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US 6,957,710 B2Granted
Tandem drive axle assembly
AssigneeArvinMeritor Technology, LLC
InventorJack Darrin Oates
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A tandem drive axle set includes a forward drive axle and a rear drive axle coupled to the forward drive axle with a connecting driveshaft where input torque is distributed to both the forward and rear drive axles without differential action. The forward drive axle includes a pinion gear that is directly coupled to a forward driveline connector at an outboard end and directly coupled to or integrally formed with through shaft at an inboard end. The through shaft is coupled to the connecting driveshaft at a forward drive axle output. The through shaft and pinion gear are coaxial. The pinion gear includes a head portion and a shaft portion. A bearing set rotatably supports the pinion gear and includes a first bearing located outboard of the head portion and a second bearing located inboard of the head portion.
Claims40
A tandem axle drive axle set including a forward drive axle and a rear drive axle comprising:
- an input connector adapted for coupling with a driveshaft wherein said input connector comprises a yoke assembly;
- a forward drive assembly having a forward pinion gear operably coupled to a forward differential, said forward pinion gear being directly coupled to said input connector;
- a through shaft having a first end operably coupled to said forward pinion gear and a second end operably coupled to a forward drive axle output;
- a rear drive assembly including a rear input coupled to a rear pinion gear operably coupled to a rear differential;
- and
- a connecting driveshaft having a first end coupled to said forward drive axle output and a second end coupled to said rear input wherein said through shaft and said forward pinion gear are coaxial.
3 more elements
A tandem axle drive axle set including a forward drive axle and a rear drive axle comprising:
- an input connector adapted for coupling with a driveshaft;
- a forward drive assembly having a forward pinion gear operably coupled to a forward differential, said forward pinion gear being directly coupled to said input connector and wherein said forward pinion gear includes a pinion gear head portion and a shaft portion having an inboard end and an outboard end with said pinion gear head portion being circumferentially formed about said shaft portion between said inboard and said outboard ends;
- a through shaft having a first end operably coupled to said forward pinion gear and a second end operably coupled to a forward drive axle output;
- a rear drive assembly including a rear input coupled to a rear pinion gear operably coupled to a rear differential;
- and
- a connecting driveshaft having a first end coupled to said forward drive axle output and a second end coupled to said rear input wherein said through shaft and said forward pinion gear are coaxial.
3 more elements
A tandem drive axle set comprising:
- an input;
- a forward drive axle operably coupled to said input and including
- a forward pinion gear having a pinion gear head portion integrally formed with a pinion shaft portion as one piece and wherein said pinion shaft portion has a solid outboard end driven by said input,
- a forward ring gear in meshing engagement with said forward pinion gear,
- a first bearing set for rotatably supporting said forward pinion gear for rotation relative to a non-rotating forward drive axle component, and
- a through shaft fixed for rotation with said forward pinion gear to provide driving force to a forward drive axle output;
- a connecting driveshaft operably coupled to said forward drive axle output;
- and
- a rear drive axle including a rear input operably coupled to said connecting driveshaft and having a rear pinion gear and a rear ring gear in meshing engagement with said rear pinion gear wherein said forward pinion gear and said through shaft are coaxial.
6 more elements
A tandem drive axle set comprising:
- an input connector adaptable for connection to a driveshaft wherein said input connector comprises a yoke assembly;
- a forward drive axle operably coupled to said input connector to receive an input torque and including a forward pinion gear having a solid outboard end, a forward ring gear in meshing engagement with said forward pinion gear, at least one bearing for rotatably supporting said forward pinion gear for rotation relative to a non-rotating forward drive axle component, and a through shaft fixed for rotation with said forward pinion gear to provide driving force to a forward drive axle output wherein said solid outboard end is directly coupled to said yoke assembly;
- a connecting driveshaft operably coupled to said forward drive axle output torque;
- and
- a rear drive axle including a rear input operably coupled to said connecting driveshaft and having a rear pinion gear and a rear ring gear in meshing engagement with said rear pinion gear wherein said input torque is distributed to both said forward and said rear drive axles without differential action.
2 more elements
A tandem drive axle set comprising:
- an input connector adaptable for connection to a driveshaft;
- a forward drive axle operably coupled to said input connector to receive an input torque and including a forward pinion gear, a forward ring gear in meshing engagement with said forward pinion gear, at least one bearing for rotatably supporting said forward pinion gear for rotation relative to a non-rotating forward drive axle component, and a through shaft fixed for rotation with said forward pinion gear to provide driving force to a forward drive axle output wherein said forward pinion gear includes a pinion gear head portion and a pinion shaft portion having an inboard end and an outboard end with said pinion gear head portion being circumferentially formed about said pinion shaft portion between said inboard and outboard ends;
- a connecting driveshaft operably coupled to said forward drive axle output;
- and
- a rear drive axle including a rear input operably coupled to said connecting driveshaft and having a rear pinion gear and a rear ring gear in meshing engagement with said rear pinion gear wherein said input torque is distributed to both said forward and said rear drive axles without differential action.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.