VEHICLE DIFFERENTIAL

Abstract: Vehicle differential with a differential housing (5) consisting of two pressed sheet metal halves (6). Each sheet metal half is made with radial, gutter-shaped depressions, which are limited at their outer ends by wall portions (14). A differential pinion shaft (15) is received in the depressions between the sheet metal halves. The wall portions (14) limit the axial movement of the differential pinion shaft.

Description: Vehicle differential The present invention relates to a vehicle differential, comprising a differential housing consisting of two pressed sheet metal halves joined together and a differ- ential pinion carrier, which has end journals received in corresponding depressions in the sheet metal halves. By far the most common construction of a vehicle differential has a differential housing cast in one piece, which has on its outside a mounting flange to which the differential crown wheel is securely screwed. The housing is made with assembly openings, through which the differential side gears and pinions can be inserted, and secondly, with opposing openings, through which the differential pinion shaft can be inserted and fixed. Differential housing in such a differential will be heavy and is expensive to manufacture. Assembly will also be relatively complicated. It is previously known, e.g. by DE-OS-40 42 173, to make a differential housing of two pressed and joined sheet metal halves. The depressions in the differential housing halves have the shape of radially outwardly and inwardly open gutters, which are slotted and have a radius somewhat less than the radius of the end por- tions of the differential pinion shaft. This provides a certain amount of flexibility and pretensioning against the end portions of the shaft when the housing halves are joined together. The final fixing of the differential pinion shaft in the housing is effected by welding at the same time as the crown wheel is welded to the housing. A differential with a differential housing produced in this manner is simpler to manufacture and assemble than a conventional differential with a cast differential housing and is much lighter as well. The purpose of the present invention is to further improve and simplify a differential of the type described by way of introduction having a differential housing consisting of pressed sheet metal halves . This is achieved according to the invention by virtue of the fact the depressions are radially outwardly closed gutters with wall portions extending over the end surfaces of the end journals, limiting the axial movement of the end journals. In the known embodiment described in the introduction, the housing halves must be held tightly against each other and against the differential pinion shaft until welding is complete. The welding involves the risk of skewing due to heat deformation and misalignment of the differential pinion shaft, which is completely solidly joined to the differential housing and consequently cannot move to compensate for uneven gear engagement due to shaft misalignment. In the design according to the invention, the shaft need only be laid in the depressions, whereafter the housing halves are joined together, preferably by riveting or screwing. The fit between the shaft and the depressions is not critical. The shaft can be allowed to move somewhat axially and radially to compensate for tolerances in the gear engagement. No clamping or welding occurs, which makes the assembly simpler and less expensive. The invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples shown in the accompanying drawings, where Fig. 1 shows a cross section through one embodiment of a vehicle differential according to the invention, Fig. 2 shows a perspective view of a differential housing half of the differential housing in Fig. 1, Fig. 3 shows an end view from the outside of the differential housing, Fig. 4 shows a section along the line IV-IV in Fig. 3, and Figs. 5 and 6 show perspective views from two opposite sides of a second embodiment of a differential according to the invention. In Fig. 1, 1 designates a signal drive between a gearbox 2 and a pair of drive wheel axles 3 and 4 of a front wheel drive vehicle with a transverse engine. The final drive 1 has a differential housing 5, consisting of two identical halves 6 of pressed sheet metal. The respective housing halves 6 consist of a semi-spherical portion 7, a flange portion 8 with holes 9 for fasteners, which in the example shown in Fig. 1 are rivets 10, and a tube stub 11 for external bearing of the differential housing 5 in the final drive housing 12, and internal bearing of the wheel shafts 3, 4. Each housing half 6 is made with a pair of semi-cylindrical gutter-shaped depressions 13, which are closed at their outer ends by semi-circular wall portions 14. The depressions 13 form the seats for a differential pinion shaft 15 on which there are journalled differential pinions 16 engaging differential side gears 17 joined to their respective axles 3, 4. Before the housing halves 6 are riveted together with the crown wheel 18, one of the differential side gears 17 is placed in one housing half 6, and the differential pinion shaft 15 is then placed in the depressions 13 in the housing half with its differential pinions 16 in engagement with this differential side gear 17. The other differential side gear 17 is then brought into engagement with the differential pinions 16, and the housing halves 6 are joined together so that the rivet holes 10 coincide. Finally, the crown wheel 18 of the differential is placed against the flange 8 with its rivet holes coinciding with the rivet holes 10. The corners 19 of the heels 20, formed on the opposite side from the depressions 13 when they are pressed, serve as centering surfaces for centering the crown wheel 18 for riveting. No welding is required since the wall portions 14 of the depressions 13 form end abutments limiting the axial movement of the shaft 15. The depressions and the shaft can be so dimensioned relative to each other that the shaft 15 is clamped non- rotatably between the housing parts and so that the wall portions 14 abut against the shaft ends, so that the shaft 15 is also fixed axially. Alternatively, the parts, if so desired, can be dimensioned so that there is a small play between the shaft ends and the wall portions 14, and with a slide fit between the lateral surface of the shaft and the depressions, so that the shaft can move somewhat to compensate for tolerances. In order to ensure the supply of lubricant to the gears, the differential housing is provided with openings 21 close to the areas of gear engagement. Figs. 5 and 6 show an embodiment in which each housing half 6 is made with two pairs of gutter-shaped depressions 13 intended to receive a spider (not shown) instead of a single shaft 15. The spider carries four differential pinions instead of the two differential pinions 16 on the differential pinion shaft 15. As can be seen in Figs. 5 and 6, the gutter-shaped depressions are not entirely circular semi- cylindrical; rather they have flat portions 22 to assure that the spider is securely clamped. The gutter-shaped depressions 13 in the embodiment shown in Figs. 2-4 can, if so desired, be made with corresponding flattened portions, and the ends of the differential pinion shaft 15 can be made with corresponding cross sectional profiles. The embodiment with a differential housing 5 consisting of two pressed sheet metal parts 6 makes variable placement of the shafts possible without difficulty. Thus, it is not necessary to keep to the traditional design with a differential pinion carrier in the form of a shaft or a spider with two perpendicular crossing shafts. Rather, if so desired, it is also possible to have a differential pinion carrier with three separate shaft ends spaced at 120° from each other.

