US 12,000,469 B1
Electronically controlled limited-slip differential
Masato Hoshino, Tochigi (JP); Ryuya Saito, Tochigi (JP); and Takahiro Nagaoka, Tochigi (JP)
Assigned to GKN Automotive Limited, Birmingham (GB)
Filed by GKN Automotive Limited, Birmingham (GB)
Filed on Dec. 7, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/531,866.
Claims priority of application No. 2023-146864 (JP), filed on Sep. 11, 2023.
Int. Cl. F16H 48/34 (2012.01); F16H 48/08 (2006.01); F16H 48/22 (2006.01); F16H 48/20 (2012.01)
CPC F16H 48/34 (2013.01) [F16H 48/08 (2013.01); F16H 48/22 (2013.01); F16H 2048/207 (2013.01)] 6 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A differential for distributing an input torque to a pair of output shafts depending at least on the input torque and a wheel load, the differential comprising:
a casing receiving the input torque;
a differential gear set housed in and supported by the casing, the differential gear set including first and second side gears respectively connected to the output shafts to differentially distribute the input torque to the first and second side gears;
a clutch interposed between the casing and the first side gear and configured to exert a frictional braking force on the first side gear against the casing to limit a differential motion between the first side gear and the second side gear;
an actuator configured to apply a pressing force to the clutch to control the differential motion; and
an electronic control unit electrically connected to the actuator and including a storage device storing at least one threshold value, the electronic control unit configured to calculate a demand torque value from the input torque, compare the wheel load with the threshold value to determine a correction value, make a correction in the demand torque value by the correction value to obtain a demand value, and control an electric power supplied to the actuator in response to the demand value.