Axle assembly having an axle shaft subassembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10752050-B2
Application number	US-201615218248-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 25, 2016
Priority date	Jul 25, 2016
Publication date	Aug 25, 2020
Grant date	Aug 25, 2020

Abstract

An axle assembly having an axle shaft subassembly. The axle shaft subassembly may include an axle shaft and an adapter ring. The adapter ring may receive the axle shaft and may be fixedly positioned with respect to the axle shaft. A hub may receive the adapter ring and may be fixedly positioned with respect to the adapter ring.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An axle assembly comprising:
a spindle;
an axle shaft subassembly that includes:
an axle shaft that is rotatable about an axis; and
an adapter ring that has an adapter ring hole that receives the axle shaft and an outer adapter ring spline that is disposed opposite the adapter ring hole;

a hub that is rotatably disposed on the spindle and that has a hub opening that receives the adapter ring and a hub spline that is disposed in the hub opening and that mates with the outer adapter ring spline;
a cover that is coupled to a first hub end surface that extends around the axis, wherein the cover extends completely across the hub opening;
a seal that extends around the axis and extends from the cover to the first hub end surface; and
a cover fastener that attaches the cover to the hub, wherein the cover fastener extends through a hole in the seal;
wherein the adapter ring is fixedly positioned with respect to the axle shaft and the hub is fixedly positioned with respect to the adapter ring such that the adapter ring is not moveable in an axial direction with respect to the axle shaft and the spindle.

2. The axle assembly of claim 1 wherein the outer adapter ring spline is completely received in the hub opening.

3. The axle assembly of claim 1 wherein the axle shaft has an axle shaft spline that is arranged around the axis and the adapter ring has an inner adapter ring spline that is disposed opposite the outer adapter ring spline, wherein the axle shaft spline mates with the inner adapter ring spline to inhibit rotation of the adapter ring with respect to the axle shaft.

4. The axle assembly of claim 3 wherein the adapter ring further comprises a plurality of passages that extend through the adapter ring and are radially positioned between the inner adapter ring spline and the outer adapter ring spline.

5. The axle assembly of claim 1 wherein the cover is spaced apart from and does not engage the axle shaft and the hub.

6. The axle assembly of claim 1 further comprising a retainer that is disposed on the axle shaft and that inhibits axial movement of the adapter ring with respect to the axle shaft.

7. The axle assembly of claim 6 wherein the adapter ring has an annular wall that extends around the axis and toward the axis such that the annular wall is axially disposed between the retainer and an axle step surface.

8. The axle assembly of claim 7 wherein the retainer engages the annular wall to inhibit axial movement of the adapter ring toward the cover.

9. The axle assembly of claim 7 wherein the adapter ring further comprises a ring that extends from the annular wall and is disposed on an opposite side of the annular wall from an inner adapter ring spline, wherein the ring extends around the retainer.

10. An axle assembly comprising:
an axle shaft subassembly that includes:
an axle shaft that is rotatable about an axis and that has an axle step surface; and
an adapter ring that has an adapter ring hole that receives the axle shaft, an outer adapter ring spline that is disposed opposite the adapter ring hole, and an annular wall that extends around the axis and toward the axis; and

a hub that has a hub opening that receives the adapter ring and a hub spline that is disposed in the hub opening and that mates with the outer adapter ring spline;
wherein the adapter ring is fixedly positioned with respect to the axle shaft and the hub is fixedly positioned with respect to the adapter ring and the axle step surface engages the annular wall to inhibit axial movement of the adapter ring away from a retainer that is disposed on the axle shaft and that inhibits axial movement of the adapter ring with respect to the axle shaft and the annular wall is axially disposed between the retainer and the axle step surface.

11. The axle assembly of claim 10 further comprising a cover that is coupled to a first hub end surface that extends around the axis, wherein the cover extends completely across the hub opening.

12. The axle assembly of claim 11 further comprising a seal that extends around the axis and extends from the cover to the first hub end surface.

13. The axle assembly of claim 12 further comprising a cover fastener that attaches the cover to the hub, wherein the cover fastener extends through a hole in the seal.

14. An axle assembly comprising:
a spindle that has a spindle hole;
a hub that is rotatably disposed on the spindle, wherein the hub includes:
a first hub end surface;
a second hub end surface disposed opposite the first hub end surface;
a hub opening that extends from the first hub end surface to the second hub end surface and that receives the spindle;
a hub spline that is disposed in the hub opening and that extends from the first hub end surface toward the second hub end surface; and
a hub step surface disposed at an end of the hub spline; and

an axle shaft subassembly that includes:
an axle shaft that extends along and is rotatable about an axis, wherein the axle shaft extends through the spindle and has an axle shaft spline; and
an adapter ring that is received in the hub opening, wherein the adapter ring includes:
an adapter ring hole that receives the axle shaft;
an inner adapter ring spline that is arranged around the axis and that mates with the axle shaft spline to inhibit rotation of the adapter ring with respect to the axle shaft; and
an outer adapter ring spline that is disposed opposite the inner adapter ring spline and mates with the hub spline to inhibit rotation of the hub with respect to the adapter ring, wherein an end of the outer adapter ring spline engages the hub step surface to inhibit axial movement of the adapter ring toward the spindle; and

a cover that is mounted to the hub and extends across the hub opening, wherein the adapter ring is spaced apart from the cover.

15. The axle assembly of claim 14 wherein the adapter ring is spaced apart from and does not engage the spindle.

16. The axle assembly of claim 14 wherein at least a portion of the axle shaft spline is received in the spindle hole.

17. The axle assembly of claim 14 wherein the axle shaft spline is disposed between the cover and a first spindle end surface of the spindle.

18. The axle assembly of claim 17 further comprising a first wheel bearing assembly that rotatably supports the hub, wherein the first wheel bearing assembly is disposed on the spindle in the hub opening and the adapter ring is disposed between the first wheel bearing assembly and the cover.

19. The axle assembly of claim 18 wherein the hub spline extends from the first hub end surface toward the first wheel bearing assembly.

20. The axle assembly of claim 19 wherein teeth of the hub spline terminate at the hub step surface of the hub, wherein the hub step surface is disposed in the hub opening between the first wheel bearing assembly and the adapter ring.

21. An axle assembly comprising:
a spindle;
an axle shaft subassembly that includes:
an axle shaft that extends through the spindle and is rotatable about an axis, the axle shaft including an axle protrusion that extends from an axle end surface that is disposed at an end of the axle shaft to an axle step surface of the axle shaft that is spaced apart from the axle end surface, wherein the axle step surface extends radially outward from the axle protrusion; and
an adapter ring that has an adapter ring hole that receives the axle shaft and an outer adapter ring spline that is disposed opposite the adapter ring hole,

Assignees

• Arvinmeritor Technology Llc

Inventors

• Coletta Antonio
• Pan Jaw-Ping
• Pavuk Gregory D
• Hu Bin
• Santarossa Walter A
• Leicht Phillip

Classifications

• B60B35/121 Primary

  Power-transmission from drive shaft to hub · CPC title

• B60B27/04

  housing driving means, e.g. sprockets · CPC title

• B60B35/12

  Torque-transmitting axles (independent suspension aspects B60G) · CPC title

• B60B27/06

  adapted to be fixed on axle · CPC title

• B60B35/14 Primary

  composite or split, e.g. half- axles; Couplings between axle parts or sections · CPC title