Patent ID: 6374701
Filing Date: 2002-04-23
Classification: F16H,Y10T

Abstract:
A locking differential for driving a pair of collinearly-arranged axially-spaced output shafts the adjacent ends of which are splined and extend through aligned shaft openings contained in the opposed walls of a hollow differential casing, said casing containing an access opening affording access to the casing chamber, comprising:(a) a pair of generally annular collinearly-arranged axially-spaced clutch members adapted for insertion within the casing chamber via the casing access opening to positions axially aligned with the axis of the casing shaft openings, the adjacent opposing faces of said clutch members containing at least one pair of diametrically arranged drive grooves; (b) a pair of generally annular side gears collinearly arranged with, and on opposite sides of, said clutch members, said side gears being internally splined for connection with the output shafts, respectively, the remote ends of said clutch members containing counter bores having a greater diameter than the outer diameter than the outer diameter of the side gears, the adjacent ends of said side gears extending inwardly within said counter bores, respectively, the side walls of said counter bores and the external surfaces of said side gears being splined; (c) a pair of annular friction pack means mounted in said counter bores concentrically about said side gears, respectively, each of said friction pack means including a plurality of stacked friction discs alternate ones of which are internally spline-connected with said side gears and are externally spline-connected with said clutch member counter bore walls, respectively; (d) means limiting the extent of outward axial displacement of said side gears relative to said friction pack means, respectively; (e) locking means limiting the extent of angular rotational displacement of said clutch members relative to each other; and (f) spring means biasing said clutch members outwardly apart toward the associated chamber opposed walls, respectively, thereby to compress said friction pack means to connect said clutch members with their associated side gears, respectively; (g) a drive rod (84) arranged diametrically between said clutch members and extending within said drive grooves, respectively, the remote ends of said drive rod extending radially outwardly beyond said clutch members for fixed connection with said casing, said drive rod being cylindrical and having a uniform smooth cylindrical surface throughout its length; (h) said drive grooves being V-shaped to define an obtuse angle of diversity (&bgr;), said grooves having planar side walls (82a, 82b) joined by a line of juncture (83) that extends radially of the clutch member, said side walls being inclined at an acute ramp angle (&ggr;) relative to the radial planes that pass through the line of juncture (83) and the edges of the grooves at the outer circumferential surface of the clutch member, respectively, thereby to maintain line contact between the drive rod and the clutch housing from the inside diameter to the outside diameter, whereby the life of the locking differential is extended.