Back to results
US 2016/0102747 A1Published application
Differential assembly with c-lock keeper
AssigneeAmerican Axle & Manufacturing, Inc.
InventorWilliam E. Worman, JR.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present teachings provide for a differential assembly including a pair of plates and a keeper. A pair of pinion gears can be rotatable within a case for common rotation about a first axis and relative rotation about a second axis. A pair of side gears can meshingly engage the pinion gears, each being coupled for rotation with an output shaft. Each plate can be received in a groove defined by a respective output shaft, and can have a radial width greater than a depth of the groove. The keeper can be axially between the pinion and side gears, and can include releasably coupled first and second bodies, that cooperate to define first and second bores. Each bore can define an inner surface that surrounds a respective one of the plates to prevent its escape from the groove.
Claims20
A differential assembly comprising:
- a case adapted to be supported within an axle housing for rotation about a first axis, the case defining a cavity;
- a pair of pinion gears received in the cavity and rotatable relative to the case about a second axis that is perpendicular to the first axis;
- a pair of side gears received in the cavity and rotatable about the first axis, each side gear being meshingly engaged with the pair of pinion gears;
- a pair of output shafts, each output shaft being coupled for rotation with a respective one of the side gears and having an outer surface that defines a circumferentially extending groove;
- a pair of plates, each plate being received in the groove of a respective one of the output shafts, each plate having a maximum radial width that is greater than a depth of the groove;
- and
- a keeper received between the pinion gears and the side gears, the keeper including a first body and a second body coupled to the first body, the first and second bodies cooperating to define a first bore and a second bore, wherein each of the first and second bores define an inner radial surface, each inner radial surface being disposed about the first axis and surrounding a respective one of the plates to inhibit escape of the respective plate from the groove of the respective output shaft.
4 more elements
A differential assembly comprising:
- a case adapted to be supported within an axle housing for rotation about a first axis, the case defining a cavity;
- a cross-pin received in the cavity and coupled to the case for common rotation about the first axis;
- a pair of pinion gears received in the cavity and rotatably coupled to the cross-pin for rotation relative to the case about a second axis that is perpendicular to the first axis;
- a pair of side gears received in the cavity and rotatable about the first axis, each side gear being meshingly engaged with the pair of pinion gears;
- a pair of output members, each output member being coupled for rotation with a respective one of the side gears and having an outer surface that defines a circumferentially extending channel;
- a pair of lock members, each lock member being received in the channel of a respective one of the output members, each lock member having a maximum radial width that is greater than a depth of the channel;
- and
- a keeper disposed about the cross-pin and including a first body and a second body coupled to the first body, wherein the first and second bodies define a pair of walls, each wall defining an inner surface that surrounds a respective one of the lock members;
- wherein each outer surface of the respective output member and the inner surface of each wall are radially spaced apart by a distance that is less than the maximum radial width of each lock member.
6 more elements
A differential assembly comprising:
- a case adapted to be supported within an axle housing for rotation about a first axis, the case defining a cavity;
- a cross-pin received in the cavity and coupled to the case for common rotation about the first axis;
- a pair of pinion gears received in the cavity and rotatably coupled to the cross-pin for rotation relative to the case about a second axis that is perpendicular to the first axis;
- a pair of side gears received in the cavity and rotatable about the first axis, each side gear being meshingly engaged with the pair of pinion gears;
- a pair of output members, each output member being coupled for rotation with a respective one of the side gears and having an outer surface that defines a circumferentially extending groove;
- a pair of lock members, each lock member being received in the groove of a respective one of the output members, each lock member having a maximum radial width that is greater than a depth of the groove;
- and
- a keeper disposed about the cross-pin, the keeper including a first body and a second body coupled to the first body, a first side of the keeper defining a first annular cavity, and a second side of the keeper defining a second annular cavity;
- wherein the first and second annular cavities are concentric with the pair of output members and each of the first and second annular cavities defines an inner radial surface that surrounds a respective one of the lock members;
- and
- wherein each outer surface of the respective output member and the inner radial surface of the first and second annular cavities are spaced apart by a distance that is less than the maximum radial width of each lock member.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.