Disconnecting axle assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10487889-B2
Application number	US-201716077202-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 24, 2017
Priority date	Mar 25, 2016
Publication date	Nov 26, 2019
Grant date	Nov 26, 2019

Abstract

A disconnecting axle includes a housing assembly including a first end cap coupled to a first side of a housing member to define a clutch cavity, and a second end cap coupled to a second side of the housing member to define a differential cavity. The housing member can define a central bore, a sump, and a plurality of passages. The central bore extends axially between the clutch and differential cavities. The sump can be spaced apart from the clutch and differential cavities, and the central bore. A clutch passage couples the clutch cavity to the sump. A differential passage couples the differential cavity to the sump. A first output member of the differential extends axially within the central bore. A piston is configured to compress friction plates to selectively transmit torque. A pump can pump fluid from the sump to the cylinder to move the piston.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A disconnecting axle assembly comprising:
a housing assembly including a first end cap, a second end cap, a sump cover, and a housing member, the housing member defining a central bore, a clutch return passage, and a differential return passage, the first end cap being fixedly coupled to a first side of the housing member such that the first end cap and the housing member define a clutch cavity, the second end cap being fixedly coupled to a second side of the housing member such that the second end cap and the housing member define a differential cavity spaced apart from the clutch cavity, the central bore being disposed about an output axis and extending axially between the clutch cavity and the differential cavity, the sump cover being fixedly coupled to a third side of the housing member such that the sump cover and the housing member define a sump that is spaced apart from the clutch cavity, the differential cavity, and the central bore, the clutch return passage coupling the clutch cavity to the sump in fluid communication, and the differential return passage coupling the differential cavity to the sump in fluid communication;
a differential disposed within the differential cavity, the differential including an input member, a first output member, and a second output member, the first output member being supported within the housing assembly for rotation about the output axis and extending axially within the central bore; and
a clutch including a plurality of friction plates disposed within the clutch cavity and an actuator, a first set of the friction plates being coupled to the first output member for common rotation about the output axis, a second set of the friction plates being interleaved with the first set and coupled to a third output member for common rotation about the output axis, the actuator including a pump and a piston slidably disposed in a cylinder, the piston being configured to axially compress the friction plates to selectively transmit torque between the first and third output members, the pump being coupled to the housing assembly and configured to pump fluid from the sump to the cylinder.

2. The disconnecting axle assembly of claim 1 , wherein the clutch return passage has a first aperture open to the clutch cavity proximate to a bottom of the clutch cavity and the clutch return passage is open to the sump at a location below the first aperture, and wherein the differential return passage has a second aperture open to the differential cavity proximate to a bottom of the differential cavity and the differential return passage is open to the sump at a location that is below the second aperture.

3. The disconnecting axle assembly of claim 1 , wherein the housing member further defines a bore return passage having an inlet open to the central bore and an outlet open to the sump, the inlet of the bore return passage being above the outlet of the bore return passage.

4. The disconnecting axle assembly of claim 1 , wherein the clutch includes a first clutch portion and a second clutch portion, the first friction plates being axially slidable relative to the first clutch portion and coupled for common rotation about the output axis with the first clutch portion, the second friction plates being axially slidable relative to the second clutch portion and coupled for common rotation about the output axis with the second clutch portion, the first clutch portion being fixedly coupled to the first output member and including a projection that extends radially outward to inhibit movement of the first and second clutch plates in a first axial direction to retain the first and second clutch plates between the first and second clutch portions.

5. The disconnecting axle assembly of claim 1 , wherein the housing member further defines an air balance passage, the air balance passage extending axially between the clutch cavity and the differential cavity and being spaced apart from the central bore and open to the clutch cavity and the differential cavity above the output axis.

6. The disconnecting axle assembly of claim 5 , wherein the housing member defines a bleed port open to the cylinder and the air balance passage and configured to restrict flow of fluid from the cylinder to a flowrate that is less than a flowrate of fluid pumped from the sump to the cylinder.

7. The disconnecting axle assembly of claim 1 , wherein the differential includes a differential gearset configured to receive input torque from the input member and output differential torque to the first and second output members.

8. The disconnecting axle assembly of claim 7 , wherein the differential gearset is a planetary gearset including an internal gear, a planet carrier, a plurality of planet gears, and a sun gear, wherein the input member of the differential is fixedly coupled to the internal gear, the first output is fixedly coupled to the planet carrier, and the second output is fixedly coupled to the sun gear.

9. The disconnecting axle assembly of claim 8 , wherein the first output member includes a tubular shaft and a flange member, wherein a first end of the flange member includes a plurality of splines that meshingly engage a plurality of mating splines on the tubular shaft within the central bore, and a second end of the flange member is disposed within the differential cavity and extends radially outward of the first end of the flange member and is fixedly coupled to the planet carrier.

10. The disconnecting axle assembly of claim 9 , wherein the sun gear includes a hub member that is supported by the first output member by a bearing disposed radially between the first output member and the hub member.

11. The disconnecting axle assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a hypoid gear and an input pinion, the input member of the differential being fixedly coupled to the hypoid gear, the input pinion being meshingly engaged with the hypoid gear and being rotatably supported by the housing member for rotation about a second axis that is transverse to the output axis.

12. The disconnecting axle assembly of claim 11 , further comprising a head bearing disposed within a bearing recess defined by the housing member, the head bearing supporting the input pinion for rotation relative to the housing member, wherein the housing member further defines a pinion return passage that couples the bearing recess and the central bore in fluid communication.

13. A disconnecting axle assembly comprising:
a housing assembly including a first end cap, a second end cap, a sump cover, and a housing member, the housing member defining a central bore, a clutch supply passage, and a clutch return passage, the first end cap being fixedly coupled to a first side of the housing member such that the first end cap and a first annular wall of the housing member define a clutch cavity, the second end cap being fixedly coupled to a second side of the housing member such that the second end cap and a second annular wall of the housing member define a differential cavity spaced apart from the clutch cavity, the central bore being disposed about an output axis and extending axially between the first and second annular walls to couple the clutch cavity and the differential cavity for fluid communication, the sump cover being fixedly coupled to a third side of the housing member such that the sump cover and the housing member define a sump that is spaced apart from the clutch cavity, the differential cavity, and the central bore, the housing member including a third annular wall and a fourth annular wall that extend axially from the first annular wall to define an annular cylinder, the clutch supply passage being

Assignees

• American Axle & Mfg Inc

Inventors

• Valente Paul J
• Downs James P

Classifications

• F16H48/10

  with orbital spur gears · CPC title

• F16H57/0473

  Friction devices, e.g. clutches or brakes · CPC title

• F16D25/082

  the line of action of the fluid-actuated members co-inciding with the axis of rotation · CPC title

• F16D25/123

  in view of cooling and lubrication · CPC title

• F16H48/32

  using fluid pressure actuators · CPC title