JP4997480B2 - Vehicle differential and its assembly method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle differential device and an assembling method thereof, and more particularly to a vehicle differential device including a pinion gear shaft for preventing a pinion gear receiving a rotational driving force from a drive side and an assembling method thereof.

  As a conventional differential for a vehicle, a differential case that rotates by receiving engine torque, a pair of side gears that are parallel to each other along the rotational axis of the differential case, and a gear shaft that is orthogonally engaged with the pair of side gears. Some have a pair of pinion gears (Patent Documents 1 and 2).

  The differential case is provided with a shaft insertion hole for inserting a pinion gear shaft for preventing the pinion gear from falling down, and a pair of axle insertion holes having an axis perpendicular to the axis of the shaft insertion hole.

  The pair of side gears is composed of a bevel gear having a boss portion and a gear portion, and is arranged so as to be movable in the direction of the rotation axis of the differential case, and each boss portion is fitted in a corresponding axle insertion hole and is placed in the differential case. It is supported rotatably. In the pair of side gears, left and right axles are spline-fitted through the axle insertion holes.

  The pair of pinion gears is a bevel gear having a shaft insertion hole through which the pinion gear shaft is inserted, is housed in the differential case, and is rotatably supported by the pinion gear shaft.

  With the above configuration, when the torque from the engine side of the vehicle is input to the differential case via the drive pinion and the ring gear, the differential case is rotated about the rotation axis. Next, when the differential case is rotated, this rotational force is transmitted to the pair of pinion gears via the pinion gear shaft, and further transmitted from the pair of pinion gears to the pair of side gears. In this case, since the left and right axles are connected to the pair of side gears by spline fitting, the torque from the engine side is distributed according to the driving conditions of the vehicle, and the drive pinion, ring gear, differential case, pinion gear shaft, It is transmitted to the left and right axles via a pair of pinion gears and a pair of side gears.

  By the way, in this type of vehicle differential device, the pinion gear shaft is prevented from coming off in the axial direction.

  In the vehicle differential of Patent Document 1, a pinion gear shaft retaining structure using a threaded rod as a retaining member is used, and a rod insertion hole for inserting the threaded rod is inserted into the pinion gear shaft and a threaded rod is inserted. Then, screw holes for screwing are provided in the differential cases.

On the other hand, in the vehicle differential device of Patent Document 2, a pinion gear shaft retaining structure using a pin as a retaining member is used, and an annular groove for fitting the pin is inserted into the pinion gear shaft, and the pin is inserted into the annular groove. Pin insertion holes (inserted) are respectively provided in the differential case.
JP 2007-71223 A (paragraph [0025]) Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-26014

  However, according to the vehicle differential of Patent Documents 1 and 2, since it is necessary to secure a space for forming the screw hole or pin insertion hole for inserting the retaining member in the main body of the differential case, the outer diameter of the differential case A sufficiently large accommodation space could not be formed inside the differential case. As a result, there is a problem that the sizes of the pinion gear and the side gear cannot be increased, and the gear strength of the pinion gear and the side gear cannot be increased.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle differential device and an assembling method thereof that can increase the size of the pinion gear and the side gear, and thereby increase the gear strength of the pinion gear and the side gear.

(1) In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a differential case having a pair of axle insertion holes into which the left and right axles are respectively inserted, and is rotatably accommodated in the differential case, and the pair of axle insertions. A pair of side gears arranged on the axis of the hole, a pair of pinion gears that mesh with the pair of side gears with a gear shaft being orthogonal to each other, and having a shaft insertion hole at the shaft center portion, and the shaft insertion hole are inserted. The pinion gear shaft supported by the differential case and rotatably supporting the pair of pinion gears, and interposed between the pinion gear shaft and the pair of side gears, the left and right sides with respect to the pair of axle insertion holes. a axle movement regulating member for regulating the movement of the insertion direction of the axle, the pinion of the said axle movement regulating member in the axial direction of the pinion gear shaft Movement and rotation of the pinion gear shaft around the axis of the pinion gear shaft of the gear shaft to provide a vehicle differential apparatus characterized by being regulated.

