Driving unit and self-backflow waterproof and oil-proof breathable valve

Abstract

This application provides a drive unit and a self-returning waterproof and oil-proof vent valve, applicable to the fields of automotive drive units and vent valve technology. The vent valve housing contains a porous material layer with excellent air permeability and oil-retention properties. This porous material layer forms a self-returning structure with superior air permeability and oil-retention capabilities, allowing for rapid airflow permeability and oil collection. The resulting oil droplets, under physical action, quickly fall back from the housing and exit the vent valve, fundamentally solving problems encountered in practical applications of waterproof and oil-proof vent valves, such as drastic decreases in air permeability, vent valve blockage, and oil leakage. Furthermore, it addresses issues such as oil leakage, water ingress, and inability to quickly balance internal air pressure during testing or the vehicle's lifespan.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the fields of drive units and breather valves, specifically to a drive unit and a self-returning waterproof and oil-proof breather valve. Background Technology

[0002] New energy drive units typically use lubricating oil to lubricate friction components such as gears, or to cool components such as the stator and rotor in the motor, thereby ensuring the performance and function of the drive system. With advancements in new energy drive motor technology, motor speed, drive system efficiency, drive system energy density, and warranty mileage are continuously improving. The lubricating oil used in drive units has lower viscosity and higher volatility, resulting in the generation of more oil vapor and oil mist during operation. This places higher demands on the waterproof and oil-proof vent valves' ability to handle oil vapor and oil mist.

[0003] Currently, breather valve products on the market encounter some problems in practical applications. For example, the breather valve is prone to a sharp drop in air permeability or even blockage, which may lead to risks such as oil leakage and water ingress in the drive unit, thereby affecting the reliability and lifespan of the drive system. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, this application provides a drive unit and a self-returning waterproof and oil-proof vent valve. By improving the internal return structure of the vent valve, rapid and automatic oil return can be achieved.

[0005] This application provides the following technical solution:

[0006] This application provides a self-returning waterproof and oil-proof breathable valve, including a valve cover, a housing, a filter assembly, and a breathable membrane. The filter assembly is disposed inside the housing, the breathable membrane is disposed on the upper part of the housing, and the valve cover covers the upper part of the housing. The filter assembly includes a porous material layer disposed in the lower part of the housing, which is used to aggregate oil and gas and provide a breathable channel for rising airflow, as well as to provide a return channel for the collected oil, so that the collected oil accelerates its aggregation under physical action and falls back to the lower part of the housing.

[0007] Preferably, the self-recirculating waterproof and oil-proof vent valve further includes an oil-polymerizing layer and / or several teardrop-shaped oil-drop sections, wherein the oil-polymerizing layer is disposed below the porous material layer and is used to collect oil aggregated from the porous material layer; the teardrop-shaped oil-drop sections are disposed below the porous material layer or the oil-polymerizing layer and are used to form teardrop-shaped oil droplets from the oil aggregated from the porous material layer or the oil-polymerizing layer, so that the teardrop-shaped oil droplets are accelerated to converge and discharge towards the lower part of the shell under physical action.

[0008] Preferably, the side of the oil-coated layer opposite to the porous material layer is provided as a staggered section; and / or, the staggered section is provided in correspondence with the teardrop-shaped oil droplet, and the oil collected in the staggered section flows along the staggered section and drips onto the teardrop-shaped oil droplet.

[0009] Preferably, the alternating height section is wavy; and / or, the crest of the wave corresponds to the middle of the teardrop-shaped oil drop section; and / or, the shell located around the opening of the teardrop-shaped oil drop section is provided with an inclined surface, the inclined surface being used to converge the oil towards the teardrop-shaped oil drop section at a set inclination angle.

[0010] Preferably, the filter assembly further includes a pre-filter, wherein the pre-filter is disposed above the porous material layer for filtering oil and gas and collecting oil in the oil and gas and providing a permeable channel, and the oil collected by the pre-filter falls back to the porous material layer under physical action.

[0011] Preferably, the porous material layer comprises an open foam layer formed of one or more of the following materials: foamed metal, foamed carbon, and foamed silicon;

[0012] And / or, the porosity of the porous material layer includes 70%-99%;

[0013] And / or, the pore diameter of the porous material layer includes 0.01 mm to 10 mm;

[0014] And / or, the pores of the porous material layer are oil-absorbing or oil-repellent pores;

[0015] And / or, the ratio of the thickness of the porous material layer to the thickness of the pre-filter includes 0.1-5;

[0016] And / or, the pre-filter comprises a material layer formed of one or more of the following materials: open foam porous material, adsorbent filter material, oleophobic filter material;

[0017] And / or, the pre-filter comprises a material layer formed of one or more of the following materials: fibrous filter material, carbon material, carbon-containing adsorbent material;

[0018] And / or, a predetermined interval is provided between the pre-filter and the porous material layer; the filter assembly further includes an annular oil-separating gasket, the annular portion of which is sandwiched between the pre-filter and the porous material layer, the hollow portion of which forms the predetermined interval, the predetermined interval being used to provide a spatial channel for oil and gas rising from the porous material layer and oil falling back from the pre-filter.

