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Axle assembly

  • US 10,267,401 B2
  • Filed: 11/22/2016
  • Issued: 04/23/2019
  • Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2015
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. An axle assembly comprising:

  • a housing defining a pinion bearing bore;

    an input pinion;

    a pinion bearing received in the pinion bearing bore and supporting the input pinion relative to the housing for rotation about a first axis and for axial thrust in opposite directions along the first axis;

    a retainer plate abutted against the single bearing on an end of the single bearing opposite the housing;

    a plurality of threaded fasteners securing the retainer plate to the housing, the threaded fasteners being disposed about a bolt circle, the threaded fasteners having a centerline and a major diameter;

    a differential assembly mounted in the housing for rotation about a second axis that is not parallel to the first axis; and

    a ring gear meshingly engaged with the input pinion and coupled to the differential assembly for rotation therewith about the second axis;

    wherein the plurality of threaded fasteners are not symmetrically spaced apart by a common spacing, wherein the plurality of threaded fasteners consist of a first quantity of the threaded fasteners and a second quantity of the threaded fasteners, wherein the centerlines of the first quantity of the threaded fasteners are clustered into a segment, the segment spanning less than 180 degrees of the bolt circle and extending radially outward from the first axis beyond the bolt circle by a distance that is less than or equal to five times the major diameter of the threaded fasteners, wherein the second quantity of the threaded fasteners are not disposed within the segment, and wherein the second quantity is less than the first quantity.

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