Drive axle system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11254206-B2
Application number	US-202016827102-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 23, 2020
Priority date	Mar 23, 2020
Publication date	Feb 22, 2022
Grant date	Feb 22, 2022

Abstract

A drive axle system having a one-way freewheel clutch. The one-way freewheel clutch is configured to transmit torque between first and second axle assembles when an interaxle differential unit is unlocked. The one-way freewheel clutch transmits torque to one of the first axle assembly and the second axle assembly when the interaxle differential unit is locked.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A drive axle system comprising:
a first axle assembly that has a first drive pinion and a first differential assembly that has a first ring gear, wherein the first ring gear and the first drive pinion cooperate to provide a first gear ratio;
a second axle assembly that is operatively connected to the first axle assembly, the second axle assembly having a second drive pinion and a second differential assembly that has a second ring gear, wherein the second drive pinion and second ring gear cooperate to provide a second gear ratio that differs from the first gear ratio;
an interaxle differential unit configured to operatively connect the first axle assembly and the second axle assembly; and
a one-way freewheel clutch that transmits torque between the first axle assembly and the second axle assembly when the interaxle differential unit is unlocked, and that transmits torque to one of the first axle assembly and the second axle assembly when the interaxle differential unit is locked, wherein the interaxle differential unit transmits torque to the second axle assembly but not to the first axle assembly when the interaxle differential unit is locked and the second gear ratio is less than the first gear ratio.

2. The drive axle system of claim 1 wherein the first differential assembly is rotatable about a first differential axis, the second differential assembly is rotatable about a second differential axis, and the one-way freewheel clutch transmits torque between the first axle assembly and the second axle assembly such that the first differential assembly is rotatable in a first rotational direction about the first differential axis and the second differential assembly is rotatable in the first rotational direction about the second differential axis when the interaxle differential unit is unlocked.

3. The drive axle system of claim 1 wherein the interaxle differential unit is disposed in the first axle assembly.

4. The drive axle system of claim 3 wherein the interaxle differential unit and the first drive pinion are rotatable about a first axis.

5. The drive axle system of claim 1 wherein the one-way freewheel clutch is provided with the interaxle differential unit.

6. The drive axle system of claim 1 wherein the interaxle differential unit includes:
a first side gear that receives the first drive pinion;
a second side gear that is fixed to an output shaft; and
a pinion gear that meshes with the first side gear and the second side gear; and
wherein the one-way freewheel clutch receives the first drive pinion and is received in the first side gear.

7. The drive axle system of claim 6 wherein the one-way freewheel clutch couples the first side gear to the first drive pinion such that the first side gear and the first drive pinion are rotatable together when torque is provided to the first side gear in a first direction, and the one-way freewheel clutch permits rotation of the first side gear with respect to the first drive pinion when torque is provided in a second direction that is opposite the first direction.

8. The drive axle system of claim 6 wherein the interaxle differential unit includes a case that receives the first side gear, the second side gear, and the pinion gear, and the interaxle differential unit further comprises an interaxle differential lock that selectively couples the first side gear to the case such that the first side gear and the case are rotatable together when the interaxle differential lock is in a locked position and the case is rotatable with respect to the first side gear when the interaxle differential lock is in an unlocked position.

9. The drive axle system of claim 8 wherein the one-way freewheel clutch is received in the case.

10. A drive axle system comprising:
a first axle assembly that has a first drive pinion and a first differential assembly that has first ring gear wherein the first ring gear and the first drive pinion cooperate to provide a first near ratio;
a second axle assembly that is operatively connected to the first axle assembly, the second axle assembly having a second drive pinion and a second differential assembly that has a second ring gear, wherein the second drive pinion and second ring gear cooperate to provide a second gear ratio that differs from the first gear ratio;
an interaxle differential unit configured to operatively connect the first axle assembly and the second axle assembly; and
a one-way freewheel clutch that transmits torque between the first axle assembly and the second axle assembly when the interaxle differential unit is unlocked, and that transmits torque to one of the first axle assembly and the second axle assembly when the interaxle differential unit is locked, wherein the first differential assembly is rotatable about a first differential axis, the second differential assembly is rotatable about a second differential axis, and the one-way freewheel clutch transmits torque to the first axle assembly to rotate the first differential assembly about the first differential axis in a second rotational direction that is opposite a first rotational direction when the first gear ratio is less than the second gear ratio and the interaxle differential unit is locked.

11. The drive axle system of claim 10 wherein the one-way freewheel clutch transmits torque to the second axle assembly to rotate the second differential assembly about the second differential axis in a second rotational direction that is opposite the first rotational direction when the second gear ratio is less than the first gear ratio and the interaxle differential unit is locked.

12. The drive axle system of claim 10 wherein the interaxle differential unit includes:
a first side gear;
a second side gear that is fixedly positioned with respect to an output shaft; and
a pinion gear that meshes with the first side gear and the second side gear; and
wherein the one-way freewheel clutch receives the first drive pinion and is received in the first side gear.

13. The drive axle system of claim 10 wherein the interaxle differential unit includes:
a planet carrier that is rotatable about an axis with an input shaft;
a planetary ring gear that is rotatable about the axis with an output shaft;
a sun gear; and
a planet gear that is rotatably disposed on the planet carrier and meshes with the planetary ring gear and the sun gear.

14. The drive axle system of claim 10 wherein the one-way freewheel clutch is provided with the interaxle differential unit.

15. A drive axle system comprising:
a first axle assembly that has a first drive pinion and a first differential assembly that has a first ring gear, wherein the first ring gear and the first drive pinion cooperate to provide a first gear ratio;
a second axle assembly that is operatively connected to the first axle assembly, the second axle assembly having a second drive pinion and a second differential assembly that has a second ring gear, wherein the second drive pinion and second ring gear cooperate to provide a second gear ratio that differs from the first gear ratio;
an interaxle differential unit configured to operatively connect the first axle assembly and the second axle assembly, the interaxle differential unit including a case, a first side gear, a second side gear that is fixed to an output shaft, a pinion gear that meshes with the first side gear and the second side gear, and an interaxle differential lock, wherein the case receives the first side gear, the second side gear, and the pinion gear, and the interaxle differential lock selectively couples the first side gear to the case such

Assignees

• Arvinmeritor Technology Llc

Inventors

• Hayes Brian D
• Martin Robert J
• Garcia Pedro
• Keeney Chris
• Eschenburg Dale

Classifications

• B60K17/24

  Arrangement of mountings for shafting · CPC title

• B60K17/02

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

• F16H48/05

  Multiple interconnected differential sets · CPC title

• B60K17/165 Primary

  provided between independent half axles (B60K17/18, B60K17/20 take precedence) · CPC title

• B60K17/26 Primary

  characterised by arrangement, location, or type of freewheel device · CPC title