American Axle & Manufacturing, Inc.

Kevin Ray Beutler

Gregory Joseph Hilker

Jeffrey Eugene Rea

James P Borowiak

Rajendra D Patil

Gregory E Woodside

Chih-Hung Chung

Robert B Dwyer

James Preston Downs

Paul Joseph Valente

Frederick E Zink

William Gordon Hunt

David Charles Johnson

Blair J Swanson

Scott P McGuire

David R Brandt

Kirk A Broome

Robert Allen Dunn

A housing assembly for a power transmitting component that includes first and second housing structures, which define a cavity and a shaft bore, and a gasket. The first housing structure includes a pair of first end walls, a first seal flange, and a pair of saddles. The first seal flange extends about the cavity. The saddles are arch-shaped and coupled to the first end walls. The shaft bore is formed through the first end walls and the saddles. The second housing structure includes a pair of second end walls, and a second seal flange. The second seal flange extends about the cavity and is configured to abut the first seal flange. The second end walls define saddle recesses into which the saddles are received. The gasket is received between the first and second seal flanges and between the saddles and surfaces of the saddle recesses.

Power transmitting component with multi-part housing assembly having continuous sealing flange

A power transmitting component with a housing, a shaft and a seal. The housing has a wall member, a shaft bore, and a shield wall. The shaft bore is formed through the wall member. The shield wall is coupled to and extends outwardly from the wall member. The shield wall is formed about the shaft bore and defines a drain spout. The shaft is received through the shaft bore. The seal is received in the shaft bore and sealingly engages the housing and the shaft. The drain spout is configured to drain liquid from a space that is radially inward of the shield wall when the power transmitting component is disposed in a predetermined orientation.

Power transmitting component

An axle assembly having a heat sink coupled to an axle housing assembly for ejecting heat from the axle assembly. The heat sink includes an air channel having a body coupled to the carrier housing assembly such that heat is conducted from the carrier housing assembly to the body of the air channel and an air passage formed in the body and having an open leading end and an open trailing end, the leading end being positioned relative to the carrier housing assembly to permit air flowing over the axle assembly when the axle assembly is in use to be received into the air passage such that heat is conducted from the body to the air flowing through the air passage, and the trailing end being positioned relative to the carrier housing assembly to permit air received in the air passage to be expelled through the trailing end.

Axle assembly with axle housing assembly having air scoops for cooling

An axle assembly that includes an axle housing assembly, a differential disposed in the axle housing assembly, an input pinion, a pair of axle shafts and a heat sink. The input pinion is coupled to the axle housing assembly and is configured to transmit a rotary input to the differential. The axle shafts are coupled to the differential and housed in the axle housing assembly. The heat sink is coupled to the axle housing assembly and is formed of a material having a thermal conductivity that is greater than that of the axle housing assembly. The heat sink does not consist entirely of a chrome plating, a zinc plating or a cadmium plating.

Vehicle driveline component having heat sink for increased heat rejection capabilities

A method for lubricating an axle assembly can include: coupling a pair of tapered roller bearing to opposite ends of a differential housing; placing the differential housing into a carrier housing assembly such that the tapered roller bearings support the differential housing on the carrier housing assembly for rotation about a first axis; collecting a lubricant proximate a side of one of the tapered roller bearings opposite the differential housing; and rotating the differential housing about the first axis to cause the one of the tapered roller bearings to move a portion of the collected lubricant through the differential housing. A related axle assembly is also provided.

Differential lubrication feed system in a drive axle assembly

An axle assembly with an axle housing assembly and a differential that is mounted in the axle housing assembly for rotation about a first axis. The axle housing assembly defines an interior cavity with a sump having a static liquid lubricant level. The axle housing assembly includes a housing structure and a cover that is coupled to the housing structure. First and second sets of ribs are coupled to the cover and extend into the interior cavity. The first and second sets of ribs are disposed on opposite sides of a ring gear associated with the differential and include a plurality of ribs. A first portion of at least one of the ribs extends below the static liquid lubricant level to thereby be immersed when a liquid lubricant fills the sump to a level that coincides with the static liquid lubricant level.

Differential cover providing lubricant flow control

An axle assembly that includes a housing assembly, a lubricant and a differential assembly. The housing assembly defines a differential cavity with a lubricant sump into which the liquid lubricant is received. The differential assembly is mounted in the differential cavity for rotation about a rotational axis and includes a differential case, a ring gear, a gear set and an oil shield. The differential case has a body, which defines a gear cavity into which the gear set is received, and a flange that is coupled to the body and includes a flange face. The ring gear is coupled to the flange. The oil shield is coupled for rotation to the differential case and covers a least a radially outward portion of the circumferentially discontinuous features so that they do not directly contact the liquid lubricant in the lubricant sump when the differential assembly rotates about the rotational axis.

Differential assembly with oil deflector shield

An axle assembly that includes an axle housing assembly, a differential disposed in the axle housing assembly, an input pinion, a pair of axle shafts and a heat sink. The input pinion is coupled to the axle housing assembly and is configured to transmit a rotary input to the differential. The axle shafts are coupled to the differential and housed in the axle housing assembly. The heat sink is coupled to the axle housing assembly and is formed of a material having a thermal conductivity that is greater than that of the axle housing assembly. The heat sink does not consist entirely of a chrome plating, a zinc plating or a cadmium plating. A cover for an axle assembly is also provided.

An axle assembly for a vehicle includes a housing, a differential assembly rotatably supported within the housing, a differential cover and a gasket assembly positioned between the housing and the differential cover. The gasket assembly includes a body and a magnet coupled to the body. The magnet is positioned in communication with a lubricant located within the interior of the housing.

Power transfer assembly with gasket having magnet

Differential assembly with cover gasket having integral magnet

An salisbury axle assembly that includes a differential gearset in a carrier housing. A housing cover is coupled to the carrier housing and is operable for sealingly closing a window on the carrier housing through which there is access to the differential gearset. The housing cover includes a cover member and a seal ring. The cover member includes a mating face and a plurality of raised connection points that are disposed between the carrier housing and the mating face The seal ring is coupled to the mating face and encircles each of the raised connection points. The seal ring further includes at least first and second ring members that are disposed between each of the raised connection points. The pre-attach seal ring sealingly engages the carrier housing and the mating face to a proper compression distance.

Axle differential with stamped carrier cover pan

An axle shaft assembly for a motor vehicle has a bearing unit, an axle shaft, and a bearing retainer. The axle shaft is supported within the wheel bearing unit. The axle shaft has an outer diameter. The bearing retainer is mounted on the axle shaft and abuts the wheel bearing unit. The bearing retainer has a piloting feature for aligning the bearing retainer with respect to the axle shaft. The piloting feature includes a pilot surface with an inner diameter approximately equal to the outer diameter of the axle shaft.

Axle shaft assembly

A differential cover for a differential unit of a vehicle includes a central area, a flange area having a lower surface facing a mating direction for mating with a surface of a differential housing. The flange area has a plurality of apertures distributed along the flange area. The flange between centerlines of adjacent apertures defines a plurality of segments, each of which extending further in the mating direction than the lower surfaces of the segment at respective centerlines.

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Columbiaville, MI, United States of America

Kevin Ray Beutler