Patent ID: 9694664
Date: 2017-07-04
CPC Classifications: B60K,F01M,F16H,F16N

Claim:
1. A vehicle drive apparatus comprising: a motor connected to a wheel of a vehicle to transmit power from the motor to the wheel; a case including a reservoir to store liquid fluid used for at least one of cooling of the motor, lubrication of the motor, cooling of a power transmission path between the motor and the wheel, and lubrication of the power transmission path, the case having an opening through which an inside of the case is to fluidly communicate with an outside of the case; a cover member removably mounted on the opening to close the opening in a state where the cover member is mounted on the opening, the cover member forming a part of the case and including at least two communication holes through which an inner side of the cover member is to fluidly communicate with an outer side of the cover member in the state where the cover member is mounted on the opening; a sensor configured to detect a property of the liquid fluid and including a detector disposed in the reservoir of the case, the sensor being provided in a first communication hole of the at least two communication holes of the cover member and being fixed to the cover member, a second communication hole of the at least two communication holes constituting a part of a fluid flow path extending from the inside of the case to the outside of the case, the fluid flow path having an intake port through which the liquid fluid is to be drawn, the intake port being provided at a first end of the fluid flow path, the first end being disposed in the reservoir, the fluid flow path including an inside fluid flow path provided from the second communication hole to the intake port; and a separate member fixed to the cover member to define the inside fluid flow path, wherein in the state where the cover member is mounted on the opening, both the sensor and the separate member are disposed in the reservoir, and wherein in the state where the cover member is removed from the opening, the sensor is separated from the reservoir of the case and remains in the first communication hole.