Drive axle assembly with lubricant cooling system
First Claim
1. A drive axle assembly having a gear housing and axle tubes extending outwardly of the gear housing, a lubricant reservoir in the gear housing, a rotatable member forming part of a gear assembly rotatably mounted in the gear housing, the rotatable member being partially disposed in a lubricant in the lubricant reservoir and partially disposed above the lubricant in the lubricant reservoir, and a lubricant cooling system, the lubricant cooling system comprising:
- a lubricant passage in fluid communication with the lubricant reservoir via an inlet that is exposed to lubricant in the lubricant reservoir,the inlet being disposed with respect to the rotatable member so that the lubricant passage is filled with a part of the lubricant to a level higher than the level of the lubricant remaining in the lubricant reservoir when the rotatable member rotates,the lubricant passage having an outlet disposed above the inlet for delivering the part of the lubricant from the lubricant passage when the part of the lubricant in the lubricant passage rises above a predetermined level, andlubricant ducts disposed in the respective axle tubes that have inlets in fluid communication with the outlet of the lubricant passage and outlets disposed outboard of the inlets that are in fluid communication with the axle tubes for returning the part of the lubricant from the lubricant ducts to the reservoir along the interior of the axle tubes.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A drive axle assembly has a gear housing, two axle tubes extending outwardly of the gear housing, a lubricant reservoir in the gear housing and a gear assembly rotatably mounted in the gear housing that has a rotatable member that is partially disposed in lubricant in the lubricant reservoir. The drive axle assembly also has a lubricant cooling system that includes a lubricant passage in fluid communication with the lubricant reservoir via an inlet that is juxtaposed the rotatable member so that the level of lubricant in the lubricant passage is raised when the rotatable member rotates. The lubricant passage has elevated outlets that deliver lubricant to lubricant ducts disposed in the respective axle tubes when the lubricant in the lubricant passage rises above a predetermined level. The lubricant flows away from the gear housing in the lubricant ducts and returns to the reservoir along the interior of the axle tubes which cools the lubricant as it returns to the reservoir.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A drive axle assembly having a gear housing and axle tubes extending outwardly of the gear housing, a lubricant reservoir in the gear housing, a rotatable member forming part of a gear assembly rotatably mounted in the gear housing, the rotatable member being partially disposed in a lubricant in the lubricant reservoir and partially disposed above the lubricant in the lubricant reservoir, and a lubricant cooling system, the lubricant cooling system comprising:
- a lubricant passage in fluid communication with the lubricant reservoir via an inlet that is exposed to lubricant in the lubricant reservoir,
the inlet being disposed with respect to the rotatable member so that the lubricant passage is filled with a part of the lubricant to a level higher than the level of the lubricant remaining in the lubricant reservoir when the rotatable member rotates, the lubricant passage having an outlet disposed above the inlet for delivering the part of the lubricant from the lubricant passage when the part of the lubricant in the lubricant passage rises above a predetermined level, and lubricant ducts disposed in the respective axle tubes that have inlets in fluid communication with the outlet of the lubricant passage and outlets disposed outboard of the inlets that are in fluid communication with the axle tubes for returning the part of the lubricant from the lubricant ducts to the reservoir along the interior of the axle tubes. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 14, 15, 16)
- a lubricant passage in fluid communication with the lubricant reservoir via an inlet that is exposed to lubricant in the lubricant reservoir,
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4. A drive axle assembly having a gear housing and axle tubes extending outwardly of the gear housing, a lubricant reservoir in the gear housing, a rotatable member forming part of a gear assembly rotatably mounted in the gear housing, the rotatable member being partially disposed in a lubricant in the lubricant reservoir and partially disposed above the lubricant in the lubricant reservoir, and a lubricant cooling system, the lubricant cooling system comprising:
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a lubricant passage formed by a cover and an insert that are attached to the gear housing, the lubricant passage being in fluid communication with the lubricant reservoir via an inlet formed in the insert that is exposed to the lubricant in the lubricant reservoir, the inlet being disposed with respect to the rotatable member so that the lubricant passage is filled with a part of the lubricant to a level higher than the level of the lubricant remaining in the lubricant reservoir when the rotatable member rotates, the lubricant passage having outlets formed in the insert above the inlet for delivering the part of the lubricant from the lubricant passage when the part of the lubricant in the lubricant passage rises above a predetermined level, and lubricant ducts disposed in the respective axle tubes that have inlets in fluid communication with the outlets of the lubricant passage and outlets disposed outboard of the inlets that are in fluid communication with the axle tubes for returning the part of the lubricant from the lubricant ducts to the reservoir along the interior of the axle tubes. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7)
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8. A drive axle assembly having a gear housing and axle tubes extending outwardly of the gear housing, a lubricant reservoir in the gear housing, a rotatable member forming part of a gear assembly rotatably mounted in the gear housing, the rotatable member being partially disposed in a lubricant in the lubricant reservoir and partially disposed above the lubricant in the lubricant reservoir, and a lubricant cooling system, the lubricant cooling system comprising:
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a lubricant passage in fluid communication with the lubricant reservoir via an inlet that is exposed to the lubricant in the lubricant reservoir, the inlet being disposed with respect to the rotatable member so that the lubricant passage is filled with a part of the lubricant to a level higher than the level of lubricant in the lubricant reservoir when the rotatable member rotates, the lubricant passage having an outlet disposed above the inlet for delivering the part of the lubricant from the lubricant passage when the part of the lubricant in the lubricant passage rises above a predetermined level, and lubricant ducts disposed in the respective axle tubes that have inlets in fluid communication with the outlets of the lubricant passage and outlets disposed outboard of the inlets that are in fluid communication with the axle tubes for returning the part of the lubricant from the lubricant ducts to the reservoir along the interior of the axle tubes, the lubricant ducts being formed by inner and outer elongated parts that are secured together. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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17. A drive axle assembly having a gear housing and axle tubes extending outwardly of the gear housing, a lubricant reservoir in the gear housing, a rotatable member forming part of a gear assembly rotatably mounted in the gear housing, the rotatable member being at least partially disposed in lubricant in the lubricant reservoir and a lubricant cooling system, the lubricant cooling system comprising:
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a lubricant passage in fluid communication with the lubricant reservoir via an inlet that is exposed to lubricant in the lubricant reservoir, the inlet being disposed with respect to the rotatable member so that lubricant passage is filled with a part of the lubricant to a level higher than the level of lubricant remaining in the lubricant reservoir when the rotatable member rotates, and the lubricant passage having an outlet disposed above the inlet for delivering the part of the lubricant from the lubricant passage when the lubricant in the lubricant passage rises above a predetermined level. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
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Specification