Motorcycle axle assembly
AssigneeAmerican Axle & Manufacturing, Inc.
InventorsJames Winston Platt, David Charles Johnson, Chane E. Myers, Harold Wayne Seeds, Andrew P. Maguire, Manoj Venkatesh Bhandiwad
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An axle assembly for a motorcycle having a plurality of drive wheels. The axle assembly is configured to permit a user to replace an endless power-transmitting element without substantially disassembling the axle housing assembly. A method for forming the axle assembly and a method for replacing an endless power-transmitting element are also provided.
Claims21
An axle assembly that is configured for use in a motorcycle having a pair of driven wheels, the axle assembly comprising:
- a carrier housing, a differential assembly and a pair of shafts, the carrier housing having a carrier structure and a pair of bearing caps, the carrier structure defining an opening that is adapted to receive therethrough an endless power transmitting member for transmitting rotary power from a powertrain to the differential assembly, the differential assembly being received in the carrier structure, the bearing caps being removably coupled to the carrier housing and cooperating with a pair of bearing supports to support the differential assembly for rotation about a differential axis, the shafts being coupled to the differential assembly, each of the shafts being adapted to transmit rotary power between the differential assembly and an associated one of the driven wheels.
A method for replacing an endless power transmitting element in a motorcycle having a power train, a rear axle assembly and a pair of driven wheels, the rear axle assembly comprising a carrier housing, a differential assembly and a pair of shafts, the carrier housing having a carrier structure and a pair of bearing caps, the differential assembly being received in the carrier structure, each of the shafts having a first end, which is drivingly coupled to the differential assembly, and a second, opposite end that is coupled to an associated one of the driven wheels, the method comprising:
- untightening a plurality of threaded fasteners that secure a pair of bearing caps to a pair of bearing supports that are integrally formed with the carrier housing;
- mounting the endless power transmitting element about an output member of the power train;
- moving the differential assembly away from at least one of the bearing supports;
- mounting the endless power transmitting element about the differential assembly and through an opening in the carrier housing;
- and
- re-tightening the threaded fasteners to re-secure the bearing caps to the bearing supports.
An axle assembly for motorcycle having a pair of driven wheels, the axle assembly comprising:
- an axle housing assembly with a carrier housing assembly and a pair of axle tubes, the carrier housing assembly including a carrier housing and a pair of bearing caps that are removably coupled to the carrier housing to define a pair of bearing supports, the carrier housing defining a differential cavity with an opening through which the bearing caps can be removed from the carrier housing, the axle tubes being fixedly coupled to the carrier housing;
- a differential assembly that includes a differential, a sprocket and a pair of differential bearings, the differential having a differential case with a pair of trunnions, the sprocket being coupled to the differential case, the differential bearings being mounted on the trunnions, the differential bearings being received between the bearing caps and the carrier housing to rotatably mount the differential assembly to the axle housing assembly;
- and
- a pair of axle shafts received through the axle tubes and coupled to the differential assembly;
- wherein an opening is formed in the carrier housing, the opening being adapted to receive therethrough an endless power transmitting element that is configured to be engaged to the sprocket to transmit rotary power from a power train to the sprocket, wherein the opening is not covered during operation of the axle assembly such that rotation of the differential assembly is visible through the opening.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.