US 11,946,531 B2
Electric drive module with transmission having parallel twin gear pairs sharing load to a final drive gear
James P. Downs, South Lyon, MI (US); and Paul J. Valente, Berkley, MI (US)
Assigned to American Axle & Manufacturing, Inc., Detroit, MI (US)
Filed by AMERICAN AXLE & MANUFACTURING, INC., Detroit, MI (US)
Filed on Mar. 10, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/691,275.
Application 17/691,275 is a continuation of application No. 17/527,235, filed on Nov. 16, 2021, granted, now 11,293,534.
Application 17/527,235 is a continuation in part of application No. PCT/US2020/062541, filed on Nov. 30, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/161,218, filed on Mar. 15, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/161,164, filed on Mar. 15, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/942,496, filed on Dec. 2, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0196126 A1, Jun. 23, 2022
Int. Cl. B60K 1/00 (2006.01); F16H 37/08 (2006.01); F16H 48/08 (2006.01); F16H 63/34 (2006.01); F16H 57/02 (2012.01)
CPC F16H 37/0813 (2013.01) [B60K 1/00 (2013.01); F16H 48/08 (2013.01); F16H 63/3425 (2013.01); F16H 63/3475 (2013.01); B60K 2001/001 (2013.01); F16H 2057/02034 (2013.01); F16H 2057/02052 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An electric drive module having:
a housing assembly that includes a motor housing, a gearbox and a gearbox cover, the motor housing defines a motor cavity, and the gearbox and the gearbox cover cooperate to define a transmission cavity;
a motor assembly housed in the motor housing and having an electric motor and an inverter, the electric motor having a stator and a rotor, the rotor having a motor output shaft;
a first output shaft that is rotatable about an output axis; and
a transmission transmitting rotary power between the electric motor and the output shaft, the transmission including a drive gear, a pair of first reduction gears, a pair of second reduction gears and a driven gear, the drive gear being coupled to the motor output shaft for rotation therewith about a first axis, each of the first reduction gears being meshingly engaged to the drive gear and being rotatable about a respective second axis, wherein the second axes are spaced apart from one another and are parallel to the first axis, each of the second reduction gears being meshingly engaged to the driven gear and is coupled to an associated one of the first reduction gears for rotation therewith, wherein the driven gear is rotatable about a third axis that is parallel to and offset from the first and second axes and does not pass through the electric motor;
a second output shaft;
a differential assembly having a differential input member, which is coupled for rotation with the driven gear, and first and second differential output members, wherein the first and second output shafts are coupled for rotation with the first and second differential output members, respectively;
a park lock mechanism having a first rotatable park lock gear and a first pawl, the first rotatable park lock gear having a plurality of first park lock teeth, the first pawl being pivotably coupled to the housing assembly and pivotable between a first position, which clears the first park lock teeth of the first rotatable park lock gear, and a second position where the first pawl is disposed between the first park lock teeth of the first rotatable park lock gear to thereby inhibit rotation of the first rotatable park lock gear relative to the housing assembly; and
a second rotatable park lock gear and a second pawl, the second rotatable park lock gear having a plurality of second park lock teeth, each of the first and second rotatable park lock gears being coupled to an associated one of the second reduction gears for rotation therewith, the second pawl being fixedly coupled to the first pawl, wherein placement of the first pawl in the first position correspondingly positions the second pawl in a position that clears the second park lock teeth of the second rotatable park lock gear, and wherein placement of the first pawl in the second position correspondingly positions the second pawl between the second park lock teeth of the second rotatable park lock gear to thereby inhibit rotation of the second rotatable park lock gear relative to the housing assembly.