IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,441,171
Granted Patent B2
US 12,441,171 · App. 18/743,713 · Granted Oct 14, 2025

Drive unit for a vehicle

Inventors: Johannes Kaltenbach (Friedrichshafen, DE); Thomas Martin (Weissenberg, DE); Fabian Kutter (Kressbronn, DE); Johannes Glückler (Friedrichshafen, DE); Kai Bornträger (Langenargen, DE); Stefan Renner (Bodman-Ludwigshafen, DE)
Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
B60K1/00B60K2001/001F16H37/08F16H2200/0021F16H2200/0039F16H2200/0043F16H2200/2007F16H2200/201F16H2200/2094F16H2200/2097
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,441,171
App. No.
18/743,713
Granted
Oct 14, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A drive unit for a vehicle includes an electric machine and a manual gearbox with at least a first shift element, a second shift element, a third shift element and two planetary gear sets coupled to one another and each having a sun shaft, a hollow gear shaft, and a web shaft. The second hollow gear shaft is connected rotationally fixed to the first web shaft. The first sun shaft is connected to a stationary component. In the respective actuated states, the first shift element locks the first planetary gear set to shift a first gear, the second shift element connects the first hollow gear shaft to the second web shaft to shift a second gear, and the third shift element connects the first hollow gear shaft to the second sun shaft to shift a third gear.

Claims (55)

1. A drive unit for a vehicle, comprising:

an electric machine; and

a manual gearbox with at least a first shift element, a second shift element, a third shift element, and two planetary gear sets coupled to one another;

wherein:

the first planetary gear set has a first sun shaft, a first hollow gear shaft, and a first web shaft;

the second planetary set comprises a second sun shaft, a second hollow gear shaft, and a second web shaft;

the second sun shaft is actuatable by the electric machine;

the second hollow gear shaft is connected to the first web shaft in a rotationally fixed manner;

the first sun shaft is connected to a stationary component in a rotationally fixed manner

the first shift element, in an actuated state, locks the first planetary gear set in order to shift a first gear;

the first element, in the actuated state, connects the first hollow gear shaft to the first web shaft in a rotationally fixed manner in order to shift the first gear;

the second shift element, in an actuated state, connects the first hollow gear shaft to the second web shaft in a rotationally fixed manner in order to shift a second gear; and

the third shift element, in an actuated state, connects the first hollow gear shaft to the second sun shaft in a rotationally fixed manner in order to shift a third gear.

2. The drive unit for a vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the second web shaft is configured as the output of the manual gearbox.

3. The drive unit for a vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the manual gearbox has a fourth shift element.

4. The drive unit according to claim 3 , comprising a sliding sleeve arranged on the first hollow gear shaft in a rotationally fixed manner.

5. The drive unit according to claim 1 , wherein the first shift element, the second shift element, and the third shift element are combined to form a shift unit with five shift positions, and wherein the shift unit has a single sliding sleeve which is axially movable.

6. The drive unit according to claim 1 , wherein all shift elements are configured as interlocking shift elements.

7. The drive unit according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a differential with a differential input shaft connected to the second web shaft; and

two differential output shafts.

8. The drive unit according to claim 7 , wherein the differential is configured as an integral differential with a first planetary gear set and a second planetary gear set.

9. The drive unit according to claim 1 , further having a third planetary gear set configured as a constant transmission stage with a third sun shaft, a third hollow gear shaft, and a third web shaft.

10. The drive unit according to claim 9 , wherein the third planetary gear set is arranged at least partially radially within the electric machine.

11. A vehicle comprising at least one drive unit according to claim 1 .

12. A drive unit for a vehicle, comprising:

an electric machine; and

a manual gearbox with at least a first shift element, a second shift element, a third shift element, and two planetary gear sets coupled to one another;

wherein:

the first planetary gear set has a first sun shaft, a first hollow gear shaft, and a first web shaft;

the second planetary set comprises a second sun shaft, a second hollow gear shaft, and a second web shaft;

the second sun shaft is actuatable by the electric machine;

the second hollow gear shaft is connected to the first web shaft in a rotationally fixed manner;

the first sun shaft is connected to a stationary component in a rotationally fixed manner

the first shift element, in an actuated state, locks the first planetary gear set in order to shift a first gear;

the second shift element, in an actuated state, connects the first hollow gear shaft to the second web shaft in a rotationally fixed manner in order to shift a second gear; and

the third shift element, in an actuated state, connects the first hollow gear shaft to the second sun shaft in a rotationally fixed manner in order to shift a third gear; and

wherein the first shift element, in the actuated state, connects the first hollow gear shaft to the stationary component in a rotationally fixed manner in order to shift the first gear.

13. A drive unit for a vehicle, comprising:

an electric machine; and

a manual gearbox with at least a first shift element, a second shift element, a third shift element, a fourth shift element, and two planetary gear sets coupled to one another;

wherein:

the first planetary gear set has a first sun shaft, a first hollow gear shaft, and a first web shaft;

the second planetary set comprises a second sun shaft, a second hollow gear shaft, and a second web shaft;

the second sun shaft is actuatable by the electric machine;

the second hollow gear shaft is connected to the first web shaft in a rotationally fixed manner;

the first sun shaft is connected to a stationary component in a rotationally fixed manner

the first shift element, in an actuated state, locks the first planetary gear set in order to shift a first gear;

the first element, in the actuated state, connects the first hollow gear shaft to the first web shaft in a rotationally fixed manner in order to shift the first gear;

the second shift element, in an actuated state, connects the first hollow gear shaft to the second web shaft in a rotationally fixed manner in order to shift a second gear; and

the third shift element, in an actuated state, connects the first hollow gear shaft to the second sun shaft in a rotationally fixed manner in order to shift a third gear; and

wherein the fourth shift element, in an actuated state, connects the first web shaft to the second sun shaft in a rotationally fixed manner in order to shift a fourth gear.

14. The drive unit according to claim 13 , wherein the first shift element, the second shift element, the third shift element, and the fourth shift element form a shift unit with seven shift positions, and wherein the shift unit has a single sliding sleeve which is axially movable.

15. The drive unit according to claim 14 , wherein the shift unit comprises a neutral position between two gear positions of the seven shift positions.

16. The drive unit according to claim 15 , wherein the shift unit is arranged at least partially radially within the electric machine.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 13, 2024
From: KALTENBACH, JOHANNES; MARTIN, THOMAS; KUTTER, FABIAN; GLÜCKLER, JOHANNES; BORNTRÄGER, KAI; RENNER, STEFAN
To: ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG
Reel/Frame 068268/0388 →
Priority Claims (1)
DE 10 2023 205 679.8 · Jun 16, 2023 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240416747A1 · Dec 19, 2024
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