Machine housing for a machine arrangement, method of manufacturing a machine arrangement and machine arrangement for a motor vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a machine housing (10) for a machine arrangement (100) designed for driving a motor vehicle (K), which is designed to accommodate a first electric machine (80) and at least one second electric machine (90) and has a first machine housing segment (20) and at least one second machine housing segment (40). The first machine housing segment (20) comprises a first recess (22) for inserting the first electric machine (80) and the second machine housing segment (40), which is different from the first machine housing segment (20), comprises a second recess (42) for receiving the second electric machine (90).

Description

[0001] Machine housing for a machine arrangement, method for producing a machine arrangement and machine arrangement for a motor vehicle

[0002] The invention relates to a machine housing for a machine assembly designed to drive a motor vehicle. Further aspects of the invention relate to a method for producing a machine assembly and a motor vehicle having a machine assembly.

[0003] Machine housings for drive machines or an arrangement for multiple drive machines, or machine arrangements for short, serve, among other things, to protect sensitive components from environmental influences and to guide coolant and / or lubricant. For example, WO 2021 / 099034 A1 discloses a modular electric axle drive for vehicles, a manufacturing method for such a modular axle drive, and an assembly method for a modular axle drive in a vehicle. A machine housing of an electric machine of the modular axle has a machine coolant channel. A transmission housing of a transmission of the modular axle has at least one transmission coolant channel. An electronics housing of power electronics of the modular axle has at least one electronics coolant channel. The machine housing is detachably mechanically connected to the transmission housing on its drive side located at the front in the axial direction.The electronics housing is detachably mechanically connected to the gearbox housing and the machine housing.

[0004] The object of the present invention is to provide a machine housing which enables a simplified method for producing a machine arrangement with such a machine housing, as well as a motor vehicle with a corresponding machine arrangement.

[0005] This object is achieved by a machine housing having the features of patent claim 1, by a method having the features of patent claim 8, which serves for producing a machine arrangement having such a machine housing, and by a motor vehicle having the features of patent claim 10. Advantageous embodiments with expedient further developments of the invention are specified in the subclaims. A first aspect of the invention relates to a machine housing for a machine arrangement designed to drive a motor vehicle, which is designed to accommodate a first electric motor and at least one second electric motor and has a first machine housing segment and at least one second machine housing segment.

[0006] According to the invention, the first machine housing segment comprises a first recess for inserting the first electric motor, and the second machine housing segment, which is different from the first machine housing segment, comprises a second recess for receiving the second electric motor. This is advantageous because the first electric motor and the second electric motor can thus each be inserted independently of one another into the respective machine housing segment, wherein the machine housing segments can in particular be designed as different components of the machine housing.This generally enables simplified production of both the machine housing and the machine arrangement, since the individual machine housing segments can be provided, the respective electric motors can be inserted and the machine housing segments equipped with the respective electric motors can finally be joined together during the production of the machine housing and / or the machine arrangement.

[0007] Preferably, the first machine housing segment and the second machine housing segment can be separated from one another by at least one gap in the machine housing. The gap can be defined, in particular exclusively, by the first machine housing segment and the second machine housing segment. In the finished machine housing, the gap can be filled at least partially with a sealant, thereby enabling targeted, needs-based sealing.

[0008] The first machine housing segment and the second machine housing segment can preferably be formed as separate castings. This allows for particularly low-cost production of the respective machine housing segments with reliably reproducible quality.

[0009] The first machine housing segment and the second machine housing segment can be connected to each other as reversibly detachable components of the machine housing, i.e., non-destructively detachable. This allows for easy replacement of one of the machine housing segments, for example, during maintenance work. Preferably, the first machine housing segment and the second machine housing segment can be screwed together.

[0010] The first recess and, additionally or alternatively, the second recess can be hollow-cylindrical. This allows for particularly reliable, circumferential positioning of the respective electric motor in the respective recess.

[0011] The invention is based on the recognition that machine housing assemblies fundamentally differ in their assembly procedures, depending on whether the respective machine housing assembly is designed to support only one electric motor or multiple electric motors. In machine housing assemblies known from the prior art that are designed to accommodate two electric motors, it is common practice to arrange both electric motors in adjacent recesses of a single housing part of the machine housing assembly, for example, by inserting them into the recesses that are usually designed as cylindrical bores.In order to ensure that the rotor shafts of the respective electric machines are oriented in different directions, one of the electric machines is usually inserted into the corresponding recess, the housing part is rotated together with this electric machine, and then the second electric machine is inserted into the remaining recess. To avoid any undesirable axial misalignment, the electric machine inserted first must be axially secured, for example held in place, during rotation. Once the electric machines have been inserted, it is common practice to close the two corresponding recesses with another housing part of the machine housing assembly designed as a cover. The cover usually serves to close both recesses.

