Patent ID: 7438167

Claim:
A coupling device adapted to have attached thereto an input ring gear, and adapted for eventual installation within an axle housing, said coupling device including a housing defining a clutch cavity, a clutch assembly disposed in said clutch cavity, a clutch apply member disposed in a pressure chamber and operable to bias said clutch assembly into torque transmitting relationship in response to the presence of pressurized fluid in said pressure chamber; said coupling device including a plenum member operably associated with said housing to define a fluid flow path providing fluid communication between a reservoir disposed within said axle housing and said pressure chamber, said fluid flow path being in fluid communication with a source of pressurized fluid; said housing including a flange portion defining a plurality of fastener holes and being adapted to have said input ring gear attached thereto by means of a plurality of fasteners; said plenum member comprising a generally annular plenum portion, and a plurality of required features extending at least partially radially from said plenum member; said coupling device being characterized by: (a) each of said required features is disposed circumferentially between an adjacent pair of said fastener holes, whereby each of said fasteners may be inserted into its respective fastener opening by moving said fastener along a path substantially parallel to an axis defined by said fastener opening, approaching from the end of said coupling device where said plenum member is disposed.