Axle assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021070159-A1
Application number	US-202016994105-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 14, 2020
Priority date	Sep 11, 2019
Publication date	Mar 11, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method and system for an axle assembly are provided. The axle assembly, in one example, includes a cover at least partially circumferentially surrounding a shaft, a bearing coupled to the shaft and the cover, the bearing including an outer race, and a bearing adjuster including a first axial side adjacent to the outer race and configured to set a bearing preload and/or end play. The assembly further includes a lubricant seal spaced axially away from the bearing adjuster and sealing a lubricant bore and the lubricant bore traverses the cover and extends axially toward the bearing adjuster.

First claim

1 . An axle assembly, comprising:
a cover at least partially circumferentially surrounding a shaft; a bearing coupled to the shaft and the cover, wherein the bearing includes an outer race; a bearing adjuster including a first axial side adjacent to the outer race and configured to set a bearing preload and/or end play; and a lubricant seal spaced axially away from the bearing adjuster and sealing a lubricant bore, wherein the lubricant bore traverses the cover and extends axially toward the bearing adjuster.

2 . The axle assembly of claim 1 , wherein the shaft is an input shaft coupled to an output shaft of an electric machine and wherein the cover is coupled to a housing of the electric machine.

3 . The axle assembly of claim 2 , wherein the bearing adjuster includes a threaded outer surface engaging with a threaded surface in the cover and wherein threading and unthreading of the bearing adjuster alters the bearing preload or end play.

4 . The axle assembly of claim 1 , further comprising an axially aligned attachment device threaded into a first extension of the cover and configured to retain the bearing adjuster in a set position.

5 . The axle assembly of claim 4 , wherein the cover further comprises a second extension designed to threadingly engage with the axially aligned attachment device.

6 . The axle assembly of claim 5 , wherein the axially aligned attachment device is accessible via the lubricant bore when the lubricant seal is removed.

7 . The axle assembly of claim 4 , wherein the bearing adjuster includes a plurality of lugs and recesses on a second axial side and wherein an end of the axially aligned attachment device mates with one of the plurality of recesses.

8 . The axle assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a lubricant passage in fluidic communication with the lubricant bore and a gear mesh, wherein the gear mesh is formed between a gear on the shaft and a gear in an axle subassembly.

9 . The axle assembly of claim 1 , wherein the bearing is a thrust bearing.

10 . The axle assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a gear housing coupled to the cover.

11 . The axle assembly of claim 10 , further comprising an axle subassembly coupled to the gear housing, wherein the axle subassembly includes a differential.

12 . An electric axle assembly, comprising:
a cover at least partially circumferentially surrounding an output shaft of an electric machine; an input shaft coupled to the output shaft and including an input shaft gear forming a mesh with a gear in a gear reduction; a bearing coupled to the input shaft and the cover, wherein the bearing includes an outer race; a bearing adjuster including a first axial side in face sharing contact with the outer race and configured to set a bearing preload and/or end play; and a lubricant seal spaced axially away from the bearing adjuster and sealing a lubricant bore, wherein the lubricant bore traverses the cover and extends axially toward the bearing adjuster.

13 . The electric axle assembly of claim 12 , further comprising an axially aligned attachment device threaded into a first or a second extension of the cover and wherein the axially aligned attachment device is accessible when the lubricant seal is removed.

14 . The electric axle assembly of claim 13 , wherein the bearing adjuster includes a threaded outer surface engaging with a threaded surface in the cover and wherein threading and unthreading of the bearing adjuster alters the bearing preload or end play.

15 . The electric axle assembly of claim 12 , wherein an outer diameter of the lubricant seal is less than or equal to an outer diameter of the outer race.

16 . The electric axle assembly of claim 13 , wherein the bearing adjuster includes a plurality of lugs and recesses on a second axial side and wherein an end of the axially aligned attachment device mates with one of the plurality of recesses.

17 . The electric axle assembly of claim 12 , further comprising a sleeve coupling the input shaft to the output shaft, wherein an outer surface of the sleeve forms a portion of a periphery of the lubricant bore.

18 . The electric axle assembly of claim 17 , further comprising a lubricant passage in fluidic communication with the lubricant bore and a gear mesh, wherein the gear mesh is formed between the input shaft gear and a gear in an axle subassembly.

19 . The electric axle assembly of claim 18 , wherein the lubricant passage extends axially away from the lubricant seal.

20 . The electric axle assembly of claim 12 , further comprising a gear housing coupled to the cover and an axle subassembly coupled to the gear housing, wherein the axle subassembly includes a differential.

Assignees

• Dana Heavy Vehicle Sys Group

Inventors

• Leber Mark W

Classifications

• F16H2057/0222

  Lateral adjustment · CPC title

• F16H57/029

  characterised by means for sealing the gearboxes, e.g. to improve airtightness · CPC title

• F16H2057/02052

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

• F16H57/0424

  Lubricant guiding means in the wall of or integrated with the casing, e.g. grooves, channels, holes · CPC title

• B60Y2200/91

  Electric vehicles · CPC title