Compact variator assembly for a hybrid module

Abstract

A hybrid module is provided that includes a rotor assembly having a rotor carrier and a torque converter disposed entirely radially inward of the rotor carrier. The torque converter assembly includes an impeller having an impeller shell that is fixed to the rotor carrier such that the impeller shell and the rotor carrier form a housing of the torque converter.

Description

[0001] Cross-reference to related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 983,602, filed February 29, 2020, and U.S. Non-Provisional Application No. 17 / 183729, filed February 24, 2021, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present invention relates generally to hybrid power modules, and more specifically, to torque converter assemblies for hybrid power modules. Background Technology

[0004] Hybrid power modules are commonly known. Typically, due to axial constraints, it is challenging to encapsulate and / or assemble all desired components such as electric motors, crank dampers, torque converters, torque converter clutches, disconnect clutches, and resolvers within the hybrid power module structure. Therefore, it is desirable to simplify the design to reduce complexity and cost. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In general, embodiments of this disclosure provide a hybrid power module including a rotor assembly having a rotor carrier and a torque converter disposed entirely radially inward of the rotor carrier. The torque converter includes an impeller with an impeller housing fixed to the rotor carrier such that the impeller housing and the rotor carrier form the housing of the torque converter. In one embodiment, the rotor assembly includes a rotor flange attached to the rotor carrier and extending radially inward toward the axis of rotation and configured to connect to an input shaft. A disengageable clutch may be disposed on a first axial side of the rotor flange, and a lock-up clutch may be disposed on a second axial side of the rotor flange, wherein the disengageable clutch, lock-up clutch, turbine, and impeller are disposed radially inward of the rotor carrier. In another embodiment, the disengageable clutch, lock-up clutch, turbine, and impeller together extend a first axial length equal to or less than the second axial length of the rotor carrier.

[0006] In one embodiment, the rotor carrier includes an axially extending portion and a radially extending portion, and the impeller housing is fixed to the inner end of the radially extending portion. The impeller housing can be fixed to the inner end of the radially extending portion of the rotor carrier via a welded connection. In another embodiment, a flange is attached to and extends axially outward from the impeller housing, and the resolver assembly includes a resolver rotor that can be mounted on the outer surface of the flange. The resolver rotor can be press-fitted onto the outer surface of the flange, and the flange extends axially beyond the rotor carrier.

[0007] In one embodiment, the torque converter for the hybrid power module includes an annular element comprising a turbine and an impeller having an impeller housing fixed to a rotor carrier, wherein the impeller housing and the rotor carrier form the housing of the torque converter. A lock-up clutch may be disposed within the housing and radially aligned with the annular element. The lock-up clutch and the annular element may extend together by a first axial distance equal to or less than a second axial distance of the rotor carrier extension, such that the lock-up clutch and the annular element are completely disposed radially inside the rotor carrier.

[0008] The embodiments disclosed herein offer various advantages over the prior art, such as providing a compact torque converter assembly for inclusion in a hybrid power module with limited space. Attached Figure Description

[0009] A single figure shows a partial cross-sectional view of a hybrid power module according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0010] Various embodiments of this disclosure are described herein. It should be appreciated that the same reference numerals appearing in different views of the accompanying drawings identify the same or functionally similar structural elements. Furthermore, it should be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely examples, and other embodiments may take various forms and alternative forms. The drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale; some features may be enlarged or minimized to show details of specific components. Therefore, the specific structural and functional details disclosed herein should not be construed as limiting, but rather as a representative basis for teaching those skilled in the art to employ the various embodiments in various ways. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, various features illustrated and described with reference to any of the accompanying drawings may be combined with features illustrated in one or more other drawings to produce embodiments not explicitly illustrated or described. The combinations of illustrated features provide representative embodiments for typical applications. However, for a particular application or implementation, various combinations and modifications of features consistent with the teachings of this disclosure may be desired.

[0011] A single figure illustrates a partial cross-sectional view of a hybrid power module 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The hybrid power module 100 includes a rotor assembly 102, a stator assembly 104, and a torque converter assembly 106. The rotor assembly 102 includes a rotor carrier 108, a rotor carrier hub or rotor flange 110, a rotor segment 112, a spring end plate 114, a spring end plate 116, and an end ring 118. The rotor carrier 108 includes an axially extending portion 120 and a radially extending portion 122. The axially extending portion 120 includes an outer surface 124, and the radially extending portion 122 includes a radial surface 126. The rotor carrier hub or flange 110 is attached to the axially extending portion 120 of the rotor carrier 108 and extends radially inward toward the axis of rotation AR, wherein the rotor carrier hub or flange 110 is configured to connect to an input shaft. As used herein, the terms axially, radially, and circumferentially are used relative to the axis of rotation AR.

[0012] Rotor segment 112 is mounted and arranged on the outer surface 124 of the axial extension 120 of rotor carrier 108. In one embodiment, rotor segment 112 may consist of a stack of segments. Spring end plates 114, 116 are assembled on opposite axial sides of rotor segment 112. End ring 118 is fixed adjacent to spring end plate 114 to the outer surface 124 of the axial extension 120 of rotor carrier 108 and arranged to serve as a grounding member for the disengagement clutch cover 128 for disengagement clutch 130. In this way, spring end plate 114 is axially disposed between end ring 118 and rotor segment 112, and spring end plate 116 is axially disposed between rotor segment 112 and radial surface 126 of radial extension 122 of rotor carrier 108. End ring 118 is configured to compress spring end plates 114, 116, thereby clamping and / or securing rotor segment 112 to rotor carrier 108.

[0013] During assembly, spring end plates 114 and 116 are installed in their initial uncompressed state. That is, spring end plates 114 and 116 will have a tapered profile. The end ring 118 is then assembled onto the rotor carrier 108 and then compressed by downward pressure under load. Specifically, the end ring 118 presses the spring end plates 114, rotor segment 112, and spring end plates 116 against the radial surface 126 of the radial extension 122 of the rotor carrier 108 to clamp the rotor segment 112 to the rotor carrier 108, thereby transmitting frictional torque between the rotor segment and the rotor carrier. The end ring 118 is then welded to the rotor carrier 108. In this way, the clamping load generated by the compressed spring end plates 114 and 116 paths between the rotor carrier 108 and the rotor segment 112, thereby clamping the rotor segment 112 to the rotor carrier 108. The spring end plates 114 and 116 are made of non-magnetic or low-permeability materials to prevent short-circuiting of magnetic flux between rotor magnets. In one embodiment, the spring end plates 114 and 116 are made of stainless steel. This provides sufficient strength and ductility to generate the necessary clamping load to maintain rotor inertia due to engine vibration. Higher clamping loads can be obtained by thickening the spring end plates 114 and 116. Furthermore, the stainless steel grade also prevents short-circuiting of magnetic flux between magnets. In this way, the spring end plates 114 and 116 serve as rotor clamping features for securing rotor section 112 to rotor carrier 108 and preventing short-circuiting of magnetic flux between magnets in the rotor.

[0014] The end ring 118 also includes a threaded opening 132 defined therein for receiving one or more bolts 134 for connecting the disengaged clutch cover 128 to the end ring 118. In this way, since the end ring bears the axial load acting on the disengaged clutch 130, the entire length of the end ring 118 can be used to reinforce the bolted connection. The threaded opening 132 of the end ring 118 is located radially outward of the outer surface 124 of the rotor carrier 108.

[0015] Stator assembly 104 is disposed radially outward of rotor assembly 102 and fixed to module housing 136. Stator assembly 104 includes stator carrier 140 and stator segments 142. In one embodiment, stator segments 142 may be a cluster of stator segments. Stator carrier 140 includes: an axially extending portion 144, a radially extending portion 146 extending radially inward from a first end of axially extending portion 144 toward rotation axis AR, and a radially extending portion 148 extending radially away from rotation axis AR from a opposite second end of axially extending portion 144. The axially extending portion 144 of stator carrier 140 includes an inner surface 150. Stator segments 142 are mounted and arranged on the inner surface 150. In one embodiment, stator segments 142 may be mounted on stator carrier 140 via a shrink fitting device. That is, the stator carrier 140 is heated to expand its inner surface 150, the stator section 142 is mounted on the stator carrier 140, and the inner surface 150 shrinks to fit the stator section 142 after the stator carrier 140 cools. A radially extending portion 146 of the stator carrier 140 extends radially inward relative to the rotor assembly 102 toward the torque converter assembly 106 and the rotation axis AR. Specifically, the radially extending portion 146 extends radially inward toward the rotation axis AR away from the stator section 142 and the rotor section 112. The radially extending portion 146 extends around the stator end winding 152 and extends radially inward relative to the rotor carrier 108. The stator carrier 140 is also arranged to secure the stator assembly 104 to the module housing 136. Specifically, the radially extending portion 148 of the stator carrier 140 includes an opening 147 defined in the radially extending portion for receiving a connector 149, thereby securing the stator carrier 140 to the module housing 136. In the example implementation, connector 149 may be a bolt or other type of fastener.

