US 11,858,342 B2
Electric-motor-driven rigid axle for vehicles, in particular utility vehicles, with electric motors near to the wheels and with offset transmissions
Thomas Auer, Passau (DE); Sebastian Paulik, Tiefenbach (DE); Johannes Schweizer, Angermünde (DE); Harald Wendl, Vilshofen (DE); and Gerhard Obermaier, Tiefenbach (DE)
Assigned to ZF Friedrichshafen AG, Friedrichshafen (DE)
Appl. No. 17/312,990
Filed by ZF Friedrichshafen AG, Friedrichshafen (DE)
PCT Filed Dec. 13, 2019, PCT No. PCT/EP2019/085008
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jun. 11, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/120722, PCT Pub. Date Jun. 18, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 10 2018 221 612.6 (DE), filed on Dec. 13, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2022/0072951 A1, Mar. 10, 2022
Int. Cl. B60K 17/04 (2006.01); B60K 7/00 (2006.01)
CPC B60K 17/046 (2013.01) [B60K 7/0007 (2013.01); B60K 2007/0038 (2013.01); B60K 2007/0046 (2013.01); B60K 2007/0061 (2013.01); B60Y 2200/14 (2013.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An electric-motor-driven rigid axle for a vehicle, the rigid axle comprising:
an axle body,
two wheel carriers, and at least one attachment point for fixing the axle body to a vehicle frame,
the axle body is of elongated form and at opposite longitudinal ends in each case one of the wheel carriers is provided, each of the wheel carriers is rotatable relative to the axle body about a wheel axis, and the at least one attachment point is designed to fix the axle body onto the vehicle frame in such a manner that, when viewed in a cross-section of the rigid axle, the axle body faces toward the vehicle frame at an upper end and an axis of the axle body forms a vertical axis that extends in a direction toward the upper end, which axis intersects with the wheel axis;
the rigid axle further comprising two electric motors arranged close to wheels and two offset transmissions, such that, in each case, one of the electric motors serves to drive one of the wheel carriers and, in each case, one of the offset transmissions is interconnected between one of the electric motors and the wheel carrier in driving association therewith, and by virtue of the offset transmission, the motor shaft of the respective electric motor and the wheel axis of the associated wheel carrier are arranged offset relative to one another, and when viewed in the cross-section of the rigid axle, the motor shaft of the respective electric motor and the wheel axis of the associated wheel carrier offset relative thereto form a point of intersection on an offset line, the offset transmissionsare orientated in such a manner that, when viewed in the cross-section of the rigid axle, the offset line and the vertical axis are positioned at an angle to one another, a vertex of the angle is at the point of intersection of the wheel axis with the offset line, a size of the angle having a value between 1 degree and 90 degrees,
the rigid axle has a center which, relative to a longitudinal distance between the wheel carriers, is half-way between the respective wheel carriers, and the electric motors are located along the rigid axle such that the longitudinal distance between the electric motors and the respective wheel carriers is greater than the longitudinal distance between the respective electric motors and the center of the rigid axle, and
the offset transmissions are, in each case, designed to be shifted between at least two gear steps.