IP Library Granted Patent US 12661970
Granted Patent B2
US 12661970 · App. 18/626,589 · Granted Jun 23, 2026

Motor vehicle transmission for an at least partially electrically driven motor vehicle

Inventors: Johannes Kaltenbach (Friedrichshafen, DE); Fabian Kutter (Kressbronn, DE); Thomas Martin (Weissensberg, DE); Johannes Glückler (Friedrichshafen, DE); Kai Bornträger (Langenargen, DE); Stefan Renner (Bodman-Ludwigshafen, DE)
Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
B60K6/365B60K2001/001F16H2200/2064F16H2200/2094
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12661970
App. No.
18/626,589
Granted
Jun 23, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A motor vehicle transmission ( 3 ) includes a drive shaft ( 6 ), an output shaft ( 7 ), and a first planetary gear set (P 1 ), a second planetary gear set (P 2 ) and a third planetary gear set (P 3 ). The drive shaft ( 6 ) is provided for coupling to at least one drive engine. Furthermore, exactly one first shifting element (B) and one second shifting element (A) are provided, at least functionally, for the representation of different force flow paths between the drive shaft ( 6 ) and the output shaft ( 7 ) via the planetary gear sets (P 1 , P 2 , P 3 ). The invention also relates to a drive unit ( 1 ), an electrically driven motor vehicle drive axle, a hybrid or electric vehicle and a method for operating a motor vehicle transmission.

Claims (51)

1 . A motor vehicle transmission for an at least partially electrically driven motor vehicle having an electrically driven motor vehicle drive axle and at least one drive engine, the motor vehicle transmission comprising:

a drive shaft configured for coupling to the at least one drive engine;

an output shaft;

a first planetary gear set, a second planetary gear set, and a third planetary gear set, each having a first element, a second element, and a third element in the form of a sun gear, a planet carrier, and a ring gear, respectively;

a first shifting element and a second shifting element, the first and the second shifting elements are alternately actuatable such that only one of the first and the second shifting elements is engaged at time to provide different first and second force flow paths, respectively, from the drive shaft via the first and second planetary gear sets to the output shaft;

wherein:

the first element of the first planetary gear set is non-rotatably connected to the drive shaft;

the second element of the first planetary gear set is connected rotationally fixed to the first element of the third planetary gear set;

the third element of the first planetary gear set is connected rotationally fixed to the first element of the second planetary gear set;

the second element of the second planetary gear set is fixed;

the third element of the third planetary gear set is fixed;

the second element of the third planetary gear set is non-rotatably connected to the output shaft;

in an actuated state of first shifting element, the third element of the second planetary gear set is non-rotatably connected to the output shaft; and

in an actuated state of the second shifting element, either the third element of the second planetary gear set is non-rotatably connected to the second element of the first planetary gear set and the first element of the third planetary gear set or the output shaft is non-rotatably connected to the third element of the first planetary gear set and the first element of the second planetary gear set.

2 . The motor vehicle transmission according to claim 1 , wherein:

in the actuated state of the second shifting element, the third element of the second planetary gear set is non-rotatably connected to the second element of the first planetary gear set and the first element of the third planetary gear set; and

the first shifting element and the second shifting element are formed by a common shifting device which has a coupling element operable in a first shift position and in a second shift position, wherein the first shift position functionally represents an actuated state of the first shifting element and brings the third element of the second planetary gear set into a rotationally fixed connection with the output shaft, and wherein the second shift position functionally represents an actuated state of the second shifting element and connects the third element of the second planetary gear set non-rotatably to the second element of the first planetary gear set and the first element of the third planetary gear set.

3 . The motor vehicle transmission according to claim 2 , wherein:

the coupling element is guided non-rotatably and axially displaceable between the first and second shift positions on a first toothing which is connected non-rotatably to the third element of the second planetary gear set;

in the first shift position the coupling element engages a second toothing that is non-rotatably connected to the output shaft; and

in the second shift position the coupling element comes into meshing engagement with a third toothing that is non-rotatably connected to the second element of the first planetary gear set and the first element of the third planetary gear set.

4 . The motor vehicle transmission according to claim 1 , wherein:

in the actuated state of the second shifting element, the output shaft is non-rotatably connected to the third element of the first planetary gear set and the first element of the second planetary gear set,

characterized in that the first shifting element and the second shifting element are formed by a common shifting device which has a coupling element movable between a first shift position and a second shift position,

in the first shift position the coupling element functionally represents an actuated state of the first shifting element and connects the third element of the second planetary gear set to the output shaft in a rotationally fixed manner; and

in the second shift position the coupling element functionally represents an actuated state of the second shifting element and connects the output shaft non-rotatably to the third element of the first planetary gear set and the first element of the second planetary gear set.

5 . The motor vehicle transmission according to claim 4 , wherein:

the coupling element of the shifting device is guided non-rotatably and axially displaceable between the first and second shift positions on a first toothing which is connected non-rotatably to the output shaft;

in the first shift position the coupling element engages a second toothing that is non-rotatably connected to the third element of the second planetary gear set;

in the second shift position the coupling element comes into meshing engagement with a third toothing that is non-rotatably connected to the third element of the first planetary gear set and the first element of the second planetary gear set.

6 . The motor vehicle transmission according to claim 1 , further comprising a differential gear set, wherein the output shaft is coupled to the differential gear set configured to couple the output shaft to two pinion shafts.

7 . The motor vehicle transmission according to claim 1 , wherein the planetary gear sets are arranged axially following a connection point of the drive shaft, which serves to couple the drive shaft to the at least one drive engine, in a sequence of the first planetary gear set, the second planetary gear set, and the third planetary gear set.

8 . The motor vehicle transmission according to claim 7 , wherein the shifting device is provided axially between the second planetary gear set and the third planetary gear set.

9 . The motor vehicle transmission according to claim 2 , characterized in that the shifting device is provided axially between the second planetary gear set and the third planetary gear set.

10 . The motor vehicle transmission according to claim 5 , wherein the shifting device is positioned axially between the second planetary gear set and the third planetary gear set, and the coupling element is movable such that the force flows from the drive shaft to the output shaft only along the first and the second force flow paths.

11 . The motor vehicle transmission according to claim 4 , wherein the shifting device is positioned axially between the second planetary gear set and the third planetary gear set.

12 . A drive unit for an at least partially electrically driven motor vehicle, the drive unit comprising:

an electric engine with a rotor; and

the motor vehicle transmission according to claim 1 ;

wherein the rotor of the electric engine is coupled to the drive shaft of the motor vehicle transmission.

13 . The drive unit according to claim 12 , wherein that the rotor is arranged coaxially to the drive shaft and is connected to the drive shaft in a rotationally fixed manner.

14 . An electrically driven motor vehicle drive axle for an at least partially electrically driven motor vehicle, comprising the drive unit according to claim 12 .

15 . A hybrid or electric vehicle comprising a drive unit according to claim 12 .

16 . A method for operating a motor vehicle transmission, comprising:

providing the motor vehicle transmission of claim 1 ;

actuating the second shifting element, thereby brining bringing the third element of the second planetary gear set into a rotationally fixed connection with the second element of the first planetary gear set and the first element of the third planetary gear set;

shifting a first gear between the drive shaft and the output shaft by actuating the second shifting element; and

shifting a second gear between the drive shaft and the output shaft by actuating the first shifting element.

17 . The method for operating a motor vehicle transmission according to claim 16 , wherein actuating the second shifting element includes connecting the output shaft non-rotatably to the third element of the first planetary gear set and the first element of the second planetary gear set, and the method further comprises:

shifting the first gear between the drive shaft and the output shaft by representing an actuated state of the first shifting element; and

shifting a second gear is shifted between the drive shaft and the output shaft by representing an actuated state of the second shifting element.