The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 20, 2018
Filed:
Dec. 11, 2014
Ford Global Technologies, Llc, Dearborn, MI (US);
Gerald Stephen Szczepanski, Dearborn, MI (US);
Ford Global Technologies, LLC, Dearborn, MI (US);
Abstract
An axle carrier housing for a beam axle assembly having at least one continuous transversely extending support rib with a portion of the support rib swept longitudinally rearward of a pair of axle tubes. The support rib has end portions initiating adjacent where the axle tubes connect to the housing and a central portion extending offset from the axle tubes. The central portion of the support rib provides a portion of an access cover attachment surface. The housing may define a pair of support ribs substantially mirroring each other on lower and upper portions of the housing. The support ribs provide for a structural member substantial enough to handle the loads of the axle assembly while also minimizing both the weight of the housing and fluid volume.