Bearing Arrangement of a Bevel Gear Drive and Application of the Bearing Arrangement

Abstract

The invention relates to a bearing arrangement for a bevel gear drive, comprising a housing (14), a pinion (12), which includes a pinion shaft (12a) and a bearing journal (12b), and a crown wheel (13), which is meshed with the pinion (12), wherein the pinion (12) is supported with respect to the housing (14) via the bearing journal (12b) and the pinion shaft (12a) with the aid of antifriction bearings (15, 16).

It is provided that the pinion (12) is supported via two tapered roller bearings (15, 16) pitched with respect to one another, wherein the first tapered roller bearing (15) is arranged on the bearing journal (12b) and the second tapered roller bearing (16) is arranged on the pinion shaft (12a) and their pressure lines (d) form an X arrangement.

Claims

1-6: (canceled)

7. A bearing arrangement for a bevel gear drive, comprising: a housing (14); a pinion (12) comprising a pinion shaft (12a) and a bearing journal (12b); and a crown wheel (13) meshed with the pinion (12), wherein the pinion (12) is supported with respect to the housing (14) by the bearing journal (12b) and the pinion shaft (12a), wherein the pinion (12) is supported by two tapered roller bearings (15, 16) pitched with respect to each other, a first tapered roller bearing (15) of the two tapered roller bearings (15, 16) is arranged on the bearing journal (12b), a second tapered roller bearing (16) of the two tapered roller bearings (15, 16) is arranged on the pinion shaft (12a), and pressure lines (d) of the two tapered roller bearings (15, 16) form an X arrangement.

8. The bearing arrangement of claim 7, wherein the pressure lines (d) form points of intersection (A, B) on a longitudinal axis (a) of the pinion shaft (12a), the points of intersection (A, B) have a spacing distance (c), and the spacing distance (c) approximately corresponds to a length of the pinion (12) along the longitudinal axis (a).

9. The bearing arrangement of claim 7, wherein each of the two tapered roller bearings (15, 16) comprise a respective inner ring (15a, 16a), and each of the inner rings (15a, 16a) is supported on a respective face of the pinion (12).

10. The bearing arrangement of claim 7, wherein each of the two tapered roller bearings (15, 16) comprise a respective outer ring (15b, 16b), and the outer rings (15b, 16b) are supported on the housing (14).

11. A differential (11) for a commercial motor vehicle, comprising the bearing arrangement of claim 7.

12. An axle transmission for a commercial motor vehicle, comprising the bearing arrangement of claim 7.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] An exemplary embodiment of the invention is represented in the drawing and is described in greater detail in the following, wherein further features and/or advantages can result from the description and/or the drawing. In the drawing

[0011] FIG. 1 shows a pinion bearing for an axle transmission according to the prior art,

[0012] FIG. 2 shows a bearing arrangement according to example aspects of the invention for a bevel gear pinion, and

[0013] FIG. 3 shows an axle transmission or differential including the bearing arrangement according to example aspects of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0014] Reference will now be made to embodiments of the invention, one or more examples of which are shown in the drawings. Each embodiment is provided by way of explanation of the invention, and not as a limitation of the invention. For example, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment can be combined with another embodiment to yield still another embodiment. It is intended that the present invention include these and other modifications and variations to the embodiments described herein.

[0015] FIG. 1 shows a section of an axle transmission 1 including a known bearing arrangement for a bevel gear pinion 2, or pinion 2, which is meshed with a crown wheel 3 (partially represented). The pinion 2 includes a pinion shaft 2a and a bearing journal 2b arranged on the end face. The pinion 2 is supported with respect to a housing 4 via three antifriction bearings 5, 6, 7. The first antifriction bearing 5 is arranged on the bearing journal 2b, and a pair of tapered roller bearings 6, 7 are arranged on the pinion shaft 2a. The tapered roller bearings 6, 7 are arranged in an O arrangement, i.e., pressure lines d of the tapered roller bearings 6, 7 extend, from both bearings 6, 7, in opposite directions and form a stylized O. The points of intersection A, B of the pressure lines d with the longitudinal axis a of the pinion shaft 2a form a spacing distance c, or base c. The base c is a measure for the amount of tipping torque that can be absorbed: the larger the base, the greater the tipping torque.

[0016] FIG. 2 shows an axle transmission 11 (partially represented) including a bearing arrangement according to example aspects of the invention for a pinion 12, which is meshed with a crown wheel 13. The pinion 12 includes a pinion shaft 12a and a bearing journal 12b on the end face. The pinion 12 is supported with respect to the housing 14 via two tapered roller bearings 15, 16. The first tapered roller bearing 15 is arranged on the bearing journal 12b and the second tapered roller bearing 16 is arranged on the pinion shaft 12a. The tapered roller bearings 15, 16 form, via pressure lines d of the tapered roller bearings 15, 16, an X arrangement. The pressure lines d intersect the longitudinal axis a of the pinion shaft 12a at the points A, B, which have a spacing distance c. This spacing distance c, or base c, corresponds to the width of the pinion 12, measured in the direction of the longitudinal axis a. The tapered roller bearings 15, 16 include inner races or rings 15a, 16a, respectively, and outer races or rings 15b, 16b, respectively. The inner rings 15a, 16a rest against the end faces of the pinion 12, while the outer rings 15b, 16b are supported on the housing 14 (the part of the housing 14 for supporting the outer ring 16b is not representedit could be designed as a bearing cover). The two tapered roller bearings 15, 16 are therefore pitched with respect to one another in an X arrangement, wherein the pinion 12 is clamped between the inner rings 15a, 16a.

[0017] FIG. 3 shows a completed axle transmission 11 including a crown wheel 13 (completely represented), which is mounted, together with a differential case 17, in a further housing part 18. A bevel gear differential 19 is arranged within the differential case 17, wherein the bevel gears 19a, 19b arranged coaxially to a center line m accommodate, in a rotationally fixed manner, the inner ends of drive shafts (not represented) of a motor vehicle axle, preferably the rear axle of a commercial vehicle.

[0018] The drive of the axle transmission 11 takes place via the pinion shaft 12a and the pinion 12, which is supported in the housing 14 via the two tapered roller bearings 15, 16 and drives the crown wheel 13 including the differential case 17. The housing 14 is connected to the housing part 18. The axle shafts (not represented) and the driving wheels of the motor vehicle are driven via the differential 19.

[0019] Modifications and variations can be made to the embodiments illustrated or described herein without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. In the claims, reference characters corresponding to elements recited in the detailed description and the drawings may be recited. Such reference characters are enclosed within parentheses and are provided as an aid for reference to example embodiments described in the detailed description and the drawings. Such reference characters are provided for convenience only and have no effect on the scope of the claims. In particular, such reference characters are not intended to limit the claims to the particular example embodiments described in the detailed description and the drawings.

REFERENCE NUMBERS

[0020] 1 axle transmission (prior art) [0021] 2 pinion [0022] 2a pinion shaft [0023] 2b bearing journal [0024] 3 crown wheel [0025] 4 housing [0026] 5 antifriction bearing [0027] 6 first tapered roller bearing [0028] 7 second tapered roller bearing [0029] 11 axle transmission [0030] 12 pinion [0031] 12a pinion shaft [0032] 12b bearing journal [0033] 13 crown wheel [0034] 14 housing [0035] 15 first tapered roller bearing [0036] 15a inner ring [0037] 15b outer ring [0038] 16 second tapered roller bearing [0039] 16a inner ring [0040] 16b outer ring [0041] 17 differential case [0042] 18 housing part [0043] 19 bevel gear differential [0044] 19a bevel gear, left [0045] 19b bevel gear, right [0046] a pinion shaft longitudinal axis [0047] A point of intersection [0048] B point of intersection [0049] c spacing distance AB (base) [0050] d pressure line [0051] m axle shaft center line