharp torque produced in the clutch. This prevents local stress concentration on the clutch spring and breakage of the clutch spring and improves the durability of the clutch.