SELECTABLE DIFFERENTIAL

Abstract

In a differential that is part of a selectively disconnectable or connectable secondary powertrain, a clutch device allows the input member of the differential, via which driving power is introduced into the differential, to be uncoupled from the output members to which the driving power is forwarded in a branched manner in order to be able to completely shut off part of the secondary powertrain in the disconnected state.

Claims

1.-19. (canceled)

20. A differential of a motor vehicle, comprising: an input member and at least two output members; and a differential unit that acts in a positive-locking manner and that is arranged between the input member and output members, and via which drive power flow is transmitted from the input member to the output members, and a clutch device between the input member and the output members, by which the output members and the input member can be decoupled from each other; wherein there is provided on the differential a braking device which applies a braking force to the input member or to drive train components which are connected to the input member in a rotationally secure manner when the output members are decoupled from the input member.

21. The differential of claim 20, wherein the differential has an external differential basket that is connected to the input member, and an internal differential basket that receives a differential mechanism.

22. The differential as of claim 21, wherein the differential comprises a synchronization unit that is arranged between the external differential basket and the internal differential basket.

23. The differential of claim 21, wherein the members are guided exclusively inside the internal differential basket.

24. The differential of claim 21, wherein the internal differential basket is exclusively supported in at least one of a differential housing and the external differential basket.

25. The differential of claim 21, wherein the external differential basket is constructed as a laterally open, cup-like differential basket.

26. The differential of claim 21, wherein the external differential basket is supported in the differential housing via an external lateral edge of the lateral opening.

27. The differential of claim 26, wherein at least one of the clutch device, a synchronization, a braking device, and an actuator system are located at least partially radially inside a bearing of the external differential basket.

28. The differential of claim 20, wherein during a Connect operation, in which the output members are coupled to the input member in order to transmit drive power, a power flow is ensured from an outer side to an inner side.

29. (canceled)

30. The differential of claim 20, wherein there is provided a braking ring that is clamped during braking operation between a secondary drive train component, which is connected to the input member in a rotationally secure manner, and the differential housing.

31. The differential of claim 28, wherein a braking device has at least one pairing of braking faces which act against each other in a frictionally engaging manner, wherein the braking faces form a frustoconical surface or constitute portions of a single frustoconical surface.

32. The differential of claim 31, wherein the braking device comprises a resilient element and acts in a resiliently loaded manner on the input member or on a secondary drive train component which is connected to the input member in a rotationally secure manner.

33. The differential of claim 28, wherein a resilient element which provides resilient force for braking operation is integrated in the differential such that a rest state of the resilient element is taken up during a Disconnect operation in which the output members are decoupled from the input member and in which the resilient element provides braking force.

34. The differential of claim 28, wherein a resilient characteristic of a resilient element which provides braking force is negative or degressive.

35. The differential of claim 28, wherein a resilient element is used as a restoring spring of the clutch device.

36. The differential of claim 32, wherein the resilient element is formed by a disk spring assembly or an individual disk spring, and is arranged such that the resilient element can be deformed as far as a zero position thereof or beyond a zero position thereof.

37. The differential of claim 32, wherein the differential has a pressure piston which is located radially externally in relation to the resilient element and coupling members of the clutch device.

38. The differential of claim 32, wherein the differential for actuating the clutch device has a pressure piston and in that lubrication oil is supplied by at least one of the pressure piston for the differential and a bearing thereof.

Description

SUMMARY OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] In the drawings:

[0027] FIG. 1 shows an example axle differential of a passenger car having a clutch device for decoupling the input member from the output members,

[0028] FIG. 2 shows an alternative example of an axle differential to the axle differential shown in FIG. 1,

[0029] FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of a spring disk assembly used as a resilient element in the axle differential according to FIG. 1 and the resilient characteristic thereof, and

[0030] FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration of an individual disk spring which can be used as a resilient element in the axle differential according to FIG. 2 and the resilient characteristic thereof.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] FIG. 1 shows a differential 1 of a passenger car which is received in a differential housing 2. The input member is formed by a ring gear 3 which is arranged at the outer side on a differential basket in a rotationally secure manner. The drive power which is introduced via the ring gear 3 into the differential 1 (a longitudinal shaft and a drive wheel which is in engagement with the ring gear 3 in order to form an angular gear are not shown) is transmitted via the differential members (7, 8, 9) of a differential mechanism 5 to two output members 6 of the differential 1 in a branched manner, which members then transmit the drive power via lateral shafts to the drive wheels which are associated with the axle. Differential members of the differential mechanism 5 are in particular a compensation wheel carrier 7, the compensation wheels 8 and the lateral wheels 9. In this regard, the differential shown in FIG. 1 does not differ from the basic structure of a conventional differential.

[0032] Unlike conventional differentials, however, the construction illustrated in FIG. 1 has not only a single differential basket but also an external differential basket 4 and an internal differential basket 10 which can be coupled to each other or decoupled from each other via a clutch device 11. This is carried out against the background that the total drive train of the vehicle, for which the differential illustrated in FIG. 1 is provided in accordance with, is a drive train having a permanently driven primary drive train portion and a secondary drive train portion which can be connected or disconnected. The construction of the differential 1 which is illustrated in FIG. 1, and which is provided as a secondary drive train component for the secondary drive train, is used in particular to decouple a portion of the secondary drive train not only from the primary drive train, which can be carried out via a PTU which is provided in the region of the primary axle or other clutch device, but also at the same time to decouple it from the secondary drive wheels in order to be able to completely stop the portion of the drive train located between the PTU or other clutch device and the clutch device of the differential.

[0033] The clutch device 11 has an axially displaceable sliding bushing 12 which cooperates with the external differential basket 4 via an external tooth arrangement in a positive-locking manner. The sliding bushing 12 which is shown in FIG. 1 in a Disconnect position in which the internal differential basket 10 can rotate freely with respect to the external differential basket 4 can be moved via a hydraulically actuated coupling and synchronization mechanism 11 into a Connect position, in which an internal tooth arrangement of the sliding bushing 12 moves into engagement with the internal differential basket 10 or, as in FIG. 1, with a carrier ring 13 which is provided on the internal differential basket 10 in a rotationally secure manner. In the Connect position, the drive power is then transmitted to the internal differential basket 10 from the external differential basket via the external and internal tooth arrangement of the sliding bushing 12.

[0034] A synchronous ring 14 cooperates with the sliding bushing 12 via a synchronization 15 and accelerates, in the event of a displacement of the sliding bushing 12 from the Disconnect position into the Connect position, the sliding bushing 12 which is otherwise in the Disconnect position, and the secondary drive train components which are in engagement therewith, to a synchronous speed in order to allow the subsequent engagement of the sliding bushing 12 in the Connect position.

[0035] In order to be able to arrange the clutch device 11 with the synchronization unit in a space-saving manner in the differential housing and furthermore near the internal differential basket 10, the external differential basket 4 is constructed in a cup-like manner and is further supported via a roller bearing 16 which is increased in terms of internal diameter with respect to conventional differential basket bearings in the differential housing 2 which stops during Disconnect operation and which does not cause any friction. The internal differential basket 10 which is constructed in a closed manner can thus be readily inserted into the external differential basket 4 and the coupling and synchronization device 11 has space inside the roller bearing 16.

[0036] As a result of the described configuration of the external differential basket, actuation members which are necessary for actuating the coupling and synchronization device are in particular prevented from having to engage through the external differential basket, which generally substantially simplifies the construction.

[0037] The internal differential basket 10 is supported via additional roller bearings 17 in a low-friction manner in the housing or in the external differential basket 4. The differential members 7, 8, 9 are further supported exclusively inside the closed internal differential basket 10, therefore in particular exclusively with respect to the half-shafts (output members 6) which project into the internal differential basket 10 and/or with respect to the compensation wheel carrier 7 which is located in the internal differential basket 10 and/or with respect to the internal differential basket 10 itself. This has the advantage that the internal differential basket can rotate en bloc during Disconnect operation, and also produce only the compensation movements which occur during travel round bends in respect of the differential members additional power loss taking into consideration the bearing of the internal differential basket 10 via the roller bearings 17 with respect to a purely 2WD vehicle without a connectable secondary axle.

[0038] The actuation of the coupling and synchronization device 11 is brought about hydraulically by way of example in the example shown in FIG. 1. Naturally, other actuation mechanisms may also be provided, such as, for example, an electromagnetic actuation or an actuation via a motor-driven ramp mechanism.

[0039] The hydraulic actuation mechanism has as a pressure piston an external annular piston 18, wherein the hydraulic pressure chamber is accessible directly via a pressurized oil hole 19 which simply extends only through the differential housing. Complex pressurized oil holes extending into the interior of the housing are thus unnecessary.

