Drive arrangement for a motor vehicle, in particular a low platform bus

A rear axle bus drive layout for a rear axle (33) of a low floor bus (31) having a travel direction (X), the drive layout comprising:

• a rear axle (33) supporting a pair of spaced apart wheels;
• a transversely rear-mounted drive motor (34) having a transverse motor rotational axis (34a);
• a motor bevel gear stage (36) and an axle bevel gear stage (38) for drivingly connecting the drive motor (34) to the rear axle (33) and facilitate rotation of the rear axle and travel;
• the motor bevel gear stage (36) comprising:
• a motor bevel gear (36a) arranged coaxially with a motor drive shaft which defines the transverse motor rotational axis (34a) extending normal to the travel direction (X);
• and
• a first bevel gear (36b) being supported adjacent a first end of an intermediate shaft (37) and meshing with the motor bevel gear (36a) such that the meshing (36 a/b) of the motor bevel gear (36a) with the first bevel gear (36b) being located, with respect to the driving direction (X), behind the transverse motor rotational axis (34a) such that the transverse motor rotational axis (34a) is located between the rear axle (33) and the meshing (36 a/b) of the motor bevel gear (36a) with the first bevel gear (36b);
• and
• an extension of the transverse motor rotational axis (34a, 41a) that extends beyond the motor bevel gear (36a, 42), intersects the intermediate shaft (37, 45, 49) at a point along the intermediate shaft (37, 45, 49) which with respect to the travel direction (X) delimits front and rear axial portions of the intermediate shaft (37, 45.49), the rear portion of the intermediate shaft (37, 45, 49) being at a first angle (δ′) with the motor drive shaft that is greater than 90°, the front portion of the intermediate shaft (37, 45, 49) being at a second angle (δ) with the motor drive shaft that is less than 90°, and the first and the second angles are supplemental angles;
• the axle bevel gear stage (38) comprising:
• a crown gear (38b) arranged laterally on the rear axle (33);
• and
• a second bevel gear (38a) supported adjacent a second end of the intermediate shaft (37) and meshing with the crown gear (38b) to facilitate rotation of the rear axle,
• wherein the motor bevel gear stage (42, 44) forms an angular drive unit (40) which has a first housing part (43) which supports the motor bevel gear (42) and a second housing part (46) which supports the first bevel gear (44, 45), and
• wherein the second housing part (46) has two coaxially arranged bores (46a, 46b) and a larger one (46b) of the two coaxially arranged bores (46a, 46b) located rearward of the motor drive shaft is closed by a cover.

A rear axle bus drive layout for a rear axle (33) of a low floor bus (31) having a bus travel direction (X), the drive layout comprising:

• the rear axle (33) supporting a pair of spaced apart wheels and defining a rear axle rotational axis;
• a drive motor (34) being located, with respect to the bus travel direction (X), behind the rear axle (33), the drive motor (34) defining a motor rotational axis (34a, 41a) and having a drive shaft (41), the motor rotational axis (34a, 41a) and the drive shaft (41) being coaxial and aligned substantially normal to the bus travel direction (X);
• a motor bevel gear stage (40), an intermediate shaft (37, 45, 49) and an axle bevel gear stage (38) for transmitting drive from the drive motor (34) to the rear axle (33) to facilitate rotation of the rear axle (33) and travel of the bus (31);
• the motor bevel gear stage (36) comprising:
• a motor bevel gear (42) that is arranged coaxially with and rotationally driven by the drive shaft (41) about the motor rotational axis (34a, 41a);
• and
• a first bevel gear (44) that is arranged coaxially with and supported at an end of the intermediate shaft (37) to rotate about an intermediate shaft rotational axis (44a), the first bevel gear (44) engaging the motor bevel gear (42) at a meshing engagement point (42/44),
• the motor rotational axis (34a, 41a) being aligned with the intermediate shaft (37, 45, 49) such that a continuance of the motor rotational axis (34a, 41a) that extends beyond the motor bevel gear (42) intersects the intermediate shaft (37) and bisects the intermediate shaft rotational axis (44a), at an intersection point, into a front portion and a rear portion, such that, with respect to the bus travel direction (X), the front portion of the intermediate shaft rotational axis (44a) extends forward from the intersection point to the axle bevel gear stage (38), and the rear portion of the intermediate shaft rotational axis (44a) extends rearward from the intersection point to the first bevel gear (44);
• the intermediate shaft (37, 45, 49) extends rearward, with respect to the bus travel direction (X), from the intersection point such that the meshing engagement point (42/44) is located, with respect to the driving direction (X), behind the motor rotational axis (34a, 41a);
• and
• the intermediate shaft (37, 45, 49) is arranged with respect to the motor rotational axis (34a, 41a) such that a first angle (δ′) of greater than 90° is formed between the rear portion of the intermediate shaft rotational axis (44a) and the motor rotational axis (34a, 41a), extending between the intersection point and the drive motor (34) and a second angle (δ) of less than 90° is formed between the front portion of the intermediate shaft rotational axis (44a) and the motor rotational axis (34a, 41a), extending between the intersection point and the drive motor (34), and the first and the second angles are supplemental angles,
• wherein the first angle (δ′) formed between the rear portion of the intermediate shaft rotational axis (44a) and the motor rotational axis (34a, 41a), located between the intersection point and the drive motor, is approximately 100°.