Back to results
US 11,231,096 B2Granted
Axle assembly
AssigneeAmerican Axle & Manufacturing, Inc.
InventorsJames P. Downs, Paul J. Valente
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
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.
Claims32
An axle assembly comprising:
- a housing;
- an input pinion having a pinion gear and a pinion shaft, the input pinion being received in the housing and being rotatable about a first axis;
- a ring gear meshed with the pinion gear and rotatable about a second axis that is transverse to the first axis;
- a differential assembly having a differential input and a pair of output members, the differential input being driven by the ring gear;
- and
- a first bearing and a second bearing for supporting the input pinon for rotation relative to the housing about the first axis, the first bearing being a four-point angular contact bearing having a first outer bearing race, a first inner bearing race and a single row of bearing elements that are disposed between the first outer bearing race and the first inner bearing race.
3 more elements
An axle assembly comprising:
- a housing;
- an input pinion having a pinion gear and a pinion shaft, the input pinion being received in the housing and being rotatable about a first axis;
- a ring gear meshed with the pinion gear and rotatable about a second axis that is transverse to the first axis;
- a differential assembly having a differential input and a pair of output members, the differential input being driven by the ring gear;
- and
- a first bearing and a second bearing for supporting the input pinon for rotation relative to the housing about the first axis;
- wherein rotation of the input pinion in a first rotational direction to drive the ring gear generates a first thrust force that is transmitted between the input pinion and the housing in a first direction along the first axis, wherein rotation of the input pinion in a second rotational direction opposite the first rotational direction to drive the ring gear generates a second thrust force that is transmitted between the input pinion and the housing in a second direction along the first axis, and wherein at least a substantial majority of each of the first and second thrust forces is transmitted through the first bearing.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.