# US 12,179,597 B2 · Hybrid drive module

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- Number: US 12,179,597 B2
- Document ID: US12179597B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/783,514
- Filed: 2020-10-28
- Published: 2023-01-12
- Granted: 2024-12-31
- Earliest claimed: 2019-12-09
- Assignees: Valeo Kapec Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Valeo Kapec Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Jungwoo Kim; Jinsu Park
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12179597B2

## CPC

- B60K 6/40: characterised by the assembly or relative disposition of components
- B60K 17/02: characterised by arrangement, location, or kind of clutch
- B60K 6/387: Actuated clutches, i.e. clutches engaged or disengaged by electric, hydraulic or mechanical actuating means
- B60K 6/405: Housings
- B60K 6/48: Parallel type
- B60K 11/02: with liquid cooling
- 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 57/021: Shaft support structures, e.g. partition walls, bearing eyes, casing walls or covers with bearings
- F16H 57/0424: {Lubricant guiding means in the wall of or integrated with the casing, e.g. grooves, channels, holes}
- F16H 57/0427: {on rotary parts, e.g. using baffles for collecting lubricant by centrifugal force}
- F16H 57/0469: {Bearings or seals}
- F16H 57/0476: {Electric machines and gearing, i.e. joint lubrication or cooling or heating thereof}
- B60K 2001/006: {the electric motors}
- B60K 2006/4825: {Electric machine connected or connectable to gearbox input shaft}
- B60Y 2200/92: Hybrid vehicles
- B60Y 2304/01: Minimizing space with more compact designs or arrangements
- B60Y 2306/03: Lubrication
- B60Y 2306/05: Cooling
- B60Y 2400/4244: of wet type, e.g. using multiple lamellae
- B60Y 2400/426: Hydrodynamic couplings, e.g. torque converters
- F16H 2045/002: {comprising a clutch between prime mover and fluid gearing}
- F16H 2045/0284: {Multiple disk type lock-up clutch}
- Y02T 10/62: Hybrid 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
- B60Y: INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO ASPECTS CROSS-CUTTING VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION

## Abstract

A hybrid drive module is disclosed. An exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides a hybrid drive module that selectively transmits torque transmitted from an engine and a motor to a transmission including a housing disposed between the engine and the transmission, a drive shaft rotatably mounted inside the housing in a radial direction with its one end portion toward the engine based on an axial direction protruding from the housing and to which torque of the engine is inputted, a rotor hub provided within the housing and mounted with a rotor of the motor on its radially outer side, and in which a hub plate part integrally extending toward the drive shaft and rotatably connected to the other end portion of the drive shaft toward the transmission based on the axial direction is formed on its radially inner side, a rotor hub ridge, an inner circumferential surface of which is rotatably supported by the housing based on the radial direction and an external circumferential surface of which is fixed to the rotor hub based on the axial direction at the side of the engine, an engine clutch disposed at the engine side in the axial direction with the hub plate part interposed therebetween, and configured to directly connect the drive shaft and the rotor hub to selectively transmit the torque of the engine to the rotor hub, and a torque converter disposed at the side of the transmission in the axial direction with the hub plate part interposed therebetween to be connected to the rotor hub, and configured to multiply the torque of the engine, torque of the motor, or the torque of the engine and the motor when a vehicle is initially driven, or to transmit it to the transmission in a ratio of 1:1, wherein at least one fluid groove for supplying an operating fluid to the rotor to cool the rotor between the rotor hub and the engine clutch is formed on a surface of the hub plate part toward the engine clutch based on the axial direction.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A hybrid drive module that selectively transmits torque transmitted from an engine and a motor to a transmission, comprising:
a housing disposed between the engine and the transmission;
a drive shaft rotatably mounted inside the housing in a radial direction with one end portion toward the engine based on an axial direction protruding from the housing and to which torque of the engine is inputted;
a rotor hub provided within the housing and mounted with a rotor of the motor on a radially outer side of the rotor hub, and in which a hub plate part integrally extending toward the drive shaft and rotatably connected to the another end portion of the drive shaft toward the transmission based on the axial direction is formed on a radially inner side of the rotor hub;
a rotor hub ridge, an inner circumferential surface of which is rotatably supported by the housing based on the radial direction and an external circumferential surface of which is fixed to the rotor hub based on the axial direction at the side of the engine;
an engine clutch disposed at the engine side in the axial direction with the hub plate part interposed therebetween, and configured to directly connect the drive shaft and the rotor hub to selectively transmit the torque of the engine to the rotor hub; and
a torque converter disposed at the side of the transmission in the axial direction with the hub plate part interposed therebetween to be connected to the rotor hub, and configured to multiply the torque of the engine, torque of the motor, or the torque of the engine and the motor when a vehicle is initially driven, or to transmit it to the transmission in a ratio of 1:1,
wherein at least one fluid groove for supplying an operating fluid to the rotor to cool the rotor between the rotor hub and the engine clutch is formed on a surface of the hub plate part toward the engine clutch based on the axial direction.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The hybrid drive module of claim 1, wherein:
the engine clutch comprises:
a clutch piston, an outer circumferential surface and an inner circumferential surface of the clutch piston, based on the radial direction, being mounted on the rotor hub ridge slidably in the axial direction;
a drive plate, an inner circumferential end of which is fixed to an outer circumferential surface of the another end portion of the drive shaft based on the radial direction;
at least one first friction plate coupled to the drive plate and configured to move by the clutch piston in the axial direction;
a carrier fixed to the hub plate part at the engine side based on the axial direction; and
at least one second friction plate coupled to the carrier and disposed between the first friction plate and the carrier to move in the axial direction.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The hybrid drive module of claim 2, wherein:
between the rotor hub ridge and the clutch piston,
a clutch operating chamber configured to operate the clutch piston is formed.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The hybrid drive module of claim 3, wherein:
between the clutch piston and the drive plate,
a clutch compensation chamber configured to compensate for an overpressure is formed at an opposite side of the clutch operating chamber.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The hybrid drive module of claim 2, wherein:
the at least one fluid groove
is formed from a position spaced apart at a predetermined interval from a rotational center of the hub plate part to an inner circumferential surface of the rotor hub at an outer side based on the radial direction, and is formed along a circumferential direction of the hub plate part to be spaced apart at a predetermined angle from each other.

