EP-4735290-A1 - DRIVE SYSTEM FOR A UTILITY VEHICLE

Abstract

A utility vehicle having a chassis frame extending along a centerline axis, the chassis frame including a first side frame member and a second side frame member opposing one another about the centerline axis. A first drive mechanism is supported by the first frame member, and a second drive mechanism is supported by the second frame member. A first gearset assembly is coupled to the first drive mechanism, and a second gearset assembly is coupled to the second drive mechanism. A first axial flux electric motor is coupled to the first gearset and positioned between the first frame member and the first gearset, and a second axial flux electric motor is coupled to the second gearset and positioned between the second frame member and the second gearset. The first gearset and the second gearset are spaced apart from one another on opposite sides of the centerline axis.

Inventors

• DHOPAOKAR, AJINKYA
• Kemper, David

Assignees

• Omni Powertrain Technologies, LLC

Dates

Publication Date

20260506

Application Date

20240801

Claims (1)

1. Attorney Docket No.: 44380.101WO01 Customer No.: 00027683 CLAIMS WHAT IS CLAIMED IS: 1. A utility vehicle comprising: a vehicle chassis frame extending along a centerline axis, the vehicle chassis frame having a first side frame member and a second side frame member opposing one another about the centerline axis; a first drive mechanism supported by the first side frame member and coupled to a first forward wheel assembly and a first rear wheel assembly disposed along the first side frame member; and a second drive mechanism supported by the second side frame member and coupled to a first forward wheel assembly and a first rear wheel assembly disposed along the second side frame member; a first gearset assembly including an output shaft coupled to the first drive mechanism; a second gearset assembly including an output shaft coupled to the second drive mechanism; a first axial flux electric motor coupled to the first gearset assembly and positioned between the first side frame member and the first gearset assembly; and a second axial flux electric motor coupled to the second gearset assembly and positioned between the second side frame member and the second gearset assembly, wherein the first gearset assembly and the second gearset assembly are spaced apart from one another on opposite sides of the centerline axis. 2. The utility vehicle of claim 1, wherein the first axial flux electric motor has a driveshaft extending inwardly towards the centerline axis and wherein the second axial flux electric motor has a driveshaft extending inwardly towards the centerline axis. 3. The utility vehicle of claim 2, wherein the driveshaft of the first axial flux electric motor is coaxial with the driveshaft of the second axial flux electric motor. 4873-4022-9332 v.1 12 Attorney Docket No.: 44380.101WO01 Customer No.: 00027683 4. The utility vehicle of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second drive mechanisms comprise: a first wheel shaft coupled to a forward wheel assembly; a second wheel shaft coupled to a rear wheel assembly; a forward wheel sprocket disposed on the first wheel shaft; a rear wheel sprocket disposed on the second wheel shaft; a first output sprocket disposed on the output shaft of the respective first and second gearset assemblies; a second output sprocket disposed on the output shaft of the respective first and second gearset assemblies; a forward chain engaging the forward wheel sprocket and the first output sprocket; and a rear chain engaging the rear wheel sprocket and the second output sprocket. 5. The utility vehicle of claim 1, wherein the first gearset assembly and the second gearset assembly are each a parallel shaft gearset assembly. 6. The utility vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a brake disposed along an output shaft of one of the first and second gearset assemblies. 7. The utility vehicle of claim 1, wherein the first gearset assembly comprises: an input gear mounted on a driveshaft of the first axial flux electric motor; a first intermediate gear mounted on an intermediate driveshaft and meshed with the input gear; a second intermediate gear mounted on the intermediate driveshaft; and an output gear mounted on the output shaft and meshed with the second intermediate gear. 8. The utility vehicle of claim 1, wherein the spaced apart first and second gearset assemblies define a gap therebetween, the utility vehicle further comprising at least one battery disposed in the gap formed between the first gearset assembly and the second gearset assembly. 4873-4022-9332 v.1 13 Attorney Docket No.: 44380.101WO01 Customer No.: 00027683 9. The utility vehicle of claim 1, wherein the first axial flux electric motor is an alternating current motor, and wherein the second axial flux electric motor is an alternating current motor. 10. A utility vehicle comprising: a vehicle chassis frame extending along a centerline axis, the vehicle chassis frame having a first side frame member and a second side frame member opposing one another about the centerline axis; a first forward wheel assembly and a first rear wheel assembly disposed along the first side frame member; a second forward wheel assembly and a second rear wheel assembly disposed along the second side frame member; a first gearset assembly supported by the first side frame member, the first gearset assembly including an output shaft; a first drive mechanism supported by the first side frame member, the first drive mechanism comprising: a first wheel shaft coupled the first forward wheel assembly; a second wheel shaft coupled to the first rear wheel assembly; a forward wheel sprocket disposed on the first wheel shaft of the first drive mechanism; a rear wheel sprocket disposed on the second wheel shaft of the first drive mechanism; a first output sprocket disposed on the output shaft of the first gearset assembly; and a second output sprocket