Convertible e-axle for independent and rigid suspension systems

A driveline assembly comprising:

• an electric machine;
• and
• an axle assembly, the axle assembly including:
• a central cover including a shell section and a flange section;
• a first beam;
• a second beam;
• a first wheel flange;
• a second wheel flange;
• and
• a differential assembly, a drivehead and a gearbox with a common housing,
• where the first beam and the second beam join to the central cover via welding, where the common housing is fastened to the central cover, where a first shaft received via the first wheel flange is positioned along the first beam and is not fully covered between the first wheel flange and the differential assembly, where the differential assembly receives and fluidly seals the first shaft, where the first beam and the second beam have a uniform cross-section lengthwise respectively along a first length between the common housing and the first wheel flange and a second length between the common housing and the second wheel flange, and where the drivehead drive couples the gearbox.

An axle assembly comprising:

• a central cover, including a first flange, and a first appendage;
• a first beam, including a first platform and a second platform joined via a first web, and a first shoulder share a first surface with the first web;
• a second beam;
• a first wheel flange, where a first joint is welded to the first wheel flange, and where the first joint curves around a first portion of the first wheel flange;
• a second wheel flange;
• a first shaft;
• a second shaft;
• and
• a differential assembly, including a differential gearset, a gearbox, and a housing, where the housing houses the gearbox and a drivehead;
• where the first wheel flange joins to the first beam via the first joint via welding;
• where the first shoulder joins to the first appendage via at least a third joint via welding;
• where the central cover fastens to the housing via a plurality of first fasteners fastening the first flange to a second flange of the housing;
• where the first wheel flange receives the first shaft, and the second wheel flange receives the second shaft;
• where the first shaft is positioned along the first beam and is not fully covered;
• where the first flange is fluidly sealed from an exterior and against the first shaft via a plurality of first seals;
• where the housing receives the first shaft via a first tube;
• where the housing is fluidly sealed from the exterior via a first seal;
• where the first seal fluidly seals the first shaft with the first tube;
• where the drivehead drive couples the differential gearset via the gearbox, and the differential gearset drive couples the first shaft and the second shaft;
• where an electric machine drive couples the drivehead;
• where a first cavity of the central cover and a second cavity of the housing house the differential gearset;
• where the differential gearset includes a first carrier and a second carrier that support a differential case;
• and where the first carrier supports a first side gear via a plurality of first bearings, and the second carrier supports a second side gear via a plurality of second bearings.