Electric drive unit that includes a fluid flow path

Inventors: Antonio Eduardo Mogro Zambrano (Puebla, MX); Kyle Nelson (Wadsworth, OH); Christopher Chapanar (Massillon, OH)

Assignee: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG

H02K5/203 H02K9/19

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Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 12712409
App. No.: 18/451,440
Granted: Aug 18, 2026
Kind: B2

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Abstract

An electric drive unit includes an electric motor and a housing that houses the electric motor. The housing includes a heat exchanging wall portion that includes an inner surface that defines a fluid jacket cavity for conveying a first fluid and an outer surface that is opposite the inner surface and that defines a fluid chamber for conveying a second fluid. The heat is transferred between the first and second fluids through the heat exchanging wall portion.

Claims (32)

1 . A drive unit for a vehicle, comprising:

an electric motor that includes a rotor shaft that defines a hollow that is accessible via an opening defined at an axial end of the rotor shaft;

an output shaft that extends into the hollow through the opening;

a baffle that extends circumferentially about an outer surface of the output shaft that is configured to redirect fluid flowing along the fluid flow path away from a portion of at least one of the rotor shaft and the output shaft, wherein the baffle is axially aligned with the substantially cylindrical interior surface of the collar of the housing.

2 . The drive unit of claim 1 , wherein the output shaft is configured to rotate about an axis that substantially corresponds with a radial center point of the substantially cylindrical interior surface of the collar.

3 . The drive unit of claim 1 , wherein the passage includes a first portion that includes a substantially cylindrical inner surface and a second portion that interrupts the substantially cylindrical interior surface of the collar.

4 . The drive unit of claim 3 , wherein the second portion of the passage includes an inner surface with a curvature that is substantially equal to the curvature of the substantially cylindrical inner surface of the first portion of the passage.

5 . The drive unit of claim 4 , wherein the second portion of the passage tapers to an endpoint that borders the substantially cylindrical interior surface of the collar of the housing, and wherein the passage is substantially tangential with the interior surface of the collar at the endpoint of the second portion.

6 . The drive unit of claim 1 , wherein the baffle includes an outer ring, an inner ring, and a connector ring that extends radially inboard and axially from the outer ring to the inner ring.

7 . The drive unit of claim 6 , wherein the outer ring is in an axially-spaced relationship with the substantially cylindrical interior surface of the collar, and the inner ring is in an axially-spaced relationship with the substantially cylindrical interior surface of the collar, such that the substantially cylindrical interior surface of the collar is disposed wholly, axially between the inner and outer rings of the baffle.

8 . The drive unit of claim 7 , wherein at least a portion of the inner ring is axially aligned with the opening at the axial end of the rotor shaft.

9 . A drive unit for a vehicle, comprising:

an electric motor that includes a rotor shaft that defines a hollow that is accessible via an opening defined at an axial end of the rotor shaft, wherein the rotor shaft includes an inner rotor shaft surface that defines the hollow;

an output shaft that extends into the hollow through the opening; and

a housing that houses the electric motor and includes a collar having an interior surface that is substantially cylindrical and that extends circumferentially about the output shaft and a passage that extends substantially tangentially outward from the interior surface of the collar, wherein the collar and the passage define a portion of a fluid flow path, wherein a portion of the inner rotor shaft surface tapers radially outboard as the portion of the inner rotor shaft surface extends axially away from the substantially cylindrical interior surface of the collar of the housing.

10 . A housing of a drive unit for housing an electric motor that includes an inner rotor shaft surface, the housing comprising:

a collar having an interior surface that is substantially cylindrical and that extends circumferentially about an output shaft of the drive unit, wherein the collar is configured such that a portion of the inner rotor shaft surface tapers radially outboard as the portion of the inner rotor shaft surface extends axially away from the substantially cylindrical interior surface of the collar; and

a passage that extends substantially tangentially outward from the interior surface of the collar, wherein the collar and the passage are configured to define a portion of a fluid flow path of the drive unit.

11 . The drive unit of claim 10 , wherein the passage includes a first portion that includes a substantially cylindrical inner surface and a second portion that interrupts the substantially cylindrical interior surface of the collar.

12 . The drive unit of claim 11 , wherein the second portion of the passage includes an inner surface with a curvature that is substantially equal to the curvature of the substantially cylindrical inner surface of the first portion of the passage.

13 . The drive unit of claim 12 , wherein the second portion of the passage tapers to an endpoint that borders the substantially cylindrical interior surface of the collar of the housing, and wherein the passage is substantially tangential with the interior surface of the collar at the endpoint of the second portion.

14 . A drive unit for a vehicle, comprising:

an electric motor that includes a rotor shaft that defines a hollow that is accessible via an opening defined at an axial end of the rotor shaft;

an output shaft that extends into the hollow through the opening;

a housing that houses the electric motor and includes a collar having an interior surface that is substantially cylindrical and that extends circumferentially about the output shaft and a passage that extends substantially tangentially outward from the interior surface of the collar, the passage having a first portion that includes a substantially cylindrical inner surface and a second portion that interrupts the substantially cylindrical interior surface of the collar, wherein the collar and the passage define a portion of a fluid flow path; and

15 . The drive unit of claim 14 , wherein the output shaft is configured to rotate about an axis that substantially corresponds with a radial center point of the substantially cylindrical interior surface of the collar.

16 . The drive unit of claim 14 , wherein the second portion of the passage includes an inner surface with a curvature that is substantially equal to the curvature of the substantially cylindrical inner surface of the first portion of the passage.

17 . The drive unit of claim 16 , wherein the second portion of the passage tapers to an endpoint that borders the substantially cylindrical interior surface of the collar of the housing, and wherein the passage is substantially tangential with the interior surface of the collar at the endpoint of the second portion.

18 . The drive unit of claim 14 , wherein the baffle includes an outer ring, an inner ring, and a connector ring that extends radially inboard and axially from the outer ring to the inner ring, and wherein the outer ring is in an axially-spaced relationship with the substantially cylindrical interior surface of the collar, and the inner ring is in an axially-spaced relationship with the substantially cylindrical interior surface of the collar, such that the substantially cylindrical interior surface of the collar is disposed wholly, axially between the inner and outer rings of the baffle.

19 . The drive unit of claim 18 , wherein at least a portion of the inner ring is axially aligned with the opening at the axial end of the rotor shaft.