Patent ID: 7455616

Claim:
A removable thrust washer retainer for an off-highway vehicle having an electric propulsion system which includes a plurality of motorized wheels, a traction motor for delivering power to a respective wheel, a transmission in the wheel for transmitting power from the motor to the wheel, wherein the transmission comprises a central drive shaft, a planetary gear train at the end of the central drive shaft, and a thrust washer enabling relative rotation of the central drive shaft and the wheel, and a cover over an opening in an outer end of the wheel for access to the thrust washer, the removable thrust washer retainer comprising: a first thrust washer retainer portion, wherein said first thrust washer retainer portion is of generally annular configuration and defines a bearing surface engageable with a thrust washer at the end of a drive shaft of an electric propulsion system, at least one first mating structure and a first interface structure, wherein said first thrust washer retainer portion is accessible at said outer end of a wheel via an opening therein; a second thrust washer retainer portion, wherein said second thrust washer retainer portion is of generally annular configuration and defines a second mating structure surrounding and engageable with said first mating structure of said first thrust washer retainer portion for detachably connecting said first thrust washer retainer portion and second thrust washer retainer portions against relative axial movement when connected, wherein said second thrust washer retainer portion is secured in the wheel against removal without removal of the wheel from the vehicle, and further includes a second interface structure; and a locking member of generally annular configuration accessible via the opening at said outer end of the wheel and surrounding said first mating structure and said second mating structure of said first thrust washer retainer portion and said second thrust washer retainer portion and having at least one locking structure engageable with said first interface structure and said second interface structure of said first thrust washer retainer portion and said second thrust washer retainer portion for selectively securing said first thrust washer retainer portion and said second thrust washer retainer portion against relative annular motion, whereby with the cover removed said locking member may be detached from said first thrust washer retainer portion and said second thrust washer retainer portion and said first thrust washer retainer portion and said second thrust washer retainer portion may be detached from each other so as to enable removal and replacement of said first thrust washer retainer portion from said opening in the wheel.