Patent ID: 7694765
Filing Date: 2010-04-13
Classification: A01D,B60K,B60L,B60Y,Y10T

Abstract:
1. An axle-driving device comprising: an axle case including an outer wall supporting a drive axle in a rotatable manner about its axis and an inner wall separated inward in a vehicle width direction from the outer wall so that an inner end portion of said drive axle in the vehicle width direction is positioned between said outer wall and the inner wall; a motor unit which forms a non-stepwisely changeable transmission in cooperation with an actuator disposed at a distance, the motor unit including a motor shaft supported by the inner wall in a rotatable manner about its axis so that an outer end portion of the motor shaft in the vehicle width direction is positioned in an accommodating space in said axle case such that in the vehicle width direction the outer end portion of the motor shaft is positioned further inward than the inner end portion of the drive axle, and a motor main body supported by said inner wall; a reduction power transmission unit which includes an output gear supported on the outer end portion of said motor shaft in the vehicle width direction so as to be non-rotatable with respect to the motor shaft, a final gear supported on the inner end portion of said drive axle in the vehicle width direction so as to be non-rotatable with respect to the drive axle, and a gear train for reducing a speed of and transmitting power from said output gear to said final gear and including an intermediate shaft supported by said axle case so as to be positioned above said motor shaft; a brake unit for selectively applying a braking force to said intermediate shaft based on operation from outside; and a mounting stay having a proximal end portion coupled to a body frame of the vehicle and a distal end portion supporting said axle case, in which said motor main body is connected to the inner wall of the axle case so that at least a portion of said motor main body overlaps with said final gear when viewed along an axial direction of said drive axle, said mounting stay is formed so as to define a surrounded space between the inner wall of said axle case and said body frame, the surrounded space having a size that allows said motor main body to be positioned therein while at least an upper side thereof is opened upward, said intermediate shaft is supported by the axle case so as to have an inner end portion in the vehicle width direction that is positioned above the motor shaft and extended into the surrounded space, and said brake unit is supported by the inner wall of said axle case so as to act on the inner end portion of the intermediate shaft, so that said brake unit is positioned between the inner wall and the body frame by utilizing a space of the surrounded space that is positioned above said motor main body.