JPH0451241Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] (Industrial Application Field) This invention relates to a pinion shaft support structure for a differential gear mainly used in automobiles.

(Prior art) Conventionally, a pinion shaft to which driving force is input is supported by two tapered roller bearings (hereinafter referred to as taper bearings) inside a differential gear case (hereinafter referred to as differential case). There is a differential (for example,
57-153838). This differential gear is attached to the vehicle body via four rubber mounts on the front, rear, left and right sides.

On the other hand, recently, there is a differential device in which an extension part is formed by extending the insertion part in which the pinion shaft is inserted into and supported by the differential case in the axial direction when the front end of the differential case is mounted on the subframe. By doing this, this differential device
The two rubber mounts are omitted, and the two rubber mounts on the subframe provide this function. When the differential gear is supported in this way, the front side of the differential case is extended in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, so that the pinion shaft disposed within the differential case becomes longer. For this reason, in addition to supporting the pinion shaft with the taper bearing, it is necessary to prevent vibration of the propeller shaft connected to the pinion shaft by preventing vibration of the pinion shaft in the radial direction. It is conceivable to fit a ball bearing between the companion flange and the differential case to pivotally support the pinion shaft via the companion flange.

By the way, since the pinion shaft is provided with a drive pinion that meshes with the ring gear, an axial load is generated from the drive pinion side (one end side) to the other end side as the pinion shaft rotates. Therefore, a spring is inserted between the two taper bearings as described above, and the preload adjustment nut screwed onto the pinion shaft is tightened to move the companion flange in the axial direction between it and the differential case. proposed a method in which the spring is compressed elastically (see the above-mentioned Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 153838/1983). By doing so, it is possible to set an elastic preload on the pinion shaft and apply appropriate surface pressure to the engagement surfaces of the drive pinion and the ring gear of the differential.

However, if this content is applied to the case where the pinion shaft becomes longer as described above, the companion flange will not move in the axial direction of the differential case because the bearing fitted between the differential case and the companion flange is a ball bearing. . Therefore, the spring cannot be compressed and the preload cannot be set.

(Purpose of the invention) The present invention was created in view of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to be able to adjust the preload while preventing vibration of the propeller shaft even if the pinion shaft is configured to be long. An object of the present invention is to provide a pinion shaft support structure for a differential.

(Structure of the device) In order to achieve the above purpose, the device has the following features:
A pinion shaft is disposed within the differential case, and the pinion shaft is provided with a drive pinion at one end thereof, and a companion flange is spline-coupled at the other end thereof, and the companion flange is connected in the axial direction of the pinion shaft. A preload adjustment nut is screwed into the differential case, and one end of the pinion shaft is supported by the differential case via a first bearing on the rear side of the drive pinion, and the pinion shaft is supported by the first bearing on the rear side of the drive pinion. a companion flange is supported by the differential case via a straight roller bearing, and an interval between the first and second bearings is maintained at the other end of the pinion shaft. A resilient member is interposed to urge the pinion shaft in a direction of expanding the pinion shaft, and a sleeve is interposed between the second bearing and the companion flange so as to be inserted through the pinion shaft. This is a pinion shaft support structure for a differential gear.

With such a configuration, even if the pinion shaft becomes longer, the pinion shaft will be supported by the first and second bearings and the straight roller bearing, so the axial runout of the pinion shaft will be ensured. This will be prevented.

Further, the companion flange is supported by a straight roller bearing so that relative axial movement between the inner race and the outer race in the straight roller bearing can be utilized, and a sleeve is provided between the companion flange and the second bearing. This allows the force to be transmitted from the companion flange to the second bearing, allowing the pinion shaft to move in the axial direction as the preload is adjusted, even if the pinion shaft is long, and the movement force is transferred to the sleeve. It will be transmitted to the second bearing via.

(Example) Hereinafter, an example of this invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the mounting structure of the differential gear. In this figure, a pair of semi-trailing arms 4, 4 are connected. Rear wheels 6, 6 are supported at the rear ends of the pair of semi-trailing arms 4, 4 via wheel supports 5, 5.
Reference numeral 7 denotes a rubber mount, which elastically supports the vehicle body (not shown) by the entire frame configured as described above.

