US 4,283,968 A · Housing assembly for electric vehicle transaxle

Abstract

Disclosed is a drive assembly (10) for an electrically powered vehicle (12). The assembly includes a transaxle (16) having a two-speed transmission (40) and a drive axle differential (46) disposed in a unitary housing assembly (38), an oil-cooled prime mover or electric motor (14) for driving the transmission input shaft (42), an adapter assembly (24) for supporting the prime mover on the transaxle housing assembly, and a hydraulic system (172) providing pressurized oil flow for cooling and lubricating the electric motor and transaxle and for operating a clutch (84) and a brake (86) in the transmission to shift between the two-speed ratios of the transmission. The adapter assembly allows the prime mover to be supported in several positions on the transaxle housing. The brake is spring-applied and locks the transmission in its low-speed ratio should the hydraulic system fail. The hydraulic system pump is driven by an electric motor (212) independent of the prime mover and transaxle.

Claims8

Dependent claims

A housing assembly for a ratio change transmission having an input means rotatably driven by an output shaft of a prime mover, said assembly comprising:

a transmission housing rotatably supporting said input means and an output means and including mounting means defining a set of equally spaced and circumferentially disposed fastener means concentrically positioned about the rotational axis of said input means;
a prime mover housing rotatably supporting said output shaft and including mounting means defining a set of equally spaced and circumferentially disposed fastener means concentrically positioned about the rotational axis of said output shaft;
and
an adapter member including first and second mounting means each defining a set of equally spaced and circumferentially disposed fastener means respectively engageable with said transmission and prime mover housing fastener means for rigidly securing the transmission and prime mover housings together, for positioning said axes substantially parallel to and radially spaced from each other, and for positioning said transmission and prime mover housings on said first and second mounting means in incrementally clocked positions determined by the circumferential spacing of the respectively engageable fastener means.

1 more element

A transaxle assembly for an electrically powered vehicle, said assembly comprising:

a transaxle housing including mounting means defining a set of circumferentially disposed fastener means;
a ratio change transmission disposed in said housing and including input and output means mounted for rotation about a common axis concentric to said fastener means;
a drive axle differential assembly disposed in said housing, said differential assembly including an input driven by said output means and two output gears disposed about a common axis substantially parallel said common axis of said input and output means;
an electric motor housing assembly including mounting means defining a set of circumferentially disposed fastener means;
an electric motor disposed in said motor housing and including an output shaft concentric to said motor housing fastener means for driving said input shaft means;
an adapter member including first and second mounting means each defining a set of circumferentially disposed fastener means respectively engageable with said transmission and motor housing fastener means for rigidly securing the transmission and motor housings together and for positioning said motor shaft substantially parallel and radially spaced from said transmission input means.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Housing assembly for electric vehicle transaxle

Life of this patent

Housing assembly for electric vehicle transaxle

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims8