Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

American Axle & Manufacturing, Inc.

Charles L Rasmer

James Preston Downs

Stanley John Kielar

Norman E Schultz

Flave F Stimpson

Douglas B Lutz

Dale A Frank

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.

Drive axle assembly with lubricant cooling system

A venting mechanism for a drive axle assembly is mounted on a side wall of a housing for a differential. The venting mechanism includes a deflector vane which is pivotally mounted on a vent tube inside the housing. The deflector vane allows air to be vented from the housing through the vent tube without lubricant being able to escape.

Venting mechanism

Growing community of inventors

Bay City, MI, United States of America

Charles L Rasmer