Orbitally formed hypoid pinion gear

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11199251-B2
Application number	US-201916721013-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 19, 2019
Priority date	Dec 19, 2019
Publication date	Dec 14, 2021
Grant date	Dec 14, 2021

Abstract

A pinion shaft assembly facilitates assembly of an automotive differential. An angular contact double row ball bearing is assembled to an outer surface of a hollow pinion shaft. An axial pre-load is established and maintained by orbitally forming an outwardly turned portion of the hollow pinion shaft. In some embodiments, the two inner rings are assembled to the pinion shaft. In other embodiments, a raceway may be formed directly on an outer surface of the pinion shaft to eliminate one of the inner rings. The pinion shaft includes a spline, such as an axial spline or a face spline, for fixation to a driveshaft.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A pinion gear assembly comprising:
a hollow pinion shaft having a pinion gear at a first end;
an outer ring;
a first inner ring radially outside the pinion shaft;
a second inner ring radially outside the pinion shaft bearing axially against an exterior shelf of the pinion shaft;
a first plurality of rollers between the second inner ring and the outer ring; and
a second plurality of rollers between the first inner ring and the outer ring; and wherein
a wall of the pinion shaft is plastically deformed outward at a second end applying an axial pre-load, via the first inner ring, on the first and second sets of rollers and wherein a face spline is formed on an outwardly turned portion of the pinion shaft.

2. The pinion gear assembly of claim 1 wherein the pinion gear is a hypoid gear.

3. The pinion gear assembly of claim 1 wherein the rollers of the first and second pluralities of rollers are balls.

4. A method of manufacturing a differential pinion gear assembly comprising:
providing a hollow pinion shaft having a pinion gear formed on a first end;
inserting, from a second end, a second inner ring, a first plurality of rollers, an outer ring, a second plurality of rollers, and a first inner ring, the second inner ring bearing axially against a shelf of the pinion shaft;
plastically deforming the second end outward to apply an axial pre-load to the first and second pluralities of rollers, wherein the first and second pluralities of rollers bear axially against the outer ring, the first plurality of rollers bear axially against the second ring, and the second plurality of rollers bears axially against the first inner ring; and
forming a face spline in the outwardly plastically deformed portion of the pinion shaft.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the rollers of the first and second pluralities of rollers are balls.

6. The method of claim 4 further comprising:
fixing the outer ring to a differential housing; and
meshingly engaging the pinion gear with a differential ring gear.

7. A differential comprising:
a housing;
differential gearing configured to distribute power from a ring gear to a left half-shaft and a right-half shaft;
a hollow pinion shaft having a pinion gear at a first end meshing with the ring gear;
an outer ring fixed to the housing;
a first inner ring radially outside the pinion shaft;
a second inner ring radially outside the pinion shaft and bearing axially against an exterior shelf of the pinion shaft;
a first plurality of rollers between the second ring and the outer ring; and
a second plurality of rollers between the first inner ring and the outer ring; and wherein
a wall of the pinion shaft is plastically deformed outward at a second end to apply an axial pre-load, via the first inner ring, on the first and second sets of rollers; and
a face spline is formed on the outwardly turned wall of the pinion shaft.

8. The differential of claim 7 wherein the pinion gear is a hypoid gear.

Assignees

• Schaeffler Technologies Ag

Inventors

• Makke Alaa
• Gibson Cameron
• Tojcic Stefan
• Hassay Kyle

Classifications

• F16H57/037

  Gearboxes for accommodating differential gearings (rotating cases for differential gearings F16H48/40) · CPC title

• F16H2048/085

  characterised by shafts or gear carriers for orbital gears · CPC title

• F16H2048/385

  of the ring or crown gear · CPC title

• F16C2361/61

  Toothed gear systems, e.g. support of pinion shafts · CPC title

• B60K17/16

  of differential gearing · CPC title