Pinion nut retainer
AssigneeFca US LLC
InventorsRashid Malik, Richard F Bardecki
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An axle assembly is provided and includes an axle component, a pinion nut, and a retainer. The axle component has a recess that defines a wall portion. The pinion nut is received within the recess. The retainer is received within the recess and is disposed between the pinion nut and the wall portion. The retainer is movable between a compressed state and a first expanded state, whereby the compressed state permits movement of the retainer relative to the pinion nut and the first expanded state engages the pinion nut and the wall portion to restrict movement of the retainer relative to the pinion nut and the wall portion.
Claims19
An axle assembly comprising:
- an axle component having a recess defining a wall portion;
- a pinion nut received within said recess;
- and
- a retainer received within said recess and disposed between said pinion nut and said wall portion, said retainer movable between a compressed state permitting movement of said retainer relative to said pinion nut and a first expanded state engaging said pinion nut and said wall portion to restrict movement of said retainer relative to said pinion nut and said wall portion.
A retainer for a pinion nut of an axle assembly having a flange, the retainer comprising:
- a substantially annular body having a gap formed between a first end of a first arm and a second end of a second arm, said body surrounding the pinion nut and moveable between a compressed state permitting movement of said body relative to the pinion nut and a first expanded state restricting movement of said body relative to the pinion nut and the flange;
- and
- an actuation mechanism associated with at least one of said first arm and said second arm and operable to move said body between said compressed state and said first expanded state by causing movement of said first end relative to said second end.
A method comprising:
- applying a force to a retainer to move said retainer from a first expanded state to a compressed state;
- inserting said retainer into a recess formed between an axle component and a pinion nut;
- rotating said retainer relative to said pinion nut until said retainer contacts an outer surface of said pinion nut;
- removing said force to cause said retainer to move from said compressed state to said first expanded state;
- and
- engaging said pinion nut and said axle component upon movement into said first expanded state to restrict rotation of said pinion nut relative to said axle component.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.