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US 5,700,222 AGranted
Full-time transfer case with integrated planetary gear assembly
AssigneeNew Venture Gear, Inc.
InventorThomas Bowen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A transfer case for a four-wheel drive vehicle having a planetary gear assembly which integrates a gear reduction unit and an interaxle differential into a common arrangement. A clutch apparatus is operably associated with the planetary gear assembly and can be selectively shifted on-the-fly for establishing a full-time four-wheel high-range drive mode, a neutral non-driven mode, and a full-time four-wheel low-range drive mode.
Claims17
A transfer case for use in a four-wheel drive vehicle having a power source and front and rear drivelines, comprising:
- a housing;
- an input shaft rotatably supported by said housing and driven by the power source;
- a front output shaft rotatably supported by said housing and connected to the front driveline;
- a rear output shaft rotatably supported in said housing and connected to the rear driveline;
- a planetary gear assembly interconnecting said input shaft to said front and rear output shafts for delivering drive torque from the power source to the front and rear drivelines while permitting speed differentiation therebetween, said planetary gear assembly having first and second dual-planetary gearsets sharing a common carrier assembly, said first dual-planetary gearset including a first sun gear fixed for rotation with said input shaft, a second sun gear supported for rotation relative to said input shaft, a first planet gear rotatably supported by said carrier assembly and meshed with said first sun gear, and a second planet gear rotatably supported by said carrier assembly and meshed with said second sun gear and said first planet gear, said second dual-planetary gearset including a third sun gear fixed for rotation with said front output shaft, a fourth sun gear fixed for rotation with said rear output shaft, a third planet gear rotatably supported by said carrier assembly and meshed with said third sun gear, and a fourth planet gear rotatably supported by said carrier assembly and meshed with said fourth sun gear and said third planet gear;
- and
- a clutch apparatus for selectively coupling one of said second sun gear and said carrier assembly to said input shaft for driving said carrier assembly at a direct speed ratio relative to said input shaft for establishing a full-time four-wheel high-range drive mode, and said clutch apparatus is further operable for selectively coupling said second sun gear to said housing for driving said carrier assembly at a reduced speed ratio relative to said input shaft for establishing a full-time four-wheel low-range drive mode.
4 more elements
A transfer case for use in a four-wheel drive vehicle having a power source and front and rear drivelines, comprising:
- a housing;
- an input shaft rotatably supported by said housing and driven by the power source;
- a front output shaft rotatably supported by said housing and connected to the front driveline;
- a rear output shaft rotatably supported in said housing and connected to the rear driveline;
- a planetary gear assembly interconnecting said input shaft to said front and rear output shafts for delivering drive torque from the power source to the front and rear drivelines while permitting speed differentiation therebetween, said planetary gear assembly having first and second dual-planetary gearsets sharing a common carrier assembly, said first dual-planetary gearset including a first sun gear fixed for rotation with said input shaft, a second sun gear supported for rotation relative to said input shaft, a first planet gear rotatably supported by said carrier assembly and meshed with said first sun gear, and a second planet gear rotatably supported by said carrier assembly and meshed with said second sun gear and said first planet gear, said second dual-planetary gearset including a third sun gear fixed for rotation with said front output shaft, a fourth sun gear fixed for rotation with said rear output shaft, a third planet gear rotatably supported by said carrier assembly and meshed with said third sun gear, and a fourth planet gear rotatably supported by said carrier assembly and meshed with said fourth sun gear and said third planet gear;
- and
- a clutch apparatus including a range sleeve coupled for rotation with said second sun gear and movable between a high-range position coupling said second sun gear for rotation with said input shaft, a low-range position coupling said second sun gear to said housing, and a neutral position uncoupling said second sun gear from both of said input shaft and said housing, and an actuator for moving said range sleeve between its three positions for establishing one of a full-time four-wheel high-range drive mode, a full-time four-wheel low-range drive mode, and a Neutral non-driven mode, whereby location of said range sleeve in said high-range position causes said carrier assembly to be rotatably driven at a direct speed ratio relative to said input shaft for establishing said full-time four-wheel high-range drive mode, wherein location of said range sleeve in said low-range position causes said carrier assembly to be driven at a reduced speed ratio relative to said input shaft for establishing said full-time four-wheel low-range drive mode, and wherein location of said range sleeve in said neutral position establishes said Neutral non-driven mode.
