An ultra-lightweight differential

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of differentials, and particularly provides an extremely light differential, which comprises a differential shell body, two lug seats are arranged on one side of the differential shell body, a planetary gear is rotationally arranged on the two lug seats, cover plates are arranged on the two sides of the differential shell body, the cover plate comprises a plate seat and a connecting plate, fixed plates are connected to the two ends of the plate seat through the connecting plate, the plate seat, the connecting plate and the fixed plates are all thin plate structures and are made of steel, the fixed plates are fixedly connected with the differential shell body, a rotating hole is arranged on the plate seat, a half shaft gear is rotationally arranged on the rotating hole, and the half shaft gear is engaged with the planetary gear. The differential shell body structure of sheet metal-cast iron-sheet metal is adopted, that is, the two cover plates are sheet metal structures, and the differential shell body is a cast iron structure, so that the overall weight of the differential is greatly reduced while the torque bearing capacity is ensured, the cover plates are elastic, the half shaft gear can be actively pressed, the gear tooth side gap is eliminated, and the engagement is more stable.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of differential technology, and specifically to an ultra-lightweight differential. Background Technology

[0002] The differential is a key component of a car's transmission system. Its function is to allow the left and right drive wheels to rotate at different speeds when the vehicle is turning or driving on uneven surfaces, thus ensuring smooth vehicle operation. Figure 6 As shown, traditional differential housings are typically made of cast iron. To ensure structural strength, the hemispherical cover plate 9 has a relatively thick wall, resulting in an overall heavier weight.

[0003] With the rapid development of new energy vehicles, driving range has become one of the core indicators of concern for users. Vehicle lightweighting is an effective means to improve driving range, and the differential in the transmission system, as an important component of unsprung mass, has a significant impact on vehicle energy consumption and handling performance due to its weight optimization. Existing differential structures still have considerable room for improvement in terms of weight reduction, and there is an urgent need for a differential solution that can significantly reduce its weight without compromising torque transmission performance and reliability. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to address the shortcomings of existing technologies by providing an extremely lightweight differential to solve the problem of excessive weight in traditional differentials.

[0005] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this invention provides an ultra-lightweight differential, comprising a differential housing body. Two lugs are provided on one side of the differential housing body, and planetary gears are rotatably mounted on the two lugs. Cover plates are provided on both sides of the differential housing body, each cover plate comprising a plate base and a connecting plate. Fixed plates are connected to both ends of the plate base via the connecting plates. The plate base, connecting plate, and fixed plate are all thin-plate structures made of steel. The fixed plate is fixedly connected to the differential housing body. A rotating hole is provided on the plate base, and a half-shaft gear is rotatably mounted on the rotating hole. The half-shaft gear meshes with the planetary gears.

[0006] In some embodiments, the cover plate is elastic, and the cover plate seat is pressed tightly against the half-shaft gear.

[0007] In some embodiments, the cover plate is made of spring steel.

[0008] In some embodiments, the cover plate is treated with soft nitriding.

[0009] In some embodiments, a through hole is formed in the middle of the housing body, the half-shaft gear is arranged coaxially with the through hole, and the cover plate does not completely cover the through hole.

[0010] In some embodiments, the half-shaft gear has a toothed interior, and a shoulder is provided at one end of the toothed end near the slotted shaft. The shoulder is used to abut against the end of the drive half-shaft to transmit the axial force transmitted by the main reduction gear to the drive half-shaft via the differential system to cancel it out.

[0011] In some embodiments, the plate base, connecting plate, and fixing plate are an integral structure.

[0012] In some embodiments, a slotted shaft is provided on the two ear seats, and the planetary gear is disposed on the slotted shaft.

[0013] In some embodiments, a shim is provided between the planetary gear and the lug.

[0014] In some embodiments, the fixing plate is fixed to the housing body by bolts or welding.

[0015] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: 1. This invention, through in-depth analysis of the torque transmission path of the differential, adopts a sheet metal-cast iron-sheet metal differential housing structure. Specifically, the side covers are made of thin sheet metal, while the main body of the differential housing is made of cast iron. This achieves extreme lightweight design while ensuring torque transmission capacity. Actual measurements show that compared to conventional differentials, this solution reduces the weight of the differential housing by more than 45%, and the overall weight of the differential by more than 30%. This effectively reduces the unsprung mass of the vehicle and has significant implications for improving the driving range of new energy vehicles.