(2) In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a differential case having a pair of axle insertion holes into which the left and right axles are inserted, and is rotatably accommodated in the differential case, and the pair of axle insertions. A pair of side gears arranged on the axis of the hole, a pair of pinion gears that mesh with the pair of side gears with a gear shaft being orthogonal to each other, and having a shaft insertion hole at the shaft center portion, and the shaft insertion hole are inserted. The pinion gear shaft supported by the differential case and rotatably supporting the pair of pinion gears, and interposed between the pinion gear shaft and the pair of side gears, the left and right sides with respect to the pair of axle insertion holes. An assembly of a vehicle differential device comprising an axle movement restricting member that restricts movement of the axle in the insertion direction, wherein one pinion of the pair of pinion gears Is inserted into the differential case, the pinion gear shaft is inserted through the shaft insertion hole of the one pinion gear, and the other pinion gear of the pair of pinion gears is inserted into the differential case. A first step in which the pinion gear shaft is inserted into the shaft insertion hole and then supported by the differential case; a second step in which the axle movement restricting member is inserted into the differential case and positioned on the pinion gear shaft; The pair of side gears are inserted and meshed with the pair of pinion gears in a state where the gear shaft is orthogonal, and the axle movement restriction member is interposed between the pair of side gears and the pinion gear shaft, While maintaining this state, move the pair of side gears forward It provides a method of assembling a vehicle differential apparatus characterized by comprising a third step of placing on the axis of a pair of axle insertion hole.

(3) In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a differential case having a pair of axle insertion holes into which the left and right axles are inserted, and is rotatably accommodated in the differential case, and the pair of axle insertions. A pair of side gears arranged on the axis of the hole, a pair of pinion gears that mesh with the pair of side gears with a gear shaft being orthogonal to each other, and having a shaft insertion hole at the shaft center portion, and the shaft insertion hole are inserted. The pinion gear shaft supported by the differential case and rotatably supporting the pair of pinion gears, and interposed between the pinion gear shaft and the pair of side gears, the left and right sides with respect to the pair of axle insertion holes. And a pair of axle movement restricting members for restricting movement of the axle in the insertion direction, wherein one of the pair of pinion gears is assembled. An on-gear is inserted into the differential case, the pinion gear shaft is inserted through the shaft insertion hole of the one pinion gear, and the other pinion gear of the pair of pinion gears is inserted into the differential case. A first step in which the pinion gear shaft is inserted through the shaft insertion hole and then supported by the differential case; and the pair of side gears in which the pair of axle movement restriction members are respectively positioned in advance are inserted into the differential case. While meshing with the pair of pinion gears in a state where the gear axis is orthogonal, the pair of axle movement restriction members are interposed between the pair of side gears and the pinion gear shaft, respectively, while maintaining this state. The pair of side gears are arranged on the axis of the pair of axle insertion holes. It provides a method of assembling a vehicle differential apparatus characterized by comprising a second step of.

  According to the present invention, the size of the pinion gear and the side gear can be increased with respect to the outer diameter of the differential case, and the gear strength of the pinion gear and the side gear can be increased.

[Embodiment]
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view for explaining a vehicle differential according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view shown for explaining the vehicle differential according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a perspective view for explaining a differential case of the vehicle differential according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view for explaining an assembled state of the axle movement restriction member with respect to the pinion gear shaft of the vehicle differential according to the embodiment of the present invention.

(Overall configuration of vehicle differential)
1 and 2, a vehicle differential device denoted by reference numeral 1 includes a differential case 2 that rotates upon receiving engine torque, a pinion gear shaft 7 that is positioned on an axis perpendicular to the rotational axis O of the differential case 2, A pair of upper and lower pinion gears 3, 4 parallel to each other on the pinion gear shaft 7, a pair of left and right side gears 5 L, 5 R meshed with the pair of pinion gears 3, 4 orthogonal to each other, and the pair of side gears A pair of left and right axle spacers 23L, 23R as axle movement restricting members interposed between 5L, 5R and the pinion gear shaft 7, a pair of axle spacers 23L, 23R and a pair of side gears 5L, It is generally composed of a pair of left and right spherical thrust washers 6L and 6R arranged in parallel via 5R.

(Configuration of differential case 2)
As shown in FIG. 3, the differential case 2 includes a pinion gear shaft 7 and pinion gears 3, 4, side gears 5 </ b> L, 5 </ b> R, axle spacers 23 </ b> L, 23 </ b> R, thrust washers 6 </ b> L, 6 </ b> R (shown in FIGS. 1 and 2). It has 2A inside, and the whole is formed of a one-piece member.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the differential case 2 has a pair of left and right axle insertion holes 9L, 9R that open along the rotation axis O, and an axis that is orthogonal to the axis of the pair of axle insertion holes 9L, 9R. A pair of upper and lower pinion gear back holes 10 and 11 are provided. Further, the differential case 2 has a pair of side gears located in a region that is symmetrical with respect to the rotation axis O and is spaced apart from the pinion gear back holes 10 and 11 in the circumferential direction (around the rotation axis O) at equal intervals. Holes 12L and 12R are provided. On the left axle side of the differential case 2, an annular ring gear mounting flange 13 is integrally provided along the circumferential direction in a plane perpendicular to the rotation axis O.

