LOW LOAD FLOOR MOTOR VEHICLE

• US 20070227800A1
• Filed: 06/14/2007
• Published: 10/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Truck Intellectual Property Co. LLC (Volkswagen AG)
• Original Assignee: John A. Watson
• Inventors: Bartel, James
• Granted Patent: US 7,568,546 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 180/291
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 11/04 arranged substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 11/27 wherein the fluid is a gas
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2200/10 Independent suspensions
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2200/30 Rigid axle suspensions
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2200/422 Driving wheels or live axles
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2202/112 longitudinally arranged
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2202/152 Pneumatic spring
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/19 Mounting of transmission differential
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/30 In-wheel mountings
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/4191 Planetary or epicyclic gears
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2300/024 Light trucks
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2300/38 Low or lowerable bed vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 17/04 characterised by arrangement, location, or kind of gearing electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 17/043 Transmission unit disposed in on near the vehicle wheel, or between the differential gear unit and the wheel
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 17/165 provided between independent half axles B60K17/18, B60K17/20 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 17/22 characterised by arrangement, location, or type of main drive shafting, e.g. cardan shaft
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 5/02 with the engine main axis, e.g. crankshaft axis, substantially in or parallel to the longitudinal centre line of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 19/18 characterised by the cross-section; Means within the bumper to absorb impact
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2019/1813 made of metal
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2019/1826 of high-tension steel
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2300/10 : Buses
• CPC Class Codes: B60W 2300/12 : Trucks; Load vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/14 : Trucks; Load vehicles, Busses
• CPC Class Codes: B60Y 2200/1432 : Low floor busses

Abstract

A step-down power transfer device for providing a dropped drive line in a front engine and rear drive vehicle. The step-down power transfer device is preferably chain or gear driven. A preferred vehicle a includes a power train having a longitudinally mounted front engine, a step-down power transfer device, a single segment drive shaft, a half-shaft differential, swing axles and geared reduction wheel end drives. The vehicle can have an exceptionally low, i.e., 16 to 18 inches, load floor that is flat at least between the step-down power transfer device and the differential. The resultant vehicle has many parts in common with popular traditional front engine/rear drive trucks. Combining the power train described above with a low profile rear suspension provides added low load floor benefits.

Claims

1. A vehicle, comprising:

an engine having a power output;

a power transfer device driven by said power output, said power transfer device including an input and an output axially offset from said input;

a load floor that runs from approximately a front of said vehicle to a rear of said vehicle;

a suspension supporting said load floor on rear wheels;

a differential unit that drives said wheels and that is driven by said output;

a single segment drive shaft that transfers drive torque between said output and said differential;

first and second trailing arms pivotally mounted outboard of said load floor on opposite sides thereof;

a torsion box secured between said first and second trailing arms beneath said load floor;

an air spring system disposed between said torsion box and said load floor to support said load floor;

first and second transverse beam members secured between said first and second trailing arms beneath said load floor;

a first plate attached to said first and second transverse beams proximate said first trailing arm; and

a second plate attached to said first and second transverse beams proximate said second trailing arm and spaced from said first plate.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein said differential unit is located at a rear axle of the vehicle, and said differential unit is a half-shaft differential unit immovably supported by a frame and having opposed swing axles extending from said differential unit to said wheels, said suspension enabling said swing axles to move vertically independent of said differential unit.

3. The vehicle of claim 2, further comprising a constant velocity joint at each of an inboard and an outboard end of each of said swing axles.

4. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein said air spring system includes a first air spring compressed between said first plate and said load floor urging said load floor upward from said torsion box and a second air spring compressed between said second plate and said load floor urging said load floor upward from said torsion box.

5. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising first and second wheel support members extending upwardly of said first and second trailing arms to rotatably support said wheels.

6. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising:

a first cross beam secured to said first transverse beam proximate to said first plate and secured to said second transverse beam proximate to said second plate; and

a second cross beam secured to said second transverse beam proximate to said first plate and secured to said first transverse beam proximate to said second plate.

7. A vehicle, comprising:

a longitudinally mounted front engine having a power output;

a load floor that runs from approximately a front of said vehicle to a rear of said vehicle;

a suspension supporting said load floor on rear wheels;

a differential unit that drives said wheels and that is driven by said output;

a single segment drive shaft that transfers drive torque between said output and said differential;

first and second axles oppositely extending from said differential; and

a power transfer device connected to each of said first and second axles driven by said differential and operable to drive each of said wheels, said power transfer device including multiple gears, said gears including;

a first gear connected to said input; and

a second gear offset to be non-vertically oriented with respect to said first gear and rotatably driven by said first gear, said second gear smaller than said first gear and operably connected to rotate one of said wheels.

8. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein said power transfer device includes a gearbox angled toward a rear of said vehicle.

9. The vehicle of claim 7, wherein said power transfer device further includes third and fourth gears each smaller than said first gear, each meshed with said first gear and each positioned between said first and second gears and meshed with and operable to rotate said second gear.

10. The vehicle of claim 7, further comprising a drive device connected to said engine and disposed between said engine and said drive shaft, said drive device having an input connected to said engine and an output positioned below said input operable to reduce ground clearance of said drive shaft and said load floor.