Electric all wheel drive two speed with chain drop
AssigneeBorgWarner Inc.
InventorsLarry A. Pritchard, Philip John Francis
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A driveline comprising an electrical machine, a chain drive, a first planetary gear set, a second planetary gear set, a range selector, a differential, and an axle assembly, wherein the electrical machine is constructed and arranged to selectively transmit power to the differential through the chain drive, the first planetary gear set, the range selector, and the second planetary gear set or to selectively receive power through the chain drive, the first planetary gear set, the range selector, the second planetary gear set, and the differential, and wherein the range selector is configured to selectively shift the driveline into a high range, a low range, and a neutral mode.
Claims20
A driveline comprising:
- an electrical machine;
- a chain drive operatively connected to the electrical machine;
- a first planetary gear set having multiple gear ratios operatively connected to the chain drive;
- a second planetary gear set having a fixed gear ratio operatively connected to the first planetary gear set;
- a range selector operatively connected to the first planetary gear set and positioned between the first planetary gear set and the second planetary gear set;
- a differential operatively connected to the second planetary gear set;
- an axle assembly operatively connected to and extending through the chain drive, the first planetary gear set, the range selector, the second planetary gear set, and the differential;
- wherein the electrical machine is constructed and arranged to selectively transmit power to the differential through the chain drive, the first planetary gear set, and the second planetary gear set or to selectively receive power through the chain drive, the first planetary gear set, the second planetary gear set, and the differential;
- and
- wherein the range selector is constructed and arranged to selectively shift the driveline into a high range mode, a low range mode, and a neutral mode.
A driveline comprising:
- an axle assembly comprising a first axle and a second axle coaxial with the first axle;
- a chain drive operatively connected to the axle assembly;
- a first helical planetary gear set including a sun gear, at least two planetary gears operatively connected to the sun gear, a ring gear, and a carrier, wherein the first helical planetary gear set is operatively connected to the chain drive and the first axle;
- a range selector operatively connected to the first helical planetary gear set and the first axle;
- a second helical planetary gear set including a sun gear, at least two planetary gears operatively connected to the sun gear, a ring gear, and a carrier, wherein the second helical planetary gear set is operatively connected to the first helical gear set;
- a differential operatively connected to the second helical planetary gear set, the first axle, and the second axle;
- an electrical machine having a shaft operatively connected to the chain drive constructed and arranged to selectively drive or be driven by the chain drive;
- a housing surrounding at least a portion of the axle assembly, the chain drive, the first helical planetary gear set, the range selector, the second helical planetary gear set, and the differential;
- and
- wherein the range selector is constructed and arranged to axially move the ring gear of the first helical planetary gear set to shift the driveline to a high range mode, a neutral mode, and a low range mode.
A method of driving an axle differential comprising:
- providing an electrical machine having a rotatable shaft;
- driving a chain system operatively connected to the rotatable shaft using the electrical machine;
- providing output from the chain system to a first planetary gear set having a sun gear, at least two planetary gears, a ring gear, and a carrier;
- shifting the ring gear to a first position to ground the ring gear to a housing to achieve a low range mode using a range selector or shifting the ring gear to a second position operably connecting the ring gear to the carrier to achieve a high range mode using the range selector;
- driving a second planetary gear set with output from the first planetary gear set through the range selector;
- and
- driving the axle differential with output from the second planetary gear set.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.