Axle carrier housing with a swept support rib

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9919559-B2
Application number	US-201414567141-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 11, 2014
Priority date	Dec 11, 2014
Publication date	Mar 20, 2018
Grant date	Mar 20, 2018

Abstract

An axle carrier housing for a beam axle assembly having at least one continuous transversely extending support rib with a portion of the support rib swept longitudinally rearward of a pair of axle tubes. The support rib has end portions initiating adjacent where the axle tubes connect to the housing and a central portion extending offset from the axle tubes. The central portion of the support rib provides a portion of an access cover attachment surface. The housing may define a pair of support ribs substantially mirroring each other on lower and upper portions of the housing. The support ribs provide for a structural member substantial enough to handle the loads of the axle assembly while also minimizing both the weight of the housing and fluid volume.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A beam axle comprising:
a differential configured to transfer torque to two shafts;
a housing disposed around the differential; and
axle tubes disposed about the shafts and extending from first and second openings of the housing, wherein the housing defines a continuous support rib that extends from a first end portion to a second end portion, each end portion entirely extending along an axis substantially coaxially with the axle tubes and a central portion offset from the first and second end portions, wherein the first and second end portions define a first end face and a second end face respectively that face the axle tubes;
the continuous support rib having a first intermediate portion between the first end portion and the central portion, and a second intermediate portion between the second end portion and the central portion;
the first end portion having the first end face proximate the first opening, the first end portion extending away from the first opening, and ending at the first intermediate portion, wherein the first end portion is coaxial with the axle tubes entirely between the first end face and the first intermediate portion;
the first intermediate portion between and connecting the first end portion and the central portion;
the central portion being offset from the first and second intermediate portions;
the second intermediate portion between and connecting the central portion and the second end portion;
the second end portion having the second end face proximate the second opening, the second end portion extending away from the second opening and ending at the second intermediate portion, wherein the second end portion is coaxial with the axle tubes entirely between the second end and the second intermediate portion.

2. The axle of claim 1 wherein the central portion of the continuous support rib defines a portion of a mounting surface for a removable cover to access the differential and portions of the shafts.

3. The axle of claim 1 wherein the continuous support rib extends from a lower portion of the housing in a substantially vertical direction.

4. The axle of claim 3 wherein the continuous support rib is a first support rib, and the housing further having a second support rib extending from an upper portion of the housing in the substantially vertical direction.

5. An axle assembly comprising:
a pair of axle tubes fixedly extending from first and second openings of a housing, the housing defining a support rib extending outwardly from an exterior surface of the housing, the support rib extends from a first end portion to a second end portion wherein each end portion extends entirely along an axis that is coaxial with a center-line of the axle tubes, the first end portion has a first end face proximate the first opening, the second end portion has a second end face proximate the second opening, the support rib further having a central portion offset from a center-line of the axle tubes, the support rib further having a first intermediate portion between and directly connecting the first end portion to the central portion, and a second intermediate portion between and directly connecting the central portion to the second end portion, wherein the first end face and the second end face each face away from one another.

6. The axle assembly of claim 5 wherein a portion of the central portion of the support rib defines a portion of an access cover mounting surface.

7. The axle assembly of claim 5 wherein the support rib is a first support rib extending from a lower portion of the housing and the housing further defines a second support rib extending from an upper portion of the housing.

8. The axle assembly of claim 7 wherein portions of the first support rib defines an upper portion of an access cover mounting surface, and portions of the second support rib defines a lower portion of the access cover mounting surface.

9. The axle assembly of claim 8 wherein the housing further defines a number of cover attachment holes, wherein some of the number of cover attachment holes are disposed along the central portions of the first and second support ribs.

10. The axle assembly of claim 9 further comprising a cover removably connected to the housing via fasteners, some of the fasteners utilizing cover attachment holes in the support ribs.

11. A differential housing defining first and second openings for axle tubes, comprising:
a continuous support rib that extends from a first end portion to a second end portion, each end portion entirely extending along an axis substantially coaxially with the axle tubes and a central portion offset from the first and second end portions, wherein the first and second end portions define a first end face and a second end face respectively that face the axle tubes;
the continuous support rib having a first intermediate portion between the first end portion and the central portion, and a second intermediate portion between the second end portion and the central portion;
the first end portion having the first end face proximate the first opening, the first end portion extending away from the first opening, and ending at the first intermediate portion, wherein the first end portion is coaxial with the axle tubes entirely between the first end face and the first intermediate portion;
the first intermediate portion between and connecting the first end portion and the central portion;
the central portion being offset from the first and second intermediate portions;
the second intermediate portion between and connecting the central portion and the second end portion;
the second end portion having the second end face proximate the second opening, the second end portion extending away from the second opening and ending at the second intermediate portion, wherein the second end portion is coaxial with the axle tubes entirely between the second end and the second intermediate portion.

12. The differential housing of claim 11 , wherein the first end terminates at a free end surface facing the first opening.

13. The differential housing of claim 12 , wherein the second end terminates at a free end surface facing the second opening.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Szczepanski Gerald Stephen

Classifications

• B60B2900/311

  Rigidity or stiffness · CPC title

• B60B35/166 Primary

  characterised by reinforcements, e.g. reinforcement ribs · CPC title

• B60B35/16

  Axle housings · CPC title

• B60B35/14

  composite or split, e.g. half- axles; Couplings between axle parts or sections · CPC title

• B60B35/125

  of the planetary type · CPC title