Patent ID: 11892067
Assignee: POLARIS INDUSTRIES INC.
Field: Mechanical elements (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC F | IPC F

Claim 22:
23. A method of providing a mechanical differential assembly for a wheeled vehicle, comprising:
positioning a pinion gear having a toothed portion and a clutch portion fixed to the pinion gear and extending from the toothed portion, wherein the pinion gear is operable to both rotate relative to an interior surface of a housing and be fixed relative to the interior surface of the housing, wherein the clutch portion includes an interior clutch surface and an exterior clutch surface;
positioning a locking member having a cam surface configured to engage the interior clutch surface and lock the pinion gear to the housing when the mechanical differential assembly is in a locked configuration such that the exterior clutch surface engages the interior surface of the housing;
forming a pressure angle between the cam surface and the interior clutch surface; and
providing the interior clutch surface with a variable radius such that the formed pressure angle is a changing pressure angle relative to the cam surface of the locking member;
wherein the interior clutch surface reduces the pressure angle as the clutch portion and the locking member move closer together, such that a curve of the interior clutch surface decreases the pressure angle as the clutch portion moves toward the locking member.