Differential cover for a vehicle that provides uniform sealing
AssigneeAmericam Axle & Manufacturing, Inc.
InventorKevin Ray Beutler
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A differential cover for a differential unit of a vehicle includes a central area, a flange area having a lower surface facing a mating direction for mating with a surface of a differential housing. The flange area has a plurality of apertures distributed along the flange area. The flange between centerlines of adjacent apertures defines a plurality of segments, each of which extending further in the mating direction than the lower surfaces of the segment at respective centerlines.
Claims8
A differential cover for a differential unit of a vehicle, the differential cover comprising:
- a central area;
- and
- a flange area positioned at an outer periphery of the central area, the flange area having a lower surface facing a mating direction, the flange area having a plurality of apertures distributed along the flange area;
- wherein areas of the flange between centerlines of adjacent apertures defines a plurality of segments, each segment having at least a portion of the lower surface extending further in the mating direction than the lower surfaces of the segment at respective centerlines.
A differential unit for a vehicle comprising:
- a housing;
- a differential cover having a flange;
- and
- a gasket positioned between the flange and the housing to seal an interior of the housing from an external environment;
- wherein the differential cover is attached to the housing by a plurality of bolts, the bolts passing through the flange and clamping the differential cover to the gasket to apply a clamping force to the gasket;
- wherein the flange applies a spring load to the gasket due to elastic deformation at areas between the bolts to provide a clamping force to the gasket, a combined force on the gasket caused by the spring load and the bolts providing a substantially equal clamping force and uniform contact sealing stress/pressure distribution on the gasket along the flange.
A method for assembling a differential cover to a differential housing to enclose a differential unit, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a differential cover having a flange with a plurality of apertures provided therethrough, the flange having a lower surface on a mating side, areas along the flange between the apertures being bowed in a direction toward the mating side;
- positioning a gasket between the mating side of the flange and an open area of the housing;
- clamping the cover to the housing with the gasket there between by passing bolts through the apertures and tightening the bolts to the housing;
- wherein the bowed areas of the flange are pressed against the housing and are elastically straightened when the differential cover is clamped to the housing, wherein the elastically straightened portions of the differential cover apply a force against the gasket that combines with a clamping force supplied by the bolts to provide a substantially equal clamping force and uniform contact sealing stress/pressure distribution on the gasket.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.