Actuator arrangement and transmission arrangement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11701960-B2
Application number	US-202017775332-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 6, 2020
Priority date	Nov 11, 2019
Publication date	Jul 18, 2023
Grant date	Jul 18, 2023

Abstract

An actuator assembly for actuating two switching units in the driveline of a motor vehicle comprises a housing; an actuator drive; a switching rod arranged in the housing and axially movable by the actuator drive in three positions; a first switching element and a second switching element axially movably arranged on the switching rod; a spring element which biases the first switching element against a first shaft stop and the second switching element against a second shaft stop; a first housing stop against which the first switching element can be axially supported; and a second housing stop against which the second switching element can be axially supported. A transmission assembly can include such an actuator assembly.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An actuator assembly for actuating two switching units in the driveline of a motor vehicle, comprising:
a housing,
an actuator drive,
a switching rod, which is arranged in the housing and is axially movable by the actuator drive in at least three positions,
a first switching element and a second switching element, which are axially movably arranged on the switching rod,
a spring element which biases the first switching element against a first shaft stop and the second switching element against a second shaft stop in opposite axial directions,
a first housing stop against which the first switching element is axially supported when the switching rod is moved in a direction of force acting from the spring element on the first switching element,
a second housing stop against which the second switching element is axially supported when the switching rod is moved in a direction of force acting from the spring element on the second switching element.

2. The actuator assembly according to claim 1 ,
wherein the actuator drive is configured in the form of a rotary drive, wherein the switching rod is rotatably drivable by the rotary drive, and wherein a spindle mechanism is provided which converts a rotary movement of the switching rod into an axial movement of the switching rod.

3. The actuator assembly according to claim 1 ,
wherein the switching rod, starting from a central position, is movable by the actuator drive into a first axial position, with the first switching element being supported against the first housing stop, and the second switching element being spaced from the second housing stop, and that the switching rod, starting from the central position, is movable by the actuator drive into an opposite second axial position, with the second switching element being supported against the second housing stop, and the first switching element being spaced from the first housing stop.

4. The actuator assembly according to claim 1 ,
wherein the spring element axially biases the first switching element and the second switching element away from each other, wherein the first housing stop and the second housing stop are facing axially towards each other.

5. The actuator assembly according to claim 1 ,
wherein the spring element is arranged on the switching rod between the first switching element and the second switching element, with the spring element being formed as a helical spring.

6. The actuator assembly according to claim 1 ,
wherein at least one of the first switching element and the second switching element is formed as a switching fork which is configured to axially move a switching sleeve.

7. The actuator assembly according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first switching element is for actuating a first switching unit, and the second switching element is for actuating a second switching unit.

8. The actuator assembly according to claim 7 ,
wherein at least one of the first switching unit and the second switching unit includes a form-locking clutch.

9. The actuator assembly according to claim 7 ,
wherein at least one of the first switching unit and the second switching unit is designed for drivingly connecting or disconnecting a differential gearing.

10. The actuator assembly according to claim 2 ,
wherein the switching rod is supported at one end by the spindle mechanism and at the other end by a plain bearing so as to be rotatable in the housing about an axis of rotation.

11. The actuator assembly according to claim 2 ,
wherein the spindle mechanism has a support part which is connected to the housing in a rotationally fixed and axially fixed manner, and a rotary part which is connected to the switching rod in a fixed manner and which is connected to the support part in a screwable manner, so that rotation of the switching rod and the rotary part connected thereto relative to the support part causes axial displacement of the switching rod.

12. The actuator assembly according to claim 2 ,
wherein a first drive element arranged in a power path between the rotary drive and the switching rod is axially displaceable relative to a second drive element in engagement therewith.

13. The actuator assembly according to claim 1 ,
wherein a transmission stage is provided between the actuator drive and the switching rod.

14. The actuator assembly according to claim 1 , in a transmission assembly comprising:
a differential gearing including a rotatably drivable differential cage, a first differential output part for driving a first side shaft and a second differential output part for driving a second side shaft;
a first switching unit arranged between the differential cage and a drive member to selectively connect for torque transmission the differential cage to the drive member or disconnect the differential cage from the drive member, and
a second switching unit by which one of the first and second differential output parts is connectable for torque transmission to the associated side shaft or disconnectable therefrom,
wherein the first switching unit is actuatable by the first switching element of the actuator assembly, and the second switching unit is actuatable by the second switching element.

15. The actuator assembly according to claim 1 in a transmission assembly for a hybrid drive with an internal combustion engine and an electric machine, the transmission assembly comprising:
a multi-step gearing drivably connectable to an internal combustion engine and having a clutch to selectively connect a multi-step gearing input part and a multi-step gearing output part via a first shift stage or a second shift stage, or disconnect the multi-step gearing input part and the multi-step gearing output part from each other;
a reduction gearing having a reduction gearing input part connectable to the electric machine and configured to slow down a rotary motion introduced into the reduction gearing input part to a reduction gearing output part;
a superposition gearing having a first input part drivingly connected to the multi-step gearing output part, a second input part drivingly connected to the superposition gearing output part, and an output part, wherein the first input part, the second input part and the output part have a balancing effect on each other,
a differential gearing with a differential cage drivingly connected to and arranged coaxially to the output part of the superposition gearing, and a first differential output part for driving a first side shaft and a second differential output part for driving a second side shaft;
a controllable first switching unit operatively arranged between two of the first input part, the second input part and the output part of the superposition gearing; and
a controllable second switching unit arranged in the power path between the output part of the superposition gearing and one of the first side shaft and the second side shaft.

Assignees

• Gkn Automotive Ltd

Inventors

• Gassmann Theodor
• Werkhausen Maximilian
• Haupt Jan

Classifications

• B60K6/387 Primary

  Actuated clutches, i.e. clutches engaged or disengaged by electric, hydraulic or mechanical actuating means · CPC title

• B60K6/365

  with the gears having orbital motion · CPC title

• B60K6/48

  Parallel type · CPC title

• B60K6/547

  the transmission being a stepped gearing · CPC title

• F16D21/00

  Systems comprising a plurality of actuated clutches (for synchronisation F16D23/04) · CPC title