Patent ID: 8074532

Claim:
A drive layout for a rear axle ( 33 ) of a low floor bus ( 31 ) having a travel direction (X), the drive layout comprising: a rear axle ( 33 ) supporting a pair of spaced apart wheels; a transversely rear-mounted drive motor ( 34 ) having a transverse motor rotational axis ( 34 a ); a motor bevel gear stage ( 36 ) and an axle bevel gear stage ( 38 ) for drivingly connecting the drive motor ( 34 ) to the rear axle ( 33 ) and facilitate rotation of the rear axle and travel of the bus; the motor bevel gear stage ( 36 ) comprising: a motor bevel gear ( 36 a ) arranged coaxially with a motor drive shaft which defines the transverse motor rotational axis ( 34 a ) extending normal to the travel direction (X); and a first bevel gear ( 36 b ) supported adjacent a first end of an intermediate shaft ( 37 ) and meshing with the motor bevel gear ( 36 a ) such that the meshing ( 36 a/b ) of the motor bevel gear ( 36 a ) with the first bevel gear ( 36 b ) being located, with respect to the driving direction (X), behind and rearwardly of the transverse motor rotational axis ( 34 a ); and the axle bevel gear stage ( 38 ) comprising: a crown gear ( 38 b ) arranged on the rear axle ( 33 ); a second bevel gear ( 38 a ) supported adjacent a second end of the intermediate shaft ( 37 ) and meshing with the crown gear ( 38 b ); and a first angle (δ′) formed between the first end of the intermediate shaft ( 37 ), supporting the first bevel gear ( 36 b ), and the motor drive shaft ( 41 ) of the drive motor ( 34 ) is greater than 90°, while a second angle (δ) formed between the second end of the intermediate shaft ( 37 ), supporting the second bevel gear ( 38 a ), and the drive shaft ( 41 ) of the transversely rear-mounted drive motor ( 34 ) is less than 90° and the first and the second angles are supplemental angles, wherein the motor bevel gear stage ( 42 , 44 ) forms an angular drive unit ( 40 ) which has a first housing part ( 43 ) which supports the motor bevel gear ( 42 ) and a second housing part ( 46 ) which supports the first bevel gear ( 44 , 45 ), and wherein the second housing part ( 46 ) has two coaxially arranged bores ( 46 a , 46 b ) and a larger one ( 46 b ) of the two coaxially arranged bores ( 46 a , 46 b ) located rearward of the motor drive shaft is closed by a cover.