ELECTRIC MACHINE

Abstract

An electric machine (1) has a housing (2) in which a stator (3) and a rotatable rotor (4) are arranged. The stator (3) is of hollow-cylindrical design and is arranged in a stator chamber (5) of the housing (2). The rotor (4) is arranged radially inside the stator (3) in a rotor chamber (8). An air gap (9) is provided between the rotor (4) and the stator (3) to permit rotation of the rotor (4) relative to the stator (3). The stator chamber (5) is delimited radially on the inside by a cylindrical wall (10) that is sealed with respect to the housing (2) by at least one sealing element (12). The housing (2) has at least one axially projecting protrusion (13) that forms an axial end face (17) and a radially outwardly facing circumferential shoulder (18) that supports the sealing element (12).

Claims

1. An electric machine having a housing, in which a stator and a rotatable rotor are arranged, the stator being a hollow cylinder and being arranged in a stator chamber of the housing, the rotor being arranged radially inside the stator in a rotor chamber, an air gap being provided between the rotor and the stator, the air gap permits rotation of the rotor relative to the stator, the stator chamber being delimited radially on an inside by a cylindrical wall that is sealed with respect to the housing by at least one sealing element, wherein the housing has at least one axially projecting protrusion that forms an axial end face and a radially outwardly facing circumferential shoulder that supports the sealing element.

2. The electric machine of claim 1, wherein the housing has two axially projecting protrusions each of which has an axial end face and a radially outwardly facing circumferential shoulder, which in each case supports a sealing element.

3. The electric machine of claim 2, herein the two protrusions lie opposite one another.

4. The electric machine of claim 2, wherein at least one of the protrusions is attached to a housing cover.

5. The electric machine of claim 1, wherein the sealing element is a sealing ring supported circumferentially by the circumferential shoulder of the axially projecting protrusion.

6. The electric machine of claim 1, further comprising at least one holding element arranged on the axial end face of the protrusion.

7. The electric machine of claim 6, wherein the at least one holding element projects radially beyond the circumferential shoulder.

8. The electric machine of claim 6, wherein the holding element is a ring.

9. The electric machine of claim 6, wherein the at least one holding element is fastened on the respective protrusion on the housing and/or on the housing cover.

10. The electric machine of claim 1, wherein the sealing element is supported by a supporting element and is arranged with the supporting element on the circumferential shoulder of the axially projecting protrusion.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] FIG. 1 is a schematic partially sectioned view of a first embodiment of an electric machine.

[0018] FIG. 2 is a schematic partially sectioned view of a second embodiment of an electric machine with an enlarged detail.

[0019] FIG. 3 is a schematic partially sectioned view of a third embodiment of an electric machine.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] FIG. 1 is a partially sectioned view of a first embodiment of an electric machine 1 of the kind that can be used as a driving machine for a motor vehicle, for example. In this context, the motor vehicle can be an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle and can be driven by this electric machine 1 alone or, alternatively, only partially with the additional use of some other drive motor.

[0021] The electric machine 1 has a housing 2 that is indicated only schematically. A stator 3 and a rotatable rotor 4 are arranged in the housing 2. The rotor 4 is rotatable relative about the axis X-X. The rotor 4 has a rotor shaft 15 and rotor laminations 16.

[0022] The stator 3 is a hollow cylinder and is arranged in a stator chamber 5. The stator 3 has stator windings 6 and optionally stator laminations 7. The stator chamber 5 is delimited radially on the inside by a cylindrical wall 10 that can be designed as a can.

[0023] The rotor 4 is arranged in the cylindrical opening of the stator 3 in a rotor chamber 8. Thus, the rotor 4 is arranged radially inside the stator 3.

[0024] An air gap 9 is provided between the rotor 4 and the stator 3 so that the rotor 4 can rotate.

[0025] A sealing element 12 seals the cylindrical wall 10 of the stator chamber 5 with respect to the housing 2 and, in particular, with respect to at least one housing cover 11 or with respect to both housing covers 11 that close the housing 2. As a result, the stator chamber 5 is closed in a sealed manner and allows fluid to flow through to cool the stator 3 without some of the fluid getting into the rotor chamber 8, which would cause frictional losses in the air gap 9.

[0026] The sealing element 12 is a flexible ring, e.g. an elastomer ring or a rubber ring. It is advantageous if two such sealing elements 12 are provided in the respective end regions of the cylindrical wall.

[0027] The housing 2 has at least one axially projecting protrusion 13 to receive the sealing element. In this arrangement, each protrusion 13 supports a sealing element 12.

[0028] Each axially projecting protrusion 13 has an axial end face 17 and a radially outwardly facing circumferential shoulder 18 that supports the sealing element 12.

[0029] According to FIG. 2, the housing 2 has two axially projecting protrusions 13, each of which has an axial end face 17 and a radially outwardly facing circumferential shoulder 18 to support a sealing element 12.

[0030] It can also be seen from FIG. 2 that the two protrusions 13 lie opposite one another since they are optionally arranged on the respective axial ends of the housing 2, e.g. on housing covers 11. Thus, one of the protrusions 13 can be attached to a housing cover 11, or both protrusions 13 can be attached to a respective housing cover 11.

[0031] The sealing element 12 is a sealing ring supported circumferentially by the circumferential shoulder 18 of the axially projecting protrusion 17. This makes the sealing element 12 easy to install without having to stretch the sealing element 12 too much.

[0032] One or more holding elements 19 are provided on the axial end face 17 of the protrusion 13 to hold the sealing element 12 on the circumferential shoulder. It is particularly advantageous in this context if the at least one holding element 19 or the holding elements 19 projects or project radially beyond the circumferential shoulder 18 to secure the sealing element in position on the circumferential shoulder 18.

[0033] The holding element 19 may be a ring or ring segments arranged in contact with one another or spaced apart in the circumferential direction.

[0034] The holding element 19 or the holding elements 19 may be fastened on the respective protrusion 13, on the housing 2 and/or on the housing cover 11. This can be accomplished by screwing, adhesive bonding, welding, riveting, insertion, by means of a bayonet joint, by means of latching joint and/or by means of a positive joint.

[0035] FIG. 2 shows that the respective protrusion 13 has at least one recess 20 or plural recesses 20. The recess 20 or the recesses are provided on the axial end face 17. A protrusion 21 or protrusions 21 engages or engage in this recess or in the recesses 20 to secure the holding element 19 in position and optionally also fasten it on the protrusion 13. FIG. 2 thus shows an embodiment in which the construction is similar to the embodiment in FIG. 1, and therefore attention is drawn to the description of FIG. 1.

[0036] FIG. 3 shows an embodiment in which the construction is fundamentally similar in design to FIG. 1, wherein the sealing element 12 is supported by a supporting element 22. In other respects, attention is drawn to the description of FIG. 1.

[0037] The sealing element 12 is arranged on the supporting element 22 and is arranged with the supporting element 22 on the circumferential shoulder 18 of the axially projecting protrusion 13. The supporting element 22 is of circumferential design or consists of ring segments that rest circumferentially against one another. In section, the supporting element 22 is L-shaped to make the installation of the sealing element 12 easier.

[0038] To avoid eddy currents and hence additional losses and temperature developments in the regions considered, it is advantageous if the holding element or elements (19) and/or supporting elements (22) is/are composed of an electrically nonconductive material, e.g. plastic or, particularly advantageously, of a fiber-reinforced plastic.