Patent ID: 7178426

Claim:
A drive axle assembly, comprising: a drive axle housing; first and second axle half shafts extending from opposite sides of said drive axle housing a differential disposed within said drive axle housing, said differential including a pinion gear driven by an input shaft, a ring gear driven by said pinion gear, and a plurality of differential gears driven by said ring gear and drivingly coupled to said first and second axle half shafts; a cover plate coupled to said drive axle housing, said cover plate including an opening through which lubricant is inserted and received in a sump defined by said drive axle housing and said cover plate, a collector mounted to said cover plate, said collector defining a well and a flow passage proximate a bottom of said well, said flow passage having an inlet and an outlet; a plug inserted through said opening in said cover plate and into said flow passage in said collector, said plug having a filter disposed between said inlet and said outlet in said flow passage wherein at least a portion of lubricant splashed by said ring gear is captured by said collector and returned to said sump after passing through said filter.