US 11,859,697 B2
Axle assembly having a multi-speed transmission and a drop gear set
Chetankumar Ghatti, Troy, MI (US); Rodrigo Soffner, Osasco (BR); Christopher Keeney, Troy, MI (US); and Mark Smith, Troy, MI (US)
Assigned to ArvinMeritor Technology, LLC, Troy, MI (US)
Filed by ArvinMeritor Technology, LLC, Troy, MI (US)
Filed on Aug. 8, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/882,733.
Application 17/882,733 is a continuation of application No. 16/594,875, filed on Oct. 7, 2019, granted, now 11,441,644.
Prior Publication US 2022/0379702 A1, Dec. 1, 2022
Int. Cl. F16H 3/00 (2006.01); F16H 3/12 (2006.01); B60K 17/24 (2006.01); F16H 48/05 (2012.01); B60K 17/16 (2006.01); B60K 1/00 (2006.01)
CPC F16H 3/126 (2013.01) [B60K 17/165 (2013.01); B60K 17/24 (2013.01); F16H 48/05 (2013.01); B60K 1/00 (2013.01); B60K 2001/001 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An axle assembly comprising:
an electric motor having a rotor that is rotatable about a first axis;
a countershaft that is rotatable about a countershaft axis;
a drop gear set that operatively connects the rotor to the countershaft;
a drive pinion that is rotatable about a drive pinion axis;
a countershaft transmission that operatively connects the countershaft to the drive pinion;
a differential assembly that is operatively connected to the drive pinion, wherein the electric motor and the countershaft transmission are positioned on opposite sides of the differential assembly; and
a housing that receives the countershaft transmission, a first clutch, and a first actuator that is mounted to an outside of the housing, wherein the countershaft transmission has a set of countershaft gears, and the first actuator is configured to actuate the first clutch to selectively couple a first member of the set of countershaft gears to the countershaft.