[0019] Preferably, the breathable membrane is a waterproof and breathable membrane made of any of the following porous membrane materials: polyethersulfone, polyphosphoramide, polyphenylene sulfide, polyphenylene ether, or ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene; and / or, the waterproof and breathable membrane does not contain PFAS substances;

[0020] And / or, the self-returning waterproof and oil-proof vent valve further includes a ventilated oil-blocking component, wherein the ventilated oil-blocking component is disposed at the bottom of the housing and is used to block oil from any one or more of the following: oil splashing, static oil pressure erosion.

[0021] Preferably, the breathable membrane is embedded in the upper part of the shell;

[0022] And / or, the connection between the breathable membrane and the shell is any one or more of the following combinations: welding, bonding, pressing, or film insert injection molding;

[0023] And / or, the breathable oil-blocking component includes an oil-blocking component composed of one or more of the following materials: metal mesh, polyester fabric, nylon fabric, duckbill valve, capillary tube, one-way valve;

[0024] And / or, the connection between the breathable oil-blocking component and the housing is any one or more of the following connection methods: welding, snap-fitting, bonding, or inserting.

[0025] Preferably, in any one of the self-returning waterproof and oil-proof breathable valves described in this application, the top of the housing is provided with a plurality of openings in the circumferential direction, and the housing located below the plurality of openings is provided with a first recess in the radial direction, the first recess being used to embed the breathable membrane;

[0026] And / or, the outer periphery of the housing is provided with a first mating part, and the inner periphery of the valve cover is provided with a second mating part, wherein the valve cover and the housing are connected by a nested mating connection between the first mating part and the second mating part, and the nested mating connection between the first mating part and the second mating part is used to provide a detour ventilation channel for the breathable membrane;

[0027] And / or, the housing is provided with mounting threads and / or mounting portions.

[0028] This application also provides a drive unit, including a self-returning waterproof and oil-proof vent valve as described in any one of the claims in this application, wherein the drive unit is any one of the following: a reducer, a gearbox, an oil-cooled motor, a hub motor, a transfer case, a differential, or a generator.

[0029] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects that at least one of the above-mentioned technical solutions adopted in this application can achieve include at least:

[0030] By incorporating a porous material layer and a teardrop-shaped oil-drip section within the vent valve housing, the oil-gathering capacity of the guiding structure is enhanced, resulting in an innovative oil-gathering guiding structure. This allows the oil on the porous material layer or pre-filter assembly to quickly converge downwards and be discharged promptly within the vent valve housing. This fundamentally solves problems encountered in practical applications of waterproof and oil-proof vent valves, such as a sharp decrease in air permeability, vent valve blockage, and vent valve oil leakage. Furthermore, it addresses issues such as oil leakage, water ingress, and the inability to quickly balance internal air pressure during testing or the vehicle's lifespan. Attached Figure Description

[0031] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0032] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a self-returning waterproof and oil-proof vent valve and its teardrop-shaped oil dripping part in this application;

[0033] Figure 2 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of a self-returning waterproof and oil-proof breathable valve according to this application;

[0034] Figure 3 This is a three-dimensional exploded view of a self-returning waterproof and oil-proof vent valve according to this application;

[0035] Figure 4 This is a planar exploded schematic diagram of a self-returning waterproof and oil-proof vent valve according to this application;

[0036] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of an exploded planar cross-section of a self-returning waterproof and oil-proof vent valve according to this application;

[0037] Figure 6 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of a self-returning waterproof and oil-proof breathable valve according to this application;

[0038] Figure 7 This is a top view schematic diagram of a self-returning waterproof and oil-proof breathable valve according to this application;

[0039] Figure 8 This is a bottom view schematic diagram of a self-returning waterproof and oil-proof breathable valve according to this application;

[0040] Figure 9 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the drive unit for the self-returning waterproof and oil-proof breathable valve used in this application;

[0041] Figure 10This is a front view schematic diagram of the drive unit for the self-returning waterproof and oil-proof breathable valve used in this application. Detailed Implementation

[0042] The embodiments of this application will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0043] The following specific examples illustrate the implementation of this application. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of this application from the content disclosed in this specification. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of them. This application can also be implemented or applied through other different specific embodiments, and the details in this specification can also be modified or changed based on different viewpoints and applications without departing from the spirit of this application. It should be noted that, in the absence of conflict, the following embodiments and features in the embodiments can be combined with each other. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0044] It should be noted that various aspects of embodiments within the scope of the appended claims are described below. It will be apparent that the aspects described herein can be embodied in a wide variety of forms, and any particular structure and / or function described herein is merely illustrative. Based on this application, those skilled in the art will understand that one aspect described herein can be implemented independently of any other aspect, and two or more of these aspects can be combined in various ways. For example, any number and aspects set forth herein can be used to implement the device and / or practice the method. Additionally, this device and / or method can be implemented using structures and / or functionalities other than one or more of the aspects set forth herein.

