Patent ID: 7040193

Claim:
A differential device operable selectively in a non-differential operation mode and a differential operation mode, comprising: a ball member; a ball retaining member rotatable with a driving rotational member and extending along opposed axial end portions of left and right drive shafts, said ball member being disposed between said ball retaining member and the opposed axial end portions of the left and right drive shafts, said ball retaining member having a through-hole portion formed therein to receive part of said ball member; a shift member fitted over said ball retaining member and including: a ball-restricting portion of an inner diameter generally equal to an outer diameter of said ball retaining member; and a ball-releasing portion having a greater inner diameter than the ball-restricting portion; an actuator for sliding said shift member, along said ball retaining member, from a ball-releasing position to a ball-restricting position when said non-differential operation mode is selected, but from the ball-restricting position to the ball-releasing position when said differential operation mode is selected; and a pair of opposed power-transmitting portions provided on respective ones of the axial ends of the left and right drive shafts and together defining a recessed portion of a predetermined sectional shape such that, when said shift member is in the ball-restricting position, said ball member is placed, via the ball-restricting portion, in engagement with the power-transmitting portions to thereby transmit a driving power from the rotational member to both of the left and right drive shafts, but, when said shift member is in the ball-releasing position, said ball member is allowed to move radially outward into engagement with only one of the power-transmitting portions to thereby permit differential rotation of the left and right drive shafts.