Patent ID: 7311632
Filing Date: 2007-12-25
Classification: F16H

Abstract:
1. A locking differential for connecting the drive shaft of an automotive vehicle with a pair of collinearly-arranged axially-spaced driven shafts, comprising: (a) an outer casing containing an outer chamber, said casing having a pair of end wall portions containing a pair of opposed first openings defining an axis of rotation collinear with said driven shafts, and a side wall portion containing a second opening for receiving one end of the drive shaft; (b) an inner housing arranged in said outer chamber and having a pair of end portions mounted for rotation within said casing first openings, respectively, said inner housing containing an inner chamber, said housing end portions containing a pair of third openings communicating with said inner chamber and operable to receive the adjacent ends of said driven shafts, respectively; (c) pinion and ring gear means connecting said housing for rotation by the drive shaft one end relative to said casing; (d) a cross pin extending diametrically across said housing inner chamber, said cross pin including: (e) a pair of tubular coaxially-arranged axially-spaced side gears rotatably mounted in said housing third 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; (f) a pair of coaxially-arranged axially-spaced annular clutch housings arranged concentrically about said side gears on opposite sides of said cross-pin, respectively, the remote ends of said clutch housings containing counterbores, respectively, the adjacent faces of said clutch housings containing diametrically extending cam grooves receiving said cross-pin, said cam grooves each having a generally V-shaped cross-sectional configuration defined by a pair of first planar walls arranged for cooperation with said cross-pin tapered end portions; (g) a pair of annular friction pack means arranged within said clutch housing counterbores concentrically about said side gears, respectively, each of said friction pack means including a plurality of successive alternate first and second annular friction plates, said first friction plates being connected by means including second planar surfaces for non-rotational axial sliding displacement relative to the associated side gear, said second friction plates being reaction plates connected by means including third planar surfaces for non-rotational sliding displacement relative to the associated clutch housing, each of said friction pack means being operable between a non-compressed condition in which successive friction plates 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, thereby causing the friction plates to be in fae-to-face non-rotatable contact, and said clutch housing to be non-rotatably connected with the associated side gear; (h) spring means normally biasing said clutch housings axially apart relative to said cross-pin; and (i) locking means connecting said clutch housings for limited angular displacement relative to each other, said locking means including at least one locking lug arranged on the face of one clutch housing and extending within a corresponding oversized radial locking slot contained in the adjacent face of the other clutch housing, said locking lug and said locking slot having associated fourth planar surfaces; (j) said clutch housings and said cross pin being normally operable to compress said friction packs to drive the driven shafts at the same rotational velocity; said clutch housings and said cross pin being operable when one of the output shafts overruns the other by a given amount to angularly displace the associated oVerrunning side gear and clutch housing 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 drive shaft; (k) said first, second, third and fourth planar surfaces extending parallel with said axis of rotation, thereby to simplify and reduce the manufacturing costs of the differential.