Claims: Claims 1. Vehicle differential, comprising a differential housing consisting of two pressed sheet metal halves joined together and a differential pinion carrier, which has end journals received in corresponding, radially directed depressions in the sheet metal halves, characterized in that the depressions (13) are gutter-shaped and closed at their outer ends with wall portions (14) extending over the end surfaces of the end journals, limiting the axial movement of the end journals. 2. Vehicle differential according to claim 1, characterized in that the sheet metal halves (6) have the same shape. 3. Vehicle differential according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the depressions (13) and the end journals are so dimensioned relative to each other that there is a small play between said end surfaces and the opposite surfaces on the said wall portions (14). 4. Vehicle differential according to claim 3, characterized in that the end journals of the differential pinion carrier (15) are received with slide fit in the depressions (13). 5. Vehicle differential according to one of claims 1-3, characterized in that the end journals of the differential pinion carrier (15) are clamped securely in the depressions (13). 6. Vehicle differential according to claim 5, characterized in that the depressions (13) have a cross section deviating from a semi-circle. 7. Vehicle differential according to one of claims 1-6, characterized in that the depressions (13) form heels (20) on their opposite sides, said heels having surface portions (19) in contact with a crown wheel (18) fixed to the outside of the differential housing (5), for centering the crown wheel when mounting it on the differential housing. 8. Vehicle differential according to one of claims 1-7, characterized in that the differential housing (5) is made with at least one channel (21) for providing lubricant access from a surrounding final drive housing (12) into the differential housing. 9. Vehicle differential according to claim 8, characterized in that a lubricant channel (21) is disposed within each gear engagement area between inter- engaging gears (16,17) in the differential housing.

Inventors: HOLMSTROEM JAN CHRISTIAN, JANISZEWSKI GRZEGORZ, HOLMSTROEM, JAN, CHRISTIAN, JANISZEWSKI, GRZEGORZ
Applicants: HOLMSTROEM JAN CHRISTIAN, JANISZEWSKI GRZEGORZ, VOLVO AB, AB VOLVO, HOLMSTROEM, JAN, CHRISTIAN, JANISZEWSKI, GRZEGORZ
Application year: 1999
Main classification: F16H48
IPC codes: F16H48, F16H57