Cooling and / or lubrication module

Abstract

A cooling and / or lubricating module (140) for cooling and / or lubricating thermal consumers (S1 - S6) of a drive unit (100) of a vehicle (105), comprising a housing (200) with a reservoir (203) for providing a cooling and / or lubricating medium, a first interface (300) for receiving a first pump (206) and a second interface (305) for receiving a second pump (209), wherein the first and second pumps (206, 209) are arranged on a common shaft (221) and are electrically driven. The invention further relates to a vehicle (105) with such a cooling and / or lubricating module (140).

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a cooling and / or lubricating module for cooling and / or lubricating thermal consumers of a vehicle's drive system. The invention further relates to a vehicle, in particular a motor vehicle, comprising such a cooling and / or lubricating module.

[0002] German patent DE 10 2019 201 863 B3 discloses a cooling and lubrication system with a dry sump and an oil tank, wherein a pumping system operates the oil circuit, in which an oil pump transfers oil from the dry sump to the oil tank. The pumping system comprises a vane pump and a gerotor pump (Eaton pump) mounted on a shaft. The vane pump is designed with two discharges and has two independent suction points in the dry sump.

[0003] One object of the invention is to provide a cooling and / or lubricating module for cooling and / or lubricating thermal consumers of a drive unit, which is simple and compact in design and can be arranged spatially separate from the drive unit. The invention achieves this object by means of the subject matter of the independent claims. Dependent claims describe preferred embodiments.

[0004] A cooling and / or lubricating module according to the invention for cooling and / or lubricating thermal consumers of a drive unit of a vehicle comprises a housing having a reservoir for providing a cooling and / or lubricating agent, a first interface for receiving a first pump and a second interface for receiving a second pump, wherein the first and second pumps are arranged on a common shaft and are electrically driven.

[0005] The cooling and / or lubrication module is a separately manageable unit that does not necessarily have to be part of a drive unit housing. Instead, it can be located separately on the vehicle and connected to the thermal components requiring cooling or lubrication only via fluid lines. In this sense, the cooling and / or lubrication module is designed and positioned at a distance from the drive unit, particularly its housing. This ensures that the drive unit housing is not affected when components such as pumps or other peripheral parts need to be replaced, for example, for a different configuration, maintenance, or repair work. Furthermore, access to the cooling and / or lubrication module does not require complex disassembly of the drive unit.The cooling and / or lubrication module, particularly the external dimensions of its housing, can be freely designed, independent of the drive unit and the spatial conditions surrounding it. Instead, the cooling and / or lubrication module can be designed according to requirements, depending on its location on or within the vehicle. In other words, due to its independent positioning relative to the drive unit housing, the cooling and / or lubrication module housing can be adapted to the existing conditions with greater flexibility.

[0006] The term "spatially separated" means that the housing of the cooling and / or lubrication module is physically separated from the drive unit, in particular from the drive unit's housing. A gap, for example, between the housing of the cooling and / or lubrication module and the drive unit's housing is thus provided, and these housings are not mechanically connected. A spatially separated arrangement also exists if electrical lines, such as cables, or fluid lines, i.e., cooling and / or lubrication lines, are arranged between the cooling and / or lubrication module and the drive unit. However, these lines do not transmit any loads between the housings.

[0007] The cooling / lubricating module is part of a hydraulic system for cooling or lubricating thermal consumers of a vehicle's drive system. The cooling / lubricating module is specifically designed for use in a dry sump system as a hydraulic system, with at least one pump located upstream and the other pump located downstream of the reservoir. This means that at least one pump delivers cooling / lubricating fluid into the reservoir, and the other pump delivers the cooling / lubricating fluid from the reservoir, at least indirectly, to the thermal consumers. The pumps are arranged at their respective interfaces on the housing.

[0008] The first pump is preferably an electrically driven pump, in particular a gerotor pump, which, through appropriate control, can cool and / or lubricate the thermal consumers. The first pump is designed, for example, to generate a volumetric flow of coolant or lubricant in at least one direction of rotation and to pump it out of the reservoir. The first pump, in particular, forms the pressure stage of the system.

[0009] The second pump is preferably a bilge pump. The second pump is to be understood as a dry sump pump. The second pump can be designed as a vane pump. The second pump is designed, for example, such that it can generate a flow rate of coolant or lubricant in at least one direction of rotation and deliver it into the reservoir. It is conceivable to provide two or more second pumps, each delivering coolant or lubricant from the sump into the reservoir via separate suction lines, with the housing having corresponding interfaces for accommodating the additional second pumps.

[0010] The reservoir can be molded onto the housing or integrated into it. In other words, the housing's spatial design, in combination with a suitable arrangement of the pump interfaces, can form the reservoir. By arranging or integrating the reservoir within the housing, a dry sump system is created, resulting in lower mechanical losses and improved heat dissipation.