[0045] It should also be noted that the illustrations provided in the following embodiments are only schematic representations of the basic concept of this application. The drawings only show the components related to this application and are not drawn according to the actual number, shape and size of the components in the actual implementation. In the actual implementation, the form, quantity and proportion of each component can be arbitrarily changed, and the layout of the components may also be more complex.

[0046] Additionally, specific details are provided in the following description to facilitate a thorough understanding of the examples. However, those skilled in the art will understand that practice can be carried out without these specific details.

[0047] Existing designs for waterproof and oil-proof vent valves for drive units each have their own shortcomings:

[0048] For example, some solutions are designed to address the waterproof and breathable requirements of the drive unit in traditional fuel vehicles, such as documents CN107206300A, CN101466452B, CN107289165A, CN207049387U, and CN110345287A.

[0049] For example, some solutions are designed only to block oil splashes, such as document CN214425204U, which simply adds a spiral column inside the product without providing a detailed description of the test and data. Moreover, the product cannot solve problems such as oil and gas and aerosols, and it is very easy to get clogged during use.

[0050] For example, some solutions only add one or more pre-filter materials or structures at the front end of the product, such as documents CN220268382U, CN107289165B, CN207049387U, CN211779237U, CN110345287A, etc., which lack a description of the specific capabilities for treating oil, aerosols, and oil and gas, as well as test methods for the product's related capabilities.

[0051] Furthermore, existing solutions are even more inadequate in the application of new energy drive units:

[0052] For example, document CN101466452B does not clarify whether it is applicable to new energy drive motors. After the adsorption filter material absorbs oil, it cannot flow back in time, so the product will be blocked and cannot handle application problems such as oil splashing and oil impact.

[0053] For example, document CN107206300A does not clarify whether it is applicable to new energy drive motors; it cannot handle problems such as oil splashing and oil backflow; its installation method is complex and has high requirements for size and space; it does not explain the ability of the overall pre-filter material to absorb oil and the change in air permeability; it does not explain the ability to prevent oil backflow, etc.

[0054] For example, CN220268382U adds an oil-blocking breathable component between the oil-absorbing breathable component and the waterproof breathable membrane. However, adding an oil-blocking breathable component at the rear end cannot fundamentally solve the clogging problem after the adsorption pre-filter material is saturated. Furthermore, it does not describe the specific material and characteristics of the oil-blocking breathable component, nor does it describe the ability to handle oil, aerosols, and oil and gas, or the test methods for the product's related capabilities.

[0055] For example, the test method described in CN116951149A differs significantly from actual applications. The pressure difference generated by the drive unit in actual operation is low, only about 0.1-0.5 kPa, while the test method given in this document uses pressures exceeding 10 kPa to test the vent valve, resulting in test results showing that the product performs better than traditional waterproof oil filter vent valves. Although the document states that "the fibers near the bottom have oil affinity and wettability with the oil, while the fibers near the top have oil repulsion and wettability with the oil. Droplets flowing upward from the bottom due to capillary action are blocked, and droplets carried into the top by airflow inertia are drawn back to the bottom under the action of wettability gradient force, forming a unidirectional flow of droplets from top to bottom," it does not provide specific details regarding the processing of oil and the self-recirculation capability of liquid oil droplets.

[0056] Other existing solutions also have similar shortcomings, such as CN214425204U, CN207049387U, CN107289165B, CN110345287A, CN217653309U, etc., which lack the ability to handle oil, aerosols, and oil and gas.

[0057] Therefore, in the process of exploring improvements to the vent valve, how to quickly gather oil inside the vent valve and accelerate the discharge of the gathered oil are very important factors that can affect the performance of the vent valve. If the oil cannot gather quickly or be discharged in time, it may adhere and form a blockage, thus affecting the performance of the vent valve.

[0058] Based on this, this application proposes a novel structural scheme for a self-returning waterproof and oil-proof vent valve that can accelerate the aggregation and discharge of oil inside the vent valve: In the filter component inside the vent valve, a porous foam structure layer with good air permeability and excellent oil-gathering properties is used as the oil-gathering and air-permeable porous material layer. Because there are a large number of pores inside the porous foam structure layer, these pores can be used to form a large number of channels inside the vent valve, such as providing a large number of air-permeable channels with very good air permeability for the rising airflow, providing a large number of oil-gathering channels with good oil-gathering performance for the aggregation of oil components in the rising airflow, and providing a large number of smooth return channels for the return of the aggregated oil, etc.

[0059] By employing a porous foam layer as the air-permeable and oil-collecting structure in the filter assembly, not only can the upward airflow be accelerated, avoiding drastic flow fluctuations (such as rapid drops or even blockages), but the oil-collecting speed and efficiency are also improved. This allows oil components in the airflow to be rapidly collected as they pass through the porous foam layer, further accelerating the collection and fall of oil components. This improves the speed and efficiency of oil collection and fall in the vent valve. In addition, these pores provide numerous smooth and rapid fall channels for the collected oil, further accelerating the self-reflux characteristics of the oil and benefiting the self-reflux effect of the oil inside the vent valve.

[0060] The technical solutions provided by the various embodiments of this application are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0061] The self-recirculating waterproof and oil-proof vent valve provided in this application, based on the first principles of physics, is designed with structures that accelerate airflow and oil convergence and fall back, forming an oil self-recirculation structure with super oil-gathering and self-recirculation characteristics inside the vent valve. This accelerates airflow and oil convergence and discharge within the vent valve, fundamentally solving problems encountered in practical applications of waterproof and oil-proof vent valves, such as drastic decrease in air permeability, vent valve blockage, and vent valve oil leakage. Furthermore, it solves problems such as oil leakage, water ingress, and inability to quickly balance internal air pressure in the drive unit during testing or the vehicle's lifespan.

[0062] The following example uses an improved design of one or more structures of a breather valve as a reference. Figures 1 to 8 The following is a schematic illustration of the vent valve provided in this application.

[0063] In some examples, a porous oil-permeable material layer 7 is used in the lower part of the vent valve housing 2. Since the porous material layer 7 is a new porous foam material layer structure, the large number of pores in the structure can be used to form a large number of venting channels, oil-permeable channels, and fall-back channels for the vent valve, thereby significantly improving the performance of the vent valve through these channels.

[0064] refer to Figures 1-8 As illustrated, a self-recirculating waterproof and oil-proof ventilating valve may include a valve cover 1, a housing 2, an oil-permeable porous material layer 7, and a ventilating membrane 4. The porous material layer 7 is disposed inside the housing 1 (for example, in the lower part of the housing 2), the ventilating membrane 4 is disposed in the upper part of the housing 2, and the valve cover 1 covers the upper part of the housing 2. Thus, when oil and gas rise from the lower channel 9 of the housing 2 inside the housing 2, the porous material layer 7 can provide a large number of ventilating channels with good air permeability for these airflows, and can also accelerate the rapid convergence and fallback of oil components in the airflow when these airflows pass through the porous material layer 7.

[0065] For example, for rising airflow, these pores form a large number of well-permeable flow channels, so these airflows can quickly pass through the porous material layer 7, effectively avoiding a sharp drop or even blockage of the air permeability inside the air valve, and ultimately achieving the good air permeability design requirements of the air valve.

[0066] For example, for these airflows along the path, these pores with good characteristics form oil-gathering channels, so that the oil components in the airflow can be gathered by the pore channels with good oil-gathering properties to form oil, and the oil components in the airflow can also continuously gather and fall back along the channels at an accelerated speed, improving the speed and efficiency of gathering and falling back.

[0067] For example, for the falling oil, these pores form a smooth falling channel, which can accelerate the falling speed and efficiency of the oil, and ultimately achieve the design requirement of rapid self-recirculation.

[0068] In some examples, a plurality of teardrop-shaped oil droplets 10 are provided in the lower part of the vent valve housing 2. The oil droplets 10 quickly gather the oil aggregated from the upper filter assembly and form teardrop-shaped oil droplets. Thus, the teardrop-shaped oil droplets can be quickly discharged from the lower part of the housing 2 under physical action (such as gravity).

[0069] refer to Figures 1-8 This application provides a self-recirculating waterproof and oil-proof breathable valve, including a valve cover 1, a housing 2, a filter assembly (such as an assembly composed of a pre-filter 5, an oil separator 6, and a porous material layer 7), and a breathable membrane 4. The filter assembly is located inside the housing 1, the breathable membrane 4 is located on the upper part of the housing 2, the valve cover 1 covers the upper part of the housing 2, and a plurality of teardrop-shaped oil dripping parts 10 are provided in the lower part of the housing 2.

[0070] In some examples, multiple teardrop-shaped oil droplets are arranged circumferentially to accelerate the fall of the droplets.

