Flotation-based valve to prevent oil from exiting a vehicle oil sump

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12378904-B2
Application number	US-202318490150-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 19, 2023
Priority date	Oct 20, 2022
Publication date	Aug 5, 2025
Grant date	Aug 5, 2025

Abstract

An oil pan is attached to a motor to form an oil sump. An oil sump can have one or more valves. Oil can buoy a rotatably mounted valve member into a closed position, and gravity can rotate the valve into an open position. A valve can have a stadium shape. Valves can be placed symmetrically or asymmetrically with regard to a forward-reverse travel direction axis or to a left-right lateral acceleration axis. A bulbous portion of a valve member can enclose an air cavity and can extend into a valve opening. A valve can be placed at an oil pickup, wherein oil can buoy the valve to an open position and otherwise the valve member can be rotated to a closed position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A motor for a vehicle, the motor comprising:
a motor housing;
an oil sump mounted to the motor housing for oil to drain from the motor housing into the oil sump, a width of the oil sump being greater than a depth of the oil sump, the oil sump having an oil pickup for circulating the oil;
a first oblong valve member mounted at a first pivot point inside the oil sump, the first oblong valve member enclosing a first air cavity for buoyancy, wherein the first oblong valve member is configured to rotate about the first pivot point due to being buoyed by the oil to open or close a first opening, the first oblong valve member having a first end and a second end and a first longitudinal axis extending between the first end and the second end, wherein the first oblong valve member has a first extent along the first longitudinal axis between the first and second ends of the first oblong valve member, which is greater than an extent of the first oblong valve member in a direction perpendicular to the first longitudinal axis, the first longitudinal axis being aligned with a first axis corresponding to forward and rearward travel of the vehicle; and
a second oblong valve member mounted at a second pivot point inside the oil sump, the second oblong valve member enclosing a second air cavity for buoyancy, wherein the second oblong valve member is configured to rotate about the second pivot point due to being buoyed by the oil to open or close a second opening, the second oblong valve member having a first end and a second end and a second longitudinal axis extending between the first end and the second end, wherein the second oblong valve member has a second extent along the second longitudinal axis between the first and second ends of the second oblong valve member, which is greater than an extent of the second oblong valve member in a direction perpendicular to the second longitudinal axis, the second longitudinal axis being aligned with a second axis corresponding to left and right lateral acceleration of the vehicle.

2. The motor of claim 1 , further comprising a bracket providing the first pivot point, the first oblong valve member mounted using the bracket.

3. The motor of claim 2 , further comprising a member on at least one of the bracket or the first oblong valve member, the member providing overtravel protection for the first oblong valve member.

4. The motor of claim 1 , further comprising a biasing member that applies a bias to a rotation of the first oblong valve member at the first pivot point.

5. The motor of claim 4 , wherein the bias provides a damping of an opening motion of the first oblong valve member.

6. The motor of claim 4 , wherein the bias provides a preload toward a closing motion of the first oblong valve member.

7. The motor of claim 1 , wherein the oil sump is mounted to the motor for the oil to drain from the motor housing into the oil sump through first and second openings in the motor housing, and wherein the first oblong valve member is configured to rotate about the first pivot point between a first position covering the first opening, due to being buoyed by the oil, and a second position not covering the first opening.

8. The motor of claim 7 , wherein the first oblong valve member is positioned behind the oil pickup in a forward travel direction of the vehicle.

9. The motor of claim 7 , wherein each of the first and second oblong valve members and the first and second openings has a stadium shape.

10. The motor of claim 7 , wherein the first oblong valve member comprises a bulbous portion that at least in part encloses the first air cavity, and wherein the bulbous portion is configured to extend into the first opening when the first oblong valve member covers the first opening.

11. The motor of claim 1 , wherein the first and second openings and the first and second oblong valve members are distributed at least along the first axis.

12. The motor of claim 1 , wherein the first and second openings and the first and second oblong valve members are distributed at least perpendicularly to the first axis.

13. A motor for a vehicle, the motor comprising:
a motor housing; and
an oil sump mounted to the motor housing for oil to drain from the motor housing into the oil sump, the oil sump having a manifold coupled to an oil pickup for circulating the oil,
wherein the manifold comprises first, second, third and fourth arms with first, second, third and fourth openings for the oil pickup at ends of the first, second, third and fourth arms, respectively, and first, second, third and fourth oblong valve members mounted to respective ones of the first, second, third and fourth openings, each of the first, second, third and fourth oblong valves enclosing a respective air cavity for buoyancy, having a first end and a second end and a longitudinal axis extending between the first end and the second end,
wherein each oblong valve has an extent along the longitudinal axis between the first and second ends, which is greater than an extent of the valve in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, and being configured to rotate about a respective pivot point,
wherein the first arm is substantially parallel with the third arm,
wherein the second arm is substantially perpendicular to the first arm and is substantially parallel with the fourth arm,
wherein the first valve member faces in a direction substantially opposite to the third valve member,
wherein the second valve member faces in a direction substantially opposite to the fourth valve member,
wherein the longitudinal axis of the first oblong valve and the longitudinal axis of the third oblong valve are aligned with a first axis corresponding to forward and rearward travel of the vehicle, and
wherein the longitudinal axis of the second oblong valve and the longitudinal axis of the fourth oblong valve are aligned with a second axis corresponding to left and right lateral acceleration of the vehicle.

Assignees

• Atieva Inc

Inventors

• Bartmann Lukas
• Bassis Dimitri
• Hose Markus

Classifications

• F16K31/20

  actuating a lift valve · CPC title

• F01M11/062

  Accommodating movement or position of machines or engines, e.g. dry sumps · CPC title

• F01M2011/0066

  with passages in the wall, e.g. for axles or fluid passages · CPC title

• F01M2011/0041

  for accommodating movement or position of engines · CPC title

• F01M2011/0037

  with different oil compartments · CPC title