Half shaft shell of drive axle
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- SHANDONG JIAYUAN AGRI EQUIP CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2025-07-29
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-15
AI Technical Summary
Existing drive axles are costly to increase ground clearance and are not suitable for ordinary vehicles. Furthermore, existing improvement solutions increase wheel diameter or require specially designed masts, leading to increased requirements for drivetrain strength or higher costs.
Design a drive axle half-shaft housing, including a steering knuckle housing mounting part, a cavity part, and a differential housing mounting part. The outer half-shaft mounting hole and the differential housing mounting hole are arranged vertically and vertically offset, and the rotation centers of the inner half-shaft and the outer half-shaft are also vertically and vertically offset. They are connected by a universal coupling and combined with a planetary gear reducer to increase ground clearance without increasing wheel diameter.
Without increasing the wheel diameter, the ground clearance of the drive axle is increased, improving vehicle passability, reducing costs, and the structure is simple and easy to maintain.
Smart Images
Figure CN224240743U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This utility model relates to the field of drive axle technology, and in particular to a drive axle half-shaft housing. Background Technology
[0002] The drive axle is located at the end of the power transmission system of self-propelled machinery (including tractors, agricultural machinery, etc.) or vehicles (including agricultural vehicles, engineering vehicles, transport vehicles, etc.). Its basic functions are: to transmit the torque output by the engine to the wheel-side reducers through the main reducer, differential, and half-shafts, thereby driving the wheels and achieving speed reduction and torque increase; to change the direction of torque transmission through the bevel gear pair of the main reducer; to achieve differential speed action between the two wheels through the differential, ensuring that the inner and outer wheels steer at different speeds; and to achieve load bearing and torque transmission through the axle housing and wheels. Adding a steering mechanism to a standard drive axle creates a drive axle with steering capabilities.
[0003] Ground clearance (or simply ground clearance) depends on the axle's height above the ground and determines a vehicle's off-road performance. Axles used with non-independent suspensions are typically non-disconnectable axles with horizontally arranged axle half-shafts. Therefore, the simplest way to increase ground clearance is to increase the wheel diameter; for example, to increase ground clearance by 50mm, the wheel diameter needs to be increased by 100mm. However, increasing the wheel diameter increases the torque acting on the wheels under the same working load, placing higher demands on the strength and transmission performance of the final drive, central drive, and other transmission systems. Without adaptive adjustments, the transmission system is easily damaged. Modifying and adjusting the final drive, central drive, and other transmission systems increases the number of models required and raises manufacturing costs.
[0004] Another way to increase ground clearance is to use a planetary reduction mechanism in the wheel-side reducer. Planetary reduction mechanisms have a large speed ratio, compact structure, and large transmission torque, which can reduce the speed ratio of the central main reducer. The central main reducer generally uses a bevel gear reduction mechanism. Reducing the speed ratio can reduce the diameter of the bevel gear, thereby reducing the size of the main reducer and thus ensuring ground clearance.
[0005] To further increase ground clearance, Chinese invention patent CN101318447A discloses a high ground clearance gantry-type drive axle. Both ends of the drive axle are connected to a gantry, which houses a reduction gear. The reduction gear includes a driving wheel and a driven wheel. The driving wheel is connected to the half-shaft of the main drive axle, and the driven wheel is connected to the drive wheel via a wheel-side reducer. The driving wheel and driven wheel are connected by a chain drive, raising the drive axle above the center of the drive wheel. However, this type of drive axle requires a specially designed gantry, and the reduction gear must be installed within the gantry, resulting in high cost and excessive ground clearance, making it suitable only for special applications in complex terrain.
[0006] The practical need is to appropriately increase the ground clearance (e.g., 20-100mm) based on the existing axle, which can improve the vehicle's passability while controlling costs. The drive axle half-shaft housing is a basic component of the drive axle, and changing the half-shaft housing is necessary to increase the drive axle's ground clearance. Utility Model Content
[0007] In view of this, the technical problem to be solved by this utility model is to provide a drive axle half-shaft housing to improve the ground clearance of the drive axle.
