Motor Housing Cover Layout for Split Sensor Harness Routing

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing vehicle drive systems face challenges in routing detection harnesses for temperature and rotational state sensors outside the motor housing without a hollow shaft structure, particularly when the sensors are positioned at different locations, leading to potential harness concentration and layout difficulties.

Innovation Solution

A vehicle drive system design that includes a motor housing with cover members on either side, featuring windows and connectors to route temperature and resolver harnesses through these cover members, allowing for separate and efficient connection to external harnesses without a hollow shaft.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If a hollow shaft structure is used to route harnesses outside the motor housing, then the harness routing is simplified and protected, but the device complexity increases and the manufacturing cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveharness routingVSAvoidmotor housing structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The motor housing is divided into two separate cover members (first cover member and second cover member) that can be attached to either side of the motor housing. Each cover member independently routes one or more harnesses outside the housing, eliminating the need for a complex hollow shaft structure. This segmentation allows harnesses to be routed through separate paths rather than sharing a single complex structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The harness routing function is extracted from the motor housing structure itself and implemented through separate cover members. The cover members are attached to the motor housing but provide the harness routing function independently, allowing the motor housing to maintain its primary function while the cover members handle the harness routing and protection functions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Device complexity

If multiple harnesses are routed through a single hollow shaft, then the layout is simplified, but the harnesses become concentrated and difficult to manage

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveharness layoutVSAvoidharness management
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of routing multiple harnesses through a single hollow shaft, the invention segments the harness routing by providing separate cover members for different harnesses. The first cover member routes the temperature sensor harness, while the second cover member routes the resolver harness. This segmentation prevents harness concentration and makes each harness easier to manage and troubleshoot independently.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Reliability

If sensors are placed inside the motor housing for protection, then the sensors are protected from external environment, but the harness routing becomes more difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesensor protectionVSAvoidharness routing structure
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention places sensors inside the motor housing for protection while routing their harnesses outside through separate cover members. The temperature sensor is placed inside the motor housing and its harness is routed through the first cover member, while the resolver is placed inside and its harness is routed through the second cover member. This segmentation allows both sensor protection and simplified harness routing to be achieved simultaneously.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP4611228A1Vehicle drive system
Publication Date: 2025.09.03 MAZDA MOTOR CORP
  • EP4611228A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4611228A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4611228A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A vehicle drive system includes a motor housing accommodating a motor, a temperature sensor, and a resolver, and being open at one side in a motor axial direction, a first cover member covering the opening, a second cover member attached to the motor housing on an opposite side from the opening, and temperature sensor and resolver harnesses connected in a first end part to the temperature sensor and the resolver, respectively. The first cover member has a first window for the temperature sensor harness. A temperature sensor connector and a resolver connector connectable to first and second external harnesses are attached to the first and second cover members, respectively. The temperature sensor and resolver connectors are connected to a second end part of the temperature sensor and resolver harnesses, respectively. The motor housing has a second window for the resolver harness, on a side of the second cover member.