Gearbox assembly and powertrain assembly for vehicle axle and related vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a gearbox assembly for a vehicle axle extending along an axis of rotation, comprising:-a planetary gear system positioned along the vehicle axle and receiving power from a motor, the planetary gear system comprising a ring gear, a sun gear, planet gears, and a planet carrier comprising an output member; -a differential comprising a differential shaft positioned along the axis of rotation and having a first end adjacent the planet carrier, and comprising an output gear positioned along the differential shaft concentrically with the axis of rotation; -a free rotating gear positioned concentrically with said output member; a plurality of countershaft assemblies; -a clutch operating between a first position thereof coupling the output member with the free rotating gear and a second position thereof coupling the output member with the differential. The invention also relates to a powertrain assembly for a vehicle axle and a related vehicle.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to the field of vehicles. In certain aspects, the present disclosure relates to a gearbox assembly and a powertrain system for a vehicle axle and a related vehicle.

[0002] The present disclosure is particularly applicable to electric vehicle axles or E-axles and may be applied to heavy or medium duty vehicles such as trucks and will be described with more particular reference to such applications without intending in any way to limit its possible applications. Background Art

[0003] As is known, E-axles are used to drive wheels of vehicles such as trucks used, for example, in heavy-duty or medium-duty applications.

[0004] Modern E-axles can function quite effectively. However, packaging them within the available space of the vehicle to allow routing of the many components required to support truck propulsion (such as, for example, high voltage cables, brake lines, pneumatics, cooling hoses, wiring harnesses, etc.) presents challenges, and indeed there is a need, desire, and room for further improvement in implementation. Summary of the invention

[0005] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a gearbox assembly for a vehicle axle extending along a rotation axis, the assembly comprising at least:

[0006] a planetary gear system positioned along the vehicle axle and adapted to receive power from a motor associated with the vehicle axle, the planetary gear system comprising a ring gear, a sun gear, planets including one or more planet gears, and a planet carrier including an output member;

[0007] a differential including a differential shaft positioned along the axis of rotation with a first end adjacent the planet carrier and including an output gear positioned along the differential shaft concentrically with the axis of rotation;

[0008] a free-spinning gear located concentrically with the output member of the planet carrier;

[0009] Multiple countershaft assemblies, each countershaft assembly includes:

[0010] - a secondary shaft positioned to rotate about an axis parallel to the axis of rotation;

[0011] - two layshaft gears which are mounted on the corresponding layshafts at a distance from each other and are respectively configured such that one layshaft gear engages with the free-wheeling gear and the other layshaft gear engages with the output gear;

[0012] A clutch configured to operate between at least a first position in which it couples the output member of the planet carrier with the free-spinning gear and a second position in which it directly couples the output member of the planet carrier with the differential. A first aspect of the present disclosure may seek to improve the packaging and installation of the gearbox assembly itself. Technical advantages may include obtaining a robust and compact gearbox assembly design packaging that can be used as a separate module in conjunction with an associated motor, particularly an electric motor of appropriate size, thereby allowing modularity for use in, for example, both heavy-duty vehicles and medium-duty vehicles.

[0013] In some examples, including at least one preferred example, optionally, the plurality of layshaft assemblies include:

[0014] a first countershaft assembly, the first countershaft assembly comprising: a first countershaft positioned to rotate about a first axis parallel to the rotation axis; a first countershaft gear and a second countershaft gear mounted on the first countershaft at a distance from each other and configured to engage with the free-spinning gear and the output gear, respectively;

[0015] A second countershaft assembly includes: a second countershaft positioned to rotate about a second axis parallel to the rotation axis on a side of the vehicle axis opposite to the side on which the first countershaft is located; a third countershaft gear and a fourth countershaft gear mounted on the second countershaft at a distance from each other and configured to engage with the free-spinning gear and the output gear, respectively.

[0016] In some examples, including at least one preferred example, optionally, the first secondary shaft and the second secondary shaft are positioned around the rotation axis along a virtual circle centered on the rotation axis, wherein their respective first rotation axis and second rotation axis are located opposite to each other in a diametric direction relative to the rotation axis itself.

[0017] In some examples, including at least one preferred example, optionally, the plurality of layshaft assemblies include:

[0018] - a first countershaft assembly, the first countershaft assembly comprising: a first countershaft positioned to rotate about a first axis parallel to the rotation axis; a first countershaft gear and a second countershaft gear mounted on the first countershaft at a distance from each other and configured to engage with the free-spinning gear and the output gear, respectively;

[0019] - a second layshaft assembly, the second layshaft assembly comprising: a second layshaft positioned to rotate about a second axis parallel to the rotation axis; a third layshaft gear and a fourth layshaft gear mounted on the second layshaft at a distance from each other and configured to engage with the free-wheeling gear and the output gear, respectively;

[0020] - a third countershaft assembly, the third countershaft assembly comprising: a third countershaft positioned to rotate about a third axis parallel to the rotation axis; a fifth countershaft gear and a sixth countershaft gear, the fifth countershaft gear and the sixth countershaft gear being mounted on the third countershaft at a distance from each other and being configured to engage with the free-spinning gear and the output gear, respectively.

