US Patent 10982744 Electronically controlled differential locker

In at least some implementations, a system for a vehicle differential having multiple gears includes a coil of wire, a drive member movable in response to a magnetic field generated by application of electricity to the coil between a first position and a second position, and a lock member coupled to the drive member for movement with the drive member throughout a range of movement of the drive member. The lock member is adapted to engage a gear of the differential when the drive member is in the second position and the lock member is adapted to be disengaged from the gear when the drive member is in the first position. In this way, the differential may be selectively locked.