Wheel-drive assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11667192-B2
Application number	US-202217721398-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 15, 2022
Priority date	Aug 31, 2020
Publication date	Jun 6, 2023
Grant date	Jun 6, 2023

Abstract

A wheel drive assembly for transferring propelling torque from a source shaft to a wheel, the source shaft receiving torque from a motion actuator. The wheel drive assembly includes a wheel-hub, adapted to have the wheel mounted thereon, the wheel-hub being arranged about a longitudinal axis, which is adapted to coincide with a rotation axis of the wheel. The wheel drive assembly further includes a drive axle and a constant velocity (CV) joint mounted onto an outer end of the drive axle. The CV joint connects the drive axle to the wheel-hub. An outermost surface of the CV joint is disposed outwardly of an outermost surface of the wheel hub, along the longitudinal axis of the wheel-hub.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wheel drive assembly for transferring propelling torque from a source shaft to a wheel, the source shaft receiving torque from a motion actuator, the wheel drive assembly comprising:
a) a wheel-hub having wheel hub bearings and adapted to have the wheel mounted thereon;
b) a drive axle; and
c) a constant velocity (CV) joint mounted onto an outer end of the drive axle, the CV joint connecting the drive axle to the wheel-hub, the CV joint comprising:
a housing; and
CV joint bearings, accommodated within the housing,
wherein the CV joint bearings are entirely disposed outwardly of the wheel hub bearings, along the longitudinal axis of the wheel-hub.

2. The wheel drive assembly of claim 1 , wherein the drive axle comprises a half shaft.

3. The wheel drive assembly of claim 1 , wherein the CV joint further comprises a cage accommodated within the housing.

4. The wheel drive assembly of claim 3 , wherein the wheel-hub includes a seat at an outer side thereof, and wherein the housing engages the seat.

5. The wheel drive assembly of claim 3 , wherein the housing engages the wheel-hub from an outer side of the wheel-hub.

6. The wheel drive assembly of claim 1 , wherein the housing is separable from the wheel hub.

7. The wheel drive assembly of claim 1 , wherein, in use of the CV joint, the CV joint bearings are adapted to rotate about an interior surface of the housing.

8. The wheel drive assembly of claim 1 , wherein a majority of the CV joint is exposed exteriorly to the wheel hub.

9. The wheel drive assembly of claim 1 , further comprising an inner CV joint mounted onto an inner end of the drive axle, and adapted to be functionally coupled to the source shaft.

10. A wheel assembly, comprising:
a wheel drive assembly according to claim 1 ; and
a wheel including a tire and a tire rim, the tire rim mounted onto the wheel-hub,
wherein at least a portion of the CV joint is visible from an outer side of the wheel.

11. The wheel assembly of claim 10 , further comprising a disk brake and caliper, wherein at least a portion of the CV joint is exterior to the disk brake.

12. A vehicle, comprising:
a chassis;
at least one motion actuator, functionally associated with the chassis, the motion actuator having an output shaft; and
at least one wheel assembly according to claim 10 ,
wherein the wheel drive assembly of the at least one wheel assembly is functionally associated with the output shaft of the motion actuator, as the source shaft, and the at least one wheel assembly is adapted to transfer propelling torque from the at least one motion actuator to the wheel of the at least one wheel assembly.

13. The vehicle of claim 12 , wherein the wheel drive assembly further comprises an inner CV joint mounted onto an inner end of the drive axle, the inner CV joint being functionally coupled to the output shaft of the motion actuator.

14. The vehicle of claim 13 , wherein the inner CV joint is disposed at a laterally exterior edge of the chassis.

15. The vehicle of claim 13 , wherein the inner CV joint is vertically stationary with respect to the chassis, and the outer CV joint is vertically movable with respect to the chassis, within a predetermined angular range of the drive axle relative to the chassis.

16. The vehicle of claim 13 , wherein the motion actuator is attached to the chassis, and functions as a sprung mass.

17. A method for enabling transfer of propelling torque from a motion actuator of a vehicle, having an output shaft, to a wheel of the vehicle, using a drive shaft, the method comprising:
fastening an outer CV joint of the drive shaft to an outer side of the wheel-hub;
connecting an inner CV joint of the drive shaft to the output shaft of the motion actuator; and
mounting a wheel on the wheel hub,
wherein, following the fastening, an outermost surface of the CV joint is disposed outwardly of an outermost surface of the wheel hub,
wherein at least one condition selected from the group consisting of a first condition, a second condition, and a third condition is true, and wherein:
I. according to the first condition, the mounting of the wheel on the wheel hub occurs prior to the fastening of the outer CV joint;
II. according to the second condition, the method further comprises, prior to the fastening, inserting the outer CV joint into the wheel hub from an exterior side of the wheel hub; and
III. according to the third condition, the wheel comprises a tire mounted onto a tire rim, and the mounting of the wheel on the wheel hub comprises fastening the tire rim to the wheel-hub such that the outermost surface of the outer CV joint extends outwardly of the majority of the tire rim.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein at least the first condition is true.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein at least the second condition is true.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the wheel-hub includes an outer-side seat, and the inserting of the outer CV joint comprises accommodating the outer CV joint in the outer-side seat.

21. The method of claim 17 , wherein at least the third condition is true.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the outermost surface of the outer CV joint extends outwardly of the entirety of the tire rim.

23. The method of claim 17 , wherein the connecting an inner CV joint comprises placing the inner CV joint at an exterior edge of a chassis of the vehicle.

24. A wheel drive assembly for transferring propelling torque from a source shaft to a wheel, the source shaft receiving torque from a motion actuator, the wheel drive assembly comprising:
a) a wheel-hub having wheel hub bearings and adapted to have the wheel mounted thereon;
b) a drive axle; and
c) a constant velocity (CV) joint mounted onto an outer end of the drive axle, the CV joint connecting the drive axle to the wheel-hub, the CV joint comprising:
a housing; and
CV joint bearings, accommodated within the housing,

wherein the CV joint bearings are disposed outwardly of the wheel hub bearings, along the longitudinal axis of the wheel-hub, such that there is no vertical overlap between the CV joint bearings and the wheel hub bearings.

Assignees

• Ree Automotive Ltd

Inventors

• Aknin Amit

Classifications

• F16D3/223

  the rolling members being guided in grooves in both coupling parts · CPC title

• B60B27/0063

  the element being a brake caliper mount · CPC title

• B60B27/0036 Primary

  comprising homokinetic joints · CPC title

• B60K17/22 Primary

  characterised by arrangement, location, or type of main drive shafting, e.g. cardan shaft · CPC title

• F16D1/076

  by clamping together two faces perpendicular to the axis of rotation, e.g. with bolted flanges · CPC title