US 12,129,915 B2
Locking differential assembly
Rupesh Madhukar Surve, Pune (IN); and Aniket Khanderao Yadav, Pune (IN)
Assigned to Eaton Intelligent Power Limited, Dublin (IE)
Appl. No. 18/263,842
Filed by Eaton Intelligent Power Limited, Dublin (IE)
PCT Filed Feb. 3, 2022, PCT No. PCT/EP2022/025038
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Aug. 1, 2023,
PCT Pub. No. WO2022/167153, PCT Pub. Date Aug. 11, 2022.
Claims priority of application No. 202111004833 (IN), filed on Feb. 4, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2024/0117870 A1, Apr. 11, 2024
Int. Cl. F16H 48/24 (2006.01); F16H 48/08 (2006.01); F16H 48/34 (2012.01)
CPC F16H 48/24 (2013.01) [F16D 2300/18 (2013.01); F16H 48/08 (2013.01); F16H 2048/346 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A locking differential assembly, comprising:
a differential case defining an axis of rotation;
a first side gear;
a lock collar selectably engageable with a second side gear to selectably prevent the first side gear and the second side gear from rotating relative to the differential case;
a coil disposed at an end of the differential case;
an armature selectably magnetically actuatable by the coil, the armature including an armature flange;
an armature position indicator arm rigidly attached to the armature for simultaneous movement with the armature;
at least two relay pin assemblies each connected to the lock collar and connected to the armature to space the lock collar a predetermined distance from the armature for translation parallel to the axis of rotation, each relay pin assembly comprising:
a relay pin having a pin flange;
a shoulder bolt having a bolt flange;
a first washer; and
a second washer, wherein the first washer and the second washer are positioned on opposite sides of the armature flange, the first and second washers structurally supported on opposite sides by the pin flange and the bolt flange thereby providing lateral support to the armature at the armature flange; and
a sensor connected to the differential case, wherein:
the sensor is located a fixed, predetermined distance from the differential case; and the sensor is to detect a proximity of the armature position indicator arm to the sensor and to output an electrically detectable signal indicative of an engagement status of the lock collar.