Positive drive differential with pinion disconnect

A positive drive differential assembly comprising:

• a differential comprising:
• a differential housing;
• an input pinion including a pinion gear and a pinion input shaft attached to the pinion gear, the pinion gear located within the differential housing with a portion of the pinion input shaft extending out of an opening in the differential housing, the pinion input shaft configured to operably engage with a drive shaft so as to permit the drive shaft to rotate the pinion shaft;
• a bi-directional overrunning clutch assembly located within the differential housing and configured to engage with at least one drive axle segment, the bi-directional overrunning clutch assembly configured to transmit torque, when engaged, between the pinion gear and the at least one drive axle segment, the bi-directional overrunning clutch assembly including:
• a ring gear engaged to the pinion gear;
• a clutch housing attached to or formed integral with the ring gear wherein the ring gear is positioned radially outward from an inner surface of the clutch housing, the inner surface having a contoured surface formed on at least a portion of the inner surface;
• and
• at least one roller clutch assembly located radially inward from the inner surface of the clutch housing, the roller clutch assembly including a roll cage with a plurality of spaced apart slots that extend radially through the roll cage from its outer surface to its inner surface, a roll located in each slot and sized so that it can rotate within the slot, and at least one spring biasing the rolls against movement radially outward relative to the roll cage;
• two hubs located radially inward of the at least one roller clutch assembly, the hubs being axially aligned with one another so as to rotate about a common axis, each hub configured to engage with an end of a corresponding drive axle segment, each hub located radially inward from a plurality of the rolls;
• the at least one spring biasing the rolls such that each of the rolls is seated in a recessed channel formed on an exterior surface of at least one of the hubs, the seating of the rolls in the channels providing a connection between the roll cage and the at least one of the hubs so as to cause the roll cage to initially move with that hub;
• a pinion disconnect assembly for controlling transmission of rotation to the input pinion, the pinion disconnect assembly including a disconnect housing, a pinion coupler shaft located partially within the disconnect housing with a first shaft end extending out of an opening in the housing, the first shaft end configured to engage with a drive shaft a second shaft end on an opposite end of the pinion coupler shaft is configured to connect to the pinion input shaft through a rotary coupler, wherein the rotary coupler is configured to be translated axially toward the second shaft end into its connected position for rotationally connecting the pinion coupler shaft to the pinion input shaft thereby permitting transmission of rotation between the pinion coupler shaft and the pinion input shaft, and wherein the rotary coupler is configured to be translated axially away from the second shaft end into its disconnected position for rotationally disconnecting the pinion coupler shaft from the pinion input shaft thereby preventing transmission of rotation between the pinion coupler shaft and the pinion input shaft;
• and
• a linear actuator connected to the rotary coupler and configured to translate the rotary coupler between its connected and disconnected position, the linear actuator including an electrical connector for receiving an electrical signal for activating the linear actuator;
• wherein the at least one roller clutch assembly comprises two roller clutch assemblies, wherein at least some of the slots in a roll cage extend axially to one edge of the roll cage so as to provide a lateral opening into the slot from an axial end of the roll cage;
• and
• wherein the inner contoured surface of the clutch housing includes a plurality of peaks and valleys, the number of valleys is at least equal in number to the number of rolls in one of the roller clutch assemblies, wherein when no load is applied to the bidirectional overrunning clutch, each roll is located within one of the valleys with the contoured surface tapering inward toward the roll cage on either side of the rolls.

A positive drive differential assembly comprising:

