Portal braking system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12280749-B2
Application number	US-202318502845-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 6, 2023
Priority date	Feb 22, 2019
Publication date	Apr 22, 2025
Grant date	Apr 22, 2025

Abstract

A method of assembling a portal gear box assembly and/or a braking system is disclosed. The method includes installing a clutch pack through an opening in a portal box over an output shaft, installing a face plate that covers the opening and installing a wheel hub onto the output shaft. The portal gear box includes a clutch pack including a first and second set of clutch plates interspersed between each other. The first set of clutch plates configured to rotate with rotation of the output shaft and the second set configured to not rotate. The clutch pack is compressible by a hydraulic piston and pressure plate, compressing the sets of the clutch plates reducing the rotation of the output shaft.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of assembling a braking system of a vehicle having a portal lift assembly that receives a stock axle, wherein the portal lift assembly comprises a housing that defines a first opening, a face plate that covers the first opening, an output shaft that extends through both the first opening and a second opening in the face plate, a linking mechanism effective to link rotation of the stock axle to the output shaft, a piston effective to apply an axial force along a longitudinal axis of the output shaft, a fluid channel fillable with a non-compressible fluid and effective to apply a hydraulic force to the piston, a pressure plate effective to oppose the axial force applied by the piston, and a clutch pack positioned between the pressure plate and the piston, wherein the portal lift assembly offsets the output shaft below the stock axle, wherein the clutch pack comprises a first set of clutch plates interspersed between a second set of clutch plates such that when the clutch pack is compressed between the pressure plate and the piston friction forces between the first and second sets of clutch plates slow rotation of the output shaft, wherein the linking mechanism, the piston, the pressure plate and the clutch pack are each housed within the housing, wherein the linking mechanism includes an input gear, an output gear, and an idler gear, wherein the input gear is operably linked to the stock axle to rotate upon rotation of the stock axle, and the output gear is operably linked to the input gear to rotate in the same direction as the stock axle and wherein an outer diameter of the output gear is larger than the first opening, the method comprising:
installing the clutch pack over the output shaft through the first opening;
installing the face plate; and
installing a wheel hub onto the output shaft.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the linking mechanism directly or indirectly connects the stock axle to the output shaft in a manner effective to cause the output shaft to rotate at a slower speed than the stock axle.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pressure plate is maintained in a fixed position that does not rotate with the output shaft.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the output shaft includes a splined portion having a multiplicity of teeth and the first set of clutch plates comprises a corresponding multiplicity of teeth adapted to mate with the teeth on the splined portion of the output shaft so that engagement of the splined shafted teeth with the clutch plate teeth causes the first set of clutch plates to rotate with the output shaft.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the portal box housing includes a set of grooves and the second set of clutch plates comprises a corresponding set of tabs adapted to mate with the grooves in the housing so that engagement of the tabs in the grooves prevents the second set of clutch plates from rotating with respect to the housing.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fluid channel is the stock brake line of the vehicle.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the portal lift assembly further comprises a thrust bearing positioned between the output gear and the pressure plate.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the face plates defines at least a portion of the fluid channel.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising coupling a brake line of the vehicle to the portion of the fluid channel defined in the face plate.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
mating a multiplicity of teeth on the first set of clutch packs to a corresponding multiplicity of teeth on a splined portion of the output shaft such that the first set of clutch packs rotate with the output shaft.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
mating a tab on each of the clutch plates in the second set of clutch plates to a groove defined in the portal lift assembly thereby preventing rotation of the second set of clutch plates relative to the portal lift assembly.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
interspersing the first set of clutch plates with the second set of clutch plates.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
interspersing the first set of clutch plates with the second set of clutch plates.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the input gear and the stock axle rotate about the same first axes of rotation and wherein the output shaft and the output gear rotate about the same second axes of rotation that is longitudinally offset below the first axes of rotation.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the housing comprises a rear housing portion and a front housing portion that is separable from the rear housing portion, wherein the first opening is in the front housing portion.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein removing the output gear requires separating the rear housing portion from the front housing portion.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the front housing portion defines a third opening that receives a stock axle receptacle.

Assignees

• Super Atv Llc

Inventors

• Stephan Jordan E
• Eaton Justin L

Classifications

• F16D55/40

  actuated by a fluid-pressure device arranged in or one the brake · CPC title

• F16D2065/1388

  to shaft or axle · CPC title

• B60T1/065 Primary

  employing disc (B60T1/062 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60T1/062 Primary

  acting on transmission parts · CPC title