# US 8,770,333 B2 · Vehicle

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- Number: US 8,770,333 B2
- Document ID: US8770333B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 12/228,376
- Filed: 2008-08-12
- Published: 2009-02-19
- Granted: 2014-07-08
- Earliest claimed: 2007-08-14
- Assignees: Dana Italia S.R.L.
- Applicants: Fabrizio Panizzolo
- Inventors: Fabrizio Panizzolo
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8770333B2

## CPC

- B60K 23/04: for differential gearing
- B62D 7/09: characterised by means varying the ratio between the steering angles of the steered wheels (varying the ratio automatically depending on driving conditions B62D6/00)
- B62D 7/1509: {with different steering modes, e.g. crab-steering, or steering specially adapted for reversing of the vehicle}
- B62D 9/00: Steering deflectable wheels not otherwise provided for (steering positon indicators B62D15/02)
- B62D 11/10: using gearings with differential power outputs on opposite sides, e.g. twin-differential or epicyclic gears
- F16H 1/28: with gears having orbital motion
- Y10T 74/19647: Parallel axes or shafts
- B60K: ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN VEHICLES
- B62D: MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS (steering, or guiding on a desired track, of agricultural machines or implements A01B69/00; wheels, castors, axles, increasing wheel adhesion B60B; vehicle tyres, tyre inflation or tyre changing B60C; connections between vehicles of a train or the like B60D; vehicles for use on rail and road, amphibious or convertible vehicles B60F; suspension arrangements B60G; heating, cooling, ventilating or other air treating devices B60H; windows, windscreens, non-fixed roofs, doors or similar devices, protective coverings for vehicles not in use B60J; propulsion plant arrangements, auxiliary drives, transmissions, controls, instrumentation or dashboards B60K; electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L; power supply for electrically-propelled vehicles B60M; passenger accommodation not otherwise provided for B60N; adaptations for load transportation or to carry special loads or objects B60P; arrangement of signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor, for vehicles in general B60Q; vehicles, vehicle fittings or vehicle parts not otherwise provided for B60R; servicing, cleaning, repairing, supporting, lifting, or manoeuvring, not otherwise provided for, B60S; brake arrangements, brake control systems or parts thereof B60T; air-cushion vehicles B60V; motor-cycles, accessories therefor B62J, B62K; testing of vehicles G01M)
- F16H: GEARING
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

A vehicle comprises a chassis, a pair of driving wheels, a pair of idle wheels, at least one steering group, and a differential. The steering group is capable of positioning one of the pairs of wheels in a steering geometry where an axis of each of the wheels of the pair of wheels capable of being positioned by the steering group intersects with the remaining axis within a ground-support quadrilateral formed by the pairs of wheels. The differential comprises an outer case, an inner case, a selective engagement, a selective blocking means, and a selective direct gearing means. When the inner case is coupled to the outer case a first half-shaft and a second half-shaft are driven similarly and when the inner case is coupled to the chassis and one of the half-shafts is drivingly engaged with a crown gear the first half-shaft and the second half-shaft are driven opposingly.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A vehicle, comprising:
a chassis;
a pair of driving wheels;
a pair of idle wheels;
at least one steering group, the steering group capable of positioning one of the pairs of wheels in a steering geometry where an axis of each wheel of the pair of wheels capable of being positioned by the steering group intersects with a remaining axis of each wheel of the remaining pair of wheels within a ground-support quadrilateral formed by the pairs of wheels; and
a differential comprising:
an outer case in driving engagement with a crown gear;
an inner case having a first half-shaft and a second half-shaft opposingly disposed therein, the first half-shaft and the second half-shaft each having a primary toothed gear drivingly disposed thereon, the first half-shaft and the second half-shaft each having at least one of the driving wheels drivingly coupled thereto, the primary toothed gears drivingly engaged with each other using at least two secondary toothed gears, the secondary toothed gears rotatingly assembled on a pin coupled to the inner case, the secondary toothed gears substantially orthogonal to the half-shafts;
a selective engagement means capable of coupling the inner case to the outer case;
a selective blocking means capable of coupling the inner case to the chassis; and
a selective direct gearing means capable of drivingly engaging one of the half shafts with the crown gear; wherein when the inner case is coupled to the outer case the first half-shaft and the second half-shaft are driven in a same direction, and when the inner case is coupled to the chassis and one of the half-shafts is drivingly engaged with the crown gear the first half-shaft and the second half-shaft are driven in opposite directions.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the selective engagement means comprises a set of engagement balls disposed between the inner case and the outer case.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the selective blocking means comprises a first piston, a first spring, and a clutch capable of coupling the inner case to the chassis and the first piston can be moved to compress the first spring and disconnect the selective engagement means coupling the inner case and the outer case, the first piston simultaneously coupling the inner case to the chassis with the clutch element.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the selective direct gearing means comprises a second piston, a front engagement unit having a first set of teeth, and a second spring, wherein the second piston can be selectively moved to compress the second spring and engage the first set of teeth of the front engagement unit with a second set of teeth drivingly engaged with one of the half-shafts.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the steering group comprises two structural extensions, two wheel-holder groups, and two steering means, each of the wheel-holder groups coupled to a first end of each of the structural extensions and each of the structural extensions coupled at a second end to the vehicle, each of the wheel-holder groups pivotally coupled to the structural extensions about a first pin, the steering means of the wheel-holder groups including two telescopic units, each of the telescopic units including a first sleeve and a first rod, the first rod slidably disposed in the first sleeve, each of the telescopic units pivotally coupled to one the wheel-holder groups with a second pin, each of the telescopic units suitable for independently modifying an angular position of each of the wheel-holder groups with respect to the structural extension each wheel-holder group is coupled to.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The vehicle according to claim 5, wherein the steering group further comprises a main steering stem in a main steering sleeve, the main steering sleeve rigidly coupled to the vehicle, the first rod elements being respectively equipped with a first end slidably disposed in the first sleeve elements and a second end spherically coupled to the main steering stem with an articulated element, the main steering stem including two ends which extend in opposing directions, the ends of the main steering stem partially protruding from the main steering sleeve.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The vehicle according to claim 5, wherein a movement of the first rod elements with respect to the first sleeve elements is hydraulically controlled.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The vehicle according to claim 6, wherein in a movement of the main steering stem is one of rack controlled and hydraulically controlled, and a movement of the first rod elements with respect to the first sleeve elements is hydraulically controlled.

### Claim 9 (depends on 6)

The vehicle according to claim 6, wherein a movement of the main steering stem is independent from a movement of the first rod elements with respect to the first sleeve elements.