Patent ID: 7377195

Claim:
A motor vehicle, comprising: a powertrain including an engine delivering drive torque to a transaxle having a geartrain and front differential unit, said geartrain driving an input of said front differential unit for transferring drive torque to first and second outputs; first and second axleshafts driven by said first and second outputs of said front differential unit and which are interconnected to a pair of front wheels; a rear driveline including a rear axle assembly having a rear differential unit interconnected to a pair of rear wheels, and a prop shaft driving to said rear differential; and a power take-off unit operable for transmitting drive torque from said input of said front differential to said propshaft, said power take-off unit including a transfer shaft driven by said input of said front differential, an intermediate shaft, a first gearset for transferring drive torque from said transfer shaft to said intermediate shaft, and a second gearset for transferring drive torque from said intermediate shaft to said propshaft, said second gearset including an enveloping worm gear in meshed engagement with an enveloping worm, and wherein said worm has at least one screw thread engaged by at least one gear tooth of said worm gear, and wherein said worm gear has twelve or less teeth.