Axle assembly having a drive pinion assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10539218-B2
Application number	US-201715684056-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 23, 2017
Priority date	Aug 23, 2017
Publication date	Jan 21, 2020
Grant date	Jan 21, 2020

Abstract

An axle assembly having a drive pinion assembly. The drive pinion assembly may have a drive pinion body, a pinion gear, and a side gear. The pinion gear may be fixedly disposed on a first end portion of the drive pinion body. The side gear may be fixedly disposed on a second end portion of the drive pinion body.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An axle assembly comprising:
a drive pinion assembly that includes:
a drive pinion body that defines a drive pinion passage that extends around an axis, the drive pinion body having a first end portion and a second end portion disposed opposite the first end portion;
a pinion gear that is fixedly disposed on the first end portion, wherein the pinion gear has a pinion gear hole that receives the drive pinion body; and
a side gear that is fixedly disposed on the second end portion, wherein the side gear has a side gear hole that partially receives a spider of an interaxle differential unit that operatively connects an input shaft to an output shaft that extends through the drive pinion passage.

2. The axle assembly of claim 1 wherein the drive pinion body extends through the pinion gear hole such that the drive pinion body and the drive pinion passage extend completely through the pinion gear.

3. The axle assembly of claim 1 wherein the drive pinion body has a threaded portion that is disposed on the first end portion and is at least partially disposed outside the pinion gear hole, wherein a nut threadingly engages the threaded portion to secure the pinion gear to the drive pinion body.

4. The axle assembly of claim 1 wherein the pinion gear has a pinion gear spline that is disposed in the pinion gear hole and an inner pinion surface that at least partially defines an enlarged bore that extends from the pinion gear spline, wherein the pinion gear spline mates with a first spline of the drive pinion body to inhibit rotation of the pinion gear with respect to the drive pinion body and the enlarged bore has a larger diameter than the pinion gear hole and engages the drive pinion body.

5. The axle assembly of claim 4 further comprising a roller bearing assembly that rotatably supports the drive pinion assembly, wherein the pinion gear has a first gear portion end surface and a second gear portion end surface disposed opposite the first gear portion end surface and the roller bearing assembly receives the drive pinion body and engages the second gear portion end surface.

6. The axle assembly of claim 4 wherein the pinion gear has a first gear portion end surface, a second gear portion end surface disposed opposite the first gear portion end surface, and a stem that extends from the second gear portion end surface toward the side gear, wherein the stem partially defines the enlarged bore and engages the drive pinion body.

7. The axle assembly of claim 6 further comprising a roller bearing assembly that rotatably supports the drive pinion assembly, wherein the roller bearing assembly receives the stem and is spaced apart from the drive pinion body.

8. The axle assembly of claim 1 wherein the side gear is integral with the drive pinion body such that the side gear and drive pinion body have a unitary one-piece construction.

9. The axle assembly of claim 8 wherein the side gear has an inner side gear surface that is radially disposed with respect to the axis, wherein the inner side gear surface at least partially defines the side gear hole and the side gear hole has a larger diameter than the drive pinion passage.

10. The axle assembly of claim 9 wherein the inner side gear surface engages the spider.

11. The axle assembly of claim 9 wherein the side gear has a side gear end surface, wherein a roller bearing assembly receives the drive pinion body and engages the side gear end surface.

12. The axle assembly of claim 1 wherein the side gear hole receives the drive pinion body, and a side gear spline that is disposed in the side gear hole mates with a second spline that is disposed on the drive pinion body.

13. The axle assembly of claim 12 wherein the drive pinion body has a flange that extends away from the axis, wherein the flange has a first flange surface that engages a roller bearing assembly that rotatably supports the drive pinion assembly and a second flange surface that is disposed opposite the first flange surface and that engages the side gear.

14. The axle assembly of claim 13 wherein the drive pinion body has a first end surface, a second end surface disposed opposite the first end surface, and the second spline is disposed between the flange and the second end surface.

15. The axle assembly of claim 12 wherein the pinion gear, side gear, and drive pinion body are separate components and the drive pinion body is received in the pinion gear hole and the side gear hole.

16. An axle assembly comprising;
a drive pinion assembly that includes:
a drive pinion body that defines a drive pinion passage that extends around an axis, the drive pinion body having a first end portion a second end portion disposed opposite the first end portion, and a flange that extends away from the axis, wherein the flange has a first flange surface that engages a roller bearing assembly that rotatably supports the drive pinion assembly and a second flange surface that is disposed opposite the first flange surface;
a pinion gear that is fixedly disposed on the first end portion, wherein the pinion gear has a pinion gear hole that receives the drive pinion body; and
a side gear that is fixedly disposed on the second end portion, wherein the side gear engages the second flange surface and has a side gear end surface that engages the second flange surface and a rim that extends from the side gear end surface toward the roller bearing assembly and at least partially around the flange.

17. The axle assembly of claim 16 wherein the side gear has a side gear hole that receives the drive pinion body.

18. An axle assembly comprising:
a drive pinion assembly that includes:
a drive pinion body that defines a drive pinion passage that extends around an axis, the drive pinion body having a first end portion, a second end portion disposed opposite the first end portion, and a flange that extends away from the axis;
a pinion gear that is fixedly disposed on the first end portion, wherein the pinion gear has a pinion gear hole that receives the drive pinion body; and
a side gear that is fixedly disposed on the second end portion and has a side gear hole that receives the drive pinion body, wherein the flange is received in the side gear hole and inhibits axial movement of the side gear away from the pinion gear.

19. The axle assembly of claim 18 wherein the side gear extends from the flange to a roller bearing assembly that receives and rotatably supports the drive pinion assembly.

20. The axle assembly of claim 18 wherein the drive pinion body has a first end surface and a second end surface disposed opposite the first end surface and the drive pinion body has a second spline that is disposed between the flange and the first end surface and that mates with a side gear spline of the side gear that is disposed in the side gear hole.

Assignees

• Arvinmeritor Technology Llc

Inventors

• Annigeri Aniruddh P
• Hayes Brian D
• Garcia Pedro
• Martin Robert J

Classifications

• F16H1/18

  the members having helical, herringbone, or like teeth (F16H1/14 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60K17/165

  provided between independent half axles (B60K17/18, B60K17/20 take precedence) · CPC title

• B60K17/36

  for driving tandem wheels · CPC title

• F16H57/023

  Mounting or installation of gears or shafts in the gearboxes, e.g. methods or means for assembly · CPC title

• F16H2057/02052

  Axle units; Transfer casings for four wheel drive · CPC title