[0011] Preferably, the housing further comprises a third interface for receiving a filter unit. The filter unit is arranged accordingly at the respective interface of the housing. The housing may have a complementary recess for receiving the filter unit. The housing can be sealed at the third interface by a cover.

[0012] Preferably, the housing further comprises a fourth interface for receiving a heat exchanger. The heat exchanger is arranged accordingly at the respective interface of the housing. The housing may also have a complementary recess for receiving the heat exchanger. The housing can be sealed at the fourth interface by a cover.

[0013] In a further development of the invention, the housing comprises a fifth interface for receiving an electric machine, which is effectively connected to the shaft driving the pumps. The electric machine is arranged accordingly at the respective interface of the housing. The housing can also have a complementary recess for receiving a rotor and / or a stator of the electric machine. The housing can be sealed at the fifth interface by a cover.

[0014] The housing may also include additional interfaces, for example, for accommodating a sensor unit, which is designed, for instance, to sensing a fill level and / or a cooling or lubricant temperature. The housing may have complementary mounting points for these sensors. The housing can be sealed at each additional interface with a cover.

[0015] In addition to the reservoir, the housing contains all the necessary interfaces for the corresponding components to implement a cooling and / or lubrication system, thus enabling the cooling and / or lubrication of the thermal consumers of the drive unit, be it an electric motor or an internal combustion engine, or components thereof. Therefore, the housing includes several interfaces for accommodating the corresponding components of the cooling and / or lubrication system.

[0016] The housing can be designed as a single piece or in multiple parts. In the case of a multi-part housing, the housing segments can be connected to each other, for example, by screws or similar means. The housing can also be cup- or bowl-shaped, so that in its unassembled initial state, the housing is at least partially open on at least one side. This can be advantageous if, during assembly, parts of the system need to be attached to the housing or other parts from the inside. In this sense, the housing preferably has an assembly opening that can be closed by a cover element. The cover element can be pivotally arranged on the housing and / or positively connected to the housing, for example, via screw connections and / or by so-called clipping or snapping, in order to spatially define the interior of the housing, in particular the reservoir, and thus protect the cooling or...to form a space that receives lubricant.

[0017] Sealing elements may be arranged on the lid element and / or the housing to seal this interface in the area of ​​the mounting opening. Furthermore, sealing elements may be provided at the aforementioned interfaces to achieve a seal between the interior of the reservoir or housing and the outside atmosphere when the aforementioned components are arranged or mounted at the respective interface of the housing.

[0018] Preferably, the housing is made of a plastic. If a cover element is provided for closing the housing, this element can also be made of plastic. This provides an independent cooling and lubrication management system made of a lightweight material. Other materials suitable for lightweight construction are also conceivable. This results in a compact module with low weight, low manufacturing costs, and low costs for design changes or variant development. Changes to the cooling and lubrication system do not affect the design of the drive unit. The system can be used for any type of electric motor or other drive train systems, as it is located independently of the drive unit and can be handled separately.Therefore, the cooling and / or lubrication module is only in fluidic connection, and not necessarily in mechanical connection, with the drive unit, in particular the housing of the drive unit, for example a motor or gearbox housing.

[0019] According to a further aspect of the present invention, a vehicle comprises a cooling and / or lubrication module as described herein and a drive unit. The drive unit can, in particular, comprise or be an electric drive axle, also called an e-axle. The electric drive axle can comprise an electric motor and an optional transmission to provide torque and speed for driving a drive wheel of the vehicle. In addition to the electric motor, an electric control device can also be included, which in one embodiment can also be cooled by means of fluid from the hydraulic system. The electric motor is supplied with electrical energy from an energy storage device. Alternatively, the drive unit can comprise an internal combustion engine to provide torque and speed for driving a drive wheel of the vehicle.

[0020] The vehicle can, in particular, comprise a motorcycle, a passenger car, a truck, or a bus. The vehicle comprises at least two axles. Preferably, two axles are provided, wherein one, several, or each axle can have a drive unit according to the invention. The cooling and / or lubrication module can be provided to supply one or more drive units with cooling or lubrication medium in order to cool or lubricate the thermal consumers of the respective drive unit. The cooling and / or lubrication module can be arranged directly on the respective drive unit. Alternatively, the cooling and / or lubrication module, particularly if several drive units or the thermal consumers of the several drive units are supplied with cooling or lubrication medium, can be arranged in a separate unit.The lubricants are to be supplied, are arranged directly on a first drive unit and are fluidically connected to the thermal consumers of a drive unit that is spatially separate from it.

[0021] In this sense, the cooling and / or lubrication module is spatially separated from the drive unit. There are no connection points, such as screw connections, between the cooling and / or lubrication module and the drive unit or its housing. The cooling and / or lubrication module can be mounted on a vehicle frame, chassis, or other vehicle components and connected fluidically, i.e., via lines, pipes, hoses, or the like, to the thermal components of the drive unit that require cooling or lubrication.