[0012] The proposed invention makes it possible, for example, to omit the axial securing of the first-mounted electric machine, thereby enabling simple assembly and thus a simplified method for producing a machine arrangement.

[0013] In an advantageous development of the invention, the first machine housing segment and the second machine housing segment overlap in at least two different spatial directions. This is advantageous because the overlap in at least two different spatial directions enables mutual support of the machine housing segments against one another and thus a precise alignment of the machine housing segments relative to one another. Preferably, the machine housing segments can overlap at least in a direction parallel to the respective center axis of the first recess and / or the second recess, thereby enabling particularly precise axial alignment of the electric motors to be accommodated or accommodated in the respective recesses.

[0014] In a further advantageous development of the invention, the first machine housing segment and the second machine housing segment are reversibly and detachably connected to one another. This is advantageous because, for example, during repair or maintenance work, one of the machine housing segments can be replaced and the other machine housing segment can continue to be used, thus saving resources. The term "reversibly and detachably connected" is understood here to mean that the machine housing segments can be non-destructively and detachably connected to one another, for example, by screwing them together.

[0015] In a further advantageous development of the invention, the first machine housing segment and the second machine housing segment are formed as respective cast parts. This advantageously allows for low-cost and reproducible production of the machine housing segments with high quality. Furthermore, cast parts have particularly good damping properties, which allows for favorable acoustic properties of the machine assembly.

[0016] In a further advantageous development of the invention, each of the machine housing segments has a bearing plate for the electric motor to be mounted in the other machine housing segment. This is advantageous because the respective machine housing segment thereby has increased functionality and, overall, fewer individual parts need to be connected to one another during assembly. In other words, the first machine housing segment can have a first bearing plate for the second electric motor to be mounted in the second machine housing segment, whereas the second machine housing segment can have a second bearing plate for the first electric motor to be mounted in the first machine housing segment.

[0017] In a further advantageous development of the invention, the first machine housing segment has a first sealing surface region, and the second machine housing segment has a second sealing surface region, which together form a circumferential sealing surface when the machine housing segments are connected as intended. This is advantageous because the joint formation of the circumferential sealing surface provides a way to align the machine housing segments flush with one another. By arranging the respective sealing surface regions in a common plane, it can be ensured that the corresponding machine housing segments, and thus also their respective recesses, for example, are correctly positioned relative to one another.In the case of interconnected machine housing segments, the first sealing surface area and the second sealing surface area can form two gaps at which the circumferential sealing contact surface can be interrupted.

[0018] In a further advantageous development of the invention, at least one of the machine housing segments has at least one transmission housing part for accommodating a transmission shaft that can be driven by at least one of the electric motors. This is advantageous because it further improves the functionality of the respective machine housing segments, resulting in fewer individual parts that need to be connected to one another during assembly of the machine housing or the machine arrangement. The transmission shaft can be designed, for example, as an idler gear shaft. The transmission housing part can preferably be shell-shaped. In other words, the transmission housing part can be designed as a transmission housing shell.The design as such a shell is particularly advantageous since a receiving space for a gearbox can be created in a simple manner by covering the gearbox housing shell with a further shell element (shell-shaped element).

[0019] A second aspect of the invention relates to a method for manufacturing a machine assembly having a machine housing according to the first aspect of the invention. The method comprises at least the following steps:

[0020] Providing the first machine housing segment, the second machine housing segment, the first electric machine and the second electric machine;

[0021] Inserting the first electric motor into the first motor housing segment and thereby producing a first electric motor-motor housing segment assembly;

[0022] Inserting the second electric machine into the second machine housing segment, thereby producing a second electric machine-machine housing segment assembly; rotating at least one of the electric machine-machine housing segment assemblies relative to the other electric machine-machine housing segment assembly; and

[0023] Joining the first electric machine housing segment assembly and the second electric machine housing segment assembly, thereby completing the machine assembly and the machine housing.

[0024] This method, for example, makes it possible to omit the axial securing of the first mounted electric machine during the assembly of the subsequently mounted electric machine, which enables overall simple assembly and thus simplified production of the machine arrangement.

