VEHICLE DRIVETRAIN COMPONENT WITH A TWO-SPEED GEARBOX AND A DEFAULT SAFETY SPRING, DESIGNED TO FORCE THE GEARBOX INTO A DESIRED SPEED RATIO

摘要

A vehicle powertrain component is disclosed having a housing, first and second shafts supported by the housing for rotation about an axis of rotation, a two-speed transmission in a power transmission path between the first and second shafts, a shift fork and a fail-safe spring. The two-speed transmission has a movable element which is movable along the axis of rotation between a position for high speed, in which the two-speed transmission works in a first transmission ratio, and a position for low speed, in which the two-speed transmission operates in a second gear ratio that provides a greater speed reduction between the first and second shafts than the first gear ratio. The shift fork is coupled to the movable member for movement therewith along the axis of rotation. The failover spring is coaxially disposed about the axis of rotation and biases the movable member to the high speed position.