Combined axle disconnect and park lock system

A combined axle disconnect and park lock system for a vehicle having a motive source and wheels, the system comprising:

• an output shaft;
• an intermediate gear permanently fixed for rotation with the output shaft;
• an output gear mounted for selective relative rotation on the first output shaft, the output gear having first splines;
• a sleeve mounted on the output shaft, the sleeve having parking lock splines and disconnect splines;
• a shift assembly configured to move the sleeve relative to the output shaft to place the system in a plurality of conditions;
• and
• lock plate splines;
• wherein, when the system is in a first condition of the plurality of conditions, the sleeve is moved such that the output gear can rotate relative to the first output shaft, and the drive wheels are free to rotate and are not coupled to the motive source;
• wherein, when the system is in a second condition of the plurality of conditions, the sleeve is moved such that the output gear cannot rotate relative to the first output shaft, and the drive wheels are free to rotate and are coupled to the motive source;
• and
• wherein, when the system is in a third condition of the plurality of conditions, the sleeve is moved such that the drive wheels are not free to rotate, the parking lock splines being engaged with the lock plate splines while the disconnect splines are engaged with the first splines when the system is in the third condition.

A method of disconnecting an axle and engaging a park locking in a vehicle comprising the steps of:

• providing a system comprising:
• a motor;
• a shaft;
• a gear mounted on the shaft;
• a bearing between the shaft and the gear;
• splines on the gear;
• a ball screw mechanism connected to the motor and configured to convert rotary motion of the motor to axial motion along a shift rail;
• a fork mounted on the shift rail;
• lock plate splines;
• and
• a sleeve on the shaft between the lock plate and the gear, the sleeve having parking lock splines and disconnect splines;
• and
• moving the fork to cause the sleeve to move such that the parking lock splines are engaged with the lock plate splines while the disconnect splines are engaged with the splines on the gear.