Continuously variable electric axles with on-demand energy harvesting capabilities for secondary or tag E-axles
AssigneeDana Heavy Vehicle Systems Group, LLC
InventorsKrishna Kumar, William F. Waltz
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Provided herein is an electric powertrain including a differential assembly operably coupled to a drive axle having a set of wheel coupled to the ends thereof; a planetary gear set connected to the differential, the planetary gear set having a sun gear, a planet carrier supporting a plurality of planet gears, and a ring gear, wherein the planet carrier is drivingly engaged with the differential assembly; a first electric motor/generator; a second electric motor/generator; a first gear pass drivingly connected the first electric motor/generator and the ring gear; and a second gear pass drivingly connected the first electric motor/generator and the sun gear.
Claims20
An axle assembly, comprising:
- a first motor/generator connected to a first output shaft;
- a second motor/generator connected a second output shaft;
- a differential assembly coupled to a drive axle
- a first gear set having a first gear and a second gear, the first gear of the first gear set connected to the first output shaft;
- a first rotatable shaft, the second gear of the first gear set connected to the first rotatable shaft;
- a second gear set having a first gear and a second gear, the second gear connected to the first rotatable shaft;
- a second rotatable shaft, the second gear set connected to the second rotatable shaft;
- and
- a first planetary gear set having a first ring gear, a first planet carrier, and a first sun gear;
- the first ring gear of the first planetary gear set connected to the second rotatable shaft, the first planetary gear set connected to the differential assembly.
An axle assembly, comprising:
- a first motor/generator connected to a first output shaft;
- a second motor/generator connected a second output shaft;
- a differential assembly coupled to a drive axle
- a first gear set having a first gear and a second gear, the first gear of the first gear set connected to the first output shaft;
- a first rotatable shaft, the second gear of the first gear set connected to the first rotatable shaft;
- a second gear set having a first gear and a second gear, the second gear connected to the first rotatable shaft;
- a second rotatable shaft, the second gear set connected to the second rotatable shaft, and the second rotatable shaft extending co-axially with the drive axle;
- a first planetary gear set having a first ring gear, a first planet carrier, and a first sun gear;
- the first ring gear of the first planetary gear set connected to the second rotatable shaft, the first planetary gear set connected to the differential assembly;
- and
- the second output shaft extending co-axially with the drive axle, the first output shaft, and the second rotatable shaft, and the second output shaft connected to the first sun gear of the first planetary gear set.
An axle assembly, comprising:
- a first motor/generator connected to a first output shaft;
- a differential assembly coupled to a drive axle
- a first gear set having a first gear and a second gear, the first gear of the first gear set connected to the first output shaft;
- a first rotatable shaft, the second gear of the first gear set connected to the first rotatable shaft;
- a second gear set having a first gear and a second gear, the second gear connected to the first rotatable shaft;
- a second rotatable shaft, the second gear set connected to the second rotatable shaft;
- and
- a first planetary gear set having a first ring gear, a first planet carrier, and a first sun gear;
- the first ring gear of the first planetary gear set connected to the second rotatable shaft, the first planetary gear set connected to the differential assembly
- a second motor/generator drivingly connected to a third rotatable shaft;
- a third gear set having a first gear and a second gear;
- a fourth gear set having a first gear and a second gear;
- and
- the first gear of the third gear pass and the first gear of the fourth gear pass extend co-axially with the third rotatable shaft.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.