[0022] The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the attached figures, in which: Fig. 1 a view of a vehicle according to the invention with a drive unit and a cooling and / or lubrication module according to the invention in a preferred embodiment; Fig. 2 a highly simplified view of a hydraulic system which incorporates the cooling and / or lubrication module according to the invention Fig. 1 includes; Fig. 3 an exploded view of the cooling and / or lubricating module according to the invention. Fig. 1 and Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 a perspective view of the cooling and / or lubricating module according to the invention. Fig. 1 to 3 in the assembled state; represents.

[0023] Fig. Figure 1 shows a drive unit 100 according to the invention on a front axle of a vehicle 105 designed as a motor vehicle according to the invention. The drive unit 100 is configured to drive a drive wheel 110 of the vehicle 105. For this purpose, a drive unit 115 designed as an electric machine can be provided, which can be operated from an electrical energy storage device 125 by means of a power converter 120. While the power converter 120 can be included in the drive unit 100, the energy storage device 125 is usually part of the vehicle 105. A gearbox 130 can also be provided to convert mechanical energy to the drive wheel 110. Optionally, the gearbox 130 is configured to be driven by another drive machine (not shown), for example, a reciprocating engine.Furthermore, a differential (not shown here) can be provided to transmit the drive power to both drive wheels 110 of the front axle. An identical drive unit 100 can be effectively arranged on the rear axle of the vehicle 105 (not shown here) to drive the drive wheel 110 or, if a differential is provided, both drive wheels 110 of the rear axle. Thus, the vehicle 105 can have at least two axles, with a drive unit 100 according to the invention effectively arranged on each axle. In the present case, a drive unit 100 according to the invention is effectively arranged on only one axle of the vehicle 105.

[0024] The drive unit 100 comprises a hydraulic system 135 according to the invention. The hydraulic system 135 includes a cooling and / or lubrication module 140, which is spatially separated or spaced apart and thus arranged independently of the rest of the drive unit 100 on the vehicle 105. There is only a fluidic connection between the cooling and / or lubrication module 140 and the drive unit 100, so that the cooling and / or lubrication module 140 can supply thermal consumers S1-S6 with coolant or lubricant. The fluidic connection, i.e., the coolant or lubricant lines, can be essentially rigid or flexible, depending on the arrangement of the cooling and / or lubrication module 140 on the vehicle 105. To illustrate this, the arrows 145 between the cooling and / or lubrication module 140 and a distribution point for the coolant or lubricant are shown as curved lines.

[0025] The cooling and / or lubrication module 140 comprises a housing 200 made of plastic, which is in Fig. 2 is indicated by a dotted box. The housing 200 forms a reservoir 203 for providing a coolant and / or lubricant (not shown here) and comprises a first pump 206 in the form of a gerotor pump or pressure stage, a second pump 209 in the form of a bilge pump, a filter unit 212 as a pressure filter, and a heat exchanger 215. An electric machine 218 is also housed in the housing 200, with the pumps 206 and 209 arranged on a common shaft 221, which is rotatably driven by the electric machine 218.

[0026] In the following, it is assumed that an oil is used as the fluid, i.e., as the coolant and lubricant. For example, the fluid can be used to lubricate the drive unit 115 and the gearbox 130, and also to cool the drive unit 115 and the power converter 120. These components, or parts thereof, are referred to here as thermal consumers S1–S6 for illustrative purposes only. The coolant and lubricant will be referred to simply as oil in the following.

[0027] The first pump 206 delivers oil from reservoir 203, filter unit 212, and heat exchanger 215 to branches leading to the thermal consumers. The first and second thermal consumers S1 and S2 are located, for example, in the area of ​​a stator of the drive unit 115 (not shown here) or form the stator itself. Thus, the system provides, among other things, stator cooling. The third thermal consumer S3 is located, for example, in the area of ​​a rotor of the drive unit 115 (not shown here) or forms the rotor itself. Thus, the system provides, among other things, rotor cooling. Upstream of the third thermal consumer S3, a valve 224 is arranged, which is configured to control and / or regulate the volume flow supplied to the rotor depending on the operating state of the drive unit 100.In its simplest form, the valve 224 can be switched between two states: an open state, in which a volume flow of oil is supplied or directed to the rotor, and a closed state, in which no volume flow of oil is supplied or directed to the rotor. The other thermal consumers S4 to S6 can, as already mentioned, be used for cooling and / or lubricating other components of the drive unit 100, such as bearings, gear components, and / or the power converter 120.

[0028] The oil drains from the thermal consumers S1-S6 and is collected in one or more sumps 227. It can be pumped directly or, as in this case, via filters, in particular screen filters 230, and back into the reservoir by the second pump 209. The second pump 209 draws the oil from the sumps 227 to the reservoir. Fig. 2 ab.

