Housing for a machine, machine comprising a housing, and motor vehicle comprising a machine

Abstract

The invention relates to: a housing (1) for a machine (2); a machine (2) which has the housing (1); and a motor vehicle comprising the machine (2). The housing (1) comprises a first shaft chamber (4) and also a hollow housing inner space (6) which has a control chamber region (7) having a first tank seat (8). The housing inner space (6) and the first shaft chamber (4) are fluidically sealed from one another, and a housing interior wall (9) has a cylindrical shaft chamber outer wall (10). A lubricant tank (3) of the housing (1) has a first tank portion (12) which is seated in the first tank seat (8) and lies in a precisely contoured fashion against a first outer wall portion (10a) of the shaft chamber outer wall (10), which first outer wall portion faces the control chamber region (7). This creates a solution that is particularly space-efficient, i.e. particularly compact, and allows a machine to be lubricated and / or cooled in a particularly efficient manner.

Description

[0001] Housing for a machine, machine with a housing and motor vehicle with a machine

[0002] The present invention relates to a housing for a machine, a machine having such a housing, and a motor vehicle having such a machine.

[0003] There is a need to cool, temperature-control, and lubricate machines, particularly electrical machines, so that they can be operated as efficiently as possible. In the automotive sector, electrical machines are used as drive or traction machines. Designing the most efficient cooling and lubrication for the drive machine is difficult because, due to predetermined packaging constraints, the installation space for the components of a cooling and / or lubricant circuit is limited. This means, for example, that only a particularly small-volume coolant / lubricant tank can be provided in the housing of an electric drive machine, which is why another coolant / lubricant tank has to be arranged elsewhere, as is proposed, for example, in DE 10 2020 007 6356 A1. In order to integrate both tanks into the cooling or lubricant circuit, a cooling and lubrication system must be used.To integrate the lubricant circuit, especially to connect them together, it is then necessary to construct a corresponding pipe and / or hose system, possibly in conjunction with a valve device. However, this is particularly complex and also requires additional installation space, which further exacerbates the packaging problem. The object of the invention is to provide a particularly space-efficient, i.e., particularly compact, solution for the particularly efficient lubrication and / or cooling of a machine.

[0004] This problem is solved by the subject matter of the independent claims. Further possible embodiments of the invention are disclosed in the subclaims, the description, and the figures. Features, advantages, and possible embodiments presented in the description for one of the subject matter of the independent claims are to be regarded, across categories and embodiments, at least analogously as features, advantages, and possible embodiments of the respective subject matter of the other independent claims, as well as any possible combination of the subject matter of the independent claims, optionally in conjunction with one or more of the subclaims.

[0005] According to the invention, a housing for a machine, a machine having the housing according to the invention, and a motor vehicle having the machine according to the invention are proposed. In the intended installation position, the housing forms a component of the machine, which is designed in particular as an electric machine. For example, the electric machine is a traction machine for the motor vehicle. If the machine or traction machine is installed in the motor vehicle in its intended installation position, it forms a component of the motor vehicle. Accordingly, the motor vehicle is in particular a purely electric or hybrid-electric motor vehicle.

[0006] The housing has a first shaft chamber through which a first shaft of the machine extends coaxially. The first shaft is designed, for example, as a first rotor shaft of the traction machine, wherein a first stator is then arranged in a rotationally fixed manner in the first shaft chamber, and the first rotor shaft extends coaxially through the first stator and consequently through the first shaft chamber. The housing further has a hollow housing interior which has a control chamber region for an electronic control device of the machine. The machine is characterized by the fact that it has the electronic control device, which is located in the control chamber region, in particular in its control seat. The control device is in particular an inverter circuit. In addition to the control seat, the control chamber region has a first tank seat.The housing interior and the shaft chamber are further fluidically sealed from one another. Since the first shaft chamber has a circular-cylindrical shape, its shaft chamber outer wall is cylindrical. The shaft chamber outer wall protrudes into the hollow housing interior, which means that a housing interior wall surrounds the cylindrical shaft chamber outer wall or is partially formed by it. The housing also has a lubricant tank provided for a lubricant circuit of the machine. In the machine, the lubricant tank is therefore part of the lubricant circuit or is fluidly integrated into it. The lubricant tank has a first tank portion, which is located in the first tank seat of the control chamber region and bears precisely against a first outer wall portion of the cylindrical shaft chamber outer wall facing the control chamber region.

[0007] As a result, the available space in the machine housing is optimally utilized to ensure highly efficient lubrication of the machine. Previously neglected or unused space in the machine housing is utilized for the lubricant circuit, namely the inverter or control chamber, which houses both the electronic components of the control or inverter unit and the first portion of the lubricant tank. This way, the overall volume of the machine housing—prescribed primarily by packaging constraints—is not increased, yet the amount of lubricant used in the housing is significantly increased.

[0008] According to a possible further development, the first tank portion has a first tank opening, and the lubricant tank comprises a second tank portion with a second tank opening. This means that the lubricant tank is formed from the first and second tank portions, which together determine a total volume of the lubricant tank. The second tank portion is arranged outside the control chamber region, namely in a second tank seat of the housing interior, and lies precisely contoured against a second outer wall portion of the shaft chamber outer wall facing away from the control chamber region. The tank openings abut one another in a fluidically tight manner, in particular directly, i.e. without a hose, pipe, or the like connecting the two tank openings. In particular, the tank openings are fluidically tightly connected to one another by the tank portions being inserted into the corresponding tank seat as intended.This two-part design of the lubricant tank allows hard-to-reach space in the housing to be used particularly efficiently for lubrication and cooling of the machine.

[0009] To ensure a particularly reliable, sealed connection between the tank portions at the tank openings, a further possible embodiment provides for the first tank opening and the second tank opening to have a respective sealing ring seat in which a corresponding sealing ring of the lubricant tank is arranged. In particular, the sealing ring seated in the sealing ring seats is clamped between the tank portions at the tank openings. This advantageously prevents unwanted leakage of lubricant and / or coolant from the lubricant tank. The sealing ring is, in particular, a standard part, thus taking into account the idea of ​​a particularly simple lubricant circuit.

[0010] In a further possible embodiment, the housing has a second shaft chamber for a second shaft of the machine. The shaft chambers are spaced from one another along a transverse direction (y) of the housing via the first and / or the second tank seat, wherein the lubricant tank extends along a vertical axis (z) of the housing with precise contours between the two shaft chambers. In this context, according to a further possible embodiment, the machine can be designed as a double machine, in particular as an electrical double machine, which has a second shaft arranged in the second shaft chamber. The second shaft is designed, for example, as a second rotor shaft of the double machine, wherein a second stator is then arranged in a rotationally fixed manner in the second shaft chamber, and the second rotor shaft extends coaxially through the second stator and consequently through the second shaft chamber.The electric dual machine is characterized by the fact that it has a control device configured to control both rotor shafts. Due to the two rotor shafts in conjunction with two stators, the electric dual machine has a higher cooling / lubrication requirement than an electric machine with only one stator-rotor unit. The housing with the two-part lubricant tank allows the available space in the housing of the dual machine to be used particularly efficiently, so that a particularly large amount of lubricant can advantageously be used in the housing. In another possible embodiment, the housing has a first fastening device by means of which the first tank portion is fixed in the first tank seat.A first fastening element of the first fastening device is fixed to the housing interior wall and to the first tank portion, whereby the first tank portion is held in position particularly securely on the housing interior wall, in particular in the first tank seat, by means of the first fastening element.

[0011] If the lubricant tank of the housing has the second tank portion, a further possible embodiment provides for the housing to have a second fastening device by means of which the second tank portion is fixed in the second tank seat. A second fastening element of the second fastening device is fixed to the housing interior wall and to the second tank portion, whereby the second tank portion is held particularly securely in position on the housing interior wall, in particular in the second tank seat, by means of the second fastening element.

[0012] Thanks to the fastening units, the lubricant tank is particularly securely mounted within the housing interior. Furthermore, the fastening devices are specifically designed to clamp the tank components together along the vertical direction (z) of the housing, which—especially in conjunction with the sealing ring—ensures that the tank openings fit together particularly securely and tightly.

[0013] Further features of the invention may emerge from the claims, the figures, and the description of the figures. The features and combinations of features mentioned above in the description, as well as the features and combinations of features shown below in the description of the figures and / or in the figures alone, can be used not only in the respective combinations specified, but also in other combinations or on their own, without departing from the scope of the invention.

[0014] The drawing shows:

[0015] Fig. 1 is a sectional exploded view of a machine having a housing with an integrated lubricant tank, and

[0016] Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the machine from Fig. 1. A housing 1 for a machine 2, the machine 2, and a motor vehicle (not shown) having the machine 2 are explained in a joint description below. In the figures, identical and functionally equivalent elements are provided with the same reference numerals.

