Schaeffler Technologies Ag & Co .kg

Dorothee Stirnweiss

Tobias Vogler

Raphael Fischer

Mark Lauger

Darius Dlugal

A wheel hub motor for driving a motor vehicle is provided. Aging of the rolling element bearings used to support the rotor is prevented, while at the same time minimizing the emission of electromagnetic waves, in that the wheel hub motor includes a&#x2014;rotor,&#x2014;a hub (), &#x2014;a wheel bearing having a first bearing ring () which is non-rotatably and electrically conductively connected to the hub (), and a second bearing ring () which is non-rotatably and electrically conductively connected to the rotor, and&#x2014;a contact element () for creating an electrically conductive connection between said bearing rings (), the contact element () being supported against the hub () via a spring () and has a pressure contact with a potential equalization element () that is non-rotatably and electrically conductively connected to the second bearing ring ().

Wheel hub motor with potential equalization

A wheel hub drive system with an electric motor that can be arranged inside a wheel rim, whereby the electric motor is formed by rotor that is at least indirectly joined to a wheel hub and by means of a stationary stator that can be supplied with alternating current. With an eye towards obtaining more space for the vehicle occupants, it is proposed to arrange the converter with its entire power electronics unit on the stator so that the wheel hub drive system can be operated with direct current from the battery of the vehicle, or else no alternating current lines have to be laid in the vehicle. Consequently, the alternating current is generated by the converter that is arranged in a converter housing attached axially next to the stator.

Growing community of inventors

Pommersfelden, Germany

Dorothee Stirnweiss