IP Library Granted Patent US 7,850,181
Granted Patent B2
US 7,850,181 · App. 11/662,823 · Granted Dec 14, 2010

Independent suspension with adjustable sub-frame

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,850,181
App. No.
11/662,823
Granted
Dec 14, 2010
Kind
B2
Abstract

A carrier housing for receiving a drive shaft that is drivingly coupled to a drive axle is provided, where the carrier housing is also connected to a sub-frame. To provide an adjustable relationship between the carrier housing and the sub-frame, the carrier housing further comprises a cover gear that may be removably coupled to a ring gear, which is attached to the sub-frame. By removing either the cover gear or the ring gear, the carrier housing may be repositioned with respect to the sub-frame.

Claims (13)

1. An adjustable carrier housing for receiving a drive shaft that is drivingly coupled to a drive axle and attaching the drive shaft and drive axle to a vehicle chassis, comprising:

a sub-frame connected to the vehicle chassis, the sub-frame including a pair of side walls extending downward from the vehicle chassis and perpendicular to the drive axle, and each of the side walls including an aperture;

a pair of cover gears having a plurality of splines on the outside periphery thereof, where each of the cover gears is attached to an opposite sides of the carrier housing and positioned within the apertures located on the respective side walls;

a pair of ring gears, each ring gear positioned proximate to one of the apertures and coupled to the sub-frame and each ring gear having a plurality of splines on the inside of the ring gear for cooperating with the splines on the cover gears;

wherein the ring gears are coupled to the cover gears; and

wherein the carrier housing is fixedly coupled to the sub-frame by the interlocking relationship between the splines on the cover gears and ring gears.

2. The adjustable carrier housing described in claim 1 , wherein the ring gear is attached to the sub-frame by a plurality of bolts that are spaced apart at predetermined points around each of the respective apertures.

3. The adjustable carrier housing described in claim 2 , wherein each of the predetermined points are separated by an angular relationship of 5.2 degrees with respect to the center of the aperture.

4. The adjustable carrier housing described in claim 1 , wherein the carrier housing can be re-positioned with respect to the sub-frame to allow the drive shaft to form a different angle with respect to the sub-frame and chassis.

5. The adjustable carrier housing described in claim 4 , wherein the carrier housing is re-positioned with respect to the sub-frame by removing the cover gear, rotating the carrier housing and then aligning and coupling the cover gear to the ring gear and carrier housing.

6. The adjustable carrier housing described in claim 5 , wherein the cover gear may be re-positioned with respect to the sub-frame in 2.6 degree increments.

7. The adjustable carrier housing described in claim 4 , wherein the carrier housing is re-positioned with respect to the sub-frame by removing the bolts attaching the ring gear to the sub-frame, rotating the ring gear and carrier housing to the desired position, and re-attaching the bolts and the ring gear to the sub-frame.

8. The adjustable carrier housing described in claim 7 , wherein the ring gear may be re-positioned with respect to the sub-frame in 5.2 degree increments.

Assignments (8)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTERESTS IN PATENTS (RELEASES RF 041969/0471) Recorded Aug 1, 2019
From: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
To: AXLETECH INTERNATIONAL IP HOLDINGS, LLC
Reel/Frame 049941/0910 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 30, 2017
From: CITIZENS BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
To: CAX PARENT, LLC; CAX HOLDINGS, LLC; AXLETECH INTERNATIONAL, LLC; AXLETECH, LLC; AXT ACQUISITION HOLDINGS, INC.; AXLETECH INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS, LLC; AXT FRENCH HOLDINGS, LLC; AXLETECH INTERNATIONAL IP HOLDINGS, LLC; AXLETECH INTERNATIONAL BRAZIL, LLC; AXT US, LLC; AXLETECH OVERSEAS SERVICES, LLC
Reel/Frame 042188/0186 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 11, 2017
From: AXLETECH INTERNATIONAL IP HOLDINGS, LLC
To: WELLS FARGO, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 041969/0471 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jan 5, 2015
From: CAX PARENT, LLC; CAX HOLDINGS, LLC; AXLETECH INTERNATIONAL, LLC; AXLETECH, LLC; AXT ACQUISITION HOLDINGS, INC.; AXLETECH INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS, LLC; AXT FRENCH HOLDINGS, LLC; AXLETECH INTERNATIONAL IP HOLDINGS, LLC; AXLETECH INTERNATIONAL BRAZIL, LLC; AXT US, LLC; AXLETECH OVERSEAS SERVICES, LLC
To: CITIZENS BUSINESS CAPITAL, A DIVISION OF CITIZENS ASSET FINANCE, INC., AS AGENT
Reel/Frame 034635/0065 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jan 5, 2015
From: CAX PARENT, LLC; CAX HOLDINGS, LLC; AXLETECH INTERNATIONAL, LLC; AXLETECH, LLC; AXT ACQUISITION HOLDINGS, INC.; AXLETECH INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS, LLC; AXT FRENCH HOLDINGS, LLC; AXLETECH INTERNATIONAL IP HOLDINGS, LLC; AXLETECH INTERNATIONAL BRAZIL, LLC; AXT US, LLC; AXLETECH OVERSEAS SERVICES, LLC
To: CITIZENS BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 034636/0387 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 11, 2014
From: GENERAL DYNAMICS CORPORATION; AXT ACQUISITION HOLDINGS, INC.; DANTONIO ACQUISITION CORPORATION
To: AXLETECH INTERNATIONAL IP HOLDINGS, LLC
Reel/Frame 034481/0464 →
MERGER Recorded Aug 13, 2012
From: AXT ACQUISITION HOLDINGS, INC.
To: GENERAL DYNAMICS CORPORATION; DANTONIO ACQUISITION CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 028773/0845 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 2, 2008
From: CORDIER, GERARD
To: AXLETECH INTERNATIONAL IP HOLDINGS, LLC
Reel/Frame 020893/0960 →