Patent ID: 8021261

Claim:
A differential limiting apparatus comprising: a housing rotatable by a driving force of a driving source; a differential mechanism having a pair of output gears to distribute said driving force to a pair of output shafts differentially; a clutch disposed directly between said pair of output gears, said clutch has an annular frictional plate to restrict a differential movement of said differential mechanism; and an output mechanism arranged to drive said clutch, said output mechanism including a cam member movable along an axis of said cam member, and a transmitting member for transmitting said axial movement of said cam member to said clutch, wherein: said clutch is disposed directly and circumferentially on said pair of output gears, said cam member has a diameter corresponding to a diameter of said frictional plate, said clutch is constructed with a main clutch connecting and disconnecting said pair of output gears, one of said pair of output gears of said differential mechanism includes a first boss portion connecting one of said pair of output shafts, and a first cylindrical portion having an inner peripheral surface facing an outer peripheral surface of said first boss portion through a first annular space, the other one of said pair of output gears of said differential mechanism includes a second boss portion connecting the other one of said pair of output shafts, and a second cylindrical portion having an inner peripheral surface facing an outer peripheral surface of said first cylindrical portion through a second annular space, and said clutch is installed in said second annular space to have a first clutch plate engaging in mesh with said outer peripheral surface of said first cylindrical portion in spline engagement, and a second clutch plate engaging in mesh with said inner peripheral surface of said second cylindrical portion in spline engagement.