[0025] In an advantageous development of the invention, the first electric motor is inserted into the first machine housing segment along a first insertion direction and the second electric motor is inserted into the second machine housing segment along a second insertion direction oriented at least substantially parallel to the first insertion direction. This is advantageous because the respective electric motors can thus be joined to the respective machine housing segments coming from the same direction, so to speak. This eliminates, for example, any pivoting or tilting of at least one of the electric motors before its assembly on the corresponding machine housing segment. The first insertion direction and the second insertion direction can preferably be oriented parallel to one another.The expression “at least substantially in the same direction” is to be understood in the context of the present disclosure as meaning that the first insertion direction and the second insertion direction enclose an angle of less than 45°, preferably less than 15° and particularly preferably less than 5° with each other.

[0026] A third aspect of the invention relates to a motor vehicle having a machine assembly manufactured according to a method according to the second aspect of the invention and / or having a machine housing according to the first aspect of the invention. Such a motor vehicle can be manufactured with particularly low cost.

[0027] The preferred embodiments and their advantages presented with respect to one of the aspects apply accordingly to the other aspects of the invention, and vice versa. The features and feature combinations mentioned above in the description, as well as the features and feature combinations mentioned below in the description of the figures and / or shown alone in the figures, can be used not only in the respective specified combination, but also in other combinations or on their own, without departing from the scope of the invention.

[0028] Further advantages, features and details of the invention emerge from the claims, the following description of preferred embodiments and from the drawings.

[0029] The invention is explained once again below using a specific embodiment. This shows:

[0030] Fig. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a machine housing assembly known from the prior art;

[0031] Fig. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a first machine housing segment of a machine housing for a variant of a machine arrangement;

[0032] Fig. 3 is a schematic perspective view of a second machine housing segment of the machine housing of the variant of the machine arrangement;

[0033] Fig. 4 is a schematic perspective view of the machine housing;

[0034] Fig. 5 is a schematic plan view of the first machine housing segment and the second machine housing segment, wherein both machine housing segments are oriented relative to one another such that a first electric machine of the machine arrangement can be inserted into a first recess of the first machine housing segment along a first insertion direction and a second electric machine of the machine arrangement can be inserted into a second recess of the second machine housing segment along a second insertion direction oriented parallel to the first insertion direction;

[0035] Fig. 6 is a further schematic plan view of the machine housing segments, wherein the second machine housing segment, together with the second electric motor inserted into the second recess, is rotated relative to the first machine housing segment and the first electric motor inserted into the first recess in a method for producing the machine arrangement with the machine housing; and

[0036] Fig. 7 is a schematic plan view of the machine arrangement.

[0037] Fig. 1 shows an example of a machine housing assembly 110 known from the prior art, in which two electrical machines (not shown in detail), hereinafter abbreviated to E-machines, are accommodated. Both E-machines are arranged in adjacent recesses 114, 116 of a single, first housing part 112 of the machine housing assembly 110. The recesses 114, 116 are designed as cylindrical bores and are therefore, as can be seen in Fig. 1, delimited by correspondingly cylindrical housing walls. In order to ensure that the respective rotor shafts of the respective E-machines are oriented in different directions, one of the E-machines is usually first inserted into the corresponding recess 114, 116, the housing part 112 is rotated together with this E-machine, and then the second E-machine is inserted into the remaining one of the recesses 114, 116.To avoid any undesirable axial misalignment, the first inserted electric motor must be axially secured during rotation, for example, held in place. After the insertion of the electric motors is complete, it is customary to close the two corresponding recesses 114, 116 with a further, second housing part 118 of the machine housing assembly, designed as a cover, whereby the recesses 114, 116 are largely concealed by the second housing part 118.

[0038] Fig. 2 shows a schematic perspective view of a first machine housing segment 20 and Fig. 3 a schematic perspective view of a second machine housing segment 40 for a machine housing 10 shown in Fig. 4. The first machine housing segment 20 and the second machine housing segment 40 are formed here as respective, in particular metallic, castings.

[0039] The first machine housing segment 20 has a first recess 22 for inserting a first electric motor 80, shown only schematically in Fig. 5. The second machine housing segment 40, which is different from the first machine housing segment 20, has a second recess 42 for receiving a second electric motor 90, also shown schematically in Fig. 5. The two electric motors 80, 90 can also be referred to as electric drive motors. The electric motors 80, 90 serve to drive a motor vehicle K, which is shown in a highly abstract manner in Fig. 7 for reasons of clarity.

[0040] The machine housing 10 having the two machine housing segments 20, 40, which is shown in Fig. 4 in a schematic perspective view, is part of a machine arrangement 100 serving as the drive unit of the motor vehicle K in Fig. 7. In other words, the machine arrangement 100 comprises at least the machine housing 10 and additionally the electric machines 80, 90 arranged in the respective machine housing segments 20, 40 or in their recesses 32, 42.

