US 11,718,127 B2Granted

Axle assembly with internal lubrication system

AssigneeArvinMeritor Technology, LLC

InventorsDeval H. Shah, Stephen A. Federighe, Jeffrey C. Audet

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Abstract

An axle assembly includes a spindle to receive a drive shaft having a rotational input about an axis and a wheel hub rotatably supported by at least one roller bearing disposed on the spindle. A tire inflation system defines a spindle gas passage to route pressurized gas from an onboard source through the spindle. The tire inflation system includes a seal chamber between the spindle and wheel hub to transfer gas from the spindle to the wheel hub, and a hub gas passage in fluid communication with the seal chamber is arranged to route the pressurized gas to a tire. A lubrication system having a reservoir is located axially outboard of the seal chamber and at least one hub lubricant passage routes lubricant between the reservoir to a roller bearing located axially inboard of the seal chamber. The hub lubricant passage routes lubricant radially outward of the seal chamber.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An axle assembly comprising:

a spindle defining an axis;
a wheel hub that is rotatable about the axis with respect to the spindle, wherein the wheel hub is rotatably supported by a first wheel bearing and a second wheel bearing that are disposed on the spindle, the first wheel bearing being disposed axially outboard from the second wheel bearing;
a tire inflation system including:
first and second sealing elements that extend from the spindle to the wheel hub and cooperate to define a seal chamber therebetween that is arranged to transfer gas from the spindle to the wheel hub;
and
a lubrication system including:
a reservoir located axially outboard of the seal chamber, and
a hub lubricant passage arranged to route lubricant between the reservoir and the second wheel bearing, wherein the hub lubricant passage is disposed radially outward from the seal chamber and is in fluid isolation from the seal chamber, the hub lubricant passage having a first end that is disposed adjacent to the reservoir and a second end disposed opposite the first end, wherein the second end is positioned closer to the second wheel bearing than to the first wheel bearing and the second end is positioned closer to the second wheel bearing than to the seal chamber.

5 more elements

An axle assembly comprising:

a spindle that is disposed along an axis;
a wheel hub that is rotatable about the axis and that defines a plurality of hub lubricant passages that are spaced apart from each other and are through holes in the wheel hub;
a hub cap that disposed on an outboard end of the wheel hub, the wheel hub and the hub cap cooperating to define a reservoir therebetween;
and
first and second wheel bearings that rotatably support the wheel hub on the spindle, the first wheel bearing being disposed along the axis closer to the hub cap than the second wheel bearing is disposed to the hub cap, wherein each hub lubricant passage of the plurality of hub lubricant passages has a first end that faces toward and is spaced apart from the hub cap and a second end that is disposed opposite the first end, wherein the second end is disposed closer to the axis than the first end is disposed to the axis and the first wheel bearing is disposed closer to the hub cap than the first end and the second end of each hub lubricant passage, and wherein the plurality of hub lubricant passages extend at an oblique angle with respect to the axis such that the plurality of hub lubricant passages all extend closer toward the axis as a distance from the hub cap increases.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/878,702Filed 20 May 2020
Published: US 2021/0364039 A125 Nov 2021
Granted: 8 Aug 2023
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification15 codes

B60B 19/08
Wheels not otherwise provided for or having characteristics specified in one of the subgroups of this group: with lubricating passages, channels,…
B60B 27/0047
Hubs: characterised by functional integration of other elements
B60B 35/122
Power-transmission from drive shaft to hub: using gearings
B60C 23/00327
On the wheels or the hubs: integrally with the hub caps