DRIVE DEVICE FOR A MOTOR VEHICLE HAVING AN OPERATING MEDIUM TANK FORMED IN A MACHINE HOUSING

Abstract

A drive device for a motor vehicle. A machine housing in which an operating material consumer, and operating material tank, and an operating material pump are arranged. An air space is provided in the machine housing, into which at least one machine shaft of the drive device protrudes and which is separated by a partition wall from the operating material tank formed adjacent to the air space in the machine housing.

Claims

1-10. (canceled)

11. A drive device for a motor vehicle, having a machine housing, in which an operating material consumer, an operating material tank, and an operating material pump are arranged, wherein an air space is provided in the machine housing, into which at least one machine shaft of the drive device protrudes and which is separated by a partition wall from the operating material tank formed adjacent to the air space in the machine housing wherein the operating material tank is only fluidically connected to the air space via an overflow opening formed in the partition wall.

12. The drive device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the overflow opening is provided at least with one section in an area of the partition wall, which is arranged inclined in the direction of the air space.

13. The drive device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the operating material tank, viewed in cross section with respect to an axis of rotation of the machine shaft, is provided on opposite sides of the machine shaft.

14. The drive device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the operating material tank encloses the machine shaft, viewed in cross section, around at least 180, at least 195, at least 210, or at least 225.

15. The drive device as claimed in claim 11, wherein, viewed in cross section, the width of the overflow opening in a horizontal direction with the intended arrangement of the drive device corresponds to at most 10%, at most 7.5%, at most 5%, or at most 2.5% of a maximum width of the operating material tank in the same direction over its entire height, and/or, viewed in cross section, the width of the overflow opening in a horizontal direction with the intended arrangement of the drive device corresponds to at most 10%, at most 7.5%, at most 5%, or at most 2.5% of a height of the operating material tank provided in a vertical direction perpendicular to the horizontal direction.

16. The drive device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the operating material consumer is fluidically connected via a flow channel, which discharges via a flow orifice opening into the operating material tank, and via an operating material sump to a return channel, which discharges via a return orifice opening into the operating material tank, wherein, viewed in cross section, the overflow opening is arranged on the side of the return orifice opening facing away from the flow orifice opening.

17. The drive device as claimed in claim 16, wherein the return channel extends through a passage recess formed in the partition wall.

18. The drive device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the air space, viewed in longitudinal section with respect to the axis of rotation of the machine shaft, is delimited, on the one hand, by a wall of the machine housing and, on the other hand, by a machine housing cover fastened on the machine housing, wherein, again viewed in longitudinal section, the wall of the machine housing and the machine housing cover are curved and/or angled in the same direction.

19. The drive device as claimed in claim 11, wherein a disconnecting clutch is arranged on a side of the wall of the machine housing facing away from the air space, via which the machine shaft and/or a further machine shaft coupled with respect to drive to the machine shaft is connected with respect to drive to an output flange of the drive device.

20. The drive device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the operating material tank, viewed in cross section with respect to an axis of rotation of the machine shaft, is provided on opposite sides of the machine shaft.

21. The drive device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the operating material tank encloses the machine shaft, viewed in cross section, around at least 180, at least 195, at least 210, or at least 225.

22. The drive device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the operating material tank encloses the machine shaft, viewed in cross section, around at least 180, at least 195, at least 210, or at least 225.

23. The drive device as claimed in claim 12, wherein, viewed in cross section, the width of the overflow opening in a horizontal direction with the intended arrangement of the drive device corresponds to at most 10%, at most 7.5%, at most 5%, or at most 2.5% of a maximum width of the operating material tank in the same direction over its entire height, and/or, viewed in cross section, the width of the overflow opening in a horizontal direction with the intended arrangement of the drive device corresponds to at most 10%, at most 7.5%, at most 5%, or at most 2.5% of a height of the operating material tank provided in a vertical direction perpendicular to the horizontal direction.

24. The drive device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the operating material consumer is fluidically connected via a flow channel, which discharges via a flow orifice opening into the operating material tank, and via an operating material sump to a return channel, which discharges via a return orifice opening into the operating material tank, wherein, viewed in cross section, the overflow opening is arranged on the side of the return orifice opening facing away from the flow orifice opening.

25. The drive device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the operating material consumer is fluidically connected via a flow channel, which discharges via a flow orifice opening into the operating material tank, and via an operating material sump to a return channel, which discharges via a return orifice opening into the operating material tank, wherein, viewed in cross section, the overflow opening is arranged on the side of the return orifice opening facing away from the flow orifice opening.

26. The drive device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the operating material consumer is fluidically connected via a flow channel, which discharges via a flow orifice opening into the operating material tank, and via an operating material sump to a return channel, which discharges via a return orifice opening into the operating material tank, wherein, viewed in cross section, the overflow opening is arranged on the side of the return orifice opening facing away from the flow orifice opening.

27. The drive device as claimed in claim 15, wherein the operating material consumer is fluidically connected via a flow channel, which discharges via a flow orifice opening into the operating material tank, and via an operating material sump to a return channel, which discharges via a return orifice opening into the operating material tank, wherein, viewed in cross section, the overflow opening is arranged on the side of the return orifice opening facing away from the flow orifice opening.

28. The drive device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the air space, viewed in longitudinal section with respect to the axis of rotation of the machine shaft, is delimited, on the one hand, by a wall of the machine housing and, on the other hand, by a machine housing cover fastened on the machine housing, wherein, again viewed in longitudinal section, the wall of the machine housing and the machine housing cover are curved and/or angled in the same direction.

29. The drive device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the air space, viewed in longitudinal section with respect to the axis of rotation of the machine shaft, is delimited, on the one hand, by a wall of the machine housing and, on the other hand, by a machine housing cover fastened on the machine housing, wherein, again viewed in longitudinal section, the wall of the machine housing and the machine housing cover are curved and/or angled in the same direction.

30. The drive device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the air space, viewed in longitudinal section with respect to the axis of rotation of the machine shaft, is delimited, on the one hand, by a wall of the machine housing and, on the other hand, by a machine housing cover fastened on the machine housing, wherein, again viewed in longitudinal section, the wall of the machine housing and the machine housing cover are curved and/or angled in the same direction.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0047] The invention will be explained in more detail hereinafter on the basis of the exemplary embodiments illustrated in the drawings, without the invention being restricted. In the figures:

[0048] FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of a drive device for a motor vehicle,

[0049] FIG. 2 shows a longitudinal sectional view through the drive device, and

[0050] FIG. 3 shows a further longitudinal sectional view through the drive device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0051] FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of a drive device 1 for a motor vehicle (not shown in more detail). The drive device 1 has a drive assembly 2, which is provided in the exemplary embodiment shown here as an electric machine and accordingly has a stator and a rotor 4. Furthermore, the drive device 1 has a transmission (not shown in more detail), which has multiple transmission steps. The drive assembly 2 is preferably connected with respect to drive via the transmission to an output shaft of the drive device 1, preferably via a drive flange 3 (not visible here) of the drive device 1, wherein at least one wheel of the motor vehicle can in turn be coupled with respect to drive with the output shaft. Both the drive assembly 2 and the transmission are arranged in a machine housing 4 of the drive device 1.

[0052] During operation of the drive device 1, operating material for lubrication and/or for temperature control are supplied at least sometimes to the drive assembly 2 and the transmission. The drive assembly 2 and the transmission have corresponding operating material supply devices for this purpose. The drive assembly 2 and the transmission insofar represent operating material consumers. They are at least sometimes supplied operating material from an operating material tank 5. The operating material supplied to the operating material consumers exits after the lubrication and/or temperature control into an operating material sump and is conveyed again therefrom by means of an operating material pump in the direction of the operating material tank 5. In the scope of the exemplary embodiment described here, it is provided that the operating material is supplied to the drive assembly 2 by means of a first further operating material pump and is supplied to the transmission by means of a second further operating material pump.

[0053] The operating material pump is fluidically connected via a suction channel to the operating material sump and therefore to the operating material consumer, namely on the suction side. On the pressure side, the operating material pump is connected via a pressure channel and an operating material line to the operating material tank 5. Finally, a flow channel is provided, via which the operating material tank 5 is connected to the operating material consumer, namely via the further operating material pumps. In the exemplary embodiment shown here, it is provided that the operating material pump and the further operating material pumps are driven by means of a common drive, which can insofar also be designated as an operating material pump drive or oil pump drive. The drive has, for example, an electric motor or is designed as such.

[0054] It is provided that the suction channel, the further suction channel, the pressure channel, and the flow channel are each formed in a base body 6 of the machine housing 4, which can also be designated as the transmission housing, namely each with formation of an opening (not visible here). The openings of the mentioned channels are covered or closed fluidically separately from one another by means of an end cover 7 fastened on the base body 6, which is only indicated.

[0055] The base body 6 of the machine housing 4 partially encloses in air space 8, namely jointly with a machine housing cover 9 (not shown here), which is fastened on the base body 6. At least one machine shaft 10 engages in the air space 8, in the illustrated exemplary embodiment multiple machine shafts 10. A suction nozzle 11 is arranged on the end cover 7, which is fluidically connected via the end cover 7 to the further suction channel. The suction nozzle 11 protrudes in the direction of a bottom of the machine housing 4 into the air space 8, so that via the suction nozzle 11, operating material present in the air space 8 can be conveyed via the further suction channel, the operating material pump, the pressure channel, and the operating material line into the operating material tank 5. The operating material line can moreover also be designated as a return channel or return line.

[0056] The operating material tank 5 is formed separately from the air space 8 in the machine housing 4 and is separated from it by means of a partition wall 12. A passage recess 13, through which the operating material line engages in order to fluidically connect the pressure channel to the operating material tank 5, is formed in the partition wall. An overflow opening 14, via which the operating material tank 5 is fluidically connected to the air space 8, is formed in the partition wall. In the intended installation location of the drive device 1, the overflow opening 14 is arranged at a geodetic upper end of the partition wall 12 or at least in an upper half of the partition wall 12. Excess passage of operating material from the operating material tank 5 in the direction of the air space 8 is prevented in this way.

[0057] Both the operating material tank 5 and air space 8 are delimited in the axial direction with respect to an axis of rotation of the machine shaft 10, on the one hand, by a wall 15 of the base body 6 and, on the other hand, by the machine housing cover 9. The operating material tank 5 has a volume capacity which corresponds to at least 20%, at least 30%, at least 40%, or at least 50% of a volume content of the air space 8. The overflow opening 14 is moreover arranged such that it overlaps the air space 8 at least in some areas. In this way, an area 16 of the partition wall is arranged inclined, namely in particular such that it extends farther and farther into the air space 8 on top with the intended arrangement of the drive device 1.

[0058] FIG. 2 shows a schematic longitudinal sectional view of the drive device 1. The operating material tank 5 can again be seen, which is delimited, on the one hand, by the wall 15 and, on the other hand, by the machine housing cover 9. It can be seen that the wall 15 and the machine housing cover 9 are curved or angled in the same direction. In this case, the distance between the wall 15 and the machine housing cover 9 is to increase in the radial direction from the outside inward with respect to the machine shaft 10 in the longitudinal section shown.

[0059] FIG. 3 shows a further schematic longitudinal sectional view of the drive device 1. A further machine shaft 17 can be seen, which is coupled with respect to drive to the machine shaft 10, for example, via a differential gear 18. The further machine shaft 17 is connected with respect to drive to the output flange 3 of the drive device 1, namely via a disconnecting clutch 19. The disconnecting clutch 19 in the exemplary embodiment shown here has a displacement claw 20, wherein in a first position the displacement claw 20 rigidly couples the drive flange 3 with respect to drive to the further machine shaft 17 and in a second position it is decoupled therefrom with respect to drive.

[0060] The disconnecting clutch 19 is preferably accommodated completely in the machine housing 4. An actuator for actuating the disconnecting clutch 19, thus in particular for moving the displacement claw 20 between the first position and the second position, in contrast, is arranged outside the machine housing 4 and externally fastened thereon. This is possible by space which becomes free resulting due to the arrangement of the operating material tank 5 in the machine housing 4.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0061] 1 drive device [0062] 2 drive assembly [0063] 3 output flange [0064] 4 machine housing [0065] 5 operating material tank [0066] 6 base body [0067] 7 end cover [0068] 8 air space [0069] 9 machine housing cover [0070] 10 machine shaft [0071] 11 suction nozzle [0072] 12 partition wall [0073] 13 passage recess [0074] 14 overflow opening [0075] 15 wall [0076] 16 area [0077] 17 further machine shaft [0078] 18 differential gear [0079] 19 disconnecting clutch [0080] 20 displacement claw