Systems and methods for providing adjustable lubrication to a tandem axle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11859708-B2
Application number	US-202318160931-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 27, 2023
Priority date	Jun 26, 2020
Publication date	Jan 2, 2024
Grant date	Jan 2, 2024

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for adjusting a lubrication system based on an axle configuration of a tandem axle with a disconnect feature. In one example, a method may include adjusting an oil level in an axle sump of a tandem axle based on an axle configuration of the tandem axle (e.g., whether the tandem axle is operating with one of a 6×4 axle configuration and a 6×2 axle configuration), the axle sump selectably coupled to an external reservoir via a first passage and a second passage, the first passage including an electric pump, the second passage including a valve, and the tandem axle coupled to a drivetrain of a motor vehicle. In this way, an amount of oil in the axle sump may be adjusted based on the tandem axle configuration.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for operation of a vehicle system, comprising:
operating an electric valve in a first position that feeds oil into an axle sump through a second oil passage at a lower rate while a tandem axle operates under a first condition, wherein the second oil passage fluidly connects the axle sump and an external reservoir; and
operating the electric valve in a second position that feeds oil into the axle sump through the second oil passage at a higher rate while the tandem axle operates under a second condition;
wherein the vehicle system includes a first oil passage with a pump coupled thereto and fluidly coupled to the axle sump and the external reservoir.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising activating the pump while the tandem axle operates under the first condition.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising deactivating the pump while the tandem axle operates under the second condition.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first condition is a condition in which a drive shaft provides torque to a first axle and does not provide torque to a second axle in the tandem axle.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the second condition is a condition in which the drive shaft provides torque to the first axle and the second axle.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second condition is a hill climb condition where the tandem axle is on a gradient that surpasses a threshold value.

7. A vehicle system, comprising:
a tandem axle coupled to a drive shaft and including a first axle and a second axle;
an axle sump fluidically coupled to the tandem axle;
an external reservoir;
a first oil passage selectably coupling the external reservoir to the axle sump via an electric pump;
a second oil passage selectably coupling the external reservoir to the axle sump via an electric valve; and
a controller including instructions stored in non-transitory memory that, when executed, cause the controller to:
decrease an oil level in the axle sump in response to the tandem axle transitioning from a first configuration to a second configuration;
wherein, in the first configuration, the drive shaft provides torque to the first axle and the second axle; and
wherein, in the second configuration, the drive shaft provides torque to the first axle and does not provide torque to the second axle.

8. The vehicle system of claim 7 , wherein the controller further comprises instructions stored in the non-transitory memory that, when executed, cause the controller to:
increase the oil level in the axle sump in response to the tandem axle transitioning from the second configuration to the first configuration.

9. The vehicle system of claim 7 , wherein the tandem axle is spaced away from a steering axle.

10. The vehicle system of claim 7 , wherein the drive shaft is rotationally coupled to a transmission.

11. The vehicle system of claim 10 , wherein the transmission is rotationally coupled to an internal combustion engine.

12. The vehicle system of claim 7 , further comprising an oil level sensor coupled to the axle sump and wherein the controller further comprises instructions stored in the non-transitory memory that, when executed prior to decreasing the oil level, cause the controller to:
determine the oil level in the axle sump.

13. A method for operation of a vehicle system, comprising:
periodically activating an oil pump that directs oil from an axle sump to an external reservoir based on an axle configuration of a tandem axle, wherein the external reservoir is configured to continuously drain oil into the axle sump;
wherein the oil pump is activated more frequently while the tandem axle operates in a first configuration where a drive shaft provides torque to a first axle and does not provide torque to a second axle; and
wherein the oil pump is activated less frequently while the tandem axle operates in a second configuration where the drive shaft provides torque to the first axle and the second axle.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the tandem axle is spaced away from a steering axle.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the drive shaft is an engine drive shaft.

Assignees

• Dana Heavy Vehicle Sys Group

Inventors

• Balistreri Lucas A
• Smith Shane T

Classifications

• F16H57/0447 Primary

  Control of lubricant levels, e.g. lubricant level control dependent on temperature · CPC title

• B60B35/16

  Axle housings · CPC title

• B60K17/36 Primary

  for driving tandem wheels · CPC title

• B60K23/08

  for changing number of driven wheels {, for switching from driving one axle to driving two or more axles (B60K17/3515 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• F16H57/0434 Primary

  relating to lubrication supply, e.g. pumps; Pressure control · CPC title