The fluid-guiding device is, for example, a gearbox or transmission mechanism of a motor vehicle and thus it is associated in particular with a drive system of the motor vehicle. Of course, the fluid-guiding device can also be used in another context, however. The fluid-guiding device configured as a transmission mechanism serves to produce an operative connection between a drive device of the motor vehicle and at least one driven axle or wheels of the motor vehicle.
The transmission mechanism is preferably provided to adjust one transmission ratio selected from a plurality of different transmission ratios, so that the operative connection between the drive device and the at least one axle is present with this transmission ratio. The drive device comprises at least one drive assembly, preferably an internal combustion engine. Of course, the drive device may also provide several drive assemblies, wherein a first of these drive assemblies is present, for example, in the form of the internal combustion engine and a second of these drive assemblies is present as an electrical machine or electric motor.
The transmission mechanism comprises several driving gears or speeds, each speed being associated with one of the transmission ratios. For example, several of the speeds are present as forward speeds and at least one of the speeds is present as a reverse speed. The transmission mechanism can be designed either as a manual shifting gearbox or as an automatic transmission. In the latter case, it can be present in the form of a converter automatic transmission, a continuously variable transmission, a semiautomatic gearbox, or an automated manual gearbox. More preferably, the transmission mechanism can be designed as a dual-clutch transmission.
The fluid-guiding device provides a fluid pump, especially a coolant pump or lubricant pump, which is or can be electrically operated. The fluid pump is accordingly associated preferably with an electric motor, which serves as its drive unit. The fluid pump is provided in order to deliver fluid, especially coolant or lubricant, from the fluid sump of the fluid-guiding device, especially from the coolant sump or lubricant sump of the transmission mechanism, and then supply it to the at least one fluid consumer or coolant consumer or lubricant consumer.
The fluid sump is preferably situated at a geodetically lowest point of the fluid-guiding device, so that fluid present in the fluid-guiding device or the transmission mechanism is moved thanks to the effect of gravity in the direction of the fluid sump. For example, the fluid consumer is present as a fluid outlet or coolant outlet or lubricant outlet, through which the fluid can be discharged. The fluid outlet can be designed as a nozzle, for example. More preferably, the fluid outlet is oriented so that at least one coupling of the fluid-guiding device and/or one wheel set of the fluid-guiding device is subjected to the expelled fluid, in particular, directly subjected to it.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds