Abstract: A helical sector gear having a body and a gear segment having a plurality of helical teeth. The gear segment has a toothed sector, on which all of the helical teeth are formed, and spacing segments on the opposite circumferential ends of the toothed sector. Each of the spacing segments has a circumferential surface, which is longer than a pitch of the helical teeth, and a radial surface that is formed in a helical manner that conforms to the helix angle of helical teeth. A die set for forming the helical sector gear and a related method are also provided.

Abstract: An axle assembly with a housing, an annular gear, a bearing, a differential, and a pair of output shafts. The housing has an annular hub. The annular gear is received in the housing. The bearing, which is a four-point angular contact bearing, supports the gear for rotation about an axis relative to the housing and has an inner bearing race, which is mounted on the annular hub, and an outer bearing race that is fixedly coupled to the annular gear. The differential is received in the housing and includes an input member, which is coupled to the annular gear for rotation therewith, and a pair of output members that are rotatable relative to the input member about the output axis. Each of the output shafts is coupled to an associated one of the output members for rotation therewith. One of the output shafts extends through the annular hub.

Abstract: An electric drive module having a motor and an inverter that are disposed in a housing The motor includes a stator, which has a plurality of sets of windings. The inverter has a plurality of power semiconductors, which are mounted into a retaining member, an end plate, which is sealingly coupled to the retaining member, and an inlet port that extends through the end plate. Sets of the semiconductor devices are electrically coupled to corresponding sets of the windings. Power terminals on the semiconductor devices are coupled to a heat sink. Fins on the heat sinks extend into an annular region that is adjacent to axial ends of the windings. At least one of the retaining member and the end plate is sealingly coupled to the housing assembly. The inlet port, the annular region and cooling passages in the stator are coupled in fluid communication.

Abstract: A stabilizer bar assembly having a pair of bar members and a clutch assembly with a first and second couplers, which are fixedly coupled to the bar members, a coupling sleeve and a rotary lock. The coupling sleeve matingly engages the first coupler. The coupling sleeve is movable along an axis between a first position, in which the coupling sleeve is disengaged from the second coupler to permit relative rotation between the stabilizer bar members about the axis, and a second position in which the coupling sleeve is engaged to the first and second couplers. The rotary lock has lock members that are fixedly coupled to the coupling sleeve and the second coupler. The lock members engage one another when the coupling sleeve is in the second position to inhibit relative movement about the rotational axis between the coupling sleeve and the second coupler.

Abstract: A method includes powder forging and machining a workpiece that is fractured to divide the workpiece into separate components. In a green form in which the workpiece is formed of compacted powdered metal and has a body that is generally shaped as a parallelepiped with a pair of end faces. The body defines a bore, a pair of V-notches and a pair of channels. The V-notches are formed into the bore parallel to the central axis of the bore and cooperate to define a separation plane. Each of the channels is formed in an associated one of the end faces at a location where the separation plane intersects the end face. During forging, the channels are closed but create a stress riser that aids in directing the fracture when the components are separated from one another.

Abstract: A front axle assembly with an axle housing that has first and second housing halves that each include a main housing portion, a tubular portion and a steering yoke. The main housing portion defines a cavity that houses at least a portion of a speed differentiation mechanism. The tubular portions are fixedly coupled to an associated one of the main housing portions and extend between the main housing portion and an associated one of the steering yokes. Each steering yoke is fixedly coupled to an associated tubular portion. An annular joint structure is formed where the first and second first housing halves are coupled to one another. The annular joint structure is formed about the rotary axis such that one of the first and second housing halves is inserted into the other one of the first and second housing halves along an insertion axis that is coincident with the rotary axis.

Abstract: A vehicle driveline component includes a case defining lever apertures, a coupling having a movable member that is movable along a movement axis between a first and a second position, a linear having a motor output member movable along the movement axis, and a plurality of levers. Each lever is disposed in an associated lever aperture and coupled to the case for pivoting motion about a respective lever pivot axis. The levers urge the movable member in a first direction along the movement axis from one of the first and second positions to the other one of the first and second positions in response to pivoting motion of the levers about the lever pivot axes caused by contact between the levers and the motor output member when the motor output member is driven in a second direction along the movement axis that is opposite the first direction.

Abstract: A method of assembling a vehicle driveline component that includes: positioning a rotary component and first race member on a fixture such that the first race member is concentric with a first race of the component; offsetting the first race member along the rotational axis relative to the first race; providing an annular bearing arrangement having balls and spacers; positioning the arrangement such that the centers of the balls are along a loading cylinder disposed concentrically about the rotational axis; moving the arrangement so the balls seat in the first race and the centers are distributed along an installation circle that is: a) larger in diameter than the loading cylinder if the first race is an outer race of a bearing assembly; or b) smaller in diameter than the loading cylinder if the first race is an inner race of a bearing assembly. A related tooling system is also provided.

Abstract: A process for forming a finished spiral bevel gear includes forging a blank to form a forging having near net-shaped spiral bevel teeth, machining the forging, coining the forging to form a coined spiral bevel gear with net-shaped spiral bevel gear teeth; heat treating the coined spiral bevel and finishing the heat treated, coined spiral bevel gear without machining the net-shaped spiral bevel gear teeth in a machining operation that forms chips.

Abstract: A method for improving thermal conduction in a stator having electrically conductive windings wound in a plurality of gaps formed between adjacent pairs of a plurality of teeth of the stator. A plurality of interstitial spaces are formed within each of the gaps during winding of the electrically conductive windings around the teeth. A plug is arranged within each one of the gaps to close off slot openings. A thermally conductive filler compound is injected into each gap under sufficient pressure to at least substantially fill the interstitial spaces within each gap and to at least substantially encapsulate the electrically conductive windings. The thermally conductive filler compound is then allowed to set.

