Wheel end disconnect having a manually-actuated strut clutch and / or a passive strut clutch

Abstract

A wheel end disconnect includes a manual actuator including a manual driver accessible through a central aperture of a clutch housing, and a manual follower carried axially inboard of the manual driver. The disconnect also includes a manually-actuated strut clutch including a pocket plate axially inboard of the manual follower of the manual actuator and including pockets, a notch plate axially inboard of the pocket plate and including notches, and struts carried in the pockets of the pocket plate and displaceable into the notches of the notch plate by the manual actuator. A wheel end system includes a wheel hub, an axle shaft, and a wheel end disconnect that includes a manually-actuated strut clutch to selectively engage the wheel hub to the axle shaft and selectively disengage the wheel hub from the axle shaft, and / or a passive one-way clutch that drivingly engages the axle shaft to the wheel hub and allows the wheel hub to overrun the axle shaft.

Description

WHEEL END DISCONNECT HAVING A MANUALLY-ACTUATED STRUT CLUTCH AND / OR A PASSIVE STRUT CLUTCHTECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] This disclosure relates generally to vehicles and, more particularly, to drivetrains of vehicles, axles and wheel end systems of drivetrains, wheel hubs and wheel end disconnects of wheel end systems, and coupling device actuation mechanisms for wheel end disconnects.BACKGROUND

[0002] Wheeled vehicles include wheels and one or more prime movers, like an internal combustion engine and / or an electric motor, to rotatably drive the wheels. Some such vehicles may drive the wheels directly with an electric motor. Other such vehicles also or instead may include a drivetrain located between the prime mover and the wheels and including an axle to change drive rotation from a longitudinal direction along a length of the vehicle to a transverse direction. The latter vehicles also may include a drive shaft coupled to an input side of the axle and axle shafts extending transversely away from the axle and coupled to the wheels. Some vehicles further may include multiple sets of wheels and multiple axles, usually two rear axles and two sets of wheels driven via the axles. In any case, all such wheels include wheel hubs that couple the wheels (e.g., wheel rim and tire mounted on the rim) to a drivetrain axle shaft or an electric motor shaft. Some wheel hubs include wheel end disconnects configured to disconnect (and reconnect) wheels from a prime mover, for example, to improve fuel economy when a vehicle with multiple driven rear axles is traveling at highway speeds, or to convert a vehicle from four-wheel-drive mode to two-wheel-drive mode.

[0003] But currently available wheel end disconnects may be too bulky or costly or complex, or of poor quality or reliability. In one specific example, many existing manual dog clutches have on / off (bidirectionally engaged or drivingly coupled I bidirectionally disengaged capability, but require circumferential alignment for engagement and require axially bulky package size. Also, such manual dog clutches may not have passive one-way clutch capability wherein a passive one-way clutch is coupled between the wheel hub and the axle shaft to permit the wheel hub to overrun or rotate faster than the axle shaft in acoast mode in a vehicle forward direction and permit the axle shaft to be sped up to rotate as fast as the wheel hub and rotatably drive the wheel hub at the moment the axle shaft speed matches the wheel speed.SUMMARY

[0004] A wheel end system includes a wheel hub, an axle shaft, and a wheel end disconnect that includes a manually-actuated strut clutch to selectively engage the wheel hub to the axle shaft and selectively disengage the wheel hub from the axle shaft.

[0005] A wheel end disconnect includes a clutch housing including a radially outer wall, and a radially inner wall establishing a central aperture, and circumscribing a longitudinal axis. The disconnect also includes a manual actuator including a manual driver accessible through the central aperture of the clutch housing, and a manual follower carried axially inboard of the manual driver and radially inward of the radially inner wall of the clutch housing. The disconnect further includes a manually-actuated strut clutch including a pocket plate located axially inboard of the manual follower of the manual actuator and including a plurality of pockets, a notch plate located axially inboard of the pocket plate and including a plurality of notches, and a plurality of struts carried in the plurality of pockets of the pocket plate and displaceable into the plurality of notches of the notch plate by the manual actuator.

[0006] A wheel end system includes a wheel hub including a wheel hub body having a spindle passage extending along a longitudinal axis, and a hub flange extending transversely outwardly from the wheel hub body and having wheel fastener passages extending therethrough, and a spindle nut system. The system also includes a spindle extending into the wheel hub body and coupled to the spindle nut system, an axle shaft extending through the spindle along a rotational axis and including an outboard portion with engagement features, and a manually-actuated wheel end disconnect rotatable about the rotational axis and releasably coupling the axle shaft and the wheel hub body. The disconnect includes a clutch housing coupled to the wheel hub body and circumscribing a longitudinal axis, a manual actuator, and a manually-actuated strut clutch manually actuatable by the manual actuator, at least partially carried by the clutch housing. The clutch includes a pocket plate located axially inboard of a portion of the manual actuator and including a plurality of pockets, a notch plate located axially inboard of the pocket plate andincluding a plurality of notches, and a plurality of struts carried in the plurality of pockets of the pocket plate and displaceable into the plurality of notches of the notch plate by the manual actuator.

[0007] A wheel end system includes a wheel hub, an axle shaft, and a wheel end disconnect that includes a passive one-way clutch that drivingly engages the axle shaft to the wheel hub and allows the wheel hub to overrun the axle shaft.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] FIG. 1 shows an outboard perspective view of a conventional wheel end system, including a conventional wheel end hub, according to the prior art.

[0009] FIG. 2 shows a longitudinal sectional view of the conventional wheel end system, including the conventional wheel end hub of FIG. 1 .

[0010] FIG. 3 shows a fragmentary outboard perspective view of a new wheel end system including a wheel end hub and a new wheel end disconnect coupled to the wheel end hub, according to an illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0011] FIG. 4 shows a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of the new wheel end system including the new wheel end disconnect coupled to an outboard end of the wheel end hub of FIG. 3.

[0012] FIG. 5 shows an enlarged outboard perspective view of the new wheel end disconnect of FIG. 3.

[0013] FIG. 6 shows an exploded inboard looking perspective view of the new wheel end disconnect of FIG. 3, including a strut clutch and a manual actuator to manually actuate the strut clutch.

[0014] FIG. 7 shows an exploded outboard looking perspective view of the new wheel end disconnect of FIG. 3, including the strut clutch and the manual actuator.

[0015] FIGS. 8A and 8B show fragmentary longitudinal sectional views of the new wheel end disconnect of FIG. 3, illustrating a clutch-disengaged state in FIG. 8A and a clutch- engaged state in FIG. 8B.

[0016] FIG. 9 shows a perspective view of a disconnect housing of the new wheel end disconnect of FIG. 3.

[0017] FIG. 10 shows a perspective view a manual driver of the new wheel end disconnect of FIG. 3.

[0018] FIG. 11 shows a side view of the manual driver shown in FIG. 10.

[0019] Fig. 12 shows an inboard end view of the manual driver shown in FIG. 10.

[0020] FIG. 13 shows a perspective view of a manual actuator follower of the new wheel end disconnect of FIG. 3.

[0021] FIG. 14 shows an inboard end view of the manual actuator follower shown in FIG. 13.

[0022] FIG. 15 shows a side view of the manual actuator follower shown in FIG. 13.

[0023] FIGS. 16 and 17 show perspective views of a portion of the manual actuator for the strut clutch shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, and including a translator plate, strut activator springs, and plate return springs.

[0024] FIG. 18 shows a perspective view of a pocket plate of the strut clutch.

[0025] FIG. 19 shows another perspective view of the pocket plate of the strut clutch.

[0026] FIG. 20 shows an outboard perspective view of a notch plate of the strut clutch.

[0027] FIG. 21 shows a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of another embodiment of a new wheel end disconnect, including a new passive one-way clutch having a passive pocket plate bidirectionally fixed to an active pocket plate and passively unidirectionally fixable to a notch plate of the new wheel end disconnect.

[0028] FIG. 22 shows an exploded view of a wheel end disconnect including a single plane strut clutch with one-way functionality and bidirectionally locked functionality (0 / 1 1 / 1 ).

[0029] FIGS. 23A and 23B show fragmentary, schematic, longitudinal sectional views of a clutch housing and a manual actuator threaded to the housing and showing a clutch- disengaged state in FIG. 23A and a clutch-engaged state in FIG. 23B.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] In contrast to many conventional wheel end disconnects, which are unnecessarily complex, or which have limited manual functionality like dog clutches, the present disclosure includes a relatively simple wheel hub disconnect configured to allow a wheel hub to be manually engaged and disengaged with respect to an axle of a driveline of a vehicle. In general, a presently disclosed wheel end system includes a wheel hub, an axle shaft, and a wheel end disconnect operably disposed between the axle shaft and the wheel hub and that includes at least one strut clutch, which may include a manually-actuated strut clutch and / or a passive strut clutch. The manually-actuated strut clutch may be an active strut clutch that is actuated manually to selectively engage the wheel hub to the axle shaft and to selectively disengage the wheel hub from the axle shaft. The passive strut clutch enables one-way clutch functionality including a persistent tow mode, and / or a passive sailing mode such that a truck driver need not put a truck drivetrain in neutral to achieve a sailing mode. The passive strut clutch also enables one-way clutch functionality to facilitate a split differential dual axle arrangement wherein a first axle has a relatively higher gear ratio and a second axle has a relatively lower gear ratio but is coupled to a wheel end disconnect that allows the wheels of the second axle to overrun the lower gear second axle when the higher gear first axle rotates faster than the second axle.

[0031] As will be disclosed in more specific detail below, the wheel end disconnects disclosed herein may be used to engage, disengage, and / or overrun, a wheel end, for example, a wheel end like that described in application PCT / US2022 / 38804, published as WO 2023 / 048826, filed on July 29, 2022, the contents of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. The novelty of the presently disclosed components, novel clutches including the novel components, novel wheel end disconnects including the novel clutches, and / or novel interrelationships between the components, clutches, and disconnects, may lend novelty to a wheel end system, axle, drivetrain, and vehicle.

[0032] With reference to prior art FIGS. 1 and 2, a vehicle drivetrain may include a conventional wheel end system 23 including a conventional wheel hub 24 including a hub body 40. With reference now to FIG. 2, the wheel hub body 40 may include a hub inboard portion 42 with a hub inboard facing surface 44, a hub inboard exterior surface 46 extending in a direction away from the inboard facing surface 44, and a hub inboard interior surface 48 extending in a direction away from the inboard facing surface 44 and including a seal pocket 50 and an inboard bearing pocket 52 including an inboard bearing journal 54 and an inboard bearing flange 56 extending transversely inwardly. The hub body 40 also may include a hub outboard portion 58 with a hub outboard facing surface 60 having fastener passages 62 therein, a hub outboard exterior surface 64 extending in a direction away from the outboard facing surface 60, and a hub outboard interior surface 66 extending in a direction away from the outboard facing surface 60 and having an outboard bearing pocket 68 including an outboard bearing journal 70 and an outboard bearing flange 72 extending transversely inwardly. The hub body 40 also may include or establish a spindle passage 74 extending between the inboard and outboard portions 42, 58 along a longitudinal axis A that extends longitudinally and about which components rotate, and may include a grease cavity 76 between the inboard and outboard bearing flanges 56, 72 The hub body 40 further may include a hub flange 78 extending transversely, for example, radially, outwardly from the exterior surfaces 46, 64 of the wheel hub body 40 and having wheel fastener passages 80 extending therethrough, for accepting wheel fasteners or lugs 82 therethrough and configured to be fastened to lug nuts (not shown) to couple wheel rims (not shown) to the wheel hub body 40.

[0033] The wheel hub 24 also may include a speed sensor ring 84 coupled to the inboard facing surface 44 of the inboard portion 42 of the wheel hub body 40, a spindle 86 extending into and through at least a portion of the spindle passage 74 of the wheel hub body 40, an inboard bearing 88 around a spindle inboard portion 90 of the spindle 86 and carried in the inboard bearing pocket 52 of the inboard portion 42 of the wheel hub body 40 of the wheel hub 24, and an outboard bearing 92 around a spindle outboard portion 94 of the spindle 86 and carried in the outboard bearing pocket 68 of the outboard portion 58 of the wheel hub body 40 of the wheel hub 24. The spindle 86 may be hollow and may include the spindle inboard portion 90 having an inboard bearing shoulder 96 and an inboard exterior surface extending in a direction away from the inboard bearing shoulder 96 and establishing aninboard bearing journal 98. The spindle 86 also may include the spindle outboard portion 94 having an outboard exterior surface establishing an outboard bearing journal 100, and a spindle nut diameter 102 having spindle nut engagement features, for example, threads, and terminating in a spindle outboard facing surface 104 that is axially recessed with respect to the wheel hub outboard facing surface 60, and a spindle intermediate portion 106 having a tapered exterior surface 108. The wheel hub 24 further may include a bearing spacer 110 located between the inboard and outboard bearings 88, 92

[0034] With continued reference to FIG. 2, the wheel hub 24 additionally may include a spindle nut system 112 axially outboard of the outboard bearing 92 and coupled to the spindle 86. The spindle nut system 112 may include a spindle nut 114 having a hub 116 with an internal cylindrical portion having spindle engagement features, for instance, internal threads, coupled to the spindle nut engagement features of the spindle 86, and an external wrench flat portion having a lock ring groove (not shown). The spindle nut 114 also has a lock washer flange 118 extending transversely outwardly from the hub 116 and having a lock ring relief 120 therein. The spindle nut system 112 also may include a retainer, for example, a nut retaining spiral snap ring 122, coupled to the hub outboard portion 58 of the wheel hub 24 via an annular groove in the outboard interior surface 66 of the outboard portion 58 of the wheel hub 24 to trap the lock washer flange 118 of the spindle nut 114 between the snap ring 122 and the outboard bearing 92. The spindle nut system 112 further may include a lock washer 124 trapped between the lock washer flange 118 of the spindle nut 114 and the outboard bearing 92 and having a spindle engagement feature, for instance, a radially inwardly extending tooth 126, and a circumferential array of lock ring apertures 128. The spindle nut system 112 additionally may include a lock ring 130 trapped in the lock ring groove of the wrench flat portion of the spindle nut 114 and having a lock washer engagement feature 132, for instance, a tang or tooth, extending through the lock ring relief 120 and into one of the lock ring apertures 128 of the lock washer 124. The spindle nut system 112 may include more or less than all of the aforementioned components of the spindle nut system 112, for example, the spindle nut system 112 may include only the spindle nut 114.