[0021] In some examples, including at least one preferred example, optionally, the first, second and third secondary shafts are positioned about the rotational axis with their respective rotational axes positioned at vertices of a substantially equilateral triangle.

[0022] In some examples, including at least one preferred example, optionally, the clutch is positioned between the planet carrier and the differential and is configured to operate to shift along the rotational axis between the first position and the second position.

[0023] In some examples, including at least one preferred example, optionally, the clutch includes or consists of a dog clutch.

[0024] In some examples, including at least one preferred example, optionally, the free-spinning gear includes one or more teeth configured to engage the clutch in the first position and disengage the clutch in the second position.

[0025] In some examples, including at least one preferred example, optionally, the gearbox assembly further comprises a coupling gear mounted concentrically with the axis of rotation along the vehicle axle, and the gearbox assembly is adapted to be operatively connected to the motor.

[0026] In some examples, including at least one preferred example, optionally, the coupling gear is mechanically connected to the sun gear via a coupling member.

[0027] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a powertrain assembly for rotating a vehicle axle about a rotation axis, the powertrain assembly comprising:

[0028] A gearbox assembly as defined above and in particular as defined in the appended claims; and

[0029] A motor is operatively coupled to the gearbox assembly. A second aspect of the present disclosure may seek to improve packaging. Technical advantages may include obtaining a robust and compact packaging of a complete drivetrain assembly that can be used as a whole module in both heavy-duty and medium-duty applications.

[0030] In some examples, including at least one preferred example, optionally, the motor is an electric motor having a stator and a rotor, wherein the motor is mounted so that its rotor rotates about an axis substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of the vehicle axle.

[0031] In some examples, including at least one preferred example, optionally, the powertrain assembly further comprises a gear set configured to mechanically couple the output shaft of the motor with the gearbox assembly.

[0032] In some examples, including at least one preferred example, the gear set includes: a first gear adapted to be mounted on an output shaft of the motor; and a second gear adapted to be positioned between the first gear and the coupling gear of the gearbox assembly and to engage with both the first gear and the coupling gear.

[0033] In some examples, including at least one preferred example, the gear set includes only a first gear adapted to be mounted on the output shaft of the motor and to engage with the coupling gear of the gearbox assembly.

[0034] In some examples, including at least one preferred example, the motor is an electric motor having a stator and a rotor, wherein the motor is mounted along the vehicle axle and its rotor is positioned to rotate concentrically with the axis of rotation.

[0035] In some examples, including at least one preferred example, the rotor of the motor is directly coupled to the sun gear.

[0036] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a vehicle comprising at least a gearbox assembly or a driveline assembly as defined above and in particular as described hereinafter and claimed in the accompanying claims.

[0037] In some examples, including at least one preferred example, optionally, the vehicle is a heavy duty vehicle or a medium duty vehicle.

[0038] In some examples, including at least one preferred example, optionally, the vehicle is a heavy duty truck or a medium duty truck.

[0039] Due to one or more of the above aspects, the technical advantages may include the possibility of obtaining a flexible and scalable configuration according to a design that can be appropriately selected according to the specific application and is in any case very robust, compact and allows to maximize the modularity of the application (such as heavy-duty application / medium-duty application).

[0040] Another technical advantage may include obtaining a very simple bearing arrangement, eliminating or at least reducing the need for bearings supporting the planet carrier, thus achieving simplification and improved float / load sharing.

[0041] Another technical advantage may include the simplification of differential bearings due to the elimination of radial forces by the multiple countershaft design. This results in the use of simple bearings that do not require shims or adjustments.

[0042] Another technical advantage may include the possibility of achieving multiple gear ratios in an effective and efficient manner.

[0043] Another technical advantage may include using a simple and straightforward clutch system and making key components such as the planetary system fully floating.

[0044] Another technical advantage may include obtaining improved ground clearance and lower weight.

[0045] The disclosed aspects, examples (including any preferred examples), and / or the appended claims may be appropriately combined with each other, which is obvious to any person skilled in the art. Additional features and advantages are disclosed in the detailed description, claims, and drawings, and in part will be obvious to those skilled in the art or recognized by practicing the disclosure as described herein. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0046] Examples are described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0047] Figure 1 is an exemplary perspective view of a gearbox assembly of a vehicle axle shown coupled to an electric motor according to an example.

[0048] Figure 2 is an exemplary perspective view of a gearbox assembly of a vehicle axle shown coupled to an electric motor and viewed from a rear view according to another example.