• a differential comprising:
• a differential housing;
• an input pinion including a pinion gear and a pinion input shaft attached to the pinion gear, the pinion gear located within the differential housing with a portion of the pinion input shaft extending out of an opening in the differential housing, the pinion input shaft configured to operably engage with a drive shaft so as to permit the drive shaft to rotate the pinion shaft;
• a bi-directional overrunning clutch assembly located within the differential housing and configured to engage with at least one drive axle segment, the bi-directional overrunning clutch assembly configured to transmit torque, when engaged, between the pinion gear and the at least one drive axle segment, the bi-directional overrunning clutch assembly including:
• a ring gear engaged to the pinion gear;
• a clutch housing attached to or formed integral with the ring gear wherein the ring gear is positioned radially outward from an inner surface of the clutch housing, the inner surface having a contoured surface formed on at least a portion of the inner surface;
• and
• at least one roller clutch assembly located radially inward from the inner surface of the clutch housing, the roller clutch assembly including a roll cage with a plurality of spaced apart slots that extend radially through the roll cage from its outer surface to its inner surface, a roll located in each slot and sized so that it can rotate within the slot, and at least one spring biasing the rolls against movement radially outward relative to the roll cage;
• two hubs located radially inward of the at least one roller clutch assembly, the hubs being axially aligned with one another so as to rotate about a common axis, each hub configured to engage with an end of a corresponding drive axle segment, each hub located radially inward from a plurality of the rolls;
• the at least one spring biasing the rolls such that each of the rolls is seated in a recessed channel formed on an exterior surface of at least one of the hubs, the seating of the rolls in the channels providing a connection between the roll cage and the at least one of the hubs so as to cause the roll cage to initially move with that hub;
• a pinion disconnect assembly for controlling transmission of rotation to the input pinion, the pinion disconnect assembly including a disconnect housing, a pinion coupler shaft located partially within the disconnect housing with a first shaft end extending out of an opening in the housing, the first shaft end configured to engage with a drive shaft a second shaft end on an opposite end of the pinion coupler shaft is configured to connect to the pinion input shaft through a rotary coupler, wherein the rotary coupler is configured to be translated axially toward the second shaft end into its connected position for rotationally connecting the pinion coupler shaft to the pinion input shaft thereby permitting transmission of rotation between the pinion coupler shaft and the pinion input shaft, and wherein the rotary coupler is configured to be translated axially away from the second shaft end into its disconnected position for rotationally disconnecting the pinion coupler shaft from the pinion input shaft thereby preventing transmission of rotation between the pinion coupler shaft and the pinion input shaft;
• and
• a linear actuator connected to the rotary coupler and configured to translate the rotary coupler between its connected and disconnected position, the linear actuator including an electrical connector for receiving an electrical signal for activating the linear actuator;
• wherein a roll cage coupler is positioned between the two roller clutch assemblies for intermittently coupling the roll cages of the two roller clutch assemblies to limit relative motion;
• and
• wherein the roll cage coupler includes a center ring with a plurality of teeth extending radially outward from the ring, the number of teeth is the same as or less than the number of slots, each tooth fits into one of the open ends of one of the slots in each of the roll cages, and wherein each tooth has a circumferential width that is less than a width of the open end of the slot.

A positive drive differential assembly comprising:

• a differential comprising:
• a differential housing;
• an input pinion including a pinion gear and a pinion input shaft attached to the pinion gear, the pinion gear located within the differential housing with a portion of the pinion input shaft extending out of an opening in the differential housing, the pinion input shaft configured to operably engage with a drive shaft so as to permit the drive shaft to rotate the pinion shaft;
• a bi-directional overrunning clutch assembly located within the differential housing and configured to engage with at least one drive axle segment, the bi-directional overrunning clutch assembly configured to transmit torque, when engaged, between the pinion gear and the at least one drive axle segment, the bi-directional overrunning clutch assembly including:
• a ring gear engaged to the pinion gear;
• a clutch housing attached to or formed integral with the ring gear wherein the ring gear is positioned radially outward from an inner surface of the clutch housing, the inner surface having a contoured surface formed on at least a portion of the inner surface;
• and
• at least one roller clutch assembly located radially inward from the inner surface of the clutch housing, the roller clutch assembly including a roll cage with a plurality of spaced apart slots that extend radially through the roll cage from its outer surface to its inner surface, a roll located in each slot and sized so that it can rotate within the slot, and at least one spring biasing the rolls against movement radially outward relative to the roll cage;
• two hubs located radially inward of the at least one roller clutch assembly, the hubs being axially aligned with one another so as to rotate about a common axis, each hub configured to engage with an end of a corresponding drive axle segment, each hub located radially inward from a plurality of the rolls;
• the at least one spring biasing the rolls such that each of the rolls is seated in a recessed channel formed on an exterior surface of at least one of the hubs, the seating of the rolls in the channels providing a connection between the roll cage and the at least one of the hubs so as to cause the roll cage to initially move with that hub;
• a pinion disconnect assembly for controlling transmission of rotation to the input pinion, the pinion disconnect assembly including a disconnect housing, a pinion coupler shaft located partially within the disconnect housing with a first shaft end extending out of an opening in the housing, the first shaft end configured to engage with a drive shaft, a second shaft end on an opposite end of the pinion coupler shaft is configured to connect to the pinion input shaft through a rotary coupler, wherein the rotary coupler is configured to be translated axially toward the second shaft end into its connected position for rotationally connecting the pinion coupler shaft to the pinion input shaft thereby permitting transmission of rotation between the pinion coupler shaft and the pinion input shaft, and wherein the rotary coupler is configured to be translated axially away from the second shaft end into its disconnected position for rotationally disconnecting the pinion coupler shaft from the pinion input shaft thereby preventing transmission of rotation between the pinion coupler shaft and the pinion input shaft;
• and
• a linear actuator connected to the rotary coupler and configured to translate the rotary coupler between its connected and disconnected position, the linear actuator including an electrical connector for receiving an electrical signal for activating the linear actuator;
• wherein the rotary coupler includes a yoke with a recess on one side that includes internal splines configured to engage with and slide along external splines on the pinion input shaft, and wherein the second shaft end is configured to engage and disengage with the yoke, wherein in the engaged position, the yoke is rotationally engaged to the second shaft end, and in the disengaged position the yoke is rotationally disengaged from the second shaft end, and wherein the yoke is translated between its engaged position and its disengaged position by a fork connected to the linear actuator.