[0035] The wheel end system 23 further may include an axle shaft 134 including a shaft portion 136 extending through the spindle 86 along the axis A and including an outboardportion 138 with hub body engagement features. The shaft portion 136 may be hollow, or of solid cylindrical shape as shown, and the outboard portion 138 may include a radially continuous flange extending radially outwardly from the shaft portion 136. The engagement features of the outboard portion may include fastener passages 140 configured to accept bolts therethrough for threading to the wheel hub body, or threaded studs 142 threaded to the hub body and nuts 144 threaded to the studs 142, to trap the axle shaft outboard portion 138 between the nuts 144 and the hub body 40 as shown.

[0036] With reference now generally to FIGS. 3-20, several new wheel end systems according to the present disclosure will be described. First, with reference specifically to FIG. 3, a drivetrain may include a new wheel end system 200 including a wheel hub 202 and a presently disclosed wheel end disconnect 204 coupled thereto. The wheel hub 202 may be a conventional wheel hub or a new wheel hub specifically adapted for use with the rest of the wheel end system 200. With reference now specifically to FIG. 4, the new wheel end system 200 includes the wheel hub 202, an axle shaft 206, and the wheel end disconnect 204 that selectively engages the wheel hub 202 to the axle shaft 206 and selectively disengages the wheel hub 202 from the axle shaft 206 and that includes a manually-actuated strut clutch 208. Accordingly, the wheel end disconnect 204 may be referred to as a manually-actuated wheel end disconnect 204. The new wheel end disconnect 204 releasably couples the axle shaft 206 and the wheel hub 202 and includes components that are rotatable about an axis A about which the axle shaft 206 rotates. The wheel hub 202 may be a conventional wheel hub including most of the conventional components of the conventional wheel hub of FIG. 2 except for the flanged axle shaft 134 thereof. Instead, the wheel hub 202 includes the relatively longer, flangeless, axle shaft 206 with a splined outboard end 210.

[0037] With reference now to FIG. 5, the new wheel end disconnect 204 can be a cartridge or self-contained assembly that can be used with a newly designed wheel end system or to retrofit an existing wheel end system, for example, as an after-market product to upgrade an existing vehicle with additional functionality. In cases like that shown on prior art FIG. 2, the flanged axle shaft 134 can be removed from the conventional wheel hub 24 and, with reference to FIG. 4, can be replaced with the flangeless axle shaft 206 having the splined outboard end 210 and the new wheel end disconnect 204 that can be splined to theaxle shaft 206 and bolted to the hub 202 with fasteners, for example, threaded bolts or studs 212, longer than the conventional bolts or studs 142 of the wheel hub 24 of FIG. 2.

[0038] With reference now to FIGS. 6 and 7, the new wheel end disconnect 204 generally includes a clutch housing 214 circumscribing the longitudinal axis A, a manual actuator 216 that may be carried by the clutch housing 214, and the manually-actuated strut clutch 208 that may be at least partially carried by the clutch housing 214 and that is an active strut clutch actuated by the manual actuator 216. As best shown in FIG. 7, the clutch housing 214 may include a radially outward portion, e.g. wall 218, for coupling to the wheel hub 202 (FIG. 3), and a radially inward portion, e.g. wall 220, that may establish a central aperture 222 (FIG. 7) and a circumferential groove 224 (FIG. 7) configured to carry a seal 225.

[0039] With reference to FIG. 6, the manual actuator 216 generally may include a manual drive portion or driver 226 accessible via the central aperture 222 of the clutch housing 214 and rotatable between circumferentially spaced clutch-disengaged (FIG. 8A) and clutch- engaged (FIG. 8B) positions corresponding to clutch-disengaged and clutch-engaged states of the clutch 208. The manual actuator 216 also generally may include a manual driven portion or follower 228 carried axially inboard of the manual driver 226, configured to be fixed against rotation with respect to the clutch housing 214, and configured to be translated in an axially inboard direction from the clutch-disengaged position toward the clutch- engaged position with rotation of the manual driver 226. The manual actuator 216 further generally may include a translator plate 230 located axially inboard of the manual follower 228 and configured to be rotatable relative thereto, a plurality of strut activators 232 carried by the translator plate 230, and a plurality of actuator return springs 234 in contact with the translator plate 230 and configured to bias the translator plate 230 in an axially outboard direction.

[0040] The manually-actuated strut clutch 208 may be an active or dynamic strut clutch. The clutch 208 may include a first clutch race, e.g. a pocket plate 236, located axially inboard of the manual follower 228 of the manual actuator 216 and including a plurality of pockets 238, and that may include a splined hub 240 for coupling to the axle shaft 206. The clutch 208 also may include a second clutch race, e.g. a notch plate 242, located axially inboard of the pocket plate 236 and including a plurality of notches 244. The strut clutch 208 further may include a plurality of struts 246, 247 carried in the plurality of pockets 238 of the pocketplate 236 and displaceable into the notches 244 of the notch plate 242 by movement of the manual actuator 216. The strut clutch 208 also may include a strut pivot plate 248 and corresponding fasteners 249, strut return springs 250, and a bearing 252 that may be disposed between portions of the notch plate 242 and the pocket plate 236. The disconnect 204 may be self-contained for easy handling and transport such that all components of the disconnect 204 may be retained together as an assembly by snap rings, screws, and / or any other suitable retainers and / or fasteners. Although the illustrated struts 246, 247 are shown as planar struts pivotable about a single axis, the struts 246, 247 may be configured as radial struts, spherical struts, sprag struts or sprag-like struts, roller struts, or any other strut shape configurations pivotable about one or more axes, and suitable to be advanced and retracted toward and away from engagement with a clutch race.

[0041] The plurality of struts 246, 247 of the illustrated strut clutch 208 include two sets of circumferentially oppositely disposed struts including a forward or driving set of struts 246 arranged to engage in a first circumferential direction and a backdriving or driven set of struts 247 arranged to engage in a second circumferential direction opposite that of the first circumferential direction. A syntax “_ / _” will be used herein that refers to rotation direction, clockwise and counterclockwise, wherein the “_ / ” refers to the clockwise direction, and the 7 refers to the counterclockwise direction. In the syntax, a “1” indicates struts are advanced, either in a clutch locked or overrun condition, and a “0” indicates struts are retracted, in a clutch disengaged condition. "0 / 0” means both strut sets are retracted such that clutch races are disengaged relative to one another in both CW or CCW directions. “1 / 1” means both strut sets are advanced such that clutch races are locked to one another in both CW and CCW rotation. “1 / 0” means the first strut set is advanced and the second strut set is retracted such that the clutch races are in a locked condition in a CW direction but are in an overrun condition in a CCW direction. “0 / 1” means the first strut set is retracted and the second strut set is advanced such that the clutch races are in a locked condition in a CCW direction but are in an overrun condition in a CW direction. The term “disengaged” means that the struts 246, 247 are retracted such that the races are freely rotatable relative to one another in either circumferential direction at any instant. The term “overrun” generally means that one rotational member is free to rotate relatively faster than another rotational member and, specifically means with respect to a strut clutch that the struts 246, 247 extend, or are free to extend, toward their advanced positions but are rotationally bypassed (andmay be contacted) by one of the races such that the struts 246, 247 do not carry torque between the races. CW and CCW may be considered from a viewpoint looking in an axially outboard-toward-inboard direction, as if looking at a wheel on a vehicle along an axis of an axle shaft for the wheel. For example, a right wheel of a vehicle will rotate clockwise in a vehicle forward direction whereas a left wheel of a vehicle will rotate counter clockwise in a vehicle forward direction. Consequently the right wheel may have a CW-drive configured clutch whereas the left wheel may have a CCW-drive configured clutch, for instance, as a mirror image of the CW-drive configured clutch.

[0042] In the illustrated embodiment, both sets of struts 246, 247 are configured to be advanced simultaneously into engagement by the manual actuator 216, such that the clutch operates according to the following two modes.

[0043] In a bidirectionally uncoupled mode (0 / 0), all struts 246, 247 of both sets of struts 246, 247 are disengaged, i.e. retracted into their corresponding pockets 238 of the pocket plate 236, such that the pocket plate 236 and the notch plate 242 are uncoupled and relatively free to rotate relative to one another in either circumferential direction. This mode enables the wheel hub 202 (and, thus, a vehicle wheel) to be bidirectionally uncoupled with respect to an axle (and, thus, a prime mover) of a vehicle, for example, to facilitate towing of the vehicle in either a vehicle forward or a vehicle rearward direction.

[0044] Conversely, in a locked or bidirectionally coupled mode (1 / 1 ), all struts 246, 247 of both sets of struts 246, 247 are engaged, i.e. advanced into their corresponding notches 244 of the notch plate 242, such that the pocket plate 236 and the notch plate 242 are coupled and rotated together in both circumferential directions. This mode enables the wheel hub 202 (and, thus, a vehicle wheel) to be bidirectionally coupled with respect to an axle (and, thus, a prime mover) of a vehicle, for example, to facilitate a powertrain drive and regenerative mode for driving a vehicle forward and backward and / or to provide bidirectional vehicle hill lock functionality.

[0045] With reference now to FIG. 8A, the manually-actuated strut clutch 208 can be selectively disengaged from the wheel hub 202 and the axle shaft 206 (FIG. 4) in a disengaged clutch mode wherein the wheel hub 202 and the axle shaft 206 are disengaged from one another. In this mode, it can be seen that the manual follower 228 and thetranslator plate 230 are in a disengaged axially outboard position. Conversely, with reference to FIG. 8B, the manually-actuated strut clutch 208 can be selectively engaged to the wheel hub 202 and the axle shaft 206 (FIG. 4) in an engaged clutch mode wherein the axle shaft 206 drives the wheel hub 202 in a drive condition and the wheel hub 202 drives the axle shaft 206 in a regenerative condition. In this mode, it can be seen that the manual follower 228 and the translator plate 230 are in an engaged axially inboard position to advance the struts 246, 247 into the notches 244 of the notch plate 242.

[0046] With reference now to FIG. 9, the clutch housing 214 may include an axially outboard base flange or wall 254 extending between the radially outer portion 218 and the radially inner portion 220 and establishing the central aperture 222, an axially outboard face 256, and an axially inboard face 258. The clutch housing 214 also may include a cylindrical wall 260 extending away from the axially outboard base wall 254 in an axially inboard direction and establishing a counterbore for carrying at least some of the rest of the components of the wheel end disconnect 204 (FIG. 6), and a circumferential array of circumferentially spaced fastener bosses 262 extending radially outwardly from the cylindrical wall 260 and having an array of fastener holes 264 extending axially therethrough. The clutch housing 214 further may include a manual drive base wall pocket 266 located axially inboard with respect to the central aperture 222, a manual driven plate pocket 268 located axially inboard with respect to the manual drive base wall pocket 266 and having a relatively larger inside diameter compared thereto and having splines 270 to cooperate with corresponding lugs 272 of the manual follower, and a pocket plate pocket 274 located axially inboard with respect to the manual driven plate pocket 268.

[0047] With reference now to FIGS. 10-12, the manual driver 226 of the manual actuator 216 may be a rotary dial that may include a base wall 276 having a radially outer diameter 278 and configured to continuously extend across the longitudinal axis of the disconnect 204 such that the manual driver 226 has no central aperture or radially inner diameter. In this configuration, the clutch housing 214 (FIG. 9) and the manual driver 226 cooperate to establish a wheel hub cover. The manual driver 226 also may include a seal wall 280 extending in an axially outboard direction from the base wall 276 and having a radially outer seal diameter 282 for contact with the seal carried by the clutch housing 214, and a handle wall 284 that may extend diametrically across the seal wall 280 on an outboard side of thebase wall 276 of the manual driver 226. The base wall 276 also may have an axially inboard side including a base surface 286, a pilot cylinder 288 extending in an axially inboard direction away from the base surface 286, cam drivers 290 located radially outboard of the pilot cylinder 288 and extending in an axially inboard direction away from the base surface 286, and detent pockets 292 located radially outboard of the pilot cylinder 288 and disposed in the base surface 286. For example, there may be three circumferentially equidistantly spaced cam drivers 290, and three circumferentially equidistantly spaced detent pockets 292 interdigitated with the cam drivers 290.

[0048] With reference now to FIGS. 13-15, the manual follower of the manual actuator 216 may be the manual follower 228 that may include a translatable plate 294 having a central aperture or radially inner diameter that may be a pilot diameter 296 for cooperating with the pilot cylinder 288 (FIG. 10) of the manual driver 226 (FIG. 10), an outer diameter having a radially outer surface 298, and the lugs 272, for example, six circumferentially equidistantly spaced lugs 272, extending radially outwardly from the radially outer surface 298. The manual follower 228 also may include an axially inboard side with a flat base surface 300 configured to cooperate with the translator plate 230, and an axially outboard side having a cammed surface 302 configured to cooperate with the cam drivers 290 of the manual driver 226 (FIG. 10). The cammed surface 302 includes driven cams 304, e.g. ramps, engage and disengage plateaus 306, 307 circumferentially adjacent the driven cams 304, engage and disengage detents 308, 309 circumferentially adjacent the plateaus 306, 307, and bosses 310 circumferentially between the engage and disengage detents 308, 309 and having axially inboard surfaces 312 and projections 314 extending away from the axially inboard surfaces 312 and located immediately adjacent corresponding engage detents 308. In a clutch-disengaged mode or state, the cam drivers 290 (FIG. 10) of the manual driver 226 (FIG. 10) are in the disengage detents, and in a clutch-engaged mode, the cam drivers 290 of the manual driver 226 are in the engage detents 308. Switching from the clutch- disengaged mode or state to the clutch-engaged mode or state, the cam drivers 290 (FIG. 10) exit the disengage detents 309, ride along the disengage plateaus 307, then ride along the driven cams 304 to linearly displace the translatable plate 294, and then ride along the engage plateaus 306 until they enter the engage detents 308. Accordingly, the manual driver 226 (FIG. 10) and the manual follower 228 include corresponding cam features to convert rotation of the manual driver 226 into translation of the manual follower 228.

