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US 8,316,981 B2Granted
Vehicular actuator arrangement and implementations
AssigneeAmerican Gear Products, LLC
InventorsRichard Nyberg, James R. Preston
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vehicle drive arrangement is controlled with an actuator arrangement. According to an example embodiment, an actuator arrangement includes a rotatable gear having pins thereon that are applied to a latch and rocker arm to selectively engage and lock a vehicle drive system. In some applications, gear is rotated to apply a first pin to move the latch for selective engagement of the vehicle drive system, and to apply the second pin for selective locking of the engagement, during which selective locking the rotation of the first pin does not cause movement of the latch. Other embodiments are directed to vehicle drive systems and vehicles, such as all-terrain vehicles, employing drive systems and an actuator.
Claims22
An actuator arrangement comprising:
- a latch configured and arranged to selectively engage a vehicle drive arrangement with a rotational power source relative to a translational position of the latch corresponding to engaged and disengaged states for driving a vehicle, the latch having a slot therein;
- a rocker arm configured and arranged to selectively lock the engagement of the vehicle drive arrangement to separate drive components of the vehicle relative to a rotational position of the rocker arm about a fulcrum;
- a rotatable gear that rotates in response to a gear input;
- a first pin connected to the rotatable gear and extending into the slot in the latch and configured and arranged to engage and move the latch in engaged and disengaged states as the rotatable gear rotates;
- a second pin connected to the rotatable gear to engage and rotate the rocker arm about the fulcrum as the rotatable gear rotates;
- and
- a sensor arrangement to sense the position of at least one of the latch and the rocker arm for controlling the rotation of the rotatable gear for selective engagement and locking of the vehicle drive arrangement.
4 more elements
A drive system for selectively operating a vehicle in two-wheel drive, four-wheel drive or locked four-wheel drive states, the system comprising:
- a differential to couple power from a power source to drive wheels when engaged in four-wheel drive operation;
- an actuator arrangement including
- a latch configured and arranged to selectively engage the differential with the power source, relative to a translational position of the latch corresponding to engaged, disengaged and locked states for respectively driving the vehicle in the two-wheel drive, four-wheel drive and locked four-wheel drive states, the latch having a slot therein,
- a rocker arm configured and arranged to selectively lock the engagement of the differential, to couple the rotation of separate driven wheels of the vehicle to one another for four-wheel locked drive operation, relative to a rotational position of the rocker arm about a fulcrum,
- a rotatable gear that has gear teeth about a perimeter of the gear and that rotates in response to a gear input to the teeth,
- a first pin connected to the rotatable gear and extending into the slot in the latch and configured and arranged to engage and move the latch between the engaged and disengaged states as the rotatable gear rotates,
- a second pin connected to the rotatable gear to engage and rotate the rocker arm about the fulcrum as the rotatable gear rotates, and
- a sensor to sense the position of the latch for controlling the rotation of the rotatable gear for selective engagement and locking of the differential;
- and
- a rotational power source coupled to control the rotation of the rotatable gear for selectively engaging and locking the differential for selectively operating the vehicle in two-wheel drive or four-wheel drive.
7 more elements
An all-terrain vehicle comprising:
- an engine;
- wheels that support and move the vehicle over a surface;
- a differential to couple rotational power from the engine to the wheels when engaged in four-wheel drive operation;
- an actuator arrangement including
- a latch configured and arranged to selectively engage the differential with the engine to couple the rotational power to the wheels for driving the wheels in four-wheel drive operation, relative to a translational position of the latch, the latch having a slot therein,
- a rocker arm configured and arranged to selectively lock the engagement of the differential relative to a rotational position of the rocker arm about a fulcrum to couple the rotation of the wheels driven in locked four-wheel drive operation,
- a rotatable gear that rotates in response to a gear input,
- a first pin connected to the rotatable gear and extending into the slot in the latch and configured and arranged to engage and move the latch between engaged and disengaged states for driving the vehicle in four-wheel drive as the rotatable gear rotates,
- a second pin connected to the rotatable gear to engage and rotate the rocker arm about the fulcrum as the rotatable gear rotates, and
- a sensor to sense the position of the latch for controlling the rotation of the rotatable gear for selective engagement and locking of the differential;
- and
- a rotational power source coupled to control the rotation of the rotatable gear for selectively engaging and locking the differential for selectively operating the vehicle in two-wheel drive, four-wheel drive or locked four-wheel drive.
9 more elements
A two-stage actuator arrangement for operating a vehicle drive arrangement in a disengaged state, in an unlocked engaged state, and in a locked engaged state, the arrangement comprising:
- a clutch-less latch coupled to selectively engage and disengage a vehicle drive arrangement with a rotational power source, relative to translational positions of the latch respectively corresponding to engaged states and a disengaged state for driving a vehicle, the latch having a slot therein;
- a rocker arm to selectively lock the rotation of separate driven components of the vehicle, relative to a rotational position of the rocker arm about a fulcrum;
- a rotatable gear having gear teeth about a perimeter of the gear and arranged to engage with teeth of an input worm, the rotatable gear being configured to rotate about an axis in response to a gear input applied to the gear teeth by the worm;
- a first pin connected to the rotatable gear and extending into the slot in the latch to engage and move the latch between the engagement stage position and the disengagement stage position as the rotatable gear rotates;
- a second pin connected to the rotatable gear to engage and rotate the rocker arm about the fulcrum as the rotatable gear rotates;
- and
- a sensor arrangement to sense the position of at least one of the latch and the rocker arm for controlling the rotation of the rotatable gear for selective engagement and locking of the vehicle drive arrangement.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.