Offset axle

US6035956A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• ZF FRIEDRICHSHAFEN AG · DE

Inventors

• Dieter Maurer · Pfullingen, DE
• Werner Brysch · Passau, DE
• Klaus Alesch · Hauzenberg, DE
• Johann Amsl · Hauzenberg, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 26, 1998
• Grant date: Mar 14, 2000
• Expiry date: Jun 26, 2018

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10T74/2186
• WIPO field: Transport
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

An offset axle (1) for low-platform town buses. It solves the problem of making it possible to integrate disc brakes in the offset axle system without reducing the aisle width of the platform in the vehicle in the area of the axle and obtaining a sufficiently low platform level in spite of the gantry being significantly lowered owing to design requirements. Disposed eccentrically in the offset axle (1) is a differential (2) the axle shafts of which are each inserted into a drive pinion (5) of a gantry drive (3) with demultiplication effect, the drive being freely mounted in a self-centering manner between two intermediate pinions (6) each of which transmits half the drive power to a spur wheel (7) in order to drive the wheels. Owing to the two gantry drives (3), the axle shafts (4) are lower than the wheel axles by the depth of the gantry. The axle shafts (4) are mounted eccentrically on the upper edge of the interior of the axle bridge housing (8). They are adapted to a recess (9) of the axle bridge housing (8) so that the platform can be as low as possible. The disc brakes (10), integrated in the offset axle system, are actuated by a pneumatic cylinder (11), via a shift lever (12…