[0049] With reference now to FIGS. 16 and 17, a portion of the manual actuator 216 is illustrated interfaced with a portion of the strut clutch 208, namely, the struts 246, 247 and the plate 248. More specifically, the translator plate 230 may include a base wall 316 having a central aperture 318 configured to pilot around a corresponding diameter of a portion of the clutch hub 240 (FIG. 7) of the pocket plate 236 (FIG. 7). The base wall 316 also has a flat base surface 320 at an axially outboard side that is configured to rotatably slidably contact the flat base surface 320 of the manual follower 228 (FIG. 7), and a plurality of circumferentially spaced pocket plate posts 322 at an axially outboard side and extending away from the base wall 316 in an axially inboard direction and configured to be coupled to the pocket plate 236 against relative rotation therebetween. The strut activators 232 are disposed between a base wall of the translator plate 230 and forward ends of the struts 246, 247 and are configured to contact and pivot the struts 246, 247 toward their clutch-engaged positions extending outwardly from pockets of the pocket plate 236. The strut activators 232 may include springs, such as coil springs as shown, or may include rigid strut activators instead of coil springs, or some other flexible strut activator construction.

[0050] Similarly, with reference to FIG. 17, the strut return springs 250 may be coil springs and are disposed between rearward ends of the struts 246, 247 and pockets 238 (FIG. 6) of the pocket plate 236 (FIG. 6) and are configured to contact and pivot the struts 246, 247 toward the clutch-disengaged positions within their pockets 238. Likewise, the actuator return springs 234 may be coil springs and are disposed between the translator plate 230 and the strut pivot plate 248. The strut pivot plate 248 may include a plurality of strut apertures 324 defining strut pivot edges about which the struts 246, 247 may pivot in a teeter-totter manner like a first class lever.

[0051] With reference now to FIGS. 18-19, the illustrated pocket plate 236 includes the splined clutch hub 240 that may be unitary with a pocket wall 326 that extends radially outwardly from the clutch hub 240. In other embodiments, a separate clutch hub may be configured to be coupled to the pocket plate 236, for example via a splined connection, fastened connection, or any other suitable coupling therebetween. The clutch hub 240 may be carried axially inboard of the manual driver 226 of the manual actuator 216. The clutch hub 240 may be splined with internal axle shaft splines 330 and establishes an axle shaft passage, and an exterior cylindrical surface that establishes an outer pilot diameter 332(FIG. 18) and an outer bearing diameter 334 (FIG. 19). The clutch hub 240 may have a bearing shoulder 335 (FIG. 8A) located axially inboard with respect to the pocket plate 236 (FIG. 8A). The pocket wall 326 includes an axially outboard surface 336 (FIG. 18), an axially inboard surface 338 (FIG. 19), and a radially outer surface 340 extending therebetween.

[0052] With reference to FIG. 18, the axially inboard surface 338 includes a plurality of translator post voids 342 therein, and that may extend completely through the pocket wall 326, and are configured to accept the posts 322 (FIG. 16) of the translator plate 230 (FIG. 16) to couple the translator plate 230 and the pocket plate 236 against relative rotation therebetween, such that the translator plate 230 is coupled for rotation with the pocket plate 236. The pocket wall 326 also includes a plurality of strut activator passages 344 therethrough to accept the strut activators 232 of the manual actuator, a plurality of actuator return spring pockets 346 therein to accept ends of the actuator return springs 234 therein, and a plurality of strut pivot plate fastener passages 348 therein to accept the pivot plate fasteners 249 (FIG. 6).

[0053] With reference now to FIG. 19, the pocket plate 236 may include a plurality of first strut pockets 350 configured to hold the first active struts 246, which are oriented in a first rotational direction, and a plurality of second strut pockets 351 configured to hold the second struts 247, which are oriented in a second rotational direction opposite of the first rotational direction. More specifically, there may be three circumferentially equidistantly spaced first strut pockets 350, and three circumferentially equidistantly spaced second strut pockets 351 circumferentially adjacent and oppositely facing the first strut pockets 350. The strut pockets 350 may include rearward strut load bearing surfaces 352 facing in circumferential directions, radially outer and inner side surfaces 354, 355, strut ear reliefs 356, 357 configured to accept strut ears, strut return spring reliefs 358 in bottom surfaces of the pockets 350, 351 circumferentially between the strut ear reliefs and the strut load bearing surfaces 352, and the strut activator passages 344 through the bottom surfaces of the pockets 350, 351 circumferentially between the strut ear reliefs 356, 357 and forward end surfaces 353 of the pockets 350, 351 .

[0054] With reference now to FIG. 20, the notch plate 242 includes an axially inboard face 360, and an axially outboard face 362 configured to face the axially inboard face 258 (FIG. 9) of the clutch housing 214 (FIG. 9) and the axial inboard surface 338 of the pocketwall 326 of the pocket plate 236. The notch plate 242 also includes a radially inner portion 364 having a stepped central bore that establishes an inner bearing diameter 366 and a bearing shoulder 368 that may be located axially inboard of the bearing shoulder 335 of the clutch hub 240 (FIG. 8A), and a radially outer portion 370 having a circumferential array of circumferentially spaced fastener bosses 372 and having a fastener hole array of fastener holes 374 extending axially therethrough. The notch plate 242 further includes the notches 244 in the axially outboard face 362 to cooperate with the plurality of struts 246, 247 (FIGS. 16-17). The notches 244 have radially outer and inner surfaces 378, 379, and circumferentially opposing strut engagement surfaces 380, 381 that are configured for cooperation with the bidirectional sets of struts 246, 247 (FIGS. 16-17). The notch plate 242 additionally may include fastener passages 382 between the faces 360, 362 and fastener head reliefs 384 in the axially outboard face 362 to accommodate fasteners that may be used to fasten the notch plate 242 to the clutch housing 214 (FIG. 6) to establish the wheel end disconnect 204 (FIG. 6) as a self-contained assembly or cartridge.

[0055] With reference again to FIG. 8B, the manual actuator 216 can be rotated from a disengaged position to an engaged position such that cam features of the manual driver 226 and the manual follower 228 cooperate such that the manual follower 228 translates from a disengaged position to an engaged position. Consequently, the translator plate 230 is translated by movement of the manual follower 228 to translate the strut activators 232 against the struts 246, 247 to pivot the struts 246, 247 into engagement with the notch plate 242 such that the axle shaft 206 (FIG. 4) couples to the wheel hub 202 (FIG. 4) against relative rotation therebetween in both circumferential directions about the rotational axis.

[0056] FIGS. 21 -23B show other illustrative embodiments of wheel end disconnects 404, 604, 804. These embodiments are similar in many respects to the embodiment of FIGS. 3- 20 and, thus, the descriptions of the embodiments are hereby incorporated into one another, and description of subject matter common to the embodiments generally may not be repeated.

[0057] With reference now to FIG. 21 , a wheel end disconnect 404 includes the clutch housing 214 and manual actuator 216 of the embodiment of FIGS. 3-20 and also includes a dual plane strut clutch 408, as a modification of the single plane strut clutch 208 of FIGS. 3- 20. Here, the wheel end disconnect 404 includes the dual plane strut clutch 408 with threesets of struts, as follows. Two active sets of struts (only 246 shown) are configured to be advanced simultaneously into engagement by the manual actuator 216, such that the clutch 408 operates according to the unlocked / disengaged or bidirectionally uncoupled mode (0 / 0), and the locked / engaged or bidirectionally coupled mode (1 / 1 ) discussed previously above. A passive set of struts 492 are configured to be persistently biased toward an engaged position, such that the clutch operates according to a one-way mode (1 / 0 or 0 / 1 ) depending on CW or CCW configuration). A wheel end disconnect may benefit from a 1 / 0 (forward drive) mode in that one-way clutch functionality would facilitate multiple drive axle propulsion with only single drive axle drag during coasting when applied to a 2ndor greater drive axle on a multi drive axle system. For example, a forward-most drive axle may be persistently rotatably driven by a prime mover but a relatively rearward drive axle may be coupled to a wheel end disconnect with one-way functionality, such that a drivetrain is subject to drag from the forward-most drive axle but not the relatively reward drive axle equipped with the disconnect. Conversely, a wheel end disconnect may benefit from a 0 / 1 (reverse drive and / or regenerative braking) mode in that one-way functionality would allow relatively low drag during forward propulsion because a one-way clutch would overrun during drive mode, but would allow selective or multi drive axle regenerative (and reverse traction) mode when applied to a 2ndor greater drive axle on a multi drive axle system.

[0058] In any event, in the wheel end disconnect 404 of FIG. 21 , the strut clutch 408 includes a slightly modified pocket plate 436, as well as the struts (246 shown), strut pivot plates (not shown here), strut return springs (not shown here), and the like, and also includes a modified version of the notch plate 242 of FIGS. 3-20. Here, a notch plate 442 also includes an axially inboard face 488 with a plurality of passive notches 489 therein (in contrast to an axially inboard face having a plurality of active notches therein). Accordingly, the strut clutch 408 also includes a passive pocket plate 490 and the passive struts 492 carried in respective pockets 493 of the passive pocket plate 490 and biased toward an engagement position with the passive notches 489 of the notch plate 442. Of course, strut advance springs (not shown here) may be provided to facilitate pivoting of the struts 492 toward the engagement position. The passive pocket plate 490 is coupled to a clutch hub 440 against relative rotation therebetween, for example, via a splined connection between an internally splined diameter 494 of the passive pocket plate 490 and an externally splined diameter 496 of the clutch hub 440 as a slight pocket plate modification. A snap ring 498may be carried in a snap ring groove 499 of the clutch hub 440 on an outboard side of the passive pocket plate 490 to retain the passive pocket plate 490 to the rest of the disconnect 404 to establish the disconnect 404 as a self-contained assembly or cartridge.

[0059] In this embodiment, when the manually-actuated strut clutch 408 is deactivated or de-actuated, the passive pocket plate 490 may be used to carry forward driving torque from the axle shaft 206 (FIG. 4) through the clutch hub 440, through the passive pocket plate 490 coupled thereto, through the passive struts 492 carried by the passive pocket plate 490, into the passive notches 489 of the notch plate 442 and through the notch plate 442 to which the struts 492 are engaged in an applied forward driving torque condition, and to the wheel hub 202 (FIG. 4) and vehicle wheel. Also in this embodiment, the manual actuator 216 may be activated or actuated to advance the struts (only 246 shown) into the active notches 444 of the notch plate 442. Accordingly, the active pocket plate 436 carries reverse driving torque from the axle shaft 206 (FIG. 4) through the clutch hub 440, through the active pocket plate 436, through the active struts (only 246 shown) carried by the active pocket plate 436, into the active notches 444 of the notch plate 442 and through the notch plate 442 to which the active struts (246 shown) are engaged in an applied reverse driving torque condition, and to the wheel hub 202 (FIG. 4) and vehicle wheel. Conversely, the active pocket plate 436 carries backdriving or regenerative driving torque, for instance, when relatively little to no forward driving torque is being applied through the axle shaft 206 (FIG. 4) and instead vehicle forward momentum applies backdriving or regenerative driving torque from the wheel, through the wheel hub 202 (FIG. 4), through the notch plate 442, through the regen struts, into the active pockets 438 of the active pocket plate 436, through the active pocket plate 436, through the clutch hub 440, and into the axle shaft 206 (FIG. 4). Accordingly, the clutch 408 includes a passive one-way clutch that couples the wheel hub 202 (FIG. 4) and the axle shaft axle shaft 206 (FIG. 4) in a forward direction of rotation only and allows the wheel hub 202 to overrun the axle shaft 206, and a manually-actuated clutch that couples the wheel hub 202 and the axle shaft 206 in a rearward direction of rotation only and allows the wheel hub 202 to overrun the axle shaft 206.

[0060] Other example embodiments of a dual plane clutch are described in US Patent Application Serial Number 18 / 132,804, filed on April 10, 2023, and issued as U.S. Patent 12,092,172, assigned to the assignee hereof, the contents of which is hereby incorporatedherein by reference in its entirety, and also in US Patent Application Serial Number 63 / 591 ,276, filed on October 18, 2023, docket number MNS161 -US, assigned to the assignee hereof, the contents of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, and accompanies this application as an Appendix to this Detailed Description.

[0061] In a further modification of the structure illustrated in FIG. 21 , a wheel end disconnect may include the passive strut clutch portion of the clutch 408, but may omit the active strut clutch portion of the clutch 408 to provide a 0 / 1 (or 1 / 0 depending on CW or CCW configuration) mode. In that case, the manual actuator 216 may be omitted and the clutch housing 214 may include a radially continuous base wall, such that it becomes just a wheel hub cover. Likewise, the active pocket plate 436 and active struts 246 may be omitted and the notch plate 442 need include only passive notches 493 and may omit active notches. Similarly, the clutch hub 440 need not be so long and may be shortened. Additionally, the wheel hub 202 (FIG. 4) and the notch plate 442 may be made unitary. In this embodiment, the passive pocket plate 490 and passive struts 492 cooperate with the notch plate 442 to carry forward driving torque to drive the vehicle in a forward direction in an overrunning or unidirectionally decoupled (on / engaged) mode, to enable the axle shaft 206 (FIG. 4) that is rotating relatively slower than the wheel hub 202 (FIG. to increase speed and catch up to the rotational speed of the wheel hub 202 and then passively engage the wheel hub 202 to impart drive force to the wheel hub 202 and vehicle wheels in a vehicle forward direction. Accordingly, this embodiment may facilitate a vehicle sailing mode, a persistent tow mode, and may be used in a split differential dual axle arrangement wherein one axle has a relatively higher gear ratio and another axle has a relatively lower gear ratio.

[0062] With reference now to FIG. 22, a wheel end disconnect 604 includes the clutch housing 214 of the embodiment of FIGS. 3-20, a modification of the manual actuator 216 of the embodiment of FIGS. 3-20, and also including a single plane strut clutch 608, as a modification of the single plane strut clutch 208 of FIGS. 3-20 and the dual plane strut clutch 408 of FIG. 21 , and a gasket 643. Here, the single plane strut clutch 608 includes two different sets of struts 246, 647. A first set of passive struts 647 provides default one-way functionality (0 / 1 or 1 / 0), wherein the struts 647 are persistently biased in an axially outward direction by strut apply springs (not separately shown). A second set of active struts, e.g. the struts 246, provides selective bidirectionally coupled functionality (1 / 1 ), such that thestruts 246 may be persistently biased in an axially inward direction by a set of strut return springs (not separately shown) and, conversely, are selectively biased or displaced in an axially outward direction by a set of corresponding strut activators 232, e.g. strut apply springs. When the manual actuator 216 is advanced to actuate the second set of struts 246, the strut activators 232 displace the second set of struts 246 against the bias force of the strut return springs (not shown here) to drive the second set of struts 246 into engagement with corresponding active notches of the notch plate 642, such that a pocket plate 636 and the notch plate 642 are locked together against relative rotation in both directions.

[0063] Other example embodiments of a single plane active and passive one-way clutch are described and illustrated in US Patent Application Serial Number 17 / 994,310, filed on November 26, 2022, docket number MNS135CIP-US and published as US 2023 / 0160461 , assigned to the assignee hereof, the contents of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0064] With reference now to FIG. 23A and 23B, although the manual actuator 216 of the illustrated embodiment of FIGS. 3-20 is of a particular style and configuration, any manual actuator may be used that is suitable to actuate the strut clutch 208 into and out of engagement. For instance, any manual driven and drive portions may be used to translate a translator plate 830. In a specific example, illustrated on FIG. 23A-23B, a manual actuator 816 may include a manual driver 826 that may include a cylinder or threaded member 885 having external threads for coupling to corresponding internal threads of a central aperture 822 of a clutch housing 814 fastened to the wheel hub 202, and a follower 828 that may be a plate that may be rotatably coupled or fixed to the threaded member 885 and adapted to translate the translator plate 830 and strut activators 232 toward the clutch 208. In a variation, the driver 826 and the follower 828 may be a single unitary component.

[0065] Although not shown in the drawings, it is contemplated that the presently disclosed wheel end disconnects 204, 404, 604, 804 may include manually-actuated radial clutches. Example embodiments of radial clutches are described in US Patent 7,484,605, assigned to the assignee hereof, the contents of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Other example embodiments of radial clutches are described in US Patent 10,590,999, assigned to the assignee hereof, the contents of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. In some embodiments, a manually-actuated strut clutchmay include an axially outboard active radial strut clutch and an axially inboard passive radial strut clutch at the inboard side of the wheel end disconnect. In other embodiments, the manually-actuated strut clutch may include an axially outboard active radial strut clutch and an axially inboard passive planar strut clutch at the inboard side of the wheel end disconnect, or an axially outboard active planar strut clutch and an axially inboard passive radial strut clutch at the inboard side.

[0066] Finally, the subject matter of this application is presently disclosed in conjunction with several explicit illustrative embodiments and modifications to those embodiments, using various terms. All terms used herein are intended to be merely descriptive, rather than necessarily limiting, and are to be interpreted and construed in accordance with their ordinary and customary meaning in the art, unless used in a context that requires a different interpretation. And for the sake of expedience, each explicit illustrative embodiment and modification is hereby incorporated by reference into one or more of the other explicit illustrative embodiments and modifications. As such, many other embodiments, modifications, and equivalents thereto, either exist now or are yet to be discovered and, thus, it is neither intended nor possible to presently describe all such subject matter, which will readily be suggested to persons of ordinary skill in the art in view of the present disclosure. Rather, the present disclosure is intended to embrace all such embodiments and modifications of the subject matter of this application, and equivalents thereto, as fall within the broad scope of the accompanying claims.ACTIVE AND PASSIVE OVERRUNNING WHEEL END DISCONNECTTECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] This disclosure relates generally to vehicles and, more particularly, to drivetrains of vehicles, axles and wheel end systems of drivetrains, wheel hubs and wheel hub clutches of wheel end systems, and components for wheel hub clutches.BACKGROUND

[0002] Wheeled vehicles include wheels and one or more prime movers, like an internal combustion engine and / or an electric motor, to rotatably drive the wheels. Some such vehicles may drive the wheels directly with an electric motor. Other such vehicles also or instead may include a drivetrain located between the prime mover and the wheels and including an axle to change drive rotation from a longitudinal direction along a length of the vehicle to a transverse direction. The latter vehicles also may include a drive shaft coupled to an input side of the axle and axle shafts extending transversely away from the axle and coupled to the wheels. Some vehicles further may include multiple sets of wheels and multiple axles, usually two rear axles and two sets of wheels driven via the axles. In any case, all such wheels include wheel hubs that couple the wheels (e.g., wheel rim and tire mounted on the rim) to a drivetrain axle shaft, an electric motor shaft, or any other suitable shaft or torque input element. Some wheel hubs include wheel hub clutches configured to disconnect (and reconnect) wheels from a prime mover, for example, to improve fuel economy when a vehicle with multiple driven rear axles is traveling at highway speeds, or to convert a vehicle from four-wheel- drive mode to two-wheel -drive mode.

[0003] But currently available wheel hub clutches may be too bulky or costly, or of poor quality or reliability. In one specific example, such clutches do not favor remote automatic disconnectability between the prime mover and the wheels, and are located too distant from the wheels such that the clutches are not optimal for driveline efficiency. Likewise, currently available wheel hub clutches may lack certain functionality. In another specific example, many such clutches have on / off or engaged / disengaged capability wherein a wheel hub clutch will not actively engage an axle shaft to a1wheel hub until a drivetrain speed closely matches a wheel speed, but do not have overrunning or freewheeling clutching capability wherein a wheel hub clutch passively engages an axle shaft to a wheel hub at the moment the drivetrain speed matches the wheel speed.SUMMARY

[0004] An apparatus includes an axle, a wheel hub, and an active and passive overrunning wheel hub clutch disposed between the axle and the wheel hub.

[0005] An active and passive overrunning wheel hub clutch includes a clutch hub, a wheel hub, an active clutch between the clutch hub and the wheel hub, and a passive clutch between the clutch hub and the wheel hub.

[0006] A wheel end includes a wheel hub cover, and an active and passive overrunning wheel hub clutch coupled to the wheel hub cover.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view according to an illustrative embodiment of a wheel end including an illustrative embodiment of a dual plane active and passive overrunning wheel end disconnect.

[0008] FIG. 2 is another exploded perspective view of the wheel end and disconnect of FIG. 1.

[0009] FIG. 3 A is a cross-sectional view of the wheel end and disconnect of FIG. 1, illustrating an active strut in a nondeployed position.

[0010] FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view of the wheel end and disconnect of FIG. 1, illustrating the active strut in a deployed position.

[0011] FIG. 4A is an exploded perspective view according to another illustrative embodiment of a wheel end including an illustrative embodiment of an active radial and passive planar overrunning wheel end disconnect.2

[0012] FIG. 4B is an enlarged fragmentary view of the wheel end disconnect of FIG. 4A, illustrating an active strut biased toward a deployed position.

[0013] FIG. 4C is an enlarged fragmentary view of an alternative wheel end disconnect similar to that shown in FIG. 4A, but illustrating the active strut biased toward a nondeployed position.

[0014] FIG. 5 is another exploded perspective view of the wheel end and disconnect of FIG. 4.

[0015] FIGS. 6A and 6B are cross-sectional views of the wheel end and disconnect of FIG. 4.

[0016] FIG. 6C is a fragmentary axial view of the wheel end and disconnect of FIG. 4.

[0017] FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view according to a further illustrative embodiment of a wheel end including an illustrative embodiment of an active and passive radial overrunning wheel end disconnect.

[0018] FIG. 8 is another exploded perspective view of the wheel end and disconnect of FIG. 7.

[0019] FIG. 9A is a cross-sectional view of the wheel end and disconnect of FIG. 7.

[0020] FIG. 9B is a fragmentary axial view of the wheel end and disconnect of FIG. 7.

[0021] FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view according to an additional illustrative embodiment of a wheel end including an illustrative embodiment of a single plane active and passive overrunning wheel end disconnect.

[0022] FIG. 11 is another exploded perspective view of the wheel end and disconnect of FIG. 10.

[0023] FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the wheel end and disconnect of FIG. 10.

[0024] FIG. 13 is a fragmentary end view of the wheel end and disconnect of FIG. 10, illustrating active and passive planar struts.

[0025] FIG. 14 is a fragmentary end view of the wheel end and disconnect of FIG. 10, illustrating notches in a notch plate portion of a wheel end cover.

[0026] FIG. 15 is an exploded perspective view according to yet another illustrative embodiment of a wheel end including an illustrative embodiment of an active planar and passive radial overrunning wheel end disconnect.

[0027] FIG. 16 is another exploded perspective view of the wheel end and disconnect of FIG. 15.

[0028] FIG. 17A is a cross-sectional view of the wheel end and disconnect of FIG. 15, illustrating a passive radial clutch portion.

[0029] FIG. 17B is a cross-sectional view of the wheel end and disconnect of FIG. 15, illustrating an active planar clutch portion.

[0030] FIG. 18 is a schematic diagram according to an illustrative embodiment of a vehicle and including a general embodiment of a wheel end and disconnect generic to the illustrative embodiments of FIGS. 1-17B.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] In contrast to complex conventional wheel hub clutches or wheel end disconnects, the present disclosure includes a relatively simple wheel hub clutch or wheel end disconnect configured to allow a wheel hub to be operatively engaged and disengaged from an axle of a driveline of a vehicle and having an overrunning or freewheeling mode. In general, the presently disclosed apparatus includes an active and passive overrunning wheel hub clutch including a wheel hub, a clutch hub, an active clutch between the clutch hub and the wheel hub, and a passive clutch between the clutch hub and the wheel hub. The active and passive overrunning wheel hub clutch enables a one way clutch freewheeling or overrunning mode wherein a drivetrain that is rotating relatively slower than vehicle wheels can gradually increase speed and catch up to the rotational speed of the wheels and passively engage the vehicle wheels to impart drive force to the wheels. The wheel hub clutches disclosed herein may be used to engage, disengage, and freewheel, a wheel end, for example, a wheel end like that described in application PCT / US2022 / 38804, published as WO 2023 / 048826, filed on July 29, 2022, docket number AAGCM001-US, corresponding to issued patent US 12,054,041, the contents of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. The novelty of the active and passive overrunning wheel hub clutches and wheel end disconnects lend novelty to a wheel end4system, axle, drivetrain, and vehicle, all including the novel wheel hub clutches. The illustrated clutch embodiments shown in the drawings are all shown at a wheel end outboard location, but could also be positioned at a wheel end inboard location and still provide the same or similar benefits, as taught and disclosed in the ‘804 application.

[0032] Referring specifically to the drawings, FIGS. 1 and 2 show a fragmentary sectional view of an illustrative embodiment of a wheel end 10 including an illustrative embodiment of a wheel hub clutch 12. The wheel end 10 includes a clutch hub 14 configured to be coupled to an axle shaft (not separately shown), a wheel hub 13 (FIG. 3 A) including a wheel hub body 15 (FIG. 3 A) and a wheel hub cover 16 coupled to the wheel hub body 15 by bolts, studs, or any other suitable fasteners (not shown), and the wheel hub clutch 12 disposed between the clutch hub 14 and the wheel hub 13. In particular, the wheel hub clutch 12 is disposed between the clutch hub 14 and the wheel hub cover 16, to couple and decouple the wheel hub 13 relative to the clutch hub 14. The wheel end 10 is rotatable about a rotational axis A of the wheel end 10. The wheel hub clutch 12 includes the clutch hub 14, a first clutch component or race 18 coupled to the clutch hub 14, and a second clutch component or race 20 coupled to the wheel hub cover 16. The wheel hub clutch 12 includes an active clutch 12a that is operatively disposed between the first and second races 18, 20, and a passive clutch 12b that is operatively disposed between the first race 18 and the wheel hub cover 16.

[0033] With reference now to FIGS. 3A and 3B, the clutch hub 14 may include an inboard shoulder 22 and an adjacent inboard bearing journal 24 at an inboard end of the clutch hub 14 for carrying an inboard bearing 26 between the inboard shoulder 22 and a snap ring 28 or other retention element that may be coupled to the clutch hub 14 at a location inboard of the inboard shoulder 22. The inboard bearing 26 may support a stator support 30 for a clutch actuator 32. The clutch hub 14 may include an internal spline 34 for splined coupling to an axle shaft (not shown). The clutch hub 14 also may include an outboard shoulder 23 and an adjacent outboard bearing journal 25 at an outboard end of the clutch hub 14 for carrying an outboard bearing 27 between the outboard shoulder 23 and a corresponding shoulder 29 of the wheel hub cover 16.

[0034] The first race (or first coupling member) 18 may be a combination axial pocket plate and axial notch plate, with passive pockets 36 in a passive pocket surface on an outboard side of the first race 18 and active notches 38 in an active notch surface on an inboard side of the first race 18. In the illustrated embodiment, the first race 18 may be integral with the clutch hub 14 such that the clutch hub 14 and the first race 18 may be unitary. In other embodiments, the first race 18 may be splinedor otherwise coupled against relative rotation with respect to the clutch hub 14. The first race 18 may be axially retained with respect to the wheel hub cover 16 by a snap ring 39 or other retention ring carried in a corresponding groove of the wheel hub cover 16.

[0035] The second race (or second coupling member) 20 may be a pocket plate, with active pockets 40 on an outboard side and actuator element passages 42 extending through the race 20 between the outboard side and an inboard side and in communication with the active pockets 40. A strut retainer 41 may be coupled to the second race 20. The second race 20 may be axially retained with respect to the clutch hub 14 by a snap ring 44 or other retention ring carried in a corresponding groove of the clutch hub 14. The strut retainer 41 may be fastened to the second race 20 by rivets 47 (FIG. 1), or bolts, or any other suitable fasteners.

[0036] The wheel hub cover 16 may include a cover sidewall 46, and a cover endwall 48 coupled to the cover sidewall 46. The cover endwall 48 may be coupled to the cover sidewall 46 by being unitary therewith, as illustrated, or by being splined, fastened, or otherwise separately connected thereto in any other suitable manner. In any event, a portion of the wheel hub cover 16 serves as a clutch race, in particular, a notch plate, with passive notches 50 on an inboard side. The wheel hub cover 16 may be a cup-shaped member, wherein the cover sidewall 46 includes a longitudinally extending circumferential wall 46a that may be internally splined, and wherein the cover endwall 48 includes a transversely extending axial wall 48a that may carry the passive notches 50.

