Axle Assembly with Torque Sensor

A differential of an axle assembly, comprising:

• a differential housing portion;
• a drive pinion positioned within the differential housing portion;
• a ring gear engaged with the drive pinion and driven by the drive pinion to rotate;
• a carrier attached to the ring gear and configured to rotate with the ring gear;
• a differential pinion coupled to the carrier operable to rotate with the ring gear and to self-rotate about a differential pinion axis;
• a first side gear engaged with the differential pinion;
• a first bearing coupled to the differential housing portion and rotatable with the carrier;
• a first bearing support coupled to the differential housing portion and configured to support the first bearing;
• and
• a torque sensing assembly coupled to at least one of the differential housing portion and the first bearing support and the torque sensing assembly including at least one sensor;
• wherein the differential housing portion includes a first differential side plate to which the first bearing support is coupled, the first differential side plate includes a receiving hole extending in a direction from a surface of the differential housing portion toward the first bearing, and the receiving hole is configured to receive the sensor operable to measure a characteristic in or below the receiving hole in response to a separation force created between the drive pinion and the ring gear.

A drivetrain component, comprising:

• a housing;
• a driving element positioned within the housing;
• a driven element engaged with the driving element and driven by the driving element to rotate;
• a bearing coupled to the housing and rotatable with one of the driving element and the driven element;
• a bearing support coupled to the housing and configured to support the bearing;
• and
• a torque sensing assembly coupled to at least one of the housing and the bearing support and the torque sensing assembly including at least one sensor;
• wherein the housing includes a side plate or a protrusion extending from an inner surface of the housing toward the bearing, the bearing support is coupled to the side plate or the protrusion, the side plate or the protrusion includes a receiving hole extending in a direction from an outer surface of the housing toward the bearing, and the receiving hole is configured to receive the sensor operable to measure a characteristic in or below the receiving hole in response to a separation force created between the driving element and the driven element.

A drivetrain component, comprising:

• a housing having a bearing securing structure;
• a driving element positioned within the housing;
• a driven element engaged with the driving element and driven by the driving element to rotate;
• a bearing coupled to the bearing securing structure of the housing and rotatable with one of the driving element and the driven element;
• and
• a torque sensing assembly coupled to at least one of the housing and the bearing and the torque sensing assembly including at least one sensor;
• wherein the housing includes a receiving hole extending in a direction from a surface of the housing toward the bearing, and the receiving hole is configured to receive the sensor operable to measure a characteristic in or below the receiving hole in response to a separation force created between the driving element and the driven element.