[0049] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 Schematic plan view of the components shown in .

[0050] Figure 4 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 It is schematically shown Figure 1 or Figure 2A side cross-sectional view of a gearbox assembly of a vehicle axle in three different positions;

[0051] Figure 7 is an exploded perspective view schematically illustrating components of a vehicle axle including a powertrain assembly according to an example;

[0052] Figure 8 is a perspective view of a portion of a vehicle axle assembled with a powertrain assembly according to a possible example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0053] The detailed description set forth below provides information and examples of the disclosed technology in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the disclosure.

[0054] Generally speaking, vehicle axles, and particularly electric axles or E-axles of vehicles, may be somewhat difficult and cumbersome to install, and their structure and configuration may not be flexible enough to be applied to different vehicles.

[0055] In this regard, and as will become more apparent hereinafter, the present disclosure provides a gearbox assembly for a vehicle axle and a drivetrain assembly including such a gearbox assembly, the gearbox assembly comprising: a planetary gear system adapted to receive power from a motor, particularly an electric motor, associated with a wheel attached at the end of the vehicle axle and configured to drive the wheel; a differential positioned adjacent a planet carrier of the planetary gear system; a free-spinning gear located concentrically with an output shaft of the planet carrier; a plurality of layshaft assemblies configured to couple with the free-spinning gear and the output gear of the differential; and a clutch configured to shift between a first position in which it couples the planet carrier to the free-spinning gear and a second position in which it couples the planet carrier to the differential.

[0056] The gearbox assembly and the powertrain assembly according to the present disclosure can therefore obtain a multi-speed output of a differential, can have a strong and compact structure, and can also have a simplified and modular configuration that can be applied to different vehicles.

[0057] Figure 1 and Figure 2 Two examples of a gearbox assembly according to the present disclosure, indicated generally by reference numeral 1 , are shown.

[0058] The gearbox assembly 1 is suitable for installation along a vehicle axle, in particular an E-axle, an example of which is shown in FIG. Figure 7 and (partial) Figure 8 1 and is indicated by the overall reference numeral 100 .

[0059] The vehicle axle 100 extends along a longitudinal axis indicated by a capital letter X in the figure, and is attached to opposite ends 101 and 102 of the axle 100 (see Figure 7 )'s wheels (not shown) can rotate about this longitudinal axis.

[0060] The gearbox assembly 1 is shown in the figure as being coupled to a motor 200 which is adapted to provide the gearbox assembly 1 with the power / torque required for the rotation of the wheels.

[0061] Specifically, the gearbox assembly 1 at least includes:

[0062] - Planetary gear system, in Figure 1 and Figure 2 Indicated by the overall reference numeral 10, the planetary gear system is installed, for example, along a vehicle axle 100;

[0063] - Differential 30;

[0064] - a free-spinning gear 40;

[0065] - a plurality of layshaft assemblies 50, 60, 70; and

[0066] - Clutch, in Figures 4 to 6 It is schematically indicated by the reference numeral 80 .

[0067] The planetary gear system 10 includes, for example, a ring gear 12 adapted to be connected to a housing (eg, Figure 8 , and the housing is indicated by the element symbol 2); a sun gear 14; a planet 16, which includes one or more planetary gears; a planet carrier 18, which includes an output member (in Figures 4 to 6 denoted by component number 20, such as a shaft) and can be driven by the central gear 14, for example.

[0068] The differential 30 is positioned along the rotation axis X and includes: a shaft member 31, which is positioned along the axle 100 to rotate about the rotation axis X and has a first end, which is adjacent to and faces the output member 20 of the planet carrier 18; and an output gear 32, which is positioned on the shaft member 31 concentrically with the rotation axis X, for example, at a second end of the shaft member 31 opposite to the first end.

[0069] In one possible example, the free-spinning gear 40 is located around and concentric with the output member 20 of the planet carrier 18 .

[0070] Each of the plurality of countershaft assemblies includes: a corresponding countershaft, which is positioned to rotate about an axis substantially parallel to the rotation axis X; and two corresponding countershaft gears, which are mounted on the corresponding countershaft at a distance from each other and are respectively configured such that one countershaft gear engages with the free-spinning gear 40 and the other countershaft gear engages with the output gear 32 of the differential 30.

[0071] Clutch 80 Figure 4 1 is shown in a neutral position and is configured in its first position (in which it couples the planet carrier 18 (particularly its output member 20) with the free-wheeling gear 40. Figure 6 ) and the second position (in which the planet carrier 18 (particularly its output member 20) is directly coupled to the differential 30 (particularly to the shaft member 31) Figure 5 Schematically shown in FIG. 1 ).

[0072] In one possible example, the clutch 80 is positioned along the axis X between the planet carrier 18 (particularly its output member 20) and the first end of the differential 30 (particularly the shaft member 31), and is configured to operate to shift along the rotation axis X between the first position and the second position.

