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US 7,115,057 B2Granted
Drive axle assembly for hybrid electric vehicle
AssigneeArvinMeritor Technology, LLC
InventorDean M. House
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An axle assembly mounts an electric motor to a central housing opposite an input yoke that is driven by an engine. The input yoke is mounted along an axis parallel to the electric motor to alternatively or additionally permit the engine to drive a gear reduction within the axle housing through a planetary gear assembly. Another axle assembly is powered by just an electric motor to provide a relatively lighter duty axle assembly for yet another vehicle configuration.
Claims24
An axle assembly comprising:
- a first hub assembly and a second hub assembly mounted to an axle housing for rotation about a first axis through a reduction gearbox within said axle housing, said axle housing having an electric motor axle housing portion located intermediate said first hub assembly and said second hub assembly, said electric motor axle housing portion configured to receive an electric motor along a second axis transverse said first axis to drive said reduction gearbox opposite an input yoke which drives said reduction gearbox.
An axle assembly comprising:
- an axle housing;
- a first hub assembly and a second hub assembly mounted to said axle housing for rotation about a first axis;
- said axle housing having an electric motor axle housing portion intermediate said first hub assembly and said second hub assembly;
- a gearbox mounted within said electric motor axle housing portion, said gearbox operable to drive said first hub assembly and said second hub assembly;
- a motor shaft mounted within said electric motor axle housing portion and rotatable along a second axis transverse said first axis, said motor shaft engaged with said gearbox;
- and
- an input yoke disposed along said second axis, said input yoke engaged with said gearbox, said input yoke opposite said motor shaft.
4 more elements
An axle assembly comprising:
- an axle housing;
- a first hub assembly and a second hub assembly mounted to said axle housing for rotation about a first axis;
- said axle housing having an electric motor axle housing portion intermediate said first hub assembly and said second hub assembly;
- a gearbox mounted within said electric motor axle housing portion, said gearbox operable to drive said first hub assembly and said second hub assembly;
- a motor shaft mounted within said electric motor axle housing portion and rotatable along a second axis transverse said first axis, said motor shaft engaged with said gearbox;
- an input yoke disposed along said second axis, said input yoke engaged with said gearbox, an electric motor providing a drive input along said second axis to drive said motor shaft;
- and
- a selectively actuated coupling between said electric motor and said motor shaft.
5 more elements
An axle assembly comprising:
- an axle housing;
- a first hub assembly and a second hub assembly mounted to said axle housing for rotation about a first axis;
- said axle housing having an electric motor axle housing portion intermediate said first hub assembly and said second hub assembly;
- a gearbox mounted within said electric motor axle housing portion, said gearbox comprises a ring gear engaged with a pinion gear operable to drive said first hub assembly and said second hub assembly;
- a motor shaft mounted within said electric motor axle housing portion to extend through said pinion gear, said motor shaft rotatable along a second axis transverse said first axis;
- and
- an input yoke disposed along said second axis, said input yoke engaged with said gearbox.
4 more elements
An axle assembly comprising:
- an axle housing;
- a first hub assembly and a second hub assembly mounted to said axle housing for rotation about a first axis;
- said axle housing having an electric motor axle housing portion intermediate said first hub assembly and said second hub assembly;
- an electric motor mounted to said electric motor axle housing portion, said electric motor providing a drive input along a second axis transverse to said first axis;
- a gearbox mounted within said electric motor axle housing portion to drive said first hub assembly and said second hub assembly;
- a planetary gear assembly engaged with said gearbox;
- an input yoke being rotatable about said second axis and engaged with said planetary gear assembly, such that said input yoke directly drives a planet carrier of said planetary gear assembly;
- and
- a motor shaft rotatable about said second axis, said motor shaft engaged with said electric motor to drive said planetary gear assembly said electric motor mounted on an opposite side of said first axis relative to said input yoke.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.