Bearing adjuster lock and method of use

• US 20060276298A1
• Filed: 06/16/2006
• Published: 12/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Dana Heavy Vehicle Systems Group LLC (Dana, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dana Heavy Vehicle Systems Group LLC (Dana, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rodgers, Mark E., Ziech, James F., Turner, Gary A.
• Application Number:
  US11/454,333
• Publication Number:
  US 20060276298A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 475/231
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 17/36 for driving tandem wheels
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2361/61 Toothed gear systems, e.g. support of pinion shafts
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 25/06 Ball or roller bearings
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 57/021 Shaft support structures, e.g. partition walls, bearing eyes, casing walls or covers with bearings
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 57/037 Gearboxes for accommodating differential gearings rotating cases for differential gearings F16H48/40

Abstract

A method and apparatus for locking a bearing adjuster to a combined differential carrier and bearing cap is provided. In one embodiment of the invention, a locking device extends through the bearing cap to the bearing adjuster to deform threads on the bearing adjuster to lock the bearing adjuster to the combined differential carrier and bearing cap. In another embodiment of the invention, a locking device extends through the bearing adjuster to deform on the combined differential carrier and bearing cap threads on the differential case to lock the bearing adjuster to the combined differential carrier and bearing cap.

Claims

1. A bearing adjuster lock, comprising:

a differential carrier and a bearing cap for a vehicle, said carrier and said bearing cap sharing a set of internal threads;

a differential case disposed within said differential carrier;

a bearing assembly disposed between both said differential carrier and said bearing cap and said differential case to allow said differential case to rotate within said differential carrier and said bearing cap, said bearing assembly having an inner race in contact with said differential case, an outer race in contact with both said differential carrier and said bearing cap and a bearing disposed between said races; and

a bearing adjuster having a set of external threads for engagement with said shared internal threads of said differential carrier and said bearing cap so that the preload on said bearing is infinitely adjustable within the range of said shared internal threads and said bearing adjuster threads;

a locking device extending from an inner surface of said bearing adjuster through said bearing adjuster to an outer surface of said bearing adjuster, said locking device locking said bearing adjuster to said differential carrier by deforming said set of internal threads.

2. A bearing adjuster lock, comprising:

A combined differential carrier and bearing cap for a vehicle, said carrier and said bearing cap sharing a set of internal threads;

a differential case disposed within said differential carrier;

a bearing assembly disposed between both said differential carrier and said bearing cap and said differential case to allow said differential case to rotate within said differential carrier and said bearing cap, said bearing assembly having an inner race in contact with said differential case, an outer race in contact with said differential carrier and said bearing cap and a bearing disposed between said races; and

a bearing adjuster having a set of external threads for engagement with said shared internal threads of said differential carrier and said bearing cap so that the preload on said bearing is infinitely adjustable within the range of said threads; and

a locking device threaded from an outer surface of said combined differential carrier and bearing cap to said internal threads of said differential carrier, said locking device locking said bearing adjuster to said differential carrier by deforming said external threads of said bearing adjuster.

3. A bearing adjuster lock, comprising:

a bearing adjuster having a channel extending from an inner surface to an outer surface of said bearing adjuster, said outer surface having a set of threads;

a locking device located within said channel, said device having one end with a point; and

a differential carrier and a bearing cap sharing an internal set of threads,

wherein said locking device is located through said channel until it deforms said internal threads of said differential carrier and said bearing cap to lock said bearing adjuster to said differential carrier and said bearing cap.

4. The lock of claim 3, wherein said locking device is threadably engaged with said channel.

5. The lock of claim 3, wherein said threads of said bearing adjuster can be locked with said shared threads of said differential carrier and said bearing cap at any angular relationship.

6. The lock of claim 3, wherein said bearing adjuster abuts an outer race of a differential bearing to adjust the preload on said bearing.

7. The lock of claim 3, wherein said locking device is secured within said channel by an adhesive.

8. A bearing adjuster lock, comprising:

a combined differential carrier and bearing cap having a channel extending from an outer surface to an inner surface of said combined carrier and cap;

a bearing adjuster having an external set of threads for engaging with an internal set of threads shared by said differential carrier and said bearing cap; and

a locking device extending from said outer surface to beyond said shared set of threads of said differential carrier and said bearing cap, said locking device having one end with a point for deforming said external threads of said bearing adjuster to lock said bearing adjuster to said combined differential carrier and bearing cap.