[0073] In this manner, when the clutch 80 is operated (eg, along the axis X in a first direction (see Figure 6 When the gear is shifted upward as indicated by arrow A in FIG. 1 ), it connects the planet carrier 18 to the free-spinning gear 40 , thereby creating a low gear, thereby transmitting power from the motor 200 through a plurality of countershaft assemblies to the differential output gear.

[0074] When the clutch 80 is in the other direction (see Figure 5 When the planet carrier 18 is directly connected to the differential 30, a high gear is generated.

[0075] Thus, different speeds are effectively available at the output of the differential 30 to be transmitted to the wheels.

[0076] In one possible example, the clutch 80 includes or is formed by a dog clutch.

[0077] In one possible example, the free-spinning gear 40 includes one or more teeth configured to engage the clutch 80 in the first position and disengage the clutch 80 in the second position.

[0078] In one possible example, Figure 1 As shown, the plurality of countershaft assemblies include:

[0079] - a first countershaft assembly, indicated by the overall reference numeral 50, comprising: a first countershaft 52, the first countershaft being positioned to rotate about a first axis X1 parallel to the rotation axis X; a first countershaft gear 54 and a second countershaft gear 56, the first countershaft gear 54 and the second countershaft gear 56 being mounted on the first countershaft 52 at a distance from each other and being configured to engage with the free-wheeling gear 40 and the output gear 32 of the differential 30, respectively;

[0080] - A second countershaft assembly, indicated by the overall element symbol 60, comprising: a second countershaft 62, which is positioned to rotate about a second axis X2 parallel to the rotation axis X and the first axis X1; a third countershaft gear 64 and a fourth countershaft gear 66, which are mounted on the second countershaft 62 at a distance from each other and are configured to engage with the free-wheeling gear 40 and the output gear 32 of the differential 30, respectively.

[0081] Specifically, according to one aspect, the first auxiliary shaft 52 is positioned to rotate about a first axis X1 parallel to the rotation axis X on one side of the rotation axis 100, and the second auxiliary shaft 62 is positioned on a side opposite to the side where the first auxiliary shaft 52 is located relative to the rotation axis X and rotates about a second axis X2.

[0082] In practice, the first auxiliary shaft 52 and the second auxiliary shaft 62 are positioned along a virtual circle centered on the rotation axis X (as viewed in a transverse view perpendicular to the rotation axis X), and wherein the respective axes X2 and X3 are located diametrically opposite to each other relative to the rotation axis X, i.e., they are located at both ends of the diameter of this virtual circle.

[0083] In another possible example, Figure 2 As shown in , in addition to the above-mentioned first countershaft assembly 50 and second countershaft assembly 60, the plurality of countershaft assemblies also include a third countershaft assembly, indicated by overall element symbol 70, and the third countershaft assembly includes: a third countershaft 72, which is positioned to rotate around a third axis X3 parallel to the rotation axis X; a fifth countershaft gear 74 and a sixth countershaft gear 76, which are installed on the third countershaft 72 at a distance from each other and are configured to engage with the free-rotating gear 40 and the output gear 32, respectively.

[0084] According to this example, in one possible aspect, the first secondary shaft 52, the second secondary shaft 62 and the third secondary shaft 72 are positioned around the vehicle axle 100, with their respective rotation axes X1, X2, X3 being positioned at Figure 3 At the vertices of the approximately equilateral triangle represented by the dotted line in .

[0085] In one possible example, the gearbox assembly 1 also includes a coupling gear, indicated by element symbol 3 in the figure, which is installed concentrically with the rotation axis X along the vehicle axle 100, and the gearbox assembly is suitable for being operatively connected to a motor (such as motor 200) to provide motion / torque to the gearbox assembly 1.

[0086] In one possible example, the coupling gear 3 is mechanically connected to the sun gear 14 via a coupling member 5 , such as a spline or any suitable mechanical coupling member.

[0087] In fact, the entire gearbox assembly 1 forms a compact module that can be coupled to any desired motor 200 according to the specific application and needs, thereby forming a driveline assembly of a vehicle axle 100, such as for example Figure 8 shown.

[0088] To this end, the motor 200 associated with the gearbox assembly 1 may be mounted in a housing, which may be the same housing 2 housing the gearbox assembly 1 and suitably shaped to house the motor 200 , or in an additional housing coupled to the housing 2 .

[0089] Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that any housing for individually accommodating components of the gearbox assembly 1 or accommodating the entire powertrain assembly may be implemented with any appropriate number of parts.

[0090] In one possible example, the motor 200 is an electric motor having a stator and a rotor, according to a solution that is well known or easily available to a person skilled in the art and therefore not described in detail herein.

