US 12,187,131 B2
Axle assembly with electric motor
Cyril Kucharski, Saint Victor sur Loire (FR)
Assigned to Allison Transmission, Inc., Indianapolis, IN (US)
Filed by Allison Transmission, Inc., Indianapolis, IN (US)
Filed on Dec. 30, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/137,905.
Application 17/137,905 is a continuation of application No. 16/096,147, granted, now 10,882,389, issued on Jan. 5, 2021, previously published as PCT/US2017/031570, filed on May 8, 2017.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/333,032, filed on May 6, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2021/0114450 A1, Apr. 22, 2021
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. B60K 6/48 (2007.10); B60K 1/00 (2006.01); B60K 6/52 (2007.10); B60K 17/04 (2006.01); B60K 17/16 (2006.01); F16H 57/02 (2012.01); B60K 17/10 (2006.01)
CPC B60K 6/48 (2013.01) [B60K 1/00 (2013.01); B60K 6/52 (2013.01); B60K 17/04 (2013.01); B60K 17/16 (2013.01); F16H 57/02 (2013.01); B60K 2001/001 (2013.01); B60K 17/105 (2013.01); B60K 17/165 (2013.01); B60Y 2200/14 (2013.01); B60Y 2200/147 (2013.01); B60Y 2200/148 (2013.01); F16H 2057/02034 (2013.01); F16H 2057/02052 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An axle assembly for a vehicle, the axle assembly comprising:
an elongated first axle housing that defines an axle axis;
a drive shaft extending through the first axle housing; and
a gearbox having a body with first and second portions that define a cavity, wherein the first axle housing is coupled to the first portion;
wherein the gearbox includes a gear train having an input shaft and an output shaft, wherein the input shaft has one end coupled to an electric motor and an opposite end rotatably attached to the gearbox, and wherein the output shaft is rotatably coupled to the input shaft; and
wherein the gear train further includes a clutch comprising a collar and a shifting fork movable between an engaged state and a disengaged state along a clutch axis parallel to the axle axis, wherein in the engaged state the collar of the clutch is directly coupled to each of the output shaft and the drive shaft to lock the output shaft to the drive shaft, and wherein in the disengaged state the clutch is to unlock the output shaft from the drive shaft.