A lightweight drive axle main reduction housing structure and drive axle assembly

Abstract

This utility model discloses a lightweight drive axle main reduction gear housing structure and drive axle assembly. The lightweight drive axle main reduction gear housing structure includes a main reduction gear housing body made of non-metallic carbon fiber material, used for mounting on the drive axle housing body. The main reduction gear housing body has a mating surface with the drive axle housing body, and an adhesive groove is arranged on the inner side of the mating surface to accommodate surface sealant. A washer is also provided at the mating edge area where the main reduction gear housing body and the drive axle housing body are connected by fasteners for fastening the fasteners. This lightweight drive axle main reduction gear housing structure addresses the technical defects of cast main reduction gear housings. Through stress analysis and market research, a carbon fiber material with higher hardness and strength was found to replace the original metal material. At the same time, washers and adhesive grooves were added to solve the fastening and sealing problems that may occur in the application of non-metallic materials.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of automotive parts technology, and in particular relates to a lightweight drive axle main reduction housing structure and drive axle assembly. Background Technology

[0002] With increasing global demands for environmental protection and energy efficiency, and intensifying competition in the automotive market, lightweighting of commercial heavy-duty trucks has become a crucial trend in automotive technology development. Reducing the overall weight of a vehicle can significantly decrease fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions. Relevant literature shows that a 100kg reduction in vehicle weight can reduce fuel consumption by 0.3L-0.6L per 100km and carbon dioxide emissions by 12g. As one of the three major components of heavy-duty trucks, the lightweighting of the drive axle assembly is particularly important. According to industry technical specifications and experience, the drive axle represents unsprung mass; reducing 1kg of unsprung mass is equivalent to reducing 15kg of sprung mass. Therefore, using lightweight materials, applying new processing technologies, and optimizing structural design to reduce the weight of the drive axle assembly (especially the drive axle housing) is of significant technical importance. In existing technologies, the drive axle housing assembly is typically obtained by bolting the main axle housing to the axle housing body.

[0003] In existing technologies, cast main reduction housings are the primary solution for commercial vehicle drive main reduction housings. Traditional drive axle main reduction housing structures consist of the main reduction housing body and mounting bolts connecting the main reduction housing to the axle housing. Because these cast main reduction housings are made of metal, their main technical drawback is their large weight. For example, the weight of a heavy-duty truck drive axle housing exceeds 1000 kg. If the main reduction housing is still made of cast metal, it will be difficult to meet the lightweight requirements of heavy-duty trucks. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a new drive axle main reduction housing structure that can effectively overcome the large weight of existing cast main reduction housings, thereby achieving the goal of reducing the weight of the drive axle assembly. Utility Model Content

[0004] To address the problem of excessive weight of existing cast main reducer housing metal materials, this utility model provides a lightweight drive axle main reducer housing structure and drive axle assembly.

[0005] This invention is implemented as follows: a lightweight drive axle main reduction housing structure for use in a drive axle assembly. The structure includes a main reduction housing body made of non-metallic carbon fiber material, used for mounting on the drive axle housing body. The main reduction housing body has a mating surface with the drive axle housing body, and an adhesive groove is arranged on the inner side of the mating surface to accommodate surface sealant. A washer is also provided in the mating edge area where the main reduction housing body and the drive axle housing body are connected by fasteners for fastening the fasteners.

[0006] In the above technical solution, preferably, the adhesive groove is located on the inner side of the main reducing shell body at a position that avoids the notch of the tooth.

[0007] In the above technical solution, preferably, the washer is a wide-face washer, whose design size allows the clamping force to be distributed to the area around the fastener hole, and the strength of the washer is greater than the local compressive strength of the non-metallic carbon fiber material of the main reducing shell body.

[0008] In the above technical solution, preferably, the washer is disposed at the joint edge area between the fastener and the main housing body, and the washer is configured to ensure the sealing pre-tightening force of the joint edge area.

[0009] In the above technical solution, preferably, the adhesive groove is continuously arranged along the mating surface of the main reducer housing and the drive axle housing, serving to form a physical limiting structure for the sealant.

[0010] In the above technical solution, preferably, the cross-sectional shape of the adhesive tank is a round-bottomed rectangle, and the bottom of the tank body is an arc shape.

