Patent ID: 6688194
Filing Date: 2004-02-10
Classification: F16H,Y10T

Abstract:
In a locking differential mechanism for an automotive vehicle including a drive shaft; a pair of coaxially-arranged axially-spaced driven shafts; a cylindrical housing containing central chamber, said housing including a pair of end wall portions containing first end openings rotatably receiving said driven shafts, respectively; a hollow cylindrical casing containing a central chamber arranged concentrically about said housing, and a pair of end wall portions containing second end openings rotatably receiving said housing end portions, respectively; and drive pinion means driven by said drive shaft for rotatably driving said housing relative to said casing; the improvement which comprises:(a) a tubular sleeve arranged concentrically within said housing chamber; (b) connecting means connecting said sleeve against rotation relative to said housing; (c) a cross pin extending diametrically across said sleeve, said cross-pin having a pair of end portions that extend within corresponding openings contained in said sleeve, respectively; (d) a pair of tubular coaxially-arranged axially-spaced side gears rotatably mounted in said housing end openings on opposite sides of said cross-pin, respectively, said side gears being internally splined for non-rotatable connection with the adjacent ends of said output shafts, respectively; (e) a pair of coaxially-arranged axially-spaced annular clutch members arranged concentrically about said side gears on opposite sides of said cross-pin, respectively, the remote ends of said clutch members containing counterbores, respectively, the adjacent faces of said clutch members containing diametrically arranged cam grooves receiving said cross-pin; (f) a pair of annular friction pack means arranged within said clutch member counterbores concentrically about said side gears, respectively, each of said friction pack means including a plurality of annular friction disks alternate first ones of which are internally splined for non-rotatable axial displacement relative to the associated side gear, alternate second ones of said friction disks being externally splined for non-rotatable axial displacement relative to the associated clutch member, each of said friction pack means being operable between a non-compressed condition in which successive friction disks are freely rotatable relative to each other, and an axially compressed condition in which said friction pack means is axially compressed between the bottom wall of said counterbore and the associated housing chamber end wall, wherein the successive friction disks of said friction pack means are in face-to-face non-rotatable contact, thereby to non-rotatably connect the clutch member and the side gear associated with said compressed friction pack means; (g) spring means normally biasing said clutch members apart relative to said cross-pin, thereby to cause each of said friction pack means to be in a normally compressed condition; and (h) locking means connecting said clutch members against rotation relative to each other; (i) said clutch member cam grooves having such a configuration that when one of the output shafts overruns the other by a given amount, the associated overrunning side gear and clutch member are angularly displaced relative to said cross-pin, thereby to cause the associated overrunning friction pack means to be in its non-compressed condition, whereby the overrunning shaft is placed in a free-wheeling disconnected condition relative to the differential mechanism.