# US 12,009,722 B2 · Electric machine > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,009,722 B2 - Document ID: US12009722B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/276,118 - Filed: 2019-07-24 - Published: 2022-02-03 - Granted: 2024-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2018-09-13 - Assignees: Mahle International GmbH - Applicants: Mahle International GmbH - Inventors: Peter Sever - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12009722B2 ## CPC - H02K 5/128: using air-gap sleeves or air-gap discs - B60L 50/51: characterised by AC-motors - H02K 5/1732: {radially supporting the rotary shaft at both ends of the rotor (H02K5/1737 takes precedence)} - H02K 5/18: with ribs or fins for improving heat transfer - H02K 9/22: by solid heat conducting material embedded in, or arranged in contact with, the stator or rotor, e.g. heat bridges - H02K 9/223: {Heat bridges} - H02K 9/227: {Heat sinks} - H02K 5/203: {specially adapted for liquids, e.g. cooling jackets} - Y02T 10/70: Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries - H02K: DYNAMO-ELECTRIC MACHINES (dynamo-electric relays H01H53/00; conversion of DC or AC input power into surge output power {H03K3/53}) - B60L: PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of electrical propulsion units or of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion in vehicles B60K1/00, B60K6/20; arrangements or mounting of electrical gearing in vehicles B60K17/12, B60K17/14; preventing wheel slip by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/08; dynamo-electric machines H02K; control or regulation of electric motors H02P); SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (electric coupling devices combined with mechanical couplings of vehicles B60D1/64; electric heating for vehicles B60H1/00); ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL (control or regulation of electric motors H02P); MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract An electric machine for a vehicle is disclosed. The electric machine includes a stator and a rotor rotatable relative to the stator about a rotational axis that defines an axial direction. A housing at least partially surrounds a housing interior and includes a first housing part and a second housing part that bound the housing interior. The rotor is rotatably mounted on the first housing part and the second housing part via a bearing device. At least one heat transmission body is arranged along the axial direction between at least one of the first and second housing parts and the rotor. The heat transmission body bounds, together with the at least one of the first and second housing parts, a coolant space through which a coolant can flow. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An electric machine for a vehicle, comprising: a stator and a rotor rotatable relative to the stator about a rotational axis that defines an axial direction, a housing at least partially surrounding a housing interior, wherein the housing includes a first housing part and a second housing part that bound the housing interior, and the rotor is rotatably mounted on the first housing part and the second housing part via a bearing device, at least one heat transmission body is arranged along the axial direction between at least one of the first housing part and the second housing part and the rotor, the at least one heat transmission body bounds, together with the at least one of the first housing part and the second housing part, a coolant space through which a coolant can flow, wherein the bearing device comprises a first bearing element and a second bearing element that are arranged at an axial distance from one another, such that the rotor is arranged axially between the first bearing element and the second bearing element, and wherein the axial position of the first bearing element and the second bearing element is defined such that that less than about 35% of the radial forces taken up by the first bearing element and the second bearing element are passed on to the at least one heat transmission body. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one heat transmission body is provided separately from the first housing part and the second housing part. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of: the at least one heat transmission body and the first housing part and the second housing part are provided non-uniformly in respect of material, a material of the at least one heat transmission body has a higher thermal conductivity than a material of at least one of the first housing part and the second housing part, and a material of at least one of the first housing part and the second housing part has at least one of a higher upper yield strength and a higher creep limit than a material of the at least one heat transmission body. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one heat transmission body and the rotor comprise a heat transmission structure for transmitting heat from the rotor to the at least one heat transmission body. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The machine as claimed in claim 4, wherein the heat transmission structure and the first housing part and the second housing part are provided non-uniformly in respect of material. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The machine as claimed in claim 4, wherein a material of the heat transmission structure has a higher thermal conductivity than a material of at least one of the first housing part and the second housing part. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The machine as claimed in claim 4, wherein the at least one heat transmission body and the heat transmission structure are provided uniformly in respect of material. ### Claim 8 (depends on 4) The machine as claimed in claim 4, wherein the rotor is not mounted on the first housing part and the second housing part via the heat transmission structure or via the at least one heat transmission body. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rotor is mounted directly on the first housing part and the second housing part. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein a wall thickness, measured in the axial direction, of at least one of the first housing part and the second housing part is at least twice a wall thickness of the at least one heat transmission body. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one heat transmission body includes two heat transmission bodies bounding the coolant space, wherein a first heat transmission body of the two heat transmission bodies is arranged along the axial direction between the first housing part and the rotor, and a second heat transmission body of the two heat transmission bodies is arranged along the axial direction between the rotor and the second housing part. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the stator is attached to at least one of the first housing part and the second housing part. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the stator is arranged at a distance from the at least one heat transmission body. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein one of: the at least one heat transmission body is attached to the at least one of the first housing part and the second housing part; and the at least one heat transmission body and the at least one of the first housing part and the second housing part are provided in one piece. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The machine as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a heat transmission structure for transmitting waste heat from the rotor to the at least one heat transmission body, wherein the heat transmission structure comprises at least two projections that protrude axially from the rotor toward the at least one heat transmission body and engage in complementary recesses that are provided on the at least one heat transmission body. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The machine as claimed in claim 15, wherein the at least two projections are structured as a comb. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The machine as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a heat transmission structure for transmitting waste heat from the rotor to the at least one heat transmission body, wherein the heat transmission structure comprises at least two projections that protrude axially from the at least one heat transmission body to the rotor and engage in complementary recesses that are provided on the rotor. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The machine as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a heat transmission structure for transmitting waste heat from the rotor to the at least one heat transmission body, wherein a distance, which is measured in a region of the heat transmission structure, between the at least one heat transmission body and the rotor along the axial direction, is at maximum 1 mm. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first housing part and the second housing part are composed of a different material than the at least one heat transmission body. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein a material of at least one of the first housing part and the second housing part has a thermal conductivity which is lower than a thermal conductivity of the at least one heat transmission body. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) The machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein a material of the at least one heat transmission body has a thermal conductivity of at least 100 W/(m*k). ### Claim 22 (depends on 1) The machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the housing further includes a third housing part formed radially limited and from plastic via encapsulation of the stator by injection molding. ### Claim 23 (depends on 1) The machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein an annular gap, which is part of the coolant space, is provided between winding end sections that project into the coolant space. ### Claim 24 An electric machine for a vehicle, comprising: a stator and a rotor rotatable relative to the stator about a rotational axis that defines an axial direction, a housing at least partially surrounding a housing interior, wherein the housing includes a first housing part and a second housing part that bound the housing interior, and the rotor is rotatably mounted on the first housing part and the second housing part via a bearing device, at least one heat transmission body is arranged along the axial direction between at least one of the first housing part and the second housing part and the rotor, the at least one heat transmission body bounds, together with the at least one of the first housing part and the second housing part, a coolant space through which a coolant can flow, the bearing device comprises a first bearing element via which the rotor is mounted on the first housing part, and comprises a second bearing element arranged axially at a distance from the first bearing element and via which the rotor is mounted on the second housing part, a distance measured along the axial direction between the at least one heat transmission body and the first housing part is larger than a distance measured along the axial direction between the first bearing element and the first housing part, and a distance measured along the axial direction between a second heat transmission body and the second housing part is larger than a distance measured along the axial direction between the second bearing element and the second housing part. ### Claim 25 An electric machine for a vehicle, comprising: a stator and a rotor rotatable relative to the stator about a rotational axis that defines an axial direction, a housing at least partially surrounding a housing interior, wherein the housing includes a first housing part and a second housing part that bound the housing interior, and the rotor is rotatably mounted on the first housing part and the second housing part via a bearing device, at least one heat transmission body is arranged along the axial direction between at least one of the first housing part and the second housing part and the rotor, the at least one heat transmission body bounds, together with the at least one of the first housing part and the second housing part, a coolant space through which a coolant can flow, and wherein the at least one heat transmission body is a deep-drawn component extending at least in certain sections transversely to the axial direction with a wall thickness measured along the axial direction at maximum 3 mm. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The machine as claimed in claim 25, wherein at least one of a recess depth and a projection height of recesses or projections, which form the heat transmission structure on the at least one heat transmission body, is at least three times the wall thickness of the deep-drawn component. ### Claim 27 An electric machine for a vehicle, comprising: a stator and a rotor rotatable relative to the stator about a rotational axis that defines an axial direction, a housing at least partially surrounding a housing interior, wherein the housing includes a first housing part and a second housing part that bound the housing interior, and the rotor is rotatably mounted on the first housing part and the second housing part via a bearing device, at least one heat transmission body is arranged along the axial direction between at least one of the first housing part and the second housing part and the rotor, the at least one heat transmission body bounds, together with the at least one of the first housing part and the second housing part, a coolant space through which a coolant can flow, and wherein at least one of the first housing part and the second housing part has an attachment section to which the at least one heat transmission body is attached, wherein the bearing device for rotatably mounting the rotor is also provided on the attachment section. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) The machine as claimed in claim 27, wherein the attachment section is a sleeve that projects inward into the housing interior along the axial direction from the at least one of the first housing part and the second housing part, and on the inner side of the sleeve a bearing element of the bearing device is arranged. ### Claim 29 An electric machine for a vehicle, comprising: a stator and a rotor rotatable relative to the stator about a rotational axis that defines an axial direction, a housing at least partially surrounding a housing interior, wherein the housing includes a first housing part and a second housing part that bound the housing interior, and the rotor is rotatably mounted on the first housing part and the second housing part via a bearing device, at least one heat transmission body is arranged along the axial direction between at least one of the first housing part and the second housing part and the rotor, the at least one heat transmission body bounds, together with the at least one of the first housing part and the second housing part, a coolant space through which a coolant can flow, and wherein the at least one heat transmission body is locked exclusively via axial compression.