Patent ID: 7484893

Claim:
A lubricating mechanism comprising; a rotational shaft; a casing which houses, therein, at least a rear end portion of the rotational shaft; a bearing interposed between the rotational shaft and the casing and freely rotatably supporting the rotational shaft; an oil seal positioned between the casing and at least one of the rotational shaft and a member rotatable integrally with the rotational shaft in a space that is inside the casing and at a second side of the bearing; a first oil passage formed inside the rotational shaft and extending from a first side of the bearing towards the bearing; a second oil passage formed inside the rotational shaft and extending radially under the bearing, one side of the second oil passage communicating with the first oil passage and an other side thereof opening at an outer peripheral surface of the rotational shaft; and a third oil passage extending between the outer peripheral surface of the rotational shaft and an inner peripheral surface of the bearing, one side of the third oil passage communicating with the other opening side of the second oil passage and an other side thereof communicating with the space defined at the second side of the bearing.