JP7472626B2 - Vehicle power unit device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a power unit device for a vehicle.

A front-engine, rear-wheel-drive based four-wheel drive vehicle is known in which an engine as a drive source, a transmission, and a transfer device are arranged at the front of the vehicle body with their axes extending in the fore-and-aft direction, and the left and right rear wheels are driven via a rear-wheel propeller shaft and a rear-wheel differential device that extend rearward from the transfer device, and the left and right front wheels are driven via a front-wheel propeller shaft and a front-wheel differential device that extend forward from the side of the transfer device.

In the above-mentioned vehicle, a power unit device including an engine, a transmission, and a front wheel differential device is mounted at the front of the vehicle body, and the front wheel differential device is disposed on one side of the engine in the vehicle width direction, and a drive shaft extending from the front wheel differential device to the other side in the vehicle width direction may be inserted into the engine oil pan (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 61-105217

The drive shaft that extends from the differential in the vehicle width direction is generally spline-fitted to the side gear of the differential, and a clip such as a snap ring is attached to the drive shaft and engages with a recess in the spline portion of the side gear to prevent the drive shaft from coming loose.

In this case, after attaching the clip to the drive shaft, the drive shaft is inserted into the side gear with the clip in a contracted state to engage the splines, and when the clip reaches a recess in the spline portion, it expands in diameter to prevent the drive shaft from coming loose.

However, when the drive shaft extends from the differential device located on one side of the engine in the vehicle width direction to the other side of the vehicle width direction by being inserted into the engine oil pan, it can be difficult for an operator to reduce the diameter of the clip, insert the drive shaft from the other side of the oil pan in the vehicle width direction into the oil pan, and then insert it into the side gear to prevent the drive shaft from coming loose.

The present invention aims to provide a power unit device for a vehicle in which a differential device is disposed on one side of the engine in the vehicle width direction, and in which the drive shaft is inserted from the differential device into the engine oil pan and extends to the other side in the vehicle width direction, and which can relatively easily prevent the drive shaft from coming loose.

The present invention relates to a power unit device for a vehicle in which a drive shaft extends from a differential device arranged on one side of an engine in the vehicle width direction to the other side in the vehicle width direction by being inserted into an oil pan of the engine, the oil pan having a shaft support portion that supports the drive shaft on the other side in the vehicle width direction, the drive shaft having an oil pan insertion portion that is inserted into the oil pan and an enlarged diameter portion that is enlarged in diameter on the other side in the vehicle width direction from the oil pan insertion portion, and a slip-out prevention member that prevents the drive shaft from slipping out to the other side in the vehicle width direction is fitted to the one side in the vehicle width direction from the enlarged diameter portion. a bearing is press-fitted onto the drive shaft on one side of the vehicle width direction of the anti-slip member , the shaft support portion has a fitting recess that is cylindrically recessed from the other side of the vehicle width direction to the one side of the vehicle width direction and into which the bearing is fitted, the bearing has an inner ring that is press-fitted onto the drive shaft and an outer ring that is fitted into the fitting recess while being radially spaced apart, and the anti-slip member has an attachment portion attached to the shaft support portion, and a regulating portion that engages with the other side of the bearing in the vehicle width direction to regulate movement of the drive shaft to the other side in the vehicle width direction.

According to the present invention, in a vehicle in which a drive shaft extends from a differential device disposed on one side of the engine in the vehicle width direction to the other side in the vehicle width direction by being inserted into an oil pan, the oil pan is provided with a shaft support portion on the other side in the vehicle width direction, and the drive shaft is provided with an oil pan insertion portion and an enlarged diameter portion.

A retaining member is fitted to the drive shaft on one side in the vehicle width direction from the enlarged diameter portion, and a bearing is press-fitted into the drive shaft on one side in the vehicle width direction from the retaining member. The retaining member is provided with an attachment portion that is attached to the shaft support portion and a restricting portion that engages with the bearing.

As a result, the drive shaft, into which the retaining member is fitted and the bearing is pressed in, can be inserted into the oil pan from the other side of the vehicle width direction of the oil pan and the mounting portion of the retaining member is attached to the shaft support portion of the oil pan, making it relatively easy to attach the drive shaft to the oil pan, and when the drive shaft moves to the other side of the vehicle width direction, the bearing engages with the restricting portion of the retaining member, preventing the drive shaft from slipping out to the other side of the vehicle width direction.

Therefore, in a vehicle in which a differential device is located on one side of the engine in the vehicle width direction, when the drive shaft is inserted from the differential device through the engine oil pan and extends to the other side in the vehicle width direction, it is relatively easy to prevent the drive shaft from coming loose.

With this configuration, the bearing includes an inner ring that is press-fitted onto the drive shaft and an outer ring that is fitted into a fitting recess provided in the shaft support part of the oil pan at a distance in the radial direction. By fitting the bearing pressed onto the drive shaft into the fitting recess of the shaft support part at a distance in the radial direction so that the outer ring can engage with the regulating part of the retaining member, the drive shaft can be rotatably attached to the oil pan and the drive shaft can be prevented from coming out.

It is preferable that a seal member be attached to the oil pan on one side of the bearing in the vehicle width direction to seal between the oil pan and the drive shaft.

