Differential comprising pinion gears, a drive wheel, and at least one cover

Abstract

A differential (1) includes pinion gears (2, 3), a drive wheel (4), and at least one cover (5, 13), wherein: the outside of the drive wheel (4) has toothing (7) extending circumferentially around an axis of rotation (6) and the inside of the drive wheel is provided with bearing points (8, 9); the pinion gears (2, 3) are mounted on the bearing points (8, 9) in the drive wheel (4); and the differential (1) is closed on at least one side by the at least one cover (5, 13).

Claims

1. A differential having pinion gears, a drive wheel and at least one cover, wherein the outside of the drive wheel has a toothing extending circumferentially around an axis of rotation and the inside of the drive wheel is provided with bearing points, the pinion gears are mounted on the bearing points in the drive wheel, the differential t is closed on one side by the cover, and the pinion gears are held in the drive wheel by the cover and the cover and the drive wheel are fastened to one another only by at least one material connection without further fastening means, so that the differential formed from the pinion gears, the drive wheel and the cover is a self-retaining unit.

2. The differential according to claim 1, wherein the drive wheel has a flange, wherein the flange is provided with the bearing points and the cover abuts the flange.

3. The differential according to claim 1, wherein the differential is closed by two of the covers.

4. The differential according to claim 3, wherein the covers are identical parts.

5. The differential according to claim 1, wherein the material connection is at least one welded connection between two metallic materials.

6. The differential according to claim 1, wherein the pinion gears are each rotatably mounted in the drive wheel with a pin.

7. The differential according to claim 6, wherein the pins are formed on a bolt common to the pinion gears wherein the bolt is supported in the bearing points by means of the pins.

8. The differential according to claim 1, wherein the differential has at least one output wheel which meshes with the pinion gears, wherein the output wheel is a component of the self-retaining unit.

9. The differential according to claim 1, wherein the differential has at least one output wheel which meshes with the pinion gears and is mounted in the cover.

10. A differential comprising: a drive wheel having extern toothing and a flange extending inward, the flange having at least two bearing pockets formed therein; at least two pinion gears supported in pins, wherein each pin extends radially into a corresponding bearing pocket; two drive gears, each drive gear meshing with each of the pinion gears; and at least one cover materially joined to the flange.

11. The differential of claim 10 wherein the at least one cover comprised two covers materially joined to axially opposite surfaces of the flange.

12. The differential of claim 11 wherein the two covers are interchangeable.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] FIG. 1 shows a differential in an overall view.

[0012] FIG. 2 shows a view of the differential of FIG. 1 without a cover.

[0013] FIG. 3 shows a detailed representation of a longitudinal section through the differential of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0014] In the following, the differential is explained in more detail with reference to an exemplary embodiment.

[0015] FIG. 1 shows a differential 1 in an overall view. From the differential 1, a drive wheel 4 with a toothing 7 designed as a helical spur toothing, a cover 5 and the shafts 18 and 19 of two output wheels 16 can be seen. In addition, fragments of an output wheel 16 can be seen through the holes 20. The drive wheel 4, the cover 5 and the output wheels 16 are arranged coaxially with respect to an axis of rotation 6 of the differential 1. A plurality of material connections 11, symbolized by crosses, are formed between the cover 5 and a flange 10 of the drive wheel 4. Alternatively, the crosses symbolize the course of a welded connection between the cover 5 and the drive wheel 4 that runs partially around the circumference, alternatively in sections or closed on the circumference.

[0016] FIG. 2 shows a view of the differential 1 without a cover 13 of the two covers 5 and 13. It should be noted in this regard that the covers 5 and 13 are connected to the drive wheel 4 by a material connection, i.e., non-detachably. The covers 5 and 13 can therefore only be removed with force by severing. Accordingly, FIG. 2 is only intended to illustrate the internal design of the differential 1. The disk-shaped flange 10 is surrounded on the outside circumferentially by a base body 21 of the drive wheel 4 having the toothing 7 and extends radially inward from the base body 21. Recesses 22 that are open radially inward and in the two axial longitudinal directions are formed on the flange 10. The recesses 22 form bearing points 8 and 9. Two pinion gears 2 and 3 are accommodated in the drive wheel 4. For this purpose, the pinion gears 2 and 3 are seated on a bolt 15 in such a way that pins 12 and 14 of the bolt 15 protrude radially. Each of the pins 14 and 15 is seated in a recess 22 in such a way that the pin 15 is supported in the circumferential direction about the axis of rotation in the bearing points 8 and 9. An output wheel 16 meshes with both pinion gears 1 and 2.

[0017] FIG. 3 shows a detailed representation of a longitudinal section through the differential 1 in a longitudinal plane in which the axis of rotation 6 of the differential 1 also extends axially longitudinally. The base body 21 of the drive wheel 4 and a section of the pin 12 as well as flange sections 23 and 24 of the covers 5 and 13 can be seen. The toothing 7 protrudes radially outward from the drive wheel 4 and the flange 10 protrudes radially inward. The pin 12 is seated in a recess 22 which forms the bearing point for the pinion gear 2 of the pinion gears 2 and 3. The recess 22 is closed in the axial directions by one of the flange sections 23 or 24 of the respective cover 5 or 13, so that the pin 12 is held and guided axially in the flange 10. For this purpose, the covers 5 and 13 lie flat against the flange 10 with the flange sections 23 and 24 and are welded to the drive wheel 4 via the material connections 11. The recesses 22 and the parts of the flange sections 23 and 24 which cover the respective recesses 22 each form one of the bearing points 8 and 9, respectively.

[0018] The fully assembled differential 1 is a unit 25 made from the drive wheel 4, the pinion gears 2 and 3, the covers 5 and 13, the bolt 15 and two output wheels 16, which is held together in a self-retaining manner only by the material connection(s) without the aid of other fastening means.

LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS

[0019] 1 Differential [0020] 2 Pinion gear [0021] 3 Pinion gear [0022] 4 Drive wheel [0023] 5 Cover [0024] 6 Axis of rotation of the differential [0025] 7 Toothing [0026] 8 Bearing point [0027] 9 Bearing point [0028] 10 Flange [0029] 11 Material connection [0030] 12 Pin [0031] 13 Cover [0032] 14 Pin [0033] 15 Bolt [0034] 16 Output wheel [0035] 17 Axis of rotation of the pinion gear [0036] 18 Shaft [0037] 19 Shaft [0038] 20 Hole [0039] 21 Base body [0040] Recess [0041] 23 Flange portion of the cover 5 [0042] Flange portion of a cover 13 [0043] 25 Unit