disposed on the output shaft of the first gearset assembly; a second gearset assembly supported by the second side frame member, the second gearset assembly including an output shaft; a second drive mechanism supported by the second side frame member, the second drive mechanism comprising: a first wheel shaft coupled the second forward wheel assembly; a second wheel shaft coupled to the second rear wheel assembly; a forward wheel sprocket disposed on the first wheel shaft of the second drive mechanism; 4873-4022-9332 v.1 14 Attorney Docket No.: 44380.101WO01 Customer No.: 00027683 a rear wheel sprocket disposed on the second wheel shaft of the second drive mechanism; a first output sprocket disposed on the output shaft of the second gearset assembly; and a second output sprocket disposed on the output shaft of the second gearset assembly; a first axial flux electric motor positioned between the first side frame member and the first gearset assembly, the first axial flux electric motor having a driveshaft extending towards the centerline axis and coupled to the first gearset assembly; and a second axial flux electric motor positioned between the second side frame member and the second gearset assembly, the second axial flux electric motor having a driveshaft extending towards the centerline axis and coupled to the second gearset assembly, wherein the first gearset assembly and the second gearset assembly are spaced apart from one another on opposite sides of the centerline axis to define a gap between the first and second gearset assemblies. 11. The utility vehicle of claim 10, wherein the driveshaft of the first axial flux electric motor is coaxial with the driveshaft of the second axial flux electric motor. 12. The utility vehicle of claim 10, wherein the first gearset assembly and the second gearset assembly are each a parallel shaft gearset assembly. 13. The utility vehicle of claim 12, wherein: the first gearset assembly comprises: an input gear mounted on the driveshaft of the first axial flux electric motor; an output gear mounted on the output shaft of the first gearset assembly; a first intermediate gear mounted on an intermediate driveshaft and meshed with the input gear of the driveshaft of the first axial flux electric motor; and a second intermediate gear mounted on the intermediate driveshaft and meshed with the output gear mounted on the output shaft of the first gearset assembly; and the second gearset assembly comprises: an input gear mounted on the driveshaft of the second axial flux electric motor; 4873-4022-9332 v.1 15 Attorney Docket No.: 44380.101WO01 Customer No.: 00027683 an output gear mounted on the output shaft of the second gearset assembly; a first intermediate gear mounted on an intermediate driveshaft and meshed with the input gear of the driveshaft of the second axial flux electric motor; and a second intermediate gear mounted on the intermediate driveshaft and meshed with the output gear mounted on the output shaft of the second gearset assembly. 14. The utility vehicle of claim 10, further comprising a brake disposed along the output shaft or the input shaft of one of the first and second gearset assemblies. 15. The utility vehicle of claim 10, wherein the first gearset assembly and the second gearset assembly are spaced apart from one another on opposite sides of the centerline axis to define an access space therebetween. 16. The utility vehicle of claim 15, further comprising at least two electric batteries disposed in the access space between the first and second gearset assemblies. 17. The utility vehicle of claim 16, wherein the output shafts of the first and second axial flux electric motors extend along an output shaft axis, and wherein the first and second axial flux electric motors are positioned on one side of the output shaft axis and the electric batteries are positioned primarily on the other side of the output shaft axis. 18. A utility vehicle comprising: a vehicle chassis frame extending along a centerline axis, the vehicle chassis frame having a first side frame member and a second side frame member opposing one another about the centerline axis; a first drive mechanism supported by the first side frame member and coupled to a wheel assembly disposed along the first side frame member; and a second drive mechanism supported by the second side frame member and coupled to a wheel assembly disposed along the second side frame member; a first gearset assembly including an output shaft extending along an output shaft axis, the output shaft of the first gearset assembly coupled to the first drive mechanism, the first gearset assembly spaced apart from the centerline axis, wherein the first gearset assembly is a parallel shaft gearset assembly; 4873-4022-9332 v.1 16 Attorney Docket No.: 44380.101WO01 Customer No.: 00027683 a second gearset assembly including an output shaft extending along the output shaft axis, the output shaft of the second gearset assembly coupled to the second drive mechanism, the second gearset assembly spaced apart from the centerline axis and opposing the first gearset assembly to define a first gap therebetween, wherein the second gearset assembly is a parallel shaft gearset assembly; a first radial flux electric motor coupled to the first gearset assembly on a first side of the output shaft axis, the first radial flux electric motor extending across the centerline axis towards the second side frame member; a second radial flux electric motor coupled to the second gearset assembly on a second side of the output shaft axis, the second radial flux electric motor extending across the centerline axis towards the first side frame member, the first and second radial flux electric motors spaced apart from one another about the output shaft axis so as to define a second gap between the first and second radial flux electric motors; and at least one electric battery disposed in the gap between the first and second radial flux electric motors. 4873-4022-9332 v.1 17

