# US 11,079,006 B2 · Differential unit and differential unit product line

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- Number: US 11,079,006 B2
- Document ID: US11079006B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/826,348
- Filed: 2020-03-23
- Published: 2020-10-01
- Granted: 2021-08-03
- Earliest claimed: 2019-03-28
- Assignees: Jtekt Corporation
- Applicants: Jtekt Corporation
- Inventors: Takao Kimura; Yutaka Sato
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11079006B2

## CPC

- F16H 57/037: Gearboxes for accommodating differential gearings (rotating cases for differential gearings F16H48/40)
- F16H 48/08: comprising bevel gears
- F16H 48/42: characterised by features of the input shafts, e.g. mounting of drive gears thereon
- F16H 57/021: Shaft support structures, e.g. partition walls, bearing eyes, casing walls or covers with bearings
- F16H 57/0443: {for supply of lubricant during tilt or high acceleration, e.g. problems related to the tilt or extreme acceleration of the transmission casing and the supply of lubricant under these conditions}
- F16H 57/0483: {Axle or inter-axle differentials}
- F16H 2048/423: {characterised by bearing arrangement}
- F16H: GEARING

## Abstract

A differential unit includes: a pinion gear shaft including a shaft portion and a gear portion; a ring gear meshing with the gear portion; a differential case that rotates with the ring gear; a differential gear mechanism accommodated in the differential case; a differential carrier having an accommodating space accommodating the differential case and the ring gear; and a pair of bearings supporting the pinion gear shaft such that the pinion gear shaft is rotatable with respect to the differential carrier. The differential carrier has an inner cylindrical portion, an outer cylindrical portion, and a connecting portion that are provided as a single member. The inner cylindrical portion has the pair of bearings fitted in the inner cylindrical portion. The outer cylindrical portion is provided radially outward of the inner cylindrical portion. The connecting portion connects the inner cylindrical portion and the outer cylindrical portion.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A differential unit comprising:
a pinion gear shaft including a shaft portion and a gear portion;
a ring gear meshing with the gear portion;
a differential case that rotates with the ring gear;
a differential gear mechanism accommodated in the differential case;
a differential carrier having an accommodating space accommodating the differential case and the ring gear; and
a pair of bearings supporting the pinion gear shaft such that the pinion gear shaft is rotatable with respect to the differential carrier, wherein the differential carrier has an inner cylindrical portion, an outer cylindrical portion, and a connecting portion that are provided as a single member, the inner cylindrical portion having a bearing fitting surface in an inner peripheral surface, the pair of bearings being fitted on the bearing fitting surface, the outer cylindrical portion being provided radially outward of the inner cylindrical portion, and the connecting portion connecting the inner cylindrical portion and the outer cylindrical portion.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The differential unit according to claim 1, wherein
the connecting portion includes a plurality of first partition walls and at least one second partition wall, the plurality of first partition walls extending in an axial direction and partitioning a space between the inner cylindrical portion and the outer cylindrical portion into a plurality of sections located next to each other in a circumferential direction, and the at least one second partition wall further partitioning at least a part of the plurality of sections partitioned by the plurality of first partition walls into two sections located next to each other in the axial direction.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The differential unit according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of first partition walls are disposed in a radial pattern about a rotation axis of the pinion gear shaft.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The differential unit according to claim 2, wherein:
one of the two sections partitioned by the second partition wall communicates with the accommodating space; and
lubricating oil that causes the gear portion of the pinion gear shaft and the ring gear to smoothly mesh with each other is stored in the one of the two sections and the accommodating space.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The differential unit according to claim 4, wherein the second partition wall is provided at least in two or more sections located below the pinion gear shaft among the plurality of sections partitioned by the plurality of first partition walls.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

A differential unit product line, comprising a plurality of differential units, wherein:
the plurality of differential units have the configuration according to claim 4; and
an axial position of the second partition wall with respect to the inner cylindrical portion and the outer cylindrical portion is different between or among the plurality of differential units.