Axle assembly with interaxle differential lubrication

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9816603-B2
Application number	US-201514851004-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 11, 2015
Priority date	Sep 11, 2015
Publication date	Nov 14, 2017
Grant date	Nov 14, 2017

Abstract

An axle assembly having a housing assembly that may have at least one lubricant passage. The lubricant passage may provide lubricant to an interaxle differential unit via a roller bearing assembly and at least one flange lubricant hole that may be provided in a flange portion of an input shaft.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An axle assembly comprising:
a housing assembly having an interior surface, a first lubricant passage, and a second lubricant passage;
an input shaft that is rotatable about an axis and includes a first end and a flange portion disposed opposite the first end, the flange portion having a flange lubricant hole;
a first roller bearing assembly that is disposed proximate the housing assembly and rotatably supports the input shaft;
an output shaft that is at least partially disposed in the housing assembly and is configured to provide torque to a second axle assembly;
a pinion that is rotatable about the axis and that has a pinion hole that receives the output shaft;
second and third roller bearing assemblies that rotatably support the pinion, wherein the second lubricant passage has a second lubricant passage outlet that is disposed between the second roller bearing assembly and the third roller bearing assembly; and
an interaxle differential unit that is disposed in the housing assembly and is operatively coupled to the input shaft and the output shaft and compensates for rotational speed differences between the input shaft and the output shaft;
wherein the first lubricant passage is disposed between the interior surface and the interaxle differential unit and has a first lubricant passage outlet that is disposed between the first end of the input shaft and the first roller bearing assembly, wherein lubricant that exits the first lubricant passage outlet flows through the first roller bearing assembly and then passes through the flange lubricant hole to lubricate the interaxle differential unit.

2. The axle assembly of claim 1 wherein the first lubricant passage has an inlet disposed opposite the first lubricant passage outlet, wherein the first lubricant passage is sloped such that the first lubricant passage is closer to the axis at the first lubricant passage outlet than at the inlet.

3. The axle assembly of claim 1 wherein the flange lubricant hole is disposed further from the axis than at least a portion of the first roller bearing assembly.

4. The axle assembly of claim 1 wherein the flange portion has an interior flange surface that extends around the axis, wherein the flange lubricant hole is disposed between the axis and the interior flange surface.

5. An axle assembly comprising:
a housing assembly having an interior surface and a first lubricant passage;
an input shaft that is rotatable about an axis and includes a first end and a flange portion disposed opposite the first end, the flange portion having a flange lubricant hole and an interior flange surface that extends around the axis, wherein the flange lubricant hole is disposed between the axis and the interior flange surface;
a first roller bearing assembly that is disposed proximate the housing assembly and rotatably supports the input shaft;
an output shaft that is at least partially disposed in the housing assembly and is configured to provide torque to a second axle assembly; and
an interaxle differential unit that is disposed in the housing assembly and is operatively coupled to the input shaft and the output shaft and compensates for rotational speed differences between the input shaft and the output shaft, wherein the interaxle differential unit includes a thrust bearing that extends around the axis and is disposed adjacent to the flange portion such that the flange portion is disposed between the first roller bearing assembly and the thrust bearing, wherein the flange lubricant hole is disposed between the thrust bearing and the interior flange surface; and
wherein the first lubricant passage is disposed between the interior surface and the interaxle differential unit and has a first lubricant passage outlet that is disposed between the first end of the input shaft and the first roller bearing assembly, wherein lubricant that exits the first lubricant passage outlet flows through the first roller bearing assembly and then passes through the flange lubricant hole to lubricate the interaxle differential unit.

6. The axle assembly of claim 1 wherein the interaxle differential unit includes a case gear that is fixedly disposed on the flange portion, wherein the output shaft extends through the case gear and into the flange portion.

7. The axle assembly of claim 6 wherein a divider wall is disposed between the first lubricant passage and the flange portion and between the first lubricant passage and the interaxle differential unit.

8. An axle assembly comprising:
a housing assembly having an interior surface, a divider wall, and a first lubricant passage;
an input shaft that is rotatable about an axis and includes a first end and a flange portion disposed opposite the first end, the flange portion having a flange lubricant hole;
a first roller bearing assembly that is disposed proximate the housing assembly and rotatably supports the input shaft;
an output shaft that is at least partially disposed in the housing assembly and is configured to provide torque to a second axle assembly; and
an interaxle differential unit that is disposed in the housing assembly and is operatively coupled to the input shaft and the output shaft and compensates for rotational speed differences between the input shaft and the output shaft, wherein the interaxle differential unit includes a case gear that is fixedly disposed on the flange portion and the output shaft extends through the case gear and into the flange portion; and
wherein the divider wall is disposed between the first lubricant passage and the flange portion and between the first lubricant passage and the interaxle differential unit, the divider wall has an overflow window that is disposed adjacent to the flange portion and the case gear, the first lubricant passage is disposed between the interior surface and the interaxle differential unit and has a first lubricant passage outlet that is disposed between the first end of the input shaft and the first roller bearing assembly, and lubricant that exits the first lubricant passage outlet flows through the first roller bearing assembly and then passes through the flange lubricant hole to lubricate the interaxle differential unit.

9. The axle assembly of claim 8 wherein the housing assembly has a support wall that supports the first roller bearing assembly, wherein the support wall is disposed proximate the flange lubricant hole and overhangs a portion of the flange portion.

10. An axle assembly comprising:
a housing assembly having an interior surface, a first lubricant passage, a second lubricant passage, and an inlet that provides lubricant to the first and second lubricant passages;
an input shaft that is rotatable about an axis and that has a flange portion that has a flange lubricant hole;
an output shaft that is rotatable about the axis and is configured to provide torque to a second axle assembly;
a pinion that is rotatable about the axis and that has a pinion hole that receives the output shaft;
an interaxle differential unit that is operatively coupled to the input shaft, the output shaft, and the pinion, wherein the interaxle differential unit compensates for rotational speed differences between the input shaft and the output shaft;
a first roller bearing assembly that rotatably supports the input shaft; and
a second roller bearing assembly that rotatably supports the pinion;
wherein the first lubricant passage is disposed between the interior surface and the second lubricant passage and has a first lubricant passage outlet that is disposed proximate the first roller bearing assembly, wherein lubricant that exits the first lubricant passage outlet flows through the first roller bearing assembly and then

Assignees

• Arvinmeritor Technology Llc

Inventors

• Hayes Brian D
• Martin Robert J

Classifications

• F16H2700/02

  Transmissions, specially for working vehicles · CPC title

• F16H57/0424 Primary

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

• F16H57/0421

  on or within the casing, e.g. shields or baffles for collecting lubricant, tubes, pipes, grooves, channels or the like · CPC title

• F16H57/0483 Primary

  Axle or inter-axle differentials · CPC title

• F16C33/6659

  Details of supply of the liquid to the bearing, e.g. passages or nozzles · CPC title