With this configuration, a seal member that seals between the oil pan and the drive shaft is attached to one side of the bearing in the vehicle width direction, so that lubricating oil stored in the differential housing can be prevented from leaking to the outside from between the oil pan and the drive shaft on the other side of the oil pan in the vehicle width direction.

The retaining member preferably has a circular portion that is formed in a circular shape with an inner diameter smaller than that of the enlarged diameter portion and is fitted to the drive shaft, and a protruding portion that protrudes radially outward from the circular portion beyond the enlarged diameter portion, and a restricting portion is provided on the circular portion and an attachment portion is provided on the protruding portion.

With this configuration, the retaining member is provided with a circular portion that fits onto the drive shaft and a protruding portion that protrudes radially outward from the enlarged portion, and an attachment portion is provided on the protruding portion. By providing an attachment portion on the protruding portion of the retaining member radially outward from the enlarged portion, the work of attaching the retaining member to the shaft support portion can be easily performed.

It is preferable that the shaft support portion has a circular portion that is formed in a circular shape corresponding to the circular portion of the retaining member and through which the drive shaft is inserted, and a protruding portion that corresponds to the protruding portion of the retaining member and protrudes radially outward from the circular portion to which the retaining member is attached.

With this configuration, the shaft support portion is provided with a circular portion formed to correspond to the circular portion of the retaining member, and a protrusion portion to which the retaining member is attached that protrudes radially outward from the circular portion to correspond to the protrusion portion of the retaining member. This makes it relatively easy to align and attach the retaining member to the shaft support portion, and relatively easy to insert and attach the drive shaft to the oil pan.

It is preferable that the protruding portion of the shaft support portion has an attachment portion at the protruding tip side to which the attachment portion of the retaining member is attached, and a hole portion recessed to one side in the vehicle width direction is provided at the protruding base end side.

With this configuration, the protruding portion of the shaft support is provided with an attachment portion at the protruding tip side and a hole at the protruding base end side, so the weight can be reduced by the hole provided in the protruding portion, and the attachment portion provided on the protruding portion can be positioned radially outward of the circular portion, making it relatively easy to attach the retaining member to the shaft support portion.

The vehicle power unit device of the present invention makes it relatively easy to prevent the drive shaft from coming loose in a vehicle in which a differential device is disposed on one side of the engine in the vehicle width direction, when the drive shaft is inserted from the differential device into the engine oil pan and extends to the other side in the vehicle width direction.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a vehicle equipped with a power unit device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a power unit device. FIG. 4 is another perspective view showing the power unit device. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the power unit device taken along line Y4-Y4 in FIG. 2. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the power unit device taken along line Y5-Y5 in FIG. 2. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the power unit device taken along line Y6-Y6 in FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a shaft support portion of the oil pan. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a retaining member attached to a shaft support portion of the oil pan. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a drive shaft attached to the oil pan. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram for explaining attachment of a drive shaft to an oil pan. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a fitted portion of the oil pan. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a fitting portion of the differential housing. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a fitting portion between the oil pan and the differential housing. FIG.

The following describes an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the attached drawings.

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a vehicle equipped with a power unit device according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 1, vehicle 1 equipped with a power unit device according to an embodiment of the present invention is a four-wheel drive vehicle with a longitudinally mounted engine based on a front engine/rear drive vehicle. Vehicle 1 has engine 2 disposed at the front of the vehicle body as a drive source, transmission 3 disposed behind engine 2, and transfer device 4 disposed behind transmission 3. Engine 2, transmission 3, and transfer device 4 are disposed so that their axes extend in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle body.

The transfer device 4 transmits the power from the engine 2 through the transmission 3 to the left and right rear wheels 11L, 11R via the rear wheel propeller shaft 5 and rear wheel differential device 6 that extend rearward, and to the left and right front wheels 12L, 12R via the front wheel propeller shaft 7 and front wheel differential device 8 that extend forward.

A power unit 10 equipped with an engine 2, a transmission 3, and a front wheel differential device 8 is mounted at the front of the vehicle body, and the differential device 8 is disposed on the left side of the engine 2. A drive shaft 20 extending to the left side of the vehicle body, which is one side in the vehicle width direction, is connected to the differential device 8, and a drive shaft 30 extending to the right side of the vehicle body, which is the other side in the vehicle width direction, is connected to the differential device 8.

The drive shaft 20 includes a differential side shaft 21 connected to the differential device 8, a wheel side shaft 22 connected to the front wheels 12L, and an intermediate shaft 23 connected to the differential side shaft 21 and the wheel side shaft 22 via a differential side universal joint 24 and a wheel side universal joint 25.

The drive shaft 30 includes a differential side shaft 31 connected to the differential device 8, a wheel side shaft 32 connected to the front wheels 12R, and an intermediate shaft 33 connected to the differential side shaft 31 and the wheel side shaft 32 via a differential side universal joint 34 and a wheel side universal joint 35.

In vehicle 1, in order to lower the vehicle height, for example, a drive shaft 30 extends from a differential device 8 disposed on the left side of the engine 2 to the right side of the vehicle body, is inserted into a through hole provided in the oil pan of the engine 2, extends to the right side of the vehicle body, and is connected to the front wheel 12R.

