Multispeed transaxle with sprung powertrain mounting and methods therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022016970-A1
Application number	US-202016928235-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 14, 2020
Priority date	Jul 14, 2020
Publication date	Jan 20, 2022
Grant date	—

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

1 . A vehicle comprising:
a chassis that extends along a longitudinal axis from a first end to a second end arranged opposite the first end; a plurality of wheels coupled to the chassis between the first end and the second end that are configured for rotation about a rotational axis; a powertrain mounted to the chassis transverse to the longitudinal axis between the first end and the second end that is configured to drive rotation 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, wherein the transaxle includes a transmission and an axle assembly coupled to the transmission having a plurality of drive shafts that extend along the rotational axis and are each coupled to one of the plurality of wheels, and wherein the transmission is spaced from the rotational axis to isolate the transmission from vibrational loads transmitted to the axle assembly in use of the vehicle.

2 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the drive unit includes an electric motor and the transmission includes transmission gearing, wherein the electric motor and the transmission gearing are at least partially enclosed by a common housing, and wherein the housing is spaced from the rotational axis to isolate the transmission gearing and the electric motor from vibrational loads transmitted to the axle assembly in use of the vehicle.

3 . The vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the powertrain includes an inverter coupled to the housing such that the inverter is spaced from the rotational axis to isolate the inverter from vibrational loads transmitted to the axle assembly in use of the vehicle.

4 . The vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the housing is mounted to the chassis by a sub-frame, and wherein the sub-frame includes a first mount plate affixed to one side of the housing and the chassis and a second mount plate affixed to another side of the housing opposite the one side and the chassis.

5 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the transaxle includes a differential coupled to the transmission and the plurality of drive shafts of the axle assembly to transmit rotational power from the transmission to the axle assembly, and wherein the differential is housed by a dropbox that extends all the way around the rotational axis.

6 . The vehicle of claim 5 , wherein the dropbox is coupled to a housing that at least partially encloses the drive unit and the transmission, and wherein the dropbox and the housing are separate components.

7 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the axle assembly includes a first wheel mount block coupled to a first drive shaft of the plurality of drive shafts and a second wheel mount block coupled to a second drive shaft of the plurality of drive shafts, wherein each of the first and second wheel mount blocks is configured for interaction with one of the plurality of wheels, and wherein each of the first and second wheel mount blocks extends all the way around the rotational axis.

8 . The vehicle of claim 7 , further comprising a suspension having a first suspension linkage mounted to the chassis and a second suspension linkage mounted to the chassis, and wherein the first suspension linkage contacts the first wheel mount block and the second suspension linkage contacts the second wheel mount block.

9 . The vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the suspension includes a beam coupled to the first and second wheel mount blocks that is at least partially offset from the rotational axis.

10 . The vehicle of claim 7 , wherein the transaxle includes a differential coupled between the first and second drive shafts of the axle assembly that is at least partially arranged about the rotational axis.

11 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the drive unit and the transmission at least partially contribute to a sprung mass of the powertrain and the axle assembly a least partially contributes to an unsprung mass of the powertrain.

12 . A powertrain for a vehicle having a chassis that extends along a longitudinal axis from a first end to a second end arranged opposite the first end and a plurality of wheels coupled to the chassis between the first end and the second end that are configured for rotation about a rotational axis, the powertrain comprising:
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, wherein the transaxle includes a transmission and an axle assembly coupled to the transmission having a plurality of drive shafts that extend along the rotational axis and are each coupled to one of the plurality of wheels, and wherein the transmission is positioned relative to the rotational axis to isolate the transmission from vibrational loads transmitted to the axle assembly in use of the powertrain.

13 . The powertrain of claim 12 , wherein the drive unit includes an electric motor and the transmission includes transmission gearing, wherein the electric motor and the transmission gearing are at least partially enclosed by a common housing, and wherein the housing is positioned relative to the rotational axis to isolate the transmission gearing and the electric motor from vibrational loads transmitted to the axle assembly in use of the powertrain.

14 . The powertrain of claim 13 , further comprising an inverter coupled to the housing such that the inverter is positioned relative to the rotational axis to isolate the inverter from vibrational loads transmitted to the axle assembly in use of the powertrain.

15 . The powertrain of claim 13 , wherein the transaxle includes a differential coupled to the transmission and the plurality of drive shafts of the axle assembly to transmit rotational power from the transmission to the axle assembly, wherein the differential is housed by a dropbox that extends all the way around the rotational axis, and wherein the dropbox is coupled to the housing.

16 . The powertrain of claim 12 , wherein the axle assembly includes a first wheel mount block coupled to a first drive shaft of the plurality of drive shafts and a second wheel mount block coupled to a second drive shaft of the plurality of drive shafts, wherein each of the first and second wheel mount blocks is configured for interaction with one of the plurality of wheels, and wherein each of the first and second wheel mount blocks extends all the way around the rotational axis.

17 . The powertrain of claim 16 , wherein in use of the powertrain, each one of the first and second wheel mount blocks contacts a suspension linkage of a suspension of the vehicle.

18 . A method of mounting a powertrain to a chassis of a vehicle, the method comprising:
mounting a drive unit of the powertrain and a transmission of the powertrain to the chassis such that the mounted drive unit and the mounted transmission are transverse to a longitudinal axis defined by the chassis; mounting an axle assembly of the powertrain to the chassis such that the mounted axle assembly is transverse to the longitudinal axis and at least partially aligned with a rotational axis of a plurality of wheels of the vehicle; and ensuring the mounted drive unit and the mounted transmission are positioned above the rotational axis in a vertical direction to isolate the mounted drive unit and the mounted transmission from vibrational loads transmitted to the axle assembly in use of the vehicle.

Assignees

• Allison Transm Inc

Inventors

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

Classifications

• B60Y2400/61

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

• B60K1/00 Primary

  Arrangement or mounting of electrical propulsion units (B60K7/00 takes precedence; arrangement or mounting of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion B60K6/00) · CPC title

• B60Y2200/14

  Trucks; Load vehicles, Busses · CPC title

• B60K2001/001

  one motor mounted on a propulsion axle for rotating right and left wheels of this axle · CPC title

• B60Y2300/20

  Reducing vibrations in the driveline · CPC title