Patent ID: 6830529
Filing Date: 2004-12-14
Classification: F16H

Abstract:
A torque transfer assembly comprising:an input gear; a first output shaft; a second output shaft; a planetary differential including a first planetary gear set pair drivably intercoupling said input gear with said first output shaft, said first planetary gear set pair including inner and outer planetary gear sets, each of said inner and outer planetary gear sets including a sun gear, a ring gear, a planetary carrier, and at least one planet gear mounted on said planetary carrier to rotate with and relative to said planetary carrier and meshed with the sun gear and ring gear, and a second planetary gear set pair drivably intercoupling said input gear with said second output shaft, said second planetary gear set pair including inner and outer planetary gear sets, each of said inner and outer planetary gear sets including a sun gear, a ring gear, a planetary carrier, and at least one planet gear mounted on said planetary carrier to rotate with and relative to said planetary carrier and meshed with the sun gear and ring gear; wherein, in the first and second planetary gear set pairs, the planetary carrier of the outer planetary gear set is fixed to rotate with the sun gear of the inner planetary gear set, and a torque control system including a first torque control mechanism having a first control element rotating with one of the ring gear, sun gear, or planetary carrier of the inner or outer planetary gear sets of the first planetary gear set pair, a second torque control mechanism having a second control element rotating with one of the ring gear, sun gear, or planetary carrier of the inner or outer planetary gear sets of the second planetary gear set pair, and a controller communicating with the first and second torque control mechanisms and selectively controlling a resistance torque exerted by the first and second torque control mechanisms on the first and second control elements.