IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,398,791
Granted Patent B2
US 12,398,791 · App. 18/729,218 · Granted Aug 26, 2025

Electric drive system for a motor vehicle

Inventors: Tobias Schilder (Ludwigsburg, DE); Tobias Haerter (Stuttgart, DE)
Assignee: MERCEDES-BENZ GROUP AG
F16H37/082B60K1/00B60K17/02F16H57/021F16H63/3416B60K2001/001F16H2057/02034F16H2057/02052
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,398,791
App. No.
18/729,218
Granted
Aug 26, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

An electric drive system for a motor vehicle, includes a housing, an electric motor with a rotor rotationally connected with a rotor shaft, a planetary gearset, and an axle drive. The planetary gearset includes exactly one sun gear and exactly one planetary carrier. The rotor shaft is connected in a rotationally fixed manner with the sun gear. The electric drive system includes a coupling element operating in at least one direction of rotation in a form-fitting manner and is provided between the planetary carrier and an input shaft of the axle drive, by means of which coupling element the planetary carrier is coupled or can be coupled with the input shaft in such a way that a rotationally fixed connection between the planetary carrier and the input shaft can be produced at least in a forward direction of rotation of the rotor.

Claims (19)

1. An electric drive system for a motor vehicle, the electric drive system comprising:

a housing;

an electric motor comprising a rotor connected in a rotationally fixed manner with a rotor shaft;

a planetary gearset;

an axle drive, wherein the planetary gearset comprises exactly one sun gear and exactly one planetary carrier, wherein the rotor shaft is connected in a rotationally fixed manner with the exactly one sun gear, wherein the exactly one planetary carrier carries a set of first planetary gears and a set of second planetary gears, wherein the first planetary gears have a larger diameter than the second planetary gears, wherein each one of the first planetary gears and each one of the second planetary gears are connected with each other in a rotationally fixed manner, wherein the exactly one sun gear engages with the first planetary gears;

exactly one ring gear, which is coupled with the housing in a rotationally fixed manner, and which meshes with the second planetary gears;

a coupling element configured to operate in at least one direction of rotation in a form-fitting manner and arranged between the exactly one planetary carrier and an input shaft of the axle drive, wherein the coupling element is configured to couple the exactly one planetary carrier with the input shaft such that a rotationally fixed connection between the exactly one planetary carrier and the input shaft is produced at least in a forward direction of rotation of the rotor;

a first radial bearing configured to radially support the exactly one planetary carrier relative to the housing, wherein a bearing half of the first radial bearing on the exactly one planetary carrier side is arranged radially outside of a second bearing half on the housing side, wherein the exactly one planetary carrier is supported via the first radial bearing from radially outside on an axially projecting collar of an intermediate housing wall arranged radially further inward; and

a second radial bearing configured to radially support the exactly one planetary carrier relative to the axle drive, wherein a first bearing half of the second radial bearing on the exactly one planetary carrier side is arranged radially outside of a second bearing half on an axle drive side, wherein the second bearing half of the second radial bearing is supported on the input shaft of the axle drive.

2. The electric drive system of claim 1 , wherein the coupling element has a first freewheel between the exactly one planetary carrier and the input shaft of the axle drive, wherein the first freewheel is configured to couple the exactly one planetary carrier with the input shaft such that a rotation of the exactly one planetary carrier relative to the input shaft is blocked in a forward direction of rotation of the rotor.

3. The electric drive system of claim 2 , wherein the coupling element has a second freewheel between the exactly one planetary carrier and the input shaft, wherein the second freewheel is switchable, and wherein the second freewheel is configured to couple the exactly one planetary carrier with the input shaft such that a rotation of the exactly one planetary carrier relative to the input shaft is blocked counter to the forward direction of rotation of the rotor in a switched-on state.

4. The electric drive system of claim 1 , wherein the coupling element has a claw switching element having at least two switching positions, wherein the claw switching element is configured to connect the exactly one planetary carrier and the input shaft of the axle drive in a first switching position in a rotationally fixed manner, and to release the exactly one planetary carrier and the input shaft of the axle drive from each other in a second switching position.

5. The electric drive system of claim 4 , wherein the claw switching element has a third switching position, in which the input shaft is connected with the housing in a rotationally fixed manner.

6. The electric drive system of claim 1 , wherein the input shaft of the axle drive is connected via a park gear and a switching element with the housing in a rotationally fixed manner.

7. The electric drive system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a first combination bearing; and

a second combination bearing,

wherein the first and second combination bearings are configured to provide axial and radial support of the rotor shaft relative to the housing, wherein in both the first combination bearing and in the second combination bearing, a respectively associated bearing half on the rotor shaft side is arranged radially within a respective bearing half on the housing side.

8. The electric drive system of claim 1 , wherein the electric motor is an axial flux motor.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 16, 2024
From: SCHILDER, TOBIAS; HAERTER, TOBIAS
To: MERCEDES-BENZ GROUP AG
Reel/Frame 068000/0861 →
Priority Claims (1)
DE 10 2022 000 141.1 · Jan 17, 2022 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20250116317A1 · Apr 10, 2025
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