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US 12,442,439 B2Granted
Vehicle system
AssigneePolaris Industries Inc.
InventorJeffrey I. Peterman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A mechanical differential assembly for a wheeled vehicle including a housing a pinion gear operable to both rotate relative to an interior surface of the housing and be fixed relative to the interior surface of the housing and a clutch portion fixed to the pinion gear.
Claims20
A mechanical differential assembly, comprising:
- a spider gear operable to both rotate relative to a surface of a housing and be fixed relative to the surface of the housing;
- a clutch portion fixed to the spider gear, wherein the clutch portion and the spider gear are formed as one member;
- and
- a locking member;
- wherein the locking member is configured to engage the clutch portion, and wherein the clutch portion is configured to contact the surface of the housing to lock the spider gear to the housing when the mechanical differential assembly is in a locked configuration.
2 more elements
A mechanical differential assembly, comprising:
- a spider gear operable to both rotate relative to a surface of a housing and be fixed relative to the surface of the housing;
- a clutch portion fixed to the spider gear;
- and
- a locking member;
- wherein the locking member is configured to engage the clutch portion and lock the spider gear to the housing when the mechanical differential assembly is in a locked configuration;
- wherein the clutch portion is a cap extending a distance from a toothed portion of the spider gear;
- wherein the cap includes a cap interior surface that is configured to be engaged by the locking member.
4 more elements
A mechanical differential assembly, comprising:
- a housing having an interior surface;
- a spider gear having a toothed portion and a clutch portion fixed to the spider gear and extending from the toothed portion, wherein the spider gear is operable to both rotate relative to the interior surface of the housing and be fixed relative to the interior surface of the housing, wherein the clutch portion includes an interior clutch surface and an exterior clutch surface;
- and
- a cam surface configured to engage the interior clutch surface and lock the spider gear to the interior surface of the housing when the mechanical differential assembly is in a locked configuration such that the exterior clutch surface engages the interior surface of the housing;
- wherein a pressure angle is defined between the cam surface and the interior clutch surface.
2 more elements
A method of providing a mechanical differential assembly, comprising:
- providing a spider gear having a toothed portion and a clutch portion fixed to the spider gear and extending from the toothed portion, wherein the spider gear is operable to both rotate relative to an interior surface of a housing and be fixed relative to the interior surface of the housing, wherein the clutch portion includes an interior clutch surface and an exterior clutch surface;
- providing a cam surface configured to engage the interior clutch surface and lock the spider gear to the housing when the mechanical differential assembly is in a locked configuration such that the exterior clutch surface engages the interior surface of the housing;
- and
- providing a pressure angle between the cam surface and the interior clutch surface.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.