Drive axle system having multiple electric motors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11407307-B2
Application number	US-202016826866-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 23, 2020
Priority date	Mar 23, 2020
Publication date	Aug 9, 2022
Grant date	Aug 9, 2022

Abstract

A drive axle system having at least one differential assembly, a first electric motor, and a second electric motor. The first electric motor and the second electric motor may be selectively connectable to the differential assembly. The first electric motor, the second electric motor, or both may provide torque to the differential assembly.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A drive axle system comprising:
a differential assembly that has a ring gear and is rotatable about a first axis;
a drive pinion that meshes with the ring gear and is rotatable about a second axis;
a first electric motor is selectively connectable to the drive pinion via a gear set;
a second electric motor that is selectively connectable to the drive pinion via the gear set, wherein the first electric motor and the second electric motor are rotatable about a motor axis;
a first clutch that selectively couples the first electric motor to the gear set; and
a second clutch that selectively couples the second electric motor to the gear set.

2. The drive axle system of claim 1 wherein the first electric motor has a first motor shaft that is rotatable about the motor axis, the second electric motor has a second motor shaft that is rotatable about the motor axis, the gear set has a first gear that is rotatable about the motor axis and a second gear that is rotatable with the drive pinion, and the first clutch selectively couples the first motor shaft to the first gear and the second clutch selectively couples the second motor shaft to the first gear.

3. The drive axle system of claim 1 further comprising an auxiliary device that is selectively couplable to at least one of the first electric motor and the second electric motor.

4. The drive axle system of claim 3 wherein the first electric motor and the second electric motor transmit torque to the differential assembly and do not transmit torque to the auxiliary device when the first clutch couples the first electric motor to the gear set and the second clutch couples the second electric motor to the gear set.

5. The drive axle system of claim 3 wherein torque is transmitted between the first electric motor and the differential assembly when the first clutch operatively connects the first electric motor to the gear set and torque is transmitted between the second electric motor and the auxiliary device when the second clutch operatively connects the second electric motor to the auxiliary device and the second electric motor is disconnected from the gear set.

6. The drive axle system of claim 3 wherein torque is transmitted between the second electric motor and the differential assembly when the second clutch operatively connects the second electric motor to the gear set and torque is transmitted between the first electric motor and the auxiliary device when the first clutch operatively connects the first electric motor to the auxiliary device and the first electric motor is disconnected from the gear set.

7. The drive axle system of claim 3 wherein torque is transmitted between the first electric motor and the differential assembly when the first clutch operatively connects the first electric motor to the gear set and torque is not transmitted between the second electric motor and the auxiliary device when the second clutch disconnects the second electric motor from the auxiliary device and the second electric motor is disconnected from the gear set.

8. The drive axle system of claim 3 wherein torque is transmitted between the second electric motor and the differential assembly when the second clutch operatively connects the second electric motor to the gear set and torque is not transmitted between the first electric motor and the auxiliary device when the first clutch disconnects the first electric motor from the auxiliary device and the first electric motor is disconnected from the gear set.

9. The drive axle system of claim 1 wherein the first electric motor and the second electric motor are operable at a same efficiency at different rotational speeds.

10. The drive axle system of claim 2 wherein the first clutch is positioned along the motor axis between the first electric motor and the first gear.

11. The drive axle system of claim 2 wherein the second clutch is positioned along the motor axis between the second electric motor and the first gear.

12. The drive axle system of claim 3 wherein the auxiliary device is coupled to an auxiliary shaft that is rotatable about an auxiliary shaft axis.

13. The drive axle system of claim 12 wherein the auxiliary shaft is at least partially received in a housing assembly that receives the differential assembly.

14. The drive axle system of claim 12 wherein the auxiliary shaft axis is disposed substantially parallel to the motor axis.

15. The drive axle system of claim 12 wherein a first auxiliary gear is rotatable with the auxiliary shaft, and a second auxiliary gear meshes with the first auxiliary gear and is rotatable about the motor axis.

16. The drive axle system of claim 15 wherein the first clutch selectively couples the second auxiliary gear to a first motor shaft of the first electric motor.

17. The drive axle system of claim 15 wherein the first clutch is positioned along the motor axis between the second auxiliary gear and a first gear that is rotatable about the motor axis and that meshes with a second gear that is rotatable with the drive pinion.

18. The drive axle system of claim 12 wherein a third auxiliary gear is rotatable with the auxiliary shaft, and a fourth auxiliary gear meshes with the third auxiliary gear and is rotatable about the motor axis.

19. The drive axle system of claim 18 wherein the second clutch selectively couples the fourth auxiliary gear to a second motor shaft of the second electric motor.

20. The drive axle system of claim 18 wherein the second clutch is positioned along the motor axis between the fourth auxiliary gear and a first gear that is rotatable about the motor axis and that meshes with a second gear that is rotatable with the drive pinion.

Assignees

• Arvinmeritor Technology Llc

Inventors

• Lorenz Edwin D
• Sadlik Adam P
• SCHLUNDT Michael
• Marathe Rituja D

Classifications

• B60K2001/001

  one motor mounted on a propulsion axle for rotating right and left wheels of this axle · CPC title

• B60K25/00

  Auxiliary drives (arrangement of tyre-inflating pumps mounted on vehicles B60C23/10) · CPC title

• F16H48/36

  characterised by intentionally generating speed difference between outputs · CPC title

• B60K23/04 Primary

  for differential gearing · CPC title

• B60K1/02 Primary

  comprising more than one electric motor · CPC title