  The axle insertion holes 9L, 9R are formed by through holes that penetrate the differential case 2 and open in a direction along the rotation axis O. Left and right axles (not shown) are inserted through the axle insertion holes 9L and 9R, respectively. Thrust washer receiving portions 9La and 9Ra made of spherical surfaces for receiving the thrust washers 6L and 6R are provided on the inner peripheral edges of the axle insertion holes 9L and 9R.

  The pinion gear back holes 10 and 11 are formed by through holes (round holes) that penetrate the differential case 2 and open in a direction orthogonal to the rotation axis O. The opening size of the pinion gear back holes 10 and 11 is set to a size having an inner diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the pinion gears 3 and 4 and the side gears 5L and 5R. The inner surfaces of the pinion gear back holes 10 and 11 are formed by pinion gear shaft support surfaces 10A and 11A that support the upper and lower ends of the pinion gear shaft 7 in a non-rotatable manner, respectively.

  A pair of upper and lower thrust washer receiving portions 10C, 11C formed of a spherical surface having a predetermined curvature is provided on the inner opening periphery of the pinion gear back holes 10, 11. Spherical thrust washers 21 and 22 for receiving the pinion gears 3 and 4 on which centrifugal force acts are arranged on the inner surfaces of the thrust washer receiving portions 10C and 11C.

  The side gear passage holes 12L and 12R are formed by through holes having a planar non-circular opening. The opening size is set to such a size that the pinion gears 3 and 4 and the side gears 5L and 5R can be inserted into the differential case 2.

(Configuration of pinion gear shaft 7)
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the pinion gear shaft 7 has pinion gear support surfaces 70 and 71 that rotatably support the pinion gears 3 and 4 at both upper and lower ends, respectively, and the pinion gears 3 and 4 (shaft insertion holes 3A, 3A, 4A) and spherical thrust washers 21 and 22 are inserted into the pinion gear shaft support surfaces 10A and 11A of the pinion gear back holes 10 and 11 of the differential case 2 so as not to rotate. The pinion gear shaft 7 only needs to be supported (movement restricted) in the circumferential direction with respect to the rotation axis O of the differential case 2, and movement in the direction along the rotation axis O is not necessarily restricted.

  The pinion gear shaft 7 is provided with lubricating oil introduction surfaces 7 </ b> C and 7 </ b> D by notching a part of the outer peripheral surface (a portion excluding the central portion in the axial direction). Thereby, the lubricating oil outside the differential case can be introduced into the differential case between the lubricant introduction surfaces 7C and 7D and the pinion gear shaft support surfaces 10A and 11A. Further, since the pinion gear shaft 7 is formed by a shaft-shaped body having a substantially D-shaped cross section, when supporting both ends of the pinion gear shaft 7 in the pinion gear back holes 10 and 11, the pinion gear shaft 7 is placed at a predetermined circumferential position. It can be arranged quickly and reliably.

  A pair of concave grooves 7 </ b> A and 7 </ b> B that are arranged in parallel at equal intervals around the axis are provided at the center in the axial direction of the pinion gear shaft 7. The concave groove 7A is formed between the first notch surface 72A and the second notch surface 73A facing each other at a predetermined interval in the axial direction of the pinion gear shaft 7, and between the first notch surface 72A and the second notch surface 73A. It is formed by a substantially U-shaped notch having a third notch surface (groove bottom) 74A. Similarly to the concave groove 7A, the concave groove 7B has a first notch surface 75B, a second notch surface 76B, and both the first notch surfaces 75B, which are opposed to each other at a predetermined interval in the axial direction of the pinion gear shaft 7. It is formed by a notch having a substantially U-shaped cross section having a third notch surface (groove bottom) 77B interposed between the two notch surfaces 76B.

(Configuration of pinion gears 3 and 4)
Since the pinion gears 3 and 4 have substantially the same configuration, only the pinion gear 3 will be described, for example. In addition, about the pinion gear 4, the code | symbol of each site | part is attached | subjected corresponding to the code | symbol of each site | part of the pinion gear 3 (For example, 4A corresponding to the shaft insertion hole 3A of the pinion gear 3 is attached to the shaft insertion hole of the pinion gear 4, Further, 41 is attached to the gear inner peripheral portion of the pinion gear 4 corresponding to the gear inner peripheral portion 31 of the pinion gear 3), and the description thereof is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the pinion gear 3 is formed of a bevel gear, and the gear inner peripheral portion 31 (the inner peripheral surface of the shaft insertion hole 3 </ b> A) is rotatable on the pinion gear support surface 70 of the pinion gear shaft 7, and the gear rear surface portion 32. Are supported by a thrust washer receiving portion 10C of the pinion gear back hole 10 through a spherical thrust washer 21 in a slidable manner. A shaft insertion hole 3 </ b> A that is a round hole through which the pinion gear shaft 7 is inserted is provided in the axial center portion of the pinion gear 3.

