Patent ID: 7165471

Claim:
A thermally compensated differential comprising a housing, a pinion gear mounted into the housing, a differential case carrying a ring gear with the differential case being supported about a longitudinal axis of rotation by a first roller bearing and a second roller bearing with the bearings being mounted indirectly, each of the first and second roller bearings being contacted by an associated adjustable spacer assembly including a cooperative pair of adjustable annular spacers; wherein each of said cooperative pairs of adjustable annular spacers includes an inner adjustable annular spacer having an axially outward sinusoidal annular surface, and an outer adjustable annular spacer having an axially inward sinusoidal annular surface, said inner and outer sinusoidal surfaces in contact with each other; wherein for each of said cooperative pairs of adjustable annular spacers, said sinusoidal annular surface of said inner adjustable annular spacer is characterized by a thickness of said inner spacer at each radial distance from an axis of said inner spacer, conforming to the equation t=T 1 +f(ang) where T 1 is the baseline thickness of said inner spacer and f(ang) is a function of an angle of rotation of said inner spacer about its axis; and wherein for each of said cooperative pairs of adjustable annular spacers, said sinusoidal annular surface of said outer adjustable annular spacer is characterized by a thickness of said outer spacer at each radial distance from an axis of said outer spacer conforming to the equation t=T 2 −f(ang) where T 2 is the baseline thickness of said outer spacer and f(ang) is a function of an angle of rotation of said outer spacer about its axis.