US 11,858,343 B2
Lubricant supported electric motor assembly for compact, power dense wheel-end applications
Donald Remboski, Ann Arbor, MI (US); Mark Versteyhe, Oostkamp (BE); Gary Rogers, Novi, MI (US); Gorazd Gotovac, Ljubljana (SI); Marko Podgorelec, Ljubljana (SI); Sebastjan Erculj, Videm-Dobrepolje (SI); Blaz Grafenauer, Ljubljana (SI); Gasper Sustersic, Ljubljana Sentvid (SI); and Martin Strojnik, Domzale (SI)
Assigned to ELECTRIC PROPULSION TECHNOLOGIES, LLC, Farmington Hills, MI (US)
Filed by Electric Propulsion Technologies, LLC, Farmington Hills, MI (US)
Filed on Jan. 24, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/158,512.
Application 18/158,512 is a continuation of application No. 17/575,677, filed on Jan. 14, 2022, granted, now 11,590,840.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/137,200, filed on Jan. 14, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0158885 A1, May 25, 2023
Int. Cl. B60K 17/04 (2006.01); B60K 7/00 (2006.01)
CPC B60K 17/046 (2013.01) [B60K 7/0007 (2013.01); B60K 2007/0038 (2013.01); B60K 2007/0092 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A lubricant supported electric motor assembly comprising:
an electric motor module including a stator and a rotor rotatably disposed within said stator to define a first gap therebetween;
a lubricant disposed in said first gap for supporting said rotor relative to said stator;
said rotor extending along an axis A between a first rotor end and a second rotor end to present an inner rotor surface defining an internal rotor cavity;
a shifting and first stage module disposed within said internal rotor cavity and including a first planetary gear reducer assembly operably connected with said rotor for rotation therewith;
said shifting and first stage module including an output gear rotatably aligned on the axis A and selectively couplable to said first planetary gear reducer assembly for selective rotation therewith;
a final drive module disposed adjacent said shifting and first stage module and including a second planetary gear reducer assembly operably coupled with said output gear for rotation therewith;
said shifting and first stage module including a shifting mechanism configured to establish said selective coupling between said first planetary gear assembly and said output gear to transfer adjustable torque from said shifting and first stage module to said final drive device;
a wheel flange shaft extending along the axis A and operably coupled to said second planetary gear reducer assembly for rotation therewith; and
a wheel flange coupled to said wheel flange shaft for coupling with a wheel of a vehicle to transfer torque directly from said final drive module to the wheel of the vehicle.