US 12,241,525 B1
Universal drive
Woo Hyun Lim, Incheon (KR); Ki Seok Kim, Seongnam-si (KR); Kyoung Chul Min, Hwaseong-si (KR); Jong Sool Park, Hwaseong-si (KR); Dae In Lee, Anyang-si (KR); and Yeo Hae Lee, Gunpo-si (KR)
Assigned to HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, Seoul (KR); and KIA CORPORATION, Seoul (KR)
Filed by HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, Seoul (KR); and KIA CORPORATION, Seoul (KR)
Filed on May 1, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/652,378.
Claims priority of application No. 10-2023-0181909 (KR), filed on Dec. 14, 2023.
Int. Cl. F16H 1/46 (2006.01); B60K 17/04 (2006.01); F16H 1/02 (2006.01); F16H 1/28 (2006.01); F16H 37/12 (2006.01); F16H 57/02 (2012.01)
CPC F16H 1/2827 (2013.01) [B60K 17/043 (2013.01); F16H 1/46 (2013.01); F16H 37/12 (2013.01); F16H 2057/02043 (2013.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A universal drive comprising:
a ring gear;
a sun gear having a sun gear axis moveable relative to a ring gear axis of the ring gear;
a gear train comprising a series of gears configured to connect the sun gear and the ring gear to each other;
a link mechanism connected to the sun gear and the ring gear so rotation between the sun gear and the ring gear is allowed such that a power transmission state between the sun gear and the ring gear is continuously maintained while accommodating a change in an inter-axis distance between the sun gear and the ring gear, the link mechanism being configured to support rotating shafts of the series of gears constituting the gear train;
a carrier configured to support a rotating shaft of a final gear engaged with the ring gear, among the gears constituting the gear train; and
a sliding member positioned between at least one of the gears constituting the gear train and the carrier such that the sliding member is slidable relative to the carrier.