US 11,988,271 B2
Axle assembly having an electric motor module and method of manufacture
Mark Smith, Troy, MI (US); and Dhanapal Vittala Raya, Troy, MI (US)
Assigned to ArvinMeritor Technology, LLC, Troy, MI (US)
Appl. No. 17/053,391
Filed by ArvinMeritor Technology, LLC, Troy, MI (US)
PCT Filed May 9, 2019, PCT No. PCT/US2019/031469
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Nov. 6, 2020,
PCT Pub. No. WO2019/217647, PCT Pub. Date Nov. 14, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/669,462, filed on May 10, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0376686 A1, Dec. 2, 2021
Int. Cl. F16H 57/037 (2012.01); B60K 1/00 (2006.01); B60R 16/023 (2006.01); F16H 48/42 (2012.01); F16H 57/021 (2012.01); F16H 57/033 (2012.01); H02G 3/22 (2006.01); H02K 5/173 (2006.01); H02K 5/22 (2006.01); H02K 7/00 (2006.01); H02K 7/08 (2006.01); H02K 7/116 (2006.01); B60K 11/02 (2006.01); B60K 17/16 (2006.01); F16H 57/02 (2012.01); F16H 57/032 (2012.01); F16H 57/04 (2010.01)
CPC F16H 57/033 (2013.01) [B60K 1/00 (2013.01); B60R 16/0239 (2013.01); F16H 48/42 (2013.01); F16H 57/021 (2013.01); F16H 57/037 (2013.01); H02G 3/22 (2013.01); H02K 5/1737 (2013.01); H02K 5/225 (2013.01); H02K 7/006 (2013.01); H02K 7/088 (2013.01); H02K 7/116 (2013.01); B60K 2001/001 (2013.01); B60K 2001/006 (2013.01); B60K 11/02 (2013.01); B60K 17/165 (2013.01); B60Y 2400/73 (2013.01); F16H 2057/02034 (2013.01); F16H 2057/02052 (2013.01); F16H 57/032 (2013.01); F16H 2057/0335 (2013.01); F16H 57/0483 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An axle assembly comprising:
an axle housing;
a differential carrier that is mounted to the axle housing and is made of a first material; and
a bearing support wall that is mounted to the differential carrier, wherein the bearing support wall receives and rotatably supports a drive pinion, is received inside and rotatably supports a rotor of an electric motor module, and is made of a second material that has a greater stiffness than the first material, wherein the bearing support wall is received inside a rotor bearing that rotatably supports the rotor, the rotor bearing has a rotor bearing coefficient of thermal expansion, the first material has a first coefficient of thermal expansion, the second material has a second coefficient of thermal expansion, and the rotor bearing coefficient of thermal expansion is closer to the second coefficient of thermal expansion than the first coefficient of thermal expansion.