Axle bridge for a driven motor vehicle axle

Abstract

Axle bridge (1) for a driven motor vehicle axle (2) with an axle bridge interior (3) for receiving a differential bearing arrangement (4) mountable on the axle bridge (1), wherein the axle bridge (1) has support sections (5; 6; 7; 8) in the axle bridge interior (3) for supporting the differential bearing arrangement (4), wherein the support sections (5; 6; 7; 8) are designed such that the differential bearing arrangement (4) can be mounted in at least two different mounting positions, characterized in that the differential bearing arrangement (4) comprises fastening elements (9; 10) for at least indirectly fastening a differential carrier (18), which are supported on the support sections (5; 6; 7; 8) in the axle bridge interior (3), wherein the fastening elements (9; 10) are of different sizes.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to an axle bridge for a driven motor vehicle axle according to claim 1.

[0002] An axle bridge of this type is known, for example, from DE 10 2006 012 342 A1. The patent application discloses an axle bridge which is connected to a differential bearing assembly. The differential bearing assembly comprises a mounting ring that rests against the axle bridge and is fixed to the axle bridge by means of several mounting bolts.

[0003] Furthermore, the differential bearing assembly comprises a first and a second mounting element which, at least indirectly via a first and a second differential bearing, accommodate a differential carrier and support it radially and axially. The differential carrier is located inside the axle housing. The mounting elements of the differential bearing assembly are supported by the contact sections located within the axle housing. This prevents bending and thus any change in the bearing setting and the load.

[0004] With conventional axle bridges, a recurring problem is that the differential assembly can only be mounted to the axle bridge in one fixed position. If a different mounting position is required, the two mounting elements of the differential bearing assembly must be the same size so that the differential bearing assembly can be installed rotated. This, in turn, has the disadvantage that the mounting elements must be identical in size, or at least the same size, with respect to their mounting diameter.

[0005] Document US 2 015 969 A discloses a centering surface in a rear axle housing with central shaft gearing and two transverse axes, which is concentric to an axis perpendicular to the transverse axes, and has a separate bearing support for each of the two transverse shafts arranged next to the axle drive, wherein the two bearing supports form parts of a ring body which has a rotating surface for centering in the centering surface.

[0006] The object of the present invention is therefore to provide an axle bridge which overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art.

[0007] This problem is solved according to the characterizing feature of claim 1 by the fact that the mounting sections of the axle bridge are designed in such a way that the differential bearing arrangement can be mounted in at least two different mounting positions.

[0008] Further advantageous embodiments are shown in the figures and in the dependent claims.

[0009] According to an advantageous embodiment, the mounting positions of the differential bearing assembly can differ in that a second mounting position is rotated relative to a first mounting position, for example, about a rotational axis of the differential bearing assembly. According to another advantageous embodiment, the rotation can be 180 degrees. This covers as many mounting variants as possible, which may be intended for different axle applications.

[0010] To give the axle bridge even greater variability, the differential bearing arrangement can be designed such that its fastening elements, which are intended for at least an indirect fastening of a differential basket and which are supported on the mounting sections in the interior of the axle bridge, are of different sizes, as is provided for in another advantageous design variant.

[0011] It can also be advantageously designed that the axle bridge sections are stepped, with at least two steps of varying depths projecting into the interior of the axle bridge. Each step of the axle bridge sections can have at least one contact surface for supporting the mounting element of the differential bearing assembly. These surfaces can, for example, be positioned along concentrically arranged contact circles of varying sizes. This offers the advantage of greater design flexibility for the entire axle bridge. The different contact circles can be implemented in the axle bridge as a stepped machining process. This allows the differential bearing assembly to remain rotatable within the axle bridge interior, and only one finished axle bridge variant is required to produce different versions of a vehicle axle.

