A differential housing for a differential unit of a vehicle. The differential housing is configured for receiving a differential and an end portion of each of two drive shafts connected by means of the differential. The differential housing has a longitudinal axis. It comprises a peripheral wall which has a substantially tubular shape, and defines an inner space. The differential housing includes at least one hole which extends through the peripheral wall; and a valve mounted in said hole, the valve being configured to allow the passage of oil towards the inner space, and to allow the passage of oil from the inner space towards the outside only below a predetermined valve closing force.

A differential gear device for a vehicle including a housing, a pinion shaft provided inside the housing, a pinion gear respectively mounted on both ends of the pinion shaft, and a pair of side gears respectively disposed on both sides of a width direction of a vehicle and engaged to the pinion gear. A disconnector actuator system is coupled to one side gear and a drive shaft is coupled to the other side gear among the pair of the side gears. The differential gear device for the vehicle includes a noise reduction unit provided between the cover to which the drive shaft is coupled and the other side gear to prevent a whine noise from being generated between the pinion gear and the other side gear during the operation of the disconnector actuator system.

A differential system includes a differential and a differential disconnect mechanism. The differential includes an outer differential housing and an inner differential housing. The differential disconnect mechanism includes a disconnect clutch, first end face teeth and second end face teeth. The first end face teeth are disposed between the outer differential housing and the inner differential housing and are movably connected with the outer differential housing so that the first end face teeth can move axially and rotate synchronously relative to the outer differential housing. The second end face teeth are fixedly connected with the inner differential housing. The disconnect clutch is connected with the first end face teeth, and is configured to drive the first end face teeth to move axially relative to the second end face teeth.

A mechanical locking differential primarily includes a drive ring and right and left driven rings that can move sideways into and out of engagement with the drive ring. The drive ring and the driven rings have teeth with an inverted trapezoidal shape with a significant clearance, such as a pressure angle of −1° and a clearance of 20% circumferentially. A central ramping separator ring provides a ramping mechanism with inclines that push the driven rings out of engagement with the drive ring when the associated half axle rotates faster than the drive ring, with the ramping action occurring within the teeth clearance.

An axle assembly comprising a differential carrier including an upper portion coupled with a lower portion, the upper portion comprising a planar surface defining a first hollow protrusion and a second hollow protrusion. The first hollow protrusion and the second hollow protrusion each define an arcuate cavity. An input shaft is coupled with a pinion gear drivingly engaged with a ring gear at least partially disposed within the first hollow protrusion. A differential case having a first portion and a second portion is at least partially disposed in the second hollow protrusion. The ring gear is welded to an exterior surface of said differential case first portion. A plurality of axially extending slots are defined by an interior surface of the differential case first portion. An annular canister having radially extending lugs disposed on an outer surface thereof, is disposed within said differential case. The lugs are in driving engagement with the plurality of differential case slots. A plurality of apertures are radially disposed through the canister, and a plurality of pinion shafts are disposed through and drivingly engaged with the canister apertures. A pinion gear is disposed on each of the pinion shafts. A pair of side gears is in driving engagement with the pinion gears. A first output shaft is in driving engagement with one of the pair of side gears, and a second output shaft is in driving engagement with the other of the pair of side gears.

An axle assembly comprising a differential carrier including an upper portion coupled with a lower portion, the upper portion comprising a planar surface defining a first hollow protrusion and a second hollow protrusion. The first hollow protrusion and the second hollow protrusion each define an arcuate cavity. An input shaft is coupled with a pinion gear drivingly engaged with a ring gear at least partially disposed within the first hollow protrusion. A differential case having a first portion and a second portion is at least partially disposed in the second hollow protrusion. The ring gear is welded to an exterior surface of said differential case first portion. A plurality of axially extending slots are defined by an interior surface of the differential case first portion. An annular canister having radially extending lugs disposed on an outer surface thereof, is disposed within said differential case. The lugs are in driving engagement with the plurality of differential case slots. A plurality of apertures are radially disposed through the canister, and a plurality of pinion shafts are disposed through and drivingly engaged with the canister apertures. A pinion gear is disposed on each of the pinion shafts. A pair of side gears is in driving engagement with the pinion gears. A first output shaft is in driving engagement with one of the pair of side gears, and a second output shaft is in driving engagement with the other of the pair of side gears.

A differential case is comprised of: an outer peripheral wall cylindrical about a first axis; a first side wall being perpendicular to the first axis and having a flange; a second side wall having an outer side surface perpendicular to the first axis and being opposed to the first side wall; and an opening opened on the outer peripheral wall so as to allow side gears to be brought in the opening, the opening being so shaped that outlines of pinion gears do not touch a periphery of an oval as an outline of the opening in a case where an axis of the pinion gears is aligned with the center of the oval.

A differential case is comprised of: an outer peripheral wall cylindrical about a first axis; a first side wall being perpendicular to the first axis and having a flange; a second side wall having an outer side surface perpendicular to the first axis and being opposed to the first side wall; and an opening opened on the outer peripheral wall so as to allow side gears to be brought in the opening, the opening being so shaped that outlines of pinion gears do not touch a periphery of an oval as an outline of the opening in a case where an axis of the pinion gears is aligned with the center of the oval.

A differential device includes a differential case (10) that has a flange portion (11) and a differential ring gear (40) that has a tooth portion, a fixed and supported portion (45), and a coupling portion. The differential case (10) has a first abutting surface (10a) and a restricting portion (10b). The differential ring gear (40) has a second abutting surface (40a) and an abutting portion (40b). A welding portion that is formed by welding the flange portion (11) of the differential case (10) and the fixed and supported portion (45) of the differential ring gear (40) is disposed at a position that is different from an abutting part between the first abutting surface (10a) and the second abutting surface (40a) and an abutting part between the restricting portion (10b) and the abutting portion (40b).

A differential device includes a differential case (10) that has a flange portion (11) and a differential ring gear (40) that has a tooth portion, a fixed and supported portion (45), and a coupling portion. The differential case (10) has a first abutting surface (10a) and a restricting portion (10b). The differential ring gear (40) has a second abutting surface (40a) and an abutting portion (40b). A welding portion that is formed by welding the flange portion (11) of the differential case (10) and the fixed and supported portion (45) of the differential ring gear (40) is disposed at a position that is different from an abutting part between the first abutting surface (10a) and the second abutting surface (40a) and an abutting part between the restricting portion (10b) and the abutting portion (40b).