[0037] The clutch actuator 32 includes a stator 52 that is supported by the stator support 30 carried by the bearing 26 on a radially outward side of the bearing 26. The clutch actuator 32 also includes a translator 54 carried radially outward of the stator 52 and radially inward of a portion, for example, the cover sidewall 46, of the wheel hub cover 16.

[0038] The wheel hub clutch illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 3B is a dual plane active and passive overrunning clutch. Example embodiments of a dual plane clutch are described in US Patent Application Serial Number 18 / 132,800, filed on April 10, 2023, docket number MNS142-US, issued as US 12,092,172, assigned to the assignee hereof, the contents of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0039] The second race 20 is coupled to the longitudinally extending circumferential wall 46a of the wheel hub cover 16 against relative rotation therebetween, and the first race 18 is coupled to the clutch hub 14 and is disposed axially between the second race 20 and the transversely extending axialwall 48a of the wheel hub cover 16. More specifically, the second race 20 may be splined to the longitudinally extending circumferential wall 46a of the wheel hub cover 16. The second race 20 includes the active pockets 40, which are axial pockets in an axially outboard facing active pocket surface of the second race 20. The transversely extending axial wall 48a of the wheel hub cover 16 includes the passive notches 50, which are axial notches in an axially inboard facing passive notch surface of the transversely extending axial wall 48a of the wheel hub cover 16. Also more specifically, the first race 18 may be unitary with the clutch hub 14 and includes the active notches 38 in an active notch surface facing the active pocket surface of the second race 20, and the passive pockets 36 in the passive pocket surface facing the passive notch surface of the transversely extending axial wall 48a of the wheel hub cover 16.

[0040] The active clutch 12a includes one or more active struts 56 between the active pockets 40 in the active pocket surface of the second race 20 and the active notches 38 in the active notch surface of the first race 18. The active struts 56 may be biased to a nondeployed position by return springs 56a (FIG. 1). As used herein, the term nondeployed is synonymous with undeployed, off, deactivated, unactivated, disengaged, unengaged, and like terminology. The active struts 56 of the active clutch 12a couple the second race 20 and the first race 18 in a second direction of rotation only. The active clutch 12a also may include active actuator elements that may include active springs 57, wherein the clutch actuator 32 may include the active springs 57 and, in any case, moves the active springs 57 to, in turn, move the active struts 56 pivotally to a deployed position between the second race 20 and the first race 18 such that the first race 18 becomes coupled to the second race 20 in the second direction of rotation. As used herein, the term deployed is synonymous with activated, on, engaged, and like terminology.

[0041] The passive clutch 12b includes one or more passive struts 58 between the passive pockets 36 of the first race 18 and the passive notches 50 in the transversely extending axial wall 48a of the wheel hub cover 16. The passive struts 58 of the passive clutch 12b couple the first race 18 and the wheel hub cover 16 in a first direction of rotation only and allow the first race 18 to overrun the wheel hub cover 16 in the second direction of rotation that is circumferentially opposite of the first direction of rotation. The passive clutch 12b may include passive actuator elements that may include passive advance springs 59 that bias and move the passive struts 58 toward and to a deployed position between the first race 18 and the wheel hub cover 16 such that the first race 18 becomes coupled to the wheelhub cover 16 in a first (forward) direction of rotation and overruns the wheel hub cover 16 in a second (reverse) direction of rotation.

[0042] The clutch actuator 32 includes the stator 52 and the translator 54, and also may include the active springs 57 that may be carried by a spring plate 60 of the clutch actuator 32 that may be moved by the translator 54. The clutch actuator 32 also may include a translator carrier 62 that may be used to carry or house other portions of the translator 54 therein, and that may include an outer cylindrical wall 64 that may be splined to the longitudinally extending circumferential wall 46a of the wheel hub cover 16 and a shoulder 66 that may extend radially inwardly from the outer cylindrical wall 64 to serve as a stop for the spring plate 60. The translator carrier 62 may be axially retained with respect to the wheel hub cover 16 by a snap ring 65 or any other component or feature suitable for such retention.

[0043] The stator 52 remains stationary and does not rotate. The stator 52 is supported by the stator support 30 that is carried on the bearing 26 and that may be fastened or otherwise coupled to the stator 52. The stator 52 or the stator support 30 may include an inboard portion that may include an axially extending arm 68 (FIG. 1) that may be fastened to, interengaged with, or otherwise coupled to an axle spindle (not shown) or other non-rotatable or stationary component to prevent the stator 52 from rotating. The stator 52 may include an electromagnet including electromagnetically inductive coils 70 carried between axially spaced fingers of a ferromagnetic housing 72. In other embodiments, the stator 52 may include any suitable structure to produce a magnetic field suitable for use with the wheel hub clutch 12. In the illustrated example, the stator 52 has two electromagnetically inductive coils 70 to create a magnetic flux when one or both electromagnetically inductive coils 70 are energized. The stator 52 applies a first magnetic control force to the translator 54 one way when the electromagnetically inductive coils 70 are energized to cause the translator 54 to move along the rotational axis A. The translator 54 reacts to the magnetic control force by moving the spring plate 60 and corresponding active springs 57 along the rotational axis A. By reversing the current direction in the electromagnetically inductive coils 70, the translator 54 causes the spring plate 60 and corresponding active springs 57 to move in the opposite direction along the rotational axis A.

[0044] The translator 54 rotates with the wheel hub cover 16. The translator 54 is supported for translational movement relative to the stator 52 along the rotational axis A between first and second axial end positions, corresponding to different operating modes of the wheel hub clutch 12. The translator 54 may include a magnet carrier 74, a permanent magnet 76 carried by the magnet carrier874, a spring plate spacer 78 that may be coupled to the spring plate 60 and disposed between the magnet carrier 74 and the spring plate 60, and a snap ring 79 that may fit in a corresponding groove in the outer cylindrical wall 64 of the translator carrier 62 or any other suitable retention element or feature to limit travel of the magnet carrier 74. The spring plate spacer 78 may be unitary with the outer cylindrical wall 64 of the translator carrier 62 as illustrated, or may be a separate component.

[0045] The illustrated wheel end includes the wheel hub cover 16, and the active and passive overrunning wheel hub clutch 12 coupled to the wheel hub cover 16 that constitute a cartridge or self- contained assembly. For example, the active and passive overrunning wheel hub clutch 12 may be retained to the wheel hub cover 16 by at least one the several retainer rings. In any event, such a self- contained assembly can be used with a newly designed wheel end or to retrofit an existing wheel end, for example, as an after-market product to upgrade an existing vehicle with additional functionality. Accordingly, an existing wheel hub cover can be removed from an existing wheel hub and an existing axle shaft can be replaced with a longer axle shaft having a splined end, and the new clutch hub 14 can be splined to the longer axle shaft, and the new wheel hub cover 16 can be bolted to the existing wheel hub with longer threaded bolts or studs. The apparatus may be self-contained for easy handling and transport such that all components of the apparatus may be retained together as an assembly by snap rings, screws, and / or any other suitable retainers and / or fasteners.

[0046] FIGS. 4A-6C show another illustrative embodiment of a wheel end 110 including another embodiment of a wheel hub clutch 112. The wheel hub clutch 112 includes a clutch hub 114, a first or clutch component or race 119 coupled to the clutch hub 114, and a wheel hub cover 116. The wheel hub clutch 112 includes an active clutch 112a that is operatively disposed between the clutch component or race 119 and the wheel hub cover 116, and a passive clutch 112b that is operatively disposed between the clutch component or race 119 and the wheel hub cover 116.

[0047] With reference to FIGS. 6A and 6B, the clutch hub 114 may include an inboard shoulder 122, and an adjacent inboard bearing journal 124 at an inboard end of the clutch hub 114 for carrying an inboard bearing 126 between the inboard shoulder 122, a thrust washer 121 located between the inboard shoulder 122 and the inboard bearing 126, and a snap ring 128 or other retention element that may be coupled to the clutch hub 114 at a location inboard of the inboard shoulder 122. The inboard bearing 126 may support a stator support 130 for a clutch actuator 132. The clutch hub 114 may include an internal spline 134 for splined coupling to an axle shaft (not shown). The clutch hub 114 also may include an outboard shoulder 123 and an adjacent outboard bearing journal 125 at anoutboard end of the clutch hub 114 for carrying an outboard bearing 127 between the outboard shoulder 123 and a corresponding shoulder 129 of the wheel hub cover 116.

[0048] The clutch race 119 may be a combination radial pocket plate and axial pocket plate, with passive axial notches 150 (FIG. 6B) in an outboard side and active radial pockets 140 (FIG. 6A) in a radially outward portion. In the illustrated embodiment, the clutch race 119 may be splined to the clutch hub 114. In other embodiments, the clutch race 119 may be integral with the clutch hub 114 such that the components are unitary, or the clutch race 119 may be otherwise coupled against relative rotation with respect to the clutch hub 114 in any other suitable manner. The clutch race 119 may be axially retained with respect to the wheel hub cover 116 by a snap ring 139 or other retention ring carried in a corresponding groove of the wheel hub cover 116 or other suitable retention component(s) or feature(s) and may be axially retained with respect to the clutch hub 114 by a snap ring 145 or other retention ring carried in a corresponding groove in the clutch hub 114 or other suitable retention component(s) or feature(s).

[0049] The clutch actuator 132 includes a stator 152 that may be carried within an inner diameter of the wheel hub cover 116. The clutch actuator 132 also includes a translator 154 that may be carried radially outward of the clutch hub 114 between the stator 152 and the clutch hub 114.

[0050] The wheel hub clutch 112 illustrated in FIGS. 4-6B is an active radial and passive planar overrunning clutch. Example embodiments of a relevant clutch are described in US Patent Application Serial Number 18 / 132,800, filed on April 10, 2023, docket number MNS142-US, now US Patent 12,092,172, assigned to the assignee hereof, the contents of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0051] The clutch race 119 is coupled to the clutch hub 114 against relative rotation therebetween, and is disposed axially between the clutch actuator 132 and a transversely extending axial wall 148a of the wheel hub cover 116. More specifically, the clutch race 119 may be splined to the clutch hub 114. In other embodiments, the clutch race 119 may be integral with the clutch hub 114 such that the components are unitary. The clutch race 119 includes the radial pockets 140 (FIG. 6A), which are active pockets in a radially outboard facing active pocket surface of the clutch race 119. The transversely extending axial wall 148a of the wheel hub cover 116 includes axial pockets 136 (FIG. 6B), which are passive notches in an axially inboard facing passive notch surface of the transversely extending axial wall 148a of the wheel hub cover 116. Also more specifically, a longitudinallyextending circumferential wall 146a of the wheel hub cover 116 includes active notches 138 in an active notch surface facing the active pocket surface of the clutch race 119, such that the wheel hub cover 116 serves as a radial clutch race, more particularly, a notch race. Similarly, the axial notches 150, are passive pockets, in the passive pocket surface facing the passive notch surface of the transversely extending axial wall 148a of the wheel hub cover 116, such that the wheel hub cover serves as an axial or planar clutch race, more particularly a notch plate.

[0052] The active clutch 112a includes one or more active struts 156 between the active pockets 140 in the active pocket surface of the clutch race 119 and the active notches 138 in the active notch surface of wheel hub cover 116. The active struts 156 may be biased toward a deployed position by active advance springs 156” (FIG. 4B). The active struts 156 of the active clutch 112a couple the clutch race 119 in the second direction of rotation only. The active clutch 112a also may include active actuator elements that may include active plungers 157, wherein the clutch actuator 132 may include the active plungers 157 and, in any case, moves the active plungers 157 to, in turn, move the active struts 156 pivotally to an undeployed position between the clutch race 119 and wheel hub cover 116 such that the clutch race 119 becomes uncoupled from the wheel hub cover 116. In another embodiment, illustrated by FIG. 4C, the active struts 156 may be biased toward a nondeployed position by return springs 156’, wherein the active plungers 157 move the active struts 156 pivotally to a deployed position between a clutch race 119’ and the wheel hub cover 116 such that the clutch race 119’ couples to the wheel hub cover 116.

[0053] The passive clutch 112b includes one or more passive struts 158 between the passive notches 150 of the clutch race 119 and the passive pockets 136 in the transversely extending axial wall 148a of the wheel hub cover 116. The passive struts 158 of the passive clutch 112b couple the clutch race 119 and the wheel hub cover 116 in a first direction of rotation only and allows the clutch race 119 to overrun the wheel hub cover 116 in a second direction of rotation. The passive struts 158 may be biased to a deployed position by passive advance springs 159 (FIG. 6B). More specifically, the passive clutch 112b also may include passive actuator elements that may include the advance springs 159 that bias and move the passive struts 158 toward and to a deployed position between the clutch race 119 and the wheel hub cover 116 such that the clutch race 119 becomes coupled to the wheel hub cover 116 in a first (forward) direction of rotation and overruns the wheel hub cover 116 in a second (reverse) direction of rotation.

[0054] With reference to FIGS. 6A and 6B, the clutch actuator 132 includes the stator 152 and the translator 154, and also may include the active plungers 157 that may be carried by a plunger carrier, for example, a plunger plate 160, of the clutch actuator 132 that may be moved by the translator 154. The clutch actuator 132 also may include a translator carrier 162 that may be used to carry or house other portions of the translator 154 thereon, and that may include an inner cylindrical wall 164 that may be splined to the clutch hub 114 and a shoulder 166 that may extend radially inwardly from the inner cylindrical wall 164 to serve as a stop for the plunger plate 160. The translator carrier 162 may be axially retained with respect to the clutch hub 114 by the thrust washer 121 or any other component or feature suitable for such retention.

[0055] The stator 152 remains stationary and does not rotate. The stator 152 is supported by the stator support 130 that is carried on the bearing 126 and that may be an integral or unitary portion of the stator 152 or may be separately fastened or otherwise coupled thereto. The stator 152 or the stator support 130 may include an inboard portion that may include an axially extending arm 168 that may be fastened to, interengaged with, or otherwise coupled to an axle spindle (not shown) or other non- rotatable or stationary component to prevent the stator 152 from rotating. The stator 152 may include an electromagnet including electromagnetically inductive coils 170 carried between axially spaced fingers of a ferromagnetic housing 172. In other embodiments, the stator 152 may include any suitable structure to produce a magnetic field suitable for use with the wheel hub clutch 112. In the illustrated example, the stator 152 has two electromagnetically inductive coils 170 to create a magnetic flux when one or both electromagnetically inductive coils 170 are energized. The stator 152 applies a first magnetic control force to the translator 154 one way when the electromagnetically inductive coils 170 are energized to cause the translator 154 to move along the rotational axis A. The translator 154 reacts to the magnetic control force by moving the plunger plate 160 and corresponding plungers 157 along the rotational axis A. By reversing the current direction in the electromagnetically inductive coils 170, the translator 154 causes the plunger plate 160 and corresponding plungers 157 to move in the opposite direction along the rotational axis A.

[0056] The translator 154 rotates with the clutch hub 114, for example, by being splined thereto or otherwise coupled thereto against relative rotation. The translator 154 is supported for translational movement relative to the stator 152 along the rotational axis A between first and second axial end positions, corresponding to different operating modes of the wheel hub clutch 112. The translator 154 may include a magnet carrier 174, a permanent magnet 176 carried by the magnet carrier 174, aplunger plate hub 178 that may be coupled to the plunger plate 160 and disposed between the magnet carrier 174 and the plunger plate 160, and a snap ring 179 that may fit in a corresponding groove in the inner cylindrical wall 164 of the translator carrier 162 or any other suitable retention element or feature to limit travel of the magnet carrier 174.

[0057] FIGS. 7-9B show a further illustrative embodiment of a wheel end 210 including a further embodiment of a wheel hub clutch 212. The wheel hub clutch 212 includes the clutch hub 114, a clutch component or race 219 coupled to the clutch hub 114, an active clutch 212a operatively disposed between the clutch race 219 and the wheel hub cover 216, and a passive clutch 212b operatively disposed between the clutch race 219 and the wheel hub cover 216.

[0058] The clutch race 219 may be a dual radial pocket plate having a first set of radial pockets 240 carrying first radial locking members or struts 256 and a second set of radial pockets 236 carrying second radial locking members or struts 258, in a radially outward portion of the clutch race 219. The first radial locking members or struts 256 may be actively actuated by a clutch actuator 232 and the second radial locking members or struts 258 may be passively actuated. The first and second struts 256, 258 are oriented in circumferentially opposite directions.

[0059] The wheel hub clutch illustrated in FIGS. 7-9 is an active and passive radial overrunning clutch. An example embodiment of a relevant clutch is described in US Patent 7,484,605, assigned to the assignee hereof, the contents of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Another example embodiment of a relevant clutch, is described in US Patent 10,590,999, assigned to the assignee hereof, the contents of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. In the ‘999 patent, one set of radial pawls may be actively controlled, and a different set of radial pawls may be actively controllable but whose control is deactivated or turned off so as to operate in a passive overrunning mode.

[0060] Much of the wheel end 210 may be substantially the same as the wheel end 110 of FIGS. 4A-6C, including the bearings 126, 127, stator support 130, snap rings 128, 139, 145, thrust washer 121, and even the clutch hub 114 and the clutch actuator 132 including the stator 152 and the translator 154. The wheel hub clutch 212 itself and the wheel hub cover 216 have some similarities to that shown in FIGS. 4A-6C, but are different, as discussed below.

[0061] The clutch race 219 is coupled to the clutch hub 114 against relative rotation therebetween, and is disposed axially between the clutch actuator 132 and a transversely extending axial wall 248aof the wheel hub cover 216. More specifically, the clutch race 219 may be splined to the clutch hub 114. In other embodiments, the clutch race 219 may be integral with the clutch hub 114 such that the components are unitary. The clutch race 219 includes the radial pockets 240, which are active pockets in a radially outboard facing pocket surface of the clutch race 219. A longitudinally extending circumferential wall 246a of the wheel hub cover 216 includes notches 251 in a notch surface facing the pocket surface of the clutch race 219, and the notches 251 serve as both passive and active notches, such that the wheel hub cover 216 serves as a clutch race, more particularly, a notch race.

[0062] With reference to FIG. 9B, the active clutch 212a includes one or more active struts 256 between the active pockets 240 in the pocket surface of the clutch race 219 and the notches 251 in the notch surface of wheel hub cover 116. The active struts 256 may be biased to a deployed position by advance springs 256a. The active struts 256 of the active clutch 212a couple the clutch race 219 to the wheel hub cover 216 in the second direction of rotation only. The active clutch 212a also may include active actuator elements that may include the active plungers 157, wherein the clutch actuator 132 may include the active plungers 157 and, in any case, moves the active plungers 157 to, in turn, move the active struts 256 pivotally to a nondeployed position between the clutch race 219 and the wheel hub cover 216 such that the clutch race 219 becomes uncoupled from the wheel hub cover 216.

[0063] The passive clutch 212b includes one or more passive struts 258 between the notches 251 of the clutch race 219 and the passive pockets 236 in the radially outwardly facing pocket surface of the clutch race 219. The passive struts 258 of the passive clutch 212b couple the clutch race 219 and the wheel hub cover 216 in a first direction of rotation only and allows the clutch race 219 to overrun the wheel hub cover 216 in a second direction of rotation. The passive struts 258 may be biased to a deployed position by passive advance springs 259. More specifically, the passive clutch 212b also may include passive actuator elements that may include the passive advance springs 259 that bias and move the passive struts 258 toward and to a deployed position between the clutch race 219 and the wheel hub cover 216 such that the clutch race 219 becomes coupled to the wheel hub cover 216 in a first (forward) direction of rotation and overruns the wheel hub cover 216 in a second (reverse) direction of rotation.

[0064] FIGS. 10-14 show an additional illustrative embodiment of a wheel end 310 including an additional embodiment of a wheel hub clutch 312. The wheel hub clutch 312 includes a clutch hub 314, a clutch component or race 319 coupled to the clutch hub 314, an active planar clutch 312aoperatively disposed between the clutch race 319 and the wheel hub cover 316, and a passive planar clutch 312b operatively disposed between the clutch race 319 and the wheel hub cover 316.

[0065] With reference to FIG. 12, the clutch hub 314 may include an inboard shoulder 322 and an adjacent inboard bearing journal 324 at an inboard end for carrying the inboard bearing 126 between the inboard shoulder 322 and the snap ring 128 or other retention element, wherein the thrust washer 121 may be disposed between the inboard shoulder 322 and the inboard bearing 126. The inboard bearing 326 may support a stator support 330 for a clutch actuator 332. The clutch hub 314 also may include an outboard shoulder 323 and an adjacent outboard bearing journal 325 at an outboard end for carrying the outboard bearing 127 at the outboard end radially between the clutch hub 314 and a shoulder 329 of a corresponding portion (such as a wheel hub cover) of the wheel hub cover 316 and / or a snap ring 331 carried in a corresponding groove of the clutch hub 314. The clutch hub 314 may include an internal spline for splined coupling to an axle shaft (not shown).

[0066] With reference to FIG. 12, the clutch actuator 332 may include a stator 352 supported by the stator support 330, and a translator 354 carried radially between the stator 352 and the clutch hub 314 between the bearing journals 324, 325 and may be axially retained thereto by the snap ring 128, the thrust washer, 121, and / or any other retention member(s) (not shown) coupled to the clutch hub 314.

[0067] With reference to FIG. 13, the clutch component or race 319 may be a single plane pocket plate having a plurality of active pockets 340 carrying a plurality of active locking members or struts 356 and a plurality of passive pockets 336 carrying a plurality of passive locking members or struts 358, in an outboard side of the clutch race 319. The clutch race 319 also may include a plurality of actuator passages 342 (FIG. 10) extending through the clutch race 319 between the outboard side and an inboard side and in communication with the plurality of active pockets 340. The clutch race 319 may be splined or otherwise coupled against rotation with respect to the clutch hub 314, and may be axially retained with respect to the wheel hub cover 316 by the snap ring 139 (FIG. 12) or other retention member coupled to the wheel hub cover 316.

[0068] The wheel hub clutch 312 illustrated in FIGS. 10-14 is a single plane active and passive overrunning clutch. Example embodiments of a relevant clutch are described in US Patent Application Serial Number 17 / 994,310, filed on November 26, 2022, docket number MNS135CIP-US and published as US 2023 / 0160461, assigned to the assignee hereof, the contents of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0069] Much of the wheel end 310 may be substantially the same as the wheel end 210 of FIGS. 7-9B, including the bearings 126, 127, snap rings 128, 139, and the thrust washer 121, except a snap ring 347 that may be carried in a corresponding groove of the wheel hub cover 316 to retain the outboard bearing 127. But the wheel hub clutch 312 itself and the wheel hub cover 316 have some similarities to that shown in FIGS. 7-9B, but are different, as discussed below.

[0070] The clutch race 319 is coupled to the clutch hub 314 against relative rotation therebetween, and is disposed axially between the actuator 332 and a transversely extending axial wall 348a of the wheel hub cover 316. More specifically, the clutch race 319 may be splined to the clutch hub 314. In other embodiments, the clutch race 319 may be integral with the clutch hub 314 such that the components are unitary. The clutch race 319 includes the active pockets 340, which are axial pockets in an axially outboard facing pocket surface of the clutch race 319. The transversely extending axial wall 348a of the wheel hub cover 316 includes notches 351 in a notch surface facing the pocket surface of the clutch race 319, and the notches 351 serve as both passive and active notches, such that the wheel hub cover 316 serves as a clutch race, more particularly, a notch plate. The notches have active strut engagement features 351a, and passive strut engagement features 351b that are oriented circumferentially opposite of the active strut engagement features 351a.

[0071] With reference to FIGS. 10-11, the active clutch 312a includes one or more active struts 356 between the active pockets 340 in the pocket surface of the clutch race 319 and the notches 351 in the notch surface of wheel hub cover 316. The active struts 356 may be biased to a nondeployed position by return springs 356a. The active struts 356 of the active clutch 312a couple the clutch race 319 in the second direction of rotation only. The active clutch 312a also may include active actuator elements that may include active plungers 357, wherein the clutch actuator 332 may include the active plungers 357 and, in any case, moves the active plungers 357 to, in turn, move the active struts 356 pivotally to a deployed position between the clutch race 319 and the wheel hub cover 316 such that the clutch race 319 becomes coupled to the wheel hub cover 316 in the second direction of rotation. The active plungers 357 may include coil springs, as illustrated, or plungers with conical heads, or any other suitable strut actuator elements.16

[0072] The passive clutch 312b includes one or more passive struts 358 carried in the passive pockets 336 of the clutch race 319 and between the clutch race 319 and the axial notches 351 in the axially inwardly facing notch surface of the wheel hub cover 316. The passive struts 358 of the passive clutch 312b couple the clutch race 319 and the wheel hub cover 316 in a first direction of rotation only and allow the clutch race 319 to overrun the wheel hub cover 316 in the second direction of rotation. More specifically, the passive clutch 312b may include passive actuator elements that may include passive advance springs 359 (FIG. 10) that bias and move the passive struts 358 toward a deployed position between the clutch race 319 and the wheel hub cover 316 such that the clutch race 319 becomes coupled to the wheel hub cover 316 in a first (forward) direction of rotation and overruns the wheel hub cover 316 in a second (reverse) direction of rotation.

[0073] FIGS. 15-17B show yet another illustrative embodiment of a wheel end 410 including yet another embodiment of a wheel hub clutch 412. The wheel end 410 and clutch 412 are most similar to that illustrated in FIGS. 4A-6C. The wheel hub clutch 412 includes the clutch hub 114, a clutch component or race 419 coupled to the clutch hub 114, an active planar clutch 412a that is operatively disposed between the race 419 and a wheel hub 416, and a passive radial clutch 412b that is operatively disposed between the race 419 and the wheel hub 416.

[0074] The race 419 may be a combination radial pocket plate and axial pocket plate, with axial pockets 440 on an outboard side and radial pockets 436 on a radially outward portion. In the illustrated embodiment, the race 419 may be splined to the clutch hub 114. In other embodiments, the race 419 may be integral with the clutch hub 114 such that the components are unitary, or the race 419 may be otherwise coupled against relative rotation with respect to the clutch hub 114.

[0075] Much of the wheel end 410 may be substantially the same as the wheel end 410 of FIGS. 4A-6C, including the bearings 126, 127, stator support 130, snap rings 128, 139, 145, thrust washer 121, and even the clutch hub 114 and the clutch actuator 132 including the stator 152. The wheel hub clutch 412 itself and the wheel hub cover 416 have some similarities to that shown in FIGS. 4A-6C, but are different, as discussed below.

[0076] The wheel hub clutch 412 illustrated in FIGS. 15-17B is an active planar and passive radial overrunning clutch. Example embodiments of a relevant clutch are described in US Patent 8,079,453, assigned to the assignee hereof, the contents of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0077] The clutch race 419 may be a combination radial pocket plate and axial pocket plate, with passive radial pockets 436 (FIG. 15) in a radially outward portion and active axial pockets 440 (FIG. 16) in an axial outboard side. A transversely extending axial wall 448a of a wheel hub cover 416 includes axial notches 438, which are passive notches in an axially inboard facing passive notch surface of the transversely extending axial wall 448a of the wheel hub cover 416. Also more specifically, a longitudinally extending circumferential wall 446a of the wheel hub cover 416 includes passive notches 150 in a passive notch surface facing the passive pocket surface of the clutch race 419, such that the wheel hub cover 416 serves as a clutch race, more particularly, a notch race. Similarly, the axial pockets 440, are active pockets, in the active pocket surface facing the active notch surface of the transversely extending axial wall 448a of the wheel hub cover 416, such that the wheel hub cover 416 additionally serves as a clutch race, more particularly a notch plate.