[0012] The invention will now be explained in more detail according to the following figures. They show: Fig. 1: a schematic representation of a motor vehicle comprising a motor vehicle axle with an axle bridge according to claim 1; Fig. 2: a perspective representation of an exemplary embodiment of an axle bridge according to claim 1; Fig. 3: another representation of an axle bridge according to Fig. 2; Fig. 4: a partial sectional view of a further exemplary embodiment of an axle bridge according to claim 1, with a differential bearing arrangement mounted thereon in a possible first assembly position; Fig. 5: a partial sectional view of a further exemplary embodiment of an axle bridge according to claim 1, with a differential bearing arrangement mounted thereon in a possible second mounting position.

[0013] The Fig. Figure 1 schematically shows a motor vehicle 17 with a motor vehicle axle 2 and an axle bridge 1 which accommodates a differential 19 in a differential housing 18. This motor vehicle 17 comprises a motor vehicle engine 20 and a motor vehicle transmission 21 operatively connected to the motor vehicle engine 20. The motor vehicle transmission 21 is operatively connected to the differential housing 18, at least indirectly, via at least one drive component 22.

[0014] The torque provided by the motor vehicle engine 20 is transmitted via the motor vehicle transmission 21 and at least one drive component 22 via the differential 19, which is arranged in the axle bridge 1 in the differential basket 18, to the motor vehicle wheels 23.

[0015] In the Fig. Figure 2 shows an example embodiment of an axle bridge 1 according to claim 1 in perspective.

[0016] It is clearly evident that several system sections 5, 6 are designed in the interior of the axle bridge 3 to support a differential bearing arrangement 4 which is not shown here.

[0017] The system sections 5 and 6 are stepped, each with two steps 11 and 12, the steps projecting into the interior of the axle bridge 3 to varying degrees. Each step has a contact surface 13 and 14 for supporting a fastening element 9 and 10 (not shown) of a differential bearing arrangement 4.

[0018] In the, in Fig. In the second depicted variant, the installation area 13 is assigned to stage 11 and the installation area 14 to stage 12 of each of the installation sections 5 and 6 shown here. The in Fig. The illustrated embodiment represents only one possible embodiment and certainly cannot be considered the only possible embodiment for the present invention. Naturally, according to the invention, more than two system sections, more stages on the respective system section 5, 6, 7, 8, or even multiple contact surfaces on each stage can be provided.

[0019] According to the Fig. In the two illustrated versions of the axle bridge 1, the installation sections 5, 6 are designed such that their steps 11, 12 are each attached along differently sized concentrically arranged imaginary installation circles 15, 16, wherein two steps 11, 12 of the installation sections 5, 6 extend along one and the same imaginary installation circle 15, 16.

[0020] The Fig. 3 differs from the Fig. 2 by the fact that in the Fig. 3 four plant sections 5, 6, 7 and 8 are recognizable.

[0021] Each of these four plant sections 5, 6, 7, 8 comprises two stages 11, 12, with plant areas 13, 14 being constructed at each of these stages 11, 12.

[0022] The Fig. The axle bridge 1 shown in Figure 3 is designed such that the steps 11 of each system section 5, 6, 7, 8 are arranged along an imaginary system circle 15. The steps 12 of each system section 5, 6, 7, 8 are arranged along an imaginary system circle 16. The two system circles 15, 16 are arranged coaxially with each other.

[0023] The Fig. 4 and Fig. Figure 5 shows an exemplary embodiment of the axle bridge 1 according to the invention with a differential bearing arrangement 4 mounted thereon. The Fig. 4 a first possible mounting position of the differential bearing arrangement 4 on the axle bridge 1, wherein a second possible mounting position of the differential bearing arrangement 4 on the axle bridge 1 in the Fig. Figure 5 shows that the second mounting position is rotated relative to the first mounting position about a rotation axis A of the differential bearing assembly 4. This rotation of the differential bearing assembly about the rotation axis A can be up to 180°, for example. The direction of the rotation is irrelevant.

