Axle assembly having a clutch collar actuator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9989139-B2
Application number	US-201514742739-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 18, 2015
Priority date	Jun 18, 2015
Publication date	Jun 5, 2018
Grant date	Jun 5, 2018

Abstract

An axle assembly having a bearing cap, an actuator, and a fork. The bearing cap may be disposed in a cavity defined by an axle housing and a differential carrier and may be fixedly disposed on the differential carrier. The fork may be disposed in the cavity and may couple the actuator to a clutch collar.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An axle assembly comprising:
first and second output shafts;
a differential unit that controls rotation of the first output shaft with respect to the second output shaft;
a clutch collar moveably disposed on the first output shaft;
a bearing that rotatably supports the differential unit;
a differential carrier that supports the bearing;
a bearing cap fixedly disposed on the differential carrier, the bearing cap including:
a first portion that cooperates with the differential carrier to define an opening that receives the bearing;
a second portion that extends from the first portion, wherein the second portion receives an actuator that extends along an actuator axis and actuates the clutch collar, and
an anti-rotation feature extending away from the first portion; and

a fork that operatively connects the actuator to the clutch collar, wherein the fork has a fork opening that receives the anti-rotation feature, wherein the anti-rotation feature limits rotation of the fork about the actuator axis.

2. The axle assembly of claim 1 wherein the anti-rotation feature is disposed between the actuator and the clutch collar.

3. The axle assembly of claim 1 wherein the fork includes:
first and second prongs disposed proximate a first end of the fork, and
a fork mounting feature disposed proximate a second end of the fork that is disposed opposite the first end, wherein the fork opening is disposed between the first and second prongs and the fork mounting feature.

4. The axle assembly of claim 3 wherein the fork includes a first fork portion that includes the first and second prongs, a second fork portion that includes the fork mounting feature, and first and second arms that extend from the first fork portion to the second fork portion, wherein the fork opening is disposed between the first and second arms.

5. The axle assembly of claim 4 wherein the fork opening is disposed between the first fork portion and the second fork portion, wherein the first fork portion is disposed substantially parallel to the second fork portion.

6. The axle assembly of claim 1 wherein the first portion is disposed between the differential carrier and the second portion.

7. The axle assembly of claim 6 wherein the first portion has first and second fastener holes that are disposed on opposite sides of the bearing that receive first and second fasteners that couple the bearing cap to the differential carrier, wherein the second portion is disposed between the first and second fastener holes.

8. The axle assembly of claim 1 wherein the actuator moves the fork between an extended position and a retracted position, wherein the clutch collar is disengaged from the differential unit when the fork is in the extended position and the clutch collar engages the differential unit when the fork is in the retracted position.

9. The axle assembly of claim 4 wherein the second portion has a chamber that receives the actuator and the actuator includes a piston that is moveably disposed within the chamber and that is connected to the fork.

10. The axle assembly of claim 9 wherein the piston engages the fork and is connected to the fork with a fork mounting feature that extends through the fork to the actuator.

11. The axle assembly of claim 9 wherein the second portion has a groove that extends around the piston, wherein the groove receives a biasing member that exerts a biasing force on the fork to bias the clutch collar to disengage the differential unit.

12. The axle assembly of claim 11 wherein the groove is spaced apart from the chamber.

13. The axle assembly of claim 11 wherein the second portion has a first inner surface and a second outer surface that is disposed opposite the first inner surface, wherein the first inner surface and the second outer surface cooperate to define the groove.

14. The axle assembly of claim 9 wherein the differential carrier includes a first port that is configured to receive a pressurized fluid and the second portion includes a second port that is fluidly connected to the chamber, wherein the first port is fluidly connected to the second port with a conduit.

15. The axle assembly of claim 9 wherein the actuator has a fork mounting feature that couples the fork to the piston and a biasing member that extends between the second portion and the fork, wherein the biasing member exerts a biasing force on the fork to disengage the clutch collar from the differential unit.

16. The axle assembly of claim 15 wherein the second portion has a groove that extends around the piston and the fork mounting feature, wherein the groove receives the biasing member.

17. The axle assembly of claim 1 wherein the differential carrier is disposed on an axle housing and cooperates with the axle housing to define a cavity, wherein the clutch collar, bearing, bearing cap, fork and the differential unit are disposed in the cavity and the differential unit controls rotation of the first output shaft with respect to the second output shaft.

18. The axle assembly of claim 1 wherein the actuator is moveable between an extended position in which the clutch collar is disengaged from the differential unit and a retracted position in which the clutch collar engages the differential unit.

19. The axle assembly of claim 1 wherein the differential unit supports a ring gear and the second portion is disposed between the ring gear and the fork.

20. The axle assembly of claim 1 further comprising a sensor disposed in the differential carrier, wherein the fork includes first and second prongs that are disposed proximate the clutch collar, wherein the first prong includes a detection feature that is disposed at an end of the first prong, wherein the sensor detects the detection feature.

Assignees

• Arvinmeritor Technology Llc

Inventors

• Martin Robert J

Classifications

• B60Y2410/10

  Housings · CPC title

• B60K2023/046

  Axle differential locking means · CPC title

• B60K23/04

  for differential gearing · CPC title

• F16H48/32 Primary

  using fluid pressure actuators · CPC title

• B60K17/165 Primary

  provided between independent half axles (B60K17/18, B60K17/20 take precedence) · CPC title