Patent ID: 8308598

Claim:
A controlled differential assembly ( 10 ) for a motor vehicle powertrain of the type having an input pinion gear ( 16 ) and driving a pair of axle halfshafts ( 30 , 32 ), comprising: a carrier assembly ( 22 ) within a case ( 18 ) enclosing internal components of the differential assembly, the carrier assembly driven for rotation within the differential case, the carrier assembly having a housing ( 24 ) enclosing a plurality of gears ( 28 , 40 , 42 , 44 , 46 ) coupled with the axle halfshafts, a differential actuator assembly ( 48 ) having a solenoid coil ( 52 ) mounted to the differential case and an armature ( 56 ) affixed to the carrier housing and rotatable with the carrier assembly and positioned adjacent the solenoid coil and connected to an apply plate ( 58 ) by a plurality of studs, a primary clutch pack ( 60 ) having a first set of plates ( 62 ) carried by the carrier housing and a second set of plates ( 64 ) coupled with a clutch hub ( 66 ), the armature and the apply plate being located on opposite sides of the primary clutch pack and the studs extending through the first set of plates of the primary clutch pack, a secondary clutch pack ( 72 ) having a first set of plates ( 74 ) carried by the carrier housing and a second set of plates ( 76 ) coupled with an axle hub ( 78 ) coupled with one of the axle shafts, a relative rotation actuator ( 66 , 68 , 70 ) acting between the clutch hub and an output hub ( 68 ), wherein relative rotation between the clutch hub and the output hub causes separation between the clutch hub and the output hub and the output hub acting to compress the first and second plates of the secondary clutch pack and wherein energization of the solenoid coil causes the armature to move toward the solenoid coil causing the apply plate to compress the primary clutch pack and actuating the secondary clutch pack through the relative rotation actuator thereby coupling the carrier housing with the one axle shaft.