Wheel hub clutch, wheel hub, wheel end system, axle, drivetrain, and vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12054041-B2
Application number	US-202218279908-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 29, 2022
Priority date	Sep 22, 2021
Publication date	Aug 6, 2024
Grant date	Aug 6, 2024

Abstract

A wheel hub clutch includes: a notch plate; a pocket plate having pockets and plunger passages in communication with the pockets; locking members carried in the pocket plate pockets; and plungers carried in the pocket plate plunger passages and configured to drive the locking members into engagement with the notches in the notch plate. The clutch also may include a translator with a permanent magnet that cooperates with an electromagnet of a stator to translate the translator. The translator may be coupled to the locking members to translate them into and out of engagement with the notch plate. Also disclosed is a wheel end system including the wheel hub clutch, a drivetrain including the wheel end system and wheel hub clutch, and a vehicle including the drivetrain.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A wheel hub clutch for a wheel hub, comprising:
a selectively rotatable notch plate including a plurality of notches and a wheel hub mounting portion radially outward of the plurality of notches;
a rotatable pocket plate selectively engageable with the selectively rotatable notch plate and including a plurality of pockets corresponding to the plurality of notches of the selectively rotatable notch plate, and a plurality of plunger passages in communication with the plurality of pockets; and
a plurality of locking members in the plurality of pockets of the pocket plate and selectively engageable with the plurality of notches of the selectively rotatable notch plate.

2. The wheel hub clutch of claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of plungers carried in the plurality of plunger passages of the pocket plate;
a stator including at least one electromagnet; and
a translator rotatable about and translatable along a rotational axis and coupled to the pocket plate to be rotatable therewith, and including
a translator hub coupled to the plurality of plungers, and
a permanent magnet carried by the translator hub and that cooperates with the at least one electromagnet of the stator to translate the translator to drive the plurality of locking members into engagement with the plurality of notches of the notch plate to transmit torque between the notch plate and the rotatable pocket plate.

3. The wheel hub clutch of claim 2 , wherein the translator hub has a main body and a plunger flange extending radially outwardly from the main body and coupled to the plurality of plungers.

4. The wheel hub clutch of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of plungers consists of a plurality of springs.

5. The wheel hub clutch of claim 2 , further comprising:
a clutch hub fixed against rotation to the pocket plate and configured to be fixed against rotation to an axle shaft, and
an outboard bearing disposed between an outboard portion of the clutch hub and a corresponding portion of the notch plate,
wherein the translator is carried radially outward of the clutch hub.

6. The wheel hub clutch of claim 1 , wherein the wheel hub mounting portion of the notch plate is configured to be fastened to a wheel hub body of the wheel hub.

7. The wheel hub clutch of claim 6 , wherein the wheel hub mounting portion of the notch plate has a circumferential array of fastener passages extending therethrough to accommodate a plurality of fasteners extending through and configured to fasten to the wheel hub body of the wheel hub.

8. The wheel hub clutch of claim 6 , wherein the wheel hub mounting portion of the notch plate is configured to be coupled to an inboard end of the wheel hub body of the wheel hub.

9. The wheel hub clutch of claim 8 , wherein an inboard end of the wheel hub clutch is configured to be coupled to an electric motor positioned inboard of the wheel hub clutch.

10. The wheel hub clutch of claim 6 , wherein the pocket plate is axially retained with respect to the selectively rotatable notch plate.

11. The wheel hub clutch of claim 6 , wherein the wheel hub mounting portion of the notch plate is configured to be coupled to an outboard end of the wheel hub body of the wheel hub.

12. The wheel hub clutch of claim 11 , wherein an outboard end of the wheel hub clutch is configured to be coupled to an electric motor positioned outboard of the wheel hub clutch.

13. The wheel hub clutch of claim 2 , wherein the notch plate further includes
an outboard bearing journal radially inward of the plurality of notches, and
a hub cover portion radially inward of the outboard bearing journal and extending radially continuously across the rotational axis.

14. The wheel hub clutch of claim 2 , further comprising:
a stator support including
an outboard portion coupled to the stator, and
an inboard bearing journal.

15. The wheel hub clutch of claim 14 , further comprising:
a clutch hub having
an interior surface with engagement features,
an inboard bearing journal and an outboard bearing journal,
a translator journal wherein the translator hub is slidable along the translator journal, and
pocket plate engagement features between the translator journal and the outboard bearing journal, and engaged with corresponding engagement features of the pocket plate to fix the clutch hub to the pocket plate against rotation, and

an inboard bearing carried between the inboard bearing journals of the clutch hub and the stator support.

16. The wheel hub clutch of claim 15 , wherein the notch plate further includes
an outboard bearing journal radially inward of the plurality of notches, and
a hub cover portion radially inward of the outboard bearing journal and extending radially continuously across the rotational axis.

17. The wheel hub clutch of claim 16 , further comprising:
an outboard bearing carried between the outboard bearing journals of the clutch hub and the notch plate.

18. A vehicle powertrain, comprising:
the wheel hub clutch of claim 1 ; and
an electric motor operatively coupled to the pocket plate of the wheel hub clutch.

19. A truck comprising the vehicle powertrain of claim 18 .

20. A wheel end system, comprising:
a wheel hub, including:
a wheel hub body having
a hub inboard portion with a hub inboard interior surface including an inboard bearing journal, a hub outboard portion with a hub outboard facing surface, and a hub outboard interior surface including an outboard bearing journal,
a spindle passage extending between the inboard and outboard portions along a longitudinal axis, and
a hub flange extending transversely outwardly from between the hub inboard and outboard portions and having wheel fastener passages extending therethrough;

an inboard bearing carried on the inboard bearing journal of the inboard portion of the wheel hub body of the wheel hub;
an outboard bearing carried on the outboard bearing journal of the outboard portion of the wheel hub body of the wheel hub; and

the wheel hub clutch of claim 1 , wherein the selectively rotatable notch plate is coupled to the wheel hub body.

21. The wheel end system of claim 20 , further comprising:
a hollow spindle, including
a spindle inboard portion having an inboard bearing journal, and
a spindle outboard portion having an outboard exterior surface with an outboard bearing journal and a spindle nut diameter having spindle nut engagement features and terminating in a spindle outboard facing surface,

wherein the wheel hub also includes a spindle nut having spindle engagement features engaged to the spindle nut engagement features of the spindle.

22. A wheel end system, comprising:
a wheel hub including
a wheel hub body having
a hub outboard portion with a hub outboard facing surface having fastener passages therein, and
a spindle passage, and
a hub flange extending transversely outwardly and having wheel fastener passages extending therethrough;

a wheel hub clutch including:
a selectively rotatable first coupling member including a plurality of locking features, and a wheel hub mounting portion radially outward of the plurality of locking features and coupled to the hub outboard portion of the hub,
a rotatable second coupling member selectively engageable with the selectively rotatable first coupling member and including a plurality of pockets corresponding to the plurality of locking features of the selectively rotatable first coupling member, and a plurality of

Assignees

• Means Ind Inc
• Cons Metco Inc

Inventors

• Thomas Steven M
• Hacker David
• Dunna Pavan

Classifications

• F16D27/004

  with permanent magnets combined with electromagnets · CPC title

• B60B27/047

  comprising a freewheel mechanisms · CPC title

• B60K7/0007

  the motor being electric · CPC title

• F16D27/14

  Details · CPC title

• B60K17/36

  for driving tandem wheels · CPC title