[0040] During the hydraulic actuation of the coupling and synchronization device 11, the annular piston presses via a carrier disk or pressure disk 20 which is axially secured thereto against a disk spring assembly 21 which is secured against axial displacement with respect to the differential housing. That disk spring assembly 21 has a plurality of disk springs which are retained with spacing via spacer rings 22 so that the disk spring assembly 21 can be compressed in the event of loading beyond the zero position thereof, wherein the Connect position of the sliding bushing 12 is reached around the zero position, preferably shortly after exceeding the zero position, so that the energy which has to be provided for the permanent retention of the Connect position can be limited as a result of the degressive resilient behavior. The maximum displacement path of the annular piston 18 or the limitation of the axial displacement path with respect to the differential housing 2 is adapted thereto. Such a spring assembly is schematically illustrated in FIG. 2 with the resilient characteristic. The carrier disk or pressure disk 20 is slotted at the radially internal edge thereof in order to be able to project into the portion of the differential housing, inside which the disk spring assembly 21 is guided. That slotting simultaneously constitutes an anti-rotation member.

[0041] At the same time, the disk spring assembly 21 acts as a restoring spring, with which not only is the annular piston 18 urged back out of the position, which it takes up during Connect operation, into the position which it takes up during Disconnect operation (FIG. 1), in the event of decreasing hydraulic pressure, but the relaxing spring assembly 21 also urges, via the carrier disk 20 and the annular piston 18, the sliding bushing 12 over which the annular piston 18 engages in an axial direction out of the Connect position into the Disconnect position. The spring assembly 21 is consequently not only a restoring spring for the annular piston but also further forms the disengagement spring for a resiliently loaded disengagement mechanism of the clutch device.

[0042] In addition, the spring assembly 21 urges the sliding bushing 12 with a surface region thereof formed as a braking face against a corresponding braking face of a braking ring 23. This braking ring 23 is supported in the differential housing in a rotationally secure manner and ensures the braking of the secondary drive train components which are intended to be stopped during Disconnect operation of the motor vehicle. As a consequence, with the sliding bushing 12 only a single element has to be provided as an intermediate element between the braking face and the secondary drive train component to be stopped.

[0043] In order to construct the effective braking face of the braking ring 23 to be as large as possible despite the extremely small construction space and in order to increase the braking force acting between the braking ring 23 and the sliding bushing 12, the braking faces which act against each other are constructed in a conical manner in the form of a frustoconical surface. Furthermore, the braking ring 23 abuts the differential housing with the surface thereof directed toward the differential housing so that an additional surface pairing is formed between the braking ring and the differential housing, via whose surfaces, which are also preferably constructed to be conical, the braking force is supported on the differential housing. Generally, the braking ring 23 is therefore clamped during the braking operation between the sliding bushing and the differential housing and the braking force is supported against the differential housing in a quite decisive manner with the braking ring 23 being interposed or through the braking ring. The braking ring 23 can thus not only act in a particularly effective manner, but also can be constructed to be thin and space-saving as a result of the shearing loading which occurs almost exclusively during a braking operation.

[0044] Therefore, the spring assembly 21 is not only the restoring spring for the annular piston and disengagement spring for the clutch device, but also the braking spring for the braking mechanism.

[0045] The resilient element 21 in the example shown in FIG. 1 does not act directly but instead only indirectly, with additional components being interposed on the sliding bushing 12 which ultimately ensures the positive-locking force transmission between the external and internal differential basket. That form of the force flow allows the configuration of play between the sliding bushing 12 and the components which act directly on the sliding bushing during the coupling operation (Disconnect operation =>Connect operation) or during the decoupling operation (Connect operation =>Disconnect operation), that is, the pressure ring 20 and annular piston 18. It is thereby possible for the sliding bushing 12 to be able to rotate during Connect operation in a low-friction manner and free from axial forces and to be supported only on the annular piston 18 or pressure ring 20 when it is in danger of drifting in an axial direction.

[0046] As illustrated in FIG. 1, the sliding bushing 12 engages with an axially outwardly projecting carrier collar 26 in a gap between the pressure disk 20 and the annular piston 18. This piston 18 has width dimensions in relation to the axial material thickness of the carrier collar such that the above-described play is ensured. In principle, additional roller members can be provided between the annular piston 18 and the carrier collar 26 and/or between the carrier collar 26 and the pressure disk 20, wherein this has been omitted in the example shown in FIG. 1. This has the background that it is necessary at those locations to support only the forces which have to be applied during the decoupling operation (disengagement of the sliding bushing from the toothed engagement) or coupling operation (engagement of the sliding bushing in the toothed engagement). The sliding bearings which exist at the locations mentioned have been found to be adequate for this purpose.

