Recreational vehicle locking differential

An all-terrain vehicle, comprising:

• an engine;
• and
• a transmission including a front portion having a front differential joint and a rear portion having a rear differential joint, and each of the front and rear transmission portions comprises a locking assembly configured to couple a ring gear of a differential assembly to first and second universal joints of a vehicle transmission assembly that are positioned at opposite sides of the ring gear, the locking assemblies comprising:
• a coupler having an external surface and an internal surface, the internal surface configured for engaging radially outward facing surface of the ring gear and a radially outward facing surface of the first universal joint;
• an actuator capable of engaging the external surface of the coupler to move the coupler between an engaged position in which the coupler is coupled to the ring gear and the first universal joint, and a disengaged position in which the coupler is coupled to the ring gear or the first universal joint;
• whereby in the engaged position the first and second universal joints rotate together.

A method of locking a differential joint of an ATV transmission, the transmission comprising a coupler having an inner surface and an outer surface, a universal joint having radially outward facing surface, and an actuator, the differential joint including a ring gear having a radially outward facing surface, the method comprising the steps of;

• engaging the outer surface of the coupler with the actuator;
• and
• activating the actuator to move the coupler between a first position wherein the inner surface of the coupler directly engages the radially outward facing surface of the universal joint or the radially outward facing surface of the ring gear, and a second position wherein the inner surface of the coupler engages the radially outward facing surface of the universal joint and the radially outward facing surface of the ring gear;
• whereby when the coupler is in the second position the universal joint and the differential joint are locked together for rotation about a common axis.

An all-terrain vehicle (ATV) transmission, comprising:

• a main drive shaft;
• a rear transmission assembly configured to control a set of rear wheels, the rear transmission assembly including:
• a rear input shaft that extends coaxially with the main drive shaft;
• a rear differential assembly coupled to the rear wheels, the rear differential assembly including a ring gear engaged and driven by the rear input shaft;
• first and second rear universal joints coupled between the rear differential and the set of rear wheels, and configured to rotate about an axis substantially perpendicular to the main drive shaft;
• a locking coupler configured to lock the ring gear to the first and second rear universal joints to fix a rotation of the rear wheels together;
• and
• a first drive coupler configured to move between a first position coupling the main drive shaft to the rear input shaft, and a second position wherein the main drive shaft is disengaged from the rear input shaft.

An ATV transmission assembly configured to control motion of a set of rear wheels of the ATV, comprising:

• an input shaft aligned coaxially with a drive shaft of the ATV, the input shaft being axially spaced apart from the drive shaft;
• a rear differential coupled between the input shaft and the rear wheels;
• a locking coupler positioned between the rear differential and at least one of the rear wheels and being movable between an unlocked position wherein the rear wheels are rotatable relative to each other, and a locked position wherein the differential is locked and the rear wheels are rotatable together;
• and
• a drive selector positioned between the input shaft and the drive shaft, and configured to selectively engage and disengage the input shaft from the drive shaft.

An ATV transmission assembly, comprising:

• a front assembly having a front differential, a front locking coupler configured to lock the front differential, and a front drive engagement selector operable to disengage the front assembly from a power source, the front drive engagement selector being operable separately from the front locking coupler;
• a rear assembly having a rear differential, a rear locking coupler configured to lock the rear differential, and a rear drive engagement selector operable to disengage the rear assembly from a power source, the front drive engagement selector being operable separately from the front locking coupler;
• and
• wherein the front and rear drive engagement selectors are operable to disengage both the front and rear assemblies from the power source, such that power from the power source is capable of being directed away from the transmission assembly when the front and rear assemblies are disengaged from the power source.

An all-terrain vehicle (ATV) transmission, comprising:

• a main drive shaft;
• a rear transmission assembly configured to control a set of rear wheels, the rear transmission assembly including:
• a rear input shaft that extends coaxially with the main drive shaft;
• a rear differential assembly coupled to the rear wheels, the rear differential assembly including a ring gear engaged and driven by the rear input shaft;
• first and second rear universal joints coupled between the rear differential and the set of rear wheels, and configured to rotate about an axis substantially perpendicular to the main drive shaft;
• a locking coupler configured to lock the ring gear to the first and second rear universal joints to fix a rotation of the rear wheels together;
• and
• a first drive coupler configured to move between a first position coupling the main drive shaft to the rear input shaft, and a second position wherein the main drive shaft is disengaged from the rear input shaft;
• and
• a front transmission assembly configured to control a set of front wheels of the ATV, the front transmission assembly including:
• a front input shaft that extends coaxially with the main drive shaft;
• a front differential assembly coupled to the front wheels;
• and
• a locking coupler configured to lock the front differential assembly to fix rotation of the front wheels together;
• and
• a second drive coupler configured to move between a first position coupling the main drive shaft to the front input shaft, and a second position wherein the main drive shaft is disengaged from the front input shaft.