Claims
- 1. A differential assembly, comprising:
an electrically operated input device; a first planetary assembly in driving engagement with said input device, said first planetary assembly being drivingly connected to a first output assembly; a second planetary assembly in driving engagement with said first planetary assembly, said second planetary assembly being drivingly connected to a second output assembly; wherein said first planetary assembly co-acts with said second planetary assembly to provide substantially the same torque to said first and second output assemblies and said first and said second planetary assemblies including axes of rotation substantially aligned with an axis of rotation of said input device.
- 2. The differential assembly of claim 1, wherein said input device is disposed between said first and said second planetary assemblies.
- 3. The differential assembly of claim 2, wherein said first and said second planetary assemblies are in driving engagement through a reaction member.
- 4. The differential assembly of claim 3, wherein said reaction member is extended through said input device.
- 5. The differential assembly of claim 1, wherein said one of said first or second planetary assemblies is disposed between said input device and the other of said first or second planetary assemblies.
- 6. The differential assembly of claim 1, wherein said one of said first and said second planetary assemblies includes a reduction ratio value one greater than that of the other of said first and said second planetary assemblies.
- 7. The differential assembly of claim 1, further comprising at least one brake assembly operable to reduce relative rotation of at least one of said first or said second output assemblies in response to a substantial rotational speed difference between said first and said second output assemblies.
- 8. The differential assembly of claim 7, wherein a first brake assembly is disposed between said first output assembly and said first planetary assembly and a second brake assembly is disposed between said second output assembly and said second planetary assembly, said first and said second brake assemblies being operable to reduce relative rotation of at least one of said first or said second output assemblies.
- 9. The differential assembly of claim 1, wherein at least one of said axis of rotation of said first planetary assembly or said axis of rotation of said second planetary assembly is coincident with said axis of rotation of said input device.
- 10. The differential assembly of claim 1, wherein said axis of rotation of said input device is offset relative said at least one of said axis of rotation of said first planetary assembly or said axis of rotation of said second planetary assembly.
- 11. The differential assembly of claim 1, wherein at least one of said first output assembly or said second output assembly includes a final drive assembly.
- 12. The differential assembly of claim 1, wherein at least one of said first output assembly or said second output assembly includes a continuous track assembly.
- 13. The differential assembly of claim 1, wherein said first planetary assembly and said second planetary assembly provide a speed reduction wherein a rotational speed directed to at least one of said first or second output assembly is less than a rotational speed of the input device.
- 14. A differential assembly, comprising:
an electrically operated input device; a first planetary assembly in driving engagement with said input device, said first planetary assembly being drivingly connected to a first output assembly; a second planetary assembly in driving engagement with said first planetary assembly, said second planetary assembly being drivingly connected to a second output assembly; and a differential lock assembly being operable to cause substantially similar rotational speed of said first and second output assemblies; wherein said first planetary assembly co-acts with said second planetary assembly to provide substantially the same torque to said first and second output assemblies and said first and said second planetary assemblies including axes of rotation substantially aligned with an axis of rotation of said input device.
- 15. The differential assembly of claim 14, wherein said differential lock assembly is engaged to provide substantially similar rotational speed of said first and said second output assemblies.
- 16. The differential assembly of claim 15, wherein the differential lock assembly is engaged in response to a translational speed being below a predetermined speed value.
- 17. The differential assembly of claim 14, wherein said differential lock assembly is disposed between one of said first planetary assembly and said first output assembly or said second planetary assembly and said second output assembly.
- 18. The differential assembly of claim 14, wherein said differential lock comprises a sun gear, a planetary set and a ring gear, said first and second planetary assemblies being urged to rotate at substantially the same speed in response to said ring gear of said differential assembly being retained.
- 19. The differential assembly of claim 14, wherein at least one of said axis of rotation of said first planetary assembly, said axis of rotation of said second planetary assembly or an axis of rotation of said differential lock assembly is coincident with said axis of rotation of said input device.
- 20. The differential assembly of claim 14, wherein said axis of rotation of said input device is offset relative said at least one of said axis of rotation of said first planetary assembly or said axis of rotation of said second planetary assembly.
- 21. A method of operating a differential assembly having a pair of planetaries drivingly engaged through a reaction member and an input source configured to drive at least one of the pair of planetaries, each of the pair of planetaries being in driving relationship with an output assembly, the method comprising:
providing a differential lock assembly configured to engage at least one of the planetary assemblies; and driving the output assemblies at substantially the same rotational speed in response to the differential lock assembly being engaged.
- 22. The method of claim 21 further comprising the step of causing the differential lock assembly to engage in response to the differential assembly operating at a translational speed less than a predetermined speed.
- 23. The method of claim 21, wherein the differential lock assembly is selectively engageable.
Parent Case Info
[0001] This application claims the benefit of prior provisional patent application Serial No. 60/376,355 filed Apr. 29, 2002.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60376355 |
Apr 2002 |
US |