[0024] The Fig. 4 and Fig. The differential bearing assembly 4 shown in Figure 5 comprises two fastening elements 9, 10 which indirectly secure a differential carrier 18 radially and axially. The fastening elements 9, 10 are connected to the differential bearing assembly 4 by means of a fastening screw or a fastening pin. The fastening elements 9, 10 each engage a differential bearing 24, 25, which in turn engages the differential carrier 18 at one end of each bearing. The two fastening elements 9, 10, together with the differential carrier 18 located between them, are housed within the axle bridge interior 3. In a first mounting position, the first fastening element 9 rests against a second contact surface 14 of the second stage 12 of the mounting section 8, and the fastening element 10 rests against a second contact surface 14 of the second stages 12 of the mounting section 5, axially and / or radially.

[0025] As explained above, unlike Fig. 4 in the Fig. Figure 5 shows a second possible mounting position. In this position, the differential bearing arrangement differs from the first mounting position according to... Fig. 4 rotated by 180°. The first fastening element 9 is supported here on the system section 5, while the second fastening element 10 is supported on the system section 8. Reference sign 1 axle bridge 2 motor vehicle axle 3 axle bridge interior 4 Differential bearing arrangement 5 Plant section 6 Plant section 7 Plant section 8 Plant section 9 first fastening element 10 second fastening element 11 first stage 12 second stage 13 first planting area 14 second planting area 15 first investment group 16 second plant group 17 Motor vehicle 18 Differential basket 19 Differential 20 Motor vehicle engine 21 Motor vehicle transmissions 22 Drive component 23 Motor vehicle wheel 24 first differential bearing 25 second differential bearing

Claims

[1] Axle bridge (1) for a driven motor vehicle axle (2) with an axle bridge interior (3) for receiving a differential bearing arrangement (4) which can be mounted on the axle bridge (1), wherein the axle bridge (1) has contact sections (5; 6; 7; 8) designed in the axle bridge interior (3) for supporting the differential bearing arrangement (4), wherein the contact sections (5; 6; 7; 8) are designed such that the differential bearing arrangement (4) can be mounted in at least two different mounting positions, characterized by that the differential bearing arrangement (4) comprises fastening elements (9; 10) for at least indirectly fastening a differential carrier (18), which are supported on the contact sections (5; 6; 7; 8) in the axle bridge interior (3), wherein the fastening elements (9; 10) are designed to be of different sizes. [2] Axle bridge (1) according to claim 1, characterized bythat the mounting positions of the differential bearing arrangement (4) comprise a first mounting position and at least one second mounting position, wherein the second mounting position is rotated about an axis of rotation (A) of the differential bearing arrangement (4) with respect to the first mounting position. [3] Axle bridge (1) according to claim 2, characterized by that the second mounting position is rotated by 180° about the axis of rotation (A) of the differential bearing arrangement (4) relative to the first mounting position. [4] Axle bridge (1) according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the contact sections (5; 6; 7; 8) are designed in a stepped manner, each with at least two steps (11; 12) projecting to different degrees into the axle bridge interior (3). [5] Axle bridge (1) according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized bythat the step of the contact sections (5; 6; 7; 8) each has at least one contact surface (13; 14) for supporting the fastening element (9; 10) of the differential bearing arrangement (4). [6] Axle bridge (1) according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the installation sections (5; 6; 7; 8) are designed in such a way that their steps (11; 12) are arranged along imaginary installation circles (15; 16) of different sizes and concentrically arranged. [7] Axle bridge (1) according to claim 5, characterized by that at least two stages (11; 12) of the installation sections (5; 6; 7; 8) extend along an imaginary installation circle (15; 16) thereof. [8] Motor vehicle axle (2) with an axle bridge (1) characterized by that the axle bridge (1) is designed according to at least one of claims 1 to 7. [9] Motor vehicle (17) with a motor vehicle axle (2) characterized bythat the motor vehicle axle (2) is designed according to claim 8.

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