US 12,078,236 B2
Electric drive unit with gear shaft, rotor shaft and three bearings
Benjamin Dellal, San Francisco, CA (US); Scott Michael Graves, Felton, CA (US); and Luke Ottaway, Los Altos, CA (US)
Assigned to Tesla, Inc., Austin, TX (US)
Filed by Tesla, Inc., Austin, TX (US)
Filed on Jun. 26, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/341,603.
Application 17/060,681 is a division of application No. 15/944,863, filed on Apr. 4, 2018, granted, now 10,801,606, issued on Oct. 13, 2020.
Application 18/341,603 is a continuation of application No. 17/060,681, filed on Oct. 1, 2020, granted, now 11,686,384.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/527,921, filed on Jun. 30, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2023/0341042 A1, Oct. 26, 2023
Int. Cl. H02K 7/00 (2006.01); B60K 1/00 (2006.01); B60K 17/04 (2006.01); F16C 25/08 (2006.01); F16H 57/04 (2010.01); H02K 1/20 (2006.01); H02K 5/20 (2006.01); H02K 7/04 (2006.01); H02K 7/08 (2006.01); H02K 7/116 (2006.01); H02K 9/193 (2006.01); H02K 15/16 (2006.01); B60K 1/02 (2006.01); F16H 57/02 (2012.01); F16H 57/032 (2012.01); F16H 57/037 (2012.01); H02K 9/19 (2006.01)
CPC F16H 57/0409 (2013.01) [B60K 1/00 (2013.01); B60K 17/043 (2013.01); F16C 25/083 (2013.01); F16H 57/0402 (2013.01); F16H 57/0412 (2013.01); F16H 57/0423 (2013.01); F16H 57/0424 (2013.01); F16H 57/0427 (2013.01); F16H 57/0436 (2013.01); F16H 57/0457 (2013.01); F16H 57/046 (2013.01); F16H 57/0471 (2013.01); F16H 57/0482 (2013.01); F16H 57/0483 (2013.01); H02K 1/20 (2013.01); H02K 5/20 (2013.01); H02K 7/003 (2013.01); H02K 7/04 (2013.01); H02K 7/083 (2013.01); H02K 7/116 (2013.01); H02K 9/193 (2013.01); H02K 15/165 (2013.01); B60K 2001/001 (2013.01); B60K 1/02 (2013.01); B60K 17/04 (2013.01); B60Y 2200/91 (2013.01); B60Y 2306/03 (2013.01); B60Y 2306/05 (2013.01); B60Y 2410/1022 (2013.01); F16C 2326/06 (2013.01); F16H 2057/02034 (2013.01); F16H 2057/0325 (2013.01); F16H 57/037 (2013.01); H02K 7/006 (2013.01); H02K 9/19 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An electric drive unit having only three bearings in a rotor shaft and gear shaft portion of the electric drive unit, the electric drive unit comprising:
a rotor shaft having a first end, a second end, and a first region of the rotor shaft extending from the first end to a first shoulder;
a gear shaft having a third end and a fourth end;
a first bearing supporting the rotor shaft near the second end;
a second bearing supporting the gear shaft at the third end; and
a third bearing supporting the gear shaft at the fourth end;
wherein:
the first region of the rotor shaft resides within the fourth end of the gear shaft;
the fourth end of the gear shaft resides adjacent the first shoulder;
the third bearing supports the rotor shaft; and
the rotor shaft and gear shaft portion comprises only three bearings, wherein
the rotor shaft has a second region of the rotor shaft extending from the second end to a second shoulder;
the gear shaft has a third region of the gear shaft extending from the third end to a third shoulder, and a fourth region of the gear shaft extending from the fourth end to a fourth shoulder;
the first bearing supports the rotor shaft in the second region adjacent the second shoulder;
the second bearing supports the third region of the gear shaft and resides adjacent the third shoulder; and
the third bearing supports the fourth region of the gear shaft and resides adjacent the fourth shoulder.