Back to results
US 11,519,467 B1Granted
Electric drive with disconnect
AssigneeSchaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG
InventorsBrian Lee, Jordan Geiser
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An electric drive for a vehicle implements a disconnect feature to reduce parasitic losses when the electric drive is not necessary for propulsion. The disconnect feature utilizes a slipper clutch which is disengaged by holding a slipper ring in a predefined circumferential position relative to an outer ring using a set of pins that move radially. A lever spring biases the pins to the outward radial position. A solenoid moves a plunger axially which pushes the pins radially inward.
Claims14
A disconnect unit comprising:
- a first shaft supported for rotation about an axis;
- a second shaft supported for rotation about the axis;
- a slipper clutch having an outer ring radially adjacent to a concave surface of the first shaft, an inner ring radially adjacent to a convex surface of the second shaft, and a plurality of rollers radially between the inner ring and the outer ring and configured to radially separate the inner and outer rings to rotationally couple the first shaft to the second shaft in response to a rotational displacement of the inner ring with respect to the outer ring;
- at least one pin supported to move radially between a disengaged position in which it fixes a rotational position of the inner ring with respect to the outer ring and an engaged position in which it permits relative rotation between the inner ring and the outer ring;
- and
- a plunger supported to move axially from a first position in which a lever spring biases the at least one pin toward the engaged position and a second position in which the lever spring is compressed and the at least one pin is held in the disengaged position.
3 more elements
An electric drive comprising:
- an electric motor having a stator and a rotor;
- a gearbox having an input fixed to the rotor and having a gearbox output;
- an output shaft;
- a slipper clutch having an outer ring radially adjacent to a concave surface of the gearbox output, an inner ring radially adjacent to a convex surface of the output shaft, and a plurality of rollers radially between the inner ring and the outer ring and configured to radially separate the inner and outer rings to rotationally couple the gearbox output to the output shaft in response to a rotational displacement of the inner ring with respect to the outer ring;
- at least one pin supported to move radially between a disengaged position in which it fixes a rotational position of the inner ring with respect to the outer ring and an engaged position in which it permits relative rotation between the inner ring and the outer ring;
- and
- a plunger supported to move axially from a first position in which a lever spring biases the at least one pin toward the engaged position and a second position in which the lever spring is compressed and the at least one pin is held in the disengaged position.
4 more elements
An electric drive comprising:
- an electric motor having a stator and a rotor:
- a gearbox having an input fixed to the rotor and having a gearbox output;
- an output shaft;
- a slipper clutch having an outer ring fixed to the gearbox output, an inner ring radially adjacent to a convex surface of the output shaft, and a plurality of rollers radially between the inner ring and the outer ring and configured to radially separate the inner and outer rings to rotationally couple the gearbox output to the output shaft in response to a rotational displacement of the inner ring with respect to the outer ring;
- at least one pin supported to move radially between a disengaged position in which it fixes a rotational position of the inner ring with respect to the outer ring and an engaged position in which it permits relative rotation between the inner ring and the outer ring;
- and
- a plunger supported to move axially from a first position in which a lever spring biases the at least one pin toward the engaged position and a second position in which the lever spring is compressed and the at least one pin is held in the disengaged position.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.