Reinforced vehicle axle housing assembly and method for reinforcement
AssigneeEaton Corporation
InventorsIan Kenneth Tasker, John Robert Ottewill
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A reinforced vehicle axle housing assembly includes a housing having an arm section including an axial portion adapted to receive a brake flange and a sleeve disposed in a cavity defined by the arm section. The sleeve at least partially overlaps the axial portion and is in reinforcing engagement with the arm section. The housing is formed by first and second housing halves joined together by a housing weld along the neutral axis. The housing weld penetrates through the arm section and secures the sleeve to the housing. A method for reinforcing a vehicle axle housing includes the steps of positioning a sleeve in the cavity so as to be encircled by the axial portion and securing the sleeve within the cavity so as to reinforce the arm section.
Claims20
A rear axle housing assembly for rear disk brake adaptation in a heavy duty vehicle, the rear axle housing assembly including a housing having an arm section including an axial portion adapted to receive a brake flange, the arm section defining a cavity and having an end, the rear axle housing assembly further comprising:
- a sleeve disposed in the cavity and at least partially overlapping the axial portion, the sleeve being in reinforcing engagement with the arm section and not extending substantially beyond the arm section end;
- and
- a spindle end secured to the arm section end.
A method of making an axle housing assembly for a vehicle, the axle housing assembly including a housing having an arm section including an axial portion adapted to receive a brake flange, the arm section defining a cavity and having an end, the method comprising:
- positioning a sleeve in the cavity so as to be encircled by the axial portion;
- securing the sleeve within the cavity so as to reinforce the arm section with the sleeve not extending substantially beyond the arm section end;
- and
- securing a spindle end to the arm section end.
An axle housing assembly for a vehicle, the axle housing assembly including a housing having an arm section including an axial portion, the arm section defining a cavity and having an end, the axle housing assembly further comprising:
- a sleeve disposed in the cavity and encircled by the axial portion, the sleeve being in reinforcing engagement with the arm section and not extending substantially beyond the arm section end, wherein the housing is formed by a first housing half and a second housing half, the first and second housing halves being joined together by a housing weld along a neutral axis, the housing weld penetrating through the arm section and securing the sleeve to the housing;
- a spindle end secured to the arm section end;
- and
- a brake flange secured to the axial portion by first and second circumferential welds on axially opposite sides of the brake flange, each of the first and second welds extending approximately 360.degree. around the housing so as to avoid significant stress discontinuities during brake operation, wherein the sleeve extends axially beyond each of the first and second welds so as to increase fatigue life of the housing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.