Patent ID: 7425185
Filing Date: 2008-09-16
Classification: F16H,H01F,Y10T

Abstract:
1. An axle assembly comprising: an axle housing: a pair of axle shafts; and a differential assembly with a differential case, a ring gear, an input pinion, a gear set and a locking device, the differential case being rotatably mounted within the axle housing, the differential case being unitarily formed and including a body portion and a flange that extends about the body portion, the body portion having first and second end segments, the second end segment defining a mounting hub and an annular pocket, the ring gear being coupled to the flange for rotation therewith, the input pinion being rotatably mounted in the axle housing and meshingly engaged to the ring gear, the gear set including first and second side gears and a plurality of pinion gears, the first side gear being proximate the first end segment and being coupled for rotation with a first one of the axle shafts, the second side gear being proximate the second end segment and being coupled for rotation with a second one of the axle shafts, the pinion gears meshingly engaging the first and second side gears, the locking device including a first dog, a second dog, a return spring, a thrust member, and an actuator, the first dog including a plurality of teeth and being non-rotatably coupled to the second side gear, the second dog including a plurality of mating teeth and being non-rotatably but axially slidably received in the annular pocket, the return spring biasing at least one of the first and second dogs in a direction so that the teeth and the mating teeth are not engaged to one another, the thrust member extending through the mounting hub, the actuator being mounted on the mounting hub and operable in a returned position, which permits the return spring to maintain the teeth and the mating teeth in a de-coupled condition, and an extended position in which the actuator pushes the thrust member and the second dog toward the first dog such that the teeth and the mating teeth engage one another to thereby inhibit relative rotation between the second side gear and the differential case.