Pinion housing with contaminant deflector
AssigneeAmerican Axle & Manufacturing, Inc.
InventorsPaul H. Petruska, Paul J. Lloyd
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An axle assembly includes a carrier housing having a deflector, a differential assembly, and an input shaft. The carrier housing has a main body and a pinion nose extending from the main body. The pinion shaft and the differential assembly are each rotatably supported by the carrier housing in driving engagement with one another. The pinion shaft extends through an aperture in the pinion nose. The deflector extends across at least a portion of an outer surface of the pinion nose to redirect contaminants from entering the carrier housing.
Claims24
An axle assembly for a motor vehicle, the axle assembly comprising:
- a carrier housing having a main body and a pinion nose extending from said main body;
- a case rotatably positioned within said main body;
- a ring gear coupled to the case;
- a plurality of pinion gears rotatably coupled to said case;
- a plurality of side gears rotatably coupled to said case, each of said side gears being in meshing engagement with each of said pinion gears;
- a pinion shaft in meshing engagement with said ring gear, said pinion shaft extending through said pinion nose to an exterior of said carrier housing;
- a pinion seal positioned between said pinion shaft and an interior surface of said pinion nose;
- and
- a deflector extending across at least a portion of an outer surface of said pinion nose, said deflector being operable to direct foreign materials present on said outer surface of said pinion nose away from said pinion seal.
An axle assembly for a motor vehicle comprising:
- a carrier housing having a pinion nose with an integrally formed deflector, said deflector extending across at least a portion of an outer surface of said pinion nose, said deflector protruding from said outer surface of said pinion nose;
- a differential assembly positioned within and rotatably coupled to said carrier housing;
- and
- a pinion shaft in meshing engagement with said differential assembly, said pinion shaft extending through said pinion nose to a position exterior of said housing.
A differential carrier housing for a motor vehicle traveling along a ground surface comprising:
- a main body having an exterior surface;
- a pinion nose extending from said main body, said pinion nose having an aperture, a first surface, and a second surface, said second surface positioned closer to the ground surface than said first surface;
- and
- a deflector extending substantially entirely across said first surface and terminating at said second surface, wherein said exterior surface of said main body is shaped such that foreign materials present on said exterior surface are urged by gravity to travel from said main body to said pinion nose, wherein said deflector redirects the foreign materials away from said aperture.
An axle assembly for a motor vehicle, the axle assembly comprising:
- a carrier housing having a main body and a pinion nose extending from said main body, said main body is at least partially defined by a wall member having an exterior surface;
- a differential assembly positioned within and rotatably coupled to said carrier housing;
- a pinion shaft in meshing engagement with said differential assembly said pinion shaft extending through an aperture formed in said pinion nose;
- a pinion seal positioned between said pinion shaft and an interior surface of said pinion nose;
- and
- a deflector extending across at least a portion of an outer surface of said pinion nose, wherein said wall member is shaped such that foreign materials present on said exterior surface are urged by gravity to travel from said main body to said pinion nose, wherein said deflector redirects the foreign materials away from said pinion seal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.