[0016] 2. The cover plate of this invention is made of spring steel. After assembly, the cover plate base can actively press against the half-shaft gear, thereby effectively eliminating the tooth backlash between the half-shaft gear and the planetary gear, making the differential meshing smoother, reducing transmission noise, and improving the service life of the gears. At the same time, the cover plate can be manufactured by stamping, which is cheaper and easier to assemble than traditional casting or machining methods.

[0017] 3. The cover plate of this invention has a compact structure and reduced overall volume, which can effectively save axial space and facilitate its arrangement within the limited space of the vehicle. At the same time, the gear position can be axially adjusted according to the length of the customer's drive shaft. By adjusting the position of the slotted shaft and the shape of the cover plate, the axial position of the gear can be flexibly changed, improving the versatility and adaptability of the product.

[0018] 4. This invention features a shoulder inside the half-shaft gear, near the slotted shaft. After vehicle assembly, the drive half-shaft abuts against this shoulder. The axial force transmitted by the main reduction gear is transferred to the drive half-shaft via the differential system, where it is offset, thus significantly reducing the axial load on the differential bearing. Based on this, smaller bearings can be used, further achieving weight reduction, while the structure also possesses excellent resistance to axial impact.

[0019] 5. In this invention, the differential housing body is made of ductile iron for casting, and the cover plate is made of spring steel and undergoes soft nitriding treatment. This ensures the strength and toughness of key load-bearing parts, while also giving the cover plate good elastic recovery and surface wear resistance. Furthermore, a through hole is provided in the center of the differential housing body, and the cover plate does not completely cover this hole, ensuring good lubricating oil flow channels inside the differential, resulting in good lubrication, strong anti-sintering performance, and effectively improving the reliability and durability of the differential. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 This is an isometric view of the differential of the present invention; Figure 2 This is an isometric view of the differential of the present invention from another perspective; Figure 3 This is an exploded view of the differential of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional view of the differential of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional view of the half-shaft gear of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a differential in the prior art; Figure 7 This is a cross-sectional view of a differential in the prior art.

[0021] Reference numerals: First cover plate 1; First plate seat 11; First connecting plate 12; First fixing plate 13; Differential housing body 2; Ear seat 21; Second cover plate 3; First plate seat 31; First connecting plate 32; First fixing plate 33; Half shaft gear 4; Shoulder 41; Slotted shaft 5; Planetary gear 6; Shim 7; Pin 8; Hemispherical cover plate 9; Flow channel 91. Detailed Implementation

[0022] To make the technical problems to be solved, the technical solutions, and the beneficial effects of the present invention clearer, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0023] like Figure 1 As shown, this embodiment provides an ultra-lightweight differential, including a differential housing body 2, with two lugs 21 disposed on one side of the differential housing body 2, as shown. Figure 3 , 4 As shown, planetary gears 6 are rotatably mounted on the two ear seats 21 via a slotted shaft 5, and the slotted shaft 5 is fixed to the ear seats 21 via a pin 8. A first cover plate 1 and a second cover plate 3 are respectively provided on both sides of the housing body 2.

[0024] like Figure 2As shown, the first cover plate 1 includes a first plate base 11, a first connecting plate 12, and a first fixing plate 13. The two ends of the first plate base 11 are connected to the first fixing plate 13 via the first connecting plate 12. Similarly, as... Figure 1 As shown, the second cover plate 3 includes a second plate base 31, a second connecting plate 32, and a second fixing plate 33. The two ends of the second plate base 31 are connected to the second fixing plate 33 via the second connecting plate 32. The first plate base 11, the first connecting plate 12, the first fixing plate 13, and the second plate base 31, the second connecting plate 32, and the second fixing plate 33 are all thin plate structures, integrally formed from spring steel using a stamping process. The first fixing plate 13 and the second fixing plate 33 are respectively fixed to the housing body 2 by bolts or welding.

