Patent ID: 7534187

Claim:
A locking differential assembly, comprising: a differential case having first and second end segments and defining an internal cavity; a gearset disposed within said cavity and including a first side gear proximate said first end segment, a second side gear proximate said second end segment, and pinion gears meshed with said first and second side gears; a locking assembly including a first dog member driven by said second side gear and having first clutch teeth, a second dog member fixed for rotation with said differential case and axial translation within a pocket portion of said cavity between said second end segment and said second side gear and having second clutch teeth, a spring biasing said second dog member to displace said second clutch teeth from engagement with said first clutch teeth, and a thrust member slidably supported on a mounting hub portion of said differential case and having projections extending through apertures in said differential case that engage said second dog member; and an electromagnetic actuator for moving said thrust member between first and second positions for causing corresponding movement of said second dog member between released and engaged positions relative to said first dog member, said electromagnetic actuator including a frame supported on said mounting hub of said differential case and defining an annular cavity, a coil assembly mounted in said annular cavity, an armature disposed in said annular cavity for sliding movement in response to energization of said coil assembly and operable to move said thrust member between its first and second positions, a sensor target coupled to said armature, and a sensor mounted to said frame and operable to sense a position of said sensor target and produce a sensor signal indicative of said position.