Motor unit having flow generating unit to deliver air into a rotor gap to reduce friction

1 . A motor unit, comprising:

an electric motor arranged in a housing; and

a lubricant circuit, which cools and lubricates the electric motor, wherein the electric motor comprises a stator and a rotor mounted rotatably in the stator and being connected to the housing, wherein between the stator and the rotor there is a rotor gap, wherein the stator is enclosed for at least a portion by a stator housing arranged inside the housing, the stator housing filled at least partly with lubricant and belonging to the lubricant circuit;

at least one lubricant pump that is fluidically connected to the stator housing to receive lubricant from the stator housing, and wherein the lubricant pump comprises at least one outlet for lubricant that is fluidically connected to the stator and the rotor to deliver lubricant to the electric motor through the outlet; and

a flow generating unit, which draws in air from the housing and blows the air into the rotor gap to remove lubricant from the rotor gap and reduce internal friction in the electric motor,

wherein the rotor forms a pump of the flow generating unit and delivers air during rotation into the rotor gap or to the rotor gap, and

wherein a transmission is coupled to the rotor, wherein the transmission is situated in a transmission housing that is configured to form a partial region of the housing, wherein a pan is provided in the transmission housing and seals off one or more gear wheels at least partly against a lubricant reservoir, wherein the lubricant reservoir is formed by a partial region of the transmission housing situated at a bottom of the transmission housing, wherein the lubricant reservoir is part of the lubricant circuit and the lubricant pump is fluidically connected to the lubricant reservoir, draws in lubricant from the lubricant reservoir, and the outlet of the lubricant pump is fluidically connected to the transmission, wherein the lubricant pump delivers lubricant through the outlet thereof to one or more gear wheels of the transmission.

2 . The motor unit according to claim 1 , wherein the flow generating unit comprises an oil separator arranged in a flow direction of the air through the flow generating unit upstream from the rotor, wherein the oil separator separates lubricant present in the air in the housing and then delivers air with reduced lubricant content or lubricant-free air to the rotor working as the pump.

3 . The motor unit according to claim 1 , wherein the rotor comprises a rotor shaft rotatably mounted in the housing, wherein the rotor working as the pump of the flow generating unit draws in air axially to the rotor shaft through at least one end region of the rotor shaft and delivers the air taken in to the rotor shaft to the rotor gap.

4 . The motor unit according to claim 1 , wherein an air exit of the flow generating unit is situated substantially in a middle of the rotor in an axial direction to a rotor shaft and the air flows axially to the rotor shaft in two mutually opposite directions through the rotor gap or the air exit is situated in a marginal region of the rotor, axially to the rotor shaft, wherein the air flows axially to the rotor shaft in a direction through the rotor gap.

5 . The motor unit according to claim 1 , wherein an interior space of the stator housing not occupied by the stator is at least ⅔ filled with lubricant.

6 . The motor unit according to claim 1 , wherein the lubricant reservoir is fluidically connected to the stator housing and lubricant flows from the stator housing to the lubricant reservoir, wherein the lubricant pump receives lubricant from the lubricant reservoir and, through a fluidic connection between the stator housing and the lubricant reservoir, from the stator housing.

7 . The motor unit according to claim 1 , wherein the flow generating unit comprises an auxiliary pump that draws in air from the housing and blows the air into the rotor gap as needed or to supplement the rotor.

8 . A motor unit, comprising:

an electric motor arranged in a housing; and

a lubricant circuit, which cools and lubricates the electric motor, wherein the electric motor comprises a stator and a rotor mounted rotatably in the stator and being connected to the housing, wherein between the stator and the rotor there is a rotor gap, wherein the stator is enclosed for at least a portion by a stator housing arranged inside the housing, the stator housing filled at least partly with lubricant and belonging to the lubricant circuit;

at least one lubricant pump that is fluidically connected to the stator housing to receive lubricant from the stator housing, and wherein the lubricant pump comprises at least one outlet for lubricant that is fluidically connected to the stator and the rotor to deliver lubricant to the electric motor through the outlet; and

a flow generating unit, which draws in air from the housing and blows the air into the rotor gap to remove lubricant from the rotor gap and reduce internal friction in the electric motor,

wherein the rotor forms a pump of the flow generating unit and delivers air during rotation into the rotor gap or to the rotor gap, and

wherein a return line connects the rotor gap to the stator housing and/or to a lubricant reservoir, wherein the return line carries the air blown from the flow generating unit through the rotor gap into the lubricant and the air travels through the lubricant back to the housing.

9 . The motor unit according to claim 8 , wherein the flow generating unit comprises an oil separator arranged in a flow direction of the air through the flow generating unit upstream from the rotor, wherein the oil separator separates lubricant present in the air in the housing and then delivers air with reduced lubricant content or lubricant-free air to the rotor working as the pump.

