Electric drive axle system with multi-speed gear train
AssigneeDana Automotive Systems Group, LLC
InventorEric M. Engerman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods and systems for an electric drive axle of a vehicle are provided. An electric drive axle system includes, in one example, an electric motor-generator rotationally coupled to a gear train. The gear train includes an output shaft rotationally coupled to a gear assembly axially offset from an input shaft rotationally coupled to the electric motor-generator, where the gear assembly is rotationally coupled to a differential and the differential is rotationally coupled to an axle, a first clutch assembly is configured to rotationally couple and decouple a first gear set from the output shaft, and a second clutch assembly is configured to rotationally couple and decouple a second gear set from the output shaft, the second gear set having a different gear ratio than the first gear set.
Claims17
An electric drive axle system, comprising:
- an electric motor-generator rotationally coupled to a gear train, the gear train comprising:
- an output shaft rotationally coupled to a gear assembly axially offset from an input shaft rotationally coupled to the electric motor-generator, the gear assembly rotationally coupled to a differential and the differential rotationally coupled to an axle;
- a first clutch assembly configured to rotationally couple and decouple a first gear set from the output shaft;
- and
- a second clutch assembly configured to rotationally couple and decouple a second gear set from the output shaft, the second gear set having a different gear ratio than the first gear set;
- where the first clutch assembly includes a locking clutch and a one-way clutch.
An electric drive axle system, comprising:
- an electric motor-generator rotationally coupled to a gear train, the gear train comprising:
- an output shaft rotationally coupled to a planetary gear assembly axially offset from an input shaft rotationally coupled to the electric motor-generator, the planetary gear assembly rotationally coupled to a differential and the differential rotationally coupled to an axle;
- a first clutch assembly configured to rotationally couple and decouple a first gear set from the output shaft;
- and
- a second clutch assembly configured to rotationally couple and decouple a second gear set from the output shaft, the second gear set having a different gear ratio than the first gear set;
- where the axle is a beam axle extending between a first drive wheel and a second drive wheel and where the beam axle is positioned in an interior opening of the output shaft.
An electric drive axle system, comprising:
- an electric motor-generator rotationally coupled to a gear train, the gear train comprising:
- an output shaft rotationally coupled to a planetary gear assembly axially offset from an input shaft rotationally coupled to the electric motor-generator, the planetary gear assembly rotationally coupled to a differential and the differential rotationally coupled to a beam axle;
- a first clutch assembly configured to rotationally couple and decouple a first gear set from the output shaft;
- and
- a second clutch assembly configured to rotationally couple and decouple a second gear set from the output shaft, the second gear set having a different gear ratio than the first gear set;
- where the first clutch assembly includes a sprag clutch including a plurality of sprag mechanisms positioned between an extension of a gear in the first gear set and an outer surface of the output shaft.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.