Wheel-drive assembly
AssigneeRee Automotive Ltd
InventorAmit Aknin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A wheel drive assembly for transferring propelling torque from a source shaft to a wheel, the source shaft receiving torque from a motion actuator. The wheel drive assembly includes a wheel-hub, adapted to have the wheel mounted thereon, the wheel-hub being arranged about a longitudinal axis, which is adapted to coincide with a rotation axis of the wheel. The wheel drive assembly further includes a drive axle and a constant velocity (CV) joint mounted onto an outer end of the drive axle. The CV joint connects the drive axle to the wheel-hub. An outermost surface of the CV joint is disposed outwardly of an outermost surface of the wheel hub, along the longitudinal axis of the wheel-hub.
Claims20
A wheel drive assembly for transferring propelling torque from a source shaft to a wheel, the source shaft receiving torque from a motion actuator, the wheel drive assembly comprising:
- a wheel-hub, adapted to have the wheel mounted thereon, the wheel-hub being arranged about a longitudinal axis, which is adapted to coincide with a rotation axis of the wheel;
- a drive axle;
- and
- a constant velocity (CV) joint mounted onto an outer end of the drive axle, the CV joint connecting the drive axle to the wheel-hub, the CV joint comprising a housing and a cage disposed within the housing, wherein the wheel-hub includes a seat, and the housing of the CV joint is fastened to the seat of the wheel-hub from the outer side of the wheel-hub to transfer the propelling torque to the wheel-hub;
- and
- wherein an outermost surface of the CV joint is disposed outwardly of an outermost surface of the wheel hub, along the longitudinal axis of the wheel-hub.
A vehicle, comprising:
- a chassis;
- at least one motion actuator, functionally associated with the chassis, the motion actuator having an output shaft;
- and
- at least one wheel assembly, including:
- a wheel-hub arranged about a longitudinal axis;
- a drive axle;
- a constant velocity (CV) joint mounted onto an outer end of the drive axle, the CV joint connecting the drive axle to the wheel-hub, the CV joint comprising a housing and a cage disposed within the housing, wherein the wheel-hub includes a seat at an outer side thereof, and the housing of the CV joint is fastened to the seat of the wheel-bug from the outer side of the wheel-hub to transfer the propelling torque to the wheel-hub;
- and
- a wheel including a tire and a tire rim, the tire rim mounted onto the wheel-hub such that the longitudinal axis of the wheel-hub coincides with a rotational axis of the wheel, the wheel assembly being functionally associated with the output shaft of the motion actuator, as the source shaft, and the drive axle and CV joint are adapted to transfer propelling torque from the at least one motion actuator to the wheel;
- and
- a steering assembly, functionally associated with the wheel-hub and adapted to steer the wheel by pivoting the wheel-hub and the wheel about a steering pivot point, wherein the steering pivot point does not coincide with a pivot point of the CV joint.
A method for enabling transfer of propelling torque from a motion actuator of a vehicle, having an output shaft, to a wheel of the vehicle, using a drive axle and an outer CV joint mounted onto an outer end of the drive axle, the outer CV joint comprising a housing and a cage disposed within the housing of the outer CV joint, the method comprising:
- fastening the housing of the outer CV joint of the drive axle to an outer side of the wheel-hub;
- connecting an inner CV joint of the drive axle to the output shaft of the motion actuator;
- and
- mounting a wheel on the wheel hub,
- wherein, following the fastening, an outermost surface of the housing of the outer CV joint is disposed outwardly of an outermost surface of the wheel hub.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.