Forward carrier assembly with a reversible inter-axle differential for a tandem axle vehicle, a powertrain for a tandem axle vehicle, and a tandem axle vehicle
US8851212B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 31, 2011 |
| Grant date | Oct 7, 2014 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 31, 2031 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB60K17/36
- WIPO fieldMechanical elements
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A tandem axle vehicle includes a powertrain. The powertrain includes an input shaft, a forward drive axle assembly including a forward carrier assembly including a forward differential, and a rear drive axle assembly coupled to the forward drive axle assembly via a connecting driveshaft and including a rear carrier assembly including a rear differential. The forward carrier assembly includes an inter-axle differential (IAD), the IAD including an IAD housing, a differential spider including a plurality of legs attached to the IAD housing and a plurality of spider gears mounted on the legs, a first side gear engaged with the spider gears on a first side of the spider and arranged to drive a shaft for driving the driveshaft, and a second side gear engaged with the spider gears on a second side of the spider and arranged to drive the forward differential. A clutch is movable between an unlocked position, the clutch rotationally coupling the input shaft and the IAD housing when in the unlocked position, and a reverse position, the input shaft being rotationally decoupled from the IAD housing when the clutch is in the reverse position.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.