4 more elements
A transfer case for use in a four-wheel drive vehicle having a power source and front and rear drivelines, comprising:
- a housing;
- an input shaft rotatably supported by said housing and driven by the power source;
- a front output shaft rotatably supported by said housing and connected to the front driveline;
- a rear output shaft rotatably supported in said housing and connected to the rear driveline;
- a planetary gear assembly interconnecting said input shaft to said front and rear output shafts for delivering drive torque from the power source to the front and rear drivelines while permitting speed differentiation therebetween, said planetary gear assembly having first and second dual-planetary gearsets sharing a common carrier assembly, said first dual-planetary gearset including a first sun gear fixed for rotation with said input shaft, a second sun gear supported for rotation relative to said input shaft, a first planet gear rotatably supported by said carrier assembly and meshed with said first sun gear, and a second planet gear rotatably supported by said carrier assembly and meshed with said second sun gear and said first planet gear, said second dual-planetary gearset including a third sun gear fixed for rotation with said front output shaft, a fourth sun gear fixed for rotation with said rear output shaft, a third planet gear rotatably supported by said carrier assembly and meshed with said third sun gear, and a fourth planet gear rotatably supported by said carrier assembly and meshed with said fourth sun gear and said third planet gear;
- and
- a clutch apparatus including a first range sleeve coupled for rotation with said carrier assembly and movable between a high-range position whereat said first range sleeve couples said carrier assembly for common rotation with said input shaft and a neutral position whereat said carrier assembly rotates relative to said input shaft, a second range sleeve coupled for rotation with said second sun gear and movable between a low-range position whereat said second range sleeve couples said second sun gear to said housing and a neutral position whereat said second sun gear is uncoupled from said housing, and an actuator for moving said first and second range sleeves to establish one of a full-time four-wheel high-range drive mode, a full-time four-wheel low-range drive mode, and a Neutral non-driven mode, wherein said actuator is operable for locating said first range sleeve in its high-range position and said second range sleeve in its neutral position for establishing said full-time four-wheel high-range drive mode, wherein said actuator is operable for locating said first range sleeve in its neutral position and said second range sleeve in its low-range position for establishing said full-time four-wheel low-range drive mode, and wherein said actuator is operable for locating said first range sleeve in its neutral position and said second range sleeve in its neutral position for establishing said Neutral non-driven mode.
4 more elements
A transfer case for use in a four-wheel drive vehicle having a power source and front and rear drivelines, comprising:
- a housing;
- an input shaft rotatably supported by said housing and driven by the power source;
- a front output shaft rotatably supported by said housing and connected to the front driveline;
- a rear output shaft rotatably supported in said housing and connected to the rear driveline;
- a planetary gear assembly interconnecting said input shaft to said front and rear output shafts for delivering drive torque from the power source to the front and rear drivelines while permitting speed differentiation therebetween, said planetary gear assembly having first and second dual-planetary gearsets sharing a common carrier assembly, said first dual-planetary gearset including a first sun gear fixed for rotation with said input shaft, a second sun gear supported for rotation relative to said input shaft, a first planet gear rotatably supported by said carrier assembly and meshed with said first sun gear, and a second planet gear rotatably supported by said carrier assembly and meshed with said second sun gear and said first planet gear, said second dual-planetary gearset including a third sun gear fixed for rotation with said front output shaft, a fourth sun gear fixed for rotation with said rear output shaft, a third planet gear rotatably supported by said carrier assembly and meshed with said third sun gear, and a fourth planet gear rotatably supported by said carrier assembly and meshed with said fourth sun gear and said third planet gear;
- and
- a powershift mechanism including a first clutch assembly that is operable in a non-actuated mode to permit rotation of said second sun gear relative to said housing and in an actuated mode for coupling said second sun gear to said housing, a second clutch assembly that is operable in a non-actuated mode to permit rotation of said carrier assembly relative to said input shaft and in an actuated mode for coupling said carrier assembly for common rotation with said input shaft, and an actuator for controlling actuation of said first and second clutch assemblies for establish one of a full-time four-wheel high-range drive mode, a full-time four-wheel low-range drive mode, and a Neutral non-driven mode, wherein said actuator is operable for shifting said first clutch assembly into its non-actuated mode and said second clutch assembly into its actuated mode for establishing said full-time four-wheel high-range drive mode, wherein said actuator is operable for shifting said first clutch assembly into its actuated mode and said second clutch assembly into its non-actuated mode for establishing said full-time four-wheel low-range drive mode, and wherein said actuator is operable for shifting said first and second clutch assemblies into their respective non-actuated modes for establishing said Neutral non-driven mode.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.