Shell assembly, electric driving device and vehicle

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a housing assembly (10) for an electric drive (100), comprising a housing (20) and a motor cover (30). The housing (20) comprises a first housing part (21), and the first housing part (21) at least partially accommodates a motor (110) of the electric driving device (10). A second housing part (22) located at one end of the first housing part (21), the second housing part (22) accommodating a speed reducer of the electric drive device (10); the motor cover (30) is assembled to the other end of the first shell part (21) and comprises a cover body part (31) and a cavity part (32), and the cavity part (32) and the first shell part (21) jointly form a motor cavity (24) used for containing the motor (110).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a housing assembly for an electric drive device. The present disclosure also relates to an electric drive device including such a housing assembly and a vehicle including such an electric drive device. Background Art

[0002] The electric drive device of a vehicle is used to convert electrical energy into mechanical energy for the vehicle to travel, and it may include a motor, a speed reducer, a power electronic device, etc. For the considerations of compactness and transmission efficiency, the housings of the motor and the speed reducer in the electric drive device are usually integrated together, that is, a common housing is provided to provide a space for accommodating the motor and the speed reducer. This common housing can also provide a space for accommodating the power electronic device to further improve the integration degree of the electric drive device. However, the larger the rated power of the motor, the larger its size, especially the size of the motor stator increases. When the electric drive device of the vehicle increases its power to be applied to a vehicle with stronger performance, it is necessary to increase the size of the motor, while the sizes of the speed reducer and the power electronic device remain basically unchanged. For electric drive devices with different powers, although the sizes of the speed reducer and the power electronic device remain basically unchanged, it is still necessary to replace the common housing to provide a larger accommodation space for accommodating the enlarged motor. Thus, for electric drive devices with different powers, multiple common housings need to be prepared, increasing the component cost of the electric drive device.

[0003] Therefore, there is an urgent need to provide an electric drive device in which the power of the motor can be changed without replacing the common housing. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Therefore, the present disclosure aims to solve the above problems, and its purpose is to provide a novel housing assembly, an electric drive device and a vehicle for an electric drive device. The housing assembly according to the present disclosure can accommodate motors with different powers without replacing the common housing, thereby reducing the component cost of the electric drive device.

[0005] The above object is achieved by a housing assembly for an electric drive device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, which includes a housing and a motor cover. The housing includes a first housing portion and a second housing portion located at one end of the first housing portion. The first housing portion at least partially accommodates the motor of the electric drive device, and the second housing portion accommodates the speed reducer of the electric drive device. The motor cover is assembled to the other end of the first housing portion and includes a cover body portion and a cavity portion. The cavity portion and the first housing portion together form a motor cavity for accommodating the motor.

[0006] When the power of the motor in the electric drive device increases, the size of the motor increases. In the present disclosure, the motor cavity for accommodating the motor is jointly formed by the first housing portion of the housing and the cavity portion of the motor cover. By increasing the size of the cavity portion of the motor cover, a motor with an increased size can be accommodated. When increasing the power of the motor, instead of replacing the housing, only the motor cover needs to be replaced. Thus, for electric drive devices with different powers, only motor covers with different specifications need to be prepared, reducing the component cost of the electric drive device.

[0007] The housing assembly according to the present disclosure may also have one or more of the following features individually or in combination.

[0008] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the size of the cavity portion is determined according to the power of the motor accommodated in the electric drive device. In particular, an increase in the power of the motor of the electric drive device results in an increase in the length of the stator of the motor, and the length of the cavity portion of the motor cover is determined according to the power of the motor accommodated in the electric drive device.

[0009] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the first housing portion and the second housing portion are integrally formed. That is, the housing for accommodating the motor and the reducer in the electric drive device is integrally formed. This eliminates the need to assemble the first housing portion and the second housing portion during assembly, improving the integration degree of the electric drive device and reducing the assembly difficulty.

[0010] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the housing further includes a third housing portion arranged adjacent to the first housing portion, and the third housing portion accommodates the power electronics of the electric drive device.

[0011] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the electrical connector for the motor of the electric drive device extends from the second housing portion into the first housing portion. The electrical connector can be used to connect the motor and the power electronics of the electric drive device. The electrical connector extends into the first housing portion from one end of the first housing portion adjacent to the second housing portion, rather than from the other end for installing the motor cover into the first housing portion. Thus, when replacing the motor cover of the housing assembly, there is no need to consider the impact on the electrical connector, making it more convenient to replace the motor cover.