[0011] In the above technical solution, preferably, the depth of the adhesive groove is between 2mm and 3mm, and the width is between 4mm and 6mm.

[0012] The lightweight drive axle main reduction housing structure provided by this invention has the following significant advantages and beneficial effects: This invention presents a novel lightweight drive axle main reduction housing structure, replacing the cast iron main reduction housing with a lightweight non-metallic carbon fiber main reduction housing. Adopting this non-metallic main reduction housing achieves weight reduction in the drive axle assembly. Specifically, compared to the technical solution using a cast iron main reduction housing, the non-metallic main reduction housing of this invention can reduce the weight of a single axle by approximately 18 kg. Secondly, through stress analysis and market research, this invention found a carbon fiber material with higher hardness and strength to replace the original metal material. Furthermore, the invention features an ingenious structural design; by adding washers to the edges of the carbon fiber main reduction housing, the clamping force of the fastening bolts is ensured to be uniform, thereby preventing oil leakage from the axle housing. Simultaneously, addressing the high rate of oil leakage at the axle housing mating surface, this invention adds a glue-receiving groove on the inner side of the main reduction housing at the tooth notch location, thereby increasing the glue capacity of the mating surface and effectively reducing the occurrence of oil leakage.

[0013] A second objective of the present invention is to provide a drive axle assembly, comprising a drive axle housing body and the aforementioned lightweight drive axle main reduction housing structure. Attached Figure Description

[0014] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the outer side of the main reducing shell body of this utility model; Figure 2This is a schematic diagram of the joint surface inside the main shell of this utility model. Detailed Implementation

[0015] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this utility model clearer, the following detailed description is provided in conjunction with embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the scope of this utility model.

[0016] This utility model provides a lightweight drive axle main reduction housing structure and drive axle assembly. To further illustrate the structure of this utility model, a detailed description is provided below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings: Please see Figure 1 and Figure 2 This embodiment discloses a lightweight drive axle main reduction housing structure, including a main reduction housing body 1. The main reduction housing body is made of non-metallic carbon fiber material. Replacing the original cast metal material (such as cast iron) with carbon fiber material in the main reduction housing achieves a significant weight reduction effect, with a single axle achieving a weight reduction of approximately 18 kg. Furthermore, carbon fiber material possesses higher hardness and better strength, enabling it to replace the original metal material. Carbon fiber also exhibits excellent corrosion resistance and fatigue resistance, further improving the service life and reliability of the drive axle under harsh operating conditions.

[0017] The main reduction gear housing has a mating surface that connects to the drive axle housing body, and an adhesive groove 2 is arranged on the inner side of this mating surface. The adhesive groove is located on the inner side of the main reduction gear housing body, avoiding the tooth notch. The purpose of adding this adhesive groove is to increase the adhesive capacity of the mating surface. Addressing the high oil leakage rate at the main reduction gear housing mating surface, increasing the adhesive capacity can reduce the oil leakage failure rate. Increasing the adhesive capacity not only reduces oil leakage failures but also provides greater tolerance for assembly tolerances during assembly, which is beneficial for improving assembly efficiency and yield. Furthermore, the adhesive groove can form a physical limit for the adhesive, improving the stability of the sealant under thermal expansion or stress deformation, further ensuring long-term sealing performance.

[0018] In this embodiment, specifically, the adhesive-containing groove is located on the mating surface between the main reducer housing and the drive axle housing, positioned to avoid the tooth notch, and is used to accommodate planar sealant. The cross-sectional shape of the adhesive-containing groove is a round-bottomed rectangle, meaning the bottom of the groove is arc-shaped and the sidewalls are vertical. The width of the groove is designed to be 4mm to 6mm, and the depth is designed to be 2mm to 3mm. This size and shape ensure that the adhesive has sufficient capacity and adhesion within the groove. After adding this adhesive-containing groove, the capacity of the planar sealant on the mating surface increases by approximately 150% compared to the traditional sealing structure that relies solely on planar adhesive application. This significant increase in capacity not only provides ample reserves of planar sealant, enhancing the reliability of the seal, but also utilizes the groove wall to physically limit the adhesive. During vehicle operation, when the housing undergoes slight displacement due to temperature changes or load, the groove wall effectively prevents the adhesive from being squeezed outwards or inwards, improving the stability and durability of the sealing structure under dynamic operating conditions.

