# US 11,441,644 B2 · Axle assembly having a multi-speed transmission and a drop gear set > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,441,644 B2 - Document ID: US11441644B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/594,875 - Filed: 2019-10-07 - Published: 2021-04-08 - Granted: 2022-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 2019-10-07 - Assignees: ArvinMeritor Technology, LLC - Applicants: ArvinMeritor Technology, LLC - Inventors: Chetankumar Ghatti; Rodrigo Soffner; Christopher Keeney; Mark Smith - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11441644B2 ## CPC - F16H 3/089: all of the meshing gears being supported by a pair of parallel shafts, one being the input shaft and the other the output shaft, there being no countershaft involved - F16H 3/126: {using an electric drive} - B60K 17/165: {provided between independent half axles (B60K17/18, B60K17/20 take precedence)} - B60K 17/24: Arrangement of mountings for shafting - F16H 48/05: Multiple interconnected differential sets - B60B 35/12: Torque-transmitting axles (independent suspension aspects B60G) - B60K 1/00: Arrangement or mounting of electrical propulsion units (B60K7/00 takes precedence; arrangement or mounting of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion B60K6/00) - B60K 2001/001: {one motor mounted on a propulsion axle for rotating right and left wheels of this axle} - B60Y 2400/421: Dog type clutches or brakes - B60Y 2400/422: Synchromesh type clutches or brakes - F16H 2200/0021: specially adapted for electric vehicles - F16H 2200/0039: the gear ratios comprising three forward speeds - F16H: GEARING - B60K: ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN VEHICLES - B60B: VEHICLE WHEELS (making wheels or wheel parts by rolling B21H1/00, by forging, hammering or pressing B21K1/28); CASTORS; AXLES FOR WHEELS OR CASTORS; INCREASING WHEEL ADHESION - B60Y: INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO ASPECTS CROSS-CUTTING VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY ## Abstract An axle assembly having a drop gear set and a countershaft transmission. The drop gear set may operatively connect a rotor of an electric motor to a countershaft. The countershaft transmission may operatively connect the countershaft to a drive pinion. The electric motor and the countershaft transmission may be positioned on opposite sides of a differential assembly. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An axle assembly comprising: an electric motor having a rotor that is rotatable about a first axis; a countershaft that is rotatable about a countershaft axis; a drop gear set that operatively connects the rotor to the countershaft; a drive pinion that is rotatable about a drive pinion axis, wherein the first axis is positioned between the countershaft axis and the drive pinion axis; a countershaft transmission that operatively connects the countershaft to the drive pinion, wherein the countershaft transmission includes a set of countershaft gears that receive the countershaft and a set of drive pinion gears that receive the drive pinion, the set of countershaft gears are fixedly coupled to the countershaft and include first, second, and third countershaft gear that are rotatable about the countershaft axis, the set of drive pinion gears are selectively couplable to the drive pinion and include first, second, and third gears that are rotatable about the drive pinion axis and through which the drive pinion extends, the first, second, and third countershaft gears mesh with the first, second, and third gears, respectively, the first, second, and third gears are selectively couplable to the drive pinion, and wherein a first gear ratio is provided when the first gear is coupled to the drive pinion, a second gear ratio that differs from the first gear ratio is provided when the second gear is coupled to the drive pinion, and a third gear ratio that differs from the first gear ratio and the second gear ratio is provided when the third gear is coupled to the drive pinion; and a differential assembly that is operatively connected to the drive pinion, wherein the electric motor and the countershaft transmission are positioned on opposite sides of the differential assembly. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The axle assembly of claim 1 wherein the drop gear set is positioned between the electric motor and the countershaft transmission. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The axle assembly of claim 1 wherein the drop gear set is positioned between the electric motor and the differential assembly. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The axle assembly of claim 1 wherein a rotor shaft is connected to the rotor and is rotatable about the first axis, and the drop gear set includes a first drop gear that engages a second drop gear, wherein the first drop gear is rotatable about the first axis with the rotor shaft and the second drop gear is rotatable about the countershaft axis with the countershaft. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The axle assembly of claim 4 wherein the drop gear set provides gear reduction between the rotor shaft and the countershaft. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The axle assembly of claim 1 wherein the first axis, the countershaft axis, and the drive pinion axis are offset from each other and do not intersect. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The axle assembly of claim 1 wherein a first clutch selectively couples the first gear to the drive pinion. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The axle assembly of claim 7 wherein the first clutch selectively couples the second gear to the drive pinion. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The axle assembly of claim 7 wherein the first clutch is axially positioned along the drive pinion axis between the first gear and the second gear. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The axle assembly of claim 1 wherein a second clutch selectively couples the third gear to the drive pinion. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The axle assembly of claim 10 wherein the second clutch selectively couple the second gear to the drive pinion. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The axle assembly of claim 10 wherein the second clutch is axially positioned along the drive pinion axis between the second gear and the third gear. ### Claim 13 An axle assembly comprising: an electric motor having a rotor that is rotatable about a first axis; a countershaft that is rotatable about a countershaft axis; a drop gear set that operatively connects the rotor to the countershaft; a drive pinion that is rotatable about a drive pinion axis, wherein the first axis is positioned between the countershaft axis and the drive pinion axis, a countershaft transmission that operatively connects the countershaft to the drive pinion, wherein the countershaft transmission includes a set of countershaft gears that receive the countershaft and a set of drive pinion gears that receive the drive pinion, at least one member of the set of countershaft gears is selectively couplable to the countershaft and at least one member of the set of drive pinion gears is selectively couplable to the drive pinion, the set of countershaft gears includes, first, second, and third countershaft gears that are rotatable about the countershaft axis and through which the countershaft extends, the set of drive pinion gears includes first, second, and third gears that are rotatable about the drive pinion axis, the first, second, and third countershaft gears mesh with the first, second, and third gears, respectively, the first and second countershaft gears are selectively couplable to the countershaft, a first gear ratio is provided when the first countershaft gear is coupled to the countershaft, a second gear ratio that differs from the first gear ratio is provided when the second countershaft gear is coupled to the countershaft, and a third gear ratio that differs from the first and second gear ratios is provided when the third gear is coupled to the pinion; and a differential assembly that is operatively connected to the drive pinion, wherein the electric motor and the countershaft transmission are positioned on opposite sides of the differential assembly. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The axle assembly of claim 13 wherein the third countershaft gear is fixedly coupled to the countershaft, the first gear and the second gear are fixedly coupled to the drive pinion, and the third countershaft gear has a smaller diameter than the first gear and the second gear. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The axle assembly of claim 13 wherein the drop gear set is positioned between the electric motor and the countershaft transmission. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The axle assembly of claim 13 wherein the drop gear set is positioned between the electric motor and the differential assembly. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The axle assembly of claim 13 wherein a rotor shaft is connected to the rotor and is rotatable about the first axis, and the drop gear set includes a first drop gear that engages a second drop gear. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The axle assembly of claim 17 wherein the first drop gear is rotatable about the first axis with the rotor shaft and the second drop gear is rotatable about the countershaft axis with the countershaft. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The axle assembly of claim 18 wherein the drop gear set provides gear reduction between the rotor shaft and the countershaft. ### Claim 20 (depends on 13) The axle assembly of claim 13 wherein the first axis, the countershaft axis, and the drive pinion axis are offset from each other and do not intersect.