Vehicle wheel arrangement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11945301-B2
Application number	US-201917754186-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 1, 2019
Priority date	Sep 26, 2019
Publication date	Apr 2, 2024
Grant date	Apr 2, 2024

Abstract

The invention provides a vehicle wheel arrangement (4) comprising a drive shaft (401), and a hub (402), the wheel arrangement further comprising a gear cavity (411) housing a gear arrangement (412) between the drive shaft and the hub, wherein the wheel arrangement comprises a container (42), and wherein a circulation passage (431, 441) extends from the gear cavity (411) to the container (42), and a feeding passage (451) extends from the container to the gear cavity, the wheel arrangement further comprising a pump (421), the pump being located along the circulation passage, the pump (421) being arranged to pump lubricant from the gear cavity to the container.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicle wheel arrangement comprising a drive shaft, and a hub, the wheel arrangement further comprising a gear cavity housing a gear arrangement between the drive shaft and the hub, characterized in that the wheel arrangement comprises a container, and in that a circulation passage extends from the gear cavity to the container, and a feeding passage extends from the container to the gear cavity, the wheel arrangement further comprising a pump, the pump being located along the circulation passage, the pump being arranged to pump lubricant from the gear cavity to the container.

2. A wheel arrangement according to claim 1 , characterized in that the circulation passage extends from a lower region of the gear cavity to the container.

3. A wheel arrangement according to claim 1 , characterized in that the volume of the container is at least 10% of the volume of the gear cavity.

4. A wheel arrangement according to claim 1 , characterized in that the container is adapted to hold, when the pump pumps the lubricant, at least 10% of the lubricant appearing simultaneously in the gear cavity, the circulation passage, the pump, the container, and the feeding passage.

5. A wheel arrangement according to claim 1 , characterized in that an inlet of the feeding passage is located, when the wheel arrangement assumes an orientation that the wheel arrangement assumes when forming a part of a vehicle, above an outlet of the feeding passage at the gear cavity.

6. A wheel arrangement according to claim 1 , characterized in that the pump, the circulation passage, the container, and the feeding passage, are arranged to provide an overpressure in the container by action of the pump.

7. A wheel arrangement according to claim 1 , characterized in that an inlet of the feeding passage, in the container, is located such that, when the wheel arrangement assumes an orientation that the wheel arrangement assumes when forming a part of a vehicle, lubricant may be stored in the container below the feeding passage inlet.

8. A wheel arrangement according to claim 1 , characterized in that an outlet of the circulation passage, in the container, is located, when the wheel arrangement assumes an orientation that the wheel arrangement assumes when forming a part of a vehicle, below a portion of the circulation passage.

9. A wheel arrangement according to claim 1 , characterized in that an outlet of the circulation passage, in the container, is located, when the wheel arrangement assumes an orientation that the wheel arrangement assumes when forming a part of a vehicle, below an inlet of the feeding passage.

10. A wheel arrangement according to claim 1 , characterized in that an outlet of the circulation passage, in the container, is located at a distance from an inlet of the feeding passage, which distance is at least 50% of the largest extension in any direction of the container.

11. A wheel arrangement according to claim 1 , characterized in that the wheel arrangement comprises a spindle, wherein the container is fixedly mounted externally of the spindle.

12. A wheel arrangement according to claim 1 , characterized in that the pump is arranged to be driven by the drive shaft.

13. A wheel arrangement according to claim 1 , characterized in that the circulation passage comprises an evacuation passage extending from a lower region of the gear cavity to the pump, and a check valve is provided in the evacuation passage, the check valve being arranged to prevent lubricant from moving from the pump to the lower region of the gear cavity.

14. A wheel arrangement according to claim 1 , characterized in that at least a part of the feeding passage is provided in the drive shaft.

15. A wheel arrangement according to claim 1 , characterized in that the feeding passage terminates with a distribution device arranged to distribute lubricant into the gear cavity.

16. A wheel arrangement according to claim 1 , characterized in that a filter is provided in the circulation passage.

17. A wheel arrangement according to claim 16 , characterized in that the wheel arrangement comprises a bypass passage for bypassing the filter, and a check valve arranged to selectively allow lubricant to be guided through the bypass passage to the container.

18. A vehicle comprising a vehicle wheel arrangement according to claim 1 .

Assignees

• Volvo Truck Corp

Inventors

• Zachrisson Jan
• Öhrfeldt Pär
• Dagh Ingemar

Classifications

• B60K17/046 Primary

  with planetary gearing having orbital motion · CPC title

• B60K7/0007

  the motor being electric · CPC title

• F16H57/0441

  Arrangements of pumps · CPC title

• F16H57/0471

  Bearing · CPC title

• B60Y2200/14

  Trucks; Load vehicles, Busses · CPC title