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Title:
MOTOR TO GEARBOX ASSEMBLY WITH ATTACHMENT MEANS
Document Type and Number:
WIPO Patent Application WO/2020/086997
Kind Code:
A1
Abstract:
A motor to gearbox assembly (10) includes a motor shaft (12) and an input shaft (14) of the gearbox. The input shaft is coupled to the motor shaft to allow for quick connection therebetween. Further included is a gearbox housing (20), the gearbox housing rotatably supports the gearbox input shaft. Also included is at least one attachment means (16), the attachment means is used to axially constrain the motor shaft to the gearbox input shaft.

Inventors:
ZIEMBA JEFFEREY (US)
Application Number:
PCT/US2019/058134
Publication Date:
April 30, 2020
Filing Date:
October 25, 2019
Export Citation:
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Assignee:
LINAMAR CORP (CA)
ZIEMBA JEFFEREY (US)
International Classes:
H02K7/00; F16C19/54; F16D1/116
Domestic Patent References:
WO2016156272A12016-10-06
Foreign References:
DE102015213731A12017-01-26
EP3292619A12018-03-14
US20140295979A12014-10-02
Attorney, Agent or Firm:
ASHER, Robin, W. (US)
Download PDF:
Claims:
What is claimed is:

1. A motor to gearbox assembly comprising;

a motor shaft,

a gearbox input shaft, the gearbox input shaft is coupled to the motor shaft to allow for a quick connection therebetween,

a gearbox housing, the gearbox housing rotatably supports the gearbox input shaft,

at least one attachment means, the attachment means used to axially constrain the motor shaft to the gearbox input shaft, and

a back angle, contact between the back angle and the attachment means eliminates axial play between the motor shaft and the gearbox input shaft.

2. The motor to gearbox assembly of claim 1, wherein the gearbox input shaft is elongated and hollow.

3. The motor to gearbox assembly of claim 2, wherein the gearbox is surrounded by the gearbox housing and the motor is surrounded by a motor housing.

4. The motor to gearbox assembly of claim 3, wherein the gearbox housing is connected to the motor housing by bolts.

5. The motor to gearbox assembly of claim 4, wherein the gearbox input shaft is rotatably supported within the gearbox housing by a plurality of bearings.

6. The motor to gearbox assembly of claim 5, wherein at least three bearings are used to support the input shaft motor to gearbox assembly.

7. The motor gearbox assembly of claim 6, wherein two of the three bearings are positioned within the gearbox housing and one of the three bearings is positioned within the motor housing.

8. The motor to gearbox assembly of claim 5, wherein the motor shaft is aligned with the input shaft by a pilot fit portion.

9. The motor to gearbox assembly of claim 8, wherein the pilot fit portion of the motor shaft is inserted into a pilot fit portion of the gearbox input shaft.

10. The motor to gearbox assembly of claim 9, wherein the pilot fit portion of the gearbox input shaft is narrower than the rest of the gearbox input shaft.

11. The motor to gearbox assembly of claim 9, wherein the pilot fit portion of the motor shaft is narrower than the rest of the motor shaft.

12. The motor to gearbox assembly of claim 9, wherein the gearbox housing further includes an input seal, the input seal is used to seal the gearbox input shaft and bearings within the gearbox housing.

13. The motor to gearbox assembly of claim 12, wherein the attachment means fits into a notch formed between an outer surface of the motor shaft and an inner surface of the gearbox input shaft, the attachment means is in contact with the back angle.

14. The motor to gearbox assembly of claim 13, wherein the back angle of the motor shaft is engineered in each case for a desired retention result.

15. The motor to gearbox assembly of claim 13, wherein the size of the attachment means used can be engineered in each case in order to achieve a desired retention result.

16. The motor gearbox assembly of claim 13, wherein the motor shaft is supported deep within the gearbox creating a long span of alignment.

17. The motor gearbox assembly of claim 16, wherein the input shaft has a splined inner surface, the splined inner surface mates with a set of grooves on the outer surface of the motor shaft.

18. The motor to gearbox assembly of claim 17, wherein the gearbox input shaft is in contact with a set of helical gears, the helical gears are part of the gearbox of the motor to gearbox assembly.

19. The motor to gearbox assembly of claim 18, wherein the attachment means is a circlip.

20. The motor to gearbox assembly of claim 18, wherein the attachment means is a bolt.

Description:
MOTOR TO GEARBOX ASSEMBLY WITH ATTACHMENT MEANS

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority to and all the benefits of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/750,437, filed October 25, 2018, and entitled“Motor to Gearbox Assembly with Circlip”, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to a motor to gearbox assembly wherein a motor shaft is coupled to an input shaft of the gearbox by an attachment means.

