Axle assembly having a gear reduction module with multiple gear sets

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11679671-B2
Application number	US-202217897668-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 29, 2022
Priority date	Mar 10, 2021
Publication date	Jun 20, 2023
Grant date	Jun 20, 2023

Abstract

An axle assembly having a gear reduction unit that is configured to operatively connect an electric motor to a drive pinion. The gear reduction unit includes at least two gear sets. A shift collar is rotatable with the drive pinion and moveable along the drive pinion to couple a gear set to the drive pinion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An axle assembly comprising:
an electric motor having a rotor that is rotatable about an axis;
a drive pinion that extends through the rotor and is rotatable about the axis;
a gear reduction unit that includes:
an epicyclic gear set that has an epicyclic sun gear that is operatively connected to the rotor and that is rotatable about the axis, an epicyclic planetary ring gear that is rotatable about the axis, a set of epicyclic planet gears that meshes with the epicyclic sun gear and the epicyclic planetary ring gear, and an epicyclic planet gear carrier that rotatably supports the set of epicyclic planet gears and that is fixedly positioned such that the epicyclic planet gear carrier is not rotatable about the axis;
a first gear set that has a first sun gear that is fixedly positioned with respect to the epicyclic planetary ring gear such that the first sun gear does not rotate with respect to the epicyclic planetary ring gear, a first planetary ring gear that is fixedly positioned such that the first planetary ring gear is not rotatable about the axis, a first set of planet gears that meshes with the first sun gear and the first planetary ring gear, and a first planet gear carrier that rotatably supports the first set of planet gears;
a second gear set that has a second sun gear that is rotatable about the axis, and a second set of planet gears that meshes with the second sun gear and that is rotatably supported on the first planet gear carrier, wherein members of the second set of planet gears have a smaller diameter than members of the first set of planet gears; and

a shift collar that is rotatable about the axis with the drive pinion and that is moveable along the axis between a first position in which the shift collar couples the first planet gear carrier to the drive pinion but does not couple the first sun gear or the second sun gear to the drive pinion, and a second position in which the shift collar couples the second sun gear but does not couple the first sun gear or the first planet gear carrier to the drive pinion.

2. The axle assembly of claim 1 wherein the shift collar is moveable to a third position in which the shift collar couples the first sun gear to the drive pinion but does not couple the second sun gear or the first planet gear carrier to the drive pinion.

3. The axle assembly of claim 1 wherein the first gear set is axially positioned along the axis between the epicyclic gear set and the second gear set and the epicyclic gear set is axially positioned along the axis between the electric motor and the first gear set.

4. The axle assembly of claim 1 wherein the shift collar receives the drive pinion and the shift collar is received inside the first sun gear, the second sun gear, and the epicyclic sun gear, and members of the set of epicyclic planet gears have a smaller diameter than members of the first set of planet gears and a larger diameter than members of the second set of planet gears.

5. The axle assembly of claim 1 wherein the epicyclic planetary ring gear is received inside an epicyclic support bearing assembly that rotatably supports the epicyclic planetary ring gear and the first planet gear carrier is received inside a support bearing assembly that rotatably supports the first planet gear carrier, wherein the second gear set is axially positioned along the axis between the first gear set and the support bearing assembly.

6. The axle assembly of claim 1 wherein the epicyclic planet gear carrier has a support portion that rotatably supports the epicyclic planet gears.

7. The axle assembly of claim 1 wherein an epicyclic support bearing assembly rotatably supports the epicyclic planetary ring gear.

8. The axle assembly of claim 1 wherein a support bearing assembly rotatably supports the first planet gear carrier.

9. The axle assembly of claim 8 wherein the second gear set is axially positioned along the axis between the first gear set and the support bearing assembly.

10. The axle assembly of claim 1 wherein the epicyclic planetary ring gear is connected to the first sun gear by a connection portion that extends from the epicyclic planetary ring gear.

11. An axle assembly comprising:
an electric motor having a rotor that is rotatable about an axis;
a drive pinion that is received inside the rotor and is rotatable about the axis;
a gear reduction unit that includes:
an epicyclic gear set that has an epicyclic sun gear that is fixedly positioned such that the epicyclic sun gear is not rotatable about the axis, an epicyclic planetary ring gear that is operatively connected to the rotor and that is rotatable with the rotor about the axis, a set of epicyclic planet gears that meshes with the epicyclic sun gear and the epicyclic planetary ring gear, and an epicyclic planet gear carrier that rotatably supports the set of epicyclic planet gears;
a first gear set that has a first sun gear that is fixedly positioned with respect to the epicyclic planet gear carrier such that the first sun gear does not rotate with respect to the epicyclic planet gear carrier, a first planetary ring gear that is fixedly positioned such that the first planetary ring gear is not rotatable about the axis, a first set of planet gears that meshes with the first sun gear and the first planetary ring gear, and a first planet gear carrier that rotatably supports the first set of planet gears;
a second gear set that has a second sun gear that is rotatable about the axis, and a second set of planet gears that meshes with the second sun gear and that is rotatably supported on the first planet gear carrier, wherein members of the second set of planet gears have a smaller diameter than members of the first set of planet gears; and

a shift collar that is rotatable about the axis with the drive pinion and that is moveable along the axis between a first position in which the shift collar couples the first planet gear carrier to the drive pinion but does not couple the first sun gear or the second sun gear to the drive pinion, and a second position in which the shift collar couples the second sun gear but does not couple the first sun gear or the first planet gear carrier to the drive pinion.

12. The axle assembly of claim 11 wherein the shift collar is moveable to a third position in which the shift collar couples the first sun gear to the drive pinion but does not couple the second sun gear, or the first planet gear carrier to the drive pinion.

13. The axle assembly of claim 11 wherein the first gear set is axially positioned along the axis between the epicyclic gear set and the second gear set and the epicyclic gear set is axially positioned along the axis between the electric motor and the first gear set.

14. The axle assembly of claim 11 wherein the shift collar receives the drive pinion and the shift collar is received inside the first sun gear, the second sun gear, and the epicyclic sun gear.

15. The axle assembly of claim 11 wherein the epicyclic planetary ring gear is received inside the rotor and members of the set of epicyclic planet gears have a smaller diameter than members of the first set of planet gears and a larger diameter than members of the second set of planet gears.

16. The axle assembly of claim 11 wherein the epicyclic planet gear carrier includes a set of inner teeth that are selectively engaged by the shift collar.

17. The axle assembly of claim 11 wherein a support bearing assembly rotatably supports the first planet gear carrier.

18. The axle assembly of claim 17 wherein the support bearing assembly ext

Assignees

• Arvinmeritor Technology Llc

Inventors

• Cradit Jeremy
• Bofferding Nick
• Zueski David
• Martin Robert
• Lamothe Eric
• Keeney Christopher
• Hayes Brian

Classifications

• F16H3/66

  composed of a number of gear trains without drive passing from one train to another · CPC title

• F16H2702/02

  Mechanical transmissions with planetary gearing combined with one or more other mechanical transmissions · CPC title

• F16H2200/2094

  using positive clutches, e.g. dog clutches · CPC title

• B60K2001/001

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

• F16H2200/201

  with three sets of orbital gears · CPC title