Drive Device For The Road Wheels Of A Vehicle

A drive device for the road wheels of a vehicle comprising:

• a stationary housing (3) having a housing interior (2) partially filled with a lubricating liquid;
• a driving gear wheel (4) projecting into said housing interior (2);
• a rotatable drive shaft (1) extending into said housing interior (2), said drive shaft carrying said gear wheel (4) at an end thereof;
• a differential unit (6) comprising a crown wheel (5) and a differential housing (7), said crown wheel (5) being rotatably bearing-mounted in said stationary housing (3) and rotatably drivable by said driving gear wheel (4);
• a plurality of differential gear wheels (13) rotatably drivable by said crown wheel (5);
• driven gear wheels (14) rotatably drivable by said differential gear wheels (13), said driven gear wheels (14) being drivingly connected to driven shafts (15) for driving the road wheels of the vehicle;
• a shielding housing (17, 24) having a shielding housing interior (29) and being disposed within said stationary housing (3) for enclosing said differential unit (6);
• wherein said shielding housing comprises at least one aperture (23, 28, 32) disposed in an area in which the lubricating liquid is present in said housing interior (2) so as to connect said stationary housing interior (2) to said shielding housing interior (29).