Power transfer assembly with hypoid gearset having integrated pinion and CV joint coupling unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10759274-B2
Application number	US-201716073430-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 8, 2017
Priority date	Feb 10, 2016
Publication date	Sep 1, 2020
Grant date	Sep 1, 2020

Abstract

An integrated pinion/bearing/coupling (PBC) assembly for use with a hypoid gearset in power transfer assemblies of motor vehicles having mounting features and venting features. The integrated PBC assembly includes a hollow pinion unit made of steel and including a pinion shaft segment and a pinion gear segment, and a coupling unit having a hub segment made of aluminum. A brazing sleeve is used to braze the aluminum hub segment of the coupling unit to the steel pinion shaft segment of the pinion unit. The PBC assembly can further include a constant velocity joint (CVJ) unit connected to, or formed as part of, the coupling unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A power transfer assembly for transmitting drive torque from a powertrain to a pair of wheels in a motor vehicle, comprising:
a housing;
a rotary input rotatably supported by the housing and drivingly connected to the powertrain;
a rotary output rotatably supported by the housing and drivingly connected to the pair of wheels; and
a hypoid gearset rotatably supported by the housing and operable to transfer drive torque from rotary input to the rotary output, the hypoid gearset including a ring gear and a constant velocity joint (CVJ) unit and a pinion/bearing/coupling (PBC) unit combined to define a CVJ/PBC assembly, the CVJ/PBC assembly being drivingly connected to one of the rotary input and the rotary output, and the ring gear being drivingly connected to the other one of the rotary input and the rotary output, wherein the PBC unit includes a tubular pinion shaft having a hollow pinion shaft segment and a pinion gear segment in meshed engagement with the ring gear, bearings rotatably supporting the hollow pinion shaft for rotation relative to the housing, and wherein the CVJ unit includes an outer race member coupled for rotation with the pinion shaft segment of the pinion shaft, an inner race member connected to the one of the rotary input and the rotary output, and torque transmitting elements disposed between the inner and outer race members;
wherein the PBC unit further includes a vent assembly installed in the tubular pinion shaft segment of the pinion shaft, and wherein the vent assembly functions to vent pressurized air within the housing to ambient.

2. The power transfer assembly of claim 1 , wherein the CVJ/PBC assembly further includes a coupling sleeve disposed between a hub segment of the outer race member and the hollow pinion shaft segment of the pinion shaft.

3. The power transfer assembly of claim 1 , wherein the PBC unit further includes a bearing housing supporting a pair of the bearings and which is secured to the housing, and a lock collar configured to secure the bearing housing to the housing.

4. The power transfer assembly of claim 3 , wherein the lock collar includes external threads configured to engage internal threads formed in the housing to permit adjustment of the PBC unit relative to the ring gear.

5. The power transfer assembly of claim 1 , wherein the rotary input is a propshaft receiving drive torque from the powertrain, wherein the rotary output is a differential assembly drivingly connected to the pair of wheels, and wherein the ring gear is configured to drive the differential assembly.

6. The power transfer assembly of claim 5 , wherein the inner race member is configured to be drivingly connected to the propshaft.

7. The power transfer assembly of claim 1 , wherein the CVJ unit includes a plurality of outer tracks formed in the outer race member, a plurality of inner tracks formed in the inner race member, a cage having cage apertures, and balls retained in the cage apertures and engaging aligned pairs of the inner and outer tracks.

8. The power transfer assembly of claim 7 , wherein the CVJ unit defines a plunging joint unit.

9. The power transfer assembly of claim 1 , wherein the pinion shaft is formed as a one-piece steel component.

10. The power transfer assembly of claim 1 defining a drive axle assembly such that the housing is an axle housing, the rotary input is a propshaft drivingly connected to the inner race member of the CVJ unit, and the rotary output is a differential assembly driven by the ring gear.

11. The power transfer assembly of claim 1 defining a power take-off unit such that the housing is a PTU housing, the ring gear is drivingly connected to the rotary input, and the rotary output is a propshaft drivingly connected to the inner race member of the CVJ unit.

12. The power transfer assembly of claim 1 , wherein the bearings of the PBC unit include a first bearing assembly and a second bearing assembly each having an inner bearing race fixed to the shaft segment of the pinion shaft, and wherein the inner bearing race of the first bearing assembly is integrated into the outer race member of the CVJ unit.

13. A power transfer assembly for transmitting drive torque from a powertrain to a pair of wheels in a motor vehicle, comprising:
a housing;
a rotary input rotatably supported by the housing and drivingly connected to the powertrain;
a rotary output rotatably supported by the housing and drivingly connected to the pair of wheels; and
a hypoid gearset rotatably supported by the housing and operable to transfer drive torque from rotary input to the rotary output, the hypoid gearset including a ring gear and a constant velocity joint (CVJ) unit combined with a pinion/bearing/coupling (PBC) unit to define a CVJ/PBC assembly, the CVJ/PBC assembly being drivingly connected to one of the rotary input and the rotary output and the ring gear being drivingly connected to the other one of the rotary input and the rotary output, wherein the PBC unit includes a tubular pinion shaft having a hollow pinion shaft segment and a pinion gear segment in meshed engagement with the ring gear, and bearings rotatably supporting the hollow pinion shaft for rotation relative to the housing, and wherein the CVJ unit is operably disposed between the pinion shaft segment of the pinion shaft and the one of the rotary input and the rotary output;
wherein the PBC unit further includes a vent assembly installed in the tubular pinion shaft segment of the pinion shaft, and wherein the vent assembly functions to vent pressurized air within the housing to ambient.

14. The power transfer assembly of claim 13 , wherein the CVJ unit includes an outer race member fixed for rotation with the pinion shaft segment of the pinion shaft, an inner race member fixed for rotation with the one of the rotary input and the rotary output, and torque transmitting elements disposed between the inner and outer race members.

15. The power transfer assembly of claim 14 , wherein the CVJ/PBC assembly further includes a coupling sleeve disposed between a hub segment of the outer race member and the hollow pinion shaft segment of the pinion shaft.

16. The power transfer assembly of claim 13 , wherein the PBC unit further includes a lock collar configured to secure the PBC unit to the housing, and wherein the lock collar includes external threads configured to engage internal threads formed in the housing to permit adjustment of the PBC unit relative to the ring gear.

17. The power transfer assembly of claim 13 , wherein the rotary input is a propshaft receiving drive torque from the powertrain, wherein the rotary output is a differential assembly drivingly connected to the pair of wheels, and wherein the ring gear is configured to drive the differential assembly.

18. The power transfer assembly of claim 13 defining a drive axle assembly such that the housing is an axle housing, the rotary input is a propshaft drivingly connected to the inner race member of the CVJ unit, and the rotary output is a differential assembly driven by the ring gear.

19. The power transfer assembly of claim 13 defining a power take-off unit such that the housing is a PTU housing, the ring gear is drivingly connected to the rotary input, and the rotary output is a propshaft drivingly connected to the inner race member of the CVJ unit.

Assignees

• Magna Powertrain America Inc

Inventors

• Ketchel Bradley
• Smith Wade
• Larson Ralph
• Strand Ryan

Classifications

• F16H48/08

  comprising bevel gears · CPC title

• B60K17/165 Primary

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

• F16H1/145

  with offset axes, e.g. hypoïd gearings · CPC title

• F16H48/42

  characterised by features of the input shafts, e.g. mounting of drive gears thereon · CPC title

• F16H57/021

  Shaft support structures, e.g. partition walls, bearing eyes, casing walls or covers with bearings · CPC title