[0071] After the vent valve is installed with the drive unit, the oil and gas rise from the bottom to the top inside the housing 2 through the lower channel 9. Since the housing 2 is equipped with the filter assembly, and the filter assembly can filter the oil and gas, the oil and gas are agglomerated into oil when passing through the filter assembly. The oil then flows downwards after gathering, and then gathers into the teardrop-shaped oil droplet 10 at the bottom of the housing 2. The teardrop-shaped oil droplet 10 continuously gathers the oil from the filter assembly, forming teardrop-shaped oil droplets. Finally, under its own gravity, the teardrop-shaped oil droplets can be quickly discharged from the bottom of the housing 2 to the outside, avoiding the oil from clogging inside the housing 2 of the vent valve.

[0072] refer to Figures 1 to 2 As shown, by setting the interior of the housing 2, which is located around the opening on the teardrop-shaped oil droplet 10, as an inclined surface, the oil falling from the filter assembly is quickly gathered and discharged into the teardrop-shaped oil droplet 10 at an angle set by the inclined surface.

[0073] Furthermore, since the filter assembly can quickly coalesce oil and gas into oil and return it, the oil components in the oil and gas are less likely to reach the permeable membrane 4, thus preventing the oil from coalescing on the permeable membrane 4 and clogging it. In addition, the valve cover 1 covers the permeable membrane 4 on the upper part of the housing 2, which not only allows for timely exhaust but also prevents external dust, liquid water, etc. from entering the permeable membrane 4.

[0074] It should be noted that the filter assembly can use a traditional filter medium, that is, a filter material is inserted inside the housing 2 as a filter layer, thereby using the filter material layer to filter oil and gas to form oil. Of course, the filter assembly can also adopt the relevant example methods provided later in this application, as detailed below.

[0075] In some embodiments, this application provides a preferred filtering component scheme.

[0076] refer to Figures 2 to 5 The filter assembly includes a pre-filter 5 and a porous material layer 7. By placing the pre-filter 5 above the porous material layer 7, the porous material layer 7 serves two purposes: firstly, it aggregates the oil in the rising oil and gas and provides a permeable channel for the rising oil and gas, and provides a rapid return channel for the collected oil falling back from the pre-filter 5; secondly, the pre-filter 5 adsorbs or filters the oil in the oil and gas and aggregates it into oil, which then falls downward under the action of the pre-filter assembly, thereby converging into the water droplet-shaped oil drop section 10 below for rapid discharge.

[0077] By employing a filter assembly consisting of a porous material layer 7 and a pre-filter element 5, the dynamic characteristics of fluid flow, such as rising oil and gas and falling oil, can be easily altered by adjusting one or more factors, such as the material type, pore size, pore structure, or porosity of the porous material layer 7, thereby accelerating oil and gas coalescence and oil aggregation and discharge.

[0078] In addition, by using an open-cell foam porous material with high filtration efficiency and self-recirculation function, the oil can be quickly recirculated while maintaining good air permeability.

[0079] In some embodiments, after the porous material layer 7 is used in this application, it is possible to form a water droplet-shaped rapid oil dripping structure with super strong self-recirculation characteristics. It can also be treated with a special oleophobic process, so that the flow guiding structure has the function of rapid oil guiding, which can realize the rapid self-recirculation of oil (such as lubricating oil) and continuously maintain the air permeability of the product at a good level.

[0080] In some examples, the porous material layer 7 includes an open foam layer formed of one or more of the following materials: foamed metal, foamed carbon, and foamed silicon. Specifically, the open foam porous material includes, but is not limited to, one or more combinations of foamed metal, foamed carbon, and foamed silicon.

[0081] It should be noted that the foam structure layer can refer to a material layer containing foam pores, and the porous material can refer to a type of material containing interconnected pores and irregular pores, and the pores in the material can provide channels for the flow of gas and fluid. Therefore, the porous material layer 7 can be a commercially available product, and is not limited here.

[0082] In some examples, open-cell porous foam materials refer to porous materials containing foam pores with a porosity of 70%-99%, and possessing a certain strength and stiffness. These porous materials have high porosity, facilitating the provision of different channels for oil and gas and oil fluids, thus accelerating coalescence and aggregation.

[0083] In some examples, the pore diameter ranges from 0.01 mm to 10 mm, facilitating the flow of oil and gas particles and oil liquids of different sizes.

[0084] In some examples, the foam material can be oil-absorbing or oil-repellent, that is, the pores of the porous material layer 7 are oil-absorbing or oil-repellent pores.

[0085] In summary, by adjusting the type of porous material, pore size, pore structure, or porosity, it is convenient to provide channels for oil and gas fluids with different properties, thereby changing the dynamic characteristics of fluid flow.