### Claim 6 (depends on 2)

The hybrid drive module of claim 2, wherein:
in the rotor hub,
a discharge hole is formed through inner and outer circumferential surfaces of the rotor hub at a position corresponding to the fluid groove.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The hybrid drive module of claim 6, wherein:
on the outer circumferential surface of the rotor hub,
a flow passage surface having a predetermined area is formed at a position corresponding to the discharge hole.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The hybrid drive module of claim 7, wherein:
the flow passage surface
forms a predetermined gap through which the operating fluid flows between an inner circumferential surface of the rotor and the flow passage surface.

### Claim 9 (depends on 6)

The hybrid drive module of claim 6, wherein:
on an outer circumferential surface of the carrier,
a cooling groove is formed at a position corresponding to the discharge hole.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The hybrid drive module of claim 9, wherein:
the cooling groove
forms a flow space in which the operating fluid flows between the inner circumferential surface of the rotor hub and the cooling groove so that the operating fluid is discharged from a radially inner side toward the outer circumferential surface of the rotor hub through the discharge hole.

### Claim 11 (depends on 2)

The hybrid drive module of claim 2, wherein:
the at least one fluid groove
forms a cooling passage between the carrier and the rotor hub when mounting of the carrier on the rotor hub is completed.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The hybrid drive module of claim 1, wherein:
the torque converter comprises:
an impeller assembly fixed to the rotor hub at the transmission side and rotating with the rotor hub;
a turbine disposed at a position facing the impeller assembly;
a lock-up clutch provided with a lock-up piston to directly connect the rotor hub and the turbine; and
a driven plate connected to the turbine and the lock-up clutch to receive torque, and connected to a spline hub connected to the transmission.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The hybrid drive module of claim 12, wherein:
the impeller assembly
comprises an impeller shell and a plurality of impeller blades provided on the impeller shell, and the impeller shell is bolted to the rotor hub.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The hybrid drive module of claim 12, wherein:
the lock-up clutch comprises:
a first clutch drum part formed at the inside of the rotor hub based on the radial direction at the transmission side in the axial direction;
at least one third friction plate coupled to the first clutch drum part and moving in the axial direction by the lock-up piston;
a second clutch drum part formed at a radially outer side of the driven plate at a position spaced apart by a predetermined interval from the first clutch drum part toward a center of rotation thereof; and
at least one fourth friction plate coupled to the second clutch drum part and disposed between the third friction plate and the second clutch drum part to move in the axial direction.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The hybrid drive module of claim 13, wherein:
between the hub plate part and the lock-up piston,
a leaf spring is interposed.

### Claim 16 (depends on 13)

The hybrid drive module of claim 13, wherein:
between the hub plate part and the lock-up piston,
a lock-up operating chamber configured to operate the lock-up piston is formed.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The hybrid drive module of claim 1, wherein:
in the rotor hub,
a rotor supporting part configured to support an axial end of the rotor is integrally formed to extend toward a radially outer side thereof on one end directed to the transmission based the axial direction.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

The hybrid drive module of claim 1, wherein:
the rotor
includes both end portions based on the axial direction and a retainer is interposed at each of the end portions, and a spacer is interposed between the retainer and the rotor at the other end of the rotor toward the engine.

### Claim 19 (depends on 1)

The hybrid drive module of claim 1, wherein:
a stator is disposed at a radially outer side of the rotor, and
the stator is fixed through a support ring in the housing.

### Claim 20 (depends on 1)

The hybrid drive module of claim 1, wherein:
one end portion of the drive shaft
is connected to the engine through a damper.

### Claim 21 (depends on 1)

The hybrid drive module of claim 1, wherein:
a first bearing is interposed between the housing and the drive shaft,
a second bearing is interposed between the housing and the rotor hub ridge, and
a third bearing is interposed between an inner circumferential surface of the other end of the drive shaft and an outer circumferential surface of the hub plate part.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

The hybrid drive module of claim 21, wherein:
a sealing member configured to seal between the housing and the drive shaft is mounted at a position spaced apart from the first bearing toward the engine side by a predetermined distance based on the axial direction.

### Claim 23 (depends on 21)

The hybrid drive module of claim 21, wherein:
the first bearing
is installed to be supported in the axial direction by a snap ring mounted on an outer circumferential surface of the drive shaft.

### Claim 24 (depends on 21)

The hybrid drive module of claim 21, wherein:
the second bearing has
one end toward the engine side based on the axial direction supported on a first stepped groove formed on an outer circumferential surface of the housing at a radially inner side, and
other end toward the transmission side based on the axial direction supported on a second stepped groove formed on an inner circumferential surface of the rotor hub ridge at a radially inner side.

### Claim 25 (depends on 21)

The hybrid drive module of claim 21, wherein:
the third bearing has
one end toward the engine side based on the axial direction supported on a third stepped groove formed on an inner circumferential surface of the other end of the drive shaft at a radially inner side, and
other end toward the transmission side based on the axial direction is supported on a fourth stepped groove formed on an outer circumferential surface of the hub plate part at a radially inner side.