[0019] A washer 4 is also provided at the joint edge area where the main reduction housing body and the drive axle housing body are connected by fastening bolts 3. This washer is arranged at the edge of the carbon fiber main reduction housing, and its main function is to ensure uniform clamping force of the fastening bolts and prevent oil leakage from the axle housing. Due to the difference in rigidity and pressure resistance between carbon fiber and metal materials, under the action of fasteners, the washer can disperse the local stress at the bolt head, preventing damage to the carbon fiber housing due to stress concentration, and ensuring that the fastening force is evenly distributed along the joint surface, thereby effectively avoiding leakage and structural failure caused by uneven clamping force.

[0020] In this embodiment, specifically for the carbon fiber main reducer shell, to ensure uniform bolt clamping force and effectively protect the composite material structure, a high-strength alloy steel flat washer is used. The washer's geometry is a wide-faced flat washer with a large outer diameter and a moderate inner diameter. Its outer diameter is designed to cover an area of ​​at least 1.5 times the diameter of the bolt hole to maximize the stress distribution area. A soft buffer layer (e.g., high-performance polyurethane or fluororubber composite material) with a thickness of approximately 0.5 mm is added between the washer and the carbon fiber body to absorb any minor local unevenness that may occur between the bolt head and the washer during assembly, further homogenizing the pressure distribution and preventing delamination or microcracks in the carbon fiber shell due to point contact or edge stress concentration. The bolt tightening torque is set based on the allowable compressive stress of the carbon fiber shell material. Compared to a traditional cast iron shell, the recommended bolt tightening torque for this carbon fiber shell will be reduced by approximately 15%-25% to prevent permanent damage to the non-metallic matrix while still meeting the sealing contact pressure requirements of the mating surfaces.

[0021] This lightweight drive axle main reduction housing structure addresses the technical shortcomings of cast main reduction housings. Through stress analysis and market research, a carbon fiber material with higher hardness and strength was found to replace the original metal material. At the same time, gaskets and adhesive grooves were added to solve the fastening and sealing problems that may occur in the application of non-metallic materials.

[0022] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present utility model and is not intended to limit the present utility model. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present utility model should be included within the protection scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A lightweight drive axle main reduction housing structure for use in a drive axle assembly, the structure comprising: The main reduction housing body is made of non-metallic carbon fiber material and is used to be installed on the drive axle housing body. The main reduction housing body has a mating surface with the drive axle housing body, and an adhesive groove is arranged on the inner side of the mating surface to accommodate the mating surface sealant. A washer is also provided at the joint edge area where the main reduction housing body and the drive axle housing body are connected by fasteners for fastening the fasteners.

2. The lightweight drive axle main reduction housing structure according to claim 1, wherein, The adhesive groove is located on the inner side of the main reducing shell body, avoiding the notch of the tooth.

3. The lightweight drive axle main reduction housing structure according to claim 1, wherein, The washer is a wide-faced washer, and its design dimensions allow the clamping force to be distributed to the area surrounding the fastener hole. The strength of the washer is greater than the local compressive strength of the non-metallic carbon fiber material of the main reducing shell body.

4. The lightweight drive axle main reduction housing structure according to claim 1 or 3, wherein, The gasket is disposed at the joint edge area between the fastener and the main housing body, and the gasket is configured to ensure the sealing pre-tightening force of the joint edge area.

5. The lightweight drive axle main reduction housing structure according to claim 1, wherein, The adhesive groove is continuously arranged along the mating surface of the main reducer housing and the drive axle housing, and is used to form a physical limiting structure for the sealant.

6. The lightweight drive axle main reduction housing structure according to claim 5, wherein, The cross-sectional shape of the adhesive container is a rectangular shape with a round bottom, and the bottom of the container is an arc shape.

7. The lightweight drive axle main reduction housing structure according to claim 5, wherein, The depth of the adhesive reservoir is between 2mm and 3mm, and the width is between 4mm and 6mm.

8. A drive axle assembly, comprising a drive axle housing body and a lightweight drive axle main reduction housing structure according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

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