Abstract: A power transmitting component can include a friction clutch, a ram, a pump, a fluid storage device and a valve. The ram can have a piston chamber and a piston movable therein between a first and second position to engage the friction clutch. A first inlet/outlet of the pump can be fluidly coupled to a reservoir. The fluid storage device can hold pressurized hydraulic fluid. The valve can be fluidly coupled with the piston chamber, a second inlet/outlet of the pump, and the fluid storage device. When in a first mode, the valve can permit fluid communication between the pump and the fluid storage device, inhibit fluid communication between the piston chamber and the pump, and inhibit fluid communication between the piston chamber and the fluid storage device. When in a second mode, the valve can permit fluid communication between the pump, the fluid storage device, and the piston chamber.

Abstract: An electric drive module having a motor and an inverter that are disposed in a housing The motor includes a stator, which has a plurality of sets of windings. The inverter has a plurality of power semiconductors, which are mounted into a retaining member, an end plate, which is sealingly coupled to the retaining member, and an inlet port that extends through the end plate. Sets of the semiconductor devices are electrically coupled to corresponding sets of the windings. Power terminals on the semiconductor devices are coupled to a heat sink. Fins on the heat sinks extend into an annular region that is adjacent to axial ends of the windings. At least one of the retaining member and the end plate is sealingly coupled to the housing assembly. The inlet port, the annular region and cooling passages in the stator are coupled in fluid communication.

Abstract: An electric drive module that includes an electric motor, a differential assembly, and a transmission that transmits rotary power between the electric motor and the differential assembly. The transmission has first and second reductions. The first reduction has a drive gear, which is rotatable about a first axis, and a pair of first reduction gears that are each meshingly engaged to the drive gear rotatable about a respective second axis. The second axes are spaced apart from one another and are parallel to the first axis. The second reduction has a driven gear and a pair of second reduction gears. The driven gear is rotatable about a third axis that is parallel to the first axis. Each of the second reduction gears is being meshingly engaged to the driven gear and non-rotatably coupled to an associated one of the first reduction gears.

Abstract: A hybrid axle assembly that includes a housing assembly, a differential assembly received in the housing assembly, and an inside-out motor. The differential assembly is rotatable about a differential axis and has a differential input and a pair of differential outputs. The inside-out motor has a stator, which is fixedly coupled to the housing, and a rotor. The stator is disposed circumferentially about the differential input. The rotor is disposed circumferentially about the stator such that the stator is disposed radially between the differential input and the rotor. The rotor is drivingly coupled to the differential input.

Abstract: A valve body element having a central bore. The valve body element includes first and second structures that are each formed of a compacted powdered metal material. The first structure has a plurality of L-shaped first passage portions that extend radially outwardly from a first portion of the central bore and intersect an axial end of the first structure. The second structure defines a remaining portion of the central bore and includes a flange. The flange defines a joining section, into which the axial end of the first structure is received, and a plurality of second passage portion. Each of the second passage portions is coupled in fluid communication to a corresponding one of the first passage portions. The remaining portion of the central bore in the second structure is in fluid communication with the first bore portion of the central bore in the first structure.

Abstract: An axle assembly with a carrier housing, an input pinion and a ring gear. The input pinion includes pinion gear teeth and is supported for rotation about a first axis relative to the carrier housing via first and second bearings. The ring gear includes ring gear teeth that are meshed to the pinion gear teeth and a third bearing supports the ring gear for rotation about the second axis relative to the carrier housing. The third bearing is disposed along the second axis on a side of the ring gear that is opposite the first axis.

Abstract: A vehicle driveline component having a differential assembly that includes a limited slip clutch, a locking clutch and an actuator for operating the limited slip clutch and the locking clutch. The actuator includes a pair of ball-ramp mechanisms that share a rotatable ball-ramp ring.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a transmission system having a transmission subsystem, a transmission housing for housing the transmission subsystem, and a rotor operably associated with the transmission subsystem. The rotor has a weight and dimension to act as a flywheel. At least one stator pole segment is housed within the transmission housing and has at least one stator winding thereon positioned in proximity to a surface of the rotor. An inverter communicates with the stator winding and electrically energizes the winding to cause rotation of the rotor.

Abstract: A method for forming an assembly having a housing and first and second components. The first and second components are movable relative to one another in the housing. The method includes: providing first and second workpieces; moving the first and second workpieces relative to one another in a predetermined manner that produces relative sliding contact between the first and second workpieces while performing a superfinishing operation on the first and second workpieces to form the first and second components, respectively, wherein the superfinishing operation does not comprise a lapping operation; and mounting the first and second components in the housing such that the first and second components are engaged to one another and are movable relative to one another in the predetermined manner.

Abstract: A drive system with one or more electrically driven axles, a transmission subsystem, which is drivingly coupled to the drive gearbox of each of the electrically driven axles, synchronous and asynchronous motors, which are each drivingly coupled to the transmission subsystem, and a controller. Each of the axles has a drive gearbox that transmits rotary power to an associated set of vehicle wheels. The controller controls the synchronous motor and/or the asynchronous motor responsive to at least a torque request and a shaft speed of the synchronous motor and/or the shaft speed of the asynchronous motor. Over a significant portion of the operating range of the drive system, the controller is configured to vary the respective magnitudes of the rotary power provided by the motors to satisfy the torque request in a manner that maximizes a combined efficiency of the motors in a predetermined manner.