Work vehicle multi-speed drive assembly with guided dog clutch

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11761515-B2
Application number	US-202117325437-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 20, 2021
Priority date	May 20, 2021
Publication date	Sep 19, 2023
Grant date	Sep 19, 2023

Abstract

A drive assembly for a work vehicle includes a drive housing, a drive shaft rotatable about a drive axis, an inner hub rotationally fixed to the drive shaft, and a planetary gear set coupled to the drive shaft and configured to selectively rotate an output element. The drive assembly also includes a clutch arrangement having a clutch ring configured to selectively engage the planetary gear set. The clutch arrangement further includes a guide assembly mounted on the clutch ring and configured to selectively interact with the planetary gear set to effect disengagement of the clutch ring from the planetary gear set. A clutch actuation assembly is configured to effect movement of the clutch arrangement along the drive axis to engage the planetary gear set, and a guide actuation assembly is configured to operate the guide assembly to interact with the planetary gear set.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A drive assembly for a work vehicle comprising:
a drive housing including a first housing element forming a reaction member;
a drive shaft rotatable about a drive axis relative to the reaction member in a first rotation direction and alternatively a second rotation direction;
an inner hub rotationally fixed to the drive shaft;
a planetary gear set coupled to the drive shaft and configured to selectively rotate an output element in the first rotation direction and in the second rotation direction;
one or more clutch arrangements comprising a clutch ring configured to selectively engage the planetary gear set to effect a rotation speed of the output element, the one or more clutch arrangement further comprising a guide assembly mounted on the clutch ring, the guide assembly configured to selectively interact with the planetary gear set to effect disengagement of the clutch ring from the planetary gear set;
one or more clutch actuation assemblies configured to effect movement of the one or more clutch arrangements along the drive axis to selectively engage the planetary gear set; and
one or more guide actuation assemblies configured to operate the guide assembly to interact with the planetary gear set to effect disengagement of the one or more clutch arrangements;
wherein the guide assembly comprises a guide pivotable from a retracted position to an extended position by the one or more guide actuation assemblies, wherein the guide is configured to interact with the planetary gear set in the extended position.

2. The drive assembly of claim 1 , wherein the guide assembly further comprises a first pin interfaced with the guide, and the guide actuation assembly effects movement of the first pin to pivot the guide to the extended position.

3. The drive assembly of claim 2 , wherein the guide assembly comprises a plurality of the guides.

4. The drive assembly of claim 1 , wherein the guide is pivotable in a first pivot direction to a first extended position and in a second pivot direction to a second extended position.

5. The drive assembly of claim 4 , wherein the guide assembly further comprises a first pin interfaced with the guide and a second pin interfaced with the guide, and the guide actuation assembly comprises a first guide actuation assembly configured to effect movement of the first pin to pivot the guide in the first pivot direction to the first extended position and a second guide actuation assembly configured to effect movement of the second pin to pivot the guide in the second pivot direction to the second extended position.

6. The drive assembly of claim 5 , wherein the guide assembly comprises a plurality of the guides.

7. The drive assembly of claim 1 , wherein the one or more clutch arrangements include:
a first clutch arrangement having a first clutch ring configured to selectively engage the planetary gear set to effect a first rotation speed of the output element, the first clutch arrangement further comprising a first guide assembly mounted on the first clutch ring, the first guide assembly configured to selectively interact with the planetary gear set to effect disengagement of the first clutch ring from the planetary gear set; and
a second clutch arrangement having a second clutch ring configured to selectively engage the planetary gear set to effect a second rotation speed of the output element, the second clutch arrangement further comprising a second guide assembly mounted on the second clutch ring, the second guide assembly configured to selectively interact with the planetary gear set to effect disengagement of the second clutch ring from the planetary gear set.

8. The drive assembly of claim 7 , wherein the first clutch arrangement is coupled to the first housing element.

9. The drive assembly of claim 8 , wherein the first housing element includes a mounting portion and a wall portion, the wall portion having a first chamber arranged between a first inner wall and a first outer wall, wherein the first clutch arrangement is at least partially arranged in the first chamber.

10. The drive assembly of claim 9 , wherein the one or more clutch actuation assemblies includes a first clutch actuation assembly, and the first clutch ring is repositionable from a disengaged position to an engaged position relative to the planetary gear set by operation of the first clutch actuation assembly.

11. The drive assembly of claim 10 , wherein the first clutch actuation assembly is a hydraulic actuation assembly and is configured to pressurize the first chamber to reposition the first clutch ring from the disengaged position to the engaged position.

12. The drive assembly of claim 7 , wherein the second clutch arrangement is coupled to the inner hub.

13. The drive assembly of claim 12 , wherein the inner hub includes a second chamber arranged between a second inner wall and a second outer wall, wherein the second clutch arrangement is at least partially arranged in the second chamber.

14. The drive assembly of claim 13 , wherein the one or more clutch actuation assemblies includes a second clutch actuation assembly, and the second clutch ring is repositionable from a disengaged position to an engaged position relative to the planetary gear set by operation of the second clutch actuation assembly.

15. The drive assembly of claim 14 , wherein the second clutch actuation assembly is a hydraulic actuation assembly and is configured to pressurize the second chamber to reposition the second clutch ring from the disengaged position to the engaged position.

16. A drive assembly for a work vehicle comprising:
a housing arrangement having a first housing element forming a reaction member, the first housing element having a mounting portion, a wall portion and a low chamber arranged between a first inner wall and a first outer wall of the wall portion;
a drive shaft rotatable on a drive axis extending through the housing arrangement;
an inner hub rotatably fixed to the drive shaft, the inner hub having a high chamber arranged between a second inner wall and second outer wall;
a planetary gear set coupled to the drive shaft and configured to selectively rotate an output element, the planetary gear set comprising a sun gear coupled to drive shaft, a set of planet gear engaged with the sun gear, a planet carrier to which the planet gears are mounted and a ring circumscribing and engaged with the planet gears;
a low clutch arrangement coupled to the first housing element and at least partially arranged in the low chamber, the low clutch arrangement comprising a low clutch ring repositionable in the low chamber between a disengaged position and an engaged position relative to the planet carrier, and a low guide assembly mounted in the low clutch ring, the low guide assembly having a plurality of low guides configured to selectively interact with the planet carrier to effect disengagement of the low clutch ring from the planet carrier; and
a high clutch arrangement coupled to the inner hub and at least partially arranged in the high chamber, the high clutch arrangement comprising a high clutch ring repositionable in the high chamber between a disengaged position and an engaged position relative to the planet carrier, and a high guide assembly mounted to the high clutch ring, the high guide assembly having a plurality of high guides configured to selectively interact with the planet carrier to effect disengagement of the high clutch ring from the planet carrier.

17. The drive assembly of claim 16 , wherein the low guides are pivotable to an extended position to

Assignees

• Deere & Co

Inventors

• Long Randall L
• Lloyd Lisa R

Classifications

• B60K17/02 Primary

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

• F16H63/24 Primary

  each of the final output mechanisms being moved by only one of the various final actuating mechanisms · CPC title

• F16H3/46 Primary

  Gearings having only two central gears, connected by orbital gears (F16H3/68 - F16H3/78 take precedence) · CPC title

• B60K17/046

  with planetary gearing having orbital motion · CPC title

• B60K17/08

  of mechanical type · CPC title