Patent ID: 6755762
Filing Date: 2004-06-29
Classification: B60K,F16H

Abstract:
In an automotive vehicle having a road wheel on each side of the vehicle and an axle shaft extending to and coupled with each road wheel and also having a motor for producing torque to rotate the road wheels, an improved axle center located between the motor and axle shafts to enable torque produced by the motor to be transferred to the axle shafts and wheels, the axle center comprising: at least one torque coupling through which torque from the motor passes to at least one of the axle shafts, the coupling including an input torque member to which torque from the motor is delivered and an output torque member through which torque is delivered to at least one of the axle shafts, the coupling further including a planetary set and a magnetic particle clutch connected together such that a mechanical path and a clutch path exist through which torque is simultaneously transferred between the torque members, with essentially all of the torque that is delivered to the input torque member being transferred through the mechanical and clutch paths to the output torque member, the mechanical path bypassing the clutch and the clutch path including the clutch, the amount of torque transferred through the clutch path in relation to the mechanical path being variable by the clutch, but being less than the torque transmitted through the mechanical path.