Drive arrangement

Abstract

A drive arrangement for a drive train of a vehicle is provided. The drive arrangement includes an outer hub, an inner hub and rolling elements. The outer hub includes a fixed section and a movable section which can be reversibly connected to one another. In the disconnected state, the movable section is freely rotatable about a longitudinal axis of the outer hub. The rolling elements are displaceable in a longitudinal direction of the outer hub between the fixed section and the movable section.

Claims

1. A drive arrangement for a drive train of a vehicle, comprising: an outer hub having raceways aligned parallel with a longitudinal axis of the outer hub; an inner hub having raceways aligned parallel with the longitudinal axis; and rolling elements engaged with the raceways of the outer hub and the inner hub, wherein the outer hub has a fixed section and a movable section, the fixed section and the movable section each having portions of the outer hub raceways, the fixed section and the movable section are connectable to and disconnectable from one another, in a disconnected state the movable section is freely rotatable relative to the fixed section about the longitudinal axis, the rolling elements are displaceable along the longitudinal axis, in a connected state the movable section is rotationally fixed to the fixed section such that the outer hub raceway portions of the movable section and the fixed section are aligned in the longitudinal direction to form complete outer hub raceways along which the rolling elements are displaceable, at least one ratchet device arranged between the fixed section and the movable section, the at least one ratchet device having a ratchet with a first end rotatably mounted to one of the fixed section and the movable section and a free end arranged to protrude into a recess in the other of the fixed section and the movable section in the connected state, and a spring element arranged to bias the free end of the ratchet toward the recess.

2. The drive arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the rolling elements are arranged in windows of a cage, and the cage is displaceable along the longitudinal axis.

3. The drive arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the ratchet is configured such that relative motion about the longitudinal axis of the fixed section and the movable section in a first circumferential direction causes the ratchet to move out of the recess, and relative motion in a second circumferential direction opposite the first circumferential direction causes the ratchet to engage the recess such that the fixed section and the movable section are circumferentially rotationally fixed relative to one another.

4. The drive arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the ratchet is arranged in a chamber of the fixed section, and the recess is arranged in the movable section.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration that explains the functional interactions of a drive arrangement according to an embodiment of the invention in a partial section in a first state,

(2) FIG. 2 shows the arrangement of FIG. 1 in a second state, and

(3) FIG. 3 shows an enlarged detail of the drive arrangement of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(4) FIGS. 1 to 3 illustrate an exemplary embodiment of a drive arrangement 1 according to the invention of a drive train of a vehicle. This concerns, for example, a drive train in the form of a longitudinal or lateral drive shaft. The drive arrangement 1 can be connected to further components, which are not illustrated here, such as transmission output shafts, differential gear output or input shafts, wheel hubs or the like. For example, length compensation elements, which are not shown here, can also be provided.

(5) The drive arrangement 1 has an outer hub 2 and an inner hub 3, wherein the inner hub 3 is partially surrounded by the outer hub 2.

(6) For transmitting the torque, a cage 5 provided with windows 4 is situated between the inner hub 3 and the outer hub 2. In the windows 4 there is in each case one ball 6 as an exemplary variant of a rolling element. Thus, overall, a joint is formed.

(7) For the balls 6, the outer hub 2 is provided with raceways 7 which are suitably designed for the balls, and there are also raceways 8 in the inner hub 3. Here, the raceways 7, 8 are in each case straight and enable guiding and axially displacing the balls 6.

(8) The outer hub 2 has a fixed section 9 and a movable section 10. With respect to torque transmission, the fixed section 9 is fixedly connected to a shaft of the drive train, which is not illustrated here.

(9) The movable section 10 is reversibly connected to the fixed section 9 and in the disconnected state, the movable section is in particular freely rotatable about the longitudinal axis 11 of the outer hub 2, which is also the longitudinal axis of the drive arrangement 1 or the inner hub 3 here.

(10) For enabling or preventing torque transmission between the outer hub 2 and the inner hub 3, the balls 6 are moved axially via the cage 5 along the longitudinal axis 11 and are therefore situated either in the region of the movable section 10 or in the region of the fixed section 9.

(11) If the balls 6 are situated in the region of the fixed section 9, as shown in FIG. 1, torque transmission takes place.

(12) For the transition from the state of FIG. 1 to the state of FIG. 2, the cage 5 is moved axially along the longitudinal axis 11 and therefore the balls 6 are also moved into the region of the movable section 10.

(13) Displacing the balls 6 requires that the raceway portions of the movable section 10 and the fixed section 9 complement each other to form continuous raceways 7. However, this requires the same torque, which is in particular ensured by the fact that the radially and circumferentially arranged ratchet devices 12 provide in each case for the connection between the movable section 10 and the fixed section 9.

(14) In FIG. 2, the balls 6 are axially at the height of the movable section 10 of the outer hub 2. When the ratchet devices 12 are disengaged, there is no torque coupling between the movable section 10 and the fixed section 9 so that the movable section 10 can freely rotate about the longitudinal axis 11 and that in particular no torque is transmitted via the balls 6 from the outer hub 2 to the inner hub 3 or vice versa.

(15) Conversely, if torque transmission is to be reestablished or the balls 6 are to be brought again into the region of the fixed section 9, the movable section 10 and the fixed section 9 are synchronized with one another. This results again in completely continuous raceways 7 in the outer hub 2 which enable displacing the balls 6.

(16) FIG. 3 shows an enlarged detail of the region between the fixed section 9 and the movable section 10. The ratchet devices 12 are shown.

(17) Provided are in each case one ratchet 13, one spring element 14 and one recess 15. In the configuration shown, the ratchet 13 and the spring element 14 are situated on the fixed section 9 and the recess 15 is a part of the movable section 10. The ratchet 13 is rotatably mounted with one end 16 and thus can be inserted with its free end 17 into the recess 15.

(18) The ratchet 13 and the spring element 14 are arranged in a chamber 18 of the fixed section 9. The spring element 14 acts against the free end 17 of the ratchet 13 in the direction of the recess 15.

(19) Once the ratchet 13 is in the recess 15, the ratchet 13 abuts against the boundary of the recess 15 as a result of a certain speed difference between the movable section 10 and the fixed section 9. Conversely, the ratchet 13 is attached with the rotatably mounted end 16 so close to the edge of the fixed section 9 that at a different torque difference, the movable section 10 moves the ratchet 13 out of the recess 15 and moves or rotates it into the chamber 18.

(20) Overall, this virtually results in a ratcheting freewheel in one rotational direction for a positive-locking fit between the two components 9, 10 of the outer hub.

(21) The foregoing disclosure has been set forth merely to illustrate the invention and is not intended to be limiting. Since modifications of the disclosed embodiments incorporating the spirit and substance of the invention may occur to persons skilled in the art, the invention should be construed to include everything within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereof.