Patent ID: 7736257
Filing Date: 2010-06-15
Classification: F16H

Abstract:
1. A differential gearing for a vehicle, comprising: a plurality of pinion gears that are rotatably carried within pinion gear receiving openings formed in a differential case and supported in the differential case in the absence of a pinion shaft; and a pair of side gears disposed in meshing engagement with the pinion gears and connected to a pair of axles, wherein the pinion gears are in meshing engagement with the side gears at a meshing portion of the pinion gears; in which the differential case includes a pinion gear holding surface disposed in sliding contact with each pinion gear received within the pinion gear receiving openings, each pinion gear holding surface including an inward extension extending inward into the differential case in a direction generally parallel to the axis of each respective pinion gear for supporting at least part of a meshing portion of each respective pinion gear that is in meshing engagement with a respective one of the side gears at a location overlapping with the meshing portion of the pinion gears in the direction generally parallel to the axis of each respective pinion gear.