Patent ID: 7744500

Claim:
An assembly comprising a differential case, a gear set and a locking device, the differential case including a mounting portion and an annular pocket, the gear set including first and second side gears and a plurality of pinion gears, the first side gear being proximate a first end of the differential case, the second side gear being proximate a second end of the differential case opposite the first end, the pinion gears meshingly engaging the first and second side gears, the locking device including a first dog, a second dog, a return spring, a thrust member, and an actuator, the first dog including a plurality of first engaging features and being non-rotatably coupled to the second side gear, the second dog including a plurality of second engaging features and being non-rotatably but axially slidably engaged to the differential case, the return spring biasing at least one of the first and second dogs in a direction so that the first and second engaging features are not engaged to one another, the thrust member extending through the differential case, the actuator being mounted about the mounting portion and having a plunger, the plunger being movable between a first position, which permits the return spring to apply a force that tends to decouple the first and second engaging features, and a second position in which the thrust member and the second dog are urged axially toward the first dog such that the first and second engaging features engage one another to thereby inhibit relative rotation between the second side gear and the differential case; wherein the plunger, the thrust member and the second dog are fixedly coupled to one another.