Patent ID: 7575531

Claim:
An active torque biasing differential comprising: a differential case; a shaft; a housing; an outer annulus disposed within the housing and in operable communication with one of the differential case and shaft; an inner annulus contained within the outer annulus, the inner annulus including a plurality of slots formed therein and in operable communication with the other one of the differential case and shaft; a plurality of vanes each disposed within a corresponding one of the plurality of slots formed in the inner annulus and slidably contacting the other one of the inner annulus and outer annulus, the vanes each including at least one orifice formed therein; a field producing coil placed to apply one of a magnetic field and an electric field to a chamber defined by the outer annulus and inner annulus that is divided into a plurality of sub-chambers by the vanes; a magnetorheological or electrorheological fluid disposed within the chamber; and wherein relative movement between the outer annulus and inner annulus causes magnetorheological or electrorheological fluid in one sub-chamber to flow into an adjacent sub-chamber through the at least one orifice in the vane that is disposed therebetween.