Patent ID: 9518623
Filing Date: 2016-12-13
CPC Classification: F16D

Claim Text:
1. An axle disconnect assembly for use in selectively translating rotational torque between an output shaft and an axle shaft of a vehicle driveline, with the output shaft and the axle shaft aligned about a shaft axis, said axle disconnect assembly comprising: a disconnect housing; a clutch assembly supported in said disconnect housing, disposed in selective torque translating relationship between the output shaft and the axle shaft, and movable between: an engaged configuration wherein rotational torque is translated between the output shaft and the axle shaft, and a disengaged configuration wherein rotational torque is interrupted between the output shaft and the axle shaft; and an electromagnetic actuator having an actuator housing operatively attached to said disconnect housing with a cylinder formed in said actuator housing, a slider supported in said cylinder of said actuator housing, said slider being selectively movable within said cylinder between a first stable position and a second stable position, said actuator being disposed in force translating relationship with said clutch assembly such that movement of said slider within said cylinder from one of said stable positions to the other of said stable positions causes corresponding movement of said clutch assembly between said configurations so as to selectively translate rotational torque between the output shaft of the driveline and the axle shaft of the driveline, and wherein said actuator includes a first coil that acts to selectively generate a first magnetic field, a second coil spaced from said first coil and acting to selectively generate a second magnetic field, and a permanent magnet operatively attached to said slider such that generation of either one of said first or second magnetic fields acts to move said permanent magnet and said slider between said first and second stable positions and such that said clutch is maintained in either of said engaged configuration or said disengaged configuration in the absence of said first and second magnetic fields, wherein said slider and said cylinder cooperate to define an axis that is eccentric from the shaft axis, wherein said slider is further defined as a shaft supported in and moveable along said cylinder between said stable positions, said shaft aligned concentrically with said axis, wherein said clutch assembly includes a sleeve disposed in force translating relationship with said shaft and acting to couple the output shaft and the axle shaft when said clutch assembly is in said engaged configuration, wherein the sleeve couples a toothed portion of the output shaft to a toothed portion of a coupling member of the clutch assembly, wherein the coupling member is connected to the axle shaft and wherein the coupling member has a gap formed therein, the sleeve comprising a first sleeve tooth constructed and arranged to be selectively moved into the gap formed in the coupling member when the clutch assembly is in a disengaged configuration.