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US 4,541,306 AGranted
Differential having reduced axial width
AssigneeNissan Motor Co., Ltd.
InventorsHiroyasu Hokusho, Yohji Ebara
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A differential mechanism comprises a pair of side gears each of which has a part-spherical end wall where it is supported on a correspondingly shaped inner wall of a differential casing. Each side gear end wall is adapted to form part of a sphere whose center is located on the axis of the casing and offset from the center of same in such a manner that a differential casing chamber extends less in the axial direction of the casing than in the direction of the axis of rotation of pinion gears.
Claims4
A differential mechanism comprising:
- a casing adapted to be rotatably driven about an axis of rotation and having a chamber defined by walls;
- a pair of pinion gears retained within said chamber rotatable about an axis of rotation normal to and having an intersecting point with said axis of rotation of said casing;
- a pair of side gears retained within said chamber and engaging said pinion gears to form a differential gear mechanism;
- each of said side gears having a part-spherical end wall;
- means for retaining said side gears from rotating within said chamber about the axis of rotation of said pinion gears including a pair of part-spherical regions defined in said chamber, each said region being defined by a wall of said chamber having a spherical shape substantially complementary to the end wall of one of said side gears and each said region providing a recess in said chamber for supporting one of said side gears;
- each of said side gear receiving part-spherical regions comprising part of a sphere having a center located on said axis of rotation of said casing and offset from said intersecting point in a direction providing a chamber extending lens in the axial direction of said casing than in the direction of the axis of rotation of said pinion gears.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.