Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
7~ 3~
TITLE
COMBINED DIF~ERENTIAL BEARING CAP SUPPORT
AND HOUSING COVF.R STX~CT~E
B~CKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates in general to
differential axle assemblies and in paxticular to an
improved combined differential bearing cap support and
housing cover structure.
Differential axle arrangements are wide~y known in the
art and adapted to permit relative rotation of the driving
wheels of a vehicle while still permitting the application
of motive power to ~oth of the wheels. The typical
differential axle assembly includes a hollow housing which
is open at its rearward end. The open end of the housing
is closed by a cover which is attached to the periphery
thereof. The closed housing provides a protective
enclosure for the internal elements of the differential
axle assembly.
One problem frequently encountered in conventional
differential axle assemblies is that the internal elements
therein are deflected or otherwise moved relative to one
another when a relatively large amount of motive power is
applied thereto by the vehicle engine. Such deflections
are particularly txoublesome in high performance vehicles,
wherein the torque applied to the differential axle
assembly by the engine can be large. In differential axle
assemblies formed of lighter, more flexible materials, such
as aluminum, the deflections can cause undesirable noise
and vibration, as well as premature wear of the el~ments
within the differenti~l axle assembly.
S~MMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an i~proved combined
differential bearing cap support and housing cover
structure f~r a differential axle assembly. The
~ 2 0
differential axle assembly includes a housing having a
cover, a pair of drive axles rotatably mounted within the
housing by respective bearing means, and means connected to
the drive axles for applying motive power thereto while
still permitting r~lative rotation thereof. A bearing cap
support member is attached to the housing so as to engage a
respective one of the bearing means and maintain it in
position about a respective drive axle. The bearing cap
support member includes a central p~rtion which extends
outwardly and terminates in a flat outer surface. A pair
of boss members are formed integral with the housing cover.
Each of the boss members terminates in a flat outer surface
adapted to abut a respective one of the flat outer surfaces
of the bearing cap support members when the cover is
secured to the housing. The abutment of the bearing cap
support members and the boss members provides a stable
support for the internal elements of the differential axle
assembly, thereby minimizing the deflections or other
relative movements therein when motive power is applied.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an
improved combined differential bearing cap support and
housing cover structure.
It is another object of the present invention to
reduce the deflections and other relative movements between
the elements in a differential axle assembly.
It is a further object of the present invention to
minimize the noise, vibration, and premature wear of the
elements in a differential axle assembly.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention
will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the
following detailed description of the preferred embodiment,
when read in light of the accompanying drawings~
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
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Fig. 1 is a top plan view, partially in ~ectiont
illustrating an improved combined differential bearing cap
~ 3
support and housing cover structure in accordance with the
present invention.
Fig~ 2 is a side elevational vicw of the differential
bearing cap support of Fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a sectional elevational view of the
differential bearing cap support taken along line 3-3 of
~ig. 2.
Fig. 4 is a secti~nal elevational view of the housing
cover taken along line 4-4 of Fig. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EM~ODIMENT
.
Referring now to the drawings, there is illustrated in
Fig. 1 a differential axle assembly 10 for a vehicle in
accordance with the present invention. The assembly 10
includes a hollow outer housing 12 which is open at one
end. A pair of drive axles 14 and 16 are rotatably mounted
within the housing 12 in a manner described in further
detail below~ Each of the drive axles 14 and 16 is
connected to a respective yoke member 18 and 20 for
connection to the drive wheels (not shown) of the vehicle.
Side gears 22 and 24 are splined onto the drive axles 14
and 16, respectively. The side gears 22 and 24 are adapted
to cooperate with a pair of pinion mate gears 25 (only one
is illustrated) which are rotatably mounted on a cross
~5 shaft 28. The cross shaft 28 is secured within a rotatable
casing 30 by means of a lock pin 32.