[0078] The active clutch 412a includes one or more active struts 456 between the active pockets 440 in the active pocket surface of the clutch race 419 and the active notches 438 in the active notch surface of wheel hub cover 416. The active struts 456 may be biased toward a nondeployed position by return springs 456a. The active struts 456 of the active clutch 412a couple the clutch race 419 in the second direction of rotation only. The active clutch 412a also may include active actuator elements that may include active plungers 457, wherein the clutch actuator 432 may include the active plungers 457 and, in any case, moves the active plungers 457 to, in turn, move the active struts 456 pivotally to a deployed position between the clutch race 419 and wheel hub cover 416 such that the clutch race 419 becomes coupled to the wheel hub cover 416.

[0079] The passive clutch 412b includes one or more passive struts 458 between the passive pockets 436 of the clutch race 119 and the passive notches 450 of the wheel hub cover 116. The passive struts 458 of the passive clutch 412b couple the clutch race 419 and the wheel hub cover 416 in a first direction of rotation only and allows the clutch race 419 to overrun the wheel hub cover 416 in a second direction of rotation. The passive struts 458 may be biased to a deployed position by passive advance springs 458a. More specifically, the passive clutch 412b also may include passive actuator elements that may include the passive advance springs 458a that bias and move the passive struts 458 toward a deployed position between the clutch race 419 and the wheel hub cover 416 such that the clutch race 419 becomes coupled to the wheel hub cover 416 in a first (forward) direction of rotation and overruns the wheel hub cover 416 in a second (reverse) direction of rotation.

[0080] FIG. 18 schematically shows an embodiment of a vehicle 502 that includes an apparatus including a drivetrain 504, an axle 506, a wheel 508, and a wheel end 510 that includes a wheel hub 513 and that couples the wheel 508 to the axle 506 via a wheel hub clutch 512 between the axle 506 and the wheel hub 513. The wheel hub clutch 512 includes an active clutch 512a and a passive clutch 512b. The active clutch 512a is actuated by an actuator 532 and includes planar struts and / or radial struts. The actuator 532 may actuate the struts from an off or disengaged position to an on or engaged position, or the actuator 532 may actuate the struts from the on or engaged position to the off or disengaged position. The passive struts may include planar and / or radial struts and are normally biased toward an engaged position. Although not shown, the clutch 512 also may include a clutch hub, one or more clutch components or races, and / or any of the other components described and / or illustrated in the embodiments of FIGS. 1-17B. Accordingly, FIGS. 1-17B show several specific examples that are encompassed by the apparatus of FIG. 18.

[0081] The vehicle 502 may be a wheeled vehicle of any suitable type having wheels, for example, a passenger automobile, a cargo truck, an all-terrain vehicle, a camper, a bus, a tractor, a motorcycle, a trike, or any other vehicle suitable for use with the presently disclosed subject matter. Although not separately shown, the drivetrain 504 may include, or may be powered by, one or more prime movers, for example, an electric motor and / or a combustion engine. Accordingly, the drivetrain 504 may be part of a powertrain that may include an internal combustion engine, a transmission having an upstream end coupled to the engine and a downstream end coupled to the drivetrain, or simply may be an output shaft of an electric motor, or may be provided according to any other configuration suitable with the presently disclosed subject matter. The axle 506 may be a downstream portion of the drivetrain 504 or may be a separate entity downstream of the drivetrain 504 and may include an axle shaft for coupling to the wheel hub clutch 512, for instance, to a clutch hub of the wheel hub clutch 512.

[0082] The wheel hub clutch 512 operates in a one-way clutch mode or a fixed mode. A one-way clutch mode direction is set according to a vehicle forward direction and, therefore, would be rotationally clockwise on one side of the vehicle 502 and rotationally counter-clockwise for an opposite side of the vehicle 502. During normal driving operation, the clutch 512 can operate in the fixed mode in which forward and reverse torque can be applied from the drivetrain 504 to the wheel 508 in vehicle forward and reverse directions as well as back driven from the wheel 508 during engine braking, regenerative braking, or the like. The clutch 512 can also switch from the fixed mode to theone-way clutch mode, wherein the vehicle 502 can coast in the vehicle forward direction and the wheel 508 can move faster than or overrun the drivetrain 504. This mode provides low drag during vehicle coasting for better efficiency without the need to shift the drivetrain 504 of the vehicle 502 to a neutral state. From this one-way clutch mode, the rotational speed of the drivetrain 504 can be increased (e.g., by increasing prime mover rotational speed) so that the clutch 512 reengages the axle 506 to the wheel hub 513 as the rotational speed of the driveline 504 increases to match the rotational speed of the wheel 508. This one-way clutch mode is also useful during towing of the vehicle 502 wherein the drivetrain 504 is not back driven during towing, which back driving would cause excessive drag to a tow truck and possible damage to the drivetrain 504 and / or prime mover. The two clutch modes can be changed during vehicle operation to switch back and forth to the desired mode via the actuator 532 coupled to the active clutch 512a. Depending on a particular vehicle implementation, the actuator 532 can act to move the active clutch 512a from an engaged state to a disengaged state, or from the disengaged state to the engaged state. Drivetrain torque, speed, and packaging space may dictate which configuration is the best with many different combinations of planar and radial style struts in the active and passive portion of the clutch 512.

[0083] The presently disclosed clutches may be characterized as having 0 / 1, 1 / 1 strut / pawl positions according to the following nomenclature. The clutches may have multiple strut / pawl positions, for example, up / out / uncovered or down / in / covered. The nomenclature (_ / _) refers to rotational direction, clockwise and counterclockwise (CW / CCW), wherein the first > refers to the clockwise direction, and the second refers to the counterclockwise direction. A 1 means struts / pawls up / out / uncovered / advanced, either in a clutch lock or overrun condition, whereas a 0 means strut down / in / covered / retracted, free in either rotational direction such that clutch races are disengaged relative to one another. For example, (1 / 1) means both strut / pawl sets up, lock in both CW and CCW rotational directions, and (0 / 1) means lock in CCW rotation, or overrun with CW rotation. The term “disengaged” means that the struts are actively retracted such that the races are freely rotatable relative to one another in either circumferential direction at any instant. The term “overrun” generally means that one rotational member is free to rotate relatively faster than another rotational member and, specifically means with respect to a strut clutch that the struts extend, or are free to extend, toward their advanced positions but are rotationally bypassed (and may be contacted) by one of the races such that the struts do not carry torque between the races. CW and CCW may be considered from a viewpoint looking in an axially outboard-toward-inboard direction, as if looking at a wheel on a vehicle along an axis of an axle shaft for the wheel. For example, a right wheel of a vehicle will rotate20clockwise in a vehicle forward direction whereas a left wheel of a vehicle will rotate counter clockwise in a vehicle forward direction. Consequently the right wheel may have a CW-drive configured clutch whereas the left wheel may have a CCW-drive configured clutch, for instance, as a mirror image of the CW-drive configured clutch.

[0084] Although the illustrated struts are shown as planar struts and radial struts pivotable about a single axis, the struts may be configured as spherical struts, sprag struts or sprag-like struts, roller struts, or any other strut shape configurations pivotable about one or more axes, and suitable to be advanced and retracted toward and away from engagement with a clutch race.

[0085] The descriptions of the several embodiments described and incorporated above and illustrated in the drawing figures are hereby incorporated by reference into one another, and descriptions of subject matter common to the embodiments generally may not be repeated. Accordingly, from the disclosure and teachings herein combined with the disclosure and teachings in the incorporated documents, a multitude of combinations of structures and functions are disclosed even if not all explicitly illustrated in the drawing figures.

[0086] Finally, the subject matter of this application is presently disclosed in conjunction with several explicit illustrative embodiments and modifications to those embodiments, using various terms. All terms used herein are intended to be merely descriptive, rather than necessarily limiting, and are to be interpreted and construed in accordance with their ordinary and customary meaning in the art, unless used in a context that requires a different interpretation. And for the sake of expedience, each explicit illustrative embodiment and modification is hereby incorporated by reference into one or more of the other explicit illustrative embodiments and modifications. As such, many other embodiments, modifications, and equivalents thereto, either exist now or are yet to be discovered and, thus, it is neither intended nor possible to presently describe all such subject matter, which will readily be suggested to persons of ordinary skill in the art in view of the present disclosure. Rather, the present disclosure is intended to embrace all such embodiments and modifications of the subject matter of this application, and equivalents thereto, as fall within the broad scope of the accompanying claims.

Claims

CLAIMS1 . A wheel end system, comprising: a wheel hub; an axle shaft; and a wheel end disconnect that includes a manually-actuated strut clutch to selectively engage the wheel hub to the axle shaft and selectively disengage the wheel hub from the axle shaft.

2. The wheel end system of claim 1 , wherein the manually-actuated strut clutch is selectively engaged to the wheel hub and the axle shaft in an engaged clutch mode wherein the axle shaft drives the wheel hub in a drive condition.

3. The wheel end system of claim 1 , wherein the manually-actuated strut clutch is selectively disengaged from the wheel hub and the axle shaft in a disengaged clutch mode wherein the wheel hub and the axle shaft are disengaged from one another.

4. The wheel end system of claim 1 , further comprising: a clutch housing including a radially outward portion coupled to the wheel hub and a radially inward portion establishing a central aperture; and a manual actuator accessible through the central aperture of the radially inward portion of the clutch housing and configured to manually selectively actuate the manually- actuated strut clutch into and out of engagement with the wheel hub and the axle shaft.

5. The wheel end system of claim 4, wherein the manually-actuated strut clutch includes a notch plate including a plurality of notches and coupled against relative rotation to the wheel hub and the clutch housing, and a pocket plate including a plurality of pockets, a plurality of struts carried in the plurality of pockets of the pocket plate and displaceable into the plurality of notches of the notch plate via movement of the manual actuator.

226. The wheel end system of claim 5, wherein the manual actuator includes a rotary dial accessible via the central aperture of the clutch housing and rotatable between circumferentially spaced clutch-disengaged position and clutch-engaged position corresponding to a clutch-disengaged and a clutch-engaged state of the manually-actuated strut clutch.

7. The wheel end system of claim 6, wherein the rotary dial is threaded to the central aperture of the clutch housing.

8. The wheel end system of claim 6, wherein the manual actuator also includes a manual driven follower configured to be translated in an axially inboard direction from the clutch-disengaged position toward the clutch-engaged position with rotation of the rotary dial.

9. The wheel end system of claim 5, further comprising: a passive strut clutch including a passive pocket plate fixed against rotation relative to the pocket plate and a plurality of passive struts carried in pockets of the passive pocket plate and passively drivingly engageable with the notch plate.

10. The wheel end system of claim 1 , further comprising: a passive one-way clutch that drivingly engages the wheel hub to the axle shaft and allows the wheel hub to overrun the axle shaft when the wheel hub is disengaged from the axle shaft via the manually-actuated strut clutch.11 . The wheel end system of claim 10, wherein the passive one-way clutch is a passive one-way strut clutch that includes: a notch plate rotationally fixed with respect to the wheel hub; a passive pocket plate rotationally fixed with respect to the axle shaft and having a plurality of pockets; and a plurality of passive struts carried in the plurality of pockets of the passive pocket plate and passively drivingly engageable with the notch plate.

12. The wheel end system of claim 10, wherein the passive one-way clutch is a passive one-way strut clutch that includes: a notch plate rotationally fixed with respect to the axle shaft; a passive pocket plate rotationally fixed with respect to the wheel hub and having a plurality of pockets; and a plurality of passive struts carried in the plurality of pockets of the passive pocket plate and passively drivingly engageable with the notch plate.

13. The wheel end system of claim 10, wherein: the passive one-way clutch couples the wheel hub and the axle shaft in a forward direction of rotation only and allows the wheel hub to overrun the axle shaft; and the manually-actuated strut clutch couples the wheel hub and the axle shaft in a rearward direction of rotation only and allows the wheel hub to overrun the axle shaft.

14. A wheel end disconnect, comprising: a clutch housing including a radially outer wall, and a radially inner wall establishing a central aperture, and circumscribing a longitudinal axis; a manual actuator including a manual driver accessible through the central aperture of the clutch housing, and a manual follower carried axially inboard of the manual driver and radially inward of the radially inner wall of the clutch housing; and a manually-actuated strut clutch including a pocket plate located axially inboard of the manual follower of the manual actuator and including a plurality of pockets, a notch plate located axially inboard of the pocket plate and including a plurality of notches, and a plurality of struts carried in the plurality of pockets of the pocket plate and displaceable into the plurality of notches of the notch plate by the manual actuator.

15. The wheel end disconnect of claim 14, wherein the manual driver includes a rotary dial rotatable between circumferentially spaced clutch-disengaged and clutch-engagedpositions corresponding to clutch-disengaged and clutch-engaged states of the wheel end disconnect.

16. The wheel end disconnect of claim 15, wherein the manual follower includes a manual driven follower including a translatable plate fixed against rotation with respect to the clutch housing and configured to be translated in an axially inboard direction from the clutch-disengaged position toward the clutch-engaged position.

17. The wheel end disconnect of claim 16, wherein the rotary dial and the manual driven follower include corresponding cam features to convert rotation of the rotary dial into translation of the manual driven follower.

18. The wheel end disconnect of claim 16, wherein the manual follower also includes a translator plate coupled for rotation with the pocket plate and located axially inboard of the manual driven follower and configured to be rotatable relative thereto, and a plurality of strut activators carried by the translator plate.

19. The wheel end disconnect of claim 14, wherein the manual driver includes a base wall extending across the longitudinal axis and having a radially outer diameter, and a seal wall extending in an axially outboard direction from the base wall and having a radially outer seal diameter.

20. The wheel end disconnect of claim 19, wherein the central aperture of the clutch housing carries a seal in contact with the radially outer seal diameter of the seal wall.

21. The wheel end disconnect of claim 14, wherein the manual driver includes a base wall extending across the longitudinal axis and having an axially inboard side with cam drivers, and wherein the manual follower includes a plate having an axially outboard side with driven cams configured to be engaged by the cam drivers of the base wall of the manual driver.

22. The wheel end disconnect of claim 21 , wherein the clutch housing includes a manual drive base wall pocket located axially inboard with respect to the central aperture, a manualdriven plate pocket located axially inboard with respect to the manual drive base wall pocket and having a relatively larger inside diameter compared thereto and having splines to cooperate with corresponding lugs of the plate of the manual follower, and a pocket plate pocket located axially inboard with respect to the manual driven plate pocket.

