Motor-vehicle drive line with a drive motor, gearbox and axle

Details Motor-vehicle drive line with a drive motor, gearbox and axle Motor-vehicle drive line with a drive motor, gearbox and axle

1996-04-18

1998-07-28

Kramer, Dean

Motor vehicles

Transmission mechanism

Gear transmission relationship to frame or axle

180376, 180382, B60K 1722

Patent

active

057851433

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
The invention concerns a motor-vehicle drive train with a drive motor, a transmission and an axle. In the known construction of motor vehicles, especially industrial lift trucks such as fork lift trucks, the transmission and the axle are separately suspended or fastened to the chassis. An exception to this is the transaxle construction in which the transmission and the axle are built as a one piece.
As a rule, the torque is transmitted from the transmission to the axle via a joint shaft. When, for practical reasons, said joint shaft is of a short length, divergences in the fastening points of the suspension act very strongly upon the joint shaft. Divergences of different magnitudes are not unusual since the fastening points--like the rest of the chassis--are designed as welded structures.
In a so-called Z-configuration of the joint shaft, large angles of inflection, which very severely load the joints, are generated as result of an axle offset of a few millimeters. Additional divergences appear, for example, when deviating from the correct position of installation of the axle. If, for example, the axle is installed in an off-set position (tilted) by a small angle in respect to horizontal and relative to the transmission, an additional angular error appears which results in irregularities in the drive train. Said irregularities cause unpleasant noises.
The problem to be solved by the invention is to configurate a drive train of the above described kind in a manner such that divergences from the theoretically correct installation position remain practically without reactions upon the input shafts. Irregularities and noises resulting therefrom are to be especially avoided.
The problem on which the invention is based is solved by pivotably mounting on the axle, in a vertical plane, elements of the drive train. Said elements consist at least of a drive motor and a transmission. Due to the relative rotary motion of elements of the drive train (drive motor, transmission), vis-a-vis other elements of the drive train (axle), there results a W-configuration of the joint shaft or other equivalent articulation (universal joint). All the divergences (erroneous positions) generate inflection angles of equal magnitude on the joints. Irregularities in the drive train are prevented hereby. In addition to a reduction of load on the joints, the generation of unpleasant noises is prevented.
The axis of rotation--as seen in a side view of the drive train--is at the center of the joint shaft. Therefore, the joints that connect the input and output shafts with the joint shaft are at equal distances from the axis of rotation.
In a preferred embodiment, the joint shaft connects an output shaft of the transmission with an input shaft of a differential transmission. The connection is made by joints. A universal joint can also be used instead of a short joint shaft.
In a preferred practical solution, the axis of rotation extends through the centers of two bolts which are part of the two joints. It is advantageous that the bolts pass through rubber elements in order to damp resulting noises. Said rubber elements can be situated in bearing brackets or in guide rods. A structurally simple configuration results when fastening the bearing brackets on the transmission and the guide rods on the axle. The bearing brackets or the guide rods can be designed as separate parts. They are preferably made as one piece with the transmission of the axle.
In a practically simple solution, the guide rods have fork-like ends which are penetrated by the bolts. The bearing brackets mesh in the U-shaped free spaces of the fork-like ends of the guide rods. The bearing brackets accommodate the rubber elements in which the bolts are supported.
To compensate for lateral erroneous positions during assembly, for example, when the axle does not extend exactly in a transverse direction of the vehicle, the elements of the drive train pivotably situated relative to the axle are supported in an additional joint.
Axial displacements resulting on the joint shaft from d

REFERENCES:
patent: 3361222 (1968-01-01), Lamburn
patent: 3428140 (1969-02-01), Tolan, Jr.
patent: 4387605 (1983-06-01), Grey et al.

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