[0025] like Figure 1 , 2 As shown, both the first plate base 11 and the second plate base 31 have rotating holes, and half-shaft gears 4 are rotatably mounted on the rotating holes, meshing with planetary gears 6. Since the first cover plate 1 and the second cover plate 3 are made of spring steel, they have a certain degree of elasticity. After assembly, the first plate base 11 and the second plate base 31 can actively press against the half-shaft gears 4 on both sides, thereby effectively eliminating the tooth backlash between the half-shaft gears 4 and the planetary gears 6, making the differential engagement smoother.

[0026] like Figure 4 , 5 As shown, the half-shaft gear 4 has internal teeth, and a shoulder 41 is provided at one end of the teeth near the slotted shaft 5. During vehicle assembly, the drive half-shaft (not shown) is inserted into the half-shaft gear 4 and abuts against the shoulder 41. When the vehicle is in motion, the axial force transmitted by the main reduction gear is transmitted to the drive half-shaft through the differential system and is offset by the drive half-shaft, thereby reducing the axial load on the differential bearing and allowing the use of a smaller bearing, achieving further weight reduction. At the same time, this structure also has good resistance to axial impact.

[0027] like Figure 1 , 2 As shown, a through hole is provided in the middle of the differential housing body 2, and the half-shaft gear 4 is arranged coaxially with the through hole. The first cover plate 1 and the second cover plate 3 do not completely cover the through hole after installation, thus forming an effective lubricating oil flow channel inside the differential, ensuring smooth flow of lubricating oil, improving lubrication effect and anti-sintering performance. In contrast, the prior art requires a flow channel 91 to be opened inside the hemispherical cover plate 9, such as... Figure 7 As shown.

[0028] In this embodiment, the differential housing body 2 is made of ductile iron for casting, ensuring the load-bearing capacity for torque and power transmission. The first cover plate 1 and the second cover plate 3 are made of spring steel and undergo soft nitriding treatment, which ensures the elasticity of the cover plates and improves the surface wear resistance. Actual measurements show that compared to conventional differentials, the differential housing portion of this embodiment has a weight reduction ratio of 47.33%, and the overall differential weight reduction ratio is 33.23%. Therefore, the estimated weight reduction ratio is approximately 30-60%.

[0029] The above-described embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and are not intended to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, and should all be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An ultra-lightweight differential, characterized in that: The device includes a differential housing body (2), on one side of which two lugs (21) are provided, and planetary gears (6) are rotatably mounted on the two lugs (21). Cover plates are provided on both sides of the differential housing body (2), and each cover plate includes a plate base and a connecting plate. The two ends of the plate base are connected to a fixing plate through the connecting plate. The plate base, connecting plate, and fixing plate are all thin plate structures made of steel. The fixing plate is fixedly connected to the differential housing body (2). A rotating hole is opened on the plate base, and a half-shaft gear (4) is rotatably mounted on the rotating hole. The half-shaft gear (4) meshes with the planetary gears (6).

2. The ultra-lightweight differential according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cover plate is elastic, and the plate seat of the cover plate is pressed tightly against the half-shaft gear (4).

3. The ultra-lightweight differential according to claim 2, characterized in that: The cover plate is made of spring steel.

4. The ultra-lightweight differential according to claim 3, characterized in that: The cover plate is treated with soft nitriding.

5. The ultra-lightweight differential according to claim 1, characterized in that: The housing body (2) has a through hole in the middle, the half-shaft gear (4) is arranged coaxially with the through hole, and the cover plate does not completely cover the through hole.

6. The ultra-lightweight differential according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The half-shaft gear (4) has a toothed interior, and a shoulder (41) is provided at one end of the toothed end near the spool (5).

7. The ultra-lightweight differential according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The plate base, connecting plate, and fixing plate are an integral structure.

8. The ultra-lightweight differential according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: A slotted shaft (5) is provided on the two ear seats (21), and the planetary gear (6) is provided on the slotted shaft (5).

9. The ultra-lightweight differential according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: A shim (7) is provided between the planetary gear (6) and the lug (21).

10. The ultra-lightweight differential according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The fixing plate is fixed to the shell body (2) by bolts or welding.

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