23. The wheel end disconnect of claim 14, wherein the clutch housing has an axially inboard face and the notch plate has an axially outboard face facing the axially inboard face of the clutch housing, and wherein the notch plate includes a radially outer portion having a fastener hole array extending longitudinally therethrough and the clutch housing includes a radially outer portion having a corresponding fastener hole array extending longitudinally therethrough.

24. The wheel end disconnect of claim 14, further comprising a clutch hub carried axially inboard of the manual driver of the manual actuator and coupled to the pocket plate, wherein the clutch hub has internal axle shaft splines.

25. The wheel end disconnect of claim 24, wherein the clutch hub and the pocket plate are unitary.

26. The wheel end disconnect of claim 24, wherein the clutch hub has a bearing diameter and a bearing shoulder located axially inboard with respect to the pocket plate.

27. The wheel end disconnect of claim 26, wherein the notch plate has a bearing diameter and a bearing shoulder located axially inboard of the bearing shoulder of the clutch hub.

28. The wheel end disconnect of claim 24, further comprising a bearing carried radially between the clutch hub and the notch plate.

29. A wheel end system, comprising: a wheel hub including: a wheel hub body havinga hub inboard portion with a hub inboard interior surface including an inboard bearing journal, a hub outboard portion with a hub outboard facing surface, and a hub outboard interior surface including an outboard bearing journal, a spindle passage extending between the hub inboard portion and the hub outboard portion along a longitudinal axis, and a hub flange extending transversely outwardly from between the hub inboard portion and the hub outboard portion and having wheel fastener passages extending therethrough, an inboard bearing carried on the inboard bearing journal of the hub inboard portion of the wheel hub body of the wheel hub, an outboard bearing carried on the outboard bearing journal of the hub outboard portion of the wheel hub body of the wheel hub; a spindle, including a spindle inboard portion having an inboard bearing journal, and a spindle outboard portion having an outboard exterior surface with an outboard bearing journal and a spindle nut diameter having spindle nut engagement features and terminating in a spindle outboard facing surface; a spindle nut having spindle engagement features engaged to the spindle nut engagement features of the spindle; and the wheel end disconnect of claim 14, wherein the clutch housing is coupled to the wheel hub body of the wheel hub.

30. A wheel end system, comprising: a wheel hub including: a wheel hub body having a hub outboard portion with a hub outboard facing surface having fastener passages therein, and a spindle passage, and a hub flange extending transversely outwardly and having wheel fastener passages extending therethrough; an axle shaft extending through the spindle passage along a rotational axis and including an outboard portion fixed against rotation with respect to a portion of the manually- actuated strut clutch; and27the wheel end disconnect of claim 14, wherein the clutch housing is coupled to the wheel hub body of the wheel hub and the pocket plate is coupled to the axle shaft.31 . A wheel end system including a wheel hub including a wheel hub body having a spindle passage extending along a longitudinal axis, and a hub flange extending transversely outwardly from the wheel hub body and having wheel fastener passages extending therethrough, and a spindle nut system; a spindle extending into the wheel hub body and coupled to the spindle nut system; an axle shaft extending through the spindle along a rotational axis and including an outboard portion with engagement features; and a manually-actuated wheel end disconnect rotatable about the rotational axis and releasably coupling the axle shaft and the wheel hub body, and including a clutch housing coupled to the wheel hub body and circumscribing a longitudinal axis, a manual actuator, and a manually-actuated strut clutch manually actuatable by the manual actuator, at least partially carried by the clutch housing, and including a pocket plate located axially inboard of a portion of the manual actuator and including a plurality of pockets, a notch plate located axially inboard of the pocket plate and including a plurality of notches, and a plurality of struts carried in the plurality of pockets of the pocket plate and displaceable into the plurality of notches of the notch plate by the manual actuator.

32. The wheel end system of claim 31 , wherein the wheel hub includes a hub inboard portion with a hub inboard facing surface,a hub inboard exterior surface extending in a direction away from the inboard facing surface, and a hub inboard interior surface extending in a direction away from the inboard facing surface and including a seal pocket and an inboard bearing pocket including an inboard bearing journal and an inboard bearing flange extending transversely inwardly from the wheel hub body, and a hub outboard portion with a hub outboard facing surface having fastener passages therein, a hub outboard exterior surface extending in a direction away from the outboard facing surface, and a hub outboard interior surface extending in a direction away from the outboard facing surface and including an outboard bearing pocket including an outboard bearing journal and an outboard bearing flange extending transversely inwardly from the wheel hub body, and wherein the spindle passage extends between the hub inboard portion and the hub outboard portion and including a grease cavity between the inboard bearing flange and the outboard bearing flange.

33. The wheel end system of claim 32, wherein the wheel hub further includes a speed sensor ring coupled to the hub inboard facing surface of the hub inboard portion of the wheel hub body, an inboard bearing carried by the inboard bearing journal of the hub inboard portion of the wheel hub body of the wheel hub, an outboard bearing carried in the outboard bearing pocket of the outboard portion of the wheel hub body of the wheel hub, and a bearing spacer located between the inboard bearing and the outboard bearing, and the spindle nut system includes a spindle nut having a hub with a cylindrical portion having spindle engagement features and a wrench flat portion, and a lock washer flange extending transversely outwardly from the hub of the spindle nut and having a lock ring relief therein,29a nut retaining spiral snap ring coupled to the outboard portion of the wheel hub via an annular groove in the hub outboard interior surface of the outboard portion of the wheel hub to trap a lock washer flange of the spindle nut between the nut retaining spiral snap ring and the outboard bearing, a lock washer trapped between the lock washer flange of the spindle nut and the outboard bearing and having a spindle engagement feature and a circumferential array of lock ring apertures, and a lock ring having a lock washer engagement feature extending through the lock ring relief and into one of the lock ring apertures of the lock washer.

34. The wheel end system of claim 33, wherein the spindle includes a spindle inboard portion having an inboard bearing shoulder and an inboard exterior surface extending in a direction away from the inboard bearing shoulder with an inboard bearing journal, a spindle outboard portion having an outboard exterior surface with an outboard bearing journal and a spindle nut diameter having spindle nut engagement features coupled to the spindle engagement features of the spindle nut, and terminating in a spindle outboard facing surface that is axially recessed with respect to the hub outboard facing surface of the wheel hub, and a spindle intermediate portion having a tapered exterior surface.

35. A wheel end system, comprising: a wheel hub; an axle shaft; and a wheel end disconnect that includes a passive one-way clutch that drivingly engages the axle shaft to the wheel hub and allows the wheel hub to overrun the axle shaft.

36. The wheel end system of claim 35, wherein the passive one-way clutch is a strut clutch.

37. The wheel end system of claim 35, wherein the passive one-way clutch includes a passive pocket plate fixed against rotation relative to the axle shaft and a plurality of passivestruts carried in pockets of the passive pocket plate and passively drivingly engageable with a plurality of notches of a notch plate fixed against rotation relative to the wheel hub.

38. The wheel end system of claim 35, wherein the passive one-way clutch includes a passive pocket plate fixed against rotation relative to the wheel hub and a plurality of passive struts carried in pockets of the passive pocket plate and passively drivingly engageable with a plurality of notches of a notch plate fixed against rotation relative to the axle shaft.31CLAIMS1. An active and passive overrunning wheel hub clutch, comprising: a clutch hub; a wheel hub; an active clutch between the clutch hub and the wheel hub; and a passive clutch between the clutch hub and the wheel hub.

2. The clutch of claim 1 further comprising: a first clutch component coupled to the clutch hub; a second clutch component coupled to the wheel hub; the active clutch between the first and second clutch components; and the passive clutch between the first clutch component and the wheel hub, wherein the clutch is a dual plane clutch.

3. The clutch of claim 2 wherein the wheel hub includes a wheel hub cover that is a cup-shaped member having a transversely extending axial wall and a longitudinally extending circumferential wall that is internally splined; the second clutch component is a race coupled to the longitudinally extending circumferential wall of the wheel hub cover; and the first clutch component is a race coupled to the clutch hub and is disposed between the second clutch component and the transversely extending axial wall of the wheel hub cover.

4. The clutch of claim 3 wherein: the second clutch component is splined to the longitudinally extending circumferential wall of the wheel hub cover and includes an active pocket in an active pocket surface; the transversely extending axial wall of the wheel hub cover includes a passive notch in a passive notch surface; and the first clutch component is splined to the clutch hub and includes an active notch in an active notch surface facing the active pocket surface of the second clutch component, and a passive pocket in a passive pocket surface facing the passive notch surface of the transversely extending axial wall of the wheel hub cover.

225. The clutch of claim 4 wherein: the active clutch includes an active strut between the active pocket in the active pocket surface of the second clutch component and the active notch in the active notch surface of the first clutch component; and the passive clutch includes a passive strut between the passive pocket of the first clutch component and the passive notch in the transversely extending axial wall of the wheel hub cover.

6. The clutch of claim 5 wherein: the passive strut of the passive clutch couples the first clutch component and the wheel hub cover in a first direction of rotation only and allows the first clutch component to overrun the wheel hub cover in a second direction of rotation; and the active strut of the active clutch couples the second rotatable component and the first rotatable component in the second direction of rotation only.

7. The clutch of claim 2 wherein:The passive clutch includes a passive spring and a passive strut, the passive spring moves the passive strut to a deployed position between the first clutch component and wheel hub such that the first clutch component is coupled to the wheel hub in a first direction of rotation and overruns the wheel hub in a second direction of rotation; and the active clutch includes an active spring, an active strut, and an actuator, the actuator acting on the active spring to move the active strut pivotally to a deployed position between the second clutch component and the first clutch component such that the first clutch component is coupled to the second clutch component in the second direction of rotation.

8. The clutch of claim 7 wherein the actuator includes: a stator structure; a translator structure; and a strut actuator element positioned between the translator structure and the active strut.

9. The clutch of claim 1 further comprising: a clutch component coupled to the clutch hub; the active clutch between the clutch component and the wheel hub; and the passive clutch between the clutch component and the wheel hub.

10. The clutch of claim 9 wherein the active clutch is an active radial clutch; and the passive clutch is a passive planar clutch.

11. The clutch of claim 10 wherein the active clutch includes a radial pocket in a radially outer portion of the clutch component, a radial notch in a radially inner portion the wheel hub, and a radial strut carried in the radial pocket; and the passive clutch includes an axial pocket in an outboard face of the clutch component, an axial notch in an inboard face of the wheel hub, and a planar strut carried in the axial pocket.

12. The clutch of claim 11 wherein the active clutch further includes an actuator to radially outwardly displace the radial strut, wherein the clutch component is disposed axially between the actuator and the inboard face of the wheel hub.

13. The clutch of claim 12 wherein the actuator is coupled to the wheel hub radially within a longitudinally extending circumferential wall of the wheel hub.

14. The clutch of claim 9 wherein the active clutch is an active radial clutch; and the passive clutch is a passive radial clutch.

15. The clutch of claim 14 wherein the active clutch includes an active radial pocket in an active radially outer portion of the clutch component, an active radial notch in an active radially inner portion the wheel hub, and an active radial strut carried in the active radial pocket; and the passive clutch includes a passive axial pocket in a passive radially outer portion of the clutch component circumferentially spaced from the active radially outer portion, a passive axial notch in a passive radially inner portion of the wheel hub circumferentially spaced from the active radially inner portion, and a passive radial strut carried in the passive radial pocket.

16. The clutch of claim 15 wherein the active clutch further includes an actuator to radially outwardly displace the active radial strut, wherein the clutch component is disposed axially between the actuator and an inboard face of the wheel hub.

17. The clutch of claim 16 wherein the actuator is coupled to the wheel hub radially within a longitudinally extending circumferential wall of the wheel hub.

18. The clutch of claim 9, wherein the active clutch is an active planar clutch; and the passive clutch is a passive planar clutch, wherein the clutch is a single plane clutch.

19. The clutch of claim 18 wherein the active clutch includes an active axial pocket in an outboard face of the clutch component, an active axial notch in an inboard face of the wheel hub, and an active axial strut carried in the active axial pocket; and the passive clutch includes a passive axial pocket in the outboard face of the clutch component, a passive axial notch in the inboard face of the wheel hub, and a passive axial strut carried in the passive axial pocket, wherein the passive axial pocket, the passive axial notch, and the passive axial strut are all circumferentially spaced from the active axial pocket, the active axial notch, and the active axial strut.

20. The clutch of claim 19 wherein the active clutch further includes an actuator to axially outwardly displace the active radial strut, wherein the first clutch component is disposed axially between the actuator and the inboard face of the wheel hub.

21. The clutch of claim 20 wherein the actuator is coupled to the wheel hub radially within a longitudinally extending circumferential wall of the wheel hub.

22. The clutch of claim 9 wherein the active clutch is an active planar clutch; and the passive clutch is a passive radial clutch.

23. The clutch of claim 22 wherein the passive clutch includes a radial pocket in a radially outer portion of the clutch component, a radial notch in a radially inner portion the wheel hub, and a radial strut carried in the radial pocket; and the active clutch includes an axial pocket in an outboard face of the clutch component, an axial notch in an inboard face of the wheel hub, and a planar strut carried in the axial pocket.

24. The clutch of claim 23 wherein the active clutch further includes an actuator to axially outwardly displace the axial strut, wherein the clutch component is disposed axially between the actuator and the inboard face of the wheel hub.

25. The clutch of claim 24 wherein the actuator is coupled to the wheel hub radially within a longitudinally extending circumferential wall of the wheel hub.

26. An apparatus, comprising: an axle; a wheel hub; and an active and passive overrunning wheel hub clutch disposed between the axle and the wheel hub.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the active and passive overrunning wheel hub clutch includes: a clutch hub; a wheel hub; an active clutch between the clutch hub and the wheel hub; and a passive clutch between the clutch hub and the wheel hub.

28. A vehicle, comprising: the apparatus of claim 26; a drivetrain coupled to the axle; and a wheel coupled to the wheel hub.

29. A wheel end, comprising: a wheel hub cover; and an active and passive overrunning wheel hub clutch coupled to the wheel hub cover.

30. The wheel end of claim 29, wherein the active and passive overrunning wheel hub clutch is retained to the wheel hub cover by at least one retainer ring such that the wheel hub cover and the active and passive overrunning wheel hub clutch constitute a self-contained assembly.

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