10 . The motor unit according to claim 8 , wherein the rotor comprises a rotor shaft rotatably mounted in the housing, wherein the rotor working as the pump of the flow generating unit draws in air axially to the rotor shaft through at least one end region of the rotor shaft and delivers the air taken in to the rotor shaft to the rotor gap.

11 . The motor unit according to claim 8 , wherein an air exit of the flow generating unit is situated substantially in a middle of the rotor in an axial direction to a rotor shaft and the air flows axially to the rotor shaft in two mutually opposite directions through the rotor gap or the air exit is situated in a marginal region of the rotor, axially to the rotor shaft, wherein the air flows axially to the rotor shaft in a direction through the rotor gap.

12 . The motor unit according to claim 8 , wherein an interior space of the stator housing not occupied by the stator is at least ⅔ filled with lubricant.

13 . The motor unit according to claim 8 , wherein a transmission is coupled to the rotor, wherein the transmission is situated in a transmission housing that is configured to form a partial region of the housing, wherein a pan is provided in the transmission housing and seals off one or more gear wheels at least partly against a lubricant reservoir, wherein the lubricant reservoir is formed by a partial region of the transmission housing situated at a bottom of the transmission housing, wherein the lubricant reservoir is part of the lubricant circuit and the lubricant pump is fluidically connected to the lubricant reservoir, draws in lubricant from the lubricant reservoir, and the outlet of the lubricant pump is fluidically connected to the transmission, wherein the lubricant pump delivers lubricant through the outlet thereof to one or more gear wheels of the transmission.

14 . The motor unit according to claim 13 , wherein the lubricant reservoir is fluidically connected to the stator housing and lubricant flows from the stator housing to the lubricant reservoir, wherein the lubricant pump receives lubricant from the lubricant reservoir and, through the fluidic connection between the stator housing and the lubricant reservoir, from the stator housing.

15 . The motor unit according to claim 8 , wherein the flow generating unit comprises an auxiliary pump that draws in air from the housing and blows the air into the rotor gap as needed or to supplement the rotor.

16 . A method for reducing internal friction in a motor unit having: an electric motor arranged in a housing; and a lubricant circuit, which cools and lubricates the electric motor, wherein the electric motor comprises a stator and a rotor mounted rotatably in the stator and being connected to the housing, wherein between the stator and the rotor there is a rotor gap, wherein the stator is enclosed for at least a portion by a stator housing arranged inside the housing, the stator housing filled at least partly with lubricant and belonging to the lubricant circuit; and at least one lubricant pump fluidically connected to the stator housing to received lubricant from the stator housing, wherein the lubricant pump comprises at least one outlet for lubricant that is fluidically connected to the stator and the rotor to deliver lubricant to the electric motor through the outlet, and a flow generating unit, and wherein a transmission is coupled to the rotor, wherein the transmission is situated in a transmission housing that is configured to form a partial region of the housing, wherein a pan is provided in the transmission housing and seals off one or more gear wheels at least partly against a lubricant reservoir, wherein the lubricant reservoir is formed by a partial region of the transmission housing situated at a bottom of the transmission housing, wherein the lubricant reservoir is part of the lubricant circuit and the lubricant pump is fluidically connected to the lubricant reservoir, and the outlet of the lubricant pump is fluidically connected to the transmission, the method comprising:

drawing in air from the housing by the flow generating unit, wherein the rotor forms a pump of the flow generating unit;

blowing the air into the rotor gap via the flow generating unit, wherein the air blown in removes lubricant from the rotor gap and reduces the internal friction in the electric motor;

drawing in lubricant from the lubricant reservoir via the lubricant pump; and

delivering lubricant through the outlet thereof to one or more gear wheels of the transmission.

17 . A method for reducing internal friction in a motor unit having: an electric motor arranged in a housing; and a lubricant circuit, which cools and lubricates the electric motor, wherein the electric motor comprises a stator and a rotor mounted rotatably in the stator and being connected to the housing, wherein between the stator and the rotor there is a rotor gap, wherein the stator is enclosed for at least a portion by a stator housing arranged inside the housing, the stator housing filled at least partly with lubricant and belonging to the lubricant circuit; and at least one lubricant pump fluidically connected to the stator housing to receive lubricant from the stator housing, wherein the lubricant pump comprises at least one outlet for lubricant that is fluidically connected to the stator and the rotor to deliver lubricant to the electric motor through the outlet, and a flow generating unit, and wherein a return line connects the rotor gap to the stator housing and/or to a lubricant reservoir, the method comprising:

drawing in air from an interior airspace of the housing by the flow generating unit, wherein the rotor forms a pump of the flow generating unit;

blowing the air into the rotor gap via the flow generating unit, wherein the air blown in removes lubricant from the rotor gap and reduces the internal friction in the electric motor; and

carrying the air blown from the flow generating unit through the rotor gap into the lubricant via the return line, whereinafter the air travels through the lubricant back to the interior airspace of the housing.