Cooling and / or lubricating module

Abstract

The invention relates to a 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 coolant and / or lubricant, 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 the second pump (206, 209) are arranged and can be electrically driven on a common shaft (221). The invention further relates to a vehicle (105) having such a cooling and / or lubricating module (140).

Description

[0001] Coolant and / or lubricant module

[0002] The present invention relates to a cooling and / or lubricating module for cooling and / or lubricating thermal consumers of a drive system of a vehicle. Furthermore, the invention relates to a vehicle, in particular a motor vehicle, comprising such a cooling and / or lubricating module.

[0003] DE 10 2019 201 863 B3 discloses a cooling and lubrication system with a dry sump and an oil tank. A pumping system operates the oil circuit by pumping oil from the dry sump into the oil tank. The pumping system comprises a vane pump and a gerotor pump (Eaton pump) mounted on a single shaft. The vane pump is dual-flow and has two independent suction points in the dry sump.

[0004] One object of the invention is to provide a cooling and / or lubricating module for cooling and / or lubricating thermal consumers of a drive device, which has a simple and compact design and can be arranged spatially separate from the drive device. The invention solves this problem by means of the subject matter of the independent claims. Subclaims specify preferred embodiments.

[0005] A cooling and / or lubricating module according to the invention for cooling and / or lubricating thermal consumers of a drive device 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 drivable.

[0006] The cooling or lubricant module is a separately manageable unit that does not necessarily have to be part of a drive unit housing. Rather, it can be arranged spatially separate from it on the vehicle and simply connected fluidically to the thermal consumers to be cooled or lubricated via fluid lines. In this sense, the cooling and / or lubricant module is designed and configured to be arranged at a spatial distance from the drive unit, in particular from the housing of the drive unit. This means that the housing of the drive unit is not affected if parts, such as the pumps or other peripheral components, need to be replaced, for example, for a different design, maintenance, or repair measures. Furthermore, no complex disassembly of the drive unit is necessary to access the cooling and / or lubricant module.The cooling and / or lubricant module, particularly the external dimensions of the housing, can be freely designed, independent of the drive unit and the spatial conditions surrounding the drive unit. Instead, the cooling and / or lubricant module can be constructed as needed, depending on where the cooling and / or lubricant module is located on the vehicle or housed within the vehicle. In other words, the housing of the cooling or lubricant module can be adapted to the existing conditions and with greater flexibility due to its detached arrangement relative to the drive unit housing.

[0007] The term "spatially spaced" means that the housing of the cooling and / or lubricant module is arranged physically separate from the drive device, in particular a housing of the drive device. A distance, for example in the form of a gap, is thus provided between the housing of the cooling and / or lubricant module and the housing of the drive device, whereby these housings are not mechanically connected to one another. A spatially spaced arrangement also occurs when electrical lines, such as cables, or fluid lines, i.e. cooling and / or lubricant lines, are arranged between the cooling and / or lubricant module and the drive device. However, these lines do not transfer any loads between the housings.

[0008] The coolant or lubricant module is part of a hydraulic system for cooling or lubricating thermal consumers of a vehicle's drive system. The coolant or lubricant module is intended, in particular, for use in a dry sump system as a hydraulic system, with at least one pump being arranged upstream and the other pump downstream of the reservoir. This means that at least one pump pumps coolant or lubricant into the reservoir, and the other pump pumps the coolant or lubricant from the reservoir, at least indirectly, to the thermal consumers. For this purpose, the pumps are arranged at the respective interfaces of the housing.

[0009] The first pump is preferably an electrically driven pump, in particular a gerotor pump, which can cool and / or lubricate the thermal consumers through appropriate control. The first pump is designed, for example, to generate a volume 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.

[0010] The second pump is preferably a bilge pump. The second pump is a dry sump pump. The second pump can be designed as a vane pump. The second pump is designed, for example, to generate a volume flow of coolant or lubricant in at least one direction of rotation and to pump it into the reservoir. It is conceivable to provide two or more second pumps, each of which pumps coolant or lubricant from the sump into the reservoir via separate suction lines. The housing can have corresponding interfaces for accommodating the additional second pumps.

[0011] The reservoir can be molded onto the housing or integrated into it. In other words, the housing can shape the reservoir through its spatial design, combined with a suitable arrangement of the pump interfaces. By locating or integrating the reservoir into the housing, a dry sump system is created with lower mechanical losses and better heat dissipation.

[0012] Preferably, the housing further comprises a third interface for receiving a filter unit. The filter unit is arranged accordingly at the respective associated interface of the housing. The housing can also have a complementary mount for receiving the filter unit. The housing can be sealed at the third interface by a cover.

[0013] Preferably, the housing further comprises a fourth interface for receiving a heat exchanger. The heat exchanger is arranged accordingly at the respective associated interface of the housing. For this purpose, the housing can have a complementary socket for receiving the heat exchanger. The housing can be sealed at the fourth interface by a cover.