(Configuration of side gears 5L, 5R)
As shown in FIG. 2, the side gears 5L and 5R are substantially annular gears having boss portions 5La and 5Ra and gear portions 5Lb and 5Rb having different outer diameters (having an outer diameter larger than the outer diameter of the pinion gears 3 and 4). And a bevel gear having a single tooth tip cone angle, and is rotatably supported in the differential case 2 and meshed with the pinion gears 3 and 4. The number of teeth of the side gears 5L and 5R is set to 2.1 or more times the number of teeth of the pinion gears 3 and 4 (for example, the number of teeth of the side gears 5L and 5R is 15 with respect to the number of teeth 7 of the pinion gears 3 and 4). Yes. The outer diameters of the side gears 5L and 5R are set to be larger than the outer diameters of the pinion gears 3 and 4.

  Sliding portions 5Lc and 5Rc made of spherical surfaces that are fitted to the thrust washer receiving portions 9La and 9Ra via the spherical thrust washers 6L and 6R are provided on the rear surfaces of the side gears 5L and 5R.

  The side gear 5L has a first spline fitting hole 50A that is spline-fitted to the left axle of the left and right axles (not shown), and is positioned and fitted to the axle spacer 23L of the pair of left and right axle spacers 23L and 23R. The first positioning fitting hole 50B to be joined, and the first axle insertion hole 50 including the first stepped surface 50C interposed between the first positioning fitting hole 50B and the first spline fitting hole 50A are provided. ing.

  The side gear 5R has a second spline fitting hole 51A for spline fitting to the right axle of the left and right axles (not shown), and a positioning fit for rotation on the axle spacer 23R of the pair of left and right axle spacers 23L, 23R. The second positioning fitting hole 51B to be joined, and the second axle insertion hole 51 including the second stepped surface 51C interposed between the second positioning fitting hole 51B and the second spline fitting hole 51A are provided. ing.

(Configuration of axle spacers 23L and 23R)
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the axle spacers 23 </ b> L and 23 </ b> R are arranged on the rotation axis O of the differential case 2 and are formed of a substantially cylindrical body as a whole. And each axial direction one side edge part is in the concave grooves 7A and 7B of the pinion gear shaft 7, and each axial direction other side edge part is the first positioning fitting hole 50B and the second positioning fitting hole of the side gears 5L and 5R. Each pin 51B is inserted (fitted), and is configured to restrict movement of the pinion gear shaft 7 in the axial direction and rotation around the axial line.

  The axle spacer 23L has a recess 24 in which the tip of the left axle of the left and right axles is fitted. The axle spacer 23L is fitted into the first positioning fitting hole 50B of the side gear 5L and the recessed groove 7A of the pinion gear shaft 7 to be the first. It is interposed between the stepped surface 50C and the third notch surface 74A. And the front-end | tip part of the left axle inserted in the axle shaft insertion hole 9L of the differential case 2 and the 1st axle shaft insertion hole 50 of the side gear 5L is made to contact | abut to the bottom face of the recessed part 24, and the insertion direction of the left axle with respect to the axle insertion hole 9L is made. It is configured to restrict movement. Thereby, the connection (spline fitting) between the side gear 5L and the left axle is performed smoothly and reliably.

  The axle spacer 23R has a recess 25 in which the tip of the right axle of the left and right axles is fitted. The axle spacer 23R is fitted into the second positioning fitting hole 51B of the side gear 5R and the recessed groove 7B of the pinion gear shaft 7 to be second. It is interposed between the stepped surface 51C and the third cutout surface 77B. And the front-end | tip part of the right axle inserted in the axle shaft insertion hole 9R of the differential case 2 and the 2nd axle shaft insertion hole 51 of the side gear 5R is made to contact | abut to the bottom face of the recessed part 25, and the insertion direction of the right axle with respect to the axle shaft insertion hole 9R is made. It is configured to restrict movement. Thereby, the connection (spline fitting) between the side gear 5R and the right axle is smoothly and reliably performed.

(Structure of spherical thrust washers 6L and 6R)
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the spherical thrust washers 6L and 6R are annular washers that receive the thrust force of the side gears 5L and 5R, and the back surfaces (sliding portions 5Lc and 5Rc) of the side gears 5L and 5R and the thrust washers. It is interposed between the receiving portions 9La and 9Ra. And it is comprised so that mesh | engagement with the side gears 5L and 5R and the pinion gears 3 and 4 may be adjusted. The spherical thrust washers 6L and 6R are provided with a lubricating oil introduction path 26 (shown as the spherical thrust washer 6L in FIG. 1) for introducing lubricating oil from the inner peripheral portion of the washer to the outer peripheral portion of the washer.

