Modular electric axle assembly for a banzole housing

Abstract

An electric axle assembly includes an electric drive unit mounted in a Banzo type axle housing. The electric drive unit includes a motor, a gearbox, and a differential within a housing. The electric drive unit is inserted into the Banzo axle housing from a first side of the Banzo axle housing such that at least a portion of the housing of the electric drive unit is housed within the Banzo axle housing. A fastener is mounted from a second side of the Banzheng axle housing opposite the first side for securing the housing of the electric drive unit to the Banzheng axle housing.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to U.S. non-provisional application No. 18 / 543,250 filed on December 18, 2023, U.S. provisional application No. 63 / 441,654 filed on January 27, 2023, and U.S. provisional application No. 63 / 451,660 filed on March 13, 2023, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure relates generally to electric axles, and more particularly to housings for electric axle assemblies. Background Art

[0004] Generally, electric axles are known structures for motor vehicles. Electric axles include multiple components and are intended for minimal vehicle installation space. It is desirable to use lightweight materials for electric axles in order to maintain efficiency. Summary of the invention

[0005] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, an electric axle assembly is provided, which includes a banjo axle housing and an electric drive unit. In one example, the banjo axle housing includes an upper member and a lower member, the lower member is fixed to the upper member, and the upper member and the lower member are formed by stamping. The electric drive unit has a housing, wherein the electric drive unit is installed in the banjo axle housing and connected to the banjo axle housing. In an embodiment, a reinforcement plate is fixed to the rear side of the banjo axle housing, and a portion of the housing of the electric drive unit is fixed to the banjo axle housing and the reinforcement plate via a bolt connection.

[0006] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, an electric axle assembly includes a banjo axle housing, the banjo axle housing including: an upper member; a lower member fixed to the upper member; and an electric drive unit having a housing. The electric drive unit is installed in the banjo axle housing and connected to the banjo axle housing.

[0007] The banjo axle housing may include a central portion defining a hollow interior configured to receive a portion of a housing of an electric drive unit and two beam portions extending axially away from the central portion on opposite sides. The central portion may include a front wall located on a first side of the central portion and a rear wall located on a second side opposite to the first side, the front wall may define a load-bearing opening extending to the hollow interior of the central portion, at least a portion of the housing of the electric drive unit may extend through the load-bearing opening and may be received in the hollow interior of the central portion of the banjo axle housing. A reinforcement plate may be fixed to the rear wall of the central portion of the banjo axle housing, and the electric drive unit may be fixed to the banjo axle housing and the reinforcement plate via a bolted connector. The bolted connector may include a plurality of bolts inserted through the rear wall from the second side of the central portion and received in corresponding holes of the housing of the electric drive unit. A reinforcement ring may be interposed between the front wall of the central portion and the housing of the electric drive unit. The housing of the electric drive unit may include an opening and a cover plate closing the opening. The cover plate may include a sealing flange adapted to be telescopically received in an opening of the housing, the sealing flange may support a sealing element for sealing against an inner surface of the housing. The sealing element may include an O-ring supported in a groove of the sealing flange and / or at least an overmolded seal located on the sealing flange. The cover plate may include a peripheral mounting flange, the peripheral mounting flange including a plurality of openings, and a plurality of bolts may extend through the openings in the peripheral mounting flange of the cover plate. The mounting flange may be perpendicular to the sealing flange and extend outwardly from the sealing flange. The cover plate may be press-fitted into the opening of the housing. The upper member and the lower member may be formed by a stamping construction.

[0008] According to another aspect, a method of assembling an electric axle assembly includes providing a banjo axle housing having a hollow interior and an opening on a first side; providing an electric drive unit having a housing; inserting the electric drive unit through the opening such that at least a portion of the housing is received in the hollow interior of the banjo axle housing; and securing the housing of the electric drive unit within the banjo axle housing by at least one fastener installed from a second side of the banjo housing opposite the first side.

[0009] Securing the housing of the electric drive unit within the banjo housing may include inserting a plurality of bolts through a rear wall of the banjo housing into threaded holes in the housing of the electric drive unit and tightening the plurality of bolts.

[0010] Additional implementations are disclosed herein. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] The foregoing summary and the following detailed description will be better understood when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate preferred embodiments of the present disclosure. In the drawings:

[0012] Figure 1 is a rear perspective view of an exemplary electric axle assembly including a banjo axle housing and an electric drive unit according to the present disclosure.

