Drive axle system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9457654-B2
Application number	US-201514600125-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 20, 2015
Priority date	Jan 20, 2015
Publication date	Oct 4, 2016
Grant date	Oct 4, 2016

Abstract

A drive axle system that may have a first drive axle assembly and a second drive axle assembly. The first drive axle assembly may have a first pinion that may rotate about a first pinion axis. The second drive axle assembly may have a second pinion that may rotate about a second pinion axis. The first pinion axis may be disposed substantially parallel to the second pinion axis.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A drive axle system comprising:
a first drive axle assembly that includes:
an input shaft and an output shaft that rotate about a first axis;
a first ring gear that rotates about a first ring gear axis and provides torque to a first wheel axle; and
a first pinion that rotates about a first pinion axis and that is operatively connected to the input shaft and the first ring gear such that the first pinion provides torque from the input shaft to the first ring gear; and

a second drive axle assembly that includes:
a second ring gear that rotates about a second ring gear axis and provides torque to a second wheel axle; and
a second pinion that rotates about a second pinion axis and that is operatively connected to the output shaft, wherein the second pinion provides torque from the output shaft to the second ring gear;

wherein the first pinion axis is disposed parallel to the second pinion axis, the first axis is coplanar with the second pinion axis, and the first axis and the second pinion axis are not coplanar with the first pinion axis.

2. The drive axle system of claim 1 wherein the first axis is disposed parallel to the first pinion axis and the second pinion axis.

3. The drive axle system of claim 2 wherein the second pinion axis is not coaxially disposed with the first axis.

4. The drive axle system of claim 1 wherein the first ring gear has a first front surface that faces toward the first pinion and a first set of ring gear teeth that are arranged around the first ring gear axis and extend away from first ring gear axis and extend away from the first front surface.

5. The drive axle system of claim 1 wherein the second pinion axis is disposed below the first axis and disposed above the first pinion axis.

6. The drive axle system of claim 5 wherein the first ring gear axis is disposed below the first axis and disposed above the first pinion axis.

7. The drive axle system of claim 1 wherein the second pinion axis is disposed above the second ring gear axis.

8. The drive axle system of claim 7 wherein the first pinion axis is disposed below the first ring gear axis.

9. The drive axle system of claim 8 wherein the first axis is disposed above the first pinion axis, the second pinion axis, the first ring gear axis, and the second ring gear axis.

10. A drive axle system comprising:
a first drive axle assembly that includes:
an input shaft and an output shaft that rotate about a first axis;
a drive gear that is disposed on the input shaft;
a first ring gear that rotates about a first ring gear axis and provides torque to a first wheel axle, wherein the first ring gear has a first front surface and a first set of ring gear teeth that are arranged around the first ring gear axis and extend away from the first front surface;
a first pinion that rotates about a first pinion axis and that provides torque to the first ring gear; and
a driven gear that is disposed on the first pinion and that engages the drive gear; and

a second drive axle assembly that includes:
a second ring gear that rotates about a second ring gear axis and provides torque to a second wheel axle, wherein the second ring gear has a second front surface and a second set of ring gear teeth that are arranged around the second ring gear axis and extend away from the second front surface; and
a second pinion that rotates about a second pinion axis and that is operatively connected to the output shaft, wherein the second pinion provides torque from the output shaft to the second ring gear;

wherein the first front surface faces toward the second front surface.

11. The drive axle system of claim 10 wherein the first pinion axis is disposed parallel to the second pinion axis.

12. The drive axle system of claim 11 wherein the first axis and the second pinion axis are disposed in a first plane and wherein the first front surface and the second front surface both face toward the first plane.

13. The drive axle system of claim 12 wherein the first plane is disposed perpendicular to the first ring gear axis and the second ring gear axis.

14. The drive axle system of claim 12 wherein the first front surface and the second front surface are completely spaced apart from the first plane.

15. The drive axle system of claim 14 wherein the first front surface and the second front surface are disposed on opposite sides of the first plane and are disposed parallel to each other.

16. The drive axle system of claim 15 wherein the first pinion axis is disposed between the first plane and the first front surface.

17. The drive axle system of claim 16 wherein the first ring gear has a first back surface that is disposed opposite the first front surface and the second ring gear has a second back surface that is disposed opposite the second front surface, wherein the first back surface is disposed further from the first plane than the second back surface.

18. The drive axle system of claim 11 wherein each member of the first set of ring gear teeth has a convex side and a concave side disposed opposite the convex side and the first pinion has a first set of pinion gear teeth, wherein the first set of pinion gear teeth engage the convex side of the first set of ring gear teeth.

19. The drive axle system of claim 18 wherein each member of the second set of ring gear teeth has a convex side and a concave side disposed opposite the convex side and the second pinion has a second set of pinion gear teeth, wherein the second set of pinion gear teeth engage the convex side of the second set of ring gear teeth.

Assignees

• Arvinmeritor Technology Llc

Inventors

• Anderson Craig
• Kwasniewski Dale

Classifications

• F16H48/08

  comprising bevel gears · CPC title

• B60K17/16 Primary

  of differential gearing · CPC title

• B60K17/36 Primary

  for driving tandem wheels · CPC title