[0016] The hybrid power module 100 also includes a torque converter assembly 106 disposed entirely radially inside the rotor assembly 102. The torque converter assembly 106 includes: an impeller 154 having an impeller housing 156 fixed to a rotor carrier 108, wherein at least one blade is attached to the impeller; a turbine 158 having a turbine housing 160, wherein at least one blade is attached to the turbine; a stator 162 having at least one blade attached to the stator; and a lock-up clutch 164. The impeller housing 156 can be fixed to a radially extending portion 122 of the rotor carrier 108 via a welded connection 166. The impeller housing 156 and the rotor carrier 108 together form a housing for the torque converter assembly 106. The torque converter assembly 106 and the disconnect clutch 130 can be disposed radially inside the rotor carrier 108. That is, the disconnect clutch 130, lock-up clutch 164, turbine 158, turbine housing 160, stator 162, impeller 154, and impeller housing 156 can be completely disposed radially inside the rotor support 108. In other words, the disconnect clutch 130, lock-up clutch 164, turbine 158, turbine housing 160, stator 162, impeller 154, and impeller housing 156 can together extend an axial length equal to or less than the axial length of the rotor support. In an embodiment, the rotor support 108 may include an inner diameter between 141 mm and 201 mm and an annular dimension between 135 mm and 195 mm.

[0017] A lock-up clutch 164 may be disposed on a first axial side of the rotor flange 110, and a disengagement clutch 130 may be disposed on the opposite second side of the rotor flange 110. The lock-up clutch 164 may further include: a piston plate 170 disposed between the rotor flange 110 and the turbine housing 160; a reaction plate 172 fixed to an axial extension 120 of the rotor carrier 108 and disposed between the piston plate 170 and the turbine housing 160; a plurality of first clutch plates 174 connected to the rotor carrier 108; and a plurality of second clutch plates 176 connected to the inner disc carrier or support flange 178, wherein the plurality of first clutch plates and the plurality of second clutch plates 174, 176 are axially disposed between the piston plate 170 and the reaction plate 172. The piston plate 170 may also be sealed to the rotor flange 110 and the output hub 180. The inner disc bearing or support flange 178 can be sealed to the reaction plate 172 at its radially outer end and connected to the turbine housing 160 and the output hub 180, for example, via a riveted connection at its radially inner end.

[0018] A resolver assembly 182 is provided for measuring the speed and angular position of the rotor 112, and the resolver assembly includes a resolver stator 184 fixed to a stator carrier 140 and a resolver rotor 186 mounted on a resolver rotor hub or flange 188. The flange 188 may be fixed to an impeller housing 156 and extends axially away from the impeller housing 156 in an axial direction AD1 opposite to the axial direction AD2. In one embodiment, the impeller housing 156 and the flange 188 may be, for example, a single-piece integral structure. In another embodiment, the flange 188 and the impeller housing 156 may be, for example, a multi-piece structure and may be fixed together via welded joints. The flange 188 extends axially beyond the rotor carrier 108, and the resolver rotor 186 may be press-fitted onto the outer surface of the flange 188. However, it should be understood that the resolver rotor 186 may be fixed to the flange 188 by other methods, such as riveting.

[0019] The resolver stator 184 can be secured to the radial extension 146 of the stator carrier 140. In one embodiment, the resolver stator 184 is secured to the radial extension 146 of the stator carrier 140 by a connector 190, such as a bolt. However, it should be understood that other securing methods (e.g., riveting, fastening, adhesive) may be used in other embodiments (not shown). The resolver stator 184 is disposed radially inside the rotor carrier 108. That is, the radial distance of the resolver stator 184 relative to the axis of rotation AR is less than the radial distance of the rotor carrier 108 relative to the axis of rotation AR. The resolver rotor 186 is axially aligned with the resolver stator 184. That is, a line perpendicular to the axis of rotation AR can be drawn that extends or passes through the resolver stator 184 and the resolver rotor 186. The resolver rotor 186 is disposed radially inside the resolver stator 184 and the rotor carrier 108.

[0020] While exemplary embodiments have been described above, these embodiments are not intended to describe all possible forms covered by the claims. The language used in this specification is descriptive rather than restrictive, and it should be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure. As previously described, features of various embodiments may be combined to form other embodiments that may not be explicitly described or illustrated in this disclosure. While various embodiments may have been described as providing an advantage or superiority over other embodiments or prior art implementations with respect to one or more desired characteristics, those skilled in the art will recognize that one or more features or characteristics may be compromised to achieve desired overall system properties, depending on the specific application and implementation. These properties may include, but are not limited to, cost, strength, durability, lifecycle cost, merchantability, appearance, packaging, size, suitability, weight, manufacturability, ease of assembly, etc. Therefore, any embodiment described as less desirable than other embodiments or prior art implementations in one or more characteristics is not beyond the scope of this disclosure and may be desirable for a particular application.