[0086] In some embodiments, by changing the thickness ratio of the pre-filter 5 and the porous material layer 7, a more suitable channel length can be provided for the flow of oil and gas and oil liquid inside the shell 2, which can further enhance the oil and gas coalescence and oil liquid aggregation effect. For example, the ratio of the thickness of the porous material layer 7 to the thickness of the pre-filter 5 is 0.1-5.

[0087] For example, by setting the ratio to around 0.1, that is, by setting the thickness of the porous material layer 7 to be much smaller than the thickness of the pre-filter 5, the pre-filter 5 can still use low-cost filter media materials, and the product cost can be reduced while ensuring that the air valve can meet the design performance requirements such as air permeability, oil concentration and self-recirculation.

[0088] For example, by setting the ratio to around 5, that is, setting the thickness of the porous material layer 7 to be much larger than the thickness of the pre-filter 5, although more expensive porous material layers 7 are required, key performance characteristics such as air permeability, oil absorption, and reflux characteristics can be significantly improved, better meeting the requirements of higher performance applications.

[0089] In some embodiments, the pre-filter element 5 may be one or more combinations of open-cell porous foam material, adsorbent pre-filter material, and oleophobic pre-filter material. Furthermore, the pre-filter material is not limited to fibrous filter material, carbon material, carbon-containing adsorbent material, etc.

[0090] Therefore, the pre-filter 5 can be made of open foam porous material or other pre-filter materials (not limited to one or more combinations of fibrous filter materials, carbon materials, carbon-containing adsorbent materials, etc.).

[0091] In some embodiments, a predetermined interval is provided between the pre-filter 5 and the porous material layer 7, that is, the pre-filter 5 and the porous material layer 7 are not in direct contact.

[0092] refer to Figure 2 The diagram illustrates that a predetermined interval is provided between the pre-filter 5 and the porous material layer 7, and then an annular oil separator 6 is provided in this interval, such that the annular portion of the oil separator 6 is sandwiched between the pre-filter 5 and the porous material layer 7. This means that the hollow portion of the oil separator 6 forms the predetermined interval between the pre-filter 5 and the porous material layer 7, thereby providing a spatial channel for the oil and gas rising from the porous material layer 7 and the oil falling back from the pre-filter 5 through this predetermined interval, which is beneficial to accelerate the rise of oil and gas and the fall of oil.

[0093] In some embodiments, the performance of the vent valve can also be improved by modifying the mounting structure and connection method of the vent membrane 4 on the upper part of the housing 2.

[0094] like Figure 2 As shown, the breathable membrane 4 is embedded in the upper part of the housing 2 and then covered by the valve cover 1. Based on the embedded installation structure provided in the upper part of the housing 2, it is convenient to install the breathable membrane 4 and can also be used to improve the waterproof and oil-proof performance of the breathable valve.

[0095] In some examples, the connection between the breathable membrane 4 and the housing 2 can be any one or more of the following combinations: welding, bonding, film insert injection molding, etc.

[0096] In some examples, the breathable membrane 4 can be a waterproof and breathable membrane made of porous materials such as polyphosphoramide, polyphenylene sulfide, polyphenylene ether, polyethersulfone, or ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene, thus free of PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances). Therefore, by using PFAS-free polyethersulfone (PES) or ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene for the breathable membrane 4, the breathable membrane 4 represents a novel application of PFAS-free materials, enabling breathable valve products to be used in areas where PFAS are prohibited, thereby meeting potential regulatory requirements for PFAS-FREE.

[0097] Furthermore, compared to PFAS-containing products, the improved PFAS-free breathable membrane results in lower environmental and health risks for the breathable valve product, with less pollution throughout its lifecycle. Simultaneously, the product also exhibits better flame retardancy, water resistance, and oil resistance, providing a safer option for various applications.

[0098] In some embodiments, an oil-polymer layer can be provided inside the housing 2 to further accelerate oil and gas coalescence and oil fallback.

[0099] refer to Figure 2The illustration shows that an oil-gathering layer 8 is provided above the teardrop-shaped oil droplet 10. For example, the oil-gathering layer 8 is provided between the teardrop-shaped oil droplet 10 and the filter component (such as the porous material layer 7 in the previous example). The oil-gathering layer 8 is used to further and quickly gather the oil from the filter component, so that the gathered oil can gather and be discharged from the teardrop-shaped oil droplet 10 more quickly.

[0100] By adding an oil-coating layer 8, the flow guiding structure has a super strong self-recirculation characteristic. After the oil-coating layer and the teardrop-shaped rapid oil-dripping structure are further treated with a special oleophobic process, the flow guiding structure will have an even faster oil-guiding function.

[0101] In some examples, by using a combination of open foam porous material layer 7, oil-polylayer 8, channel 9 and teardrop-shaped oil droplet 10, rapid self-recirculation of lubricating oil can be achieved, and the product's air permeability can be maintained at a good level.

