A vehicle driveline component having a housing, a shaft received in the housing, a lubricant pathway coupled to the shaft for rotation therewith, a sleeve disposed coaxially about the lubricant pathway, and a fluid feed conduit coupled to the component housing. The lubricant pathway is disposed helically about an exterior surface of the shaft. The sleeve has a feed port. The fluid feed conduit having an outlet that is in fluid communication with the feed port. Lubricant in the lubricant pathway that has been discharged from the outlet of the fluid feed conduit travels in a predetermined axial direction along the rotary axis of the shaft when the shaft rotates about the rotary axis in a predetermined rotational direction.

A vehicle driving apparatus including: a fluid pump; a rotary member; a bearing supporting the rotary member; a pump cover covering the fluid pump; a relief valve; and a casing storing the fluid pump, the rotary member, the bearing, the pump cover and the relief valve. The casing includes a casing body and a casing cover. The casing cover defines a fluid passage that is in communication with an outlet port of the fluid pump, and includes cylindrical-shaped first and second boss portions. The first boss portion includes a supporting portion supporting the rotary member through the bearing which is fitted in a space radially inside the first boss portion. The second boss portion defines a valve room that is in communication with the fluid passage, with the relief valve being stored in the valve room.

A lubricant supported electric motor includes a stator presenting an outer raceway and a rotor extending along an axis and rotatably disposed within the stator. The rotor presents an inner raceway disposed in spaced relationship with said outer raceway to define at least one hydrostatic support chamber disposed therebetween. A lubricant is disposed in the hydrostatic support chamber for supporting the rotor within the stator. A monitoring port is disposed in fluid communication with the at least one hydrostatic support chamber, and a sensor is coupled with the monitoring port for monitoring an operating characteristic of the lubricant disposed in said at least one hydrostatic support chamber. This monitored operating characteristic is then used to determine a real-time operating condition of the lubricant supported electric motor.

A powertrain arrangement for a transverse mounted motor for an electric powered automotive passenger vehicle including opposing wheel shafts for powering two parallel mounted wheels, the shafts rotating about a first axis, the shafts having at least one end torsionally connected with a differential, an electrical rotor torsionally connected with the wheel shafts via a planetary gear train, an electrical stator surrounding the rotor, a casing supporting the rotor and the wheel shafts, the casing encompassing the stator, the casing having a floor forming a lubricant reservoir, and a baffle located in the lubricant reservoir. The baffle forming a wall with a portal allowing flow through the formed wall, and wherein an increase of fluid pressure throttles flow through the formed wall.

A lubricant supported electric motor includes a stator presenting an stator raceway, and a rotor movable relative to the stator and presenting a rotor raceway disposed in spaced relationship with the stator raceway to define a gap therebetween. A lubricant is disposed in the gap for supporting the rotor relative to the stator. The stator defines at least one hydrostatic support chamber disposed in radially recessed relationship relative to the stator raceway and in fluid communication with the gap. The stator also defines a passageway disposed in fluid communication with the at least one hydrostatic support chamber for providing lubricant to the at least one hydrostatic support chamber and the gap. A flow restriction mechanism is disposed in fluid communication with the passageway for controlling and balancing a supply and pressure of the lubricant in the hydrostatic support chamber.

An electric drive unit for a motor vehicle includes an electrical machine having a stator and a rotor. An inverter having a first switch unit energizes a first phase system (U, V, W) of the stator. A transmission is connected to the rotor for torque transmission. A lubricant circuit lubricates the transmission and/or cools the rotor. A first cooling circuit cools the first switch unit. A lubricant-coolant heat exchanger thermally couples the first coolant circuit and the lubricant circuit. A control device provides a dissipation-increasing operating mode for the first switch unit in order to increase a dissipation heating a coolant of the first coolant circuit. The lubricant-coolant heat exchanger transfers heat from the heated coolant to the lubricant circuit in order to reduce a viscosity of a lubricant.

A lubrication device for a power take off coupling for a prime mover, the lubrication device including: a lubrication device shaft having a first end for connecting to an output shaft of the prime mover and a second end for connecting to an input shaft for receiving power from the output shaft; a lubricant chamber surrounding at least part of the lubrication device shaft between the first end and the second end; and a housing enclosing the lubrication device shaft and the lubricant chamber; wherein the lubrication device shaft includes a plurality of internal lubricant passages for conveying lubricant from the lubricant chamber to the first end and the second end of the lubrication device shaft, with the internal lubricant passages comprising fluid passages extending along the axial length of the lubrication device shaft as well as fluid passages extending radially to outer surfaces of the lubrication device shaft.

A driving device for a vehicle includes: an electric motor including a motor shaft having a hollow tubular shape; an output shaft passed through the motor shaft; a transmission mechanism configured to change the speed of rotation of the motor shaft and transmit a driving force of the electric motor to the output shaft; and a housing in which the electric motor and the transmission mechanism are accommodated. The output shaft is offset inside the motor shaft so that a rotation axis of the output shaft deviates from a rotation axis of the motor shaft in the radial direction of the electric motor.

A lubricant supply system for an electric vehicle includes a lubricant supported electric motor and a lubricant supply line extending from a high pressure source to the lubricant supported electric motor for supplying lubricant to the lubricant supported electric motor. In one arrangement, at least one powertrain component is disposed in fluid communication with the lubricant supply line and fluidly connected in parallel with the lubricant supported electric motor for supplying lubricant to the powertrain component. In an alternative arrangement, the powertrain component is fluidly connected in series with and downstream from the lubricant supported electric motor for supplying lubricant from the lubricant supported electric motor to the powertrain component. In either arrangement, the lubricant supported electric motor is incorporated into an existing lubricant supply system of the vehicle to reduce cost and complexity relative to prior designs which required a dedicated lubricant supply for the lubricant supported electric motor.

A driveline component with a shaft, a friction clutch and a centrifugal valve. The shaft has a supply passage and a feed passage that intersects the supply passage. The centrifugal valve has a valve seat, which is formed on the shaft and intersects the feed passage, a valve element and a flyweight that is pivotally coupled to the shaft. The valve element is received in the valve seat and is movable between a first position, in which the valve element is abutted against the valve seat, and a second position in which the valve element is displaced from the valve seat. The flyweight has a weight and a cam and is configured so that radially outward rotation of the weight in response to centrifugal force causes the cam to drive the valve element toward the first position.