Differential device for vehicle

A vehicle differential device including a pair of side gears disposed coaxially and rotatable relative to each other, the vehicle differential device being configured to distribute a driving force input from an electric motor to the pair of side gears and output the driving force, the vehicle differential device comprising:

• a planetary gear mechanism including a sun gear to which the driving force is input, a plurality of planetary gears that meshes with the sun gear, a carrier that rotatably supports the plurality of planetary gears, and a ring gear that meshes with the plurality of planetary gears at an outer periphery of the carrier;
• and
• a plurality of pinion gear sets each including a first pinion gear that meshes with one side gear of the pair of side gears, and a second pinion gear that meshes with the other side gear of the pair of side gears, the first pinion gear and the second pinion gear meshing with each other, wherein:
• in each of the plurality of planetary gears, a plurality of supported portions provided at positions spaced apart in an axial direction is supported by the carrier;
• the carrier includes a carrier body having a holding hole that holds the first pinion gear and the second pinion gear such that each of the first pinion gear and the second pinion gear is rotatable about an axis of rotation parallel to a rotational axis of the carrier, and a carrier cover that is disposed alongside the carrier body in the axial direction and closes one axial end of the holding hole;
• the carrier body is provided with a support portion that supports at least one of the plurality of supported portions of the plurality of planetary gears;
• the holding hole includes a first hole portion that holds the first pinion gear and a second hole portion that holds the second pinion gear, the first hole portion and the second hole portion communicating with each other,
• the driving force is transmitted from the carrier to the first pinion gear through contact between a tooth tip surface of the first pinion gear and an inner surface of the first hole portion;
• and
• the driving force is transmitted from the carrier to the second pinion gear through contact between a tooth tip surface of the second pinion gear and an inner surface of the second hole portion.