Next, the power unit device of the vehicle according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 2 to 13.

Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the power unit device, and Figure 3 is another perspective view showing the power unit device. Figures 4, 5, and 6 are cross-sectional views of the power unit device taken along lines Y4-Y4, Y5-Y5, and Y6-Y6 in Figure 2, respectively.

As shown in Figures 2 to 6, the power unit device 10 includes an engine 2 and a differential device 8 disposed on the left side of the engine 2, and drive shafts 20, 30 are connected to the left and right sides of the differential device 8, respectively.

In the vehicle 1, a heat insulating member 15 is attached as a cover member so as to cover the periphery of the cylinder block 9 and the oil pan 40 of the engine 2 from the outside. The heat insulating member 15 is formed using a resin material such as a urethane foam resin material, and is arranged so as to cover at least a part of the outside of the oil pan 40. In this way, the provision of the heat insulating member 15 can promote the warming of the engine 2.

As shown in FIG. 4, the power unit device 10 includes a differential housing 51 that houses the differential device 8. The differential housing 51 is fitted to the left side of the oil pan 40 and attached to the oil pan 40. A heat insulating member 15 is also disposed between the oil pan 40 and the differential housing 51.

The differential housing 51 also houses a drive pinion 14 on the vehicle body rear side of the differential device 8. The drive pinion 14 is rotatably supported in the differential housing 51 via bearings 52, and is connected to the front wheel propeller shaft 7 via a universal joint 13 so that power from the engine 2 is input.

The differential device 8 has a differential case 54 rotatably supported by a differential housing 51 via bearings 53, and a ring gear 55 fixed to the differential case 54. The ring gear 55 meshes with the drive pinion 14 and is located on the left side of the drive pinion 14 in the vehicle body.

The differential device 8 has a differential mechanism 56. The differential mechanism 56 has a pinion shaft 57 fixed to the differential case 54 and extending in a direction perpendicular to the vehicle width direction, a pair of opposing pinion gears 58 rotatably fitted to the pinion shaft 57, and a pair of left and right side gears 59 that mesh with the pair of pinion gears 58.

The pair of side gears 59 are spline-fitted with drive shafts 20, 30, which are inserted through shaft insertion portions 51a, 54a provided in the differential housing 51 and the differential case 54, respectively. The drive shafts 20, 30 are capable of rotating together with the side gears 59 relative to the differential housing 51 and the differential case 54.

As described above, the drive shaft 20 on the left side of the vehicle body comprises a differential side shaft 21, a wheel side shaft 22, and an intermediate shaft 23, which are connected via a differential side universal joint 24 and a wheel side universal joint 25, and the differential side shaft 21 is connected to the differential device 8.

As shown in FIG. 5, the differential side shaft 21 has a splined portion 21a that is splined to a splined portion 59a formed on the inner peripheral surface of the side gear 59, a case insertion portion 21b that is inserted into the shaft insertion portion 54a of the differential case 54, a housing insertion portion 21c that is inserted into the shaft insertion portion 51a of the differential housing 51, and an expanded diameter portion 21d that is expanded radially outward from the housing insertion portion 21c.

The spline portion 21a of the differential side shaft 21 is provided on the outer circumferential surface at the tip side of the differential side shaft 21, and the case insertion portion 21b, the housing insertion portion 21c, and the enlarged diameter portion 21d are provided with enlarged diameters radially outward from the spline portion 21a to the left side of the vehicle body. The spline portion 21a of the differential side shaft 21 and the spline portion 59a of the side gear 59 are spline-fitted with the teeth extending in the vehicle width direction.

As shown in FIG. 5, the spline portion 21a of the differential side shaft 21 has a circumferential groove 21e that is recessed radially inward along the outer circumferential surface of the differential side shaft 21. The spline portion 59a of the side gear 59 has a circumferential groove 59b that is recessed radially outward along the inner circumferential surface of the side gear 59.

The side gear 59 and the differential-side shaft 21 are spline-fitted so that the circumferential grooves 59b and 21e overlap in the vehicle width direction, and a clip 16 is attached across the circumferential grooves 59b and 21e.

Clip 16 is a C-shaped clip that is attached across circumferential groove 59b and circumferential groove 21e and is formed so that it can bend toward the inner periphery of spline portion 59a of side gear 59. Circumferential groove 21e of differential-side shaft 21 is formed so that clip 16, which has a reduced diameter toward the inner periphery of spline portion 59a of side gear 59, can be accommodated.

When the drive shaft 20 is inserted into the side gear 59 while the clip 16 is attached to the circumferential groove 21e of the differential-side shaft 21, the clip 16 is reduced in diameter toward the inner periphery of the spline portion 59a of the side gear 59, and is expanded in diameter at the position where the circumferential grooves 21e and 59b overlap in the vehicle width direction, so that the clip 16 is attached across the circumferential grooves 59b and 21e.

As a result, when the drive shaft 20 is moved inward in the vehicle width direction, the clip 16 engages with the spline portion 59a of the side gear 59 that forms the end face of the circumferential groove 59b on the inner side in the vehicle width direction, restricting the drive shaft 20 from moving inward in the vehicle width direction and preventing contact with the pinion shaft 57.

