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US 11,994,198 B1Granted
Axle assembly having a preload mechanism
AssigneeArvinMeritor Technology, LLC
InventorsDavid M Zueski, Thomas Johns, Brian Hayes
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An axle assembly having a preload mechanism. The preload mechanism engages a bearing assembly and includes a preload element and an adjuster element. The preload element is disposed inside a housing and is rotatable about an axis. The adjuster element engages the preload element and is moveable to actuate the preload element and exert a preload force on a bearing assembly. The adjuster element is accessible from outside of the housing.
Claims27
An axle assembly comprising:
- a housing;
- a shaft that is rotatable about an axis and disposed in the housing;
- a bearing assembly that encircles the shaft and that rotatably supports the shaft on the housing;
- and
- a preload mechanism that engages the bearing assembly, the preload mechanism including:
- a preload element that is disposed inside the housing and is rotatable about the axis;
- and
- an adjuster element that engages the preload element and is moveable along an adjuster element axis that differs from the axis to actuate the preload element and exert a preload force on the bearing assembly, wherein the adjuster element is disposed in a hole in the housing and is accessible from outside of the housing, wherein the housing is a differential carrier and the shaft is part of a drive pinion.
5 more elements
An axle assembly comprising:
- a housing;
- a shaft that is rotatable about an axis and disposed in the housing;
- a bearing assembly that encircles the shaft and that rotatably supports the shaft on the housing;
- a second bearing assembly that encircles the shaft and that rotatably supports the shaft on the housing;
- and
- a preload mechanism that engages the bearing assembly, the preload mechanism including:
- a preload element that is disposed inside the housing and is rotatable about the axis;
- and
- an adjuster element that engages the preload element and is rotatable about an adjuster element axis that differs from the axis to actuate the preload element and exert a preload force on the bearing assembly, wherein the adjuster element is disposed in a hole in the housing and is accessible from outside of the housing, and the preload element is positioned along the axis between the bearing assembly and the second bearing assembly.
6 more elements
An axle assembly comprising:
- a housing;
- a shaft that is rotatable about an axis and disposed in the housing;
- a bearing assembly that encircles the shaft and that rotatably supports the shaft on the housing;
- and
- a preload mechanism that engages the bearing assembly, the preload mechanism including:
- a preload element that is disposed inside the housing and is rotatable about the axis;
- and
- an adjuster element that engages the preload element and is moveable along an adjuster element axis that differs from the axis to actuate the preload element and exert a preload force on the bearing assembly, wherein the adjuster element is disposed in a hole in the housing and is accessible from outside of the housing, wherein the preload mechanism includes a retainer that inhibits axial movement of the adjuster element when the retainer is received in the hole in the housing.
5 more elements
An axle assembly comprising:
- a housing;
- a shaft that is rotatable about an axis and disposed in the housing;
- a bearing assembly that encircles the shaft and that rotatably supports the shaft on the housing;
- and
- a preload mechanism that engages the bearing assembly, the preload mechanism including:
- a preload element that is disposed inside the housing and is rotatable about the axis;
- and
- an adjuster element that engages the preload element and is rotatable about an adjuster element axis that differs from the axis to actuate the preload element and exert a preload force on the bearing assembly, wherein the adjuster element is disposed in a hole in the housing and is accessible from outside of the housing, wherein the housing is a differential carrier and the shaft is part of a drive pinion.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.