[0091] Specifically, in one possible example, as shown, for example, in the drawings, the motor 200 is mounted so that its rotor rotates about an axis X4 that is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis X of the vehicle axle 100 .

[0092] In one possible example, Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the powertrain assembly further includes a gear set 220, which is configured to mechanically couple the output shaft 210 of the motor 200 itself with the gearbox assembly 1 (particularly with the coupling gear 3).

[0093] In one possible example, the gear set 220 includes: a first gear 222, which is suitable for being mounted on the output shaft 210 of the motor 200; and a second gear 224, which is suitable for being positioned between the first gear 222 and the connecting gear 3 of the gearbox assembly 1 and engaging with both the first gear and the connecting gear.

[0094] In this way, a first low gear is available which can be appropriately preselected.

[0095] In one possible example (not shown in the figure), the second gear 224 can be eliminated so that the first gear 222 is directly engaged with the coupling gear 3.

[0096] In another possible example (also not shown in the figures), the motor 200 is an electric motor having a stator and a rotor, wherein the motor 200 is mounted along the vehicle axle 100 and its rotor is positioned to rotate concentrically with the axis of rotation X.

[0097] Indeed, according to the various examples disclosed, the present disclosure has provided a gearbox assembly 1 , a powertrain assembly and a vehicle that allow for optimized packaging as well as simplified robust, reliable and modular construction.

[0098] In particular, the present disclosure allows key components of the planet gears and sun gears of the multiple layshaft sections of the gearbox to fully float.

[0099] This arrangement also allows for a very simple bearing layout, eliminating the need for bearings supporting the planet carrier, thus achieving simplification and improved float / load sharing.

[0100] In addition to eliminating the planet carrier support bearing, the differential bearings are also simplified because the multiple layshaft design eliminates radial forces. This results in the potential use of simpler bearings that do not require shims or adjustments.

[0101] In summary, the present disclosure gives the following examples.

[0102] Example 1: A gearbox assembly 1 for a vehicle axle 100 extending along a rotation axis X, the assembly 1 comprising at least:

[0103] a planetary gear system 10 located along the vehicle axle 100 and adapted to receive power from a motor 200 associated with the vehicle axle 100 , the planetary gear system 10 comprising a ring gear 12 , a sun gear 14 , planets including one or more planet gears 16 , and a planet carrier 18 including an output member 20 ;

[0104] - a differential 30 comprising a differential shaft 31 located along the axis of rotation 100 and with a first end adjacent to the planet carrier 18 , and comprising an output gear 32 located along the differential shaft 31 concentrically with the axis of rotation X;

[0105] - a free-rotating gearwheel 40 located concentrically with the output member 20 of the planet carrier 18;

[0106] - A plurality of countershaft assemblies 50, 60, 70, each countershaft assembly comprising:

[0107] - secondary shafts 52 , 62 , 72 positioned to rotate about axes X1 , X2 , X3 parallel to the axis of rotation X;

[0108] - two countershaft gears 54, 64, 74; 56, 66, 76, which are mounted on the corresponding countershafts 52, 62, 72 at a distance from each other and are respectively configured so that one countershaft gear 54, 64, 74 engages with the freewheeling gear 40 and the other countershaft gear 56, 66, 76 engages with the output gear 32;

[0109] A clutch 80 configured to operate between a first position coupling the planet carrier 18 to the freewheeling gear 40 and a second position coupling the planet carrier 18 to the differential 30 .

[0110] Example 2: The gearbox assembly 1 according to Example 1, wherein the plurality of layshaft assemblies include:

[0111] - a first countershaft assembly 50, comprising: a first countershaft 52, the first countershaft being positioned to rotate about a first axis X1 parallel to the rotation axis X; a first countershaft gear 54 and a second countershaft gear 56, the first countershaft gear 54 and the second countershaft gear 56 being mounted on the first countershaft 52 at a distance from each other and being configured to engage with the free-wheeling gear 40 and the output gear 32, respectively;

[0112] - A second countershaft assembly 60, comprising: a second countershaft 62, which is positioned to rotate about a second axis X2 parallel to the rotation axis X on a side of the vehicle axis 100 opposite to the side on which the first countershaft 52 is located; a third countershaft gear 64 and a fourth countershaft gear 66, which are mounted on the second countershaft 62 at a distance from each other and are configured to engage with the free-wheeling gear 40 and the output gear 32, respectively.

[0113] Example 3: A gearbox assembly according to Example 2, wherein the first auxiliary shaft 52 and the second auxiliary shaft 62 are positioned around the rotation axis X along a virtual circle centered on the rotation axis X, wherein their respective first rotation axis X2 and second rotation axis X3 are located opposite to each other in a diametrical direction relative to the rotation axis X itself.

