Patent ID: 7195577

Claim:
A differential used in conjunction with a four-wheel-drive vehicle transmission for transmitting a rotation of an output gear of the transmission to a pair of front wheel axle shafts and a transfer which drives the rear wheels, comprising: a ring gear meshed with the output gear; a differential case which rotates together with the ring gear and comprises a hollow shaft which transmits the rotation to the transfer; a pinion shaft fixed to the differential case; a pinion supported free to rotate around the pinion shaft in the differential case; a pair of side gears housed in the differential case which mesh with the pinion, the side gears comprising sleeves which engage with the axle shafts, wherein one of the side gear sleeves extends inside the hollow shaft; a differential housing fixed to the transmission housing, which houses the differential case and ring gear, the differential case and differential housing being filled with oil; plugs which seal the side gear sleeves; a first oil seal disposed between the hollow shaft and the gear sleeve extending inside the hollow shaft; a second oil seal disposed between the hollow shaft and the differential housing; and a third oil seal disposed between the differential housing and the other side gear sleeve.