Pinion Gear Assembly

• US 20140137683A1
• Filed: 11/21/2012
• Published: 05/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ArvinMeritor Technology LLC (Meritor, Inc. (Nevada))
• Original Assignee: ArvinMeritor Technology LLC (Meritor, Inc. (Nevada))
• Inventors: Hayes, Brian D., Martin, Robert J., Rengasamy, Srinivasa P.
• Granted Patent: US 9,133,926 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 74/434
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 17/02 for radial load only
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 19/26 with a single row of rollers
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2361/61 Toothed gear systems, e.g. support of pinion shafts in general F16H57/02
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 35/02 in the case of sliding-contact bearings
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 35/073 between shaft and inner race ring
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 1/14 comprising conical gears only
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2048/426 characterised by spigot bearing arrangement, e.g. bearing for supporting the free end of the drive shaft pinion
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 55/17 Toothed wheels worm wheels F16H55/22; chain wheels F16H55/30
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/1987 Rotary bodies

Abstract

A pinion gear assembly having a pinion, a collar, and a bearing. The pinion may have a gear portion and a hub portion disposed proximate the gear portion. The collar may be fixedly disposed on the hub portion and the bearing may be fixedly disposed on the collar.

Claims

1. A pinion gear assembly comprising:

a pinion that extends along an axis and has a gear portion and a hub portion disposed proximate the gear portion;

a collar that has a collar hole that receives the hub portion; and

a bearing that has a bearing hole that receives the collar;

wherein the collar is fixedly disposed on the hub portion and the bearing is fixedly disposed on the collar.

2. The pinion gear assembly of claim 1 wherein the hub portion extends from an end surface of the pinion to the gear portion.

3. The pinion gear assembly of claim 1 wherein the bearing engages the pinion and the collar.

4. The pinion gear assembly of claim 1 wherein the pinion has a first shoulder and a second shoulder, wherein the collar engages the first shoulder and the bearing engages the second shoulder.

5. The pinion gear assembly of claim 1 wherein the pinion has a pinion fastener hole that extends along the axis and the collar has a collar fastener hole that extends through the collar, wherein a fastener is disposed in the pinion fastener hole and collar fastener hole to fixedly couple the collar to the pinion.

6. The pinion gear assembly of claim 5 wherein the collar has a collar snap ring groove that extends completely around the collar, wherein the collar snap ring groove receives a collar snap ring that engages the bearing to inhibit movement of the bearing with respect to the collar.

7. A pinion gear assembly comprising:

a pinion that extends along an axis and has a gear portion and a hub portion disposed proximate the gear portion;

a collar that has a collar hole that receives the hub portion and a collar snap ring groove;

a bearing that defines a bearing hole that receives the collar; and

a collar snap ring disposed in the collar snap ring groove that inhibits movement of the bearing with respect to the collar.

8. The pinion gear assembly of claim 7 wherein the collar snap ring engages the bearing.

9. The pinion gear assembly of claim 7 wherein the collar has a first end surface, a second end surface disposed opposite the first end surface, an outer surface that extends from the first end surface to the second end surface and engages the bearing, and an inner surface disposed opposite the outer surface, wherein the collar snap ring groove is disposed proximate the second end surface and extends from the outer surface toward the inner surface.

10. The pinion gear assembly of claim 9 wherein the inner surface of the bearing has a collar threaded portion that threadingly mates with a hub threaded portion that is provided on the hub portion.

11. The pinion gear assembly of claim 9 wherein the hub portion further comprises a hub keyhole and the collar further comprises a collar keyhole that extends from the outer surface to the inner surface, wherein a key is disposed in the hub keyhole and the collar keyhole to inhibit movement of the collar with respect to the pinion.

12. The pinion gear assembly of claim 9 wherein the hub portion includes a hub snap ring groove that receives a hub snap ring that engages the collar to inhibit movement of the collar with respect to the pinion.

13. The pinion gear assembly of claim 9 wherein the hub portion extends from a pinion end surface and wherein the hub portion is tapered such that the hub portion has a larger diameter at the pinion end surface than proximate the gear portion.

14. The pinion gear assembly of claim 13 further comprising an axial key that extends from the pinion end surface toward the gear portion to inhibit rotational movement of the collar with respect to the pinion.

15. The pinion gear assembly of claim 13 wherein the collar is tapered such that the collar has a larger diameter near the second end surface than the first end surface.

16. A pinion gear assembly comprising:

a pinion that has a gear portion and a hub portion disposed proximate the gear portion, wherein the hub portion extends from a pinion end surface and has a hub snap ring groove;

a collar that defines a collar hole that receives the hub portion;

a hub snap ring that is received in the hub snap ring groove and engages the collar to inhibit movement of the collar with respect to the pinion; and

a bearing that defines a bearing hole that receives the collar;

wherein the bearing is fixedly disposed on collar.

17. The pinion gear assembly of claim 16 wherein the collar has a first end surface that engages the pinion, a second end surface disposed opposite the first end surface, an outer surface that extends from the first end surface to the second end surface and engages the bearing, and an inner surface disposed opposite the outer surface, wherein the hub snap ring engages the second end surface of the collar to inhibit axial movement of the collar.

18. The pinion gear assembly of claim 17 wherein the collar further comprises a collar snap ring groove that extends from the outer surface toward the inner surface, wherein the collar snap ring groove receives a collar snap ring that engages the bearing to inhibit axial movement of the bearing.

19. The pinion gear assembly of claim 16 wherein the collar has a first end surface that engages the pinion, a second end surface disposed opposite the first end surface, an outer surface that extends from the first end surface to the second end surface and engages the bearing, an inner surface disposed opposite the outer surface, and an inner snap ring groove that extends from the inner surface toward the outer surface, wherein the hub snap ring is received in the inner snap ring groove and the hub snap ring groove to inhibit axial movement of the collar.

20. The pinion gear assembly of claim 19 wherein the collar has a collar snap ring groove that receives a collar snap ring that engages the bearing to inhibit axial movement of the bearing.