DESC:TECHNICAL FIELD
[001] The embodiments herein generally relate to spacers and more particularly, but not exclusively to spacer assembly for power transmission unit of vehicles, industrial machines and the like.

BACKGROUND
[002] Generally, a spacer is a means used for maintaining space between two parts/members. Spacers are used in power transmission unit of vehicles, industrial machines, wind turbines and the like. Spacers are mounted onto shafts and are disposed between two gears (one gear and another gear) or between gear and corresponding bearing to maintain a predefined distance between the gears or the gear and the corresponding bearing. Spacers are used to transmit the axial load from one gear to another gear and finally the load is transferred to the bearing through corresponding spacer. Spacers are made from various types of metals and also from plastic. Spacers made from metals are heavy and increase the weight of the power transmission unit (gear box assembly), while spacers made from plastic may not be suitable for high load applications like transaxle power transmission unit or other power transmission unit etc., due to their low strength.
[003] Therefore, there exists a need for a spacer assembly for a power transmission unit, which has high strength and less weight.
OBJECTS
[004] The principal object of an embodiment of this invention is to provide a spacer assembly for a power transmission unit of at least one of a vehicle, a machine and the like, which has high strength and less weight.
[005] Another object of an embodiment of this invention is to provide a spacer assembly for a power transmission unit of a vehicle, which comprises a housing made of plastic and a plurality of load bearing members made of metal (steel) thereby enabling the spacer assembly to have high strength and less weight.
[006] These and other objects of the embodiments herein will be better appreciated and understood when considered in conjunction with the following description and the accompanying drawings. It should be understood, however, that the following descriptions, while indicating embodiments and numerous specific details thereof, are given by way of illustration and not of limitation. Many changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the embodiments herein without departing from the spirit thereof, and the embodiments herein include all such modifications.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[007] This invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, throughout which like reference letters indicate corresponding parts in the various figures. The embodiments herein will be better understood from the following description with reference to the drawings, in which:
[008] FIG. 1 depicts a perspective view of a spacer assembly, according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein;
[009] FIG. 2 depicts a perspective view of a housing of the spacer assembly, according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein;
[0010] FIG. 3 depicts a perspective view of a load bearing member of the spacer assembly, according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein;
[0011] FIG. 4 depicts a perspective view of a portion of a power transmission unit of a vehicle, according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein;
[0012] FIG. 5 depicts a front view of the portion of the power transmission unit, according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein; and
[0013] FIG. 6 depicts a cross-sectional view of the portion of the power transmission unit, according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0014] The embodiments herein and the various features and advantageous details thereof are explained more fully with reference to the non-limiting embodiments that are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and detailed in the following description. Descriptions of well-known components and processing techniques are omitted so as to not unnecessarily obscure the embodiments herein. The examples used herein are intended merely to facilitate an understanding of ways in which the embodiments herein may be practiced and to further enable those of skill in the art to practice the embodiments herein. Accordingly, the examples should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiments herein.
[0015] The embodiments herein achieve a spacer assembly for a power transmission unit of at least one of a vehicle, a machine and the like, which has high strength and less weight. Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to FIGS. 1 through 6, where similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the figures, there are shown embodiments.
[0016] FIG. 1 depicts a perspective view of a spacer assembly 100, according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein. In an embodiment, the power transmission unit 10 (as shown in fig. 4, fig. 5 and fig. 6) includes a plurality of spacer assemblies 100 (as shown in fig. 1, fig. 4 and fig. 5), a plurality of gears G (as shown in fig. 4, fig. 5 and fig. 6), a plurality of shafts S (as shown in fig. 4, and fig. 6), a plurality of bearings (not shown) and may include other standard components as present in standard power transmission unit (gear box assembly). In an embodiment, each spacer assembly 100 includes a housing 102 (as shown in fig. 1, fig. 2, fig. 5 and fig. 6) and a plurality of load bearing members 104 (as shown in fig. 1, fig. 3, fig. 4, fig. 5 and fig. 6). In an embodiment, the power transmission unit 10 is a manual power transmission unit. In another embodiment, the power transmission unit 10 is a transaxle power transmission unit. For the purpose of this description and ease of understanding, the spacer assembly 100 is explained herein below with reference to power transmission unit 10 of a vehicle. It is also within the scope of the invention to provide the spacer assembly 100 in automated manual transmission unit (AMT) or power shuttle transmission unit or any other power transmission unit of the vehicle or any other systems or machines using power transmission unit (gear box assembly) or any other applications using power transmission unit (gear box assembly).
[0017] Each spacer assembly 100 is used to maintain a predefined distance between corresponding gears G (one gear G and another gear G) or between corresponding gear G and corresponding bearing (not shown). Each spacer assembly 100 is mounted onto corresponding shaft S and is disposed between at least one of corresponding gears G (between one gear G and another gear G), and corresponding gear G and corresponding bearing (not shown). In an embodiment, each spacer assembly 100 is manufactured by using insert molding. It is also within the scope of the invention to manufacture the spacer assembly 100 by using any other manufacturing process or any other assembly process.