[0021] List of reference numerals

[0022] 100 Hybrid Power Module

[0023] 102 Rotor Assembly

[0024] 104 Stator Assembly

[0025] 106 Torque Converter Assembly

[0026] 108 Rotor bearing components

[0027] 110 Rotor bearing hub or rotor flange

[0028] 112 Rotor Section

[0029] 114 Spring end plate

[0030] 116 Spring end plate

[0031] 118 End ring

[0032] 120 Axial extension portion

[0033] 122 Radial extension portion

[0034] 124 Outer Surface

[0035] 126 radial surfaces

[0036] 128 Disconnectable clutch cover

[0037] 130 Disconnect Clutch

[0038] 132 Opening

[0039] 134 bolts

[0040] 136 Module Housing

[0041] 140 Stator bearing

[0042] 142 Stator Section

[0043] 144 Axial extension portion

[0044] 146 Radial extension portion

[0045] 147 Opening

[0046] 148 Radial extension portion

[0047] 149 Connector

[0048] 150 inner surface

[0049] 152 Stator end winding

[0050] 154 Impeller

[0051] 156 Impeller casing

[0052] 158 Turbo

[0053] 160 turbine housing

[0054] 162 stator

[0055] 164 Lock-up clutch

[0056] 166 Connecting part

[0057] 170 Piston Plate

[0058] 172 Reaction Plate

[0059] More than 174 first clutch plates

[0060] More than 176 second clutch plates

[0061] 178 Inner disc bearing or support flange

[0062] 180 Output Hub

[0063] 182 Decomposer Components

[0064] 184 Decomposer Stator

[0065] 186 Decomposer Rotor

[0066] 188 Decomposer rotor hub or flange

[0067] 190 connector.

Claims

1. A hybrid module comprising: a rotor assembly including a rotor carrier; and a torque converter disposed entirely radially inward of the rotor carrier and including an impeller having an impeller shell fixed to the rotor carrier such that the impeller shell and the rotor carrier form a housing of the torque converter, a flange attached to the impeller shell and extending axially outward from the impeller shell beyond the rotor carrier; and a resolver assembly including a resolver rotor mounted on an outer surface of the flange.

2. The hybrid module of claim 1, wherein, the rotor assembly includes a rotor flange attached to the rotor carrier and extending radially inward toward an axis of rotation and configured to be connected to an input shaft.

3. The hybrid module of claim 2, further comprising a disconnect clutch disposed on a first axial side of the rotor flange and a lock-up clutch disposed on a second axial side of the rotor flange.

4. The hybrid module of claim 3, wherein, the disconnect clutch, the lock-up clutch, the turbine, and the impeller are disposed radially inward of the rotor carrier.

5. The hybrid module of claim 4, wherein, the disconnect clutch, the lock-up clutch, the turbine, and the impeller together extend a first axial length that is equal to or less than a second axial length of the rotor carrier.

6. The hybrid module of claim 5, wherein: the rotor carrier includes an axially extending portion and a radially extending portion; and the impeller shell is fixed to an inner end of the radially extending portion.

7. The hybrid module of claim 6, wherein, the impeller shell is fixed to the inner end of the radially extending portion of the rotor carrier via a welded joint.

8. The hybrid module of claim 7, wherein, the resolver rotor is press fit on the outer surface of the flange.

9. The hybrid module of claim 1, wherein, the rotor carrier and the impeller shell are fixed together via a welded joint.

10. The hybrid module of claim 1, further comprising a stator assembly including a stator carrier and a resolver stator of the resolver assembly attached to the stator carrier.

11. The hybrid module of claim 3, wherein, the lock-up clutch includes a piston plate sealed to the rotor flange and a reaction plate fixed to the rotor carrier.

12. The hybrid module of claim 11, wherein, the lock-up clutch includes a plurality of first clutch plates and a plurality of second clutch plates disposed axially between the piston plate and the reaction plate, wherein the plurality of first clutch plates are attached to the rotor carrier.

13. A torque converter for a hybrid module, the torque converter comprising: a toroid including a turbine and an impeller having an impeller shell fixed to a rotor carrier, wherein the impeller shell and the rotor carrier form a housing of the torque converter; and a flange attached to the impeller shell and extending axially outward from the impeller shell beyond the rotor carrier; and a resolver assembly including a resolver rotor mounted on an outer surface of the flange, A lock-up clutch disposed within the housing and radially aligned with the circular ring, wherein the lock-up clutch and the circular ring together extend a first axial distance equal to or less than a second axial distance that the rotor carrier extends, such that the lock-up clutch and the circular ring are disposed entirely radially inboard of the rotor carrier.

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