Axle assembly having an electric motor module
地域：
MI
MI Troy
摘要
An axle assembly having an electric motor module. The electric motor module may include a rotor, a rotor shaft, a stator, a coolant jacket, an end plate, and a motor housing. The motor housing may encircle a portion of the coolant jacket. The end plate may be disposed outside and may not be received in the motor housing.
說明書
This disclosure relates to an axle assembly having an electric motor module and a method of assembly.
An axle assembly having an electric motor module is disclosed in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2019/0054816.
In at least one embodiment an axle assembly is provided. The axle assembly may include an electric motor module. The electric motor module may include a rotor, a rotor shaft, a stator, the coolant jacket, an end plate, and a motor housing. The rotor may be rotatable about a rotor axis. The rotor shaft may extend from the rotor and may be rotatable about the rotor axis with the rotor. The stator may encircle the rotor. The coolant jacket may encircle the stator and may have a set of channels that may be open in a direction that faces away from the rotor axis. The end plate may engage and may be fixedly attached to an end of the coolant jacket and may support the rotor shaft. The motor housing may encircle a portion of the coolant jacket. The motor housing may be spaced apart from the end plate. The end plate may not be received inside the motor housing. The coolant jacket may not be received inside the end plate. Multiple members of the set of channels may be received inside the motor housing. The remaining members of the set of channels may not be received inside the motor housing.
權(quán)利要求
What is claimed is:1. An axle assembly comprising:an electric motor module that includes:a rotor that is rotatable about a rotor axis; a rotor shaft that extends from the rotor and is rotatable about the rotor axis with the rotor; a stator that encircles the rotor; a coolant jacket that encircles the stator and that has a set of channels that are open in a direction that faces away from the rotor axis; an end plate that engages and is fixedly attached to an end of the coolant jacket and that supports the rotor shaft; and a motor housing that encircles a portion of the coolant jacket, wherein the motor housing is spaced apart from the end plate, the end plate is not received inside the motor housing, and the end plate does not encircle the coolant jacket; wherein multiple members of the set of channels are received inside the motor housing and the remaining members of the set of channels are not received inside the motor housing. 2. The axle assembly of claim 1 wherein the motor housing includes an exterior wall that encircles and engages the coolant jacket and an end wall that extends from an end of the exterior wall toward the rotor axis, the end wall defining a center hole that extends around the rotor axis, wherein the rotor shaft is rotatably supported by a first rotor bearing that is received inside the center hole of the end wall. 3. The axle assembly of claim 2 wherein a cover is mounted to the end wall of the motor housing and extends over and encloses the center hole of the end wall. 4. The axle assembly of claim 3 wherein the rotor shaft protrudes through the center hole of the end wall such that the rotor shaft is partially received inside the cover. 5. The axle assembly of claim 3 wherein the cover has a tapered portion that encircles the rotor axis and is tapered away from the rotor axis such that the tapered portion becomes progressively closer to the end wall as a distance from the rotor axis increases to provide body roll clearance to a vehicle body structure that defines an aisle. 6. The axle assembly of claim 1 further comprising:a wheel end assembly that is rotatable about a wheel axis that is disposed above the rotor axis, wherein the wheel end assembly includes a wheel hub that is adapted to facilitate mounting of a wheel; and an inboard transmission housing that has a first outer wall that abuts the motor housing and that extends around and partially receives the coolant jacket, the stator, and the rotor, a divider wall that extends from an end of the first outer wall toward the rotor axis, and a second outer wall that extends from the divider wall in an axial direction that extends away from the first outer wall, wherein the first outer wall and the second outer wall extend around the rotor axis and the wheel axis. 7. The axle assembly of claim 6 wherein the inboard transmission housing is positioned along the wheel axis between the motor housing and the wheel end assembly. 8. The axle assembly of claim 6 wherein the motor housing defines a first port that is fluidly connected to the coolant jacket and the inboard transmission housing defines a second port that is separated from the first port and is fluidly connected to the coolant jacket. 9. The axle assembly of claim 6 further comprising a transmission that transmits torque between the electric motor module and the wheel end assembly, wherein the transmission is received inside the inboard transmission housing. 10. The axle assembly of claim 9 wherein the transmission is partially encircled by the second outer wall. 11. The axle assembly of claim 9 wherein the divider wall is positioned between the electric motor module and the transmission. 12. The axle assembly of claim 9 wherein the first outer wall encircles the remaining members of the set of channels that are not received inside the motor housing. 13. The axle assembly of claim 9 wherein the divider wall has a pocket that is disposed along the wheel axis and that extends from a side of the divider wall that faces toward the transmission, wherein the pocket receives a bearing that rotatably supports an upper gear of the transmission that is rotatable about the wheel axis. 14. The axle assembly of claim 13 wherein the transmission includes a lower gear that meshes with the upper gear, is mounted to the rotor shaft, and is rotatable about the rotor axis. 15. The axle assembly of claim 6 wherein the end plate is axially positioned between the divider wall and the rotor, stator, and coolant jacket. 16. The axle assembly of claim 6 wherein the end plate is completely received inside the inboard transmission housing and/or is partially received inside the coolant jacket. 17. The axle assembly of claim 6 wherein the rotor shaft is rotatably supported by a second rotor bearing that extends from the divider wall and the end plate. 18. The axle assembly of claim 17 wherein the second rotor bearing is received inside a rotor shaft hole of the divider wall and inside a center hole of the end plate. 19. The axle assembly of claim 1 further comprising a wheel end assembly and an inboard transmission housing that has first outer wall that abuts the motor housing, a divider wall that extends from the first outer wall toward the rotor axis, and a second outer wall that extends from the divider wall, wherein the second outer wall is partially received inside a wheel that is mounted to the wheel end assembly. 20. A method of making an axle assembly comprising:assembling an electric motor module by: inserting a coolant jacket, a stator, a rotor, and a rotor shaft partially inside a motor housing, wherein the stator encircles the rotor, the coolant jacket encircles the stator, and the coolant jacket has a set of channels that are arranged around the stator; attaching an end plate to an end of the coolant jacket that is disposed outside of the motor housing such that the rotor shaft extends through and is supported by the end plate; installing the electric motor module on a transmission housing assembly by inserting a portion of the coolant jacket that is not partially received inside the motor housing into the transmission housing assembly; and fastening the motor housing to the transmission housing assembly, wherein the end plate is completely received inside the transmission housing assembly, multiple members of the set of channels are received inside the motor housing, and the remaining members of the set of channels are received inside the transmission housing assembly.
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