DIFFERENTIAL LUBRICATION FEED SYSTEM IN A DRIVE AXLE ASSEMBLY

• US 20100105513A1
• Filed: 10/23/2008
• Published: 04/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: American AXLE & Manufacturing Incorporated (American AXLE & Manufacturing Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: American AXLE & Manufacturing Incorporated (American AXLE & Manufacturing Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Brandt, David R., Hunt, William G., Dwyer, Robert B., Hilker, Gregory J., Woodside, Gregory E., Beutler, Kevin R., Chung, Chih-Hung
• Granted Patent: US 8,409,044 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 475/160
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2048/423 characterised by bearing arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 48/38 Constructional details the outer casing comprising the differential and supporting input and output shafts F16H57/037
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 57/0424 Lubricant guiding means in the wall of or integrated with the casing, e.g. grooves, channels, holes means for guiding lubricant into an axial channel of a shaft F16H57/0426
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 57/0471 Bearing
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 57/0483 Axle or inter-axle differentials

Abstract

A method for lubricating an axle assembly can include: coupling a pair of tapered roller bearing to opposite ends of a differential housing; placing the differential housing into a carrier housing assembly such that the tapered roller bearings support the differential housing on the carrier housing assembly for rotation about a first axis; collecting a lubricant proximate a side of one of the tapered roller bearings opposite the differential housing; and rotating the differential housing about the first axis to cause the one of the tapered roller bearings to move a portion of the collected lubricant through the differential housing. A related axle assembly is also provided.

Claims

1. An axle assembly comprising:

a carrier housing assembly that defines a cavity;

a differential housing received in the cavity;

first and second bearings disposed between the carrier housing and the differential housing, the first and second bearings being tapered roller bearings and supporting the differential housing for rotation about a first axis;

a gearset received in the differential housing;

a ring gear coupled to the differential housing;

a pinion received in the cavity, the pinion having a plurality of teeth that are meshingly engaged to the ring gear;

a third bearing disposed between the carrier housing and the pinion, the third bearing supporting the pinion for rotation about a second axis that is perpendicular to the first axis; and

a lubricant received in the cavity;

wherein the carrier housing includes at least one of a first lubricant gallery, which extends from the third bearing to a first side of the first bearing, and a second lubricant gallery that extends from the third bearing to a first side of the second bearing, the first and second bearings being oriented to receive lubricant from the first and second lubricant galleries, respectively;

wherein the lubricant received by the first bearing is moved through the first bearing toward the second bearing when the axle assembly is operated; and

wherein the lubricant received by the second bearing is moved through the second bearing toward the first bearing when the axle assembly is operated.

2. The axle assembly of claim 1, wherein the differential housing includes first and second openings that are configured to receive at least a portion of the lubricant that is discharged from the second side of the first and second bearings.

3. The axle assembly of claim 1, wherein the first lubricant gallery is integrally formed with the carrier housing.

4. The axle assembly of claim 3, wherein the second lubricant gallery is integrally formed with the carrier housing.

5. The axle assembly of claim 1, further comprising a fourth bearing disposed between the carrier housing and the pinion, the fourth bearing supporting the pinion for rotation about the second axis, the fourth bearing being disposed axially closer to the teeth of the pinion than the third bearing.

6. The axle assembly of claim 1, further comprising a fourth bearing disposed between the carrier housing and the pinion, the fourth bearing supporting the pinion for rotation about the second axis, the fourth bearing being disposed axially further from the teeth of the pinion than the third bearing.

7. The axle assembly of claim 1, wherein the third bearing is a tapered roller bearing or an angular contact ball bearing.

8. An axle assembly comprising:

a carrier housing assembly that defines a cavity;

a differential housing received in the cavity;

first and second bearings disposed between the carrier housing and the differential housing, the first and second bearings being tapered roller bearing and supporting the differential housing for rotation about a first axis;

a gearset received in the differential housing;

a ring gear coupled to the differential housing;

a pinion received in the cavity, the pinion having a plurality of teeth that are meshingly engaged to the ring gear;

a third bearing disposed between the carrier housing and the pinion, the third bearing supporting the pinion for rotation about a second axis that is perpendicular to the first axis;

a fourth bearing disposed between the carrier housing and the pinion, the fourth bearing supporting the pinion for rotation about the second axis, the fourth bearing being disposed axially closer to the teeth of the pinion than the third bearing; and

a lubricant received in the cavity;

wherein the carrier housing includes at least one of a first lubricant gallery, which extends from one of the third bearing and the fourth bearing to a first side of the first bearing, and a second lubricant gallery that extends from one of the third bearing and the fourth bearing to a first side of the second bearing, the first and second bearings being oriented to receive lubricant from the first and second lubricant galleries, respectively;

wherein the lubricant received by the first bearing is moved through the first bearing toward the second bearing when the axle assembly is operated; and

wherein the lubricant received by the second bearing is moved through the second bearing toward the first bearing when the axle assembly is operated.

9. The axle assembly of claim 8, wherein both the first and second lubricant galleries are fed lubricant directly from the third bearing.

10. The axle assembly of claim 8, wherein both the first and second lubricant galleries are fed lubricant directly from the fourth bearing.

11. The axle assembly of claim 8, wherein the first and second lubricant galleries are fed lubricant directly from different ones of the third and fourth bearings.

12. The axle assembly of claim 8, wherein the third bearing is a tapered roller bearing or an angular contact ball bearing.

13. A method for lubricating an axle assembly comprising:

providing a carrier housing, a differential housing, first and second bearings, a gearset, a ring gear, a pinion, and a third bearing, the carrier housing assembly that defining a cavity, the differential housing being received in the cavity, the first and second bearings being disposed between the carrier housing and the differential housing, the first and second bearings being tapered roller bearings and supporting the differential housing for rotation about a first axis, the gearset being received in the differential housing, the ring gear coupled to the differential housing, the pinion received in the cavity, the third bearing disposed between the carrier housing and the pinion and supporting the pinion for rotation about a second axis that is perpendicular to the first axis;

rotating a portion of the third bearing relative to a remaining portion to pump a lubricant through first and second lubricant galleries associated with the carrier housing to supply the lubricant to the first and second bearings, respectively; and

rotating a portion of the first and second bearings relative to respective remaining portions to pump the lubricant through the first and second bearings.

14. An axle assembly comprising:

a carrier housing assembly that defines a cavity and a pair of bearing journals;

a differential housing received in the cavity;

first and second bearings disposed between the carrier housing and the differential housing, the first and second bearings being tapered roller bearings and supporting the differential housing for rotation about a first axis;

a gearset received in the differential housing;

a ring gear coupled to the differential housing;

a pinion received in the cavity;

a third bearing disposed between the carrier housing and the pinion, the third bearing supporting the pinion for rotation about a second axis that is perpendicular to the first axis; and

a lubricant received in the cavity;

wherein the carrier housing defines a plurality of rails that slope toward the bearing journals, wherein a portion of the lubricant is provided to the rails (a) after it is discharged from the third bearing, (b) after being slung from the ring gear, (c) after being slung from the pinion, or (d) a combination of two or more thereof.