A product comprising: an axle shaft and an input shaft, wherein the axle shaft is coaxial with the input shaft; a clutch operatively connected to the axle shaft and the input shaft constructed and arranged to selectively couple and decouple the input shaft and the axle shaft; an actuator operatively connected to the clutch to drive the clutch; and a synchronizer operatively connected to the clutch to synchronize the coupling of the input shaft and the axle shaft.

A transmission system for a vehicle has a shift driving mechanism which operates, under control by a control unit, at the time of shifting the gear position, to disengage a transmission gear of a current gear position and a shifter from each other after engaging a transmission gear of a next gear position and a shifter with each other in a condition where a transmission clutch that transmits power to the transmission gear of the next gear position is in an engaged state. This ensures smoother and swifter shifting of gear position.

A shifting device for a positively engaging clutch having complementary first and second positively engaging coupling elements includes a housing and an actuator rod which is axially movable within the housing by means of an associated rod actuating mechanism. A clutch shift fork for engagement with the first coupling element is mounted on the actuator rod for axial movement of the first coupling element into and out of engagement with the second coupling element in response to axial movement of the actuator rod. The clutch shift fork is mounted on the actuator rod by a threaded connector such that the clutch shift fork is axially movable on the actuator rod. Thus conveniently the axial position of the clutch fork on the shaft may be altered by rotating the shaft relative to the clutch fork for accurate positioning of the clutch fork relative to the coupling element with which it engages.

A system and method are provided for hybrid electric internal combustion engine applications in which a motor-generator, a narrow switchable coupling and a torque transfer unit therebetween are arranged and positioned in the constrained environment at the front of an engine in applications such as commercial vehicles, off-road vehicles and stationary engine installations. The motor-generator is preferably positioned laterally offset from the switchable coupling, which is co-axially-arranged with the front end of the engine crankshaft. The switchable coupling is an integrated unit in which a crankshaft vibration damper, an engine accessory drive pulley and a disengageable clutch overlap such that the axial depth of the clutch-pulley-damper unit is nearly the same as a conventional belt drive pulley and engine damper. The front end motor-generator system includes an electrical energy store that receives electrical energy generated by the motor-generator when the coupling is engaged. When the coupling is disengaged, the motor-generator may drive the pulley portion of the clutch-pulley-damper to drive the engine accessories using energy returned from the energy store, independent of the engine crankshaft.

The disclosure provides a driving device of a vehicle, wherein even if a power storage device is fully charged, the driving device is capable of applying a corresponding decelerating force to a driving wheel. The driving device of the vehicle includes a motor as a driving source, a first planetary gear mechanism connected to the motor, a second planetary gear mechanism connected to the first planetary gear mechanism, and a differential mechanism connected with driving wheels from the second planetary gear mechanism, and further includes a brake detachably connecting a ring gear of the second planetary gear mechanism to a fixed-side member, and a lock mechanism capable of locking the differential mechanism.

A four-wheel drive vehicle comprises: a dog clutch; an electronically controlled coupling; and a control device switching a drive state to the four-wheel drive state when the control device determines that a running road surface is a low friction road and switching the drive state to the two-wheel drive state when the control device determines that the running road surface is a high friction road. In the case of switching the drive state from the four-wheel drive state to the two-wheel drive state, the control device temporarily releases the electronically controlled coupling to redetermine whether the running road surface is the low friction road or the high friction road before releasing the dog clutch and prohibits switching from the four-wheel drive state to the two-wheel drive state when it is redetermined that the running road surface is the low friction road.

A drive-train for a vehicle having at least one electric drive unit (EM) which is, or can be, coupled by way of a driveshaft (AW) to at least a first transmission stage (i1), a second transmission stage (i2) and a third transmission stage (i3). At least one shifting device having at least two interlocking shifting elements (S1, S2) is provided for engaging the first and second transmission stages (i1, i2), and a frictional shifting element (S3) is provided for traction a force support of the first and the second transmission stages. The frictional shifting element (S3) is also provided for engaging the third transmission stage (i3).

Methods and systems are provided for operating a vehicle that may be propelled via a primary axle and a secondary axle. In one example, a propulsion source of a secondary axle may be decoupled from at least one wheel via a dog clutch that includes teeth. The dog clutch may be disengaged in a way that reduces driveline noise and may reduce a possibility of driveline degradation.

A method is provided for disengaging a tooth clutch of an inactive gear in a dual clutch transmission during vehicle acceleration or retardation. The dual clutch transmission includes an engaged active gear through which torque is transmitted between an engine and driven wheels, an engaged inactive gear to be disengaged, and an electric motor drivingly connected to a shaft of the inactive gear. The method includes controlling the electric motor to provide a compensational torque for temporarily decreasing or substantially eliminating torque transferred by the tooth clutch of the inactive gear, and disengaging the engaged inactive gear. The disclosure also concerns a corresponding dual clutch transmission, a computer program, a computer readable medium, and an electronic control unit for controlling the electric motor of a dual clutch transmission.

A system and method are provided for integrated electrification of vehicle accessories conventionally driven by an internal combustion engine in which an electric motor is coupled to a common accessory drive that drive a plurality of accessories, such as a power steering pump, an air conditioning compressor, an air compressor, a thermodynamic heater and/or a coolant pump. The integrated electrified accessory unit preferably has the electric motor, accessory drive and accessories arranged in a common housing which is configured to be mounted to a chassis frame rail of the vehicle, the common housing including wall penetrations which facilitate rapid connection of the accessories to external lines of the vehicle.