Axle system with a parking system and a disconnect system
AssigneeDana Automotive Systems Group, LLC
InventorsEric M. ENGERMAN, Ryan D. NELMS
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods and systems for provide an axle system operated by a single motor to independently operate both a parking system and a disconnect system by changing rotation of a motor shaft and a method for controlling parking operation and clutch operation using the single motor. In another embodiment, the approaches disclosed herein include a line of axles wherein different variants of the electric axles may be configured with one of a parking system and a disconnect system, both the parking system and the disconnect system, and neither of the parking system and the disconnect system.
Claims20
A parking and disconnect system, comprising:
- an actuator motor coupled to a motor shaft, the motor shaft being coupled to a first bearing positioned at one end of the motor shaft, a first needle one-way clutch, a first pinion gear, a second pinion gear, and a second needle one-way clutch positioned at another end of the motor shaft;
- wherein the first pinion gear is engaged with a first gear and the second pinion gear is engaged with an idler gear;
- one of a parking system and a disconnect system or both of the parking system and the disconnect system, wherein the parking system is engaged with the first gear and the disconnect system is engaged with the idler gear;
- the parking system comprising a barrel cam coupled to a park pawl cone via a ratchet spring and rod, a park gear, and a park pawl coupled to the park pawl cone wherein adjustment of a position of the park pawl cone engages the park pawl and the park gear;
- the disconnect system comprising a second gear, a dog clutch, and an actuator that engages and disengages the dog clutch;
- and
- wherein the actuator motor rotates the motor shaft in a first direction to activate the parking system and the actuator motor rotates the motor shaft in a second direction to activate the disconnect system, the first direction being opposite from the second direction.
An electric axle system, comprising:
- an electric motor rotationally coupled to a transmission shaft, the transmission shaft being coupled to a first planetary gearset;
- an adaptor shaft coupled to the transmission shaft at one end of the adaptor shaft and coupled to a sun gear shaft via splines at another end of the adaptor shaft;
- a parking and/or disconnect system comprising one of a parking system and a disconnect system or both of the parking system and the disconnect system,
- an actuator motor electrically coupled to one of the parking system and the disconnect system or both of the parking system and the disconnect system;
- wherein rotation in a first direction of the actuator motor activates the parking system and rotation in a second, opposite, direction of the actuator motor activates the disconnect system;
- and
- a second planetary gearset coupled to a differential at another end of the sun gear shaft.
A line of axle systems, comprising:
- a first transmission, a second transmission, a third transmission, and a fourth transmission, each of the first transmission, the second transmission, the third transmission, and the fourth transmission comprising:
- an electric motor positioned on one side of a respective transmission, a position of the electric motor being the same for each of the first transmission, the second transmission, the third transmission, and the fourth transmission, the electric motor being rotationally coupled to a transmission shaft;
- a first planetary gearset being coupled to the transmission shaft and being positioned between the electric motor and a bearing coupled to a sun gear shaft;
- an adaptor shaft that circumferentially surrounds the transmission shaft at one end of the adaptor shaft and surrounds the sun gear shaft at another end of the adaptor shaft;
- and
- a second planetary gearset being positioned between the bearing and a differential coupled to the sun gear shaft.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.