[0041] A synopsis of Fig. 2, Fig. 3 and Fig. 4 illustrates that the first machine housing segment 20 and the second machine housing segment 40 in the machine housing 10 shown in Fig. 4 overlap in at least two different spatial directions x, y, i.e. a first spatial direction x and a second spatial direction y, which together span a plane.

[0042] The first machine housing segment 20 and the second machine housing segment 40 are screwed together and thus reversibly detachably connected to each other.

[0043] Fig. 2, Fig. 3 and Fig. 5 illustrate that the first machine housing segment 20 has a first bearing plate 24 for the electric motor 90 to be mounted in the second machine housing segment 40. The second machine housing segment 40, in contrast, has a second bearing plate 44 for the electric motor 80 to be mounted in the first machine housing segment 20. During assembly of the machine arrangement 100, the first bearing plate 24 serves to support a rotor shaft (not shown in detail here) of the second electric motor 90 and also protects the second electric motor 90 from environmental influences. In contrast, the second bearing plate 44 serves to support a (second) rotor shaft of the first electric motor 80 (also not shown in detail here) and accordingly protects the first electric motor 80 from environmental influences.

[0044] Likewise, by looking at Fig. 2, Fig. 3 and Fig. 4 together, it can be seen that the first machine housing segment 20 has a first sealing surface region 26 and the second machine housing segment 40 has a second sealing surface region 46, which, when the machine housing segments 20, 40 are connected as intended to form the machine housing 10, together form a circumferential sealing surface 12 which is only separated from one another at corresponding separation points of the machine housing segments 20, 40 by a first gap 14 and a second gap 16. Fig. 2, Fig. 3 and Fig. 5 also show that the first machine housing segment 20 has a first gear housing part 28 and the second machine housing segment 40 has a (second) gear housing part 48. The respective gear housing parts 28, 48 serve to accommodate a gear shaft which can be driven by the respective electric motors 80, 90, but which is not shown in more detail here.

[0045] The machine assembly 100 is manufactured according to a method which is described below with reference to Fig. 5 and Fig. 6 and comprises at least the following steps:

[0046] First, the first machine housing segment 20, the second machine housing segment 40, the first electric machine 80 and the second electric machine 90 are provided.

[0047] Subsequently, the first electric machine 80 is inserted into the first machine housing segment 20, thereby producing a first electric machine-machine housing segment assembly 30.

[0048] In addition, the second electric machine 90 is inserted into the second machine housing segment 40, thereby producing a second electric machine-machine housing segment assembly 50. The first electric machine 80 is inserted into the first machine housing segment 20 along a first insertion direction E1, and the second electric machine 90 is inserted into the second machine housing segment 40 along a second insertion direction E2 that is oriented in the same direction and thus parallel to the first insertion direction E1.

[0049] The first electric motor housing segment assembly 30 and the second electric motor housing segment assembly 50 are shown schematically in Fig. 5, wherein the electric motors 80, 90 inserted into the respective recesses 22, 42 can be seen and protrude slightly from the respective recesses 22, 42.

[0050] In a further method step, a rotation 60 occurs, which is illustrated in Fig. 5 and Fig. 6 by a curved arrow. During this rotation 60, one of the electric motor housing segment assemblies 30, 50 is rotated relative to the other electric motor housing segment assembly 50, 30. In the present example, the second electric motor housing segment assembly 50 is rotated relative to the first electric motor housing segment assembly 30.

[0051] This is followed by joining the first electric motor / machine housing segment assembly 30 and the second electric motor / machine housing segment assembly 50, completing the machine assembly 100 and the machine housing 10. During this joining, the gaps 14, 16 can be filled with a sealant and thus closed. This allows the circumferential sealing surface 12 to be closed. When installing the machine assembly 100 in the motor vehicle K, another vehicle component can be brought up to the sealing surface 12 and a sealing element can be arranged and / or clamped between the sealing surface 12 and this vehicle component, for example to prevent the penetration of dirt from the environment or the leakage of lubricant between the sealing surface 12 and the component.

[0052] In summary, the invention enables the two electric motors 80, 90 to be inserted into the two mutually different machine housing segments 20, 40, which have respective bearing plates 24, 44, instead of being inserted into the respective recesses 114, 116 of the one-piece first housing part 112 known from the prior art. When the machine housing segments 20, 40 are arranged as intended, the bearing plates 24, 44 lie opposite one another, preferably along a central axis (rotational axis) of a rotor of at least one of the electric motors 80, 90.

[0053] The invention makes it possible to overcome at least the following problem known from the prior art, according to which, during assembly of systems known from the art, after the electric motors have been joined into a housing, at least one of the electric motors must always be held in place before such an arrangement is turned over for further assembly work, since at this time only one of the electric motors is axially secured.

