DIFFERENTIALS

Abstract: A limited slip differential for driving two coaxial shafts (2, 4) comprises a driving gear carrier (6) in which first and second worm members (10C) and (10A) are rotatably mounted on pins (11) parallel to the shafts (2) and (4). The worms (10A and 10C) are extended to form respective helical pinions (24C) and (24A) meshing respectively with helical sun gears (18) and (20) on the shafts (2) and (4). The worms (10A) and (10C) both mesh with a worm wheel (12) (mounted on a transverse pin (14) in the carrier (6)) on opposite sides thereof and form a reversible worm drive therewith.

Description: DIFFERENTIALS This invention relates to limited slip differentials for motor vehicles for use in a driving axle or between two driving axles. Limited slip differentials incorporating reversible worm- wormwheel drives are known, as described in US Patent Specifications Nos. 2 559916, 2 631475, 2 859641 and 4 191071. Such differentials are of the "cross-axis planetary" type having co-axial output shafts each carrying a sun gear in the form of a worm-wheel meshing with an associated worm or set of worms. The axis of each worm is thus transverse to and displaced radially from the axis of the sun gears. A spur pinion is integral with each end of each worm and meshes with the corresponding spur pinion of a worm meshing with the other sun gear. These spur pinions further increase the radial bulk of the differential. Also, the correct positioning of the transverse worm assemblies presents manufacturing difficulties. Moreover, as indicated in US Patent 3 849 862 such differentials could be noisy under certain test conditions, somewhat inefficient in delivering power therethrough and did not always give agood division of power between the left and right drive wheels of a vehicle. As indicated in US 3 849 862 additional steps are required to overcome these problems. According to the present invention there is provided a limited slip differential for a vehicle, comprising: a gear carrier mountable for rotation about an axis of the carrier; first and second worm members mounted for rotation within the carrier with their axes parallel to the carrier axis; an idler worm wheel mounted for rotation in the carrier between, and meshing with, helical worm formations on worm portions of both the worm members, each worm portion forming a reversible but frictional worm drive with the worm wheel; and first and second sun gear wheels coaxial with the carrier axis and meshing directly or indirectly with planet pinion portions of the respective worm members. The planet pinion portion of each won member may be formed as a continuation of the helical worm formation of the worm portion and mesh with correspondingly helical teeth on the respective shaft gear wheel. Alternatively the worm and-planet pinion portions may be formed by separate gear conformations. An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to-the accompanying drawings, in which:- Figure 1 is a chordal sectional view of a differential according to the invention on the line I-I of Figure 2; Figure 2 is a cross sectional view along the lines II of Figure 3; and Figure 3 is a axial sectional view along the line III-III of Figure 2. The differential shown in the drawings transmits drive from transfer gearing (not shown) to half-shaf s 2 and 4 of a driven axle, for example of a motor car. The differential has a gear carrier 6 formed by a bell-shaped housing 7 and a cover member 8 having a flange 8A and a hub portion 9 snugly engaged in the mouth of the housing 7. The flanges 8A may be formed with a ring of gear teeth or, as shown here, with a ring of holes 8B for bolts securing a bevel crown wheel or a transfer gear (not shown). The housing 7 and cover member 8 are secured together by suitable bolts or screws (not shown) to form the gear carrier 6. Four worm members 10A-10D are rotatably mounted on hollow pins 11 supported in the gear carrier 6 at each of their ends. The worm members 10 and their pins 11 are parallel and equally spaced from the axis of the shafts 2 and 4. Each pin 11 is formed with a seating 11A for a grub screw 11B. Two of the worm members, 10A and IOC, mesh with a worm wheel 12 at diametrically opposed positions. The worm wheel 12 is located between the worm members 10A and IOC and is rotatably supported on a hollow support pin 14 mounted in the housing 7. The other two worm members, 10B and 10D, mesh with a further worm wheel 16 located between them, and also mounted on the support pin 14 but spaced along the support pin 14 by means of a spacer block 17. The pin 14 has a seating 14A for a securing grub screw 15 in the spacer block 17. The worm wheels 12 and 16, the spacer block 17 and the support pin 14 are aligned on an axis YY which intersects the axis XX at right angles. Half-shaft sun-gears 18 and 20 are respectively splined to (or formed integrally with) the inner ends of the half-shafts 2 and 4. and are aligned on the axis XX. Each half-shaft sun gear is within the gear carrier 6 and meshes with an extension one of the worm members of each pair of worm members meshing with a respective worm wheel. Thus, the half-shaft sun gear 18 meshes with worm members 10B and IOC which mesh respectively with worm wheels 16 and 12. The half-shaft sun gear 20 meshes with worm members 10A and 10D which aesh respectively with worm wheels 12 and 16. Each worm member thus has a worm portion 22, having a helical thread and meshing with a worm wheel, and an extension forming a pinion portion 24 meshing with a half-shaft sun gear. The helix angle of the worm portions 22 and worm wheels 12 and 16 is such that the worm drive is reversible (in this case 43.1° to the axis, for the worms) i.e. operates bi-directionally. In this embodiment the half-shaft sun gears 18 and 20 and the pinion portions 