[Operation of the differential 1 for a vehicle]
When torque from the engine side of the vehicle is input to the differential case 2 via the drive pinion and the ring gear, the differential case 2 rotates about the rotation axis O. When the differential case 2 rotates, this rotational force is transmitted to the pinion gears 3 and 4 through the pinion gear shaft 7, and further transmitted from the pinion gears 3 and 4 to the side gears 5L and 5R. In this case, left and right axles (not shown) are spline-fitted to the left and right side gears 5L and 5R, respectively, so that torque from the engine side is driven by the drive pinion, ring gear, differential case 2, pinion gear shaft 7, pinion gear 3, and so on. 4. It is transmitted to the left and right axles via the side gears 5L, 5R. Further, one end in the axial direction of each of the axle spacers 23L and 23R is in the concave grooves 7A and 7B of the pinion gear shaft 7, and the other end in the axial direction is the first positioning fitting hole 50B of the side gears 5L and 5R. Since they are respectively fitted in the second positioning fitting holes 51B, the movement of the pinion gear shaft 7 in the axial direction and the rotation around the axial line are restricted.

  Here, when the vehicle is in a straight traveling state and no slip occurs between the left and right wheels and the road surface, if torque from the engine side is transmitted to the differential case 2, the pinion gears 3 and 4 do not rotate. Revolving around the axis of the side gears 5L, 5R, and the pinion gears 3, 4 and the side gears 5L, 5R rotate together with the differential case 2 and the pinion gear shaft 7, so torque from the engine side is equally transmitted to the left and right axles, The left and right wheels rotate at the same speed.

  On the other hand, for example, when the right wheel falls into a muddy state and slips with the road surface, the pinion gears 3 and 4 rotate while meshing with the side gears 5L and 5R, and the torque from the engine side Differential distribution between axles (wheels). That is, the left wheel rotates at a speed lower than the rotational speed of the differential case 2, and the right wheel rotates at a speed higher than the rotational speed of the differential case 2.

  In the present embodiment, when the pinion gears 3 and 4 rotate with the torque acting on the differential case 2, the gear inner peripheral portions 31 and 41 slide on the pinion gear support surfaces 70 and 71 of the pinion gear shaft 7. A frictional resistance is generated between the peripheral portions 31 and 41 and the pinion gear support surfaces 70 and 71 of the pinion gear shaft 7. These frictional resistances limit the differential rotation of the side gears 5L and 5R and suppress slipping.

  Further, the rotation of the pinion gears 3 and 4 generates a thrust force in the gear axial direction on the meshing surfaces with the side gears 5L and 5R. Among these, the side gears 5L and 5R are moved away from each other by the thrust force in the side gear axial direction and the spherical thrust washers 6L and 6R are pressed against the thrust washer receiving portions 9La and 9Ra, so that the spherical thrust washers 6L and 6R and the thrust washer Friction resistance is generated between the receiving portions 9La and 9Ra, and the differential rotation of the side gears 5L and 5R is also limited by these frictional resistances. Further, because the thrust rear surfaces 32 and 42 of the pinion gears 3 and 4 press the spherical thrust washers 21 and 22 against the thrust washer receiving portions 10C and 11C of the pinion gear rear holes 10 and 11 due to the thrust force generated in the pinion gears 3 and 4, A frictional resistance against the rotation of the pinion gears 3 and 4 is generated, and this also restricts the differential rotation of the side gears 5L and 5R.

  Next, a method for assembling the vehicle differential device according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 2 and FIGS. 5 and 6A to 6D. FIG. 5 is a flowchart shown for explaining a method for assembling the vehicle differential according to the embodiment of the present invention. 6 (a) to 6 (d) are plan views schematically showing a procedure for assembling the side gear in the method for assembling the vehicle differential device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

  The method of assembling the vehicle differential shown in the present embodiment includes the steps of “incorporation of pinion gear and pinion gear shaft”, “positioning of axle spacer”, “incorporation of side gear”, and “meshing of pinion gear and side gear”. Since these steps are sequentially performed, each of these steps will be described in turn.

"Incorporation of pinion gear and pinion gear shaft"
First, the spherical thrust washer 21 and the pinion gear 3 are inserted into the differential case 2 (space portion 2A) from the side gear passage holes 12L and 12R, and the pinion gear shaft 7 is inserted into the pinion gear back hole 10 of the differential case 2 and the shaft of the spherical thrust washer 21 and the pinion gear 3. The insertion holes 3A are sequentially inserted.