[0008] To solve the first technical problem mentioned above, the technical solution adopted by this utility model is as follows:
[0009] A drive axle half-shaft housing includes: a housing body, the housing body comprising a steering knuckle housing mounting portion, a cavity portion, and a differential housing mounting portion, the steering knuckle housing mounting portion and the differential housing mounting portion being located on opposite sides of the cavity portion, the steering knuckle housing mounting portion having an upper kingpin mounting hole and a lower kingpin mounting hole, and the differential housing mounting portion having a differential housing mounting hole; an outer half-shaft mounting portion is provided between the steering knuckle housing mounting portion and the cavity portion, the outer half-shaft mounting portion having an outer half-shaft mounting hole, the outer half-shaft mounting hole and the differential housing mounting hole being vertically offset at their centers, with a height difference of H between them.
[0010] The upper side of the cavity is inclined, while the lower side is flush.
[0011] A bearing seat is provided inside the mounting hole of the outer half-shaft.
[0012] The outer half-shaft mounting portion is provided with set screws for fixing the bearing seat.
[0013] The cavity portion has an installation port, and the installation port is equipped with an installation port cover.
[0014] The shell body is provided with a limiting block.
[0015] The shell body is equipped with an oil plug.
[0016] After adopting the above technical solution, the beneficial effects of this utility model are:
[0017] The drive axle half-shaft housing disclosed in this utility model comprises a steering knuckle housing mounting part, an outer half-shaft mounting part, a cavity part, and a differential housing mounting part. The differential housing mounting part is provided with a differential housing mounting hole, and the outer half-shaft mounting part is provided with an outer half-shaft mounting hole. The centers of the outer half-shaft mounting hole and the differential housing mounting hole are vertically offset, with a height difference of H. In use, the inner half-shaft is rotatably mounted on the differential housing of the differential via a bearing and is connected to the half-shaft gear of the differential. The outer half-shaft is rotatably mounted on the outer half-shaft mounting hole and is connected to the power input shaft of the wheel-side reducer via a first universal coupling. The inner half-shaft is connected to the outer half-shaft via a second universal coupling. In this way, the rotation centers of the inner and outer half-shafts are vertically offset, with a height difference of H. This increases the ground clearance of the drive axle by H without increasing the wheel diameter, thereby improving the passability of vehicles or operating machinery at a lower cost. Attached Figure Description
[0018] Figure 1 This is a longitudinal sectional view of an embodiment of a high ground clearance drive axle using the drive axle half-shaft housing of this utility model;
[0019] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A three-dimensional structural schematic diagram of Embodiment 1 is shown;
[0020] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 The longitudinal sectional view of the half-shaft housing in Embodiment 1 is shown;
[0021] In the picture:
[0022] 11. Sun gear shaft; 12. Planetary gear carrier; 13. External gear ring; 14. First bearing; 15. Second bearing; 16. Locating stop; 17. Bearing cap; 18. Retaining ring; 19. Sealing ring; 21. Hub; 31. Steering knuckle housing; 31A. Half-shaft housing mounting part; 31B. Support shaft; 32. Upper kingpin; 33. Lower kingpin; 34. Stop block; 41. First universal joint fork; 42. Second universal joint fork ; 43. Cross shaft; 51. Outer half shaft; 52. Second universal coupling; 53. Inner half shaft; 6. Half shaft housing; 61. Housing body; 611. Upper kingpin mounting hole; 612. Lower kingpin mounting hole; 613. Differential housing mounting hole; 62. Bearing seat; 63. Set screw; 64. Mounting cover; 65. Limiting block; 66. Oil plug; 71. Central axle housing; 81. Differential housing; 82. Half shaft gear. Detailed Implementation
[0023] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.
[0024] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, a high ground clearance drive axle has a central axle housing 71 fixedly connected to a half-shaft housing 6. A steering knuckle housing 31 is rotatably mounted to the half-shaft housing 6 via an upper kingpin 32 and a lower kingpin 33. A wheel hub 21 is rotatably mounted to the steering knuckle housing 31. For ease of manufacturing, the steering knuckle housing 31 can be manufactured separately, including a half-shaft housing mounting part 31A and a support shaft 31B. The half-shaft housing mounting part 31A is rotatably connected to the half-shaft housing 6, and the support shaft 31B is rotatably connected to the wheel hub 21. These two parts are detachably fixed together by bolts.
[0025] The main reducer and differential are installed in the central axle housing 71, the half shaft is installed in the half shaft housing 6, and the wheel-side reducer is connected between the half shaft and the wheel hub 21. The main reducer, differential, half shaft and wheel-side reducer are used to transmit power to the wheels.
