Drive assembly with electric machine and motor vehicle having such a drive assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9643490-B2
Application number	US-201314375577-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 1, 2013
Priority date	Feb 2, 2012
Publication date	May 9, 2017
Grant date	May 9, 2017

Abstract

The invention elates to an electric drive assembly for a multi-axle driven motor vehicle which comprises an internal combustion engine, a multi-step transmission with an output shaft for driving a rear axle, as well as an optionally driveable front axle. The drive assembly comprises an electric machine ( 6 ), a reduction gearing ( 7 ) drivingly connected to the electric machine ( 6 ), a driveshaft ( 9 ) drivingly connected to the reduction gearing ( 7 ) and drivingly connectable to a front propeller shaft ( 65 ) for driving the front axle, and a housing 5 in which the electric machine ( 6 ) and the reduction gearing ( 7 ) are arranged. The housing ( 5 ) comprises connecting means ( 16 ) for connecting the drive assembly ( 2 ) to the multi-step transmission. The electric drive assembly is designed such that, with the electric drive assembly mounted at the multi-step transmission ( 56 ), a rear propeller shaft ( 57 ) can be connected at least indirectly to the output shaft of the multi-step transmission for driving the rear axle. Furthermore, the invention relates to a motor vehicle with such a driveline assembly.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electric drive assembly for a multi-axle driven motor vehicle that comprises a first driveline with an internal combustion engine, a multi-step transmission and a rear propeller shaft for driving a rear axle, and a second driveline with a front propeller shaft for driving an optionally drivable front axle, said electric drive assembly comprising:
an electric machine for driving the front axle;
a reduction gearing drivingly connected to the electric machine;
a driveshaft that is drivingly connected to the reduction gearing and that is connectable to the front propeller shaft for driving the front axle; and
a housing in which the electric machine and the reduction gearing are arranged, wherein the housing comprises at least one connection element arranged to connect the housing to the multi-step transmission,
wherein the electric drive assembly further comprises a through-driveshaft to transmit torque through the housing, the through-driveshaft being supported in the housing so as to be rotatable around an axis of rotation (A) and comprising an input part for being drivingly connected to an output shaft of the multi-step transmission as well as an output part for being drivingly connected to the rear propeller shaft such that, with the electric drive assembly mounted at the multi-step transmission, the rear propeller shaft is connectable at least indirectly to the output shaft of the multi-step transmission so as to be drivable by the internal combustion engine for driving the rear axle, and
wherein the electric machine, the reduction gearing and the driveshaft of the electric drive assembly form part of the second driveline and are configured to be mechanically separate from the first driveline, so that, of the front axle and the rear axle, the front axle is drivable by the electric machine, and the rear axle is drivable by the internal combustion engine.

2. The electric drive assembly of claim 1 , wherein a longitudinal axis (B) of the electric machine is arranged at a distance from the axis of rotation (A) of the through-driveshaft, wherein an angle enclosed between said longitudinal axis (B) and said axis of rotation (A) of the through-driveshaft is smaller than 10 degrees.

3. The electric drive assembly of claim 2 , wherein the longitudinal axis (B) of the electric machine is arranged at a distance from an axis of rotation (C) of the driveshaft, wherein an angle enclosed between the longitudinal axis (B) and said axis of rotation (C) of the driveshaft is smaller than 10 degrees.

4. The electric drive assembly of claim 1 , wherein a coupling is arranged in a power path between the electric machine and the driveshaft, which coupling is operable to selectively effect and interrupt torque transmission between the electric machine and the driveshaft.

5. The electric drive assembly of claim 4 , wherein the coupling comprises a first coupling part that is connected in rotationally fixed manner to an output part of the reduction gearing, and a second coupling part that is connected in rotationally fixed manner to the driveshaft, wherein the first and the second coupling parts are selectively engagable and disengagable.

6. The electric drive assembly of claim 4 , wherein an actuator is provided for actuating the coupling, which actuator is actuated one of electro-mechanically and electro-magnetically.

7. The electric drive assembly of claim 1 , wherein the reduction gearing is a single-step cylinder gearing and comprises a reduction ratio of four to six.

8. The electric drive assembly of claim 1 , wherein the through-driveshaft, in a region of the input part, is rotatably supported by a first bearing and, in a region of the output part is rotatably supported by a second bearing, wherein at least one of the first and second bearing is arranged so as to be axially offset away from an end face of the electric machine.

9. The electric drive assembly of claim 1 , wherein the electric machine comprises a nominal voltage of 60 Volts maximum.

10. The electric drive assembly of claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises a torque support mechanism.

11. A multi-axle driven motor vehicle, having a first driveline with a rear propeller shaft for driving a rear axle, a second driveline with a front propeller shaft for driving a front axle, a longitudinally mounted internal combustion engine and a multi-step transmission drivingly connected to the internal combustion engine for driving only the first driveline and an electric drive assembly for driving only the second driveline, the electric drive assembly comprising:
an electric machine;
a reduction gearing drivingly connected to the electric machine;
a driveshaft that is drivingly connected to the reduction gearing and that is connectable to a front propeller shaft for driving the front axle; and
a housing in which the electric machine and the reduction gearing are arranged, wherein the housing comprises at least one connection element arranged to connect the housing to the multi-step transmission,
wherein the electric drive assembly is configured such that, with the electric drive assembly mounted at the multi-step transmission, a rear propeller shaft is connectable at least indirectly to the output shaft of the multi-step transmission for driving the rear axle; and
further wherein the housing of the electric drive assembly is securely connected to a housing of the multi-step transmission via the at least one connection element, wherein the rear propeller shaft is at least indirectly drivingly connected to the output shaft of the multi-step transmission so as to pass through the housing, and
the driveshaft of the electric drive assembly is drivingly connected to the front axle via the front propeller shaft,
wherein the first driveline and the second driveline are mechanically separate from each other such that, of the rear axle and the front axle, the rear axle is drivable by the internal combustion engine and the front axle is drivable by the electric machine.

12. The motor vehicle of claim 11 , wherein the electric drive assembly comprises a through-driveshaft for transmitting torque through the housing, wherein an input part of the through-driveshaft is connected to the output shaft of the multi-step transmission and wherein an output part of the through-driveshaft is connected to the rear propeller shaft.

13. The motor vehicle of claim 11 , wherein the front axle comprises a front-axle differential and two sideshafts arranged to drive front wheels, wherein the front axle differential distributes a torque introduced by the front propeller shaft to the two sideshafts, wherein a coupling is arranged in the power path between the driveshaft of the electric drive assembly and the two front wheels.

14. The motor vehicle of claim 11 , wherein the electric machine is integrated into an on-board power supply of the motor vehicle.

Assignees

• Gkn Driveline Int Gmbh

Inventors

• Gassmann Theodor
• Schwekutsch Michael
• Schmidt Mark

Classifications

• Y02T10/62

  Hybrid vehicles · CPC title

• B60K17/354 Primary

  having separate mechanical assemblies for transmitting drive to the front or to the rear wheels or set of wheels · CPC title

• B60K2006/4833

  Step up or reduction gearing driving generator, e.g. to operate generator in most efficient speed range · CPC title

• B60K6/54

  Transmission for changing ratio · CPC title

• B60K5/02 Primary

  with the engine main axis, e.g. crankshaft axis, substantially in or parallel to the longitudinal centre line of the vehicle · CPC title