[0012] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the electrical connector extends from the second housing portion into the third housing portion. That is, the electrical connector can connect the motor located in the first housing portion and the power electronics located in the third housing portion via the second housing portion.

[0013] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the housing assembly is provided with a cooling circuit. The cooling medium for cooling the motor, the reducer, and / or the power electronics of the electric drive device circulates in the cooling circuit.

[0014] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the cooling circuit includes an oil injection device disposed on the cover body portion. Preferably, the oil injection device is configured to be detachably mounted on the cover body portion of the motor cover, so that only the motor cover can be replaced without replacing the oil injection device. Optionally, the motor cover and the oil injection device can also be replaced together.

[0015] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the first housing portion, the second housing portion, and the third housing portion are integrally cast. According to the above features, the housing constitutes a common housing for the motor, the reducer, and the power electronics device of the electric drive device. Thereby, the integration degree of the electric drive device can be further improved.

[0016] The present disclosure also relates to an electric drive device, which includes the housing assembly as described above.

[0017] The present disclosure also relates to a vehicle, which includes the electric drive device as described above. Description of the Drawings

[0018] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the drawings required for the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present disclosure. For those of ordinary skill in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative efforts. The following drawings are not deliberately drawn to scale in actual size, and the emphasis is on showing the gist of the present disclosure.

[0019] Figure 1 A schematic block diagram of an electric drive device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0020] Figure 2 An electric drive device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0021] Figure 3 An electric drive device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown, in which the motor cover of the housing assembly of the electric drive device is omitted to show the motor stator;

[0022] Figure 4 The motor cover of the housing assembly of the electric drive device is shown;

[0023] Figure 5 The housing assembly of the electric drive device is shown;

[0024] Figure 6 An electrical connector installed in the housing assembly is shown, and the electrical connector is used to connect the power electronics device and the motor of the electric drive device.

[0025] In all the drawings, the same or similar components are denoted by the same reference numerals. Detailed implementation manners

[0026] In order to make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present disclosure clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0027] Unless otherwise defined, the technical terms or scientific terms used herein shall have the ordinary meanings as understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure pertains. The terms "a", "an", or "the" and similar words used in the specification and claims of the patent application of the present disclosure do not denote a limitation in quantity, but rather mean that there is at least one. Words such as "comprising" or "including" and similar words are intended to mean that the elements or items appearing before the word cover the elements or items listed after the word and their equivalents, without excluding other elements or items. The terms "first", "second", and similar words used in the specification and claims of the patent application of the present disclosure do not denote any order, quantity, or importance, but are only used to distinguish different components. The terms "connected" or "coupled" and similar words are not limited to physical or mechanical connections, but may include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect. The terms "upper", "lower", "left", "right", etc. are only used to indicate relative positional relationships, and when the absolute position of the object being described changes, the relative positional relationship may also change accordingly.

[0028] For ease of description, the accompanying drawings of the present disclosure correspondingly simplify or omit commonly used components in the art, such as other components unrelated to the description of the present disclosure, such as external connection wires. These omitted or simplified components do not affect those of ordinary skill in the art's understanding of the content of the present disclosure.

[0029] An electric drive device of a vehicle generally includes a motor, a speed reducer, and a power electronics device. The motor converts the input electrical energy into rotational mechanical energy. The speed reducer is mechanically coupled to the motor, adjusts the torque and speed generated by the motor, and further transmits them to the vehicle wheels. The power electronics device may include at least one of an inverter, an on-vehicle charger, and a DC-DC converter. The inverter can be used to invert the direct current output by an electrical energy storage device (such as a battery or other electrical energy storage device) into an alternating current that can drive the motor. The on-vehicle charger can charge the electrical energy storage device when the vehicle performs energy recovery. The DC-DC converter can convert the high-voltage direct current output by the electrical energy storage device into a low-voltage direct current suitable for use in the vehicle's low-voltage system. The motor and the speed reducer in the electric drive device are usually arranged adjacent to each other to facilitate the mechanical connection between the two. Preferably, the power electronics device is also arranged adjacent to the motor to shorten the length of the electrical connection harness between the two and improve the integration level of the electric drive device.