24 of the worm members are helical, the pinion portion 24 being formed by continuations of the worm formation of the worm portions 22. Each worm member also has a reduced-diameter untoothed portion 25 adjoining the worm portion to avoid engagement with the other half-shaft sun gear. In operation, when the vehicle is travelling straight ahead with the road wheels turning at the same speed the gear carrier 6 is rotated about the axis XX. The rotary motion is transmitted to the half-shafts 2 and 4. The half-shafts, the gear carrier 6 and the gearing within the gear carrier rotate as a unit. There is no movement of the worms 10 or worm wheels 12, 16 about their axes. When the vehicle corners, one half-shaft must rotate faster than the gear carrier 6 and the other half-shaft slower than the gear carrier. If the half-shaft 2 rotates faster than the gear carrier 6 it, through the half-shaft sun gear 18, causes the worms 10B and IOC to rotate about their axes in the gear carrier 6. The worms 10B and IOC in turn cause the worm wheels 16 and 12 to turn about the support pin 14. Because the worm drive is reversible, the worm wheels 16 and 12 cause the worms 10B and 10A to rotate in the opposite sense to worms 10B and IOC. Although the worm drive is reversible, drive is not transmitted with 100Z efficiency from the worm wheels to the worm members. In this embodiment the efficiency is about 70%. As a result, there is frictional resistance to operation of the device and it functions as a limited slip differential. The rotation of the worm members 10D and 10A causes the sun gear 20 and the half-shaft 4 turn backwards relative to the carrier 6. The steel worm members, worm wheels and spacer block must be robust and wear resistant and in this embodiment the worm wheels (and advantageously the worms and the spacer block especially where engine oil is the only available lubricant) can be case hardened and then receive anti-scuffing treatment such as *No Scuff available, from British Heat Treatments Limited of Lowestoft. The helix angle .of the worms to the worm axis may be chosen to equal the angle of friction between the tyres and a wet road. The housing 7 is formed with large openings 26 both to reduce mass and to assist the circulation of lubricating oil. Preferably, the lubricating oil is hypoid gear oil. Lubrication is ensured by oil passages L drilled in the various components. The limited slip differential described above may be used to transmit drive to two further such differentials in the two driving axles (e.g. front and rear) of a four-wheel drive vehicle. In a modification (not shown in the drawings), the grub screws 11B and seatings 11A are omitted and the untoothed portions 25 of the worms are replaced by flanges of corresponding diameter and axial length on the pins to provide axial location of the latter while allowing them to rotate. If desired, further friction in the differential can be generated by axially biassing the worm members and/or one or both sun gears and/or the worm wheels, for example by means of Belleville washers located between the worm members and either the casing or the pin flanges (if used), between worm wheels and the casing, and/or one or both sun gears and the casing. Further friction may also be generated by the use of frusto-conical end surfaces on appropriate ones of the helically toothed members.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A limited slip differential for a vehicle, comprising: a gear carrier (6) mountable for rotation about an axis (X-X) of the carrier; first and second worm members (10A, IOC) mounted for rotation within the carrier (6) with their axes parallel to the carrier axis (X-X); an idler worm wheel (12) mounted for rotation in the carrier (6) between, and meshing with, helical worm formations on worm portions of both the worm members (10A and IOC), each worm portion forming a reversible but frictional worm drive with the worm wheel (12); and first and second sun gear wheels (18, 20) coaxial with the carrier axis (X-X) and meshing directly or indirectly with planet pinion portions (24C, 24A) of the respective worm members (IOC, 10A). 2. A limited slip differential according to claim 1 characterised in that the pinion portion (24) of each worm member (10) is formed as a continuation of the helical worm formation of the worm portion and meshes with correspondingly helical teeth on the respective sun gear wheel (18,20). 3. A limited slip differential according to claim 1 or 2 characterised in that the helix angle of the helical formations of the worms is substantially 43.1". 4. A limited slip differential according to any of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that there are two said first worm members (10A, 10D), two said second worm members (IOC, 10B) and two said worm wheels (12 and 16), said worm wheels being mounted for rotation in said casing (6) about a common transverse axis. 5. A limited slip differential accordin to claim 4 characterised in that said worm wheels (12 and 16) are rotatably mounted on a common transverse pin (14) with a spacer block therebetween. 6. A limited slip differential according to any of the preceding claims including means for generating additional friction in the differential. 7. A limited slip differential according to claim 6 comprising means for axially biassing the worm members. 8. A limited slip differential according to claims 6 or 7 comprising means for axially biassing at least one of the sun gears and/or the worm wheels. 9. A limited slip differential according to claims 7 or 8 wherein the axial biassing means comprises ' Belleville washers.

Inventors: KNIGHT DAVID JOHN, KNIGHT, DAVID, JOHN
Applicants: KNIGHT JACK DEV LTD, JACK KNIGHT (DEVELOPMENTS) LIMITED
Application year: 1985
Main classification: F16H1
IPC codes: F16H48