[0102] In some examples, the side of the polyoil layer 8 facing the teardrop-shaped oil droplet 10 is configured with alternating heights. (Reference) Figure 2 As shown, the staggered height section is correspondingly arranged with the teardrop-shaped oil dripping section 10. When the oil and gas and the oil converge at the staggered height section, the oil will quickly converge along the staggered height section and accelerate dripping towards the teardrop-shaped oil dripping section 10, thereby accelerating the convergence and fall speed of the oil and improving the oil discharge effect of the vent valve.

[0103] In some examples, the height-to-height alternation is set in a wavy shape (see reference). Figure 2 (Schematic structure), and the wavy crests are set to correspond to the middle of the teardrop-shaped oil droplet 10, so that the oil collected by the oil-gathering layer 8 is quickly dripped onto the teardrop-shaped oil droplet 10 and discharged.

[0104] In some implementations, by using an innovative oil-blocking structure design, namely by using an oil-blocking venting element in the venting valve, the venting valve can withstand the impact of oil vapor, aerosol and oil.

[0105] In practice, a breathable oil-blocking component (not shown in the figure) is installed at the bottom of the housing 2, thereby using the breathable oil-blocking component to block oil (such as oil from the drive unit) from any one or more of the following: oil splashing, static oil pressure erosion.

[0106] Therefore, by adding a breathable oil-blocking component to the bottom of the breather valve, certain functions such as preventing oil splashing and static oil pressure erosion can be provided.

[0107] The oil baffle can be one or more of the following: metal mesh, polyester fabric, nylon fabric, duckbill valve, capillary tube, or check valve.

[0108] Furthermore, the oil-blocking component can be connected to the waterproof and oil-proof vent valve through any one or more combinations of welding, snap-fit, bonding, or inserts.

[0109] In any example of this application, improvements to the structure of the valve cover 1, housing 2, etc., can also improve the performance of breathability, water resistance, and oil resistance.

[0110] refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the top of the housing 2 has a plurality of openings 21 in the circumferential direction, and the housing 2 located below the plurality of openings has a first recess in the radial direction, which can be used to embed the breathable membrane 4.

[0111] refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, a first mating part 22 is provided on the outer periphery of the housing 2, and a second mating part 11 is provided on the inner periphery of the valve cover 1. Therefore, the valve cover 1 and the housing 2 are connected by a nested mating connection between the first mating part 22 and the second mating part 11. This not only allows the valve cover 1 to be installed on the housing 2, but also provides a longer, meandering ventilation channel for the breathable membrane 4, further blocking external moisture, dust, etc., and ensuring that the breathable membrane 4 always has good ventilation performance.

[0112] refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3 As illustrated, the housing 2 is provided with a mounting part 23 and / or mounting threads 24. The mounting part 23 is configured in the form of a flange, a wrench-tightening structure, etc., allowing the vent valve to be mounted to the drive unit housing. Similarly, the mounting threads 24 on the housing 2 facilitate the mounting of the vent valve to the drive unit housing using a threaded mounting structure.

[0113] Based on the same inventive concept, this application also provides a driving unit.

[0114] refer to Figures 9 to 10 The drive unit may include a housing 14 and a vent valve 13, wherein the vent valve 13 is the self-returning waterproof and oil-proof vent valve described in any of the foregoing examples of this application. The vent valve 13 is installed on the housing 14, so that the drive unit can use the vent valve 13 to accelerate the self-returning of oil, avoid clogging of the vent valve, and ensure product reliability and lifespan.

[0115] In addition, the drive unit can be any of the following: reducer, gearbox, oil-cooled motor, hub motor, transfer case, differential, or generator.

[0116] In this specification, the same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referred to mutually. Each embodiment focuses on describing the differences from other embodiments. In particular, the descriptions of the embodiments described later are relatively simple, and relevant parts can be referred to the descriptions of the foregoing embodiments.

[0117] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A self-recirculating, waterproof, oil-proof, and breathable valve, comprising a valve cover, a housing, a filter assembly, and a breathable membrane, wherein the filter assembly is disposed inside the housing, the breathable membrane is disposed on the upper part of the housing, and the valve cover covers the upper part of the housing, characterized in that, The filter assembly includes a porous material layer disposed in the lower part of the housing. The porous material layer is used to coalesce oil and gas and provide a permeable channel for the rising airflow, as well as to provide a return channel for the collected oil, so that the collected oil is accelerated to coalesce and fall back to the lower part of the housing under physical action.