[0114] Example 4: The gearbox assembly 1 according to Example 1, wherein the plurality of layshaft assemblies include:

[0115] - a first countershaft assembly 50, comprising: a first countershaft 52, the first countershaft being positioned to rotate about a first axis X1 parallel to the rotation axis X; a first countershaft gear 54 and a second countershaft gear 56, the first countershaft gear 54 and the second countershaft gear 56 being mounted on the first countershaft 52 at a distance from each other and being configured to engage with the free-wheeling gear 40 and the output gear 32, respectively;

[0116] - a second countershaft assembly 60, comprising: a second countershaft 62, the second countershaft being positioned to rotate about a second axis X2 parallel to the rotation axis X; a third countershaft gear 64 and a fourth countershaft gear 66, the third countershaft gear and the fourth countershaft gear being mounted on the second countershaft 62 at a distance from each other and being configured to engage with the free-wheeling gear 40 and the output gear 32, respectively;

[0117] - A third countershaft assembly 70, comprising: a third countershaft 72, which is positioned to rotate about a third axis X3 parallel to the rotation axis X; a fifth countershaft gear 74 and a sixth countershaft gear 76, which are mounted on the third countershaft 72 at a distance from each other and are configured to engage with the free-wheeling gear 40 and the output gear 32, respectively.

[0118] Example 5: The gearbox assembly 1 according to Example 4, wherein the first layshaft 52, the second layshaft 62 and the third layshaft 72 are positioned around the rotation axis X and their respective rotation axes X1, X2, X3 are positioned at the vertices of a substantially equilateral triangle.

[0119] Example 6: The gearbox assembly 1 according to any one of the aforementioned examples 1 to 5, wherein the clutch 80 is positioned between the planet carrier 18 and the differential 30 and is configured to operate to shift along the rotation axis X between the first position and the second position.

[0120] Example 7: The gearbox assembly 1 according to one or more of the above examples 1 to 6, wherein the clutch 80 includes a dog clutch or is composed of a dog clutch.

[0121] Example 8: The gearbox assembly 1 according to one or more of the preceding examples 1 to 7, wherein the free-wheeling gear 40 comprises one or more teeth configured to engage with the clutch 80 in the first position and to disengage the clutch 80 in the second position.

[0122] Example 9: A gearbox assembly 1 according to one or more of the preceding examples 1 to 8, wherein the gearbox assembly further comprises a coupling gear 3 which is mounted concentrically with the rotation axis X along the vehicle axle 100 and is adapted to be operatively connected to the motor 200.

[0123] Example 10: The gearbox assembly 1 according to one or more of the preceding examples 1 to 9, wherein the coupling gear 3 is mechanically connected to the sun gear 14 via a coupling member 5 .

[0124] Example 11: A powertrain assembly for a vehicle axle 100 extending along a rotation axis X, the powertrain assembly comprising:

[0125] - a gearbox assembly 1 according to one or more of examples 1 to 10; and

[0126] - A motor 200 operatively coupled to the gearbox assembly 1 .

[0127] Example 12: The powertrain assembly of Example 11, wherein the motor 200 is an electric motor having a stator and a rotor, wherein the motor 200 is mounted so that its rotor rotates about an axis X4 that is substantially parallel to the rotation axis X of the vehicle axle 100.

[0128] Example 13: The powertrain assembly according to any one of Examples 11 and 12, further comprising a gear set 220 configured to mechanically couple the output shaft 210 of the motor 200 with the gearbox assembly 1 .

[0129] Example 14: A power transmission system assembly according to Example 13, wherein the gearbox assembly 1 is according to Example 9 or 10, and wherein the gear set 220 includes: a first gear 222, which is suitable for being mounted on the output shaft 210 of the motor 200; and a second gear 224, which is suitable for being positioned between the first gear 222 and the connecting gear 3 of the gearbox assembly 1 and engaging with both the first gear and the connecting gear.

[0130] Example 15: A powertrain assembly according to Example 13, wherein the gearbox assembly is according to Example 9 or 10, and wherein the gear set 220 includes only one gear 222, which is suitable for being mounted on the output shaft 210 of the motor 200 and engaging with the connecting gear 3 of the gearbox assembly 1.

[0131] Example 16: The powertrain assembly of Example 11, wherein the motor 200 is an electric motor having a stator and a rotor, wherein the motor 200 is mounted along the vehicle axle 100 and its rotor is positioned to rotate concentrically with the rotation axis X.

[0132] Example 17: The powertrain assembly according to Example 16, wherein the rotor of the motor 200 is directly coupled to the sun gear 14.

[0133] Example 18: A vehicle comprising at least the gearbox assembly 1 according to one or more of Examples 1 to 10, or the powertrain assembly according to one or more of Examples 11 to 17.

[0134] Example 19: The powertrain assembly of Example 18, wherein the vehicle is a heavy-duty truck or a medium-duty truck.

