Patent ID: 7416505
Filing Date: 2008-08-26
Classification: B60K

Abstract:
1. A drive train for a vehicle, the drive train comprising: an axle having an axle housing, a differential assembly and a pair of axle shafts, the differential assembly including an input pinion and a differential, the differential being rotatably disposed in the axle housing, the axle shafts being coupled to opposite sides of the differential for rotation therewith; and a drive unit including a drive unit housing, an input shaft, a planetary transmission and a clutch, the drive unit housing being mounted on the axle housing and defining a cavity, the input shaft being received in the cavity and supported for rotation by the drive unit housing, the planetary transmission including a sun gear, a plurality of planet gears, a planet carrier and a ring gear, the sun gear being driven by the input shaft, the planet gears being supported by the planet carrier and meshingly engaging the sun gear and the ring gear, the ring gear being rotatable about the planet carrier, the planet carrier being rotatably coupled to the input pinion, the clutch having a first dog clutch and a second dog clutch, the first dog clutch including a first clutch portion and a first intermediate clutch portion, the second dog clutch including a second intermediate clutch portion and a second clutch portion, the first and second intermediate clutch portions being disposed between the first and second clutch portions, the first clutch portion having a first tooth set and being coupled to the drive unit housing, the second clutch portion having a second tooth set and being coupled to the planet carrier, the first intermediate clutch portion having a first intermediate tooth set, the second intermediate clutch portion having a second intermediate tooth set, the first and second intermediate tooth sets being non-rotatably but axially movably coupled to the ring gear, the first and second intermediate clutch portions being axially movable between a first position, in which the first intermediate tooth set matingly engages the first tooth set to non-rotatably couple the ring gear to the drive unit housing, and a second position in which the second intermediate tooth set matingly engages the second tooth set to rotatably couple the ring gear to the planet carrier.