Axle differential transmission for an engageably driven vehicle of a motor vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9518643-B2
Application number	US-201514803720-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 20, 2015
Priority date	Jul 9, 2014
Publication date	Dec 13, 2016
Grant date	Dec 13, 2016

Abstract

An axle differential transmission, including: a housing; a differential stage including at least one planetary gear assembly; an input shaft connected to the at least one planetary gear assembly; and a clutch assembly including an actuator, at least one first clutch plate non-rotatably connected to the input shaft, at least one second clutch plate non-rotatably connected to the housing, and a one-way clutch including at least one wedge clutch plate. For a initial drive mode, the actuator is arranged to compress the at least one first clutch plate, the at least one second clutch plate, and the at least one wedge clutch plate to non-rotatably connect the housing and the input shaft. For a final drive mode, relative rotation between the housing and the input shaft in a first circumferential direction is arranged to non-rotatably connect the housing, the input shaft, and the at least one wedge plate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An axle differential transmission for an engageably driven vehicle axle, comprising:
an axis of rotation;
a housing;
a differential stage including at least one planetary gear assembly;
an input shaft connected to the at least one planetary gear assembly; and,
a clutch assembly including:
an actuator;
at least one first clutch plate non-rotatably connected to the input shaft;
at least one second clutch plate non-rotatably connected to the housing; and,
a one-way clutch including at least one wedge clutch plate, wherein:

for a initial drive mode, the actuator is arranged to compress the at least one first clutch plate, the at least one second clutch plate, and the at least one wedge clutch plate to non-rotatably connect the housing and the input shaft; and,
for a final drive mode, relative rotation between the housing and the input shaft in a first circumferential direction is arranged to non-rotatably connect the housing, the input shaft, and the at least one wedge plate.

2. The axle differential transmission of claim 1 , wherein:
for the initial drive mode, the actuator is arranged to axially compress the at least one first clutch plate, the at least one second clutch plate, and the at least one wedge clutch plate to non-rotatably connect the housing and the input shaft up to a predetermined amount of torque transmitted by the housing; and,
for the final drive mode and the predetermined amount of torque, the actuator is arranged to release axial compression of the at least one first clutch plate, the at least one second clutch plate, and the at least one wedge clutch plate.

3. The axle differential transmission of claim 1 , wherein:
for the initial drive mode, a portion of the actuator is arranged to displace in a first axial direction, parallel to the axis of rotation, to displace the at least one first clutch plate, the at least one second clutch plate, and the at least one wedge clutch plate in the first axial direction; and,
for the final drive mode, the portion of the actuator is arranged to displace in a second direction, opposite the first axial direction.

4. The axle differential transmission of claim 1 , wherein:
for the initial drive mode, the actuator is arranged apply pressure, in a first axial direction parallel to the axis of rotation, to the at least one first clutch plate, the at least one second clutch plate, and the at least one wedge clutch plate; and,
for the final drive mode, the actuator is arranged to remove the axial pressure from the at least one first clutch plate, the at least one second clutch plate, and the at least one wedge clutch plate.

5. The axle differential transmission of claim 1 , wherein for the final drive mode, torque from the housing is transmitted to the input shaft solely by the at least one wedge plate.

6. The axle differential transmission of claim 1 , wherein for the final drive mode, the housing is arranged to rotate in a circumferential direction associated with forward travel for the engageably driven vehicle axle.

7. The axle differential transmission of claim 1 , wherein to initiate the final drive mode, a portion of the actuator is arranged to displace to enable relative rotation between:
the at least one clutch wedge plate; and,
one of the at least one first clutch plate or the at least one second clutch plate.

8. The axle differential transmission of claim 1 , wherein:
for relative rotation between the housing and the input shaft in the second circumferential direction, opposite the first circumferential direction, the one-way clutch is arranged to operate in a free-wheel mode; and,
in the free wheel mode, the housing is rotatable with respect to the input shaft and the at least one clutch wedge plate.

9. The axle differential transmission of claim 1 , wherein for a reverse mode and relative rotation between the housing and the input shaft in the second circumferential direction, the actuator is arranged to compress the at least one first clutch plate, the at least one second clutch plate, and the at least one wedge clutch plate to non-rotatably connect the housing and the input shaft.

10. An axle differential transmission for an engageably driven vehicle axle, comprising:
an axis of rotation;
a housing;
a differential stage including at least one planetary gear assembly;
an input shaft connected to the at least one planetary gear assembly; and,
a clutch assembly including:
a mechanical ramp actuator;
at least one first clutch plate non-rotatably connected to the input shaft;
at least one second clutch plate non-rotatably connected to the housing; and,
a one-way clutch including at least one wedge clutch plate, wherein:

for a initial drive mode, the actuator is arranged to compress the at least one first clutch plate, the at least one second clutch plate, and the at least one wedge clutch plate to non-rotatably connect the housing and the input shaft; and,
for a final drive mode, relative rotation between the housing and the input shaft in a first circumferential direction is arranged to non-rotatably connect the housing, the input shaft, and the at least one wedge plate.

11. The axle differential transmission of claim 10 , wherein:
the actuator includes first and second actuator shafts; and,
the first and second actuator shaft are respective hollow shafts arranged coaxially to the input shaft.

12. The axle differential transmission of claim 10 , wherein:
the at least one planetary gear assembly includes first and second output sun gears; and,
the first and second output sun gears are coupled by a −1 gear ratio.

13. An axle differential transmission for an engageably driven vehicle axle, comprising:
a housing;
an input shaft; and,
a clutch assembly including:
an actuator;
at least one first clutch plate non-rotatably connected to the input shaft;
at least one second clutch plate non-rotatably connected to the housing; and,
a one-way clutch including at least one wedge clutch plate, wherein:

for a initial drive mode, the actuator is arranged to compress the at least one first clutch plate, the at least one second clutch plate, and the at least one wedge clutch plate to non-rotatably connect the housing and the input shaft up to a predetermined amount of torque transmitted by the housing; and,
for a final drive mode and the predetermined amount of torque, relative rotation between the housing and the input shaft in a first circumferential direction is arranged to non-rotatably connect the housing, the input shaft, and the at least one wedge plate.

14. The axle differential transmission of claim 13 , wherein for the final drive mode and the predetermined amount of torque, the actuator is arranged to release axial compression of the at least one first clutch plate, the at least one second clutch plate, and the at least one wedge clutch plate.

15. The axle differential transmission of claim 13 , wherein:
for the initial drive mode, a portion of the actuator is arranged to displace in a first axial direction, parallel to the axis of rotation, to displace the at least one first clutch plate, the at least one second clutch plate, and the at least one wedge clutch plate in the first axial direction; and,
for the final drive mode, the portion of the actuator is arranged to displace in a second direction, opposite the first axial direction.

16. The axle differential transmission of claim 13 , wherein for the final drive mode, torque from the housing is transmitted to the input shaft solely by the at least one wedge plate.

17. The axle

Assignees

• Schaeffler Technologies Ag

Inventors

• Schimpf Ralph
• Kurth Franz
• Biermann Thorsten
• Lee Brian

Classifications

• F16D15/00

  Clutches with wedging balls or rollers or with other wedgeable separate clutching members (freewheels, freewheel clutches F16D41/00) · CPC title

• B60K23/08

  for changing number of driven wheels {, for switching from driving one axle to driving two or more axles (B60K17/3515 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• F16H48/22 Primary

  using friction clutches or brakes · CPC title

• B60K17/344

  having a transfer gear · CPC title

• F16H2048/343

  using a rotary motor · CPC title