US 11,698,123 B1
Axle assembly having an interaxle differential unit
Aneesh N. Singaran, Bangalore (IN); Avinash Ullagaddi, Bangalore (IN); and Harish C. Patel, Bangalore (IN)
Assigned to ArvinMeritor Technology, LLC, Troy, MI (US)
Filed by ArvinMeritor Technology, LLC, Troy, MI (US)
Filed on Jul. 25, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/872,210.
Int. Cl. F16H 48/08 (2006.01); F16H 37/08 (2006.01); F16H 57/04 (2010.01); F16H 57/037 (2012.01); F16H 57/02 (2012.01)
CPC F16H 37/0813 (2013.01) [F16H 57/037 (2013.01); F16H 57/0431 (2013.01); F16H 2048/085 (2013.01); F16H 2057/02052 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An axle assembly comprising:
an input shaft that is rotatable about an axis;
an output shaft that is rotatable about the axis; and
an interaxle differential unit that includes:
a first side gear that is rotatable about the axis and is selectively couplable to the input shaft;
a second side gear that is rotatable about the axis with the output shaft; and
a gear nest that includes:
a spider that is rotatable with the input shaft, the spider having a spider ring that encircles the input shaft, a first spider shaft that extends from the spider ring, and a second spider shaft that extends from the spider ring and is spaced apart from the first spider shaft;
first and second pinion gears that are rotatably disposed on the first and second spider shafts, respectively, and that mesh with the first side gear and the second side gear; and
first and second pinion gear retainers that are fastened to the first and second spider shafts, respectively, such that the first and second pinion gear retainers are stationary with respect to the first and second spider shafts and engage the first and second pinion gears, respectively, wherein the first and second pinion gear retainers are spaced apart from each other, the first pinion gear retainer has a body and a bearing portion that cooperate to define an aperture that receives the first spider shaft, the body defines a retainer aperture that receives a retainer pin that fastens the first pinion gear retainer to the first spider shaft, the bearing portion engages the first pinion gear and extends further from the first spider shaft than the body extends from the first spider shaft, and the spider ring is the only component of the axle assembly that engages both the first spider shaft and the second spider shaft.