Patent ID: 7121971

Claim:
A transverse-mounted drive unit for distributing the output of an automotive transmission to first and second axles of a vehicle, comprising: a housing comprising first and second axially spaced bearings; a center differential comprising a cage coaxially mounted on the first axle and provided with at least one output member for driving the first axle and a second output member for driving the second axle; an input gear coaxially coupled to the cage and adapted to be driven by an output gear of the transmission; first and second bearing sleeves extending axially in opposite directions from the cage, the first bearing sleeve being journalled for rotation in the first bearing; an axial extension protruding from the second output member beyond the second bearing sleeve; and an output gear coupled to the axial extension for meshing with a drive gear connected to the second axle, the output gear being journalled in the second bearing and provided with an axial recess receiving a third bearing in which the second bearing sleeve is journalled.