US 11,890,927 B2
Twin clutch two speed disconnect RDU
Todd Ekonen, Brighton, MI (US); Michael Burr, Farmington, MI (US); Mitchell Holland, Royal Oak, MI (US); Kyle Milliman, Farmington Hills, MI (US); Gary Monkaba, Troy, MI (US); Evan Swinger, Farmington Hills, MI (US); Jayson Allison, Livonia, MI (US); Sean Hayes, Livonia, MI (US); Simon Joliff, Livonia, MI (US); and Joe Schaffer, New Hudson, MI (US)
Assigned to Linamar Corporation, Guelph (CA)
Appl. No. 17/428,673
Filed by LINAMAR CORPORATION, Guelph (CA)
PCT Filed Feb. 5, 2020, PCT No. PCT/US2020/016851
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Aug. 5, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/163505, PCT Pub. Date Aug. 13, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/801,384, filed on Feb. 5, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0118847 A1, Apr. 21, 2022
Int. Cl. B60K 17/04 (2006.01); B60K 17/02 (2006.01); B60K 17/16 (2006.01); B60K 17/354 (2006.01); B60K 23/04 (2006.01); B60K 23/08 (2006.01); F16D 21/06 (2006.01); F16D 25/061 (2006.01); F16D 25/10 (2006.01); F16H 61/30 (2006.01); F16H 48/19 (2012.01); F16H 63/04 (2006.01); F16H 63/30 (2006.01); F16H 63/34 (2006.01); F16H 57/02 (2012.01)
CPC B60K 17/046 (2013.01) [B60K 17/02 (2013.01); B60K 17/165 (2013.01); B60K 17/354 (2013.01); B60K 23/04 (2013.01); B60K 23/08 (2013.01); F16D 21/06 (2013.01); F16D 25/061 (2013.01); F16D 25/10 (2013.01); F16H 61/30 (2013.01); F16D 2021/0607 (2013.01); F16D 2021/0661 (2013.01); F16D 2021/0692 (2013.01); F16H 48/19 (2013.01); F16H 63/04 (2013.01); F16H 63/3023 (2013.01); F16H 63/34 (2013.01); F16H 2057/02052 (2013.01); F16H 2200/0017 (2013.01); F16H 2200/0034 (2013.01); F16H 2200/2005 (2013.01); F16H 2200/2094 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A vehicle drive unit for driving wheels of a vehicle comprising:
a main shaft which is rotatable for driving a vehicle wheel;
an input shaft for selective driving of said main shaft; and
a shift assembly, which includes an output shaft which is engagable with the vehicle wheel and is rotatable about a shaft axis in response to rotation of said main shaft, an intermediate shaft, which is rotatable about said shaft axis, and a planetary gear assembly which transfers torque between said main shaft and said output shaft;
said planetary gear assembly comprising a sun gear rotatable with said intermediate shaft, a ring gear disposed radially outwardly of said sun gear, and a planetary carrier assembly comprising a planetary carrier rotatably supporting one or more planet gears thereon, wherein said planetary carrier is engaged with said output shaft for rotation together and said planet gears rotate between said sun gear and said ring gear during rotation of said output shaft; and
said shift assembly further which is shiftable to connect said main shaft either to said intermediate shaft in a first shift mode or to said planetary carrier assembly in a second shift mode, wherein said shift assembly in said first shift mode connects said main shaft to said intermediate shaft to cause said intermediate shaft to rotate said sun gear and transfer torque along a first torque transmission path through said planetary carrier assembly to said output shaft, and wherein said shift assembly in said second shift mode connects said main shaft to said planetary carrier to cause said planetary carrier assembly to rotate said planet gears and transfer torque along a second torque transmission path through said planetary carrier assembly to said output shaft, wherein said first and second torque transmission paths rotate said output shaft at respective first and second speeds in response to rotation of said main shaft;
wherein said first and second speeds differ from each other;
wherein said output shaft rotates in a lo-range mode or hi-range mode corresponding to said first and second speeds depending upon said shift assembly being shifted between said first and second shift modes;
wherein said shift member includes first and second drive formations, said first drive formations being engaged with said main shaft in both of said first and second shift positions;
wherein said shift assembly includes a shift member movable between first and second shift positions, said shift member being connected to said main shaft in both of said first and second shift positions, and being connected to either said intermediate shaft in said first shift position or said planetary carrier assembly in said second shift position, wherein said shift member in said first shift position is connected to said intermediate shaft to cause said intermediate shaft to rotate said sun gear and transfer torque along said first torque transmission path, and said shift member in said second shift position is connected to said planetary carrier to cause said planetary carrier assembly to rotate said planet gears and transfer torque along said second torque transmission path;
wherein said shift member is shiftable axially along said shaft axis between said first and second shift positions; and
wherein said intermediate shaft and said planetary carrier assembly including respective third and fourth drive formations, wherein said second drive formations of said shift member engage said third drive formations of said intermediate shaft in said first shift position and engage said fourth drive formations of said planetary carrier assembly in said second shift position.