Provided is an in-wheel motor drive device (21), including a motor part (A), a speed reducer part (B), a wheel bearing part (C), a casing (22), and a lubrication mechanism configured to supply lubricating oil to the motor part (A) and to the speed reducer part (B). A rotation shaft (24) of a motor in the motor part (A) is configured to drive an input shaft (25) of a speed reducer having eccentric portions (25a and 25b) to rotate. The speed reducer part (B) is configured to reduce a speed of rotation of the input shaft (25) of the speed reducer and transmit the rotation to an output shaft (28) of the speed reducer. The wheel bearing part (C) is connected to the output shaft (28) of the speed reducer. The lubrication mechanism includes an oil path (22b) in the speed reducer part (B), which is configured to discharge lubricating oil inside the speed reducer part (B) to the motor part (A), and an oil path (22f) in the motor part (A), which is configured to discharge lubricating oil inside the motor part (A) to an oil tank (22d) together with the lubricating oil from the speed reducer part (B) . The motor part (A) includes a partition plate (80) configured to guide the lubricating oil from the speed reducer part (B) to the oil path (22f) in the motor part (A).

Provided is an in-wheel motor drive device (21) including a motor part (A), a speed reduction part (B), a wheel bearing part (C), and a casing (22) configured to hold those parts. The motor part (A) is configured to rotationally drive an input shaft (25) of a speed reducer having eccentric portions (25a, 25b). The speed reduction part (B) is configured to reduce a speed of rotation of the input shaft (25) of the speed reducer to transmit the rotation to an output shaft (28) of the speed reducer. The wheel bearing part (C) is connected to the output shaft (28) of the speed reducer. The speed reduction part (B) includes a lubrication mechanism for the speed reduction part, which is configured to supply lubricating oil to the speed reduction part (B). Rolling bearings (37a, 37b) configured to support the input shaft (25) of the speed reducer are ball bearings each having an initial radial internal clearance (δ) of from 10 µm to 60 µm.

Control apparatus (11) for controlling hybrid vehicle (1) having planetary gear train (22) including first gear (23S) coupled to first rotating electrical machine (MG1), carrier (23C) coupled to input shaft (28) having ejecting hole (28b), input shaft being coupled to engine shaft (26) of engine (21) via torque limiting mechanism (27) which allows input shaft to skid against engine shaft depending on variation of torque between input shaft and engine shaft, and second gear (23R) coupled to drive shaft (43) which is coupled to second rotating electrical machine (MG2), and rotation limiting mechanism (24) which prevents engine shaft from rotating in another direction, drives first rotating electrical machine to output torque for rotating input shaft in another direction when ejecting hole with engine stopped does not extend in predetermined direction in which ejecting hole can eject oil to mechanism portion of planetary gear train which locates vertically above input shaft.

A drive system for a hybrid vehicle includes a planetary gear unit, a first rotating machine connected to a sun gear of the planetary gear unit, an engine connected to a carrier of the planetary gear unit, a second rotating machine and drive wheels connected to a ring gear of the planetary gear unit, a regulating mechanism that regulates rotation of the carrier, a first running mode in which the vehicle runs using the second rotating machine as a power source, and a second running mode in which the vehicle runs using the first rotating machine and the second rotating machine as power sources while the regulating mechanism regulates rotation of the carrier. The carrier is rotated by the first rotating machine (S40) when the vehicle shifts from the first running mode to the second running mode (S30-Y).

An in-wheel motor drive device includes an electric motor (1) to drive a wheel, a wheel support bearing assembly (5) to support the wheel, and a speed reducer (2) to reduce the rotation of the electric motor (1) and then to transmit it to the wheel support bearing assembly (5), and a lubricant oil is supplied under pressure by an oil pump to the speed reducer (2) to be lubricated. The use is made of a temperature detector (Sa) to detect the temperature of the lubricant oil or the electric motor (1) and an output limitter (49) to limit the output of the electric motor (1) in the event that the temperature detected by the temperature detector (Sa) is not higher than a predetermined threshold value.

A driving force transmission apparatus 1 includes a tank 44 which reserves lubricating oil in an accommodating space 12a which is interposed between a housing 12 and an inner shaft 13 and an apparatus case 4 which has a cylindrical accommodating portion 40c which accommodates the housing 12, and in the case 4, the accommodating portion 40c has an inner circumferential surface 40b which faces an outer circumferential surface 19e of the housing 12, and the tank 44 has an oil inlet port 441 a which is opened to the inner circumferential surface 40b of the accommodating portion 40c and through which the lubricating oil in the accommodating space 12a is let in based on a centrifugal force generated in association with the rotation of the housing when a four-wheel drive vehicle travels forwards in a two-wheel drive mode.