  Next, the spherical thrust washer 22 and the pinion gear 4 are inserted into the differential case 2 (space 2A) from the side gear passage holes 12L and 12R, and the pinion gear back hole 10 of the differential case 2 and the shaft insertion hole 3A of the spherical thrust washer 21 / pinion gear 3 are inserted. The pinion gear shaft 7 inserted through the pinion gear 4 is inserted into the shaft insertion hole 4A of the pinion gear 4 and the pinion gear back hole 11 of the spherical thrust washer 22 and the differential case 2 in sequence, and then both ends of the pinion gear shaft 7 are respectively connected to the pinion gear back hole 10 of the differential case 2. , 11 is supported. In this case, when the pinion gear shaft 7 is supported in the pinion gear back holes 10 and 11, it is incorporated into the differential case 2 together with the pinion gears 3 and 4 as shown in step S1 of FIG.

"Axle spacer positioning"
After the axle spacers 23L and 23R are inserted into the differential case 2 from the side gear passage holes 12L and 12R, one end of the axle spacers 23L and 23R in the axial direction (the end opposite to the end provided with the recesses 24 and 25) ) Are fitted into the concave grooves 7A and 7B of the pinion gear shaft 7. In this case, when one axial end of the axle spacers 23L and 23R is fitted in the concave grooves 7A and 7B of the pinion gear shaft 7, the axle spacers 23L and 23R are connected to the pinion gear shaft as shown in step S2 of FIG. 2 is positioned.

"Incorporation of side gear"
First, the pinion gears 3 and 4 are moved on the inner surfaces of the spherical thrust washers 21 and 21 until the gear back surfaces 32 and 42 abut against the thrust washer receiving portions 10C and 11C via the spherical thrust washers 21 and 22, respectively.

  Next, the side gears 5L and 5R are inserted into the differential case 2 through the side gear passage holes 12L and 12R and meshed with the pinion gears 3 and 4 in a state where the gear axis is orthogonal, and the first positioning fitting hole 50B of the side gear 5L and the side gear 5R. The other end portions in the axial direction of the axle spacers 23L, 23R (end portions on the side where the recesses 24, 25 are provided) are fitted into the second positioning fitting holes 51B, respectively, and the side gears 5L, 5R, the pinion gear shaft 7 and Axle spacers 23L and 23R are interposed between the two.

  Thereafter, while maintaining this state, the side gears 5L and 5R are rotated around the axis of the pinion gear shaft 7 together with the pinion gear shaft 7 and the axle spacers 23L and 23R, and are arranged on the axis lines of the axle insertion holes 9L and 9R. In this case, when the side gears 5L, 5R are arranged on the axis lines of the axle insertion holes 9L, 9R, the positions (side gear passage holes 12L, 12R) facing each other via the rotation axis O of the differential case 2 are shown in FIG. As shown in (d), the side gears 5L and 5R are moved in a direction (arrow direction) in which the pinion gears 3 and 4 (only the pinion gear 3 is shown) are rotated. As a result, even if the tooth tips of the side gears 5L and 5R come into contact with the tooth tips of the pinion gears 3 and 4 when the side gears are moved, the side gears 5L and 5R are moved while rotating the pinion gears 3 and 4. The movement in the differential case 2 can be performed smoothly. Further, when the side gear axes of the side gears 5L and 5R are arranged on the axis lines of the axle insertion holes 9L and 9R, they are incorporated into the differential case 2 as shown in step 3 in FIG.

"Meshing of pinion gear and side gear"
While adjusting the axial dimension between the thrust washer receiving portions 9La, 9Ra and the side gears 5L, 5R, between the sliding portions 5Lc, 5Rc of the side gears 5L, 5R and the thrust washer receiving portions 9La, 9Ra of the differential case 2 Spherical thrust washers 6L and 6R are interposed. In this case, when the spherical thrust washers 6L, 6R are interposed between the side gears 5L, 5R and the thrust washer receiving portions 9La, 9Ra, the side gears 5L, 5R are inserted into the axle insertion holes 9L as shown in step S4 of FIG. , 9R are meshed with the pinion gears 3 and 4 at predetermined positions on the axis.

[Effect of the embodiment]
According to the embodiment described above, the following effects can be obtained.

  Since the pinion gear shaft 7 is restricted from moving in the axial direction and rotating around the axial line by the axle spacers 23L and 23R in the differential case 2, it is necessary to secure a space for forming the pin insertion hole and the like required in the past in the main body of the differential case 2. Accordingly, a sufficiently large accommodation space can be formed inside the differential case 2. Thereby, the size of the pinion gears 3 and 4 and the side gears 5L and 5R can be increased, and the gear strength of the pinion gears 3 and 4 and the side gears 5L and 5R can be increased.

