Work vehicle multi-speed drive assembly with bifurcated clutches

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11193560-B1
Application number	US-202016887998-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	May 29, 2020
Priority date	May 29, 2020
Publication date	Dec 7, 2021
Grant date	Dec 7, 2021

Abstract

A drive assembly for a work vehicle includes a drive housing including a first housing element forming a reaction member; a drive shaft; a planetary gear set coupled to the drive shaft and configured to selectively rotate an output element in the first rotation direction and in the second rotation direction; a first clutch arrangement including a first clutch ring and a second clutch ring; and a second clutch arrangement to interface with the planetary gear set to selectively effect a second rotation speed of the output element in the first rotation direction and in the second rotation direction. The first clutch ring is configured to effect a first rotation speed of the output element in the second rotation direction and the second clutch ring is configured to effect the first rotation speed of the output element in the first rotation direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A drive assembly for a work vehicle comprising:
a drive housing including a first housing element forming a reaction member;
a drive shaft rotatable about a drive axis relative to the reaction member in a first rotation direction and alternatively a second rotation direction;
a planetary gear set coupled to the drive shaft and configured to selectively rotate an output element in the first rotation direction and in the second rotation direction;
a first clutch arrangement coupled to the reaction member and including a first clutch ring and a second clutch ring, wherein the first clutch ring of the first clutch arrangement is configured to interface the planetary gear set with the reaction member to effect a first rotation speed of the output element in the second rotation direction and the second clutch ring of the first clutch arrangement is configured to interface the planetary gear set with the reaction member to effect the first rotation speed of the output element in the first rotation direction;
a second clutch arrangement to interface with the planetary gear set to selectively effect a second rotation speed of the output element in the first rotation direction and in the second rotation direction;
at least one first actuator configured to effect movement of the first clutch arrangement along the drive axis to selectively engage the planetary gear set; and
at least one second actuator configured to effect movement of the second clutch arrangement along the drive axis to selectively engage the planetary gear set.

2. The drive assembly of claim 1 , wherein the at least one first actuator includes one first actuator configured to effect movement of the first clutch ring of the first clutch arrangement relative to the planetary gear set and another first actuator configured to effect movement of the second clutch ring of the first clutch arrangement relative to the planetary gear set.

3. The drive assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first clutch ring of the first clutch arrangement is configured to engage the planetary gear set when the output element is driven in the second rotation direction and to overrun the planetary gear set when the output element is driven in the first rotation direction.

4. The drive assembly of claim 3 , wherein the first clutch ring of the first clutch arrangement includes first clutch ring engagement elements, each with a perpendicular side configured to engage the planetary gear set when the output element is driven in the second rotation direction and a ramped side configured to overrun the planetary gear set when the output element is driven in the first rotation direction.

5. The drive assembly of claim 4 , wherein the second clutch ring of the first clutch arrangement includes second clutch ring engagement elements, each with a perpendicular side configured to engage the planetary gear set when the output element is driven in the first rotation direction and a ramped side configured to overrun the planetary gear set when the output element is driven in the second rotation direction.

6. The drive assembly of claim 5 , wherein the first clutch ring and the second clutch ring of the first clutch arrangement are positioned such that the first clutch ring engagement elements are oriented in an opposite axial direction relative to that of the second clutch ring engagement elements.

7. The drive assembly of claim 4 ,
wherein the second clutch arrangement includes a first clutch ring and a second clutch ring, wherein the first clutch ring of the second clutch arrangement is configured to interface the planetary gear set with the reaction member to effect the second rotation speed of the output element in the second rotation direction and the second clutch ring of the second clutch arrangement is configured to interface the planetary gear set with the reaction member to effect the second rotation speed of the output element in the first rotation direction.

8. The drive assembly of claim 7 , wherein the first clutch ring of the second clutch arrangement is configured to engage the planetary gear set when the output element is driven in the second rotation direction and to overrun the planetary gear set when the output element is driven in the first rotation direction.

9. The drive assembly of claim 8 ,
wherein the first clutch ring of the second clutch arrangement includes first clutch ring engagement elements of the second clutch arrangement, each with a perpendicular side configured to engage the planetary gear set when the output element is driven in the second rotation direction and a ramped side configured to overrun the planetary gear set when the output element is driven in the first rotation direction; and
wherein the second clutch ring of the second clutch arrangement includes second clutch ring engagement elements of the second clutch arrangement, each with a perpendicular side configured to engage the planetary gear set when the output element is driven in the first rotation direction and a ramped side configured to overrun the planetary gear set when the output element is driven in the second rotation direction.

10. The drive assembly of claim 9 , wherein the first clutch ring and the second clutch ring of the second clutch arrangement are positioned such that the first clutch ring engagement elements of the second clutch arrangement are oriented in an opposite axial direction relative to that of the second clutch ring engagement elements of the second clutch arrangement.

11. The drive assembly of claim 9 , further comprising a third clutch arrangement comprising a clutch ring, wherein the clutch ring of the third clutch arrangement is configured to interface with the planetary gear set to selectively effect a third rotation speed of the output element in the first rotation direction and in the second rotation direction.

12. The drive assembly of claim 1 ,
wherein the planetary gear set includes at least one sun gear, at least one carrier and at least one ring gear; and
wherein the first clutch arrangement is configured to at least indirectly engage with the at least one carrier to interface with the reaction member to effect the first rotation speed of the output element.

13. The drive assembly of claim 12 ,
wherein the planetary gear set further includes a carrier shell that at least partially encloses the first clutch ring and the second clutch ring of the first clutch arrangement, the carrier shell being rotationally fixed to the at least one carrier, and
wherein the first clutch ring of the first clutch arrangement is configured to engage the carrier shell to interface the at least one carrier with the reaction member to effect the first rotation speed of the output element in the second rotation direction, and
wherein the second clutch ring of the first clutch arrangement is configured to engage the at least one carrier to interface the at least one carrier with the reaction member to effect the first rotation speed of the output element in the first rotation direction.

14. The drive assembly of claim 1 ,
wherein the planetary gear set includes at least one sun gear, at least one carrier and at least one ring gear; and
wherein the first clutch arrangement is configured to at least indirectly engage the at least one sun gear to interface with the reaction member to effect the second rotation speed of the output element.

15. The drive assembly of claim 14 ,
wherein the planetary gear set further includes at least one sleeve that has a first end rotationally fixed to the at least one sun gear and a second end with a head portion,
wherein the f

Assignees

• Deere & Co

Inventors

• Fliearman Steven R
• Janasek Clayton G
• Lloyd Lisa R

Classifications

• B60Y2200/411

  Bulldozers, Graders · CPC title

• B60K17/34

  for driving both front and rear wheels, e.g. four wheel drive vehicles · CPC title

• B60K17/046

  with planetary gearing having orbital motion · CPC title

• B60K17/043

  Transmission unit disposed in on near the vehicle wheel, or between the differential gear unit and the wheel · CPC title

• B60K17/04

  characterised by arrangement, location or kind of gearing · CPC title