[0013] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A front perspective view of an electric axle assembly.

[0014] Figure 3 It is along Figure 2 The line 3-3 in Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of an electric axle assembly.

[0015] Figure 4 yes Figure 1 Rear perspective view of the electric drive unit.

[0016] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 A partially exploded perspective rear view of the electric drive unit.

[0017] Figure 6 yes Figure 1 A front perspective view of the banjo axle.

[0018] Figure 7 yes Figure 1 A partially exploded perspective view of the banjo axle from the rear.

[0019] Figure 8 It is along Figure 1 A cross-sectional perspective view of the electric axle assembly taken along line 8-8 in FIG.

[0020] Fig. 9 It is along Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the electric axle assembly taken along line 8-8 in FIG.

[0021] Fig.10 yes Figure 1 Exploded rear perspective view of the banjo-style axle housing.

[0022] Fig.11 yes Figure 1 Exploded front perspective view of the banjo-style axle housing.

[0023] Fig.12 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an alternative first cover sealing arrangement according to the present disclosure.

[0024] Fig.13 yes Fig.12 The enlarged part.

[0025] Fig.14 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an alternative second cover sealing arrangement according to the present disclosure.

[0026] Fig.15 is a perspective view of an exemplary cover according to the present disclosure.

[0027] Fig.16 yes Fig.15 The enlarged part. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] Certain terms are used in the following description for convenience only and are not limiting. The words "front", "rear", "upper" and "lower" refer to directions in the accompanying drawings to which reference is made. The words "inwardly" and "outwardly" refer to directions toward and away from the portion referenced in the accompanying drawings. "Axially" refers to a direction along the axis of a shaft. Reference to a list of items cited as "at least one of a, b or c" (where a, b and c represent the listed items) refers to any single one or combination of items a, b or c. The terms include the words specifically noted above, derivatives of the words specifically noted above, and words of similar meaning.

[0029] Various embodiments of the present disclosure are described herein. It should be understood that similar reference numerals appearing in different figures indicate identical or functionally similar structural elements. In addition, it should be understood that the disclosed embodiments are examples only, and other embodiments may take various forms and alternative forms. The drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale; some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show the details of specific components. Therefore, the specific structural and functional details disclosed herein should not be interpreted as restrictive, but only as a representative basis for teaching those skilled in the art to adopt embodiments in various ways. As will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art, the various features illustrated and described with reference to any of the drawings in the drawings may be combined with the features illustrated in one or more other drawings to produce embodiments that are not explicitly illustrated or described. The combination of the illustrated features provides a representative embodiment for typical applications. However, for specific applications or implementations, various combinations and modifications of features consistent with the teachings of the present disclosure may be required.

[0030] The terms used herein are only for the purpose of describing specific aspects and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Unless otherwise specified, all technical terms and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as those generally understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure belongs. Although any method, device or material similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of the present disclosure, the following example methods, devices and materials will now be described.

[0031] An embodiment according to the present disclosure provides an electric axle assembly comprising an electric motor, a gearbox and a differential within an aluminum housing which is then suspended or mounted within a stamped steel banjo-style axle. The electric axle assembly is installed and assembled in a modular and easily serviceable manner.

[0032] Reference Figures 1 to 9 , and first refer to Figures 1 to 3 , the electric axle assembly 100 includes an electric drive unit 102 at least partially mounted or suspended within an axle housing 104, which may be a banjo-style axle design. As will be described in detail below, the electric drive unit 102 includes a portion thereof that is telescopically received within a portion of the axle housing 104. That is, a portion of the electric drive unit 102 is nested within the axle housing 104 and is secured and / or supported by the axle housing 104. Thus, the electric drive unit 102 and the axle housing 104 together may be assembled and / or disassembled as a unit to form the electric axle 100.

[0033] Go to Figure 4 and Figure 5 , the electric drive unit 102 includes a housing 106, an electric motor 108, a power electronics unit (PEU) 110, a gearbox 112, and a differential 114. For example, the housing 106 may be formed of aluminum, and the axle housing 104 may be formed of steel and a stamped construction.

[0034] As in Figure 6 and Figure 7 , the axle housing 104 includes an enlarged central portion or banjo-style portion 116 defining a hollow interior 118 configured for receiving a portion of the electric drive unit 102 therein. The central portion 116 also includes a rear wall 120 disposed on the rearward-facing side and a front load-bearing opening 122 formed through the central portion on the forward-facing side, wherein a portion 124 of the housing 106 is received through the front load-bearing opening 122 defined by the front load-bearing wall 126 and abuts the rear wall 120 when assembled with the axle housing 104.

