Patent ID: 7823696

Claim:
A gear unit comprising: at least one gear arranged and configured to transfer rotation inputted from an external source to at least one driven member; and a unit case defining an interior space for enclosing the at least one gear and containing a lubricant to lubricate the at least one gear, the unit case including an output shaft opening configured for connecting the driven member to the at least one gear, and a lubricant passage having an inlet provided adjacent the output shaft opening and a lubricant discharge outlet provided in a bottom portion of the unit case to convey lubricant between the output shaft opening and the lubricant discharge outlet, the output shaft opening of the unit case constituting a first output shaft opening and the unit case including a second output shaft opening, the lubricant passage of the unit case further extending between an additional inlet provided adjacent the second output shaft opening and the lubricant discharge outlet, the at least one gear being a differential mechanism with first and second output shafts extending through the first and second output shaft openings of the unit case, the unit case including a frontward part constituting a gear carrier and a rearward part constituting a rear cover, with each of the first and second output shaft openings being partially defined by the frontward part and partially defined by rearward part, and the lubricant passage being at least partially formed in at least one of a mating surface of the gear carrier and a mating surface of the rear cover, with the gear carrier and the rear cover mating at the mating surfaces.