On the other hand, when the drive shaft 20 is moved outward in the vehicle width direction, the clip 16 engages with the spline portion 59a of the side gear 59 that forms the end face of the circumferential groove 59b on the outer side in the vehicle width direction, restricting the movement outward in the vehicle width direction and preventing the drive shaft 20 from slipping outward in the vehicle width direction.

During vehicle body assembly, as shown in FIG. 2, the drive shaft 20 is inserted into the differential housing 51 and connected to the differential device 8 with the wheel support 26 that supports the front wheels 12L and the knuckle 27 to which the suspension device (not shown) is attached attached to the wheel-side shaft 22.

The drive shaft 20 has a shorter differential shaft 21 than the drive shaft 30, and the clip 16 is attached to the differential shaft 21 and then inserted into the side gear 59 in a reduced diameter state to engage with the side gear 59 through spline engagement. When the clip 16 reaches the circumferential groove 59b of the side gear 59, it is expanded in diameter to prevent it from coming loose.

As described above, the drive shaft 30 on the right side of the vehicle body comprises a differential side shaft 31, a wheel side shaft 32, and an intermediate shaft 33, which are connected via a differential side universal joint 34 and a wheel side universal joint 35, and the differential side shaft 31 is connected to the differential device 8.

As shown in FIG. 6, the differential side shaft 31 of the drive shaft 30 includes a spline portion 31a that is splined to a spline portion 59a formed on the inner peripheral surface of the side gear 59, a case insertion portion 31b that is inserted into the shaft insertion portion 54a of the differential case 54, a housing insertion portion 31c that is inserted into the shaft insertion portion 51a of the differential housing 51, and an oil pan insertion portion 31d that is inserted into the oil pan 40.

The spline portion 31a of the differential side shaft 31 is provided on the outer circumferential surface at the tip side of the differential side shaft 31, and the case insertion portion 31b, the housing insertion portion 31c, and the oil pan insertion portion 31d are provided in this order from the spline portion 31a to the right side of the vehicle body. The spline portion 31a of the differential side shaft 31 and the spline portion 59a of the side gear 59 are spline-fitted with the teeth extending in the vehicle width direction.

The oil pan 40, through which the differential-side shaft 31 is inserted, stores the lubricating oil to be supplied to each part of the engine 2 and has a bottom surface portion 41 formed in a substantially rectangular shape and a side surface portion 42 extending from the periphery of the bottom surface portion 41 to the upper side of the vehicle body. The upper end of the side surface portion 42 of the oil pan 40 is attached to the cylinder block 9.

A differential housing 51 is attached to the side portion 42 on the left side of the oil pan 40, and the drive shaft 30 on the right side of the vehicle body, which is connected to the differential device 8 housed in the differential housing 51, is inserted into the oil pan 40 from the right side of the vehicle body and is supported on the right side of the oil pan 40.

The oil pan 40 has a cylindrical through hole 45 through which the drive shaft 30 is inserted, and the through hole 45 extends in the vehicle width direction across the side surface portions 42 on both sides in the vehicle width direction. The side surface portion 42 on the right side of the oil pan 40 is provided with a shaft support portion 60 that protrudes to the right side of the vehicle body and supports the drive shaft 30.

The differential side shaft 31 has a first enlarged diameter portion 31e that is enlarged in diameter from the oil pan insertion portion 31d to the right side of the vehicle body from the oil pan insertion portion 31d, and a second enlarged diameter portion 31f that is enlarged in diameter from the first enlarged diameter portion 31e to the right side of the vehicle body from the first enlarged diameter portion 31e. A bearing 61 is press-fitted into the first enlarged diameter portion 31e of the differential side shaft 31, and a retaining member 80 is fitted to the right side of the vehicle body from the bearing 61 pressed into the first enlarged diameter portion 31e and to the left side of the vehicle body from the second enlarged diameter portion 31f to prevent the drive shaft 30 from slipping out to the right side of the vehicle body.

The drive shaft 30 is supported by the oil pan 40 with the differential shaft 31 inserted through the oil pan 40 and the retaining member 80 attached to the shaft support portion 60 of the oil pan 40.

Figure 7 is a perspective view showing the shaft support of the oil pan, and Figure 8 is a perspective view showing the retaining member attached to the shaft support of the oil pan. Figures 7 and 8 also show the bearings that are pressed into the drive shaft.

As shown in FIG. 7, the shaft support portion 60 of the oil pan 40 has an end face on the right side of the vehicle body that extends in a direction substantially perpendicular to the vehicle width direction, and is provided with a circular portion 62 that is circular when viewed from the right side of the vehicle body, and a protruding portion 63 that protrudes radially outward from the circular portion 62 in a substantially triangular shape. The shaft support portion 60 is provided with three protruding portions 63 that protrude to the upper side, the front lower side, and the rear lower side of the vehicle body.

