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US 10,479,198 B2Granted
Transfer case with active clutch on front output and pass-thru rear output
AssigneeMagna Powertrain of America, Inc.
InventorDaniel M. Drill
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A transfer case for use in a four-wheel drive vehicle and having a clutch assembly disposed on a front output and a pass-through rear output arrangement. The front output is a front output shall. The rear output is established by directly interconnecting a transmission output shaft to an end segment of a rear propshaft. A transfer assembly is driven by the transmission output shaft and can be selectively coupled to the front output shaft via the clutch assembly.
Claims18
A transfer case for use in a four-wheel drive motor vehicle having a powertrain and front and rear drivelines, the transfer case comprising:
- a t-case housing adapted to be secured to a transmission housing of a transmission associated with the powertrain and having a transmission output shaft extending from the transmission housing into the t-case housing;
- an end segment of a rear propshaft associated with the rear driveline extending into the t-case housing and being directly coupled for common rotation with the transmission output shaft;
- a front output shaft rotatably supported in the t-case housing and adapted to be coupled to an end segment of a front propshaft associated with the front driveline;
- a transfer assembly disposed within the t-case housing and having a first transfer member fixedly coupled for rotation with the transmission output shaft, a second transfer member surrounding the front output shaft, and a third transfer member drivingly interconnecting the first and second transfer members;
- and
- a clutch assembly operable for selectively coupling and uncoupling the second transfer member with the front output shaft,
- wherein the transmission output shaft is a tubular member having an outer surface and an inner surface, wherein the end segment of the rear propshaft is disposed within the tubular member and has external splines meshed with internal splines formed on the inner surface of the tubular member, and wherein the first transfer member surrounds the outer surface of the tubular member and is fixedly secured thereto via a splined connection.
4 more elements
A transfer case for use in a four-wheel drive motor vehicle having a powertrain and front and rear drivelines, the transfer case comprising:
- a t-case housing adapted to be secured to a transmission housing of a transmission associated with the powertrain and having a transmission output shaft extending from the transmission housing into the t-case housing;
- an end segment of a rear propshaft associated with the rear driveline extending into the t-case housing and being directly coupled for common rotation with the transmission output shaft;
- a front output shaft rotatably supported in the t-case housing and adapted to be coupled to an end segment of a front propshaft associated with the front driveline;
- a transfer assembly disposed within the t-case housing and having a first transfer member fixedly coupled for rotation with the transmission output shaft, a second transfer member surrounding the front output shaft, and a third transfer member drivingly interconnecting the first and second transfer members;
- and
- a clutch assembly operable for selectively coupling and uncoupling the second transfer member with the front output shaft,
- wherein the first transfer member has a tubular shaft segment which is rotatably supported by a pair of laterally-spaced bearings with the t-case housing, wherein an end segment of the transmission output shaft extends through the tubular shaft segment of the first transfer member, and wherein the end segment of the transmission output shaft is directly coupled to the end segment of the rear propshaft.
4 more elements
A transfer case for use in a four-wheel drive motor vehicle having a powertrain and front and rear drivelines, the transfer case comprising:
- a t-case housing adapted to be secured to a transmission housing of a transmission associated with the powertrain and having a transmission output shaft extending from the transmission housing into the t-case housing;
- an end segment of a rear propshaft associated with the rear driveline extending into the t-case housing and being directly coupled for common rotation with the transmission output shaft;
- a front output shaft rotatably supported in the t-case housing and adapted to be coupled to an end segment of a front propshaft associated with the front driveline;
- a transfer assembly disposed within the t-case housing and having a first transfer member fixedly coupled for rotation with the transmission output shaft, a second transfer member surrounding the front output shaft, and a third transfer member drivingly interconnecting the first and second transfer members;
- and
- a clutch assembly operable for selectively coupling and uncoupling the second transfer member with the front output shaft,
- wherein the first transfer member surrounds the transmission output shaft and has an end segment extending out of the t-case housing, wherein the first transfer member is splined coupled for common rotation with the transmission output shaft, wherein the transmission output shaft surrounds the end segment of the rear propshaft and has an end segment extending out of the t-case housing and wherein the end segment of the rear output shaft is spline coupled for common rotation with the end segment of the transmission output shaft.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.