[0017] In this example, the motor vehicle is designed as a purely electric or hybrid-electric motor vehicle and has the machine 2, which is configured as an electric traction machine. The machine 2 or traction machine is configured here as an electric dual machine, whose rotor-stator units (not shown) are controllable by means of a common control device (not shown) of the machine 2.

[0018] Fig. 1 shows a sectional exploded view of the electric double machine 2, which has the housing 1 with an integrated lubricant tank 3, which is fluidically integrated into the lubricant circuit of the machine 2. In the present case, the housing 1 has a first shaft chamber 4 and a second shaft chamber 5, in each of which one of the rotor-stator units of the machine 2 is arranged. In addition, the housing 1 has a hollow housing interior 6, which has a control chamber region 7 and a first tank seat 8 or is at least partially formed from them. The housing interior 6 and the shaft chambers 4, 5 are fluidically sealed from one another. From Fig.

[0019] 1 further shows that a housing interior wall 9 has cylindrical shaft chamber outer walls 10, 11, which are spaced apart from one another along a transverse direction y of the housing 1 via the first tank seat 8. In this example, the lubricant tank 3 is formed or composed of a first tank portion 12 and a second tank portion 13, wherein the tank portions 12, 13 each have a tank opening 14, 15 that correspond to one another in terms of shape and size. At the respective tank opening 14, 15, the tank portions 12, 13 in the present example have a respective sealing ring seat 16, 17, which corresponds to a sealing ring 18 of the lubricant tank in terms of shape and size. The first tank seat 8 and the first tank portion 12 are assigned to one another, whereas a second tank seat 19 and the second tank portion 13 are assigned to one another.The second tank seat 19 is arranged outside the control chamber area 7, for example, in a further area 20 of the housing interior 6. Furthermore, the housing 1 in this case has a first fastening device 21 and a second fastening device 22. By means of respective fastening elements 23, 24 of the fastening devices 21, 22, a respective one of the tank portions 12, 13 can be positionally fixed in the associated tank seat 8, 19. Fig.

[0020] 1 also shows a cover 25 of the housing 1, by means of which the housing interior 6 can be closed on the top.

[0021] Fig. 2 shows a sectional view of the properly assembled machine 2, wherein it can be seen that the first tank portion 12, by being seated in the first tank seat 8 in the control chamber region 7, bears precisely against a first outer wall portion 10a, 11a of the respective cylindrical shaft chamber outer wall 10, 11, facing the control chamber region 7. By being seated outside the control chamber region 7 in the second tank seat 19, the second tank portion 13 bears against a second outer wall portion 10b, 11b of the respective shaft chamber outer wall 10, 11, facing away from the control chamber region 7. Accordingly, the tank portions 12, 13 are designed according to the shape of the housing interior 6, in particular according to the shape of the shaft chamber outer walls 10, 11.

[0022] From Fig. 2, it can also be seen that the tank openings 14, 15 are adjacent to one another without a hose, pipe, or the like providing a fluidic connection between the tank portions 12, 13 between the tank openings 14, 15. Instead, the tank portions 12, 13 are fluidically connected to one another purely by being inserted into their respective tank seats 8, 19. Thus, the tank portions 12, 13 together form a total volume of the lubricant tank 3. Between the tank openings 14, 15, the sealing ring 18 is inserted into the respective sealing ring seat and clamped between the tank portions 12, 13 and between the tank openings 14, 15.

[0023] By means of the first fastening device 21, the first tank portion 12 is positionally fixed in the first tank seat 8 and, in particular, clamped into the first tank seat 8. For this purpose, the first fastening element 23, for example a fastening ring disk, etc., is fastened both to the housing interior wall 9 and to the first tank portion. Furthermore, it can be provided that the first fastening element 23 is only fastened, in particular screwed, to the housing interior wall 9 and engages over the first tank portion 12. The same applies analogously to the second fastening device 22 in interaction with the second tank portion or the second tank seat 19: the second fastening element 24 is, for example, fastened to the housing interior wall 9 and to the second tank portion 13. Alternatively, the second fastening element 24 can only be fastened, in particular screwed, to the housing interior wall 9 and engage over the second tank portion 13.In particular, the tank sections 12, 13 are clamped together by means of the fastening devices 21, 23, so that the connection between the tank sections 12, 13 is particularly secure and tight at the tank openings 14, 15. Overall, it can be seen from Fig. 2 that the lubricant tank 3 extends along a vertical axis z of the housing 1 with precise contours between the two shaft chambers 4, 5, with the tank sections 12, 13 each extending with precise contours between the two shaft chambers 4, 5.