  As mentioned above, although the vehicle differential gear of this invention was demonstrated based on said embodiment, this invention is not limited to said embodiment, In various aspects in the range which does not deviate from the summary. For example, the following modifications are possible.

(1) In the above-described embodiment, the description has been given of the case where the axle movement restricting member is formed by the axle spacers 23L and 23R (two-piece members) that fit into the concave grooves 7A and 7B of the pinion gear shaft 7, respectively. However, the present invention is not limited to this. As shown in FIG. 7, the grooves 7A and 7B (only one groove 7B is shown in FIG. 7) are opposed to the third cutout surfaces (groove bottoms) 74A and 77B, respectively. An axle spacer 100 (one piece member) having a notch 101 provided with a pair of notched side surfaces 101A, 101B and a notched bottom surface 101C interposed between the pair of notched side surfaces 101A, 101B. Even if the axle movement restricting member is formed, the same effect as the above-described embodiment can be obtained. In FIG. 7, reference numeral 102 denotes a recess in which the tip of the right axle is fitted.

(2) In the above embodiment, the "axle spacer positioning" step in the vehicle differential assembly method is performed by positioning the axle spacers 23L, 23R on the pinion gear shaft 7 and The case where the process is performed by inserting only the side gears 5L and 5R into the differential case 2 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the axle spacers 23L and 23R are respectively positioned on the side gears 5L and 5R. Further, by inserting the side gears 5L and 5R in which the axle spacers 23L and 23R are positioned in the differential case 2, the steps of "positioning of the axle spacer" and "incorporation of the side gear" can be performed, respectively.

The disassembled perspective view shown in order to demonstrate the differential for vehicles which concerns on embodiment of this invention. Sectional drawing shown in order to demonstrate the differential for vehicles which concerns on embodiment of this invention. The perspective view shown in order to demonstrate the differential case of the differential for vehicles which concerns on embodiment of this invention. The disassembled perspective view shown in order to demonstrate the assembly | attachment state of the axle movement restriction member with respect to the pinion gear shaft of the differential for vehicles which concerns on embodiment of this invention. The flowchart shown in order to demonstrate the assembly method of the differential for vehicles which concerns on embodiment of this invention. (A)-(d) is a top view schematically shown in order to demonstrate the assembly procedure of the side gear in the assembly method of the differential for vehicles which concerns on embodiment of this invention. The disassembled perspective view shown in order to demonstrate the assembly | attachment state of the axle movement control member with respect to the pinion gear shaft of the differential for vehicles which concerns on embodiment of this invention as a modification.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Vehicle differential device 2 ... Differential case, 2A ... Space part 3, 4 ... Pinion gear, 3A, 4A ... Shaft insertion hole, 31, 41 ... Gear inner peripheral part, 32, 42 ... Gear back surface part 5L, 5R ... Side gear 5La, 5Ra ... Boss part, 5Lb, 5Rb ... Gear part, 5Lc, 5Rc ... Sliding part, 50 ... First axle insertion hole, 50A ... First spline fitting hole, 50B ... First positioning fitting hole, 50C ... 1st stepped surface, 51 ... 2nd axle insertion hole, 51A ... 2nd spline fitting hole, 51B ... 2nd positioning fitting hole, 51C ... 2nd stepped surface 6L, 6R ... Spherical thrust washer 7 ... Pinion gear Shaft, 70, 71 ... pinion gear support surface, 7A ... concave groove, 72A ... first notch surface, 73A ... second notch surface, 74A ... third notch surface, 7B ... concave groove, 75B ... first notch Surface, 76B ... Second cut Surface, 77B ... Third notch surface, 7C, 7D ... Lubricating oil introduction surface 9L, 9R ... Axle insertion hole, 9La, 9Ra ... Thrust washer receiving part 10, 11 ... Pinion gear back hole, 10A, 11A ... Pinion gear shaft support Surface, 10C, 11C ... Thrust washer receiving portion 12L, 12R ... Side gear passage hole 13 ... Ring gear mounting flange 21, 22 ... Spherical thrust washer 24, 25 ... Recess 26 ... Lubricating oil introduction path 100 ... Axle spacer, 101 ... Notch 101A, 101B ... notched side surface, 101C ... notched bottom surface, 102 ... recessed portion O ... rotation axis

Claims (7)

