Differential gear assembly

A differential gear assembly comprising:

• a differential housing;
• a pair of side gears substantially axially aligned and spaced apart from each other, each of said side gears being supported by said differential housing and adapted to engage an axle half-shaft;
• a pair of pinion gears substantially axially aligned and spaced apart from each other, each of said pinion gears engaging said side gears;
• a ring gear mounted externally to said differential housing and defining a first center of mass;
• and
• a pinion pin defining a second center of mass, secured to and extending diametrically across differential housing and said ring gear, said pinion pin supporting said pinion gears in engagement with said side gears and allowing rotational movement of said pinion gears about said pinion pin;
• and
• said ring gear including features adapted to engage and receive ends of said pinion pin whereby load is transferred from said ring gear directly to said pinion pin and to position said pinion pin relative to said ring gear such that said first center of mass of said ring gear is aligned with said second center of mass of said pinion pin.

A differential gear assembly comprising:

• a differential housing;
• a pair of side gears substantially axially aligned and spaced apart from each other, said side gears being supported by said differential housing and adapted to engage an axle shaft;
• a pair of pinion gears substantially axially aligned and spaced apart from each other, said pinion gears engaging said side gears;
• a pinion pin supporting said pinion gears in engagement with said side gears and allowing rotational movement of said pinion gears about said pinion pin, said pinion pin extending across and through said differential housing and including portions extending radially beyond said differential housing;
• and
• a ring gear mounted externally to said differential housing, said ring gear including a pair of recesses adapted to receive said portions of said pinion pin and to position said pinion pin relative to said ring gear such that a center of mass of said ring gear is aligned with a center of mass of said pinion pin;
• said portions of pinion pin being retained within said recesses by entrapment between said differential housing and said ring gear.

A differential gear assembly comprising:

• a differential housing;
• a pair of side gears substantially axially aligned and spaced apart from each other, said side gears being supported by said differential housing and adapted to engage an axle shaft;
• a pair of pinion gears substantially axially aligned and spaced apart from each other, said pinion gears engaging said side gears;
• a pinion pin supporting said pinion gears in engagement with said side gears and allowing rotational movement of said pinion gears about said pinion pin, said pinion pin extending across and through said differential housing and including portions extending radially beyond said differential housing;
• a ring gear mounted externally to said differential housing, said ring gear including a pair of recesses adapted to receive said portions of said pinion pin and to position said pinion pin relative to said ring gear such that a center of mass of said ring gear is aligned with a center of mass of said pinion pin;
• and
• said ring gear further including a threaded hole formed within each of said recesses and said pinion pin including a hole formed at each of said portions, said portions of said pinion pin being retained within said recesses of said ring gear by threaded fasteners extending through said holes and engaging said threaded holes of said ring gear.

A differential gear assembly comprising:

• a differential housing;
• a pair of side gears substantially axially aligned and spaced apart from each other, each of said side gears being supported by said differential housing and adapted to engage an axle half-shaft;
• a pair of pinion gears substantially axially aligned and spaced apart from each other, each of said pinion gears engaging said side gears;
• a ring gear mounted externally to said differential housing;
• and
• a pinion pin secured to and extending diametrically across differential housing and said ring gear, said pinion pin supporting said pinion gears in engagement with said side gears and allowing rotational movement of said pinion gears about said pinion pin;
• said ring gear including a pair of recesses adapted to receive the ends of said pinion pin whereby load is transferred from said ring gear directly to said pinion pin;
• said ends of said pinion pin being retained within said recesses by being trapped between said differential housing and said ring gear.