2. Description of Related Art

[0003] An electric motor for a driveline of a motor vehicle typically includes a motor comprising a motor housing for rotatably supporting and driving an elongated motor shaft and a gearbox fixedly connected to the motor housing. A gearbox housing rotatably supports an input shaft which is splined to the motor shaft for rotation therewith to drive a set of gears. The assembly of the gearbox to the motor is generally accomplished by bolting the gearbox housing to the motor housing. The follow design allows the motor shaft to be axially constrained within the gearbox input shaft allowing the motor shaft to be installed at lower cost and in a less complex manner than previous designs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] According to the invention, a motor to gearbox assembly is provided including a motor shaft and an input shaft of the gearbox. The input shaft is coupled to the motor shaft to allow for a quick connection therebetween. Further included is a gearbox housing, the gearbox housing rotatably supports the gearbox input shaft. Also included is at least one attachment means, the attachment means is used to axially constrain the motor shaft to the gearbox input shaft. The attachment means is in contact with a back angle to eliminate axial play between the motor shaft and the gearbox input shaft.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0005] Advantages of the present disclosure will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

[0006] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the motor shaft to gearbox assembly with an attachment means; and

[0007] FIG. 2 is another cross-sectional side view of the motor shaft to gearbox assembly with an attachment means according to an alternative embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0008] Referring now to the Figures, the invention will be described with reference to specific embodiments, without limiting the same, wherein like numerals indicate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views.

[0009] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the present invention relates to a motor to gearbox assembly 10 wherein a motor shaft 12 is coupled to a gearbox input shaft 14 by an attachment means 16 to allow for a quick connection therebetween.

[0010] As shown in FIG. 1, the motor shaft 12 of the motor to gearbox assembly 10 is received within an opening 18 of the gearbox input shaft 14. The gearbox input shaft 14 is elongated and hollow and is rotatably supported within a gearbox housing 20 by a plurality of bearings 22. In the depicted embodiment there are three bearings 22 being used in total to support the gearbox input shaft 14. Two of the three bearings 22 are located within the gearbox housing 20 and one of the three bearings 22 is located within a motor housing 24. It is understood that the number and location of the bearings 22 may vary from one embodiment to another. Furthermore the motor shaft 12 is supported deep within a gearbox 26 of the motor to gearbox assembly 10 creating a long span of alignment. [0011] The gearbox input shaft 14 further includes a splined inner surface 30. The splined inner surface 30 of the gearbox input shaft 14 mates with a set of grooves on an outer surface 32 of the motor shaft 12 allowing for translation of rotation therebetween. Rotation is then translated from the gearbox input shaft 14 to a set of helical gears 40. The set of helical gears 40 are part of the gearbox 26 of the motor to gearbox assembly 10. The gearbox 26 is surrounded by the gearbox housing 20. The gearbox housing 20 is bolted to the motor housing 24. The gearbox housing 20 further includes an input seal 42. The input seal 42 seals the gearbox input shaft 14 and the bearings 22 within the gearbox housing 20.

[0012] The motor shaft 12 is aligned with the gearbox input shaft 14 by a pilot fit portion 50 of the motor shaft 12 and a pilot fit portion 52 of the gearbox input shaft 14. The pilot fit portion 50 of the motor shaft 12 and the pilot fit portion 52 of the gearbox input shaft 14 are narrower than the rest of their respective shafts to allow for a constrained and snug fit with one another.

[0013] When the pilot fit portion 50 of the motor shaft 12 is inserted into the pilot fit portion 52 of the gearbox input shaft 14, the two shafts are coupled by the attachment means 16. The attachment means 16 is used to axially constrain the motor shaft 12 to the gearbox input shaft 14. The attachment means 16 fits into a notch 60 formed between the outer surface 32 of the motor shaft 12 and the inner surface 30 of the gearbox input shaft 14. Axial play is eliminated by the contact between the attachment means 16 and a back angle 62 of the motor shaft 12. The back angle 62 of the motor shaft 12 and the size of the attachment means 16 can be engineered in each case for a desired retention result. The use of the attachment means 16 allows for the motor shaft 12 to be installed at a lower cost and in a less complex manner than previous designs.

[0014] Referring to Figure 1, in one embodiment of the invention the attachment means 16 may be a circlip 64. The circlip 64 fits into the notch 60 formed between the outer surface 32 of the motor shaft 12 and the inner surface 30 of the gearbox input shaft 14. The circlip 64 wraps around the outer surface 32 of the motor shaft 12 and contacts with the back angle 62 of the motor shaft 12. [0015] Referring to Figure 2, in an alternative embodiment of the invention the attachment means 16 may be a bolt 68. The bolts 68 extends through a central bore in the motor shaft 12 and is threaded to an inner bore of the gearbox input shaft 14. A bolt head 70 is in contact with end of the motor shaft 12 to axially interconnect the motor shaft 12 and gearbox input shaft 14. It is understood that other attachment means or a combination of attachment means may be used in other embodiments.

[0016] The invention has been described in an illustrative manner, and it is to be understood that the terminology, which has been used, is intended to be in the nature of words of description rather than of limitation. Many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is, therefore, to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced other than as specifically described.