Axle assembly with threaded cover pan attachment and method of assembly
AssigneeAmerican Axle & Manufacturing, Inc.
InventorsJohn Hibbler, Dale Dick
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A power transfer device includes an input, a gear set for transferring power from the input to at least one output, a housing and a cover. The housing includes an access aperture sized for receiving the gear set. The access aperture includes a threaded wall. The cover closes the aperture and is threadably engaged with the threaded wall to secure the cover to the housing.
Claims27
An axle assembly comprising:
- a differential assembly;
- a carrier housing having an access aperture for receiving said differential assembly, said access aperture including a threaded wall, said carrier housing including a plurality of spaced apart protrusions;
- and
- a cover for closing the access aperture, said cover including a threaded portion operable to threadingly engage said threaded wall to secure said cover to said carrier housing and enable ready removal of said cover, said cover including an outwardly extending bendable tab, said bendable tab being selectively positioned adjacent to at least one of said plurality of protrusions to restrict relative rotation between said cover and said carrier housing.
In an axle assembly having a carrier housing and a differential assembly, the carrier housing having a threaded access aperture for receiving the differential assembly, the axle assembly including a cover for closing the access opening, the cover including a thread selectively engageable with said threaded access aperture to close said access aperture and secure said cover to said carrier housing, said cover including a flange engageable with said carrier housing to limit the axial travel of said cover relative to said carrier housing.
A method of assembling an axle assembly having a carrier assembly, a differential assembly and a cover, the method comprising:
- inserting the differential assembly through an access aperture formed in the carrier housing;
- rotatably supporting the differential assembly in the carrier housing;
- threadably engaging the cover with the carrier housing to close the access aperture;
- and
- restricting the cover from rotating relative to the carrier housing after the access aperture has been closed.
A power transfer device comprising:
- an input;
- a gear set operable to transfer power from said input to at least one output;
- a housing having an access aperture sized for receiving said gear set, said access aperture including a threaded wall;
- and
- a cover for closing the access aperture, said cover including a threaded portion operable to threadingly engage said threaded wall to secure said cover to said housing and enable ready removal of said cover.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.