Dana Heavy Vehicle Systems Group, LLC

Dana Automotive Systems Group, LLC

Dana Corporation

William F Waltz

Krishna Kumar

George A Willford

James Foltan Ziech

Robert L Vailliencourt

Joshua A Perry

Michael Z Creech

Jordan M Houser

Steven J Wesolowski

Jeffrey M David

Daniel D Carmean

Robert A Wright

Nicholas W Smallman

Described herein is a trumpet arm for use in an electric drive axle. In one embodiment, the trumpet arm comprises a housing with an arm section extending an arm length, the arm section having an outlet at a first end, and a flange with a planar face at a second end opposite the first end. The trumpet arm further comprises internal buttresses positioned in an interior of the housing and extending through at least a first portion of a flange length of the flange, a flange/arm transition at which the flange transitions into the arm section, and at least a portion of the arm length.

Trumpet arm with internal buttresses

Methods and systems for an electric drive unit. The electric drive system includes, in one example, a set of electric machines each of which are rotationally coupled to a pinion device in a set of pinion devices and a planetary assembly. The electric drive system further includes an inverter assembly electrically coupled to the set of electric machines in parallel. The planetary assembly includes the set of pinion devices, a carrier which is mechanically grounded, a ring device, and a sun device, where the ring device and/or the sun device are rotationally coupled to the set of pinion devices.

Planetary pinion input electric drive unit

Methods and systems for a transmission are provided. In one example, the transmission includes an input shaft with a first pair of gears that reside thereon, a first clutch positioned between the first pair of gears and designed to selectively rotationally couple a selected gear in the first pair of gears to the input shaft, and a layshaft with a second pair of gears fixedly coupled thereto. The transmission further includes an output shaft with a third pair of gears that reside thereon and a second clutch positioned between the third pair of gears and designed to selectively rotationally couple a selected gear in the third pair of gears to the output shaft.

Transmission and method for operation of the transmission

Methods and systems for a clutch cartridge are provided. The clutch cartridge includes, a dog clutch including a clutch ring slidingly engaged with a tube shaft and including a first toothed interface and a second toothed interface, where the dog clutch is designed to selectively engage a first gear and a second gear. The clutch cartridge further includes a first bearing coupled to the tube shaft and the first gear and a second bearing coupled to the tube shaft and the second gear.

Multi-speed gearbox and assembly method

Provided herein is an electric axle including a differential assembly drivingly connected to a first axle half shaft and a second axle half shaft, wherein the first and second axle half shafts each have a wheel coupled to the ends thereof; an electric motor/generator drivingly connected to a first rotatable shaft; a first gear set having a first gear connected to the first rotatable shaft and a second gear connected to a second rotatable shaft; a second gear set having a first gear connected to the second rotatable shaft and a second gear selectively connected to a third rotatable shaft; a third gear set having a first gear connected to the third rotatable shaft and a second gear drivingly connected to the differential assembly; and a selector device configured to selectively connect the third rotatable shaft to the second gear of the second gear set or the first rotatable shaft.

Commercial vehicle with electric driven axle

A vehicle including a frame having an axle and a support apparatus coupled thereto. The support apparatus is configured to support a load coupled to the axle and permit the load to translate along an x-axis, a y-axis, and a z-axis.

Support apparatus for an off-axle load

Various methods and systems are provided for a multi-speed electric axle assembly. The multi-speed electric axle assembly includes a grounding plate with an outer interface coupled to a housing interface and an inner stepped splined interface designed to selectively mate with a clutch sleeve. In the assembly, the inner stepped splined interface includes a plurality of steps that each include a first side that perpendicularly intersects a second side and the first side of each step in the inner stepped splined interface includes a clearance between the first side and a stepped surface of the clutch sleeve.

Multi-speed electric powertrain with stepped splines that allow additional degrees of freedom

An actuation assembly for use in a drive unit assembly of a vehicle. The actuation assembly includes an actuator shaft that is connected to a shift shaft and a shift fork via a lever member. At least a portion of the lever member is connected to the shift shaft and at least a portion of the lever member is pivotably connected to said actuator shaft. An actuation mechanism drives the actuator shaft linearly to pivot the lever member which in turn rotates the shift shaft and the shift fork.

Shift fork actuation assembly

A drive unit assembly. The drive unit assembly includes one or more first motors drivingly connected to at least a first end portion of a first shaft. A planetary gear assembly having a sun gear, one or more planetary gears, a ring gear and a carrier. At least a portion of the sun gear is drivingly connected to at least a portion of a second end portion of the first shaft and the carrier is drivingly connected to at least a portion of the one or more planetary gears. A differential input member is drivingly connected to at least a portion of the carrier and a differential assembly. At least a portion of a first axle half shaft is drivingly connected to the differential and is disposed within a hollow portion of said first shaft and a second axle half shaft is drivingly connected to the differential assembly.

Electric drive unit assembly

Provided herein is an electric powertrain including a differential assembly operably coupled to a drive axle having a set of wheel coupled to the ends thereof; a planetary gear set connected to the differential, the planetary gear set having a sun gear, a planet carrier supporting a plurality of planet gears, and a ring gear, wherein the planet carrier is drivingly engaged with the differential assembly; a first electric motor/generator; a second electric motor/generator; a first gear pass drivingly connected the first electric motor/generator and the ring gear; and a second gear pass drivingly connected the first electric motor/generator and the sun gear.

Continuously variable electric axles with on-demand energy harvesting capabilities for secondary or tag E-axles

An electric axle having an electric drivetrain including a motor/generator, a first planetary gear set operably coupled to the motor/generator, and a second planetary gear set operably coupled to the first planetary gear set, wherein the first planetary gear set includes a first ring gear, a first planet carrier, and a first sun gear, and wherein the second planetary gear set includes a second ring gear, a second planet carrier, and a second sun gear; a drive wheel axle operably coupled to the electric drivetrain; and a first wheel and a second wheel coupled to the drive wheel axle.

Electric axle transmission for electric and hybrid electric vehicles

An axle assembly may have at least one electric motor/generator. The motor/generator may be connected to a first sun gear. A first gear of a first planet carrier may be meshed with the first sun gear. A first ring gear may be meshed with a second gear of the first planet carrier. A second ring gear, a second sun gear and a second planet carrier may be provided. A selector sleeve may selectively connect a selector spline connected to the first ring gear and a ground for a low output speed, the selector sleeve may selectively connect the first and second ring gears with the first planet carrier for a high output speed and selector sleeve selectively connect to only the first ring gear for neutral.

Axle assembly

Continuously variable electric axles with on-demand energy harvesting capabilities for secondary or tag e-axles

Linear actuator mechanisms () for vehicle disconnect/connect systems having a stationary guide rod (); a shift fork () the stationary guide rod extends therethough; a drive nut (); a drive screw () extending through the drive nut; a first spring plate (), a second spring plate (), and a compression spring () positioned between a radially extending portion of the first spring plate and a radially extending portion of the second spring plate. A second radially extending portion of the first spring plate and a second radially extending portion of the second spring plate are in contact with the drive nut on axially opposite sides of the drive nut. The first and second spring plates are moveable axially along the stationary guide rod by the drive nut to compress the compression spring.

Growing community of inventors

Toledo, OH, United States of America

William F Waltz