Patent ID: 7621835
Filing Date: 2009-11-24
Classification: B60K,F16H

Abstract:
1. An in-wheel drive unit comprising: a motor including a rotor that is configured and arranged to be rotatably driven about a rotational axis; a motor casing member at least partially covering the motor; a planetary gear set arranged coaxially about the rotational axis of the rotor, the planetary gear set including a sun gear coupled to the rotor, a ring gear supported on the motor casing member, at least one pinion gear configured and arranged to rotate between the sun gear and the ring gear, and a carrier rotatably supporting the pinion gear relative to the carrier about a center rotational axis of the pinion gear; a hub flange fixedly coupled to the carrier; and first and second bearings rotatably supporting the hub flange and the pinion gear, the first and second bearings being disposed on opposite sides of the pinion gear with respect to an axial direction of the pinion gear, the first and second bearings including first races that are relatively non-rotatably coupled to coupling faces of the carrier, respectively, with at least one of the coupling faces of the carrier being located at a radial outward location of the rotational axis of the rotor with respect to the center rotational axis of the pinion gear.