[0014] In a further development of the invention, the housing comprises a fifth interface for accommodating an electric motor, which is drivingly connected to the shaft driving the pumps. The electric motor is arranged accordingly at the respective interface of the housing. The housing can have a complementary socket for accommodating a rotor and / or a stator of the electric motor. The housing can be sealed at the fifth interface by a cover.

[0015] The housing can also include additional interfaces, for example, for accommodating a respective sensor unit configured, for example, to sense a fill level and / or a coolant or lubricant temperature. The housing can have complementary sockets for accommodating these. The housing can be sealed at the respective additional interface by a cover.

[0016] Thus, in addition to the reservoir, the housing contains all the necessary interfaces for the corresponding components to implement a cooling or lubricating system for a cooling and / or lubricating process or cooling or lubricating process for the thermal consumers of the drive device, be it an electric motor or an internal combustion engine or components thereof. The housing therefore contains several interfaces for accommodating the corresponding components of the cooling or lubricating system. The housing can be constructed in one or more parts. In a multi-part housing, the housing segments can be connected to one another, for example by screwing or the like. The housing can also be constructed in a cup-shaped or shell-shaped manner, so that in an unassembled initial state the housing is open at least in sections on at least one side.This can be useful if, during assembly, parts of the system need to be attached to the housing or other parts from the inside. For this purpose, the housing preferably has an assembly opening that can be closed by a cover element. The cover element can be pivotably mounted on the housing and / or connected to the housing in a form-fitting manner, for example via screw connections and / or by clipping in or out, in order to spatially define the interior of the housing, in particular the reservoir, and thus form the space that accommodates the coolant or lubricant.

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

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

[0019] According to a further aspect of the present invention, a vehicle comprises a cooling and / or lubricating module described herein and a drive device. The drive device can in particular comprise or be an electric drive axle, also called an E-axle. The electric drive axle can comprise an electric machine and an optional transmission to provide a torque and a speed for driving a drive wheel of the vehicle. In addition to the electric machine, 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 machine is supplied with electrical energy by an energy storage device. The drive device can alternatively comprise an internal combustion engine to provide a torque and a 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 device according to the invention. The cooling and / or lubricant module can be provided to supply one drive device or several drive devices with coolant or lubricant in order to cool or lubricate the thermal consumers of the respective drive device. The cooling and / or lubricant module can be arranged directly on the respective drive device. Alternatively, the cooling and / or lubricant module can, in particular if several drive devices or the thermal consumers of the several drive devices are supplied with coolant or lubricant.are to be supplied with lubricant, be arranged directly on a first drive device and be fluidically connected to the thermal consumers of a spatially separate drive device. In this sense, the cooling and / or lubricant module is arranged spatially spaced from the drive device. There are no connection points, such as screw connections, between the cooling and / or lubricant module and the drive device or a housing of the drive device. The cooling and / or lubricant module can be arranged on a vehicle frame, on the chassis or other components of the vehicle and be fluidically connected, i.e. via lines, pipes, hoses or the like, to the thermal consumers of the drive device that are to be cooled or lubricated.

[0021] The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying figures, in which:

[0022] Figure 1 shows a view of a vehicle according to the invention with a drive device and a cooling and / or lubricating module according to the invention according to a preferred embodiment;

[0023] Figure 2 is a highly simplified view of a hydraulic system comprising the cooling and / or lubricating module according to the invention shown in Figure 1;

[0024] Figure 3 is an exploded view of the cooling and / or lubricating module according to the invention as shown in Figures 1 and 2; and

[0025] Figure 4 is a perspective view of the cooling and / or lubricating module according to the invention as shown in Figures 1 to 3 in the assembled state.

[0026] Figure 1 shows a drive device 100 according to the invention on a front axle of a vehicle 105 according to the invention designed as a motor vehicle. The drive device 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 by means of a power converter 120 from an electrical energy storage device 125. While the power converter 120 can be included in the drive device 100, the energy storage device 125 is usually part of the vehicle 105. A transmission 130 can also be provided to convert mechanical energy to the drive wheel 110. Optionally, the transmission 130 is configured to be driven by a further drive machine (not shown), for example a reciprocating piston 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 device 100 can be operatively arranged on the rear axle (not shown here) of the vehicle 105 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 device 100 according to the invention being operatively arranged on each axle. In the present case, a drive device 100 according to the invention is operatively arranged on only a single axle of the vehicle 105.

[0027] The drive device 100 has a hydraulic system 135 according to the invention. The hydraulic system 135 comprises a cooling and / or lubricant module 140, which is arranged spatially separated or spaced apart and thus independently from the rest of the drive device 100 on the vehicle 105. Only a fluidic connection exists between the cooling or lubricant module 140 and the drive device 100, so that the cooling or lubricant module 140 can be used to supply thermal consumers S1-S6 with coolant or lubricant. The fluidic connection, i.e., the cooling or lubricant lines, can be essentially rigid or flexible, depending on the arrangement of the cooling or lubricant module 140 on the vehicle 105. To clarify this, the arrows 145 between the cooling or lubricant module 140 and a distribution point for the coolant or lubricant are shown curved.

