# US 12,005,770 B2 · Multi-speed electric axle and electric axle shifting strategy > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,005,770 B2 - Document ID: US12005770B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/327,753 - Filed: 2023-06-01 - Published: 2024-02-22 - Granted: 2024-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2022-08-18 - Assignees: Dana Belgium N.V. - Applicants: Dana Belgium N.V. - Inventors: Kurt Cattoor; Filip D. Schacht; Filip Van Raepenbusch - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12005770B2 ## CPC - 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) - F16H 3/54: one of the central gears being internally toothed and the other externally toothed - B60K 17/02: characterised by arrangement, location, or kind of clutch - B60K 17/046: {with planetary gearing having orbital motion} - B60K 17/08: of mechanical type - B60K 17/16: of differential gearing - B60K 17/165: {provided between independent half axles (B60K17/18, B60K17/20 take precedence)} - B60K 17/356: having fluid or electric motor, for driving one or more wheels - F16H 37/082: {and additional planetary reduction gears} - F16H 48/06: with gears having orbital motion - B60K 2001/001: {one motor mounted on a propulsion axle for rotating right and left wheels of this axle} - B60Y 2200/91: Electric vehicles - F16H 2200/0021: specially adapted for electric vehicles - F16H 2200/0034: the gear ratios comprising two forward speeds - F16H 2200/2005: with one sets of orbital gears - F16H 2200/2035: with two engaging means - 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 - F16H: GEARING - B60Y: INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO ASPECTS CROSS-CUTTING VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY ## Abstract Systems and methods for a multi-speed electric axle. The multi-speed electric axle includes an electric motor that is rotationally coupled to an input shaft. The multi-speed electric axle also includes a planetary gearset connected to the input shaft via an input gear reduction, a lower-speed clutch that selectively grounds a ring gear in the planetary gearset to a housing, and a higher-speed clutch that selectively connects a sun gear to a carrier. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A multi-speed electric axle comprising: an electric motor rotationally coupled to an input shaft; a planetary gearset connected to the input shaft via an input gear reduction; a lower-speed clutch configured to selectively ground a gear in the planetary gearset; a higher-speed clutch configured to selectively connect a sun gear to a case of a differential; a housing enclosing the planetary gearset, the higher-speed clutch, and the lower-speed clutch; and a first actuation assembly configured to actuate the higher-speed clutch and positioned axially between a carrier in the planetary gearset and a first plate carrier that is included in the higher-speed clutch; wherein the first plate carrier is coupled directly to the case. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The multi-speed electric axle of claim 1, wherein the first plate carrier is an outer plate carrier. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The multi-speed electric axle of claim 1, wherein the gear is a ring gear. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The multi-speed electric axle of claim 3, wherein the higher-speed clutch is positioned axially between the case and the ring gear. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The multi-speed electric axle of claim 4, wherein the lower-speed clutch, when engaged, grounds the ring gear to the housing. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The multi-speed electric axle of claim 1, further comprising: a second actuation assembly configured to actuate the lower-speed clutch and positioned axially between two portions of the housing that radially extend inward along opposing axial sides of the lower-speed clutch. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The multi-speed electric axle of claim 1, wherein the multi-speed electric axle is a beam axle. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The multi-speed electric axle of claim 1, wherein the higher-speed clutch and the lower-speed clutch are wet friction clutches. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The multi-speed electric axle of claim 1, wherein the differential is a spider gear differential. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The multi-speed electric axle of claim 1, wherein the higher-speed clutch includes a second plate carrier coupled to the sun gear. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The multi-speed electric axle of claim 1, wherein the planetary gearset is a simple planetary gearset. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The multi-speed electric axle of claim 1, wherein the first actuation assembly is a hydraulic piston. ### Claim 13 A method for operation of a multi-speed electric axle, comprising: powershifting between a higher gear and a lower gear via operation of a higher-speed clutch and a lower-speed clutch in the multi-speed electric axle; wherein the multi-speed electric axle comprises: an electric motor rotationally coupled to an input shaft; a planetary gearset connected to the input shaft via an input gear reduction; the lower-speed clutch configured to selectively ground a ring gear in the planetary gearset; the higher-speed clutch configured to selectively connect a sun gear to a case of a differential; a housing enclosing the planetary gearset, the higher-speed clutch, and the lower-speed clutch; and a first actuation assembly configured to actuate the higher-speed clutch and positioned axially between a carrier in the planetary gearset and a first plate carrier that is included in the higher-speed clutch; wherein the higher-speed clutch includes a plate carrier directly coupled to the case. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the plate carrier is an outer plate carrier. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein powershifting between the higher gear and the lower gear includes engaging the lower-speed clutch and grounding the ring gear to the housing. ### Claim 16 A multi-speed electric axle comprising: an electric motor rotationally coupled to an input shaft; a planetary gearset connected to the input shaft via an input gear reduction; a lower-speed friction clutch configured to selectively ground a gear in the planetary gearset to a housing; a higher-speed friction clutch configured to selectively connect a sun gear to a case of a differential; the housing which encloses the planetary gearset, the higher-speed friction clutch, and the lower-speed friction clutch; and a first actuation assembly configured to actuate the higher-speed friction clutch and positioned axially between a carrier in the planetary gearset and a first plate carrier that is included in the higher-speed friction clutch; wherein the higher-speed friction clutch includes: an outer plate carrier coupled directly to the case; and an inner plate carrier directly coupled to the sun gear. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The multi-speed electric axle of claim 16, wherein the planetary gearset is a simple planetary gearset. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The multi-speed electric axle of claim 16, wherein the higher-speed friction clutch is positioned axially between the case and the lower-speed friction clutch. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The multi-speed electric axle of claim 16, wherein the electric motor is an alternating current (AC) motor. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The multi-speed electric axle of claim 16, wherein the differential is a spider gear differential or a planetary differential.