[0030] Figure 1 andFigure 2 Fig. 1 shows an electric drive device 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein, Figure 1 is a schematic block diagram of the electric drive device 100. The electric drive device 100 includes a motor 110, a speed reducer 120, and a power electronics device 130. The electric drive device 100 includes a housing assembly 10, and the motor 110, the speed reducer 120, and the power electronics device 130 are all arranged in the housing assembly 10. Specifically, the housing assembly 10 includes a housing 20, and the housing 20 includes a first housing portion 21, a second housing portion 22, and a third housing portion 23. The first housing portion 21 at least partially houses the motor 110, the second housing portion 22 houses the speed reducer 120 and is arranged at one end of the first housing portion 21, and the third housing portion 23 houses the power electronics device 130 and is arranged adjacent to the first housing portion 21.

[0031] The motor 110 can be a synchronous motor or an asynchronous motor. When the motor 110 is a synchronous motor, it can include a wound rotor or a permanent magnet rotor. The rated power range supplied by the motor 110 can be between 10 kW and 50 kW, or even higher. For example, for a rated supply voltage of 48 V to 350 V, or for a higher supply voltage that can be up to 800 V, the rated power provided by the motor can be between 10 kW and 300 kW. The motor 110 can include a stator having three-phase windings, or a combination of two three-phase windings or five-phase windings. In particular, Figure 3 Fig. 2 shows the stator 111 of the motor 110 housed in the first housing portion 21.

[0032] In Figure 5 the illustrated embodiment, the first housing portion 21, the second housing portion 22, and the third housing portion 23 of the housing 20 are integrally formed, thus constituting a common housing for the motor 110, the speed reducer 120, and the power electronics device 130 of the electric drive device 100. Optionally, the first housing portion 21, the second housing portion 22, and the third housing portion 23 of the housing 20 are integrally cast. It is also conceivable that the first housing portion 21, the second housing portion 22, and the third housing portion 23 are formed independently and assembled together to form the housing 20. For example, the first housing portion 21, the second housing portion 22, and the third housing portion 23 are arranged adjacent to each other and fixedly connected by fasteners such as screws.

[0033] The housing assembly 10 further includes a motor cover 30 assembled to the other end of the first housing part 21. The motor cover 30 includes a cover body part 31 and a cavity part 32. The cavity part 32 and the first housing part 21 together form a motor cavity 24 for accommodating the motor 110. Thus, the size of the motor cavity 24 is jointly determined by the size of the first housing part 21 and the size of the cavity part 32. In particular, the length of the motor cavity 24 is the sum of the length of the first housing part 21 and the length of the cavity part 32.

[0034] In a conventional electric drive device, the motor cavity for accommodating the motor is usually only defined by the housing, and the motor cover only includes a cover body for closing the cavity and does not include a cavity part. For the same housing, the size of the motor cavity is determined, such that the housing can only fit a motor of one size. The size of the motor is determined by its power. When the power of the electric drive device increases, the power and size of the motor also increase synchronously, so that a housing defining a larger motor cavity needs to be replaced for the electric drive device to accommodate the motor with an increased size. However, when the power of the electric drive device increases, the sizes of the reducer and the power electronic device are basically unchanged. Replacing the housing when only the size of the motor cavity needs to be changed increases the component cost of the electric drive device.

[0035] In contrast, in the housing assembly 10 according to the present disclosure, the size of the motor cavity 24 is jointly determined by the first housing part 21 of the housing 20 and the cavity part 32 of the motor cover 30. Therefore, changing the size of the cavity part 32 of the motor cover 30 can change the size of the motor cavity 24. Thus, when the size of the motor cavity 24 needs to be changed, it is not necessary to replace the housing 20, and only the motor cover 30 needs to be replaced. That is to say, the same housing 20 of the housing assembly 10 can be adapted to multiple motors with different sizes by replacing the motor cover 30.

[0036] In particular, a motor with a higher power requires a motor stator with a greater length, and the length of the motor cavity 24 needs to be increased. Increasing the length of the cavity part 32 of the motor cover 30 can increase the length of the motor cavity 24, such that the housing assembly 10 can accommodate a motor with a higher power. Thus, for electric drive devices 100 with different powers, only motor covers 30 of different specifications need to be prepared, reducing the component cost of the electric drive device 100.

[0037] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 6, the electric drive device 100 includes an electrical connector 102, a part of which is arranged in the second housing part 22, extends from the second housing part 22 into the first housing part 21 to connect to the motor, and extends from the second housing part 22 into the third housing part 23 to connect to the power electronics device. That is, the electrical connection between the motor and the power electronics device of the electric drive device 100 does not pass through the motor cover 30 of the housing assembly 10, but through the second housing part 22. Thus, replacing the motor cover 30 of the electric drive device 100 does not affect the electrical connection between the motor and the power electronics device.