Reference numeral 8 denotes a differential device that differentially transmits the rotational force of a propeller shaft (not shown) to the rear wheels 6, 6, and the front part of the differential case 9 is mounted on the subframe 1 via a rubber 10. ing. For this reason, the differential device 8 has an extension portion 8a formed at the front portion of the differential case 9 that is long in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body.

In FIG. 2, which clearly shows the differential device 8, the pinion shaft 11, which is set long in the axial direction, has two tapered bearings (second bearing) 13A and a taper bearing (first bearing) 13B at the base on the side of the drive pinion 12. It is supported by a shaft. On the other hand, the end of the pinion shaft 11 on the side of the extension 8a, that is, the spline-coupled companion flange 14, is tightly supported by a straight bearing 15. In this bearing 15, a concave portion of an inner race 15a that supports a roller is formed to be long in the axial direction, and the inner race 15a is provided so as to be movable in the axial direction with respect to the outer race 15b. In this way, the pinion shaft 11 is rotatably incorporated into the differential case 9.

16 is a spring, two taper bearings 13
The pinion shaft 11 is interposed between A and 13B.
It presses elastically in the axial direction. A sleeve 17 is provided as the pinion shaft 11 is made longer, and is interposed between the companion flange 14 and the tapered bearing 13A. A preload adjustment nut 18 is screwed onto the pinion shaft 11 and applies a preload to the pinion shaft 11 by compressing the spring 16 via the companion flange 14, sleeve 17, and taper bearing 13A. .

In addition, 19 is a propeller shaft, 20 is an oil seal, 21 is a ring gear, 22 is a side gear,
23 is the pinion gear, 24 is the side bearing,
25 is a spline into which a rear axle shaft (not shown) is fitted.

In the above configuration, as the propeller shaft 19 rotates, the pinion shaft 11 splined to the companion flange 14 rotates, and the ring gear 21 meshes with the drive pinion 12 of the pinion shaft 11 and rotates. At this time, since the pinion shaft 11 receives an axial load from the ring gear 21, it is necessary to set a preload. This preload can be applied to the companion flange 1 by tightening the nut 18.
4 and the sleeve 17 to the right in the axial direction of the differential case 9, the spring 16 is compressed and set. Here, in this invention, the end of the extension part 8a of the differential device 8 in the pinion shaft 11, that is, the companion flange 14, is connected by a straight bearing 15 in which the inner race 15a and the outer race 15b can move relatively. It is pivoted. For this reason, companion flange 1
Even when the companion flange 1 is tightly supported on the differential case 9, the movement of the inner race 15a relative to the outer race 15b causes the companion flange 1 to
4 can move in the axial direction with respect to the differential case 9.
Therefore, a sufficient preload can be set on the pinion shaft 11. Further, since the companion flange 14 can be tightly supported by the differential case 9, there is no risk of the pinion shaft 11 swinging in the radial direction, so that vibration of the propeller shaft 19 can be prevented.

(Effects of the Invention) As described above, the present invention makes it possible to adjust the preload while reliably preventing vibration of the propeller shaft even if the pinion shaft is configured to be long.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a mounting structure of a differential device according to this invention, and FIG. 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing a main part of one embodiment. 8... Differential device, 8a... Extension part, 9... Differential gear case (differential case), 11...
... Pinion shaft, 12 ... Drive pinion, 13A, 13B ... Taper roller bearing, 15 ... Straight roller bearing, 15
a... Inner lace, 15b... Outer lace.

Claims (1)

[Claims for Utility Model Registration] A pinion shaft is disposed within the differential case, and the pinion shaft is provided with a drive pinion at one end, and a companion flange is spline-coupled at the other end, and the companion A preload adjustment nut for displacing the flange in the axial direction of the pinion shaft is screwed together, one end of the pinion shaft is supported by the differential case via a first bearing on the back side of the drive pinion, The pinion shaft is supported via a second bearing on the other end side of the pinion shaft rather than the first bearing, a companion flange is supported by the differential case via a straight roller bearing, and the first and second bearings are supported by a companion flange via a straight roller bearing. A resilient member is interposed between the second bearing and the companion flange, and a sleeve is interposed between the second bearing and the companion flange so as to be inserted into the pinion shaft. A pinion shaft support structure for a differential gear, characterized in that: