Driveline component including multi-function actuator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11701966-B2
Application number	US-202017599655-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 31, 2020
Priority date	Apr 4, 2019
Publication date	Jul 18, 2023
Grant date	Jul 18, 2023

Abstract

A driveline component includes a first plate and a second plate. A motor is engaged with the first plate. The first plate and the second plate include ramped grooves that ramp toward the other of the first plate and the second plate. Balls are disposed between the first plate and the second plate and are engaged with the ramped grooves. A shifter is engaged with the second plate. Relative rotation of the first plate and the second plate causes the balls in the ramped grooves to move the first plate and the second plate axially relative to each other. This relative rotation may be used to make one type of mode selection, and operation of the shifter by the second plate may be used to make another type of mode selection. This allows the single motor to make both selections.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A driveline component comprising:
a first plate and a second plate;
a motor engaged with the first plate;
ramped grooves in at least one of the first plate and the second plate and ramping toward the other of the first plate and the second plate;
balls disposed between the first plate and the second plate and engaged with the ramped grooves in the first plate and the second plate; and
a shifter engaged with the second plate, the shifter being movable by the second plate along the axis.

2. The driveline component as set forth in claim 1 , further comprising a lock releasably engageable with the second plate.

3. The driveline component as set forth in claim 2 , further comprising a clutch, the clutch being actuatable by rotation of the first plate relative to the second plate when the lock is engaged with the second plate.

4. The driveline component as set forth in claim 3 , wherein the shifter is moveable by rotation of the second plate by the motor when the lock is disengaged with the second plate.

5. The driveline component as set forth in claim 3 , wherein the second plate includes a ramped surface and the shifter is slidably engaged with the ramped surface.

6. The driveline component as set forth in claim 1 , further comprising a solenoid releasably engageable with the second plate.

7. The driveline component as set forth in claim 6 , wherein the second plate has holes spaced from each other and positioned to releasably receive the solenoid.

8. The driveline component as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the second plate includes a ramped surface and the shifter is slidably engaged with the ramped surface.

9. The driveline component as set forth in claim 1 , further comprising a clutch actuatable by rotation of the first plate relative to the second plate.

10. The driveline component as set forth in claim 1 , further comprising a shift collar connected to the shifter and moveable by the shifter.

11. The driveline component as set forth in claim 10 , further comprising a gear, the shift collar being moveable by the shifter into and out of engagement with the gear.

12. The driveline component as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the first plate and the second plate are spaced from each other along an axis.

13. The driveline component as set forth in claim 1 , further comprising a lock releasably engageable with the second plate, the second plate being rotatable by the motor when the lock is disengaged with the second plate.

14. The driveline component as set forth in claim 13 , further comprising a clutch actuatable by rotation of the first plate relative to the second plate.

15. The driveline component as set forth in claim 1 , further comprising an input shaft and a differential.

16. The driveline component as set forth in claim 15 , further comprising a clutch between the input shaft and the differential and actuatable by rotation of the first plate relative to the second plate by the motor.

17. The driveline component as set forth in claim 16 , wherein the second plate has a ramped surface and the shifter is moveable along the ramped surface as the second plate is rotated by the motor.

18. The driveline component as set forth in claim 17 , further comprising a lock releasably engageable with the second plate, the second plate being rotatable by the motor when the lock is disengaged with the second plate.

19. The driveline component as set forth in claim 17 , further comprising a gear and a shift collar connected to the shifter and moveable by the shifter into and out of engagement with the gear.

20. A driveline component comprising:
a first plate and a second plate;
a motor engaged with the first plate;
ramped grooves in at least one of the first plate and the second plate and ramping toward the other of the first plate and the second plate;
balls disposed between the first plate and the second plate and engaged with the ramped grooves in the first plate and the second plate;
a shifter engaged with the second plate; and
a lock releasably engageable with the second plate, the second plate being rotatable by the motor when the lock is disengaged with the second plate.

Assignees

• Gkn Automotive Ltd

Inventors

• Peura Brent M
• Schmalenberg Matthew R

Classifications

• B60K17/02 Primary

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

• B60K17/346

  the transfer gear being a differential gear · CPC title

• F16H3/54

  one of the central gears being internally toothed and the other externally toothed · CPC title

• F16H48/08

  comprising bevel gears · CPC title

• F16H61/32

  Electric motors  {, actuators or related electrical control means}  therefor · CPC title