Cooling and Lubrication System for a Motor Vehicle Drive Unit

A cooling and lubrication system for a motor vehicle drive unit, the cooling and lubrication system comprising:

• a drive unit sump that holds drive unit fluid;
• a first mechanically-driven pump fluidly communicating with the drive unit sump;
• a second mechanically-driven pump fluidly communicating with the drive unit sump;
• and
• an oil/air separator reservoir residing downstream of the first mechanically-driven pump and residing downstream of the second mechanically-driven pump;
• wherein, in one state of operation amid use of the cooling and lubrication system, the first mechanically-driven pump draws air or a mixture of drive unit fluid and air from the drive unit sump and the drawn air or mixture is delivered to the oil/air separator reservoir and the drawn air or mixture is substantially precluded from delivery to an electric traction motor of the motor vehicle drive unit, and wherein the second mechanically-driven pump draws drive unit fluid from the drive unit sump and the drawn drive unit fluid is delivered through a heat exchanger and to the electric traction motor for cooling.

A cooling and lubrication system for a motor vehicle drive unit, the cooling and lubrication system comprising:

• a drive unit sump that holds drive unit fluid;
• a first mechanically-driven pump fluidly communicating with the drive unit sump;
• a second mechanically-driven pump fluidly communicating with the drive unit sump;
• a heat exchanger residing downstream of the first mechanically-driven pump and residing downstream of the second mechanically-driven pump;
• an oil/air separator reservoir residing downstream of the first mechanically-driven pump and residing downstream of the second mechanically-driven pump;
• a first check valve residing downstream of the first mechanically-driven pump and upstream of the heat exchanger;
• a second check valve residing downstream of the second mechanically-driven pump and upstream of the heat exchanger;
• a first throttle valve residing downstream of the first mechanically-driven pump and upstream of the oil/air separator reservoir;
• and
• a second throttle valve residing downstream of the second mechanically-driven pump and upstream of the oil/air separator reservoir;
• wherein, amid use of the cooling and lubrication system, drive unit fluid separated from the oil/air separator reservoir is fed downstream of the oil/air separator reservoir to components of the motor vehicle drive unit for lubrication, to an electric traction motor of the motor vehicle drive unit for cooling, or to both of the components and electric traction motor, wherein the separated drive unit fluid is fed downstream of the oil/air separator reservoir via gravity and absent a dedicated pump therefor.