US 12,169,016 B1
Automotive drivetrain gearbox including differential cover nested with rotor
Viktor Ruder, Furth (DE); Andreas Rosenwald, Nuremberg (DE); and Gunter Volkel, Puschendorf (DE)
Assigned to Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG, Herzogenaurach (DE)
Filed by Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG, Herzogenaurach (DE)
Filed on Nov. 22, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/517,620.
Int. Cl. F16H 48/38 (2012.01); F16H 48/08 (2006.01); F16H 48/40 (2012.01); F16H 57/037 (2012.01); F16H 57/04 (2010.01)
CPC F16H 48/08 (2013.01) [F16H 48/40 (2013.01); F16H 57/037 (2013.01); F16H 57/0483 (2013.01); F16H 57/043 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A drive assembly for a motor vehicle drivetrain comprising:
a differential configured for driving a first output shaft and a second output shaft about a center axis and for allowing the first output shaft and the second output shaft to rotate about the center axis at different speeds, the differential comprising:
a first side gear on a first side of the differential configured for being drivingly connected to the first output shaft;
a second side gear on a second side of the differential configured for being drivingly connected to the second output shaft;
a differential housing enclosing the first and second side gears;
support pins non-rotatably fixed to the differential housing; and
spider gears rotatably mounted on the support pins and positioned between the first side gear and the second side gear, each of the spider gears intermeshing with both the first side gear and the second side gear to transmit power from the support pins to the first side gear and the second side gear; and
a hollow drive shaft for driving the differential, the differential housing configured for transmitting power from hollow drive shaft to the support pins,
the hollow drive shaft being partially nested radially within the differential housing to direct oil from inside of the hollow drive shaft into the differential housing,
wherein a radially extending end surface of the hollow drive shaft that axially faces toward the first side gear is axially closer to the first side gear than a radially extending end surface of the differential housing that axially faces away from the first side gear,
wherein the first side gear includes a tubular hub including a radially extending end surface that axially faces away from the first side gear and directly axially toward the radially extending end surface of the hollow drive shaft, an axial gap being defined between the radially extending end surface of the tubular hub and the radially extending end surface of the hollow drive shaft, an inner circumferential surface of a guide portion of the differential housing being directly radially aligned with the axial gap.