Schaeffler Technologies Ag & Co .kg

Gunter Volkel

Viktor Ruder

Andreas Rosenwald

A drive assembly for a motor vehicle drivetrain includes a differential configured for driving a first output shaft and a second output shaft about a center axis and for allowing the first output shaft and the second output shaft to rotate about the center axis at different speeds, and planet gears each rotatably mounted on a respective planet carrier. The planet gears each include a radially extending surface and blades circumferentially spaced part from each other. The blades axially protrude from the radially extending surface for directing a fluid flow axially toward the differential during operation of the drive assembly.

Automotive drivetrain gearbox including differential and planet gears with blades

A gearbox for a motor vehicle drivetrain is provided including a gearbox housing; and a differential inside of the gearbox housing configured for driving a first output shaft and a second output shaft about a center axis and for allowing the first output shaft and the second output shaft to rotate about the center axis at different speeds. The differential includes a first side gear on a first side of the differential configured for being drivingly connected to the first output shaft; a second side gear on a second side of the differential configured for being drivingly connected to the second output shaft; a differential housing radially surrounding the first and second side gears; and a first bearing rotatably supporting the differential housing with respect to the gearbox housing. The differential housing includes axially extending holes passing therethrough from an exterior of the differential housing to an interior of the differential housing for directing fluid that is between the differential housing and the gearbox housing into the interior of the differential housing.

Automotive drivetrain gearbox including differential housing including fluid flow holes

A drive assembly for a motor vehicle drivetrain includes a differential configured for driving a first output shaft and a second output shaft about a center axis and for allowing the first output shaft and the second output shaft to rotate about the center axis at different speeds. The differential includes a first side gear on a first side of the differential configured for being drivingly connected to the first output shaft; a second side gear on a second side of the differential configured for being drivingly connected to the second output shaft; a differential housing enclosing the first and second side gears; support pins non-rotatably fixed to the differential housing; and spider gears rotatably mounted on the support pins and positioned between the first side gear and the second side gear. Each of the spider gears intermeshes with both the first side gear and the second side gear to transmit power from the support pins to the first side gear and the second side gear. The drive assembly further includes a hollow drive shaft for driving the differential. The differential housing is configured for transmitting power from hollow drive shaft to the support pins. The hollow drive shaft is partially nested radially within the differential housing to direct oil from inside of the hollow drive shaft into the differential housing.

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Puschendorf, Germany

Gunter Volkel