Differential lubrication
AssigneeRivian IP Holdings, LLC
InventorsMason Verbridge, Gary Allen Pinkley, Caleb Alex Morris, George Zalanca
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A vehicle powertrain may include a differential assembly having a housing disposed partially in a lubrication reservoir. The differential assembly translates rotational motion of a pinion gear to a pair of axle shafts extending from the housing and permits different rotational speeds of the axle shafts. One or more components of the differential assembly, e.g., one or more side gears, may include a plurality of radial grooves configured to distribute a lubricant from the lubrication reservoir while the first side gear rotates.
Claims20
A differential system, comprising:
- a passage in a differential casing comprising a pickup point arranged to draw lubrication from a lubrication reservoir, wherein the pickup point of the passage is submerged in the lubrication reservoir;
- and
- a radial groove of a side gear, the radial groove comprising an inner point configured to receive the lubrication drawn through the passage from the pickup point, wherein;
- the pickup point is radially outward of an outer point of the radial groove;
- and
- the lubrication is ejected radially from the inner point to the outer point as the side gear rotates.
A differential assembly, comprising:
- a pair of differential gears configured to translate rotational motion to a pair of axle shafts;
- a passage in a differential casing that houses the pair of differential gears comprising a pickup point arranged to draw lubrication from a lubrication reservoir, wherein the pickup point of the passage is submerged in the lubrication reservoir;
- and
- a radial groove of a side gear of the pair of differential gears, the radial groove comprising an inner point configured to receive the lubrication drawn through the passage from the pickup point, wherein:
- the pickup point is radially outward of an outer point of the radial groove;
- and
- the lubrication is ejected radially from the inner point to the outer point as the side gear rotates.
A differential assembly comprising:
- a pair of side gears configured to translate rotational motion to a pair of axle shafts;
- a passage in a differential casing that houses the pair of side gears, the passage comprising a pickup point arranged to draw lubrication from a lubrication reservoir;
- a radial groove of a side gear of the pair of side gears, the radial groove comprising an inner point configured to receive the lubrication drawn through the passage from the pickup point, wherein the lubrication is ejected radially from the inner point to an outer point of the radial groove;
- and
- a pump configured to pump lubrication from the lubrication reservoir to a top portion of an enclosure of the differential casing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.