EV Drive Device Oil Supply via Segmented Scooping and Pumping Paths
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional drive devices for electric vehicles face oil insufficiency issues in catch tanks, particularly at low rotation speeds, leading to inadequate lubrication and potential mechanical inefficiencies.
Innovation Solution
A transmission mechanism device with a motor, gears, a housing, a catch tank, an oil pump, and an oil passage that includes both a scooping path for oil collection by gear rotation and a separate path for oil pumping, ensuring consistent oil supply to gears and bearings regardless of rotation speed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If oil is supplied to the catch tank by using the drive rotation of the gear, then the structure is simple and relies on natural gear rotation, but the oil in the catch tank becomes insufficient when the rotation speed is low
Solution Approach 1:
The oil supply path is segmented into two independent routes: a scooping path that utilizes gear rotation for oil collection, and a first path with an oil pump that provides active oil delivery. This segmentation allows each path to serve its specific function optimally, resolving the contradiction between structural simplicity and adequate oil supply at low speeds
Solution Approach 2:
The oil pump acts as an intermediary device in the first path, mediating the oil supply from the lower region to the catch tank independently of gear rotation speed. This intermediary ensures that oil can be delivered reliably even when the gear rotation is insufficient to provide adequate lubrication
2Use of energy by moving object
If only gear rotation is used for oil supply, then no additional power consumption is required, but oil supply becomes insufficient at low rotation speeds leading to inadequate lubrication
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adapts oil supply methods based on operating conditions: at normal rotation speeds, the scooping path handles oil supply passively; at low rotation speeds, the oil pump activates through the first path to ensure adequate lubrication. This dynamic approach balances energy consumption with lubrication reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The oil pump is positioned to proactively supply oil to the catch tank through the first path before the gear rotation becomes insufficient, ensuring that the catch tank maintains adequate oil levels even during low-speed operation or transient conditions
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution ensures stable oil supply to the catch tank and transmission mechanism, enhancing lubrication and drive efficiency by addressing oil insufficiency at low rotation speeds and reducing mechanical stress.
Implementation Method 1
an oil pump provided in the oil passage. The oil passage has a first path connecting the oil pump and the catch tank
Implementation Method 2
a scooping path for scooping the oil by rotation of the gear to guide the scooped oil to the catch tank
Data Source
AI summary
A transmission mechanism device of an aspect of the present invention includes a motor, a transmission mechanism including a plurality of gears, a first shaft and a bearing supporting the first shaft and transmitting power of the motor, a housing that accommodates the transmission mechanism and holds the bearing on an inner face, oil that collects in a lower region inside the housing, a catch tank that is disposed inside the housing and opens upward, an oil passage through which the oil passes, and an oil pump provided in the oil passage. The oil passage has a first path connecting the oil pump and the catch tank and a scooping path for scooping the oil by rotation of the gear to guide the scooped oil to the catch tank. The catch tank includes a feed portion for supplying the oil to the gear or the bearing.