[0135] The terms used herein are only for the purpose of describing specific aspects, and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. As used herein, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular forms "one", "a kind of" and "said" are intended to include plural forms as well. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. It should also be understood that the terms "include" and / or "comprising" when used herein indicate the presence of stated features, integers, actions, steps, operations, elements and / or parts, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, actions, steps, operations, elements, parts and / or their groups.

[0136] It should be understood that although the terms first, second, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another element. For example, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, a first element may be referred to as a second element, and similarly, a second element may be referred to as a first element.

[0137] Relative terms such as "below" or "above" or "upper" or "lower" or "horizontal" or "vertical" may be used herein to describe the relationship of one element to another element, as shown in the figures. It should be understood that these relative terms and those discussed above are intended to cover different device orientations in addition to the orientations depicted in the figures. It should be understood that when an element is referred to as being "connected" or "coupled" to another element, the element may be directly connected or coupled to the other element, or there may be intervening elements. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being "directly connected" or "directly coupled" to another element, there are no intervening elements.

[0138] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure belongs. It should also be understood that, unless otherwise clearly defined herein, the terms used herein should be interpreted as meanings consistent with their meanings in the context of this specification and the relevant art, and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense.

[0139] Specifically, when the term "suitable for" or "arranged" or "configured" or "shaped" or "set" or any equivalent or similar terms are used herein to refer to any component or any part of a component or combination of components as a whole, it should be understood that it correspondingly means and covers the structure and / or configuration and / or form and / or positioning of the relevant components or their parts or combinations referred to by such terms.

[0140] In addition, when the terms "substantially" or "approximately" are used herein, they must be understood to encompass actual variations of plus or minus 5% relative to the indicated reference value or axis or position, and when the terms lateral or laterally are used herein, they must be understood to encompass directions that are not parallel to the reference portion or direction / axis to which they refer, and perpendicularity must be considered as a special case of the lateral direction.

[0141] Furthermore, in the above description and claims, the numerical ordinal terms first, second, etc. are used merely for descriptive clarity and should never be construed as limiting for any reason, nor should the order be construed as necessarily being the order described in the exemplary examples shown.

[0142] It should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the aspects described above and shown in the accompanying drawings; on the contrary, those skilled in the art will recognize that many changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the present disclosure and the appended claims. In the drawings and description, various aspects have been disclosed for the purpose of illustration only and not for the purpose of limitation, and the scope of the disclosure is set forth in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A gearbox assembly (1) for a vehicle axle (100) extending along a rotation axis (X), the assembly (1) comprising at least: - a planetary gear system (10) positioned along the vehicle axle (100) and adapted to receive power from a motor (200) associated with the vehicle axle (100), the planetary gear system (10) comprising a ring gear (12), a sun gear (14), planets including one or more planetary gears (16), and a planet carrier (18) including an output member (20); - a differential (30) comprising a differential shaft (31) located along the axis of rotation (100) and with a first end adjacent to the planet carrier (18), and comprising an output gear (32) located along the differential shaft (31) concentrically with the axis of rotation (X); - a free-rotating gear (40) positioned concentrically with the output member (20) of the planet carrier (18); - A plurality of countershaft assemblies (50, 60, 70), each countershaft assembly comprising: - a secondary shaft (52, 62, 72) positioned to rotate about an axis (X1, X2, X3) parallel to the axis of rotation (X); - two countershaft gears (54, 64, 74; 56, 66, 76) which are mounted on the corresponding countershafts (52, 62, 72) at a distance from each other and are respectively configured so that one countershaft gear (54, 64, 74) engages with the free-wheeling gear 40 and the other countershaft gear (56, 66, 76) engages with the output gear 32; - a clutch (80) configured to operate between at least a first position in which it couples the output member of the planet carrier (18) with the freewheeling gear (40) and a second position in which it directly couples the output member of the planet carrier (18) with the differential (30).

2. The gearbox assembly (1) according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of layshaft assemblies comprises: - a first countershaft assembly (50), the first countershaft assembly comprising: a first countershaft (52), the first countershaft being positioned to rotate about a first axis (X1) parallel to the rotation axis (X); a first countershaft gear (54) and a second countershaft gear (56), the first countershaft gear and the second countershaft gear being mounted on the first countershaft (52) at a distance from each other and being configured to engage with the free-wheeling gear (40) and the output gear (32), respectively; - A second countershaft assembly (60), the second countershaft assembly comprising: a second countershaft (62), the second countershaft being positioned to rotate about a second axis (X2) parallel to the rotation axis (X) on a side of the vehicle axis (100) opposite to the side on which the first countershaft (52) is located; a third countershaft gear (64) and a fourth countershaft gear (66), the third countershaft gear and the fourth countershaft gear being mounted on the second countershaft (62) at a distance from each other and being configured to engage with the free-wheeling gear (40) and the output gear (32), respectively.

