Floating ring gear and differential gear assembly

Claim 1

A vehicular differential gear assembly for transferring rotational torque between a pinion gear rotatably driven by a driver member and a pair of substantially axially aligned spaced-apart rotary driven members that are respectively journaled for rotation and have a central rotational axis disposed in substantial perpendicular relationship to the pinion gear central rotational axis and have a side gear secured respectively thereto having their teeth in facing relationship to each other across a space between the driven members, said assembly comprising; a ring gear disposed in the space between the side gears, said ring gear having an annular configuration defined between an inner periphery and an outer periphery thereof and having a central rotational axis in substantial perpendicular relationship to the pinion gear central rotational axis, said ring gear having a periphery thereof and meshingly engagable with the pinion gear teeth so as to enable the ring gear to be rotatably driven thereby, and said ring gear having at least two equi-circumferentially spaced posts extending radially inwardly from the inner periphery thereof; a differential pinion gear mounted on each post, each of said pinion gears having diametrically opposed teeth that simultaneously meshingly engage the teeth of both side gears and are adapted in combination therewith to provide support for the ring gear and enable the ring gear to float as the differential pinion gears rotate the side gears in response to rotation of the ring gear by the pinion gear.