An axle assembly for frame rail vehicles is described herein. The axle assembly also includes a drive unit housing that includes an interior cavity enclosing first and second electric machines, a common gear reduction, a differential gear set, and a speed change mechanism with the first and second axle shafts partially disposed within the interior cavity and extending out of the drive unit housing. The drive unit housing includes a central cavity, a lower cavity, a first machine cavity, and a second machine cavity. The central cavity includes the common gear reduction and the axis of rotation of the first and second axle shafts. The lower cavity accumulates a volume of gearbox fluid with the speed change mechanism at least partially immersed in the lower cavity. The first machine cavity includes the first electric machine and the second machine cavity includes the second electric machine.

An electronically locking differential assembly constructed in accordance to the present disclosure includes a differential casing, a first and second side gear, a lock actuation assembly and a lock detect mechanism. The lock actuation mechanism selectively moves between a locked state where the side gears are fixed for concurrent rotation and an unlocked state where the side gears rotate relative to each other. The lock detect mechanism detects whether the lock actuation mechanism is in the locked, unlocked state, and an intermediate position between the locked and unlocked state; then provides feedback to the driver on the state of the lock actuation mechanism.

A counter gear mechanism includes: a fifth gear in mesh with a third gear; a sixth gear in mesh with a fourth gear; and a seventh gear in mesh with a differential input gear. The seventh gear is disposed between the fifth gear and the sixth gear in an axial direction. A switching mechanism is disposed between the third gear and the fourth gear in the axial direction. The switching mechanism makes switching among: a state in which the third gear is coupled to a second input member; a state in which the fourth gear is coupled to the second input member; and a state in which the third gear and the fourth gear are decoupled from the second input member. This structure is able to make an entirety of an apparatus compact in size in the axial direction when the apparatus includes the switching mechanism to change the speed ratio between the second input member, which is drivingly coupled to an internal combustion engine, and output members.

A drive axle assembly of a vehicle is provided. The drive axle assembly includes: a motor; a first shaft and a second shaft; a gearbox; a right shifting fork; a right inner ring-gear support; a right sun gear, a right inner planet gear, and a right outer planet gear; a left shifting fork; a left inner ring-gear support; a left sun gear and a left planet gear, where the left sun gear is configured to rotate coaxially with the right inner ring-gear support, and the left sun gear is configured to rotate synchronously with the second shaft; a driving gear, configured to rotate synchronously with the left planet gear by using a left planet support; and a differential connected with the driving gear.

A final drive differentially for distributing torque input into a shaft via a differential device to a pair of axles is provided with a ring gear coupled via gearing to the shaft to transmit the torque to the differential device. A housing unitarily includes a main portion supporting the shaft and enclosing the differential device, and a wall portion including a first opening through which one of the axles passes and supporting a first end of the differential device. A cover included a second opening through which the other of the axles passes, and is combined with the housing to support a second end of the differential device, wherein the wall portion, the ring gear, and the shaft are arranged, from the wall portion toward the cover, in an order of the wall portion, the ring gear, and the shaft.

A final drive differentially for distributing torque input into a shaft via a differential device to a pair of axles is provided with a ring gear coupled via gearing to the shaft to transmit the torque to the differential device. A housing unitarily includes a main portion supporting the shaft and enclosing the differential device, and a wall portion including a first opening through which one of the axles passes and supporting a first end of the differential device. A cover included a second opening through which the other of the axles passes, and is combined with the housing to support a second end of the differential device, wherein the wall portion, the ring gear, and the shaft are arranged, from the wall portion toward the cover, in an order of the wall portion, the ring gear, and the shaft.

A transmission having a housing (18), at least a first input (20) rotatable about a first input axis (I.sub.A1), and at least a first output (26) rotatable about a first output axis (O.sub.A1). The transmission further includes a first outer side gear (14) connected to and drivable by the first input, a first planet gear set comprising a first inner planet gear (11) and a first outer planet gear (15) with the inner and outer planet gears being rigidly connected to, and in axial alignment with, one another. The first planet gear set is rotatable (22, 24) via the first outer side gear and is also rotatable (23) about the first output axis. The transmission further includes a second outer side gear (16) in mesh with the first outer planet gear, and a second inner side gear (12) connected to the first output and being rotatable about the first output axis via the first inner planet gear.

A transmission having a housing (18), at least a first input (20) rotatable about a first input axis (I.sub.A1), and at least a first output (26) rotatable about a first output axis (O.sub.A1). The transmission further includes a first outer side gear (14) connected to and drivable by the first input, a first planet gear set comprising a first inner planet gear (11) and a first outer planet gear (15) with the inner and outer planet gears being rigidly connected to, and in axial alignment with, one another. The first planet gear set is rotatable (22, 24) via the first outer side gear and is also rotatable (23) about the first output axis. The transmission further includes a second outer side gear (16) in mesh with the first outer planet gear, and a second inner side gear (12) connected to the first output and being rotatable about the first output axis via the first inner planet gear.

A power transmission device includes first and second drive shafts, a differential mechanism, a case, a pinion shaft, a pinion gear, and a bearing. The differential mechanism is connected to the second drive shaft. The differential mechanism includes a first side gear connected to the first drive shaft, a second side gear, first and second pinion mate gears that engage with the first and second side gears, first and second pinion mate shafts that respectively support the first and second pinion mate gears. The pinion gear includes small and large diameter gear parts. The bearing is positioned between the pinion shaft and the pinion gear, and is lubricated via an oil hole that is open facing an outside of the case at a small diameter gear part side. The small diameter gear part is positioned between the first and second pinion mate shafts in a circumferential direction.

The description is directed broadly to a locking differential, comprising; a pair of rotating bevel gears engaged with one another via at least one pinion gear rotatably supported within a carrier; a locking member disposed within the carrier and engagable with each of the bevel gears, the locking member being movable between a locked configuration and an unlocked configuration, such that in the unlocked configuration the locking member allows free rotation of the bevel gears in engagement with the at least one pinion gear to equalise torque between a first bevel gear and a second bevel gear of the pair, and in the locked configuration the locking member locks the first bevel gear to the carrier and locks the second bevel gear to the carrier, simultaneously, to prevent relative movement therebetween.