Axle assembly with torque distribution drive mechanism
Assigneee-AAM Driveline Systems AB
InventorErik Sten
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An axle assembly with an input member, a first planetary gear set, a differential assembly, and a second planetary gear set. The first planetary gear set has a first transmission input that is driven by the input member. The differential assembly has a differential carrier and first and second differential output members received in the differential carrier. The second planetary gear set has a planet carrier coupled to the differential carrier for common rotation. A sun gear of the first planetary gear set is non-rotatably coupled to a sun gear of the second planetary gear set.
Claims21
An axle assembly comprising:
- an input member;
- a first planetary gear set having a first transmission input that is driven by the input member;
- a differential assembly having a differential carrier and first and second differential output members received in the differential carrier;
- and
- a second planetary gear set having a planet carrier coupled to the differential carrier for common rotation;
- wherein a sun gear of the first planetary gear set is non-rotatably coupled to a sun gear of the second planetary gear set.
An axle assembly comprising:
- a motor;
- an input member driven by the motor;
- a differential assembly having a differential carrier and first and second differential outputs received in the differential case;
- a transmission receiving rotary power from the input member;
- and
- a shiftable element that is axially movable between a first position and a second position, wherein positioning of the shiftable element in the first position couples the transmission to the differential assembly to establish a torque vectoring mode in which the transmission applies an equal but oppositely directed torque to the first and second differential outputs, and wherein positioning of the shiftable element in the second position couples the transmission to the differential assembly to directly drive the differential carrier.
An axle assembly comprising:
- an input member;
- a first planetary gear set having a first transmission input, a first sun gear, a first ring gear, a plurality of first planet gears, and a first planet carrier, the first transmission input being driven by the input member, the first planet gears being meshingly engaged to the first sun gear and the first ring gear, the first planet carrier supporting the first planet gears for rotation;
- a differential assembly having a differential carrier and first and second output members received in the differential carrier;
- and
- a second planetary gear set having a second planet carrier coupled to the differential carrier for common rotation;
- wherein the input member, the first planetary gear set and the second planetary gear set are disposed on a common axial end of the differential carrier, and wherein the axle assembly is operable in a mode in which the first and second planet carriers are rotatably decoupled from one another.
(canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.