The circular portion 62 of the shaft support portion 60 is formed in an annular shape, and as shown in FIG. 6, the outer diameter is formed to be approximately equal to the second enlarged diameter portion 31f of the differential-side shaft 31, and the inner diameter is formed to be smaller than the second enlarged diameter portion 31f. The circular portion 62 has a shaft insertion portion 60a through which the drive shaft 30 is inserted on the inner circumferential surface, and a fitting recess 64 into which the bearing 61 pressed into the drive shaft 30 is fitted is formed on the right side of the shaft insertion portion 60a. The fitting recess 64 is formed in a cylindrical shape recessed from the right side of the vehicle body to the left side of the vehicle body, and has a bottom surface portion 64a extending in a direction perpendicular to the vehicle width direction and a side surface portion 64b formed in a cylindrical shape.

The bearing 61 includes an inner ring 61a that is press-fitted into the first enlarged diameter portion 31e of the differential-side shaft 31, an outer ring 61b that is fitted into the fitting recess 64 of the shaft support portion 60 at a distance in the radial direction, and a number of balls 61c interposed between the inner ring 61a and the outer ring 61b, and the inner ring 61a and the outer ring 61b are configured to be capable of relative rotation. The bearing 61 is configured as a sealed bearing filled with grease or lubricating oil.

In the shaft support part 60, the side surface part 64b of the fitting recess 64 is formed with an outer diameter larger than the outer ring 61b of the bearing 61. The side surface part 64b of the fitting recess 64 is also formed with a length in the vehicle width direction larger than that of the bearing 61, so that when the bearing 61 pressed into the drive shaft 30 abuts against the bottom surface part 64a of the fitting recess 64, the retaining member 80 fitted to the drive shaft 30 can be attached by contacting the end surface of the shaft support part 60 on the right side of the vehicle body.

In the shaft support portion 60, the bottom surface portion 64a of the fitting recess 64 is opened at the center side by the shaft insertion portion 60a and is formed so as to be able to engage only with the outer ring 61b of the bearing 61 without contacting the inner ring 61a of the bearing 61. The drive shaft 30 inserted into the shaft support portion 60 is able to rotate together with the side gear 59 relative to the oil pan 40.

A seal member 46 that seals between the oil pan 40 and the drive shaft 30 is fixedly attached to the shaft insertion portion 60a on the left side of the vehicle body from the bearing 61. This makes it possible to prevent the lubricating oil stored in the differential housing 51 from leaking to the outside from between the oil pan 40 and the drive shaft 30 on the right side of the vehicle body of the oil pan 40.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4, a seal member 47 is fixed to a differential housing 51 on the left side of the oil pan 40, sealing between the oil pan 40 and the differential housing 51. A seal member 48 is also fixed to the differential housing 51, sealing between the drive shaft 20, and a seal member 49 is fixed to the differential housing 51, sealing between the drive pinion 14 and the connecting member 17, which is spline-fitted to the universal joint 13. This prevents the lubricating oil stored in the differential housing 51 from leaking to the outside at the right side of the oil pan 40.

The protruding portion 63 of the shaft support portion 60 is formed so as to protrude radially outward from the circular portion 62 beyond the second enlarged diameter portion 31f of the drive shaft 30. As shown in FIG. 7, the protruding portion 63 is provided with an attachment portion 65 on the protruding tip side to which the retaining member 80 is attached, and is provided with a hole portion 66 on the protruding base end side that is recessed into a substantially trapezoidal shape on the left side of the vehicle body. A stud bolt 67 extending to the right side of the vehicle body is provided on the attachment portion 65 of the protruding portion 63.

As shown in FIG. 6, the retaining member 80 is formed in a flat plate shape and is fitted to the drive shaft 30, specifically the differential shaft 31, so as to extend in a direction perpendicular to the vehicle width direction from the second enlarged diameter portion 31f to the left of the vehicle body and from the bearing 61 to the right of the vehicle body. As shown in FIG. 8, the retaining member 80 has a circular portion 82 that is circular when viewed from the vehicle width direction, and a protruding portion 83 that protrudes radially outward from the circular portion 82 in a substantially triangular shape. The retaining member 80 has three protruding portions 83 that protrude to the upper side, the front lower side, and the rear lower side of the vehicle body.

The circular portion 82 of the retaining member 80 is formed in an annular shape, with an outer diameter that is approximately equal to the second enlarged diameter portion 31f of the differential-side shaft 31 and an inner diameter that is smaller than the second enlarged diameter portion 31f. The circular portion 62 and the protruding portion 63 of the shaft support portion 60 are formed in approximately the same shape as the circular portion 82 and the protruding portion 83 of the retaining member 80 when viewed in the vehicle width direction, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 6, the retaining member 80 has an attachment portion 85 that is attached to the shaft support portion 60, and a restricting portion 86 that engages with the right side of the vehicle body of the bearing 61 that is press-fitted into the drive shaft 30 to restrict the drive shaft 30 from moving to the right side of the vehicle body.

The attachment portion 85 of the retaining member 80 is provided on the protruding portion 83 of the retaining member 80. The protruding portion 83 is formed so as to protrude radially outward from the circular portion 82 beyond the second enlarged diameter portion 31f of the drive shaft 30. The attachment portion 85 is provided on the protruding tip side of the protruding portion 83, and a bolt insertion hole 87 is formed in the attachment portion 85.

The retaining member 80 is attached to the shaft support part 60 by screwing a nut N onto the stud bolt 67 with the bolt insertion hole 87 inserted into the stud bolt 67 provided on the shaft support part 60, and the attachment part 85 of the retaining member 80 is attached to the attachment part 65 of the shaft support part 60.

The restricting portion 86 of the retaining member 80 is provided on the circular portion 82 of the retaining member 80. The circular portion 82 is formed with an inner diameter larger than the inner ring 61a of the bearing 61 and smaller than the outer ring 61b of the bearing 61, and is formed so as to be able to engage only with the outer ring 61b of the bearing 61 in the vehicle width direction without engaging with the inner ring 61a of the bearing 61. The circular portion 82 is also formed with an outer diameter approximately equal to the second enlarged diameter portion 31f of the differential-side shaft 31, and is formed so as to be able to engage with the second enlarged diameter portion 31f in the vehicle width direction.

Figure 9 is a perspective view of the drive shaft attached to the oil pan, and Figure 10 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the attachment of the drive shaft to the oil pan. As shown in Figure 9, when the vehicle body is assembled, the wheel-side shaft 32 of the drive shaft 30 is long, and is inserted through the oil pan 40 and connected to the differential device 8 without a wheel support and knuckle being attached to the wheel-side shaft 32.

First, the retaining member 80 is fitted to the drive shaft 30 from the tip side, and then the bearing 61 is pressed into the first enlarged diameter portion 31e, and the retaining member 80 is attached to the drive shaft 30 between the second enlarged diameter portion 31f and the bearing 61.

As shown in FIG. 10, when the drive shaft 30 is inserted through the oil pan 40 and connected to the differential device 8, the bolt insertion hole 87 of the retaining member 80 is inserted through the stud bolt 67 erected on the shaft support portion 60, and the mounting portion 85 of the retaining member 80 and the mounting portion 65 of the shaft support portion 60 come into contact and are aligned. After that, the nut N is screwed onto the stud bolt 67 from the right side of the vehicle body to attach the retaining member 80 to the shaft support portion 60, and the drive shaft 30 is attached to and supported by the oil pan 40.

In this case, as shown in FIG. 6, when the drive shaft 30 is moved inward in the vehicle width direction, the step between the first enlarged diameter portion 31e and the second enlarged diameter portion 31f engages with the inner ring 61a of the bearing 61 from the right side of the vehicle body, preventing the drive shaft 30 from moving to the left side of the vehicle body and coming into contact with the pinion shaft 57.

On the other hand, when the drive shaft 30 is moved outward in the vehicle width direction, the bearing 61 engages with the restricting portion 86 of the retaining member 80 from the left side of the vehicle body, restricting the movement of the drive shaft 30 outward in the vehicle width direction and preventing it from slipping outward in the vehicle width direction.

As described above, in the vehicle 1, the differential housing 51 is fitted to the left side of the oil pan 40 and attached to the oil pan 40. The differential housing 51 is attached to the oil pan 40 with the drive pinion 14 and the differential device 8 housed therein.

Figure 11 is a perspective view showing the mating portion of the oil pan, and Figure 12 is a perspective view showing the mating portion of the differential housing. As shown in Figure 11, the side surface 42 on the left side of the vehicle body of the oil pan 40 is provided with a mating portion 43 that is recessed from the left side of the vehicle body to the right side of the vehicle body and into which the differential housing 51 is mated. The mating portion 43 of the oil pan 40 is formed in a cylindrical shape extending in the vehicle width direction, and the mating surface portion of the mating portion 43 is formed by the inner peripheral surface 43a of the mating portion 43 that is formed in a cylindrical shape.

The oil pan 40 has a mounting boss 44 on the left side 42 of the vehicle body, to which the differential housing 51 is attached, and the mounting boss 44 protrudes from the side 42 to the right side of the vehicle body. A screw hole 44a is formed in the mounting boss 44, and the differential housing 51 is attached using a fastening bolt B1.

As shown in FIG. 12, the differential housing 51 includes a front housing 71 that houses the front side of the differential device 8, and a rear housing 72 that houses the rear side of the differential device 8 and the drive pinion 14.

The differential housing 51 is formed by aligning the rear end face of the front housing 71 with the front end face of the rear housing 72 in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle and fastening them together using fastening bolts B2. The mating surface 73 between the front housing 71 and the rear housing 72 extends in a direction perpendicular to the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle.

The right side of the differential housing 51 is provided with a fitting portion 75 that protrudes from the left side of the vehicle body to the right side of the vehicle body and fits into the fitting portion 43 of the oil pan 40. The fitting portion 75 of the differential housing 51 is formed in a cylindrical shape extending in the vehicle width direction, and the fitting surface portion of the fitting portion 75 is formed by the outer peripheral surface 75a of the fitting portion 75 that is formed in a cylindrical shape.

Figure 13 is a cross-sectional view showing the mating portion between the oil pan and the differential housing, taken along line Y13-Y13 in Figure 5. As shown in Figure 13, the mating surface 75a of the differential housing 51 has multiple recesses 76 recessed radially inward, and multiple protrusions 77 protruding radially outward from the portion excluding the multiple recesses 76.

The mating surface portion 75a of the differential housing 51 has multiple recesses 76 that are recessed radially at different circumferential positions and multiple protrusions 77 that protrude radially, and is mated with the mating surface portion 43a of the oil pan 40 so that the multiple protrusions 77 come into contact with the mating surface portion 43a of the oil pan 40.

In the vehicle 1, four protrusions 77 are provided on the mating surface 75a of the differential housing 51 at different circumferential positions on the front upper side, front lower side, rear upper side, and rear lower side of the vehicle body, and four recesses 76 are formed at different circumferential positions between circumferentially adjacent protrusions 77. The four protrusions 77 on the mating surface 75a are arranged at different positions at equal intervals in the circumferential direction.

The differential housing 51 is also provided on the right side of the vehicle body with a mounting boss 74 that is attached to the oil pan 40, and the mounting boss 74 is formed to protrude outward in the radial direction of the fitting portion 75. The mounting boss 74 is formed with a bolt insertion hole 74a.

The differential housing 51 is attached to the oil pan 40 by threading the fastening bolt B1 through the bolt insertion hole 74a of the differential housing 51 into the screw hole 44a of the oil pan 40 with the fitting portion 75 fitted into the fitted portion 43 of the oil pan 40 and the mounting boss portion 74 aligned with the mounting boss portion 44 of the oil pan 40.

As described above, a seal member 47 is attached to the right side of the vehicle body of the fitting portion 75 of the differential housing 51 to prevent the lubricating oil stored in the differential housing 51 from leaking to the outside, and the seal member 47 is arranged between the differential housing 51 and the oil pan 40. After the differential housing 51 is attached to the oil pan 40, the left and right drive shafts 20, 30 are attached as described above.

In this way, in the power unit device 10 of the vehicle according to this embodiment, in the vehicle 1 in which the drive shaft 30 extends from the differential device 8 arranged on one side of the engine 2 in the vehicle width direction to the other side in the vehicle width direction by being inserted into the oil pan 40, the oil pan 40 is provided with a shaft support portion 60 on the other side in the vehicle width direction, and the drive shaft 30 is provided with an oil pan insertion portion 31d and an enlarged diameter portion 31f.

Then, a retaining member 80 is fitted to the drive shaft 30 on one side in the vehicle width direction from the enlarged diameter portion 31f, and a bearing 61 is press-fitted into the drive shaft 30 on one side in the vehicle width direction from the retaining member 80. The retaining member 80 is provided with an attachment portion 85 that is attached to the shaft support portion 60 and a restricting portion 86 that engages with the bearing 61.

As a result, the drive shaft 30, into which the retaining member 80 is fitted and into which the bearing 61 is pressed, can be inserted into the oil pan 40 from the other side of the vehicle width direction of the oil pan 40 and the mounting portion 85 of the retaining member 80 is attached to the shaft support portion 60 of the oil pan 40, making it relatively easy to attach the drive shaft 30 to the oil pan 40. At the same time, when the drive shaft 30 moves to the other side in the vehicle width direction, the bearing 61 engages with the restricting portion 86 of the retaining member 80, preventing the drive shaft 30 from slipping out to the other side in the vehicle width direction.

Therefore, in a vehicle 1 in which a differential device 8 is disposed on one side of the engine 2 in the vehicle width direction, when the drive shaft 30 is inserted from the differential device 8 through the oil pan 40 of the engine 2 and extends to the other side in the vehicle width direction, it is relatively easy to prevent the drive shaft 30 from coming loose.

The shaft support portion 60 also has a mating recess 64 that is cylindrically recessed from the other side of the vehicle width direction to the one side of the vehicle width direction and into which the bearing 61 is fitted, and the bearing 61 has an inner ring 61a that is press-fitted onto the drive shaft 30 and an outer ring 61b that is fitted into the mating recess 64 and spaced apart in the radial direction.

As a result, the bearing 61 has an inner ring 61a that is press-fitted onto the drive shaft 30 and an outer ring 61b that is fitted into the fitting recess 64 of the shaft support portion 60 of the oil pan 40 at a radial distance. By fitting the bearing 61 pressed into the drive shaft 30 into the fitting recess 64 of the shaft support portion 60 at a radial distance so that the outer ring 61b can engage with the regulating portion 86 of the anti-slip member 80, the drive shaft 30 can be rotatably attached to the oil pan 40 and the drive shaft 30 can be prevented from slipping out.

In addition, a seal member 46 is attached to the oil pan 40 on one side of the bearing 61 in the vehicle width direction to seal between the oil pan 40 and the drive shaft 30.

As a result, a seal member 46 that seals between the oil pan 40 and the drive shaft 30 is attached to one side of the bearing 61 in the vehicle width direction, so that the lubricating oil stored in the differential housing 51 can be prevented from leaking to the outside from between the oil pan 40 and the drive shaft 30 on the other side of the oil pan 40 in the vehicle width direction.

The retaining member 80 also includes a circular portion 82 that is circular and has an inner diameter smaller than the enlarged diameter portion 31f and is fitted to the drive shaft 30, and a protruding portion 83 that protrudes radially outward from the circular portion 82 beyond the enlarged diameter portion 31f. A restricting portion 86 is provided on the circular portion 82, and an attachment portion 85 is provided on the protruding portion 83.

As a result, the retaining member 80 is provided with a circular portion 82 that fits onto the drive shaft 30 and a protruding portion 83 that protrudes radially outward from the enlarged diameter portion 31f, and an attachment portion 85 is provided on the protruding portion 83. By providing the attachment portion 85 on the protruding portion 83 of the retaining member 80 radially outward from the enlarged diameter portion 31f, the attachment work of attaching the retaining member 80 to the shaft support portion 60 can be easily performed.

The shaft support portion 60 also includes a circular portion 62 that is formed in a circular shape corresponding to the circular portion 82 of the retaining member 80 and through which the drive shaft 30 is inserted, and a protruding portion 63 that corresponds to the protruding portion 83 of the retaining member 80 and protrudes radially outward from the circular portion 62 to which the retaining member 80 is attached.

As a result, the shaft support portion 60 is provided with a circular portion 62 formed to correspond to the circular portion 82 of the retaining member 80, and a protruding portion 83 that corresponds to the protruding portion 83 of the retaining member 80 and protrudes radially outward from the circular portion 82 to which the retaining member 80 is attached. This makes it relatively easy to align and attach the retaining member 80 to the shaft support portion 60, and allows the drive shaft 30 to be inserted and attached to the oil pan 40 relatively easily.

The protruding portion 63 of the shaft support portion 60 is provided with an attachment portion 65 at the protruding tip side to which the attachment portion 85 of the retaining member 80 is attached, and a hole portion 66 recessed toward one side in the vehicle width direction is provided at the protruding base end side.

As a result, the protruding portion 63 of the shaft support portion 60 is provided with an attachment portion 65 on the protruding tip side and a hole portion 66 on the protruding base end side, so that the weight can be reduced by the hole portion 66 provided in the protruding portion 63, and the attachment portion 65 provided on the protruding portion 63 can be positioned radially outward of the circular portion 62, making it relatively easy to attach the anti-slip member 80 to the shaft support portion 60.

The present invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiments, and various improvements and design changes are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

As described above, according to the present invention, in a vehicle in which a differential device is disposed on one side of the engine in the vehicle width direction, when a drive shaft is inserted from the differential device into the engine oil pan and extends to the other side in the vehicle width direction, it is relatively easy to prevent the drive shaft from coming loose, and therefore the present invention may be suitably used in the field of manufacturing technology for this type of vehicle or vehicles equipped with it.

Reference Signs List 1 Vehicle 2 Engine 8 Differential device 10 Power unit device 30 Drive shaft 31d Oil pan insertion portion 31e First enlarged diameter portion 31f Second enlarged diameter portion 40 Oil pan 46 Seal member 60 Shaft support portion 61 Bearing 62 Circular portion of shaft support portion 63 Protruding portion of shaft support portion 64 Fitting recess 65 Mounting portion of shaft support portion 66 Hole portion 80 Retaining member 82 Circular portion of retaining member 83 Protruding portion of retaining member 85 Mounting portion of retaining member 86 Restricting portion of retaining member

Claims (5)

A power unit device for a vehicle in which a drive shaft is inserted from a differential device disposed on one side of an engine in a vehicle width direction to an oil pan of the engine and extends to the other side in the vehicle width direction,
the oil pan includes a shaft support portion that supports the drive shaft on the other side in the vehicle width direction,
the drive shaft includes an oil pan insertion portion that is inserted into the oil pan, and an expanded diameter portion that is expanded in diameter on the other side of the oil pan insertion portion in the vehicle width direction, a retaining member that prevents the drive shaft from slipping out to the other side in the vehicle width direction is fitted to the one side of the expanded diameter portion in the vehicle width direction, and a bearing is press-fitted into the drive shaft on the one side of the retaining member in the vehicle width direction,
the shaft support portion includes a fitting recess that is cylindrically recessed from the other side in the vehicle width direction to the one side in the vehicle width direction and into which the bearing is fitted,
the bearing includes an inner ring press-fitted onto the drive shaft and an outer ring fitted into the fitting recess so as to be spaced apart from each other in the radial direction,
The retaining member includes an attachment portion that is attached to the shaft support portion, and a restricting portion that engages with the other side of the bearing in the vehicle width direction to restrict the drive shaft from moving to the other side in the vehicle width direction.
A power unit device for a vehicle. A seal member is attached to the oil pan on one side of the bearing in the vehicle width direction to seal between the oil pan and the drive shaft.
2. The power unit device of claim 1 . The retaining member includes a circular portion having an inner diameter smaller than that of the enlarged diameter portion, which is formed in a circular shape and fitted onto the drive shaft, and a protruding portion protruding radially outward from the circular portion beyond the enlarged diameter portion, the restricting portion being provided on the circular portion, and the mounting portion being provided on the protruding portion.
3. A power unit device for a vehicle according to claim 1 or 2 . The shaft support portion includes a circular portion formed in a circular shape corresponding to the circular portion of the retaining member, through which the drive shaft is inserted, and a protruding portion protruding radially outward from the circular portion corresponding to the protruding portion of the retaining member, to which the retaining member is attached.
4. The power unit device of claim 3 . The protruding portion of the shaft support portion is provided with an attachment portion on a protruding tip side to which the attachment portion of the retaining member is attached, and a hole portion recessed to one side in the vehicle width direction is provided on a protruding base end side.
5. The power unit device of claim 4 .

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