Drive assembly with a rotating housing attached to an output interface

A drive assembly for transferring power to an external device, the drive assembly comprising:

• a mounting structure defining a mounting hub and an axially projecting cylindrical neck, an output hub mounted for rotation about the cylindrical neck and a housing cylinder respectively mounted in series along a drive axis of the drive assembly between opposite first and second axial ends of the drive assembly, with the mounting structure being adjacent the first axial end, the housing cylinder being adjacent the second axial end and the output hub being between the mounting hub and the housing cylinder;
• the housing cylinder having at least one ring gear integrally formed around an inner circumference of the housing cylinder, wherein a hub end of the housing cylinder has a radially outer annular surface spaced axially away from the ring gear towards the first end of the drive assembly;
• a planetary gear set surrounded, at least in part, by the housing cylinder, and including at least one sun gear and at least one set of planet gears supported by at least one planet gear carrier and being meshed with the at least one sun gear and with the at least one ring gear of the housing cylinder;
• and
• the output hub including a radially extending hub body and an annular attachment lip extending axially away from the hub body, toward the second end of the drive assembly, and having an axial end and an annular, radially inner surface defining an undercut;
• wherein the housing cylinder is attached to the attachment lip for operation of the drive assembly with the hub end of the housing cylinder disposed within the undercut, such that the inner surface of the attachment lip contacts the outer surface of the hub end of the housing cylinder with a connection being established between the inner surface of the attachment lip and the outer surface of the hub end of the housing cylinder to secure the housing cylinder to the output hub, and with the planetary gear set disposed, at least in part, axially between the axial end of the attachment lip and the second end of the drive assembly;
• and
• wherein rotational power is transmitted from the planetary gear set to the output hub via the at least one ring gear and the connection between the outer surface of the hub end of the housing cylinder and the inner surface of the attachment lip, such that the housing cylinder and output hub rotate in unison to drive the external device.

A drive assembly for a final drive of a work vehicle, the drive assembly comprising:

• a mounting hub configured to secure to a frame of the vehicle;
• a motor attached to the mounting hub, the motor having an output shaft;
• a housing cylinder having at least one ring gear integrally formed around an inner circumference of the housing cylinder, wherein a hub end of the housing cylinder extends axially away from the at least one ring gear towards a first end of the drive assembly and has a radially outer surface;
• a planetary gear set including at least one set of planet gears supported by at least one planet gear carrier, and including at least one sun gear receiving rotational power from the output shaft of the motor, the planet gears being meshed with the at least one sun gear and with the at least one ring gear of the housing cylinder;
• an output hub with a hub body, and with an annular attachment lip extending away from the hub body, toward a second end of the drive assembly, to an axial end of the attachment lip, with a radially inner surface of the attachment lip defining an undercut;
• wherein the housing cylinder is attached to the attachment lip for operation of the drive assembly with the hub end of the housing cylinder disposed within the undercut, such that the inner surface of the attachment lip contacts the outer surface of the hub end of the housing cylinder to secure the housing cylinder to the output hub, and with the planetary gear set disposed, at least in part, axially between the axial end of the attachment lip and the second end of the drive assembly;
• and
• wherein rotational power is transmitted from the planetary gear set to the output hub, via the at least one ring gear and contact between the outer surface of the hub end of the housing cylinder and the inner surface of the attachment lip, such that the housing cylinder and output hub rotate in unison to provide motive power for the work vehicle.

A drive assembly for transferring power to an external device, the drive assembly comprising:

• a housing cylinder having a cap end, an attachment end with a first attachment surface, and gear teeth disposed around an inner circumference of the housing cylinder to form at least one ring gear;
• a double planetary gear set surrounded, at least in part, by the housing cylinder, and including first and second sun gears, and first and second sets of planet gears, and each of the first and second sets of planet gears being supported by at least one planet gear carrier, rotated by at least one of said first and second sun gears and meshed with the at least one ring gear of the housing cylinder;
• and
• an output interface with an annular attachment lip extending toward the cap end of the housing cylinder to an axial end of the attachment lip;
• wherein the housing cylinder is attached to the attachment lip for operation of the drive assembly via a second attachment surface on the attachment lip contacting the first attachment surface to secure the housing cylinder to the output interface, with the cap end of the housing cylinder extending axially past the axial end of the attachment lip such that the cap end of the housing cylinder is not radially aligned with the attachment lip;
• and
• wherein rotational power is transmitted from the planetary gear set to the output interface, via the gear teeth and the contact between the first and second attachment surfaces, in order to drive the external device.

A drive assembly for transferring power to an external device, the drive assembly comprising:

• a housing cylinder having at least one ring gear integrally formed around an inner circumference of the housing cylinder, wherein a hub end of the housing cylinder has a radially outer surface and extends axially away from the ring gear towards a first end of the drive assembly;
• a planetary gear set surrounded, at least in part, by the housing cylinder, and including at least one sun gear and at least one set of planet gears supported by at least one planet gear carrier and being meshed with the at least one sun gear and with the at least one ring gear of the housing cylinder;
• and
• an output hub with a hub body, and with an annular attachment lip extending away from the hub body, toward a second end of the drive assembly, to an axial end of the attachment lip, with a radially inner surface of the attachment lip defining an undercut;
• wherein the housing cylinder is attached to the attachment lip for operation of the drive assembly with the hub end of the housing cylinder disposed within the undercut, A drive assembly for transferring power to an external device, the drive assembly comprising:
• a housing cylinder having at least one ring gear integrally formed around an inner circumference of the housing cylinder, wherein a hub end of the housing cylinder has a radially outer surface and extends axially away from the ring gear towards a first end of the drive assembly;
• a planetary gear set surrounded, at least in part, by the housing cylinder, and including at least one sun gear and at least one set of planet gears supported by at least one planet gear carrier and being meshed with the at least one sun gear and with the at least one ring gear of the housing cylinder;
• and
• an output hub with a hub body, and with an annular attachment lip extending away from the hub body, toward a second end of the drive assembly, to an axial end of the attachment lip, with a radially inner surface of the attachment lip defining an undercut;
• wherein the housing cylinder is attached to the attachment lip for operation of the drive assembly with the hub end of the housing cylinder disposed within the undercut, such that the inner surface of the attachment lip contacts the outer surface of the hub end of the housing cylinder, wherein one of the outer surface of the hub end of the housing cylinder and the inner surface of the attachment lip includes a self-cutting spline interface, such that when the hub end of the housing cylinder is moved axially into the undercut, a splined connection is formed between the hub end of the housing cylinder and the attachment lip to secure the housing cylinder to the output hub, and wherein the one of the attachment lip and the hub end of the housing cylinder includes at least one of a chamfer and a groove to receive debris generated by formation of the splined connection;
• and with the planetary gear set disposed, at least in part, axially between the axial end of the attachment lip and the second end of the drive assembly;
• and
• wherein rotational power is transmitted from the planetary gear set to the output hub via the at least one ring gear and the splined connection between the outer surface of the hub end of the housing cylinder and the inner surface of the attachment lip, such that the housing cylinder and output hub rotate in unison to drive the external device.