2. The self-returning waterproof and oil-proof breathable valve according to claim 1, characterized in that, The self-returning waterproof and oil-proof vent valve further includes an oil-polymerizing layer and / or several teardrop-shaped oil-drop sections. The oil-polymerizing layer is located below the porous material layer and is used to collect oil that has coalesced from the porous material layer. The teardrop-shaped oil-drop sections are located below the porous material layer or the oil-polymerizing layer and are used to form teardrop-shaped oil droplets from the oil that has coalesced from the porous material layer or the oil-polymerizing layer, so that the teardrop-shaped oil droplets are accelerated to converge and discharge towards the lower part of the shell under physical action.

3. The self-returning waterproof and oil-proof breathable valve according to claim 2, characterized in that, The side of the oil-coated layer away from the porous material layer is provided as a staggered section; and / or, the staggered section is provided in correspondence with the teardrop-shaped oil droplet section, and the oil collected in the staggered section flows along the staggered section and drips onto the teardrop-shaped oil droplet section.

4. The self-returning waterproof and oil-proof breathable valve according to claim 3, characterized in that, The alternating height section is configured as a wave shape; and / or, the crest of the wave shape corresponds to the middle of the teardrop-shaped oil drop section; and / or, the shell located around the opening of the teardrop-shaped oil drop section is provided with an inclined surface, the inclined surface being used to converge the oil towards the teardrop-shaped oil drop section at a set inclination angle.

5. The self-returning waterproof and oil-proof breathable valve according to claim 1, characterized in that, The filtration assembly further includes a pre-filter, which is disposed above the porous material layer and is used to filter oil and gas and collect oil in the oil and gas and provide a permeable channel. The oil collected by the pre-filter falls back to the porous material layer under physical action.

6. The self-returning waterproof and oil-proof breathable valve according to claim 5, characterized in that, The porous material layer includes an open foam layer formed by one or more of the following materials: foam metal, foam carbon, and foam silicon. And / or, the porosity of the porous material layer includes 70%-99%; And / or, the pore diameter of the porous material layer includes 0.01 mm to 10 mm; And / or, the pores of the porous material layer are oil-absorbing or oil-repellent pores; And / or, the ratio of the thickness of the porous material layer to the thickness of the pre-filter includes 0.1-5; And / or, the pre-filter comprises a material layer formed of one or more of the following materials: open foam porous material, adsorbent filter material, oleophobic filter material; And / or, the pre-filter comprises a material layer formed of one or more of the following materials: fibrous filter material, carbon material, carbon-containing adsorbent material; And / or, a predetermined interval is provided between the pre-filter and the porous material layer; the filter assembly further includes an annular oil-separating gasket, the annular portion of which is sandwiched between the pre-filter and the porous material layer, the hollow portion of which forms the predetermined interval, the predetermined interval being used to provide a spatial channel for oil and gas rising from the porous material layer and oil falling back from the pre-filter.

7. The self-returning waterproof and oil-proof breathable valve according to claim 1, characterized in that, The breathable membrane is a waterproof and breathable membrane made of any of the following porous membrane materials: polyethersulfone, polyphosphoramide, polyphenylene sulfide, polyphenylene ether, or ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene; and / or, the waterproof and breathable membrane does not contain PFAS substances; And / or, the self-returning waterproof and oil-proof vent valve further includes a ventilated oil-blocking component, wherein the ventilated oil-blocking component is disposed at the bottom of the housing and is used to block oil from any one or more of the following: oil splashing, static oil pressure erosion.

8. The self-returning waterproof and oil-proof breathable valve according to claim 7, characterized in that, The breathable membrane is embedded in the upper part of the shell; And / or, the connection between the breathable membrane and the shell is any one or more of the following combinations: welding, bonding, pressing, or film insert injection molding; And / or, the breathable oil-blocking component includes an oil-blocking component composed of one or more of the following materials: metal mesh, polyester fabric, nylon fabric, duckbill valve, capillary tube, one-way valve; And / or, the connection between the breathable oil-blocking component and the housing is any one or more of the following connection methods: welding, snap-fitting, bonding, or inserting.

9. The self-returning waterproof and oil-proof breathable valve according to any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that, The top of the housing has several openings in the circumferential direction, and the housing below the several openings has a first recess in the radial direction, the first recess being used to embed the breathable membrane. And / or, the outer periphery of the housing is provided with a first mating part, and the inner periphery of the valve cover is provided with a second mating part, wherein the valve cover and the housing are connected by a nested mating connection between the first mating part and the second mating part, and the nested mating connection between the first mating part and the second mating part is used to provide a detour ventilation channel for the breathable membrane; And / or, the housing is provided with mounting threads and / or mounting portions.

10. A driving unit, characterized in that, The device includes a self-returning waterproof and oil-proof venting valve as described in any one of claims 1-9, wherein the drive unit is any one of the following: a reducer, a gearbox, an oil-cooled motor, a hub motor, a transfer case, a differential, or a generator.

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