[0018] FIG. 2 depicts a perspective view of a housing 102 of the spacer assembly 100, according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein. The housing 102 of each spacer assembly 100 is used to hold corresponding load bearing members 104. The housing 102 of each spacer assembly 100 includes a plurality of load bearing member receiving portions 102 adapted to receive an intermediate portion 104c (as shown in fig. 3) of corresponding load bearing member 104. Further, for the purpose of this description and ease of understanding, the plurality of load bearing member receiving portion 104a of the housing 102 of each spacer assembly 100 can be considered to be a groove. The housing 102 of each spacer assembly 100 is made of plastic. However, it is also within the scope of the invention to provide the housing 102 of each spacer assembly 100 to be made of any other material without otherwise deterring the intended function the housing 102 of each spacer assembly 100 as can be deduced from the description.
[0019] FIG. 3 depicts a perspective view of a load bearing member 104 of the spacer assembly 100, according to an embodiment of the invention as disclosed herein. In an embodiment, the plurality of load bearing members 104 of each spacer assembly 100 is used to bear/withstand the axial load from corresponding gear G and transmit the load to corresponding bearing (not shown). In an embodiment, each load bearing member 104 includes a first end 104a (as shown in fig. 3 and fig. 6), a second end 104b (as shown in fig. 3 and fig. 6) and an intermediate portion 104c. The first 104a of each load bearing member 104 of each spacer assembly 100 is disposed external to the housing 102 of corresponding spacer assembly 100. The first end 104a of each load bearing member 104 of each spacer assembly 100 is engaged with corresponding gear G of the power transmission unit 10. The first end 104a of each load bearing member 104 of each spacer assembly 100 is used to receive an axial load from corresponding gear G. The second end 104b of each load bearing member 104 of each spacer assembly 100 is disposed external to the housing 102 of corresponding spacer assembly 100. The second end 104b of each load bearing member 104 of each spacer assembly 100 is engaged with at least one of corresponding gear G and corresponding bearing (not shown) of the power transmission unit 10. The second end 104b of each load bearing member 104 of each spacer assembly 100 is used to transmit the load from each load bearing member 104 of corresponding spacer assembly 100 to at least one of the corresponding gear G and the corresponding bearing (not shown). The intermediate portion 104c of each load bearing member 104 of each spacer assembly 100 is between the first end 104a and the second end 104b. The intermediate portion 104c of each load bearing member 104 of each spacer assembly 100 is received by corresponding load bearing member receiving portion 104a of the housing 102 of corresponding spacer assembly 100. In an embodiment, each load bearing member 104 of each spacer assembly 100 is made of metal, wherein the metal is at least steel. However, it is also within the scope of the invention to provide each load bearing member 104 of each spacer assembly 100 to be made of any other type of metal or material without otherwise deterring the intended function of each load bearing member 104 of each spacer assembly 100 as can be deduced from the description. Each load bearing member 104 of each spacer assembly 100 is having a circular cross-section. However, it is also within the scope of the invention to provide each load bearing member 104 of each spacer assembly 100 to have rectangular cross-section or any other cross-section without otherwise deterring the intended function of each load bearing member 104 of each spacer assembly 100 as can be deduced from the description.
[0020] The plurality of gears G are used to transmit the torque from an input shaft (not shown) to an output shaft (not shown) of the power transmission unit 10. The plurality of gears G are used to provide various speed ratios for the vehicle. The plurality of gears G are mounted onto corresponding shafts S of the power transmission unit 10.
[0021] The plurality of shafts S are used for mounting corresponding spacer assembly 100 and corresponding gears G of the power transmission unit 10.
[0022] The plurality of bearings (not shown) are used to support corresponding shafts S of the power transmission unit 10.
[0023] The foregoing description of the specific embodiments will so fully reveal the general nature of the embodiments herein that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments without departing from the generic concept, and, therefore, such adaptations and modifications should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. Therefore, while the embodiments herein have been described in terms of preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments herein can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the embodiments as described herein.
,CLAIMS:CLAIMS
We claim,
1. A spacer assembly 100 for a power transmission unit 10, said spacer assembly 100 comprising:
a plurality of load bearing members 104, each of said load bearing member 104 having a first end 104a adapted to be engaged with corresponding gear G of the power transmission unit 10, a second end 104b adapted to be engaged with at least one of corresponding gear G and corresponding bearing of the power transmission unit 10, and an intermediate portion 104c between the first end 104a and the second end 104b; and
a housing 102 having a plurality of load bearing member receiving portions 102a adapted to receive the intermediate portion 104c of corresponding said load bearing member 104,
wherein
the first end 104a and the second end 104b of each of said load bearing member 104 are disposed external to said housing 102; and
the first end 104a of each of said load bearing member 104 is adapted to receive a load from corresponding gear G and the second end 104b of each of said load bearing member 104 is adapted to transmit the load to at least one of corresponding gear G and corresponding bearing.
2. The spacer assembly 100 as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said load bearing member 104 is made of metal.

3. The spacer assembly 100 as claimed in claim 1, wherein said housing 102 is made of plastic.

4. The spacer assembly 100 as claimed in claim 1, wherein each load bearing member receiving portion 102a of said housing 102 is a groove.

5. The spacer assembly 100 as claimed in claim 1 is manufactured by insert molding.

6. The spacer assembly 100 as claimed in claim 1, wherein the load is at least an axial load.

7. The spacer assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the power transmission unit 10 is configured to be provided in at least one of a vehicle and a machine.

8. A spacer assembly 100 comprising:
a plurality of load bearing members 104, each of said load bearing member 104 having a first end 104a, a second end 104b, and an intermediate portion 104c between the first end 104a and the second end 104b; and
a housing 102 having a plurality of load bearing member receiving portion 102a adapted to receive the intermediate portion 104c of corresponding said load bearing member 104,
wherein
the first end 104a and the second end 104b of each of said load bearing member 104 are disposed external to said housing 102.

9. The spacer assembly as claimed in claim 8, each of said load bearing member 104 is made of metal.

10. The spacer assembly 100 as claimed in claim 8, wherein said housing 102 is made of plastic.