# US 11,440,390 B2 · Electrical drive unit and also drive arrangement for an electrical drive unit > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,440,390 B2 - Document ID: US11440390B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/677,398 - Filed: 2019-11-07 - Published: 2020-05-07 - Granted: 2022-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 2018-11-07 - Assignees: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG - Applicants: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG - Inventors: Johannes Lamers; Rolf Meinhard - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11440390B2 ## CPC - B60K 1/00: Arrangement or mounting of electrical propulsion units (B60K7/00 takes precedence; arrangement or mounting of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion B60K6/00) - B60K 17/02: characterised by arrangement, location, or kind of clutch - B60K 17/06: of change-speed gearing (B60K17/10 - B60K17/16 take precedence) - B60K 17/10: of fluid gearing - B60K 17/16: of differential gearing - F16H 41/04: Combined pump-turbine units - F16H 41/30: relating to venting, lubrication, cooling, circulation of the cooling medium - F16H 45/02: with mechanical clutches for bridging a fluid gearing of the hydrokinetic type (control of torque converter lock-up clutches F16H61/14) - F16H 55/20: for bevel gears - F16H 57/0441: {Arrangements of pumps} - H02K 7/006: {Structural association of a motor or generator with the drive train of a motor vehicle} - H02K 7/10: Structural association with clutches, brakes, gears, pulleys or mechanical starters - H02K 7/108: with friction clutches - H02K 9/19: for machines with closed casing and closed-circuit cooling using a liquid cooling medium, e.g. oil - B60K 2001/001: {one motor mounted on a propulsion axle for rotating right and left wheels of this axle} - B60K 2001/003: {with means for cooling the electrical propulsion units} - B60K 2001/006: {the electric motors} - B60Y 2306/03: Lubrication - F16H 47/06: the fluid gearing being of the hydrokinetic type - F16H 57/0476: {Electric machines and gearing, i.e. joint lubrication or cooling or heating thereof} - F16H 2200/0021: specially adapted for electric vehicles - B60K: ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN VEHICLES - F16H: GEARING - H02K: DYNAMO-ELECTRIC MACHINES (dynamo-electric relays H01H53/00; conversion of DC or AC input power into surge output power {H03K3/53}) - B60Y: INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO ASPECTS CROSS-CUTTING VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY ## Abstract An electrical drive unit for an electrically at least partially driveable motor vehicle and also to a drive arrangement for an electrically at least partially driveable motor vehicle, comprising an electrical drive unit according to the disclosure. An electrical drive unit for an electrically at least partially driveable motor vehicle comprises an electrical drive machine and also an output device for transmitting a torque, which is provided by the electrical drive machine, to driven vehicle wheels of a motor vehicle, and also comprising a torque converter, which is arranged in the torque transmission path between a rotor of the electrical drive machine and the output device, for the purpose of matching the torque which is provided by the electrical drive machine to a respective torque requirement. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An electrical drive unit for an electrical motor vehicle, comprising: an electrical drive machine; an output device for transmitting a torque provided by the electrical drive machine, to drive vehicle wheels of the electrical motor vehicle; a torque converter, arranged in a torque transmission path between a rotor of the electrical drive machine and the output device, wherein the torque converter is configured to match the torque provided by the electrical drive machine to a respective torque requirement; a first cooling circuit which is designed to dissipate heat from the electrical drive machine; and a second cooling circuit which is designed to dissipate heat from the torque converter. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The electrical drive unit of claim 1, wherein a clutch for disconnecting and opening the torque transmission path between the electrical drive machine and the output device is arranged parallel to the torque converter. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The electrical drive unit of claim 2, wherein a step-up transmission for stepping up the torque which is provided by the clutch is arranged in the torque transmission path between the clutch and the output device. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The electrical drive unit of claim 1, wherein the torque converter further includes a guide wheel and a freewheel. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The electrical drive unit of claim 1, wherein the electrical drive unit furthermore comprises an electrically driveable pump which is flow-connected to a flow chamber of the torque converter, wherein the flow chamber is configured to maintain a minimum pressure of a fluid in the flow chamber of the torque converter or for assisting in implementing a minimum pressure of a fluid in the flow chamber of the torque converter. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The electrical drive unit of claim 1, wherein the electrical drive unit furthermore comprises a mechanically driveable pump which is mechanically coupled to a pump impeller or to a turbine wheel of the torque converter and is flow-connected to a flow chamber of the torque converter, wherein the flow chamber is configured to maintain a minimum pressure of a fluid in the flow chamber of the torque converter or for assisting in implementing a minimum pressure of a fluid in the flow chamber of the torque converter. ### Claim 7 (depends on 3) The electrical drive unit of claim 3, wherein the electrical drive unit furthermore comprises a lubrication system by way of which lubricant can be supplied to the step-up transmission, wherein a pump configured to generate a lubricant volumetric flow is a constituent part of the lubrication system. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The electrical drive unit of claim 7, wherein the electrical drive unit includes an axle which is mechanically coupled to the output device. ### Claim 9 An electrical drive unit, comprising: an electrical drive machine; an output device for transmitting a torque provided by the electrical drive machine to drive vehicle wheels of a motor vehicle; a torque converter arranged in a torque transmission path between a rotor of the electrical drive machine and the output device, wherein the torque converter is configured to match the torque provided by the electrical drive machine to a respective torque requirement; a step-up transmission for stepping up the torque which is provided by the torque converter being arranged between the torque converter and the output device; a first cooling circuit which is designed to dissipate heat from the electrical drive machine; and a second cooling circuit which is designed to dissipate heat from the torque converter. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The electrical drive unit of claim 9, wherein the electrical drive unit includes a clutch configured to disconnect and open the torque transmission path between the electrical drive machine and the output device. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The electrical drive unit of claim 10, wherein the clutch is arranged parallel to the torque converter. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The electrical drive unit of claim 9, wherein the torque converter is configured to operate in a slip mode configured to allow rotation speed of a pump side to be higher than the rotation speed of a turbine side. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The electrical drive unit of claim 9, wherein the electrical drive unit includes a mechanically drivable pump mechanically coupled to a pump impeller or to the turbine wheel of the torque converter. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The electrical drive unit of claim 13, wherein the mechanically drivable pump is configured to be flow-connected to a flow chamber of the torque converter and configured to provide a minimum pressure of a fluid in the flow chamber of the torque converter. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The electrical drive unit of claim 9, wherein the electrical drive unit includes a differential transmission mechanically coupled to the output device of the electrical drive unit at one end and is mechanically coupled to an axle at the other end, wherein the differential transmission is configured to transmit torque from the electrical drive unit to the axle. ### Claim 16 An electrical drive unit, comprising: an electrical drive machine; an output shaft for transmitting a torque configured to drive vehicle wheels of a motor vehicle, the output shaft including a rotation axis corresponding to a torque transmission path of the electrical drive unit; and a torque converter arranged in the torque transmission path between a rotor of the electrical drive machine and the output shaft, wherein the torque converter is configured to match the torque provided by the electrical drive machine to a respective torque requirement; a first cooling circuit which is designed to dissipate heat from the electrical drive machine; and a second cooling circuit which is designed to dissipate heat from the torque converter. ### Claim 17 (depends on 9) The electrical drive unit of claim 9, further comprising an electrically driveable pump flow-connected to a flow chamber of the torque converter, wherein the flow chamber is configured to maintain a minimum pressure of a fluid in the flow chamber of the torque converter or for assisting in implementing a minimum pressure of a fluid in the flow chamber of the torque converter. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The electrical drive unit of claim 1, wherein the torque converter is configured to operate in a slip mode configured to allow rotation speed of a pump side to be higher than the rotation speed of a turbine side. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The electrical drive unit of claim 16, wherein the torque converter is configured to operate in a slip mode configured to allow rotation speed of a pump side to be higher than the rotation speed of a turbine side. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The electrical drive unit of claim 16, further comprising an axle mechanically coupled to the output shaft.