Compact Electric All-Wheel Drive With Integrated Reduction Gearbox
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing motor vehicle drives for small load vehicles require a large amount of space due to their diesel or hydraulic engine configurations, which hinders compact dimensioning and maneuverability, especially when equipped with special devices like snow plows.
Innovation Solution
A motor vehicle drive featuring an electric motor as the drive engine, integrated within a compact gear unit housing, which includes a drive shaft and a longitudinal differential gear, allowing for all-wheel drive functionality and manual speed control via an operating pedal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If a diesel engine with injection pump and hydraulic motor is used, then the vehicle can deliver sufficient power for specialized work, but the drive system takes up a lot of space
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the differential gear and transmission stages into a single integrated transmission unit housing. The longitudinal differential gear is placed in the housing below the second gear stage, with both components sharing the same housing space. This merging of functions reduces the overall volume of the drive system while maintaining sufficient power delivery capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent arranges the drive shaft and the shafts of the two gear ratios parallel to each other within the housing, rather than using a traditional longitudinal arrangement. This spatial reconfiguration optimizes the use of available space and reduces the external dimensions of the drive system.
2Strength
If a robust transmission unit is provided for peak loads with special equipment, then the vehicle can handle heavy loads, but the vehicle dimensions increase
Solution Approach 1:
The transmission unit integrates multiple functions including the differential gear and transmission stages within a single housing. This consolidation provides robust load handling capability while minimizing the space required, as the components are arranged to share housing space rather than requiring separate housings for each function.
Solution Approach 2:
The longitudinal differential gear is placed within the same housing as the transmission stages, with the differential gear positioned below the second gear stage. This nested arrangement allows the robust transmission unit to handle peak loads while keeping the overall dimensions compact.
3Power
If traditional diesel or hydraulic engine systems are used, then sufficient power is available, but maintenance and servicing become more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The integration of the differential gear and transmission stages into a single housing simplifies the overall drive system architecture. This merged design reduces the number of separate components and connections that require maintenance, making servicing easier compared to traditional diesel or hydraulic systems with multiple separate components.
4Volume of moving object
If the drive system is made compact to improve maneuverability, then vehicle dimensions are reduced, but transmission complexity may increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the differential gear and transmission stages into a single integrated unit with a unified housing and coordinated gear arrangements. This integration achieves compact dimensions while actually reducing overall system complexity compared to having separate differential and transmission housings, as the components work together in a coordinated manner within the single housing.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The electric motor-based drive system achieves a compact design that saves space, maintains vehicle maneuverability, and offers easier maintenance and environmental benefits compared to traditional diesel or hydraulic engine systems.
Implementation Method 1
drive motor as an electric motor
Implementation Method 2
transmission stages, each with a pair of gears located on a shaft
Implementation Method 3
longitudinal differential gear with an output shaft
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
The invention relates to a motor vehicle drive with a drive motor (8) and a transmission unit (9) for the all-wheel drive of small commercial vehicles, which can also be used for cleaning, snow removal, and similar specialized tasks. For the sake of the simplest and most compact design of the drive, an electric motor (8) that can be coupled to the transmission unit (9) is used as the drive motor. The transmission unit (9) is designed as a reduction gearbox with two gear ratios (10, 11) and a longitudinal differential (19). This results in a compact design of the drive because, with the electric motor, it requires significantly less space and is also very environmentally friendly and quiet.