Eaton Corporation

Eaton Intelligent Power Limited

Daniel Stanley Frazier

Javed Abdurrazzaq Mapkar

Gregory L Heatwole

Kelly Ann Williams

Chad Robert Hillman

Steven J Cochren

John Kimmel Vandervoort

Thomas A Genise

Matthew George Fox

Robert Joseph Kyle

Patrick John McMillan

Andrew Paul Harman

Richard Kukucka

Curtis W Christensen

Jamie Gerad Cullen

Gabriela Florentina Radulescu

Robert Michael Arnsparger

A net-shaped composite plenum housing body for a differential assembly having a pump is disclosed. The plenum housing body can include a low pressure inlet and a high pressure outlet configured to receive a control valve. The plenum housing body can also define a fluid inlet channel in fluid communication with the low pressure inlet via a first internal port and can be configured to be in fluid communication with an inlet side of the pump when the plenum housing body is assembled onto the differential assembly. The plenum housing body can also define a fluid outlet channel in fluid communication with the high pressure outlet via a second internal port and can be configured to be in fluid communication with an outlet side of the pump when the plenum housing body is assembled onto the differential assembly. The plenum housing body can also be formed as a net-shape fiber reinforced plastic material including chopped fibers, for example, chopped fiberglass fibers, and an epoxy resin.

Fiber reinforced plenum for limited-slip differential

A differential assembly with at least a first gear ratio and a second gear ratio that can be integrated with an automatic transmission system thereby increasing the total number of available gear ratios is presented. A method of shifting to improve engine efficiency is also provided.

Differential assembly

A locking differential assembly includes a differential case defining an axis of rotation and a gear chamber. A first side gear is at a first end of the differential case. A second side gear is at a second end of the differential case opposite the first end for selectable rotation relative to the differential case. A solenoid is at the first end. The solenoid is directly wound onto a stator.

Locking differential assembly

Plenum retaining clip

A locking differential assembly includes a differential case defining an axis of rotation and a gear chamber. A first side gear is at a first end of the differential case. A second side gear is at a second end of the differential case opposite the first end for selectable rotation relative to the differential case. At least two pinion gears are rotatably supported in the gear chamber in meshing engagement with the first side gear and the second side gear. A solenoid is at the first end. A plunger is selectably magnetically actuatable by the solenoid. A lock ring is selectably engagable with the second side gear to selectably prevent the side gear from rotating relative to the differential case. At least two relay rods are each connected to the plunger and to the lock ring to cause the lock ring to remain a fixed predetermined distance from the plunger.

Composite differential piston

Composite differential plenum

Growing community of inventors

Kalamazoo, MI, United States of America

Daniel Stanley Frazier