Clutch assembly

A clutch assembly, comprising:

• an input shaft, having a central axis;
• an output shaft, co-axially arranged relative to the input shaft;
• an input clutch drum, comprising external splines, and wherein the input clutch drum is fixed to the input shaft so that the input clutch drum is neither rotatable nor translatable relative to the input shaft;
• an output clutch drum, comprising internal splines, and wherein the output clutch drum is selectively translatable relative to the output shaft and is not rotatable relative to the output shaft;
• a clutch pack, comprising:
• first plates selectively translatable relative to the input shaft and not rotatable relative to the input shaft;
• and
• second plates, selectively translatable relative to the output shaft and not rotatable relative to the output shaft;
• a clutch piston, not rotatable relative to the output shaft and selectively translatable relative to the output shaft between, inclusively, a frictionally disengaged clutch-pack position and a frictionally engaged clutch-pack position;
• a linear actuator, operable to translate the output clutch drum relative to the input clutch drum;
• and
• a clutch-pack engagement spring, interposed between the output clutch drum and the clutch piston;
• wherein:
• the output clutch drum is selectively translatable relative to the input clutch drum between, inclusively, a fully disengaged position, in which the internal splines of the output clutch drum are not in mesh with the external splines of the input clutch drum and the first plates of the clutch pack are not frictionally coupled with the second plates of the clutch pack, and, inclusively, a positively engaged position, in which the internal splines of the output clutch drum are in mesh with the external splines of the input clutch drum and the first plates of the clutch pack are frictionally coupled with the second plates of the clutch pack;
• when the clutch piston is in the frictionally disengaged clutch-pack position, the first plates of the clutch pack are not frictionally coupled with the second plates of the clutch pack and the internal splines of the output clutch drum are not in mesh with the external splines of the input clutch drum;
• when the clutch piston is in the frictionally engaged clutch-pack position, the first plates of the clutch pack are frictionally coupled with the second plates of the clutch pack;
• the linear actuator comprises a motor and a second motor;
• the motor is coupled with the output clutch drum and is selectively operable to translate the output clutch drum relative to the output shaft in a first direction along the central axis;
• the second motor is coupled with the output clutch drum and is selectively operable to translate the output clutch drum relative to the output shaft in a second direction along the central axis;
• the first direction and the second direction are opposite to each other;
• the motor and the second motor are only operable asynchronously with each other;
• the linear actuator comprises:
• a carriage, selectively translatable relative to the output shaft;
• a driven gear, selectively rotatable relative to the carriage and coupled to the carriage so that rotation of the driven gear relative to the carriage translates the carriage relative to the output shaft;
• a drive gear, in mesh with the driven gear;
• and
• a second drive gear, in mesh with the driven gear;
• the output clutch drum is not translatable relative to the carriage of the linear actuator and is rotatable relative to the carriage;
• the motor is operable to rotate the drive gear;
• the second motor is operable to rotate the second drive gear;
• the motor is operable so that the driven gear is rotated by the drive gear in either a first rotational direction or in a second rotational direction;
• the second drive gear is configured to be rotated by the driven gear;
• and
• the drive gear and the second drive gear are configured to rotate in identical directions.

A clutch assembly, comprising:

• an input shaft, having a central axis;
• an output shaft, co-axially arranged relative to the input shaft;
• an input clutch drum, comprising external splines, and wherein the input clutch drum is fixed to the input shaft so that the input clutch drum is neither rotatable nor translatable relative to the input shaft;
• an output clutch drum, comprising internal splines, and wherein the output clutch drum is selectively translatable relative to the output shaft and is not rotatable relative to the output shaft;
• a clutch pack, comprising:
• first plates, selectively translatable relative to the input shaft and not rotatable relative to the input shaft;
• and
• second plates, selectively translatable relative to the output shaft and not rotatable relative to the output shaft;
• a clutch piston, not rotatable relative to the output shaft and selectively translatable relative to the output shaft between, inclusively, a frictionally disengaged clutch-pack position and a frictionally engaged clutch-pack position;
• a linear actuator, operable to translate the output clutch drum relative to the input clutch drum;
• and
• a clutch-pack engagement spring, interposed between the output clutch drum and the clutch piston;
• and
• wherein:
• the output clutch drum is selectively translatable relative to the input clutch drum between, inclusively, a fully disengaged position, in which the internal splines of the output clutch drum are not in mesh with the external splines of the input clutch drum and the first plates of the clutch pack are not frictionally coupled with the second plates of the clutch pack, and, inclusively, a positively engaged position, in which the internal splines of the output clutch drum are in mesh with the external splines of the input clutch drum and the first plates of the clutch pack are frictionally coupled with the second plates of the clutch pack;
• when the clutch piston is in the frictionally disengaged clutch-pack position, the first plates of the clutch pack are not frictionally coupled with the second plates of the clutch pack and the internal splines of the output clutch drum are not in mesh with the external splines of the input clutch drum;
• when the clutch piston is in the frictionally engaged clutch-pack position, the first plates of the clutch pack are frictionally coupled with the second plates of the clutch pack;
• the linear actuator comprises a motor and a second motor;
• the second motor is coupled with the output clutch drum and is selectively operable to translate the output clutch drum relative to the output shaft;
• the motor is coupled with the output clutch drum and, when the second motor is disabled, is selectively operable to translate the output clutch drum relative to the output shaft in a first direction along the central axis and to translate the output clutch drum relative to the output shaft in a second direction along the central axis;
• the first direction and the second direction are opposite to each other;
• the linear actuator comprises:
• a carriage, selectively translatable relative to the output shaft;
• a driven gear, selectively rotatable relative to the carriage and coupled to the carriage so that rotation of the driven gear relative to the carriage translates the carriage relative to the output shaft;
• a drive gear, in mesh with the driven gear;
• and
• a second drive gear, in mesh with the driven gear;
• the output clutch drum is not translatable relative to the carriage of the linear actuator and is rotatable relative to the carriage;
• the motor is operable to rotate the drive gear;
• the second motor is operable to rotate the second drive gear;
• the motor is operable so that the driven gear is rotated by the drive gear in either a first rotational direction or in a second rotational direction;
• the second drive gear is configured to be rotated by the driven gear;
• and
• the drive gear and the second drive gear are configured to rotate in identical directions.