Patent ID: 7127967

Claim:
A motor vehicle power transfer unit for distributing torque from a transmission assembly between a front wheel drive line and a rear wheel drive line, said power transfer unit comprising: a housing substantially enclosing said power transfer unit; an input portion adapted to connect to an output of the transmission assembly; an output portion adapted to connect to an input of the rear wheel drive line; and a parallel gear set and a non-parallel gear set coupled between said input portion and said output portion; wherein: the parallel gear set includes: a driving gear, an idler gear engaged with the driving gear; a non-rotating support member extending through the idler gear, supporting the idler gear in rotation thereon, secured to the housing, and including a first part having a first diameter, a second part having a second diameter smaller than the first diameter, a transition surface between the first part and the second part, and a space that is at least partially bounded by the transition surface and the second diameter, and a driven gear engaged with the idler gear, the non-parallel gear set including: a ring gear secured to the driven gear, formed with beveled gear teeth facing the driven gear, and extending toward the second part and into said space, and an output gear engaged with the ring gear.