Gear system for an electric motor of a vehicle, and vehicle including the gear system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10605344-B2
Application number	US-201615541415-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 14, 2016
Priority date	Jan 20, 2015
Publication date	Mar 31, 2020
Grant date	Mar 31, 2020

Abstract

A gearing arrangement that offers a new way to operate an electric motor at a favorable operating point is provided. To this end there is proposed a gearing arrangement (1) for an electric motor (6) of a vehicle (2), including an input interface (5) for coupling to the electric motor (6) and including an output interface (7), such that a drive torque path runs between the input interface (5) and the output interface (7); including a first transmission gearing stage (10) with a first transmission ratio (i1), such that the drive torque path in a first operating state of the gear arrangement (1) runs via the first transmission gearing stage (10); and including a second transmission gearing stage (11), such that the drive torque path in a second operating state of the gear arrangement (1) runs via the second transmission gearing stage (11), the second transmission gearing stage (11) having a continuously variable transmission ratio (i1 . . . i2).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A gear system for an electric motor of a vehicle, the gear system comprising:
an input interface for coupling to the electric motor;
an output interface, a torque path extending between the input interface and the output interface;
a first transmission gear section having a first gear ratio, in a first operating state of the gear system the torque path extending across the first transmission gear section;
a second transmission gear section, in a second operating state of the gear system the torque path extending across the second transmission gear section, the second transmission gear section having a continuously variable gear ratio; and
an actuator configured to, in a first range of motion, engage the first transmission gear section and, in a second range of motion, vary the gear ratio of the second transmission gear section.

2. The gear system as recited in claim 1 wherein a minimum gear ratio of the second transmission gear section is less than the first gear ratio of the first transmission gear section, or the first transmission gear section forms a low gear and the second transmission gear section forms a higher gear.

3. The gear system as recited in claim 1 wherein the second transmission gear section is designed as a CVT section or a traction mechanism gear section or as a variator.

4. The gear system as recited in claim 1 wherein the second transmission gear section includes a pair of input cone pulleys, a pair of output cone pulleys, and a traction mechanism, the traction mechanism being situated operatively connected between the pairs of input and output cone pulleys.

5. The gear system as recited in claim 4 wherein the actuator is configured for displacing one of the input cone pulleys, as a displaceable input cone pulley, in at least one axial direction, and a coupling input wheel of the first transmission gear section, a coupling between the coupling in put wheel and the displaceable input cone pulley taking place via an axial movement of the displaceable input cone pulley, an axial distance between the displaceable input cone pulley and the other input cone pulley being greater in a coupled state than in an uncoupled state.

6. The gear system as recited in claim 5 further comprising an input shaft and an output shaft, the input shaft being operatively connected to the input interface and the output shaft being operatively connected to the output interface, the first transmission gear section including a first fixed wheel on the output shaft and a first idler wheel on the input shaft, the actuator being designed for coupling and decoupling the displaceable input cone pulley to and from the first idler wheel as, or via, the coupling input wheel.

7. The gear system as recited in claim 6 wherein in the first operating state, the torque path extends from the input interface via the input shaft, via the displaceable input cone pulley, across the first transmission gear section, and outside the second transmission gear section via the output shaft to the output interface, or in the second operating state, the torque path extends from the input interface via the input shaft, via at least one of the input cone pulleys, across the second transmission gear section, and outside the first transmission gear section via the output shaft to the output interface.

8. The gear system as recited in claim 1 further comprising a differential unit, the differential unit being operatively connected to the output interface, the differential unit being situated coaxially with respect to the input interface, the input interface being designed as a hollow shaft section, and the differential unit including an output shaft passed through the hollow shaft section.

9. The gear system as recited in claim 8 wherein the gear system includes the electric motor, the electric motor being situated coaxially with respect to the hollow shaft section, and the output shaft being passed through the electric motor.

10. A vehicle comprising the gear system as recited in claim 1 .

11. A gear system for an electric motor of a vehicle, the gear system comprising:
an input interface for coupling to the electric motor;
an output interface, a torque path extending between the input interface and the output interface;
a first transmission gear section having a first gear ratio, in a first operating state of the gear system the torque path extending across the first transmission gear section;
a second transmission gear section, in a second operating state of the gear system the torque path extending across the second transmission gear section, the second transmission gear section having a continuously variable gear ratio, wherein the second transmission gear section includes a pair of input cone pulleys, a pair of output cone pulleys, and a traction mechanism, the traction mechanism being situated operatively connected between the pairs of input and output cone pulleys; and
an actuator for displacing one of the input cone pulleys, as a displaceable input cone pulley, in at least one axial direction, and a coupling input wheel of the first transmission gear section, a coupling between the coupling input wheel and the displaceable input cone pulley taking place via an axial movement of the displaceable input cone pulley, an axial distance between the displaceable input cone pulley and the other input cone pulley being greater in a coupled state than in an uncoupled state.

Assignees

• Schaeffler Technologies Ag

Inventors

• Mehlis Thomas
• Kinigadner Andreas

Classifications

• B60K7/00

  Disposition of motor in, or adjacent to, traction wheel · CPC title

• B60K2001/001

  one motor mounted on a propulsion axle for rotating right and left wheels of this axle · CPC title

• B60K2007/0092

  the motor axle being coaxial to the wheel axle · CPC title

• F16H2200/0021

  specially adapted for electric vehicles · CPC title

• F16H37/084 Primary

  at least one power path being a continuously variable transmission, i.e. CVT · CPC title