[0028] The cooling and / or lubricant module 140 comprises a housing 200 made of plastic, which is indicated in Figure 2 as a dotted box. The housing 200 forms a reservoir 203 for providing a cooling 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. Furthermore, an electric machine 218 is housed in the housing 200, with the pumps 206, 209 being arranged on a common shaft 221, which can be driven in rotation by the electric machine 218.

[0029] In the following, it is assumed that an oil is used as the fluid, i.e., as the coolant or lubricant, for cooling and lubrication. For example, the fluid can be used to lubricate the drive unit 115 and the transmission 130, and also to cool the drive unit 115 and the power converter 120. These or some of these components are referred to here as thermal consumers S1-S6 by way of example only. The coolant or lubricant is referred to simply as oil below.

[0030] The first pump 206 pumps oil from the reservoir 203, the filter unit 212, and the heat exchanger 215 to branches that lead to the thermal consumers. The first and second thermal consumers S1, S2 are arranged, for example, in the region of a stator (not shown here) of the drive unit 115 or form the stator. Thus, the system provides, among other things, stator cooling. The third thermal consumer S3 is arranged, for example, in the region of a rotor (not shown here) of the drive unit 115 or forms the rotor. 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 a volume flow made available to the rotor depending on an operating state of the drive device 100.In its simplest form, valve 224 can be switched between two states: an open state in which a volume flow of oil is conveyed or guided to the rotor, and a closed state in which no volume flow of oil is conveyed or guided to the rotor. The additional thermal consumers S4 to S6 can, as already mentioned, be provided for cooling and / or lubricating other components of the drive device 100, such as bearing parts, transmission parts, and / or the power converter 120.

[0031] The oil drains from the thermal consumers S1-S6 and is collected in one or more sumps 227. It can be pumped back into the reservoir directly or, as in this case, via filters, particularly sieve filters 230, and by the second pump 209. The second pump 209 draws the oil from the sumps 227 according to Figure 2.

[0032] Figures 3 and 4 show the housing 200 of the cooling and / or lubricant module 140, firstly as an exploded view to illustrate the arrangement of the other components of the cooling and / or lubricant module 140 (Figure 3) and secondly in the assembled and closed state (Figure 4). The housing 200 is cup- or tub-shaped and includes several interfaces for accommodating additional components. On the one hand, the shape of the housing 200 determines the shape of the reservoir 203 for holding the oil. Furthermore, the housing 200 comprises a first interface 300 for receiving the first pump 206, a second interface 305 for receiving the second pump 209, a third interface 310 for receiving the filter unit 212, wherein the filter element can be inserted into the housing 200 and the third interface 310 can be sealed with a screw cap 320, and a fourth interface 315 for receiving the heat exchanger 215.Furthermore, an opening (not shown here) is provided for accommodating an oil drain plug 325. Further interfaces (not shown here) may be provided, for example, to accommodate the electric motor 218 or other components on the housing 200.

[0033] 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 complement its connection point of the coolant or lubricant module 140 on the vehicle 105. In this context, Figure 4 shows that the cover element 335 has an outwardly concave shape.

[0034] Depending on the design of the housing 200, additional panels 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 panels 340 depends on the design and shape of the housing 200 and the cover element 335. It is also conceivable for individual panels to be integrally connected to the cover element 335.

[0035] In Figure 4, two first oil transfer points are designated by reference numeral 345, through which the oil enters the coolant or lubricant 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 coolant or lubricant module 140 via the first pump 206, the filter unit 212, and the heat exchanger 215 to the drive device 100, in particular to the thermal consumers S1-S6. The oil transfer points 345, 350 are configured to be fluidically connected to fluid lines, in particular to oil lines, for example, according to the arrows 145 in Figure 1.

[0036] Reference symbol

[0037] drive device

[0038] vehicle

[0039] drive wheel

[0040] drive unit

[0041] Power converter electrical energy storage

[0042] Transmission hydraulic system

[0043] Coolant and / or lubricant module

[0044] Arrow

[0045] Housing

[0046] reservoir

[0047] First pump

[0048] Second pump

[0049] filter unit

[0050] heat exchanger

[0051] Electric machine

[0052] Wave

[0053] valve

[0054] swamp

[0055] Sieve filter

[0056] First interface

[0057] Second interface

[0058] Third interface

[0059] Fourth interface

[0060] screw cap

[0061] Oil drain plug

[0062] Mounting opening

[0063] Cover element 340 panel

[0064] 345 First oil transfer point

[0065] 350 Second oil transfer point

[0066] S1...S6 thermal consumer

Claims

Patent claims 1. A 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 are electrically drivable.

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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