Patent ID: 9347542
Filing Date: 2016-05-24
CPC Classification: F16H

Claim Text:
1. A differential assembly comprising: a case assembly comprising a case body and a case cover, the case assembly defining a plurality of first pin apertures and a plurality of second pin apertures, the case body defining an interior cavity and a plurality of shoe recesses, the interior cavity having an interior wall surface, the case cover being fixedly coupled to the case body; a plurality of first shoes integrally formed with the case body; a plurality of first helical pinions received in the interior cavity, each of the first helical pinions having a first pin portion that is received in an associated one of the first pin apertures; a plurality of second shoes unitarily and integrally formed with the case cover, each of the second shoes being received in an associated one of the shoe recesses to index the case cover relative to the case body; a plurality of second helical pinions received in the interior cavity, each of the second helical pinions having a second pin portion that is received in an associated one of the second pin apertures; a first side gear received in the interior cavity and meshingly engaging each of the first helical pinions; and a second side gear received in the interior cavity and meshingly engaging each of the second helical pinions; wherein the first and second helical pinions frictionally engage the interior wall surface of the case body in response to a reaction force generated by meshing engagement with the first and second side gears, respectively, to thereby limit differential motion between the first and second side gears.