Independently Suspended and Driven Asymmetric Axle Shafts
AssigneeGM Global Technology Operations LLC
InventorsDavid W. Mikels, Young-Jin Seo
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An independently suspended, driven axle shaft set in which the axle shafts are asymmetric with respect to each other, wherein the asymmetry provides mitigation of powerhop. The asymmetric axle shafts are asymmetrically selected such that the relative torsional stiffness therebetween is different by a ratio substantially between about 1.4 to 1 and about 2.0 to 1. The asymmetry may be provided by any known modality that alters torsional stiffness and is compliant with operational load demands of the axle shafts, as for example the axle shafts having the same length, but differing cross-sectional diameters; or by the axle shafts having the same cross-sectional diameters, but differing lengths; or a combination thereof.
Claims20
A damped, independently suspended axle shaft set, comprising:
- a first axle shaft having a first torsional stiffness;
- and
- a second axle shaft having a second torsional stiffness;
- wherein a torsional stiffness difference between the first torsional stiffness and the second torsional stiffness is defined by a ratio between said first torsional stiffness and said second torsional stiffness, and wherein the ratio is greater than substantially about 1.4 to 1.
A drive system comprising:
- a limited slip differential;
- a first axle shaft drivingly connected to said differential, said first axle shaft having a first torsional stiffness;
- and
- a second axle shaft drivingly connected to said differential, said second axle shaft having a second torsional stiffness;
- wherein a torsional stiffness difference between the first torsional stiffness and the second torsional stiffness is defined by a ratio between said first torsional stiffness and said second torsional stiffness, and wherein said ratio is greater than substantially about 1.4 to 1;
- and
- wherein said limited slip differential provides a predetermined friction torque with respect to said first and second axle shafts.
A method of mitigating powerhop in an independently suspended driven axle shaft set, comprising the steps of:
- selecting a torsional stiffness difference between a first torsional stiffness of a first axle shaft of the axle shaft set and a second torsional stiffness of a second axle shaft of the axle shaft set, wherein the torsional stiffness difference is defined by a ratio between said first torsional stiffness and said second torsional stiffness, and wherein the ratio is greater than substantially about 1.4;
- providing the first axle shaft having the determined first torsional stiffness;
- and
- providing the second axle shaft having the determined second torsional stiffness.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.