9. The lock of claim 8, wherein said channel is threaded and said locking device has a complimentary set of threads.

10. The lock of claim 8, wherein said channel extends substantially perpendicularly to said inner surface and said outer surface of said differential carrier.

11. The lock of claim 8, wherein said bearing adjuster abuts a differential bearing for adjusting the preload on said bearing.

12. The lock of claim 8, wherein said bearing adjuster is infinitely adjustable within said shared threads of said differential carrier and said bearing cup.

13. The lock of claim 8, wherein said locking device is secured within said channel with an adhesive.

14. The lock of claim 8, wherein said bearing cap has at least two channels for receiving said locking device.

15. A bearing adjuster lock, comprising:

a differential carrier having an outer surface and an inner surface;

an input bearing adjuster having a set of threads for threadably engaging with said inner surface of said differential case; and

a locking device located within a channel extending from said outer surface to said inner surface, said locking device deforming said threads of said input bearing adjuster to lock said input bearing adjuster to said differential carrier.

16. The lock of claim 15, further comprising an input bearing system having an inner race, an outer race and an input bearing.

17. The lock of claim 15, wherein said input bearing adjuster is located entirely within said differential carrier and said input bearing adjuster is a separate component therefrom.

18. The lock of claim 15, wherein said locking device has a thread deforming structure on one end thereof for deforming said threads of said input bearing adjuster.

19. The lock of claim 15, wherein within said threads of said differential carrier and said threads of said input bearing adjuster, said input bearing adjuster may be located at any angular orientation with respect to said differential carrier.

20. The lock of claim 15, wherein said thread deforming structure of said locking device can be engaged with any portion of said threads of said input bearing adjuster to lock said input bearing adjuster to said differential carrier.

21. A bearing adjuster lock, comprising:

a differential carrier having an outer surface and an inner surface;

an input bearing system having an inner race, an outer race and an input bearing;

an input bearing adjuster having a set of threads on an outer surface for engaging with said inner surface of said differential carrier, said input bearing adjuster having an L-shaped groove for receiving said outer race therein; and

a threaded locking device extending substantially perpendicularly through said differential carrier to said threads on said outer surface of said input bearing adjuster;

wherein said locking device deforms said threads of said input adjuster to lock said input bearing adjuster in place at any angular orientation of said input bearing adjuster with respect to said differential carrier to provide a predetermined amount of preload to said bearing.

22. A method of securing an input bearing adjuster to a differential carrier, comprising:

providing a differential carrier having a set of threads on an internal surface of said differential carrier;

providing an input bearing system having an inner race, an outer race and an input bearing;

threadably engaging an outer set of threads on an input bearing adjuster with said threads of said differential carrier and engaging said input bearing adjuster with said outer race of said input bearing system to adjust the preload on said bearing; and

securing said input bearing adjuster to said differential carrier by deforming said threads of said input bearing adjuster with a thread deforming structure on a shaft threaded into said differential carrier.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the degree of deformation of said threads of said input bearing adjuster is determined by the amount of torque applied to said locking device.

24. A method of securing a differential bearing adjuster to a combined differential carrier and bearing cap, comprising:

threadably engaging a shared set of threads for a combined differential carrier and bearing cap with a set of threads on a differential bearing adjuster until a pre-determined amount of preload is established in a differential bearing; and

locking said differential bearing adjuster to said combined differential carrier and bearing cup by using a locking device inserted from said combined differential carrier and said bearing cup to said differential bearing adjuster to deform said threads of said differential bearing adjuster.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the degree of deformation of said threads of said input bearing adjuster is determined by the amount of torque applied to said locking device.

26. A method of securing a differential bearing adjuster to a combined differential carrier and bearing cap, comprising:

threadably engaging a shared set of threads for a combined differential carrier and bearing cap with a set of threads on a differential bearing adjuster until a pre-determined amount of preload is established in a differential bearing; and

locking said differential bearing adjuster to said combined differential carrier and bearing cup by using a locking device inserted from said differential bearing adjuster to said combined differential carrier and bearing cup to deform said shared threads of said combined differential carrier and bearing cup.