3. The gearbox assembly (1) according to claim 2, wherein the first secondary shaft (52) and the second secondary shaft (62) are positioned around the rotation axis (X) along a virtual circle centered on the rotation axis (X), wherein their respective first rotation axis (X2) and second rotation axis (X3) are located at diametrically opposite positions to each other relative to the rotation axis (X) itself.

4. The gearbox assembly (1) according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of layshaft assemblies comprises: - a first countershaft assembly (50), the first countershaft assembly comprising: a first countershaft (52), the first countershaft being positioned to rotate about a first axis (X1) parallel to the rotation axis (X); a first countershaft gear (54) and a second countershaft gear (56), the first countershaft gear and the second countershaft gear being mounted on the first countershaft (52) at a distance from each other and being configured to engage with the free-wheeling gear (40) and the output gear (32), respectively; - a second countershaft assembly (60), the second countershaft assembly comprising: a second countershaft (62), the second countershaft being positioned to rotate about a second axis (X2) parallel to the rotation axis (X); a third countershaft gear (64) and a fourth countershaft gear (66), the third countershaft gear and the fourth countershaft gear being mounted on the second countershaft (62) at a distance from each other and being configured to engage with the free-wheeling gear (40) and the output gear (32), respectively; - a third countershaft assembly (70), the third countershaft assembly comprising: a third countershaft (72), the third countershaft being positioned to rotate about a third axis (X3) parallel to the rotation axis (X); a fifth countershaft gear (74) and a sixth countershaft gear (76), the fifth countershaft gear and the sixth countershaft gear being mounted on the third countershaft (72) at a distance from each other and being configured to engage with the free-wheeling gear (40) and the output gear (32), respectively.

5. The gearbox assembly (1) according to claim 4, wherein the first, second and third layshafts (52, 62, 72) are positioned around the rotation axis (X) and their respective rotation axes (X1, X2, X3) are positioned at the vertices of a substantially equilateral triangle.

6. A gearbox assembly (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the clutch (80) is positioned between the planet carrier (18) and the differential (30) and is configured to operate to shift along the rotation axis (X) between the first position and the second position.

7. The gearbox assembly (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the clutch (80) comprises or consists of a dog clutch.

8. The gearbox assembly (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the free-wheeling gear (40) comprises one or more teeth configured to engage with the clutch (80) in the first position and to disengage the clutch (80) in the second position.

9. A gearbox assembly (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the gearbox assembly further comprises a coupling gear (3) which is mounted concentrically with the rotation axis X along the vehicle axle (100) and is adapted to be operatively connected to the motor (200).

10. The gearbox assembly (1) according to claim 9, wherein the coupling gear (3) is mechanically connected to the sun gear (14) via a coupling member (5).

11. A driveline assembly for a vehicle axle (100) extending along a rotation axis (X), the driveline assembly comprising: - A gearbox assembly (1) according to any one of the preceding claims; as well as - A motor (200) operatively coupled to the gearbox assembly (1).

12. A drivetrain assembly according to claim 11, wherein the motor (200) is an electric motor having a stator and a rotor, wherein the motor (200) is mounted so that its rotor rotates about an axis (X4) substantially parallel to the rotation axis (X) of the vehicle axle (100).

13. The powertrain assembly according to claim 11, further comprising a gear set (220) configured to mechanically couple an output shaft (210) of the motor (200) with the gearbox assembly (1).

14. The powertrain assembly according to claim 13, wherein the gearbox assembly is according to claim 9 or 10, and wherein the gear set (220) comprises: a first gear (222), the first gear being adapted to be mounted on the output shaft (210) of the motor (200); and a second gear (224) adapted to be positioned between the first gear (222) and the coupling gear (3) of the gearbox assembly (1) and to engage with both the first gear and the coupling gear.

15. A powertrain assembly according to claim 13, wherein the gearbox assembly is according to claim 9 or 10, and wherein the gear set (220) comprises only a first gear (222), the first gear being adapted to be mounted on the output shaft (210) of the motor (200) and engaged with the coupling gear (3) of the gearbox assembly (1).

16. The powertrain assembly of claim 11, wherein the motor (200) is an electric motor having a stator and a rotor, wherein the motor (200) is mounted along the vehicle axle (100) and its rotor is positioned to rotate concentrically with the rotation axis (X).

17. The powertrain assembly of claim 16, wherein the rotor of the motor (200) is directly coupled to the sun gear (14).

18. A vehicle comprising at least a gearbox assembly (1) according to one or more of claims 1 to 10, or a driveline assembly according to any one of claims 11 to 17.

19. The vehicle of claim 18, wherein the vehicle is a heavy-duty vehicle or a medium-duty vehicle.

20. The vehicle of claim 18 or 19, wherein the vehicle is a heavy duty truck or a medium duty truck.

Images