[0024] The housing 1, the machine 2 and the motor vehicle each demonstrate a possibility of how cooling / lubrication for the machine 2 can be designed in a particularly space-efficient and compact manner. The core idea of ​​the invention is to expand an oil or lubricant volume into an interior of the machine 2 and, in particular, to utilize an unoccupied installation space in the inverter of the machine 2. To avoid complex sealing, the tank sections 12, 14 are sealed and connected to one another internally and externally using simple radial and axial seals, which are preferably designed as standard parts. The manufacture and assembly of the machine 2 and the housing 1 is also particularly simple due to the two-part design of the lubricant tank 3: The first tank section 12 is inserted into the inverter space or into the first tank seat 8 and screwed in.Its tank opening 14 points downward, specifically toward the second tank seat 19. The second tank section 13, which can be designed as an oil module or can include the oil module, is inserted from below into the second tank seat 19. The tank sections 12, 13 are thus connected to one another at the tank openings 14, 15 and are sealed to the outside by means of the sealing ring 18 (standard element). No sealing to the inverter chamber is necessary here, since the tank sections 12, 13 form a fluidically closed system.

[0025] List of reference symbols

[0026] 1 housing

[0027] 2 machines

[0028] 3 Lubricant tank

[0029] 4 first wave chamber

[0030] 5 second wave chamber

[0031] 6 Housing interior

[0032] 7 Control chamber area

[0033] 8 first tank seat

[0034] 9 Housing interior wall

[0035] 10 first wave chamber outer wall

[0036] 10a first outer wall section

[0037] 10b second outer wall section

[0038] 11 second wave chamber outer wall

[0039] 11a first outer wall section

[0040] 11b second outer wall section

[0041] 12 first tank portion

[0042] 13 second tank portion

[0043] 14 first tank opening

[0044] 15 second tank opening

[0045] 16 first sealing ring seat

[0046] 17 second sealing ring seat

[0047] 18 Sealing ring

[0048] 19 second tank seat

[0049] 20 additional areas

[0050] 21 first fastening device

[0051] 22 second fastening device

[0052] 23 first fastening element

[0053] 24 second fastening element

[0054] 25 lids

Claims

Patent claims 1. Housing (1) for a machine (2), comprising: - a first wave chamber (4), - a hollow housing interior (6) having a control chamber region (7) with a first tank seat (8), wherein the housing interior (6) and the first shaft chamber (4) are fluidically sealed from one another and a housing interior wall (9) has a cylindrical shaft chamber outer wall (10), - a lubricant tank (3) having a first tank portion (12) which is seated in the first tank seat (8) and bears with precise contours against a first outer wall portion (10a) of the shaft chamber outer wall (10) facing the control chamber region (7).

2. Housing (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the first tank portion (12) has a first tank opening (14), wherein the lubricant tank (3) has a second tank portion (13) with a second tank opening (15), which is arranged outside the control chamber region (7) in a second tank seat (19) of the housing interior (6) and bears with precise contours against a second outer wall portion (10b) of the shaft chamber outer wall (10) facing away from the control chamber region (7), such that the tank openings (14, 15) abut one another in a fluidically tight manner.

3. Housing (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that the first tank opening (14) and the second tank opening (15) have a respective sealing ring seat (16, 17) in which a corresponding sealing ring (18) of the lubricant tank (3) is arranged.

4. Housing (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by a second shaft chamber (5), wherein the shaft chambers (4, 5) are spaced apart from one another along a transverse direction (y) of the housing (1) via the first tank seat (8) and the lubricant tank (3) extends along a vertical axis (z) of the housing (1) with precise contours between the two shaft chambers (4, 5).

5. Housing (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by a first fastening device (21) by means of which the first tank portion (12) is fixed in the first tank seat (8).

6. Housing (1) according to one of claims 2 to 5, characterized by a second fastening device (22) by means of which the second tank portion (13) is fixed in the second tank seat (19).

7. Machine (2), in particular electrical machine (2), with: - a housing (1) designed according to one of the preceding claims, - a first shaft arranged coaxially in the first shaft chamber (4), - a control device arranged in the control chamber area (7), - a lubricant circuit into which the lubricant tank (3) is integrated.

8. Machine (2) according to claim 7, characterized in that the housing (1) has the features specified in claim 4, wherein the machine (2) is designed as an electrical double machine, the first shaft of which is designed as a first rotor shaft, and a second rotor shaft of the double machine is arranged in the second shaft chamber (5), wherein the control device is configured to control both rotor shafts.

9. Motor vehicle with an engine (2) designed according to claim 7 or 8.

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