[0047] The annular piston 18 further has a lubrication oil hole 24 which is formed in the annular piston and which moves into alignment with an inlet hole 25 in the differential housing when the annular piston 18 is located in the Connect position so that the lubrication oil supply can be carried out through the annular piston.

[0048] FIG. 2 shows an example of an axle differential as an alternative to the example illustrated in FIG. 1. Only the significant differences in relation to FIG. 1 are highlighted below.

[0049] The difference substantially involves the arrangement of the pressure piston 18 at one side and the resilient element 21 and braking ring 23 at the other side in relation to the position thereof in the differential housing and in relation to the sliding bushing 12 having been transposed. The pressure piston 23 is located radially inside the resilient element 21 and the braking ring 23 and radially inside the sliding bushing 12. The sliding bushing 12 accordingly has a carrier collar 26 which projects radially inwardly.

[0050] Although a disadvantage of this example is that any pressurized oil holes have to be directed to the pressure piston 18 (not shown in FIG. 2) through the differential housing wall in order to be able to guide the pressurized oil past the flange of the left half-shaft 6, the example shown in FIG. 2 also nevertheless has advantages.

[0051] The spring assembly shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 3 can be replaced with a single resilient element, in particular a single disk spring plate 21 (see also FIG. 4) because such an element is capable of ensuring the necessary spring travel alone as a result of the greater diameter. The resilient forces can be readily influenced by suitable selection of materials and a selection of the material thickness, and a deformation during the coupling operation beyond the zero position is also possible, but a more advantageous, truly negative resilient characteristic can better be produced with respect to the spring assembly shown in FIG. 1 with only a single disk spring plate, which FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 described below illustrate.

[0052] Another particular feature of the example shown in FIG. 2, which feature can also nevertheless be used in the example shown in FIG. 1, is that the internal differential basket is supported only on the output members. There are provided no radial bearings, via which the internal differential basket 10 is supported in the differential housing 2.

[0053] FIG. 4 shows the resilient element 21 which has already been discussed above as a single disk spring and FIG. 3 shows it as a disk spring assembly in three different states (a), (b) and (c). The state (a) shows the Disconnect state, in which no external actuation forces act on the resilient element and the braking device provides the braking force. The state (c) shows the Connect state, in which the resilient element 21 is compressed beyond the zero position in the examples illustrated in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, which is possible in the disk spring assembly as a result of the arrangement of the spacer members 22 which can be displaced in an axial direction and which space apart the individual disk springs of the assembly from each other in order to ensure the desired degressive resilient characteristic. The state (b) explains an intermediate state, in this instance approximately the respective zero position of the resilient element.

[0054] With reference to the resilient characteristic of the individual disk spring, which characteristic is shown in FIG. 4 and is negative in the relevant part-region, it can be seen that the resilient force F.sub.a, which is intended to be applied to the carrier disk and which is necessary in order to compress the spring assembly (start of the coupling operation Disconnect=>Connect), is greater in spite of the continuing engagement of the resilient element than the resilient force F.sub.c which is necessary to retain the spring assembly in the state (c) (Connect operation). The resilient force F.sub.b, which is intended to be applied at the minimum to the spring assembly during passage through the zero position in order to continue the coupling operation is therefore preferably between F.sub.a and F.sub.c (F.sub.a>F.sub.b>F.sub.c).

[0055] When the disk spring assembly shown in FIG. 3 is used, a truly negative resilient characteristic cannot readily be produced with a reasonable level of structural complexity so that the disk spring assembly used as a resilient element has, in the part-portion which is relevant to the described application, a substantially degressive characteristic in which the resilient force F.sub.a which is intended to be applied to the carrier disk and which is necessary in order to compress the spring assembly (start of the coupling operation Disconnect=>Connect), is only slightly less, in spite of the continuing compression of the spring assembly, than the resilient force F.sub.c which is necessary in order to retain the spring assembly in the state (c) (Connect operation).

[0056] The active actuation force which has to be permanently provided during Connect operation can thus be minimized with a high passive braking actuation force being simultaneously ensured.