A differential assembly for a four wheel drive vehicle, the four wheel drive vehicle having a primary drive axle and a secondary drive axle, the secondary drive axle having two drive axle segments, the differential assembly configured to operably couple to the secondary drive axle for transmitting torque from a drive shaft to the drive axle segments, the differential assembly comprising:

• a differential comprising:
• a differential housing;
• an input pinion including a pinion gear and a pinion input shaft attached to the pinion gear, the pinion gear located within the differential housing and with a portion of the pinion input shaft extending out of an opening in the differential housing, the pinion input shaft configured to operably engage with a drive shaft so as to permit the drive shaft to rotate the pinion shaft;
• a bi-directional overrunning clutch assembly located within the differential housing and configured to engage with the two drive axle segments, the bi-directional overrunning clutch assembly configured to transmit torque, when engaged, between the pinion gear and the drive axle segments, the bi-directional overrunning clutch assembly including:
• a ring gear engaged to the pinion gear;
• a clutch housing attached to or formed integral with the ring gear wherein the ring gear is positioned radially outward from an inner surface of the clutch housing, the inner surface having a contoured surface formed on at least a portion of the inner surface;
• and
• at least one roller clutch assembly located radially inward from the inner surface of the clutch housing, the roller clutch assembly including a roll cage with a plurality of spaced apart slots that extend radially through the roll cage from its outer surface to its inner surface, a roll located in each slot and sized so that it can rotate within the slot, and at least one spring biasing the rolls against movement radially outward relative to the roll cage;
• two hubs located radially inward of the at least one roller clutch assembly, the hubs being axially aligned with one another so as to rotate about a common axis, each hub configured to engage with an end of a corresponding drive axle segment, each hub located radially inward from a plurality of the rolls;
• the at least one spring biasing the rolls such that each of the rolls is seated in into a recessed channel formed on an exterior surface of at least one of the hubs, the seating of the rolls in the channels providing a connection between the roll cage and at least one of the hubs so as to cause the roll cage to initially move with that hub;
• a pinion disconnect assembly for controlling transmission of rotation to the input pinion, the pinion disconnect assembly including a disconnect housing, a pinion coupler shaft located partially within the disconnect housing with a first shaft end extending out of an opening in the housing, the first shaft end configured to engage with a drive shaft, a second shaft end on an opposite end of the pinion coupler shaft is configured to connect to the pinion input shaft through a rotary coupler, wherein the rotary coupler is configured to be translated axially toward the second shaft end into its connected position for rotationally connecting the pinion coupler shaft to the pinion input shaft thereby permitting transmission of rotation between the pinion coupler shaft and the pinion input shaft, and wherein the rotary coupler is configured to be translated axially away from the second shaft end into its disconnected position for rotationally disconnecting the pinion coupler shaft from the pinion input shaft thereby preventing transmission of rotation between the pinion coupler shaft and the pinion input shaft;
• and
• a linear actuator connected to the rotary coupler and configured to translate the rotary coupler between its connected and disconnected position, the linear actuator including an electrical connector for receiving an electrical signal for activating the linear actuator.