Arvin Meritor Technology, LLC

Meritor Heavy Vehicle Technology, LLC

Meritor Heavy Vehicle Systems Limited

Rockwell Heavy Vehicle Systems, Inc.

Lawrence Doyle Brill

Tomaz Dopico Varela

Brian David Hayes

Steven E Hunter

Ragnar H Ledesma

William Carl Sullivan

Duy Lam

Malcolm F Ruppert

Glen E Swanson

Malcolm Green

Mike Schuster

Corrado Conti

Fabio Maineri

Michael E Schuster

A gear box assembly as used in an inverted portal axle or transfer case includes a drive gear and at least one driven gear in meshing engagement with the drive gear at a contact point. A gear housing closely surrounds portions of an outer circumference of the drive and driven gears to form a baffle area. The gear housing includes an discharge orifice that is located near the contact point and a fluid gallery that extends from the discharge orifice to other locations within the gear housing. As the drive gear drives the driven gear, fluid is pumped into the discharge orifice and through the fluid gallery to fluid outlets positioned at desired locations to lubricate other gear box components. Radial inlets with elongated chamfers and stator vanes can be formed within the gear housing to draw air ingested during pumping away from the discharge orifice. Additionally, a bypass loop can be used to scavenge unwanted air ingested into meshing gear teeth.

Ancillary oil pumping for gear box assembly

An automotive vehicle drive unit assembly which is located near the sides of a vehicle includes a first driving axle shaft, a second driving axle shaft, a first gear box, a second gear box, a first electric motor, and a second electric motor. The first driving axle shaft drives a first wheel hub of the vehicle and the second driving axle shaft drives a second wheel hub. Together the first and second driving axle shafts define an axis of rotation about which the first and second wheel hubs rotate. The first gear set drives the first wheel and the second gear set drives the second wheel. A first electric motor is mounted in an angular relationship relative to the axis of rotation and drives the first gear set. A second electric motor is mounted in an angular relationship relative to the axis of rotation and drives the second gear set. A plurality of electric motors can be used to drive each wheel hub.

Low floor drive unit assembly for an electrically driven vehicle

An axle system includes an axle shaft offset located within an axle center beam housing. The axle shaft is located in a recess in a top wall of the axle center beam shaped with slopes to maximize clearance to the bottom of the vehicle floor panels. The pneumatic brake cylinders define a cylinder axis angled within an angular range from a generally vertical orientation for enhanced packaging.

Inverted portal axle configuration for a low floor vehicle

A drive unit for a vehicle wheel assembly includes an input gear set driven by an electric motor, a planetary gear set driven by the input gear set, and an output shaft driven by the planetary gear set. An adapter is used to attach a wheel rim and a brake component for rotation with the output shaft, which is rotatably supported by a wheel bearing. The input gear set and the planetary gear set are positioned outboard of the electric motor and inboard of the brake component. The brake component can be easily removed without requiring removal of the planetary gear set or any wheel bearings. Only the wheel rim and the adapter have to be removed in order to remove the brake component.

Double reduction electric drive wheel assembly

A tire inflation system for a portal drive axle assembly includes fluid flow passages that are formed within rotating wheel shafts, which drive a pair of wheel end assemblies. The portal drive axle assembly includes a driving input that drives a pair of axle shafts. A wheel gear assembly operably couples each axle shaft to the respective wheel shaft. The wheel gear assemblies transfer the driving force from the axle shafts to the wheel shafts, which are positioned at different vertical location relative to the axle shafts. A first end of each wheel shaft is in fluid communication with a vehicle air supply and a second end of each wheel shaft is in fluid communication with a tire assembly. Seal assemblies are mounted for rotation with the wheel shaft at the first end of the wheel shafts. An air supply needle is mounted to a non-rotating axle structure and includes a base member that is in fluid communication with the air supply and a hollow needle body that extends from the base member through the seal assembly and into the fluid flow passage. Thus, air is selectively supplied to the tire assemblies in a sealed environment by traveling from the air supply, through the rotating wheel shafts, and into the tire assemblies.

Central tire inflation system for drive axle

An inverted portal drive axle includes an off-center driving input that is coupled to first and second axle shafts. The first axle shaft drives a first gear box that is coupled to a first wheel assembly. The second axle shaft extends underneath a vehicle floor and drives a second gear box that is coupled to a second wheel assembly. An axle housing extends between the first and second gear boxes. The second axle shaft includes an exposed central portion that is positioned directly between the vehicle floor and the axle housing. Seal assemblies seal first and second ends of the second axle shaft to the axle housing.

External shaft low floor drive axle assembly

An axle assembly is provided that includes an axle. The axle assembly may be of an inverted portal axle configuration. The axle includes a boss having a threaded aperture. A suspension component, such as a suspension arm, may be secured to the axle by a fastener received by the threaded aperture. A bracket may be arranged in engagement with the boss between the suspension arm and the axle. The bracket may be used to connect a torsion bar to the axle. The bracket includes an aperture with the fastener disposed within the bracket aperture. The fastener, which is common for the suspension arm and bracket, creates a clamping load on the bracket. Moreover, the suspension arm and the torsion bar bracket share a common boss.

Interlocking suspension bracket for an inverted portal axle

An independent suspension undercarriage module includes a first subframe segment and a second subframe segment. The subframe is manufactured of a composite material to provide a truss-like structural unibody which is mounted as a unit to the underside of a low floor vehicle through a plurality of resilient dampers. Passengers are thereby provided with a secondary vibration isolation structure separate from the suspension systems which filter out high frequency content generated by the suspension systems.

Independent suspension undercarriage module for a low floor vehicle

A compound gear assembly includes two gears, each gear respectively including interlocking features, which may be complimentary arcuate sections, for transferring torque between the gears. A clearance between the respective arcuate sections permits the gears to move radially relative to one another, which ensures that the gears mesh in a desired manner with the gears to which they are coupled. A retainer is inserted into an annular groove located circumferentially about the respective arcuate sections, which secures one gear to another.

Compound gear joining

A steering system for a vehicle is provided that includes a steering knuckle which is rotatable about an axis. The steering knuckle includes an upper attachment point and a lower attachment point. The attachment points define the steer axis. A rotational drive unit is connected to the steering knuckle for rotating the steering knuckle about the steer axis. A control module receives a steering input corresponding to the desired Ackerman angle and commands the rotational drive unit to rotate the steering knuckle about the axis to the desired Ackerman angle. Rotational drive units for each side of the vehicle ensure that the wheels are turned to the appropriate Ackerman angle for each wheel. The rotational drive unit may include an electric motor, or a pneumatic or hydraulic pump. In one preferred embodiment, the rotational drive unit includes a fluid housing and the shaft connected to the steering knuckle. The shaft includes a vane extending therefrom and into the housing. The fluid pump pumps fluid into the housing to rotate the vane with the shaft and steering knuckle about the axis in response to a command from the control module.

Independent steering and actuator

A steering system is provided for a vehicle including a frame. Upper and lower control arms have first end portions that are pivotally supported on the frame at first spaced apart connections. The control arms also each include second end portions that are pivotally connected to an intermediate support member at second spaced apart connections. A steer knuckle is pivotally supported by the intermediate support member at third spaced apart connections that define a king pin axis. A drive motor is mounted on the intermediate support member and is coupled to the steering knuckle to rotate the steering knuckle about the king pin axis relative to the intermediate support member. A gear set may also be used in conjunction with the drive motor and steering knuckle. The intermediate support member is constrained against forward and aft movement, but is permitted to move upward and downward with the control arms.

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Westerville, OH, United States of America

Lawrence Doyle Brill