US 5,366,421 A · Differential apparatus

Abstract

A differential apparatus comprises: a differential casing driven by an engine; a bevel gear type differential mechanism having pinion shafts, pinion gears, and a pair of side gears one of which is coupled to a first output shaft and the other of which is coupled to a second output shaft; a differential limiting mechanism linked with one of the side gears; and a gear transmission mechanism engaged between the differential limiting mechanism and the other of the side gears. The differential limiting mechanism (clutch or viscous coupling) can be disposed directly between the two side gears without allowing two output shafts to intervene between the two side gears, so that the differential apparatus can be mounted on a vehicle provided with another differential apparatus (e.g., having no differential limiting apparatus) without any design modification of the output shafts.

Claims6

Dependent claims

A differential apparatus comprising:

(a) a differential casing driven by an engine;
(b) a bevel gear type differential mechanism having:
(i) pinion shafts extending radially and supported within said differential casing;
(ii) pinion gears rotatably supported by said pinion shafts, respectively;
and
(iii) a pair of side gears disposed on both sides of said pinion shafts and in mesh with said pinion gears respectively, one of said side gears being coupled to a first output shaft and the other of said side gears being coupled to a second output shaft;
(c) differential limiting means linked with one of said side gears;
and
(d) gear transmission means engaged between said differential limiting means and the other of said side gears.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Differential apparatus

Life of this patent

Differential apparatus

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims6