Patent ID: 8371415
Filing Date: 2013-02-12
Classification: B60G,B60K,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A drive unit for driving a pair of laterally opposed vehicle wheels comprising: a single reduction carrier having a pinion input that is to be significantly offset from a vehicle centerline and a ring gear driven by said pinion input, and wherein said single reduction carrier includes a differential that is attached to said ring gear such that said ring gear is offset from a center of said differential, and wherein said differential includes a differential gear assembly and wherein said pinion input defines a longitudinal pinion axis of rotation that is laterally offset from intersecting a packaging envelope defined by said differential gear assembly; a first output shaft driven by said single reduction carrier and a second output shaft driven by said single reduction carrier, said first output shaft to drive a first wheel component and said second output shaft to drive a second wheel component laterally opposite from said first wheel component; and a first independent suspension associated with said first wheel component and a second independent suspension associated with said second wheel component, said first and said second independent suspensions allowing said first and said second wheel components to move independently relative to each other in response to road load inputs.