Rotor carrier assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10465780-B2
Application number	US-201715683406-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 22, 2017
Priority date	Aug 23, 2016
Publication date	Nov 5, 2019
Grant date	Nov 5, 2019

Abstract

A rotor assembly includes a torque converter having a housing forming a hydraulic chamber, a rotor for an electric motor, a rotor carrier non-rotatably connected to the rotor, wherein the rotor carrier is fixed to the torque converter housing, and a seal is disposed between the torque converter housing and rotor carrier for sealing therebetween. In some example embodiments, the rotor assembly has at least one bolt for fixing the torque converter housing to the rotor carrier. In some embodiments, the rotor carrier includes an aperture and the at least one bolt is disposed in the aperture.

First claim

What we claim is:

1. A rotor assembly, comprising:
a torque converter including a housing forming a hydraulic chamber;
a rotor for an electric motor;
a rotor carrier non-rotatably connected to the rotor, wherein the rotor carrier is fixed to the torque converter housing by a fastener extending from the hydraulic chamber through the housing and into the rotor carrier; and,
a seal surrounding the fastener and disposed between the rotor carrier and the torque converter housing for sealing the torque converter housing to the rotor carrier.

2. The rotor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the fastener is at least one bolt for fixing the torque converter housing to the rotor carrier.

3. The rotor assembly of claim 2 wherein:
the rotor carrier includes a first aperture formed in an end of the rotor carrier facing the torque converter housing and extending only partially through the rotor carrier; and,
the torque converter includes a second aperture, the first aperture being axially aligned with the second aperture, wherein the at least one bolt is disposed within the first and second apertures to fix the torque converter housing to the rotor carrier.

4. The rotor assembly of claim 1 wherein the seal is a compressible gasket.

5. The rotor assembly of claim 3 , further comprising a hardened plate wherein:
the hardened plate includes a third aperture axially aligned with the first and second apertures and arranged such that the at least one bolt is disposed in the third aperture; and,
the hardened plate is disposed between a head of the bolt and an inner surface of the torque converter housing.

6. The rotor assembly of claim 1 , wherein:
the rotor carrier includes an integral annular ring; and,
the rotor is axially clamped between the torque converter housing and the rotor carrier integral annular ring.

7. The rotor assembly of claim 6 , further comprising an annular ring disposed between the rotor and the torque converter housing, wherein the annular ring includes a thickness selected to ensure the rotor is clamped between the torque converter housing and the rotor carrier integral annular ring.

8. The rotor assembly of claim 7 , further comprising a first non-magnetic annular ring disposed between the rotor and the torque converter housing.

9. The rotor assembly of claim 8 further comprising a second non-magnetic annular ring disposed between the rotor and the rotor carrier integral annular ring.

10. The rotor assembly of claim 9 wherein the rotor carrier is formed from one of a non-magnetic material and non-ferrous metal.

11. The rotor assembly of claim 9 wherein the rotor carrier is formed from a material selected from the group consisting of gold, aluminum, beryllium, lead, magnesium, nickel, platinum, zinc, copper, and stainless steel.

12. The rotor assembly of claim 8 wherein the rotor carrier is formed from cast steel.

13. A rotor assembly, comprising:
a torque converter including:
a torque converter housing;
an impeller having a plurality of impeller blades fixed to the torque converter housing;
a turbine; and,
a stator;

a rotor for an electric motor; and,
a rotor carrier having an outer diameter, wherein the rotor is non-rotatably connected to the rotor carrier outer diameter, the rotor carrier is connected to the torque converter housing by a bolt disposed within a first aperture formed in an axial end of the rotor carrier and extending only partially through the rotor carrier, and the rotor carrier is sealed to the torque converter housing by a compressible gasket surrounding the bolt.

14. The rotor carrier of claim 13 wherein the torque converter housing includes a second aperture axially aligned with the first aperture of the rotor carrier and extending completely through the torque converter housing such that when the rotor carrier is connected to the torque converter housing, the bolt is disposed within both the first and second apertures.

15. The rotor carrier of claim 14 further comprising a hardened plate disposed axially between an inner surface of the torque converter housing and a head of the bolt.

16. The rotor assembly of claim 13 , wherein:
the rotor carrier includes an annular ring extending from the rotor carrier outer diameter; and,
the rotor is axially clamped between the rotor carrier annular ring and the torque converter housing.

17. The rotor assembly of claim 16 further comprising:
a first non-magnetic annular ring disposed between the rotor and the rotor carrier annular ring; and,
a second non-magnetic annular ring disposed between the rotor and torque converter housing, wherein the second non-magnetic annular ring has a thickness selected to ensure a friction fit such that the rotor does not rotate relative to the rotor carrier or the torque converter housing.

18. The rotor assembly of claim 13 , further comprising a clutch assembly including at least one clutch plate drivingly engaged with the rotor carrier.

19. The rotor assembly of claim 13 wherein at least a portion of the rotor is axially aligned with a stator for the electric motor.

20. A rotor assembly, comprising:
a torque converter including a housing forming a hydraulic chamber;
a rotor for an electric motor;
a rotor carrier non-rotatably connected to the rotor, wherein the rotor carrier is fixed to the torque converter housing;
a seal disposed between the rotor carrier and the torque converter housing for sealing the torque converter housing to the rotor carrier;
an annular ring disposed between the rotor and the torque converter housing; and,
a first non-magnetic annular ring disposed between the rotor and the torque converter housing, wherein:
the rotor carrier includes an integral annular ring;
the rotor is axially clamped between the torque converter housing and the rotor carrier integral annular ring;
the annular ring includes a thickness selected to ensure the rotor is clamped between the torque converter housing and the rotor carrier integral annular ring; and,
the torque converter housing includes a machined support surface and the first non-magnetic annular ring contacts the machined support surface.

Assignees

• Schaeffler Technologies Ag

Inventors

• Pyers Gabe
• Payne Matthew
• Steinberger Markus
• Mcafoos Allen

Classifications

• H02K1/223

  Rotor cores with windings and permanent magnets (for additional excitation in synchronous motors or generators H02K21/042; in synchronous motors having additional short-circuited winding for starting as an asynchronous motor H02K21/46) · CPC title

• H02K11/225

  Detecting coils · CPC title

• H02K1/28

  Means for mounting or fastening rotating magnetic parts on to, or to, the rotor structures · CPC title

• F16D33/18

  Details (applicable also to fluid gearing F16H41/24) · CPC title

• H02K7/006

  Structural association of a motor or generator with the drive train of a motor vehicle · CPC title