The drive axles 14 and 16 are journalled in respective
side po~tions 30a and 30b of the casing 30 for rotation
therewithA A threaded fastener 34 connects the casing 30
to a ring gear ~6. The ring gear 36 is adapted to
cooperate with a pinion gear (not shown~ connected to a
conventional drive train (not shown) to the engine of the
vehicle in order to supply motive power through the
differential axle assembly 10 to the drive axles 14 and 16
in a well known manner. If desired, a frictional
engagement means 38 can ~e provided between the side gears
22 and 24 and the casing 30. The frictional engagement
, means 38 militates against spinning of the drive wheels
! relative to one another. All of the above-discussed
¦ elements of the differential axle assembly 10 are
¦ 5 conventional in the axt.
As mentioned above, the drive axles 14 and 16 and the
casing 30 are rotatably mounted within the housing 12. To
this ena, respective roller bearing assemblies 40 (snly one
is illustrated) are provided about the side portions 30a
and 30b of the rotatable casing 30. Each of the roller
I bearing assemblies 40 is engaged and maintained in position
; by a bearing rap support member 42. Each bearing cap
support member 42 is secured to the housing 12 by a pair of
threaded fasteners 44 (only one is illustrated) extending
through respective apertures 46 formed therein. Thus, the
drive axles 14 and 16 and the casing 30 are free to rotate
relative to the housing 12 and the bearing cap support
members 42.
Referring now to Figs. 2 and 3, the structure of the
bearing cap support member 42 is more clearly illustrated.
As shown therein, each bearing c~p support member 42 is
provided with a generally curve~ surface 48 which is
adapted to engage the roller be~-ing assembly 40 as
described above. The curved surface 48 is formed on one
side of a central portion 50 of the bearing cap support
member 42 between the apertures 46 which are formed in the
end portions thereof. The central portion 50 extends away
from the curved surface 48, tapering slightly inwardly in
width (see Fig. 3), and terminates in a flat outer surface
52 formed on the opposite side thereof.
As illustrated in Figs. 1 and 4, a cover 54 is
attached to the periphery of the housing 12 so as to close
the open el~d thereof~ The cover 54 includes an enlarged
peripheral ring-like edge portion 56 which is adapted to be
secured to the housing 12 by means of a plurality of
threaded fasten~rs (not shown3 extending through respective
ap~rtures 58 formed therein. A curved central portion 60
extends across the center of the peripheral end portion 56
to form the cover 54. A pair of boss members 62 and 64 are
formed on one side of the central portion 60 such that they
extend inwardly toward the internal elements of the
differential axle assembly lO when the cover 54 is attached
to the housing 12. Each of the boss members 62 and 64 is
formed integral with the cover portion 60 and terminates in
a flat outer surface 66. The boss members 62 and 64 are
positioned on t~e central portion 60 of the cover 54 such
that the flat outer surfaces 66 thereof abut the flat outer
surfaces 52 of th~ bearing cap support members 42 when the
cover 54 is secured to the housing 12, as illustrated in
Fig. 1.
In operation, the differential axle assembly lO is
adapted to permit relative rotation of the driving wheels
of the vehicle while transmitting motive power to drive
axles 14 and 1~. ~owever, when a relatively large amount
of motive power is applied to the differential axle
2~ assembly lO by the vehicle engine, the internal elements
therein may be deflected or otherwise moved relative to one
another. In particular, the pinion gear connected to the
drive train and the ring gear 36 may be moved relative to
one another, causing undesirable noise and vibration, as
well as premature wear.
When the bearing cap support mer~ers 42 and the boss
members 62 and 64 of the present invention are provided in
the differential axle assembly 10, however, such
deflections are greatly reduced. This improvement results
from the abutment of the boss members 62 and 64 against the
bearing cap support members 42. Such abutment provides a
secure support surface for the bearing cap support member
42, since the housing 12 and cover 54 are relatively stable
and not subjected to the deflection forces generated by the
application of motive power. Thus, relative movements of
the bearing assembly 40, the side portions 30a and 30b of
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the casing 30, and drive axles 14 and 16 are minimized
because the boss members 62 and 64 engage the bearing cap
support members 42 and maintain them in position.
In accordance with the provisions of the patent
statutes, the principle and mode of operation of the
present invention have been explained and illustrated in
its preferred embodiment. However, it must be understocd
that the present invention can be practiced otherwise than
as specifically explained and illustrated without departing
from its spirit or scope.
