# US 11,441,659 B2 · Differential and thrust washer therefor > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,441,659 B2 - Document ID: US11441659B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/381,697 - Filed: 2021-07-21 - Published: 2021-11-11 - Granted: 2022-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 2019-01-21 - Applicants: Tigercat Industries Inc. - Inventors: Benjamin Blackman; Shawn Thomas Pette; Peter Hoskin - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11441659B2 ## CPC - F16H 48/38: Constructional details (the outer casing comprising the differential and supporting input and output shafts F16H57/037) - F16C 17/04: for axial load only - F16H 48/08: comprising bevel gears - F16C 2361/61: Toothed gear systems, e.g. support of pinion shafts - F16H 2048/387: {Shields or washers} - F16H: GEARING - F16C: SHAFTS; FLEXIBLE SHAFTS; ELEMENTS OR CRANKSHAFT MECHANISMS; ROTARY BODIES OTHER THAN GEARING ELEMENTS; BEARINGS ## Abstract A thrust washer and a differential containing a thrust washer. The differential has a housing, a spider and one or more spider gears. The thrust washer includes a body having an annular shape and a width configured to approximately match with a width of the one or more spider gears. The thrust washer is further configured to engage with the spider to prevent or reduce the thrust washer from rotating relative to the housing when the thrust washer is installed in the differential. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A thrust washer for a differential having a housing, a spider, and one or more spider gears, the thrust washer comprising: a thrust washer body comprising an annular shape having a width configured to approximately match a width of the one or more spider gears and conform to a shape of the spider gears and further configured to engage with the spider to approximately prevent the thrust washer from rotating relative to the housing when the thrust washer is installed in the differential, wherein the body is configured to have a slope along the width configured to conform with an inner diameter of the housing such that the slope engages with the housing to reduce separation of a first portion and a second portion of the thrust washer body. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The thrust washer of claim 1, wherein the spider comprises at least one spider arm and wherein the thrust washer comprises at least one engagement mechanism having a size and a shape to engage with an outer diameter of the at least one spider arm to engage the thrust washer with the spider. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The thrust washer of claim 2, wherein the at least one spider arm comprises four arms, the at least one engagement mechanism comprises four apertures, and each of the four apertures are positioned and oriented to engage a respective one of the four arms when the thrust washer is installed in the differential. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The thrust washer of claim 1, wherein the first portion and the second portion are configured to assemble around the spider and the spider gears. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The thrust washer of claim 4, wherein the first portion and the second portion are configured to provide a gap between the first portion and the second portion when assembled to allow the flow of debris or the like. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The thrust washer of claim 1, wherein the thrust washer has a continuous ring shape. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The thrust washer of claim 1, wherein the thrust washer comprises a gap across the width of the thrust washer. ### Claim 8 A differential comprising: a housing; a spider and one or more spider gears; at least two side gears positioned and oriented to engage the one or more spider gears within the housing; and a thrust washer positioned between the housing and the at least one spider gear, the thrust washer comprising: a body comprising an annular shape having a width configured to approximately match with a width of the one or more spider gears and further configured to engage with the spider to prevent the thrust washer from rotating relative to the housing when the thrust washer is installed in the differential, wherein the body is configured to have a slope along the width configured to conform with an inner diameter of the housing and the slope engages with the housing to reduce separation of a first portion and a second portion of the body. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The differential of claim 8, wherein the spider comprises at least one spider arm and wherein the thrust washer comprises at least one engagement mechanism having a size and a shape to engage with an outer diameter of the at least one spider arm to engage the thrust, washer with the spider. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The differential of claim 9, wherein the at least one spider arm comprises four arms, the at least one engagement mechanism comprises four apertures, and wherein each of the four apertures are positioned and oriented to engage a respective one of the four arms when the thrust washer is installed in the differential. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The differential of claim 8, wherein the slope along the width also conforms to a shape of the spider gears. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The differential of claim 8, wherein the first portion and the second portion are configured to assemble around the spider and the spider gears. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The differential of claim 12, wherein the first portion and the second portion are configured to provide a gap between the first portion and the second portion to allow the flow of debris or the like. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The differential of claim 8, wherein the thrust washer has a continuous ring shape. ### Claim 15 (depends on 8) The differential of claim 8, wherein the thrust washer comprises a gap across the width of the thrust washer. ### Claim 16 (depends on 8) The differential of claim 8, wherein the thrust washer comprises a single contiguous body. ### Claim 17 A thrust washer for a differential having a housing, a spider, and one or more spider gears, the thrust washer comprising: a thrust washer body comprising an annular shape having a width configured to approximately match a width of the one or more spider gears, the thrust washer body comprising: a first portion and a second portion, wherein each of the first and second portions are configured to engage with the spider to prevent the thrust washer from rotating relative to the housing when the thrust washer is installed in the differential and are also configured such that a slope along the width conforms with an inner diameter of the housing and engages with the housing to reduce separation of the first portion and the second portion.