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US 12,381,447 B2Granted
Electric drive module configured as a beam axle
AssigneeAmerican Axle & Manufacturing, Inc.
InventorsMatthew A. Umerley, Frederick E. Zink, Jonathan P. Prichard, James P. Downs, Gregory A. Marsh, Matthew T. Blakeman, Steven Grider, Paul J. Valente
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An electrically-operated electric drive module for use in a vehicle framework that is configured for a powertrain that includes an internal combustion engine. The electrically-operated electric drive module permits the vehicle to be converted to an electrically propelled vehicle in a manner that is cost-effective and which is relatively low in weight.
Claims27
An electric drive module comprising:
- a housing assembly that defines an output axis, the housing assembly having a carrier housing and a pair of axle tubes, the carrier housing having a pair of carrier housing members that are mated to one another across a first plane that intersects the output axis at a point, the carrier housing defining a carrier cavity, each of the axle tubes being fixedly coupled to a corresponding one of the carrier housing members;
- a differential assembly received in the carrier cavity, the differential assembly having a differential input member, which is supported by the carrier housing for rotation about the output axis, and a pair of differential output members;
- a pair of output shafts, each of the output shafts being received in a corresponding one of the axle tubes and being coupled for rotation with a corresponding one of the differential output members;
- a first electric motor mounted to the exterior of a first one of the carrier housing members, the first electric motor having a first motor shaft that extends through the first one of the carrier housing members into the carrier cavity and couples with a pinion gear;
- a first transmission received in the carrier cavity, the first transmission transmitting rotary power between the first motor shaft and the differential input member, wherein the first transmission further comprises:
- a compound gear having a first gear rotatably engaged with the pinion gear and a second gear rotatably engaged with a transmission output gear;
- an additional compound gear having a first gear rotatably engaged with the pinion gear and a second gear rotatably engaged with the transmission output gear;
- a first inverter mounted to the first electric motor;
- a first heat exchanger mounted to the first one of the carrier housing members;
- a first coolant pump coupled to the housing assembly, the first coolant pump being configured to pump a cooling fluid through a first cooling circuit that fluidly couples the first heat exchanger and the first electric motor.
7 more elements
An electric drive module comprising:
- a housing assembly having a carrier housing and a pair of axle tubes, the carrier housing being disposed about an output axis and having a pair of housing members that are joined together across an interface that extends in a plane that is perpendicular to the output axis, each of the housing members having an axle tube mount, a first one of the housing members defining a first motor mount, each of the axle tubes being disposed in an associated one of the axle tube mounts and being fixedly coupled to a corresponding one of the housing members coaxially about the output axis;
- a differential assembly received in the housing assembly, the differential assembly having a differential input member, which is rotatable about the output axis relative to the housing assembly, and a pair of differential output members that are rotatable about the output axis relative to the differential input member;
- a first motor assembly having a first electric motor and a first inverter, the first electric motor being mounted to the first motor mount and extending from a first lateral side of the housing assembly, the first inverter being mounted to the first one of the housing members and being electrically coupled to the first electric motor;
- a first transmission received at least partly in a second one of the housing members, the first transmission transmitting rotary power between the first electric motor and the differential input member;
- and
- a first heat exchanger mounted on the housing assembly, the first heat exchanger being in fluid communication with a first cooling circuit that is configured to cool the first electric motor and the first inverter.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.