Multispeed transaxle with sprung powertrain mounting and methods therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12220986-B2
Application number	US-202217747229-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 18, 2022
Priority date	Jul 14, 2020
Publication date	Feb 11, 2025
Grant date	Feb 11, 2025

Abstract

Vehicles, powertrains for vehicles, and methods of mounting powertrains to chassis of vehicles are disclosed herein. A vehicle includes a chassis, a plurality of wheels, and a powertrain. The chassis extends along a longitudinal axis from a first end to a second end arranged opposite the first end. The plurality of wheels are coupled to the chassis between the first end and the second end and configured for rotation about a rotational axis. The powertrain is mounted to the chassis transverse to the longitudinal axis between the first end and the second end. The powertrain is configured to drive rotation of the plurality of wheels about the rotational axis in use of the vehicle.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicle comprising:
a chassis including a pair of frame rails spaced apart from one another to define a gap therebetween;
a plurality of wheels coupled to the chassis that are each configured for rotation about a rotational axis; and
a powertrain mounted to the chassis that is configured to drive rotation of each of the plurality of wheels about the rotational axis in use of the vehicle,
wherein:
the powertrain includes a drive unit to generate rotational power and a transaxle coupled to the drive unit to receive rotational power therefrom and transmit rotational power to the plurality of wheels,
the transaxle includes a transmission,
the drive unit and the transmission are supported above the rotational axis in a vertical direction such that the rotational axis extends perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle without passing through the drive unit or the transmission, and
each of the pair of frame rails is positioned above the rotational axis in the vertical direction along an entire length of the frame rail.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein positioning of the drive unit and the transmission above the rotational axis isolates the drive unit and the transmission from vibrational loads transmitted to an axle assembly of the transaxle in use of the vehicle.

3. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the drive unit and the transmission are at least partially enclosed by a housing positioned above the rotational axis in the vertical direction such that the rotational axis extends perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle without passing through the housing.

4. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein:
the drive unit includes an electric motor,
the transmission including transmission gearing, and
positioning of the drive unit and the transmission above the rotational axis isolates the electric motor and the transmission gearing from vibrational loads transmitted to an axle assembly of the transaxle in use of the vehicle.

5. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the powertrain includes an inverter supported above the rotational axis in the vertical direction such that the rotational axis extends perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle without passing through the inverter.

6. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein:
the transaxle includes a differential coupled to the transmission and an axle assembly coupled to the differential,
the axle assembly includes a plurality of drive shafts that each extend along the rotational axis and are each coupled to one of the plurality of wheels, and
the differential is housed by a dropbox that extends downwardly in the vertical direction away from the transmission to the rotational axis.

7. The vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the dropbox is at least partially positioned above the rotational axis in the vertical direction.

8. The vehicle of claim 6 , wherein:
the dropbox is coupled to a housing that at least partially encloses the drive unit and the transmission, and
the dropbox and the housing are separate components.

9. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein:
the drive unit and the transmission are at least partially enclosed by a housing arranged in the gap, and
the housing is positioned above the rotational axis in the vertical direction.

10. A vehicle comprising:
a chassis including a pair of frame rails spaced apart from one another to define a gap therebetween;
a plurality of wheels coupled to the chassis that are each configured for rotation about a rotational axis; and
a powertrain mounted to the chassis that is configured to drive rotation of each of the plurality of wheels about the rotational axis in use of the vehicle,
wherein the powertrain includes a drive unit arranged in the gap that is supported above the rotational axis in a vertical direction such that the rotational axis extends perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle without passing through the drive unit, and
wherein each of the pair of frame rails is positioned above the rotational axis in the vertical direction along an entire length of the frame rail.

11. The vehicle of claim 10 , wherein:
the powertrain includes a transaxle coupled to the drive unit to receive rotational power therefrom and transmit rotational power to a plurality of wheels of a vehicle in use of the vehicle,
the transaxle includes a transmission, and
the transmission is arranged in the gap and supported above the rotational axis in the vertical direction such that the rotational axis extends perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle without passing through the transmission.

12. The vehicle of claim 11 , wherein positioning of the drive unit and the transmission above the rotational axis isolates the drive unit and the transmission from vibrational loads transmitted to an axle assembly of the transaxle in use of the vehicle.

13. The vehicle of claim 11 , wherein the drive unit and the transmission are at least partially enclosed by a housing positioned above the rotational axis in the vertical direction such that the rotational axis extends perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle without passing through the housing.

14. The vehicle of claim 11 , wherein:
the drive unit includes an electric motor,
the transmission includes transmission gearing, and
positioning of the drive unit and the transmission above the rotational axis isolates the electric motor and the transmission gearing from vibrational loads transmitted to an axle assembly of the transaxle in use of the vehicle.

15. The vehicle of claim 11 , wherein:
the transaxle includes a differential coupled to the transmission and an axle assembly coupled to the differential,
the axle assembly includes a plurality of drive shafts that each extend along the rotational axis and are each coupled to one of the plurality of wheels, and
the differential is housed by a dropbox that extends downwardly in the vertical direction away from the transmission to the rotational axis.

16. The vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the powertrain includes an inverter supported above the rotational axis in the vertical direction such that the rotational axis extends perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle without passing through the inverter.

17. A vehicle comprising:
a chassis including a pair of frame rails spaced apart from one another to define a gap therebetween;
a plurality of wheels coupled to the chassis that are each configured for rotation about a rotational axis; and
a powertrain mounted to the chassis that is configured to drive rotation of each of the plurality of wheels about the rotational axis in use of the vehicle,
wherein the powertrain includes a transmission arranged in the gap that is supported above the rotational axis in a vertical direction such that the rotational axis extends perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle without passing through the transmission,
wherein each of the pair of frame rails is positioned above the rotational axis in the vertical direction along an entire length of the frame rail.

18. The vehicle of claim 17 , wherein:
the powertrain includes a drive unit coupled to the transmission to supply rotational power thereto and drive rotation of the plurality of wheels in use of the vehicle, and
the drive unit is arranged in the gap and supported above the rotational axis in the vertical direction such that the rotational axis extends perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle without passing through the drive unit.

19. The vehicle of clai

Assignees

• Allison Transm Inc

Inventors

• Ellis Jason
• Mason Kyle
• Pelton George
• Tysman John

Classifications

• B60K17/043

  Transmission unit disposed in on near the vehicle wheel, or between the differential gear unit and the wheel · CPC title

• B60K2007/0046

  the motor moving together with the vehicle body, i.e. moving independently from the wheel axle · CPC title

• B60Y2300/20

  Reducing vibrations in the driveline · CPC title

• B60Y2200/14

  Trucks; Load vehicles, Busses · CPC title

• B60Y2400/61

  Arrangements of controllers for electric machines, e.g. inverters · CPC title