The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 26, 1989
Filed:
Dec. 22, 1987
Daniel W Hazebrook, Detroit, MI (US);
GKN Automotive, Inc., Auburn Hills, MI (US);
Abstract
A limited slip differential employs a combined differential gear mechanism with a viscous fluid coupling. A gear connection to a first portion of a drive train causes a limited slip differential housing to rotate. A bevel gear is rotatably attached in fixed position to the interior of the housing. Differential gear sleeves are rotatably attached to either end of the housing. Each of the differential gear sleeves has a differential gear which gearingly meshes with the bevel gear and receives an axle from a second and third portion of the drive train, respectively. One of the differential gear sleeves is translatably movable relative to the housing. A fluid chamber within the housing contains a high viscosity fluid as well as a set of annular plates attached to the housing and a set of annular plates attached to the differential gear sleeve which is translatably movable. The sets of annular plates are in interleaved relation to each other. A cover plate attached to the translatably movable differential gear sleeve, forms part of the chamber wall and is caused to bias toward the bevel gear when the fluid in the chamber heats due to nonsynchronous rotation of the differential gear sleeves. As a result of biasing of the translatably movable differential gear sleeve against the bevel gear, resistance to rotation of the bevel gear develops, causing resistance to differentiation between the differential gear sleeves, resulting in a linear transfer or torque therebetween.