[0054] This problem is overcome by the present invention. Furthermore, in the machine arrangement, the respective switching rings assigned to the electric motors (not shown here) can be larger in terms of their outer diameter than the respective inner diameters of the recesses 22, 42, thereby providing greater design freedom, since the rotation 60 and the joining of the electric motor / machine housing segment assembly 30, 50 in the present invention only take place after the electric motors 80, 90 have been mounted in their respective recesses 22, 42.

[0055] In the systems known from the prior art, there is the restriction that a respective stator diameter must always be at least as large as the aforementioned switching ring, since both electric motors must be joined from the same side into the first housing part 112, also referred to as the central housing, and the switching ring inner diameter must always be at least as large as the rotor diameter of the respective electric motors, since in an electric motor, the rotor must always be mountable through the switching ring. The present invention can always overcome either this restriction or the aforementioned problem.

[0056] List of reference symbols

[0057] 10 machine housings

[0058] 12 circumferential sealing surface

[0059] 14 first gap

[0060] 16 second gap

[0061] 20 first machine housing segment

[0062] 22 first recess

[0063] 24 first bearing plate

[0064] 26 first sealing surface area

[0065] 28 first gearbox housing part

[0066] 30 first electric motor housing segment assembly

[0067] 40 second machine housing segment

[0068] 42 second recess

[0069] 44 second bearing plate

[0070] 46 second sealing surface area

[0071] 48 second gearbox housing part

[0072] 50 second electric motor housing segment assembly

[0073] 60 rotation

[0074] 80 first electric motor

[0075] 90 second electric motor

[0076] 100 Machine arrangement

[0077] 110 Machine housing assembly

[0078] 112 first housing part

[0079] 114 first recess

[0080] 116 second recess

[0081] 118 second housing part

[0082] K Motor vehicle

[0083] E1 first insertion direction

[0084] E2 second insertion direction x first spatial direction y second spatial direction

Claims

Claims Machine housing (10) for a machine arrangement (100) designed to drive a motor vehicle (K), which is designed to accommodate a first electric machine (80) and at least one second electric machine (90) and has a first machine housing segment (20) and at least one second machine housing segment (40), characterized in that the first machine housing segment (20) comprises a first recess (22) for inserting the first electric machine (80) and the second machine housing segment (40), which is different from the first machine housing segment (20), comprises a second recess (42) for receiving the second electric machine (90). Machine housing (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that the first machine housing segment (20) and the second machine housing segment (40) overlap in at least two mutually different spatial directions (x, y).Machine housing (10) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the first machine housing segment (20) and the second machine housing segment (40) are reversibly detachably connected to one another. Machine housing (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first machine housing segment (20) and the second machine housing segment (40) are formed as respective cast parts. Machine housing (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that. each of the machine housing segments (20, 40) has a bearing plate (24, 44) for the electric machine (80, 90) to be mounted in the other machine housing segment (20, 40).

6. Machine housing (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first machine housing segment (20) has a first sealing surface region (26) and the second machine housing segment (40) has a second sealing surface region (46), which together form a circumferential sealing surface (12) when the machine housing segments (20, 40) are connected as intended.

7. Machine housing (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one of the machine housing segments (20, 40) has at least one gear housing part (28, 48) for receiving a gear shaft drivable by means of at least one of the electric motors (80, 90).

8. A method for producing a machine assembly (100) with a machine housing (10) according to one of claims 1 to 7, comprising at least the following steps: Providing the first machine housing segment (20), the second machine housing segment (40), the first electric machine (80) and the second electric machine (90); Inserting the first electric machine (80) into the first machine housing segment (20) and thereby producing a first electric machine housing segment assembly (30); Inserting the second electric machine (90) into the second machine housing segment (40) and thereby producing a second electric machine-machine housing segment assembly (50); Rotating at least one of the electric motor housing segment assemblies (30, 50) relative to the other electric motor housing segment assembly (50, 30); and Joining the first electric machine housing segment assembly (30) and the second electric machine housing segment assembly (50), thereby completing the machine assembly (100) and the machine housing (10).

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that the insertion of the first electric machine (80) into the first machine housing segment (20) along a first insertion direction (E1) and the insertion of the second electric machine Machine (90) into the second machine housing segment (40) along a second insertion direction (E2) oriented at least substantially in the same direction as the first insertion direction (E1).

10. Motor vehicle (K) with a machine arrangement (100) which, according to a Method according to claim 8 and / or has a machine housing (10) according to one of claims 1 to 7.

Images