[0029] The Fig. 3 and Fig. Figure 4 shows the housing 200 of the cooling and / or lubrication module 140, firstly as an exploded view to illustrate the arrangement of the other components of the cooling and / or lubrication module 140 ( Fig. 3) and secondly, in the assembled and closed state ( Fig. 4) The housing 200 is cup- or trough-shaped and includes several interfaces for accommodating additional components. The shape of the housing 200 determines the shape of the reservoir 203 to hold the oil. Furthermore, the housing 200 includes a first interface 300 for accommodating the first pump 206, a second interface 305 for accommodating the second pump 209, a third interface 310 for accommodating the filter unit 212 (the filter element being insertable into the housing 200, and the third interface 310 being sealable with a screw cap 320), and a fourth interface 315 for accommodating the heat exchanger 215. An opening (not shown) for an oil drain plug 325 is also provided. Additional interfaces (not shown) may be provided, for example, to accommodate the electric motor 218 or other components on the housing 200.

[0030] Furthermore, the housing 200 is open on one side, thus forming a mounting opening 330 in the form of a further interface, which can be closed by a complementary cover element 335. Both the housing 200 and the cover element 335 are made of plastic. The cover element 335 can also be designed to be complementary to its connection point of the cooling or lubrication module 140 on the vehicle 105. Fig. Figure 4 shows in this context that the lid element 335 has an outwardly concave shape.

[0031] Depending on the design of the housing 200, further apertures 340 may be provided on an end face of the housing 200 facing the cover element 335 in order to cover and, if necessary, seal parts of the housing 200, in particular channels or channel sections. The arrangement and design of the apertures 340 depend on the design and shape of the housing 200 and the cover element 335. It is also conceivable that individual apertures are integrally connected to the cover element 335.

[0032] In Fig. 4 are provided with reference numeral 345 as two first oil transfer points, through which the oil enters the cooling / lubricating module 140, in particular the housing 200 or the reservoir 203. On the opposite side of the mounting opening 330, two second oil transfer points 350 are arranged on the housing 200, through which oil is conveyed from the cooling / lubricating module 140 via the first pump 206, the filter unit 212 and the heat exchanger 215 to the drive unit 100, in particular to the thermal consumers S1 - S6. The oil transfer points 345, 350 are designed to be fluidically connected to fluid lines, in particular oil lines, for example according to arrows 145 to Fig. 1. Reference sign 100 drive unit 105 vehicles 110 drive wheel 115 Drive unit 120 power converters 125 electrical energy storage 130 gearbox 135 hydraulic system 140 Cooling and / or Lubrication Module 145 Arrow 200 cases 203 Reservoir 206 First pump 209 Second pump 212 Filter unit 215 heat exchangers 218 Electric Machine 221 wave 224 Valve 227 Swamp 230 sieve filters 300 First interface 305 Second interface 310 Third Interface 315 Fourth interface 320 screw caps 325 Oil drain plug 330 Mounting opening 335 Cover element 340 aperture 345 First oil transfer point 350 Second oil transfer point S1...S6 thermal consumer QUOTES INCLUDED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents cited by the applicant was automatically generated and is included solely for the reader's convenience. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA accepts no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0000] DE 10 2019 201 863 B3

[0002]

Claims

[1] Cooling and / or lubricating module (140) for cooling and / or lubricating thermal consumers (S1 - S6) of a drive device (100) of a vehicle (105), comprising a housing (200) having a reservoir (203) for providing a cooling and / or lubricating agent, a first interface (300) for receiving a first pump (206) and a second interface (305) for receiving a second pump (209), wherein the first and second pumps (206, 209) are arranged on a common shaft (221) and can be driven electrically. [2] Cooling and / or lubricating module (140) according to claim 1, the housing (200) further comprising a third interface (310) for receiving a filter unit (212). [3] Cooling and / or lubricating module (140) according to claim 1 or 2, the housing (200) further comprising a fourth interface (315) for receiving a heat exchanger (215). [4] Cooling and / or lubricating module (140) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the housing (200) has a mounting opening (330) which is designed to be closable by a cover element (335). [5] Cooling and / or lubricating module (140) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the first pump (206) is an electrically driven gerotor pump. [6] Cooling and / or lubricating module (140) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the second pump (209) is a bilge pump. [7] Cooling and / or lubricating module (140) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the housing (200) is formed from a plastic. [8] Cooling and / or lubricating module (140) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the cooling and / or lubricating module (140) is designed to be arranged spatially spaced from a drive device (100). [9] Vehicle (105) comprising at least one drive device (100) and a cooling and / or lubricating module (140) according to one of the preceding claims. [10] Vehicle (105) according to claim 9, wherein the cooling and / or lubricating module (140) is arranged spatially spaced from the drive device (100).

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