Axle Assembly With Inboard Axle Shaft Bearings That Support A Differential Mechanism

摘要

An axle assembly having a housing, a ring gear received in the housing, a ring gear bearing, a pair of shafts, a differential mechanism and a pair of inboard bearings. The ring gear bearing contacts the housing and the ring gear to support the ring gear for rotation about an axis. The shafts are received in the housing and rotate about the axis. Each of the shafts has a bearing mount and a male splined segment. The differential mechanism has a pair of output members, each of which having a splined internal aperture into which the male splined segment of one of the shafts is slidably received. Each shaft bearing is disposed on the bearing mount of one of the axle shafts and supports the shafts for rotation on the housing. The differential mechanism is supported for rotation about the axis by the ring gear bearing and the inboard bearings.

主权项

1. An axle assembly comprising:
a housing; a ring gear received in the housing; a ring gear bearing contacting the housing and the ring gear, the ring gear bearing supporting the ring gear for rotation about an axis relative to the housing; a pair of axle shafts received in the housing and rotatable about the axis, each of the axle shafts having an end with a bearing mount and a male splined segment; a differential mechanism having a pair of output members, each of the output members having a splined internal aperture into which the male splined segment of one of the axle shafts is slidably received; and a pair of inboard axle shaft bearings, each inboard axle shaft bearing being disposed on the bearing mount of a corresponding one of the axle shafts and supporting the corresponding one of the axle shafts for rotation on the housing; wherein the differential mechanism is supported for rotation about the axis by the ring gear bearing and the inboard axle shaft bearings.