Description

Attorney Docket No.: 44380.101WO01 Customer No.: 00027683 DRIVE SYSTEM FOR A UTILITY VEHICLE CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Nonprovisional Application No. 18/365,544, filed on August 4, 2023, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. FIELD [0002] The disclosure relates to the field of utility vehicles, and in particular drive systems for electrically powered utility vehicles. BACKGROUND [0003] Existing drive systems for utility vehicles may include two centrally located motors positioned adjacent one another on a frame with each motor disposed to drive a set of wheels on opposing sides of the frame. Typically, planetary gearsets are utilized to achieve a desired gear reduction in order to drive the wheel sets. Moreover, it is known to position the two motors adjacent one another so that output drive shafts of the planetary gearsets are aligned along a shared axis at the middle of the frame in order to minimize the size of the drive train components so as to maximize the space available for batteries and controls. One drawback to such prior art arrangements is that the motor and gearing configuration renders installation, repair, and replacement of the motors difficult given the limited access space about the motors. In addition, given these space restraints, such systems do not lend themselves to ready replacement of motors with higher power motors having increased external dimensions. BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS [0004] FIG. 1A is a top plan view of a utility vehicle including two axial flux electric motors positioned between respective gearset assemblies and respective side frame members according to some embodiments. [0005] FIG. 1B is a top plan view of a utility vehicle including two axial flux electric motors positioned between respective gearset assemblies and respective side frame members according to some embodiments. [0006] FIG. 2A illustrates a gearset assembly coupled to a motor according to some embodiments. [0007] FIG. 2B illustrates a gearset assembly coupled to a motor according to some embodiments. 4873-4022-9332 v.1 1 Attorney Docket No.: 44380.101WO01 Customer No.: 00027683 [0008] FIG.3A is a top plan view of a utility vehicle including two radial flux electric motors spaced apart by a gap according to some embodiments. [0009] FIG.3B is a top plan view of a utility vehicle including two radial flux electric motors spaced apart by a gap according to some embodiments. [0010] Various embodiments described herein and their advantages are described in the detailed description that follows. It should be appreciated that like reference numerals are used to identify like elements illustrated in the figure for purposes of illustrating but not limiting the various embodiments described herein. DETAILED DESCRIPTION [0011] Disclosed herein is an electric drive train system for a utility vehicle. The electric drive train system includes two axial flux electric motors, where each axial flux electric motor is disposed to drive the forward and rear wheels on a side of the utility vehicle. The axial flux electric motors are arranged on a vehicle chassis frame to be opposing but spaced apart from one another so as to define an access space between the opposing axial flux electric motors. In one or more first embodiments, each axial flux electric motor includes a driveshaft extending inwardly towards the opposing axial flux electric motor, where the driveshafts of the two axial flux electric motors may be aligned along a shared axis. In such first embodiments, each inwardly extending driveshaft is coupled to a separate parallel shaft gearset assembly, where each parallel shaft gearset assembly may be positioned in the access space so as to be opposing but spaced apart from one another between the axial flux electric motors. In some embodiments, one or more electric batteries may be positioned in the access space between opposing parallel shaft gearset assemblies. Each parallel shaft gearset assembly includes an output shaft extending in a direction opposite the direction of the axial flux electric motor drive shaft to which it is coupled. In one or more embodiments, each output shaft of a parallel shaft gearset assembly is coupled to a chain drive mechanism which is in turn coupled to the forward wheel and the rear wheel of a side of the utility vehicle. The vehicle chassis frame extends along a centerline axis, where the chassis frame has opposing sides with a forward wheel and a rear wheel disposed on each side of the chassis frame. In some embodiments, the output shafts of the parallel shaft gearset assemblies may extend in opposite directions along the same output shaft axis. In some embodiments, the output shaft of a parallel shaft gearset assembly may be equidistant between the forward wheel and the rear wheel to which it is coupled. A brake assembly may be disposed along an output shaft coupled to the chain drive assemb