[0035] See also Figure 8 and Fig. 9, at least a portion of the housing 106 of the electric drive unit 102 is received within the axle housing 104 and secured to the rear surface of the axle housing. For example, the portion 124 of the housing 106 that houses the differential component 129 of the electric drive unit 102 may include a side wall 130 having a plurality of first openings 132 (e.g., threaded holes) configured to receive bolts 134 to secure the electric drive unit 102 to the axle housing 104 and, in particular, to the rear wall 120 and the holes 136 formed in the rear wall. In this manner, the electric drive unit 102 may be secured within the banjo housing 104 via a bolted connection.

[0036] Go to Fig.10 , the axle housing 104 may be formed by stamping construction and includes an upper half or segment 140 and a lower half or segment 142 that are secured together along their abutting adjacent sidewall edges. The upper half 140 and lower half 142 may be secured together via welds 144, 146 and together form a substantially rectangular cross section in the tube portions 148, 150 and the central portion 116 when assembled (see FIG. Figure 3 ). A first tube portion or beam portion 148 and a second tube portion or beam portion 150 extend axially outward from opposite sides of the central portion 116 for receiving respective axle shafts 151a and 151b. For assembly, the portion 124 of the housing 106 of the electric drive unit 102 is assembled or inserted through the front load-bearing opening 122, received in the hollow interior 118 and secured via bolts 134.

[0037] The axle housing 104 may also include a reinforcement ring 154 secured to the front load-bearing wall 126, for example, via welds 156. The reinforcement ring 154 provides additional rigidity around the front load-bearing opening 122. The top surface of the reinforcement ring 154 may then be machined flat to maintain continuous contact with the housing 102 and, in particular, the flange 158 when assembled. The axle housing 104 may also include a rear cover or reinforcement plate 160 configured to be secured to the rear wall 120 of the housing 104 and the side walls 130 of the housing 106 via bolts 134. That is, the bolts 134 may be inserted through openings 162 of the rear cover 160, through openings 136 formed in the rear wall 120 of the banjo housing 104, to be received in a plurality of second openings 163 (e.g., threaded holes) formed in the side walls 130 of the housing 106. The rear cover or reinforcement plate 160 may be further secured to the banjo housing 104 via welds 164. The rear cover 160 is configured to function as a reinforcement plate and close the hollow interior 118 to prevent components from leaking out. The rear cover or reinforcement plate 160 may be formed, for example, by stamping construction.

[0038] In some embodiments, the housing 106 may also include a rear opening and a cover plate 170 secured to the housing 106 and closing / sealing the internal components (e.g., differential) from the exterior of the housing 106. The cover plate 170 includes an opening 172 formed therein. A flange 174 having an opening 176 formed therein may be disposed between the side wall 130 and the cover plate 170 and configured to serve as a sealing mechanism between the side wall and the cover plate. The cover plate 170 may be secured to the housing 106 via bolts 178. That is, the bolts 178 may be inserted through the opening 172 of the cover plate 170, through the opening 176 of the flange 174, to be received within the first opening 132 formed in the side wall 130 of the housing 102. The rear wall 120 of the banjo housing 104 may also include a recessed portion 182 to provide clearance for the bolt head of the bolt 178. For example, the cover plate 170 may be formed by stamping. The housing 106 may also include a sealing element 180 disposed between the flange 158 and the reinforcement ring 154 to prevent contaminants from entering the interior of the banjo housing 104. In some embodiments, the sealing element may be made of a porous material such as foam or rubber and may be configured to be axially deformable.

[0039] Go to Fig.12 and Fig.13 , illustrates an alternative exemplary sealing arrangement for sealing a cover plate 170a to a housing 106. In this example, a separate flange sealing element 180 is omitted, and the cover 170a, sometimes referred to as a sealing plate, includes a sealing flange 190 adapted to be received in the housing 106 for sealing against an inner surface 192 of the housing 106. The sealing flange 190 includes a groove 194 for receiving a sealing element, such as an O-ring 196. The cover 170a includes a mounting flange 198 adapted to be interposed between the housing 106 and the banjo housing 104 and secured with bolts 132 and / or 178 as described above.