[0038] To further reduce the impact of replacing the motor cover 30 on the electric drive device 100, the cooling assembly of the electric drive device 100 is also specially designed. In particular, the stator winding of the motor is an important heat-generating component of the electric drive device 100, which usually extends over the entire length of the motor, including the winding ends extending to both ends of the motor. The cooling assembly of the electric drive device needs to sufficiently cool the winding ends of the stator winding. In a conventional electric drive device, the stator winding (including the winding ends) of the motor is entirely accommodated in the housing of the electric drive device. The cooling components for cooling the stator winding can thus be arranged in the housing. However, in the electric drive device 100 according to the present disclosure, the motor cavity 24 accommodating the motor is jointly formed by the first housing part 21 of the housing 20 and the cavity part 32 of the motor cover 30. The winding ends of the stator 111 of the motor 110 on the side of the motor cover 30 are located outside the first housing part 21 and cannot be cooled by the cooling components arranged therein.

[0039] For this reason, the electric drive device 100 according to the present disclosure is provided with a cooling circuit 40 in the housing assembly 10, and a coolant such as cooling oil circulates in the cooling circuit 40 to cool the electric drive device 100. Refer to Figure 4 , the cooling circuit 40 includes an oil spraying device 41 arranged on the cover body part 31 of the motor cover 30. The oil spraying device 41 is fastened to the cover body part 31 and sprays cooling oil towards the winding ends of the motor stator on the side of the motor cover 30, so as to be able to cool the winding ends. The oil spraying device 41 is detachably fastened to the cover body part 31. In addition, channels for cooling oil can be respectively arranged on the walls of the first housing part 21 and the cavity part 32. After the motor cover 30 is assembled to the first housing part 21, the two channels are hermetically connected, so that the cooling oil can flow from the housing 20 to the motor cover 30 to supply cooling oil to the oil spraying device 41.

[0040] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a vehicle is provided, which includes the electric drive device 100 as described above. The vehicle may be an electrified vehicle, such as a battery electric vehicle (BEV), a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), a range extended electric vehicle, or a fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV). The vehicle may also be a hydrogen energy vehicle.

[0041] Certain features, structures, or characteristics in one or more embodiments of the present disclosure may be appropriately combined.

[0042] The above is a description of the present disclosure and should not be construed as a limitation thereof. Although several exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure have been described, those skilled in the art will readily understand that many modifications can be made to the exemplary embodiments without departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the present disclosure. Therefore, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present disclosure as defined by the claims. It should be understood that the above is a description of the present disclosure, and the present disclosure should not be considered limited to the specific embodiments disclosed, and modifications to the disclosed embodiments and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A housing assembly (10) for an electric drive device (100), characterized in that, the housing assembly (10) comprises: a housing (20), including a first housing part (21) that at least partially houses a motor (110) of the electric drive device (10); a second housing part (22) located at one end of the first housing part (21), the second housing part (22) housing a speed reducer of the electric drive device (10); a motor cover (30) that is assembled to the other end of the first housing part (21) and includes a cover body part (31) and a cavity part (32), the cavity part (32) and the first housing part (21) jointly form a motor cavity (24) for housing the motor (110).

2. The housing assembly (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that, the size of the cavity part (32) is determined according to the power of the motor of the electric drive device (10).

3. The housing assembly (10) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, the first housing part (21) and the second housing part (22) are integrally formed.

4. The housing assembly (10) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, the housing (20) further includes a third housing part (23) arranged adjacent to the first housing part (21), the third housing part (23) housing a power electronic device of the electric drive device (10).

5. The housing assembly (10) according to claim 4, characterized in that, an electrical connector (102) for the motor of the electric drive device (10) extends from the second housing part (22) into the first housing part (21).

6. The housing assembly (10) according to claim 5, characterized in that, the electrical connector (102) extends from the second housing part (22) into the third housing part (23).

7. The housing assembly (10) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, the housing assembly (10) is provided with a cooling circuit (40).

8. The housing assembly (10) according to claim 7, characterized in that, the cooling circuit (40) includes an oil injection device (41) arranged on the cover body part (31).

9. The housing assembly (10) according to claim 4, characterized in that, the first housing part (21), the second housing part (22) and the third housing part (23) are integrally cast.

10. An electric drive device (100) comprising the housing assembly (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. A vehicle comprising the electric drive device (100) according to claim 10.

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