A differential case having a pair of axle insertion holes for respectively inserting left and right axles;
A pair of side gears rotatably accommodated in the differential case and disposed on an axis of the pair of axle insertion holes;
A pair of pinion gears meshing with the pair of side gears with a gear shaft orthogonal thereto and having a shaft insertion hole in the shaft center portion;
A pinion gear shaft that is inserted through the shaft insertion hole and supported by the differential case, and rotatably supports the pair of pinion gears;
An axle movement restriction member that is interposed between the pinion gear shaft and the pair of side gears and restricts movement of the left and right axles in the insertion direction with respect to the pair of axle insertion holes;
The vehicle differential device, wherein the movement of the pinion gear shaft in the axial direction of the pinion gear shaft and the rotation of the pinion gear shaft around the axis of the pinion gear shaft are restricted by the axle movement restriction member. The pinion gear shaft has a pair of concave grooves arranged in parallel at equal intervals around its axis,
2. The vehicle differential device according to claim 1, wherein the axle movement restricting member is formed by a total of a pair of members in which one piece of member is fitted in the pair of concave grooves. The pinion gear shaft has a pair of concave grooves arranged in parallel at equal intervals around its axis,
The axle movement restricting member has a notch provided with a pair of notch side surfaces respectively opposed to the groove bottoms of the pair of concave grooves and a notch bottom surface interposed between the pair of notch side surfaces. The vehicle differential device according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle differential device is formed of a one-piece member. One side gear of the pair of side gears is rotatably positioned and fitted to a first spline fitting hole that is spline fitted to one axle of the left and right axles, and one side of the axle movement restriction member. A first axle insertion hole including a first positioning fitting hole;
The other side gear of the pair of side gears is rotatably fitted in a second spline fitting hole for spline fitting to the other axle of the left and right axles and the other side of the axle movement restricting member. The vehicle differential device according to claim 1, further comprising a second axle insertion hole including a second positioning fitting hole. A differential case having a pair of axle insertion holes for respectively inserting left and right axles;
A pair of side gears rotatably accommodated in the differential case and disposed on an axis of the pair of axle insertion holes;
A pair of pinion gears meshing with the pair of side gears with a gear shaft orthogonal thereto and having a shaft insertion hole in the shaft center portion;
A pinion gear shaft that is inserted through the shaft insertion hole and supported by the differential case, and rotatably supports the pair of pinion gears;
A vehicle differential provided with an axle movement restriction member interposed between the pinion gear shaft and the pair of side gears and restricting movement of the left and right axles in the insertion direction with respect to the pair of axle insertion holes. A method for assembling the apparatus,
One pinion gear of the pair of pinion gears is inserted into the differential case, the pinion gear shaft is inserted into the shaft insertion hole of the one pinion gear, and the other pinion gear of the pair of pinion gears is inserted into the differential case. A first step of inserting the pinion gear shaft into the shaft insertion hole of the other pinion gear and then supporting the pinion gear shaft in the differential case;
A second step of inserting the axle movement restriction member into the differential case and positioning the pinion gear shaft;
The pair of side gears are inserted into the differential case and meshed with the pair of pinion gears in a state where the gear shafts are orthogonal to each other, and the axle movement restriction member is interposed between the pair of side gears and the pinion gear shaft. And a third step of disposing the pair of side gears on the axis of the pair of axle insertion holes while maintaining this state. A differential case having a pair of axle insertion holes for respectively inserting left and right axles;
A pair of side gears rotatably accommodated in the differential case and disposed on an axis of the pair of axle insertion holes;
A pair of pinion gears meshing with the pair of side gears with a gear shaft orthogonal thereto and having a shaft insertion hole in the shaft center portion;
A pinion gear shaft that is inserted through the shaft insertion hole and supported by the differential case, and rotatably supports the pair of pinion gears;
A vehicle including a pair of axle movement restriction members that are interposed between the pinion gear shaft and the pair of side gears and restrict movement of the left and right axles with respect to the pair of axle insertion holes. An assembly method for a differential for a vehicle,
One pinion gear of the pair of pinion gears is inserted into the differential case, the pinion gear shaft is inserted into the shaft insertion hole of the one pinion gear, and the other pinion gear of the pair of pinion gears is inserted into the differential case. A first step of inserting the pinion gear shaft into the shaft insertion hole of the other pinion gear and then supporting the pinion gear shaft in the differential case;
The pair of side gears, in which the pair of axle movement restriction members are respectively positioned in advance, are inserted into the differential case and meshed with the pair of pinion gears in a state where the gear shaft is orthogonal, and the pair of side gears and A second step of interposing the pair of axle movement restricting members between the pinion gear shafts and disposing the pair of side gears on the axis of the pair of axle insertion holes while maintaining this state; A method for assembling a differential for a vehicle.   In disposing the pair of side gears on the axis of the pair of axle insertion holes, the pair of pinion gears are rotated in a direction in which the pair of pinion gears are rotated from positions facing each other via the axis of the pair of axle insertion holes. The method for assembling the vehicle differential device according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the pair of side gears are moved.

Images