[0026] The half-shaft includes an inner half-shaft 53 and an outer half-shaft 51. The inner half-shaft 53 is rotatably mounted on the differential housing 81 of the differential via bearings and is driven by the half-shaft gear 82 of the differential. The outer half-shaft 51 is rotatably mounted on the half-shaft housing 6 and is driven by the power input shaft of the wheel-side reducer via a first universal coupling. The inner half-shaft 53 is driven by the outer half-shaft 51 via a second universal coupling 52. The rotation centers of the inner half-shaft 53 and the outer half-shaft 51 are staggered vertically, and the height difference between them is denoted as H. The high ground clearance drive axle disclosed in this embodiment can increase the ground clearance of the drive axle by H without increasing the wheel diameter, with fewer added parts, and can improve the passability of vehicles or operating machinery at a lower cost.
[0027] In this embodiment, the second universal joint 52 can be a cross-type universal joint coupling or a ball cage type universal joint coupling. Using a cross-type universal joint coupling results in lower cost, while using a ball cage type universal joint coupling enables constant speed power transmission.
[0028] In this embodiment, the first universal joint is a cross-shaft universal joint coupling, which includes a first universal joint fork 41, a second universal joint fork 42 and a cross shaft 43. The first universal joint fork 41 is keyed to the power input shaft of the wheel-side reducer, and the second universal joint fork 42 is integrally formed or fixedly connected to the outer half shaft 51.
[0029] In this embodiment, the wheel-side reducer is a planetary gear reducer. The planetary gear reducer includes a sun gear shaft 11, a planetary gear carrier 12, and an external gear ring 13. The sun gear shaft 11 is rotatably mounted in the first bearing mounting hole of the steering knuckle housing 31 via a first bearing 14, and rotatably mounted in the second bearing mounting hole of the planetary gear carrier 12 via a second bearing 15. A sealing ring 19 is provided between the sun gear shaft 11 and the steering knuckle housing 31. The sun gear shaft 11 is the power input shaft. The planetary gear carrier 12 is fixedly connected to the wheel hub 21, and the external gear ring 13 is fixedly connected to the steering knuckle housing 31. The first bearing 14 is preferably a needle roller bearing, and the second bearing 15 is preferably a ball bearing or a roller bearing. The wheel-side reducer uses a planetary gear reducer, which has a large speed ratio, compact structure, and large transmission torque. When used in combination with the above-mentioned structure that divides the half-shaft into an inner half-shaft 53 and an outer half-shaft 51 and connects them through a second universal coupling 52, it can further increase ground clearance and improve the passability of operating machinery or vehicles.
[0030] A second bearing inner ring fixing device is provided on the sun gear shaft 11, and a second bearing outer ring fixing device is provided on the planetary gear carrier 12. The second bearing inner ring fixing device includes a shoulder and a retaining ring 18. The shoulder is located on the sun gear shaft 11 and abuts against the inner side of the inner ring of the second bearing 15. The retaining ring 18 is located at the end of the sun gear shaft and abuts against the outer side of the inner ring of the second bearing. The second bearing outer ring fixing device includes a locating stop 16 and a bearing cap 17. The locating stop 16 is located in the second bearing mounting hole of the planetary gear carrier 12, and the inner side of the outer ring of the second bearing 15 abuts against the locating stop 16. The bearing cap 17 is fixedly connected to the outer side of the planetary gear carrier 12 and abuts against the outer side of the outer ring of the second bearing 15. The retaining ring 18 can also be replaced by a nut or other limiting structure.
[0031] The sun gear shaft 11 can be axially fixed in both directions through the second bearing inner ring fixing device and the second bearing outer ring fixing device. The first universal joint fork 41 is keyed to the sun gear shaft 11. When the drive axle rotates, the sun gear shaft 11 only rotates and does not pull, resulting in less wear on the sealing ring 19 and thus a good sealing effect. Moreover, the second bearing outer ring fixing device adopts the structure of positioning stop 16 and bearing cover 17. Compared with the hole retaining ring structure, the second bearing mounting hole of the planetary gear carrier 12 does not need to be grooved, resulting in high overall strength and ease of processing.
[0032] The above structure also simplifies the assembly and disassembly of the sun gear shaft 11. When installing the sun gear shaft 11, first install the first bearing 14 and the sealing ring 19 to the designated positions on the steering knuckle housing 31. Then, install the second bearing 15 onto the sun gear shaft 11 and secure it with the retaining ring 18. Next, install the second bearing 15 into the second bearing mounting hole of the planetary gear carrier 12, with the inner side of the outer ring of the second bearing 15 abutting against the locating stop 16. Then, fix the bearing cap 17 to the outside of the planetary gear carrier 12, pressing it against the outer side of the outer ring of the second bearing 15. Then, pass the sun gear shaft 11 through the sealing ring 19 and the first bearing 14 and connect it to the first universal joint fork 41 via a sliding key. Finally, fix the planetary gear carrier 12 to the hub 21. The installation is simple and convenient. When replacing the sealing ring 19 or performing maintenance on the first bearing 14 or the second bearing 15, disassemble in the opposite direction. Fewer parts need to be disassembled, resulting in good maintainability.
[0033] Figure 3 The longitudinal cross-sectional view of the half-shaft housing 6 is shown in detail.
[0034] like Figure 3 and Figure 1 As shown, the half-shaft housing 6 includes a housing body 61, which comprises a steering knuckle housing mounting portion, a cavity portion, and a differential housing mounting portion. The steering knuckle housing mounting portion and the differential housing mounting portion are located on opposite sides of the cavity portion. The steering knuckle housing mounting portion has an upper kingpin mounting hole 611 and a lower kingpin mounting hole 612, and the differential housing mounting portion has a differential housing mounting hole 613. An outer half-shaft mounting portion is provided between the steering knuckle housing mounting portion and the cavity portion. The outer half-shaft mounting portion has an outer half-shaft mounting hole, and the centers of the outer half-shaft mounting hole and the differential housing mounting hole are staggered vertically, with a height difference of H between them.
[0035] The upper side of the cavity is inclined, and the lower side is flat. The cross-section of the cavity can be designed as circular, elliptical, or prismatic, etc., as needed.
[0036] A bearing housing 62 is provided in the mounting hole of the outer half-shaft, and a set screw 63 is provided in the mounting part of the outer half-shaft for fixing the bearing housing 62. The outer half-shaft 51 passes through and is rotatably mounted in the mounting hole of the bearing housing 62 via the bearing, and the differential housing 81 is rotatably mounted in the differential housing mounting hole 613 via the bearing. The housing body 61 is also provided with an oil plug 66.
[0037] like Figure 2 As shown, the cavity portion has an installation port, and the installation port is equipped with an installation port cover 64. Opening the installation port cover 64 facilitates the installation and disassembly of the second universal coupling 52. The housing body 61 is provided with a limiting block 65, and the steering knuckle housing 31 is provided with a stop block 34. When the stop block 34 touches the limiting block 65, it can limit the swing angle of the steering knuckle housing 31.
[0038] The high ground clearance drive axle disclosed in this utility model can be applied to self-propelled operating machinery, including tractors and agricultural operating machinery, and can also be applied to vehicles, including agricultural vehicles, engineering vehicles, and transport vehicles.
[0039] This utility model is not limited to the above embodiments. All improvements made based on the concept, principle, structure and method of this utility model shall fall within the protection scope of this utility model.
Claims
1. A drive axle half-shaft housing, comprising: The housing body includes a steering knuckle housing mounting portion, a cavity portion, and a differential housing mounting portion. The steering knuckle housing mounting portion and the differential housing mounting portion are respectively located on both sides of the cavity portion. The steering knuckle housing mounting portion has an upper kingpin mounting hole and a lower kingpin mounting hole, and the differential housing mounting portion has a differential housing mounting hole. Its characteristic is... An outer half-shaft mounting part is provided between the steering knuckle housing mounting part and the cavity part. The outer half-shaft mounting part has an outer half-shaft mounting hole. The centers of the outer half-shaft mounting hole and the differential housing mounting hole are staggered vertically, and the height difference between them is H.
2. The drive axle half-shaft housing as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The upper side of the cavity is inclined, and the lower side is flat.
3. The drive axle half-shaft housing as described in claim 1, characterized in that, A bearing seat is provided inside the mounting hole of the outer half shaft.
4. The drive axle half-shaft housing as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The outer half-shaft mounting portion is provided with set screws to fix the bearing seat.
5. The drive axle half-shaft housing as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The cavity is provided with an installation port, and the installation port is provided with an installation port cover.
6. The drive axle half-shaft housing as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The shell body is equipped with a limiting block.
7. The drive axle half-shaft housing as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The shell body is equipped with an oil plug.