Electric axle
AssigneeDana Heavy Vehicle Systems Group, LLC
InventorsWilliam F. Waltz, Darren J. Ziskovsky
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods and systems are provided for an electric axle. The electric axle system includes, in one example, an electric machine, a multi-speed transmission that is rotationally coupled to the electric machine, rotationally coupled to two output shafts, and including a Ravigneaux gear set rotationally coupled and positioned coaxial to a differential. The electric axle system further includes a mode clutch configured to selectively ground a carrier or a ring gear in the Ravigneaux gear set, ground a sun gear in the Ravigneaux gear set, and couple the carrier or the ring gear to the sun gear in the Ravigneaux gear set.
Claims18
An electric axle system, comprising:
- an electric machine;
- a multi-speed transmission rotationally coupled to the electric machine, rotationally coupled to two output shafts, and including:
- a Ravigneaux gear set rotationally coupled and positioned coaxial to a differential;
- and
- a mode clutch configured to selectively:
- ground a carrier in the Ravigneaux gear set;
- ground a sun gear in the Ravigneaux gear set;
- and
- rotationally couple the carrier to the sun gear in the Ravigneaux gear set.
A method for operation of an electric axle system, comprising;
- operating a mode clutch to:
- in a first mode, ground a carrier in a Ravigneaux gear set;
- in a second mode, ground a sun gear in the Ravigneaux gear set;
- and
- in a third mode, rotationally couple the carrier to the sun gear in the Ravigneaux gear set;
- wherein the electric axle system includes:
- an electric machine;
- a multi-speed transmission rotationally coupled to the electric machine, rotationally coupled to two output shafts, and including:
- the Ravigneaux gear set rotationally coupled and positioned coaxial to a differential;
- and
- the mode clutch;
- wherein the Ravigneaux gear set and the differential are at least partially positioned within an inner diameter of a rotor of the electric machine.
An electric axle system, comprising:
- an electric machine;
- and
- a multi-speed transmission rotationally coupled to the electric machine and including:
- a Ravigneaux gear set rotationally coupled and positioned coaxial to a differential meshed planet compound planetary gear set;
- a mode clutch configured to shift the Ravigneaux gear set between three modes;
- a differential locking clutch configured to selectively rotationally couple a ring gear in the differential meshed planet compound planetary gear set to a carrier in the differential meshed planet compound planetary gear set to lock rotation of two output shafts;
- an axle disconnect clutch configured to selectively disconnect the Ravigneaux gear set from the differential meshed planet compound planetary gear set;
- and
- a second meshed planet compound planetary gear set rotationally coupled to the Ravigneaux gear set and the differential meshed planet compound planetary gear set;
- wherein the differential meshed planet compound planetary gear set is rotationally coupled to the two output shafts.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.