# US 12,603,552 B2 · Electric drive unit for a vehicle > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,603,552 B2 - Document ID: US12603552B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/521,542 - Filed: 2023-11-28 - Published: 2025-05-29 - Granted: 2026-04-14 - Earliest claimed: 2023-11-28 - Assignees: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG - Applicants: Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG - Inventors: Steven Wilson, Jr. - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12603552B2 ## CPC - H02K 11/40: Structural association with grounding devices - F16H 57/02: Gearboxes; Mounting gearing therein - 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 17/165: {provided between independent half axles (B60K17/18, B60K17/20 take precedence)} - B60K 2001/001: {one motor mounted on a propulsion axle for rotating right and left wheels of this axle} - F16H 1/20: involving more than two intermeshing members - F16H 37/0813: {with only one input shaft} - F16H 48/08: comprising bevel gears - F16H 2057/02034: {Gearboxes combined or connected with electric machines} - H02K: DYNAMO-ELECTRIC MACHINES (dynamo-electric relays H01H53/00; conversion of DC or AC input power into surge output power {H03K3/53}) - F16H: GEARING - 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 vehicle includes an electric drive unit. The electric drive unit includes a transmission that includes a differential that is operably coupled with half shafts of the vehicle, an electric motor that is configured to drive rotation of a rotor shaft that is operably coupled with the transmission such that rotation of the rotor shaft drives rotation of the half shafts via the transmission, a housing that houses the electric motor, a contact feature coupled to the rotor shaft proximate an axial end of the rotor shaft, and a spring that extends from the housing to abut a portion of the contact feature that is radially aligned with an axis about which the rotor shaft rotates to ground the rotor shaft to the housing. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A vehicle, comprising: an electric drive unit that comprises: a transmission that includes a differential that is operably coupled with half shafts of the vehicle; an electric motor that is configured to drive rotation of a rotor shaft that is operably coupled with the transmission, such that rotation of the rotor shaft drives rotation of the half shafts via the transmission; a housing that houses the electric motor; a contact feature coupled to the rotor shaft proximate an axial end of the rotor shaft; and a spring that extends from the housing to abut a portion of the contact feature that is radially aligned with an axis about which the rotor shaft rotates to ground the rotor shaft to the housing, wherein the contact feature includes a shaft that protrudes into a hollow defined by the rotor shaft and a head coupled to the shaft, wherein the spring abuts the head of the contact feature. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the head is dome-shaped, and the spring abuts a crown of the dome-shaped head. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the rotor shaft is formed of a first material having a first electrical conductivity, and the contact feature is formed a second material having a second electrical conductivity that is higher than the first electrical conductivity. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the spring is compressed between the housing and the contact feature, such that the spring is configured to maintain abutment with the contact feature via further compression as the rotor shaft shifts axially toward the spring and via decompression as the rotor shaft shifts axially away from the spring. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the contact feature is integrally coupled with the rotor shaft. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the spring is fixedly coupled to the housing. ### Claim 7 An electric drive unit for a vehicle, comprising: an electric motor that is configured to drive rotation of a rotor shaft that is operably coupled with a wheel of the vehicle, such that rotation of the rotor shaft drives rotation of the wheel; a housing that houses the electric motor; a contact feature coupled to the rotor shaft; and a spring that extends from the housing to abut the contact feature to ground the rotor shaft to the housing, wherein the contact feature includes a shaft that protrudes into a hollow defined by the rotor shaft and a head coupled to the shaft, wherein the spring abuts the head of the contact feature. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The electric drive unit of claim 7, further comprising: a transmission operably coupled with the rotor shaft, such that rotation of the rotor shaft drives rotation of the wheel via the transmission. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The electric drive unit of claim 7, wherein the contact feature is coupled to the rotor shaft at an axial end of the rotor shaft. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The electric drive unit of claim 9, wherein the spring abuts a portion of the contact feature that is radially aligned with an axis about which the rotor shaft rotates. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The electric drive unit for a vehicle of claim 10, wherein the spring extends from the housing to abut the head of the contact feature that is radially aligned with an axis about which the rotor shaft rotates. ### Claim 12 An electric drive unit for a vehicle, comprising: an electric motor configured to drive rotation of a rotor shaft; a contact feature coupled to the rotor shaft at an axial end of the rotor shaft and configured to rotate with the rotor shaft; and a spring coupled to a housing that houses the electric motor and extending from the housing to abut the contact feature, such that the rotor shaft is grounded to the housing via the contact feature and the spring, wherein the contact feature includes a shaft that protrudes into a hollow defined by the rotor shaft and a head coupled to the shaft, wherein the spring abuts the head of the contact feature. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The electric drive unit of claim 12, wherein the head is dome-shaped, and the spring abuts a crown of the dome-shaped head. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The electric drive unit of claim 12, wherein the spring abuts a portion of the contact feature that is radially aligned with an axis about which the rotor shaft rotates. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The electric drive unit of claim 12, wherein the rotor shaft is formed of a first material having a first electrical conductivity, and the contact feature is formed a second material having a second electrical conductivity that is higher than the first electrical conductivity. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The electric drive unit of claim 12, wherein the spring is a compression spring. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The electric drive unit of claim 16, wherein the spring is compressed between the housing and the contact feature, such that the spring is configured to maintain abutment with the contact feature via further compression as the rotor shaft shifts axially toward the spring and via decompression as the rotor shaft shifts axially away from the spring. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) The electric drive unit of claim 12, wherein the spring is fixedly coupled to the housing. ### Claim 19 (depends on 12) The electric drive unit of claim 12, wherein the rotor shaft is operably coupled with a differential, such that rotation of the rotor shaft is configured to drive rotation of first and second half shafts operably coupled with the differential.