Vehicle driveline with articulating wheel motors
AssigneeRivian IP Holdings, LLC
InventorMason Verbridge
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A driveline for a vehicle includes a frame member, a knuckle, a control arm, a hub, an electric motor, and an axle member. The control arm couples the knuckle to the frame member. The hub is coupled to the knuckle and adapted to support a drive wheel for rotation about a wheel axis relative to the knuckle. The electric motor includes a rotor rotatable about a motor output axis. The motor is supported so that an orientation of the motor output axis relative to the knuckle and the frame member changes when an orientation of the control arm relative to the frame member changes. The axle member couples the rotor to the hub for torque transmission therebetween.
Claims20
A driveline for a vehicle comprising:
- a frame member;
- a knuckle;
- a control arm coupling the knuckle to the frame member;
- a hub coupled to the knuckle and adapted to support a drive wheel for rotation about a wheel axis relative to the knuckle;
- an electric motor including a rotor rotatable about a motor output axis, the motor being supported so that an orientation of the motor output axis relative to the knuckle and the frame member changes when an orientation of the control arm relative to the frame member changes, wherein the motor is mounted to the control arm at a location along the control arm that is between the knuckle and the frame member;
- and
- an axle member coupling the rotor to the hub for torque transmission therebetween.
A driveline for a vehicle comprising:
- a frame member;
- a knuckle;
- a control arm coupling the knuckle to the frame member;
- a hub coupled to the knuckle and adapted to support a drive wheel for rotation about a wheel axis relative to the knuckle;
- an electric motor including a rotor rotatable about a motor output axis, the motor being mounted to the control arm and movable relative to the frame member between a first motor position wherein the motor output axis and the wheel axis form a first angle, and a second motor position wherein the motor output axis and the wheel axis form a second angle different than the first angle, wherein an angle between the motor output axis and the control arm is the same in the first motor position as in the second motor position;
- and
- an axle member coupling the rotor to the hub for torque transmission therebetween.
A driveline for a vehicle comprising:
- a knuckle configured to support a wheel hub for rotation relative to the knuckle;
- a control arm having a first end coupled to the knuckle and a second end configured to be coupled to a frame of the vehicle;
- and
- an electric motor configured to output torque about an output axis, the motor being attached to the control arm at a location along the control arm that is between the first and second ends.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.