[0040] In this example, the sealing interface is the inner surface of the housing 106 (compared to the end surface of the housing 106 in the case of the flange sealing element 180). Fig.12 and Fig.13 The sealing arrangement structure enhances the sealing performance because the sealing joint is independent of the mounting joint between the housing 106 and the banjo housing 104. In addition, the mounting flange 194 maintains metal-to-metal contact with the housing 106 around the entire cover 170a, thereby preventing any electromagnetic interference leakage.

[0041] exist Figures 14 to 16, another alternative exemplary sealing arrangement for sealing the cover 170b to the housing 106 is illustrated. In this example, the separate flange 174 is omitted and the cover 170b includes a sealing flange 190. The sealing flange 190 defines the outer periphery of the cover 170b in this embodiment and is adapted to be received in the housing 106 for sealing against the inner surface 192 of the housing 106. The cover 170b is adapted to be press-fitted into the housing 106. The sealing element 200 is overmolded or otherwise bonded to the cover 170b around the periphery of the cover 170b including the sealing flange 190. In one example, the sealing element 200 may have a high compression rib seal design. The cover 170b may be a stamped or cast metal such as steel or aluminum, or may be an injection molded plastic. In this embodiment, the cover 170b is spaced apart from the connecting joint between the housing 106 and the banjo housing 104. That is, the cover 170 b is not subject to any stress that may exist at the connection joint between the housing 106 and the banjo housing 104 .

[0042] Several advantages are achieved by employing the embodiments disclosed herein, including providing a durable and modular electric axle assembly, thereby improving maintainability. The present embodiments provide a durable assembly including lighter materials such as aluminum, which reduces weight and saves costs.

[0043] Although the illustrated exemplary embodiment shows the electric drive unit 102 extending forwardly from the banjo axle housing, it should be understood that in other embodiments, the electric drive unit 102 (or other components) may be supported by the banjo axle housing and may extend in other directions, such as rearwardly, upwardly, downwardly, etc., without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0044] It should also be understood that the electric drive unit 102 and axle shafts 151a and 151b comprise a fully sealed / enclosed electric axle assembly supported by the banjo axle housing. Thus, the electric drive unit 102 and axle shafts 151a and 151b can be installed to and removed from the banjo axle housing when the banjo axle housing is installed to a vehicle.

[0045] Although exemplary embodiments are described above, it is not intended that these embodiments describe all possible forms covered by the claims. The words used in the specification are descriptive rather than restrictive, and it should be understood that various changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. As previously described, the features of various embodiments can be combined to form other embodiments of the present disclosure that may not be explicitly described or illustrated. Although various embodiments may have been described as providing advantages or being superior to other embodiments or prior art implementations in terms of one or more desired characteristics, it is recognized by those of ordinary skill in the art that one or more features or characteristics can be compromised to achieve the desired overall system properties, depending on the specific application and implementation. These properties may include, but are not limited to, cost, strength, durability, life cycle cost, marketability, appearance, packaging, size, maintainability, weight, manufacturability, ease of assembly, etc. Therefore, to the extent that any embodiment is described as being less desirable than other embodiments or prior art implementations in terms of one or more characteristics, these embodiments do not exceed the scope of the present disclosure and may be desirable for specific applications.

[0046] Thus, having described the present embodiment in detail, it will be understood and apparent to those skilled in the art that many physical changes may be made without changing the inventive concepts and principles embodied in the present disclosure, only some of which are illustrated in the detailed description of the present disclosure.

[0047] It should also be understood that various embodiments are possible that combine only a portion of the preferred embodiments without altering the inventive concepts and principles embodied herein with respect to those portions.

[0048] Therefore, the present embodiment and optional configurations are considered in all aspects to be exemplary and / or illustrative rather than restrictive, the scope of the present disclosure is indicated by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description, and therefore, all alternative embodiments and changes of the embodiment falling within the equivalent meaning and scope of the claims are intended to be included herein.

[0049] Reference numerals list

[0050] 100 Electric Axle Components

[0051] 102 Electric drive unit

[0052] 104 Axle housing

[0053] 106 Housing

[0054] 108 Electric Motor

[0055] 110 Power Electronics Unit

[0056] 112 Gear Box

[0057] 114 Differential

[0058] 116 Banjo Section

[0059] 118 Hollow interior

[0060] 120 Back wall

[0061] 122 Load-bearing opening

[0062] 124 (part of housing 106)

[0063] 126 Load-bearing wall

[0064] 129 Differential parts

[0065] 130 Sidewall

[0066] 132 First Opening

[0067] 134 Bolt

[0068] 136 holes

[0069] 140 Upper half

[0070] 142 Lower half

[0071] 144 Welding parts

[0072] 146 Welding parts

[0073] 148 Tube Section

[0074] 150 Tube Section

[0075] 151a Axle shaft

[0076] 151b Axle shaft

[0077] 154 Reinforcement Ring

[0078] 158 Flange

[0079] 160 rear cover

[0080] 162 Opening

[0081] 163 Opening

[0082] 164 Welding parts

[0083] 170 Cover Plate

[0084] 170a Cover plate

[0085] 170b Cover plate

[0086] 172 Opening

[0087] 174 Flange

[0088] 176 Opening

[0089] 178 Bolt

[0090] 180 Sealing element

[0091] 182 Concave part

[0092] 190 Sealing flange

[0093] 192 Inner surface

[0094] 194 Grooves

[0095] 196 O-ring

[0096] 198 Mounting flange

[0097] 200 Seals

Claims

1. An electric axle assembly, the electric axle assembly comprising: A banjo-style axle housing, the banjo-style axle housing comprising: Upper member; a lower member fixed to the upper member; and an electric drive unit having a housing; The electric drive unit is installed in the banjo-type axle housing and connected to the banjo-type axle housing.

2. The electric axle assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The banjo axle housing includes a central portion defining a hollow interior configured to receive a portion of the housing of the electric drive unit and two beam portions extending axially away from the central portion on opposite sides.

3. The electric axle assembly according to claim 2, wherein: The central portion includes a front wall on a first side of the central portion and a rear wall on a second side opposite the first side, the front wall defining a load-bearing opening extending into the hollow interior of the central portion, wherein at least a portion of the housing of the electric drive unit extends through the load-bearing opening and is received in the hollow interior of the central portion of the banjo axle housing.

4. The electric axle assembly according to claim 3, wherein: The electric drive unit includes a power electronics unit located at a front portion of the housing of the electric drive unit.

5. The electric axle assembly of claim 3 further comprising a reinforcement plate secured to the rear wall of the central portion of the banjo axle housing, wherein The electric drive unit is secured to the banjo axle housing and the reinforcement plate via bolted connections.

6. The electric axle assembly according to claim 5, wherein: The bolt connection includes a plurality of bolts inserted from the second side of the central portion through the rear wall and received in corresponding holes of the housing of the electric drive unit. 7 . The electric axle assembly of claim 6 , further comprising a reinforcement ring interposed between the front wall of the central portion and the housing of the electric drive unit.

8. The electric axle assembly according to claim 6, wherein: The housing of the electric drive unit includes an opening and a cover plate closing the opening.

9. The electric axle assembly according to claim 8, wherein: The cover plate includes a sealing flange adapted to be telescopically received in the opening of the housing, the sealing flange supporting a sealing element for sealing against an inner surface of the housing.

10. The electric axle assembly according to claim 9, wherein: The sealing element includes an O-ring supported in a groove in the sealing flange.

11. The electric axle assembly according to claim 9, wherein: The sealing element includes an overmolded seal located at least on the sealing flange.

12. The electric axle assembly of claim 9, wherein: The cover plate includes a peripheral mounting flange including a plurality of openings, and wherein the plurality of bolts extend through the openings in the peripheral mounting flange of the cover plate.

13. The electric axle assembly of claim 12, wherein: The mounting flange is perpendicular to the sealing flange and extends outwardly from the sealing flange.

14. The electric axle assembly of claim 8, wherein: The cover plate is press-fit into the opening of the housing.

15. The electric axle assembly of claim 1, wherein: The upper member and the lower member are formed by stamping construction.

16. The electric axle assembly of claim 1 further comprising a first axle shaft and a second axle shaft coupled to the electric drive unit and supported by the banjo axle housing.

17. A method of assembling an electric axle assembly, the method comprising: providing a banjo-style axle housing having an interior hollow and an opening on a first side; Providing an electric drive unit having a housing; inserting the electric drive unit through the opening such that at least a portion of the housing is received within the hollow interior of the banjo axle housing; and The housing of the electric drive unit is secured within the banjo axle housing by at least one fastener mounted from a second side of the banjo housing opposite the first side.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein: Securing the housing of the electric drive unit within the banjo housing includes inserting a plurality of bolts through a rear wall of the banjo housing into threaded holes in the housing of the electric drive unit and tightening the plurality of bolts.

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