Differential gear positioning means

Abstract

PCT No. PCT/US79/01010 Sec. 371 Date Nov. 13, 1979 Sec. 102(e) Date Nov. 13, 1979 PCT Filed Nov. 13, 1979 PCT Pub. No. WO81/01450 PCT Pub. Date May 28, 1981 A differential gear assembly (10) wherein the tooth face loading is utilized to maintain the driven idler gear (17) in a preselected disposition without the need for a thrust washer. The positioning of the idler gear is controlled by the use of a single tapered roller bearing assembly (18) which serves as a thrust absorbing structure. The driver gear is maintained against the roller (28) of the roller bearing by the toothed loading during operation of the differential gear assembly and by a spring (30) at all other times. One race (25) of the single tapered roller bearing assembly (18) may be formed integrally with the bevel gear and, more specifically, may be defined by a surface portion of the bevel gear. The pressure angle, pitch angle and bearing K factor are preselected so that the bearing induced thrust load, due to the radial load developed thereon by the bevel gear, is less than the thrust generated between the meshing gear teeth.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.