An example of the vehicle drive device described above is described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No, 2012-55039 (JP 2012-55039 A) (Patent Document 1). The device according to Patent Document 1 includes a rotary electric machine [electric motor 1] and a friction engagement device [clutch device 3] provided in a housing portion [motor cover 12] that has a support wall [fixed wall 111] disposed between the rotary electric machine and a speed change device [transmission 4]. A supply oil passage [oil passage 111a] configured to supply oil to the friction engagement device is formed in the support wall. A sensor stator [detector 152] of a rotation sensor [resolver 15] is fixed to a surface of the support wall on the rotary electric machine side in the axial direction.
In general, a control device that controls the vehicle drive device described above receives and outputs a variety of control signals to control operation of various components of the vehicle drive device. For example, the control device outputs current and voltage command signals to a stator coil of the rotary electric machine, receives a signal output from the rotation sensor which detects rotation of a rotor of the rotary electric machine, and outputs a command signal to a hydraulic control device that controls the state of engagement of the friction engagement device. In order to appropriately receive and output such a variety of control signals, it is necessary to appropriately connect the control device, a stator of the rotary electric machine, the rotation sensor, and the hydraulic control device to each other via an electric wiring member.
In this case, a reduction in size of the entire drive device may be hindered if the electric wiring member are not appropriately routed to connect the control device which is external and the rotary electric machine and the rotation sensor disposed in the housing portion. In this respect, Patent Document 1 describes only the arrangement of the rotation sensor in the housing portion, and does not describe a specific method to connect between the external control device and the rotation sensor. In addition, Patent Document 1 does not clearly describe the arrangement of the hydraulic control device, and as a matter of course does not describe a specific method to connect between the external control device and the hydraulic control device.
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2011-109839 (JP 2011-109839 A) (Patent Document 2) also discloses a vehicle drive device with a similar configuration. However, Patent Document 2 also does not describe a specific method to connect between the control device which is external and the rotation sensor and the hydraulic control device. In the device according to Patent Document 2, an electric wiring member [coil wiring member 36] that extends from the stator [stator 31] of the rotary electric machine [electric motor 3] is connected to a terminal block [external connection terminal block 34] provided at the circumferential wall of the housing portion [motor housing 300] by a bolt from the radially outer side. Such a configuration requires that a space for operating the bolt should be secured on the radially outer side of the circumferential wall of the housing portion, which may degrade the mountability of the drive device on a vehicle.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds