# US 12,015,329 B2 · Motor unit with oil passage and partition > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,015,329 B2 - Document ID: US12015329B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/970,575 - Filed: 2022-10-21 - Published: 2023-02-09 - Granted: 2024-06-18 - Earliest claimed: 2019-02-15 - Assignees: Nidec Corporation - Applicants: Nidec Corporation - Inventors: Shuhei Nakamatsu - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12015329B2 ## CPC - H02K 9/193: with provision for replenishing the cooling medium; with means for preventing leakage of the cooling medium - 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) - H02K 5/20: with channels or ducts for flow of cooling medium - H02K 5/203: {specially adapted for liquids, e.g. cooling jackets} - H02K 5/24: specially adapted for suppression or reduction of noise or vibrations - H02K 7/003: {Couplings; Details of shafts (means for mounting rotors on shafts H02K1/28)} - H02K 7/116: with gears - H02K 21/14: with magnets rotating within the armatures - H02K 21/145: {having an annular armature coil (with homopolar co-operation H02K21/20)} - B60K 2001/001: {one motor mounted on a propulsion axle for rotating right and left wheels of this axle} - B60K 2001/006: {the electric motors} - H02K: DYNAMO-ELECTRIC MACHINES (dynamo-electric relays H01H53/00; conversion of DC or AC input power into surge output power {H03K3/53}) - 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 ## Abstract A motor unit includes a motor including a rotor including a shaft, and configured to rotate about a motor axis extending in a horizontal direction, and a stator located radially outside of the rotor; a housing including a housing space to accommodate the motor; an oil passage configured to circulate an oil in the housing space to cool the motor; a gear portion connected to the shaft on one side in an axial direction of the motor axis; and a pump arranged in the oil passage and arranged to the housing. The housing includes a partition arranged to divide a gear chamber to accommodate the gear portion and a motor chamber to accommodate the motor. The partition includes a second connection hole portion opened on the other side in the axial direction toward an inside of the motor chamber. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A motor unit, comprising: a motor including: a rotor including a shaft, and configured to rotate about a motor axis extending in a horizontal direction, and a stator located radially outside of the rotor; a housing including a housing space to accommodate the motor; an oil passage configured to circulate an oil in the housing space to cool the motor; a gear portion connected to the shaft on one side in an axial direction of the motor axis; and a pump arranged in the oil passage, wherein the housing includes: a motor housing portion wherein an interior of the motor housing portion defines a motor chamber to accommodate the motor, a gear housing portion wherein an interior of the gear housing portion defines a gear chamber to accommodate the gear portion, and a partition arranged to divide the gear chamber and the motor chamber, the oil passage includes a flow passage arranged in an interior of the housing, the gear housing portion includes a protruding portion protruding radially outward relative to the motor housing portion when viewed along the axial direction, the pump is located on a lower side of the motor chamber and fixed to a surface of the protruding portion of the gear housing portion, wherein the pump includes a suction inlet facing the protruding portion, the partition includes: a portion of the flow passage, and a second connection hole portion opened on the other side in the axial direction toward an inside of the motor chamber, the flow passage includes a third straight portion, when viewed along the axial direction, extending transversely to the motor axis toward the second connection hole portion, and the third straight portion includes an upstream end, when viewed along the axial direction, located on the lower side of the motor axis. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The motor unit according to claim 1, wherein the third straight portion is arranged in the partition. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The motor unit according to claim 1, wherein the third straight portion includes a downstream end, when viewed along the axial direction, located nearer to the shaft than the upstream end, and the third straight portion approaches the shaft while extending from the upstream end to the downstream end. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The motor unit according to claim 1, wherein the flow passage includes a first straight portion connected to a downstream end of the third straight portion, the first straight portion is connected to the second connection hole portion, and the first straight portion is arranged in the partition and extends transversely to the motor axis. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The motor unit according to claim 4, wherein the first straight portion, when viewed along the axial direction, extends transversely to the motor axis and across the shaft at an upper side of the motor axis. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The motor unit according to claim 1, further comprising: an oil feeding structure located on an upper side of the motor and configured to feed the oil to the stator, wherein the second connection hole portion is connected to the oil feeding structure. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The motor unit according to claim 1, further comprising: a cooler, wherein the upstream end of the third straight portion is connected to the cooler. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The motor unit according to claim 1, wherein the flow passage has a third flow passage, the third flow passage extends along the axial direction inside a wall portion of the motor housing portion, and the third flow passage is arranged to overlap the stator in the axial direction and overlap the stator in a radial direction of the motor axis. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The motor unit according to claim 1, wherein the shaft of the rotor extends along the axial direction with the motor axis as a center, the shaft includes: a hollow portion inside of the shaft, and extending in the axial direction, and a communicating hole extending in a radial direction of the motor axis, wherein the hollow portion is configured to communicate with a space outside of the shaft through the communicating hole, the oil passage includes an intra-shaft channel in the hollow portion, and the oil passage is arranged to allow the oil in the portion of the flow passage to flow in a same direction as the oil in the intra-shaft channel. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The motor unit according to claim 1, wherein the gear portion includes a second gear, and the pump is arranged to overlap at least in part with the second gear when viewed along the axial direction. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The motor unit according to claim 1, further comprising: a cooler, wherein the cooler is arranged to overlap at least in part with the protruding portion of the gear housing portion when viewed along the axial direction. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The motor unit according to claim 1, further comprising: a cooler, wherein the gear portion includes a second gear, and the cooler is arranged to overlap at least in part with the second gear when viewed along the axial direction. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The motor unit according to claim 1, further comprising: a ring gear configured to rotate about a differential axis being parallel to the motor axis; and a cooler arranged to overlap the differential axis in a vertical direction. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The motor unit according to claim 1, further comprising: a cooler, wherein the pump is arranged to overlap the cooler in the axial direction. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The motor unit according to claim 1, further comprising: a cooler, wherein the cooler is arranged between a first line and a second line, the first line is defined as a virtual line connecting the shaft and the upstream end of the third straight portion, and the second line is defined as a further virtual line connecting the shaft and a center of the pump. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The motor unit according to claim 1, further comprising: a cooler fixed to an outer peripheral surface, which faces radially outwardly, of the motor housing portion, wherein the flow passage has a second flow passage arranged to overlap the stator with respect to the axial direction, and the third straight portion is arranged in the partition. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The motor unit according to claim 1, further comprising: a ring gear configured to rotate about a differential axis being parallel to the motor axis; and a cooler arranged on a side opposite to the differential axis with respect to the pump. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The motor unit according to claim 1, further comprising: an inverter unit fixed to the housing and configured to electrically connect to the motor, wherein the inverter unit is arranged to overlap at least in part with the protruding portion of the gear housing portion when viewed along the axial direction. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The motor unit according to claim 1, further comprising: a ring gear configured to rotate about a differential axis being parallel to the motor axis; and a inverter unit arranged to overlap at least in part with the ring gear when viewed along the axial direction, wherein the gear portion includes: a first gear configured to rotate about the motor axis, a second gear configured to mesh with the first gear and rotate about an intermediate shaft, and a third gear connected to the second gear through the intermediate shaft. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The motor unit according to claim 1, further comprising: a cooler; and an inverter unit fixed to the housing and configured to electrically connect to the motor, wherein the inverter unit is arranged on a side opposite to the motor axis with respect to the cooler when viewed along a vertical direction.