DRIVE DEVICE FOR A MOTOR VEHICLE DRIVE TRAIN OF AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE

Abstract

The invention relates to a drive device (7) for a motor vehicle drive train of an electric vehicle. At least one electric machine (14) is provided as the drive machine on the output side of which a downstream transmission (18) is connected. In the transmission (18), an input side (17) and an output side (19) are axially offset (27) in relation to one another, where the output side (19) of the transmission (18) is connected to a distributor device (25) that is paired with multiple outputs (9, 10), which in the motor vehicle drive train (2) each serve to connect one drive axle of the electric vehicle. In order to produce a drive device (7) that is suitable for an all-terrain electric vehicle, the output side (19) of the transmission (18) is positioned downwards in a vertical direction relative to the input side (17) of the transmission (18).

Claims

1. A drive device (7; 28) for a motor vehicle drive train (2) of an electric vehicle (1), the drive device comprising: a distributor device (25) having a plurality of outputs (9, 10) each configured to connect to a drive axle (3, 4) of an electric vehicle; at least one electric machine (14) configured as a drive machine; a gear mechanism (18) arranged downstream of the at least one electric machine and positioned at an output side thereof; wherein the gear mechanism (18) has an input side (17) and an output side (19), the output side of the gear mechanism having a vertically downward axial offset (27) relative to the input side (17) of the gear mechanism, and wherein the output side (19) of the gear mechanism (18) is connected to the distributor device (25).

2. The drive device (7; 28) as claimed in claim 1, comprising a multi-speed gear mechanism (15) between the at least one electric machine (14) and the gear mechanism (18), wherein via the multi-speed gear mechanism (15) different transmission ratios can be switched between a respective output side of the at least one electric machine (14) and the input side (17) of the gear mechanism (18).

3. The drive device (7; 28) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the at least one electric machine (14) and the multi-speed gear mechanism (15) are combined to form a drive unit (16).

4. The drive device (7) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one electric machine (14) and the gear mechanism (18) are combined to form one module (26).

5. The drive device (28) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one electric machine (14) and the gear mechanism (18) are in the form of separate units connected by means of a joint shaft (29).

6. The drive device (7; 28) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the input side (17) and the output side (19) of the gear mechanism (18) are coupled to each other by means of at least one spur gear stage (22).

7. The drive device (7; 28) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the distributor device (25) comprises a differential gear mechanism, wherein via the differential gear mechanism a drive power can be divided over output shafts (31, 32) which are each connected to one of the outputs (9, 10).

8. The drive device as claimed in claim 7, comprising a blocking device is associated with the differential gear mechanism.

9. The drive device (7; 28) as claimed in claim 1, wherein an input side (24) of the distributor device (25) is permanently coupled to a first output (9), wherein a second output (10) is configured to be connected to the first output (9) by means of a coupling (44).

10. A motor vehicle drive train (2) for an electric vehicle (1), the motor vehicle drive train comprising the drive device (7; 28) of claim 1.

11. The motor vehicle drive train (2) as claimed in claim 10, comprising: at least one drivable front axle (5) drivingly connected to an output (9) of the drive device (7; 28); and at least one drivable rear axle (6) is drivingly connected to another output (10) of the drive device (7; 28).

12. An electric vehicle (1), comprising the motor vehicle drive train (2) of claim 11.

13. The drive device of claim 7, wherein the differential gear mechanism is configured as a bevel gear differential (30).

14. The drive device of claim 7, wherein the differential gear mechanism is configured as a planetary differential (39).

15. The electric vehicle of claim 12, wherein the electric vehicle is configured as a utility vehicle.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] Advantageous embodiments of the invention which are explained below are illustrated in the drawings, in which:

[0031] FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration of an electric vehicle according to a preferred embodiment of the invention;

[0032] FIG. 2 shows a schematic view of a drive device according to a first embodiment of the invention;

[0033] FIG. 3 shows a side view of the drive device from FIG. 2;

[0034] FIG. 4 shows a schematic illustration of a drive device according to a second embodiment of the invention;

[0035] FIG. 5 shows a side view of the drive device from FIG. 4; and

[0036] FIGS. 6 to 8 show schematic views of possible embodiments of a distributor device of the drive devices from FIGS. 2 and 3 or FIGS. 4 and 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of an electric vehicle 1 which is in particular an all-terrain utility vehicle. The electric vehicle 1 has in this instance a motor vehicle drive train 2 which is provided with two drive axles 3 and 4. The drive axle 3 in this instance is a steerable front axle 5 and the drive axle 4 is a non-steerable rear axle 6. In this regard the electric vehicle 1 is provided with a permanent or switchable all-wheel drive.

[0038] Within the drive train 2, the two drive axles 3 and 4 can be driven by means of a drive device 7 which is placed in the longitudinal direction of the electric vehicle 1 between the drive axles 3 and 4. Specifically, in this instance an axle differential 8 of the drive axle 3 is connected to an output 9 of the drive device 7, wherein the drive device 7 is additionally connected to an output 10 by means of an axle differential 11 of the drive axle 4. A connection of the output 9 or 10 to the axle differential 8 or 11 of the drive axle 3 or 4 is in this instance produced by means of an intermediate joint shaft 12 or 13, respectively.

[0039] FIG. 2 shows a schematic single view of the drive device 7, wherein this drive device 7 is constructed in this instance according to a first embodiment of the invention. This drive device 7 comprises an electric machine 14 whichin this instance, not shown in greater detailis composed of a stator and a rotor. The electric machine 14 may in this instance be operated, on the one hand, as a generator and, on the other hand, as an electric motor.

[0040] The rotor of the electric machine 14 is preferably connected by means of a rotor shaft to a drive side of a downstream multi-speed gear mechanism 15, wherein the multi-speed gear mechanism 15 in this instance, as can be seen in FIG. 3, is combined with the electric machine 14 to form a drive unit 16. In the multi-speed gear mechanism 15, different transmission ratios can be switched between the drive side and an output side of the multi-speed gear mechanism 15, wherein the multi-speed gear mechanism 15 in order to constitute these different transmission ratios is provided with planetary wheel sets and/or spur gear stages. Preferably, the transmission ratios may in this instance be switched by means of selective activation of switching elements, which may be in detail in the form of non-positive-locking switching elements or positive-locking switching elements.

[0041] The output side of the multi-speed gear mechanism 15 is connected to an input side 17 of a downstream gear mechanism 18 in which a drive movement which is introduced at the input side is permanently transmitted to an output side 19 of the gear mechanism 18. The input side 17 of the gear mechanism 18 is in this instance formed by a shaft 20 on which a spur gear 21 of a spur gear stage 22 is arranged in a rotationally secure manner. This spur gear 21 is in this instance in toothed engagement with a spur gear 23 of the spur gear stage 22, wherein the spur gear 23, on the one hand, forms the output side 19 of the gear mechanism 18 and, on the other hand, also an input side 24 of a distributor device 25 which follows the gear mechanism 18. The distributor device 25 is in this instance combined with the gear mechanism 18 and the drive unit 16 comprising the electric machine 14 and multi-stage gear mechanism 15 to form a module 26 by the distributor device 25 and the gear mechanism 18 being combined in a housing on which the drive unit 16 is also directly arranged. The housing can also be seen in particular in FIG. 3.

[0042] With the all-terrain electric vehicle 1 from FIG. 1, in order to produce the largest possible ground clearance, the input side 17 and the output side 19 of the gear mechanism 18 are located in a vertical direction with an axial offset 27 with respect to each other, whereby the drive unit 16 is also arranged in a higher position with respect to the outputs 9 and 10.

[0043] FIGS. 4 and 5 further show views of a drive device 28, which is constructed in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention, and which can also be used in the motor vehicle drive train 2 in FIG. 1. In this instance, this drive device 28 substantially corresponds to the drive device 7 according to FIGS. 2 and 3 with the difference that the drive unit 16 which is formed from the electric machine 14 and multi-speed gear mechanism 15 is arranged as a separate unit from the gear mechanism 18 and the distributor device 25. A connection between the drive unit 16 and the input side 17 of the gear mechanism 18 is in this instance produced by means of a joint shaft 29. Consequently, the drive unit 16 may also be positioned in a manner offset further upward in a vertical direction with respect to the input side 17. Otherwise, the embodiment according to FIGS. 4 and 5 corresponds to the variant according to FIGS. 2 and 3 so that reference may be made to what has been described in this regard.

[0044] FIGS. 6 to 8 show possible embodiments of the distributor device 25, as can be implemented in each case in the drive devices 7 and 28 from FIGS. 2 and 3 or FIGS. 4 and 5. In this instance, FIG. 6 shows an embodiment of the distributor device 25, in which the distributor device 25 has a bevel gear differential 30 via which a drive power which is introduced at the input side 24 of the distributor device 25 is distributed over output shafts 31 and 32 which each form the outputs 9 and 10. In this instance, the input side 24 in the form of the spur gear 23 is connected in a rotationally secure manner to a differential basket 33 of the bevel gear differential 30.

[0045] In the differential basket 33, two compensation bevel gears 34 and 35 are rotatably supported on a pin 36, wherein the compensation bevel gears 34 and 35 in each case mesh with output bevel gears 37 and 38 which are each placed in a rotationally secure manner on one of the output shafts 31 and 32. Via the bevel gear differential 30, a uniform torque distribution over the two outputs 9 and 10 is carried out with the possible compensation of speed differences.

[0046] In contrast, FIG. 7 shows a variant of the distributor device 25 in which the distributor device 25 has a planetary differential 39. The planetary differential 39 is composed of a sun gear 40, a planetary web 41 and a ring gear 42, wherein there are rotatably supported in the planetary web 41 a plurality of planetary wheels 43 which are each in toothed engagement both with the sun gear 40 and with the ring gear 42.

[0047] The planetary web 41 is in this instance connected in a rotationally secure manner to the input side 24 in the form of the spur gear 23. Whilst the sun gear 40 is connected to the output shaft 31 in a rotationally secure manner, the ring gear 42 is connected to the output shaft 32 in a rotationally secure manner. Also, in the planetary differential 39 there is a torque distribution over the outputs 9 and 10 with possible compensation of speed differences, but with, in contrast to the spur gear differential 30, in this instance a non-uniform torque distribution being possible.

[0048] In the embodiment of the distributor device 25 as shown in FIG. 8, the output shaft 32 is permanently connected to the input side 24 of the distributor device 25. In contrast, the output shaft 31 can be connected to the output shaft 32 and consequently also to the input side 24 by means of an intermediate coupling 44, whereby a drive power which is introduced at the input side 24 is distributed in a uniform manner over both output shafts 31 and 32. A compensation of speed differences does not take place in this instance. In contrast to the two previous variants according to FIG. 6 or 7, in the embodiment of the distributor device 25 according to FIG. 8 no permanent drive all-wheel drive is produced since, in an open state of the coupling 44, no force path to the output shaft 31 and consequently to the output 10 takes place. In the embodiment according to FIG. 6, the all-wheel drive can be switched on by activating the coupling 44.

[0049] By means of the configurations of a drive device according to the invention, a compact drive of an all-terrain electric vehicle with high ground clearance can be implemented.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0050] 1 Electric vehicle [0051] 2 Motor vehicle drive train [0052] 3 Drive axle [0053] 4 Drive axle [0054] 5 Front axle [0055] 6 Rear axle [0056] 7 Drive device [0057] 8 Axle differential [0058] 9 Output [0059] 10 Output [0060] 11 Axle differential [0061] 12 Joint shaft [0062] 13 Joint shaft [0063] 14 Electric machine [0064] 15 Multi-speed gear mechanism [0065] 16 Drive unit [0066] 17 Input side [0067] 18 Gear mechanism [0068] 19 Output side [0069] 20 Shaft [0070] 21 Spur gear [0071] 22 Spur gear stage [0072] 23 Spur gear [0073] 24 Input side [0074] 25 Distributor device [0075] 26 Module [0076] 27 Axial offset [0077] 28 Drive device [0078] 29 Joint shaft [0079] 30 Bevel gear differential [0080] 31 Output shaft [0081] 32 Output shaft [0082] 33 Differential basket [0083] 34 Compensation bevel gear [0084] 35 Compensation bevel gear [0085] 36 Pin [0086] 37 Output bevel gear [0087] 38 Output bevel gear [0088] 39 Planetary differential [0089] 40 Sun gear [0090] 41 Planetary web [0091] 42 Ring gear [0092] 43 Planetary gears [0093] 44 Coupling