Integrated two-speed motor
AssigneeArvinMeritor Technology, LLC
InventorJohn L. Bennett
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vehicle drive assembly includes an integrated two-speed motor that can selectively drive an output at a high operating speed or a low operating speed. The two-speed motor includes a stator mounted to a non-rotating outer housing, and a rotor that is mounted for rotation relative to the stator. The rotor is supported an inner rotor support that defines an inner cavity. A two-speed shifting mechanism is incorporated into the inner cavity and is used to drive an output. The two-speed shifting mechanism includes a gear assembly and first and second clutch assemblies that cooperate with each other to provide low and high speed output capability as needed.
Claims16
An electric motor comprising:
- a stator;
- a rotor mounted for rotation relative to said stator;
- an output operably driven by said rotor;
- and
- a two-speed shifting mechanism incorporated into said rotor for providing said output with at least a high-speed and a low-speed output capability, and wherein said two-speed shifting mechanism includes a gear assembly having a gear housing supported by said rotor and enclosing said two-speed shifting mechanism, a first clutch that selectively couples said gear assembly to said gear housing to provide the high-speed output capability, and a second clutch that selectively couples said gear assembly to a ground to provide the low-speed output capability.
A vehicle drive assembly comprising:
- a stator;
- a rotor mounted for rotation relative to said stator, said rotor defining a hollow inner cavity;
- an output operably driven by said rotor about an axis of rotation;
- and
- a two-speed shifting mechanism incorporated into said hollow inner cavity of said rotor for providing said output with at least a high-speed and a low-speed output capability, said two-speed shifting mechanism including a gear housing substantially enclosing a gear assembly coupled to said output wherein said gear assembly includes a first gear that is selectively coupled to said gear housing to provide the high-speed output capability, a second gear that is selectively coupled to a non-rotating member to provide the low-speed capability, and a plurality of pinion gears supported on a spider wherein each pinion gear is in meshing engagement with said first and second gears.
A method of assembling a vehicle drive assembly comprising the steps of:
- fixing a stator within a non-rotating outer housing;
- supporting a rotor within a stator inner cavity on an inner rotor support defining an inner rotor cavity including aligning the rotor within the stator inner cavity by attaching a first bearing cage to a first end of the inner rotor support and attaching a second bearing cage to a second end of the inner rotor support opposite the first end;
- installing a two-speed shifting mechanism within the inner rotor cavity for providing at least a high-speed and a low-speed output capability wherein the two-speed shifting mechanism includes a gear assembly housed within a gear housing and having a first gear selectively coupled to the gear housing with a first clutch assembly to provide the high speed output capability and a second gear selectively coupled to the non-rotating outer housing with a second clutch assembly to provide the low-speed output capability and including installing a first bearing between the first bearing cage and the non-rotating outer housing to rotatably support the first gear during low-speed output, installing a second bearing between the first bearing cage and a clutch housing of the first clutch assembly to rotatably support the first gear during high-speed output, installing a third bearing between the second bearing cage and the gear housing to rotatably support the second gear during high-speed output, and installing a fourth bearing between the second bearing cage and a clutch housing of the second clutch assembly to rotatably support the second gear during low-speed output;
- and
- coupling an output to the rotor via the two-speed shifting mechanism.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.