US 11,668,352 B2
Final drive assembly, powertrain for a vehicle, and method of containing a shaft
Dustin M. Schroeder, Milford Center, OH (US); and L. Tyler Farrar, Marysville, OH (US)
Assigned to HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD., Tokyo (JP)
Filed by Honda Motor Co., Ltd., Tokyo (JP)
Filed on Jun. 10, 2019, as Appl. No. 16/435,950.
Prior Publication US 2020/0386276 A1, Dec. 10, 2020
Int. Cl. F16D 9/08 (2006.01); F16C 3/02 (2006.01); B60K 17/24 (2006.01); B60K 17/22 (2006.01)
CPC F16D 9/08 (2013.01) [B60K 17/22 (2013.01); B60K 17/24 (2013.01); F16C 3/02 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A front final drive assembly for a vehicle comprising:
a housing; and
a first shaft rotatably supported inside the housing and including a breaking portion such that when a reaction torque applied to the first shaft exceeds a predetermined threshold the first shaft fractures at the breaking portion, the breaking portion is a reduced diameter portion, and the breaking portion is positioned inside the housing; and
a front differential drive assembly mounted inside the housing and including,
an input shaft connected to and driven by the first shaft,
an pinion gear connected to the input shaft and rotatable about a first axis,
a bevel gear driven by the pinion gear and rotatable about a second axis that is substantially perpendicular to the first axis,
a differential input structure connected to and driven by the bevel gear, and
a differential output structure connected to and drivable by the differential input structure such that the differential output structure rotates in unison with the differential input structure in a first mode and the differential input structure rotates at a different speed relative to the differential output structure in a second mode.