Power transmitting system for a four-wheel drive vehicle
First Claim
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1. A power transmitting system for a four-wheel drive motor vehicle having an engine and a transmission connected to the engine comprising:
- a front drive shaft for transmitting torque of the transmission to front wheels of the vehicle;
a rear drive shaft for transmitting torque of the transmission to rear wheels of the vehicle;
a planetary gear device connected to the transmission for transmitting power of the transmission;
first and second torque distribution devices connected to the front drive shaft and rear drive shaft, respectively, each of the torque distribution devices including clutch means for transmitting an output of the planetary gear device to a corresponding of the drive shafts;
control means continuously responsive to driving conditions of the vehicle for rendering the clutch means operative for automatically distributing via said first and second torque distribution devices different and changing ratios of torque to the front and rear drive shaft according to the driving conditions of the vehicle.
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Abstract
A planetary gear device is provided in a power transmitting system. First and second clutches are provided on a front drive shaft and a rear drive shaft respectively. One of members of the planetary gear device is operatively connected to the front drive shaft through the first clutch and another member of the planetary gear device is operatively connected to the rear drive shaft through the second clutch. Both clutches are selectively engaged in accordance with driving conditions for providing proper distribution of torque to the front and rear wheels of the vehicle.
10 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A power transmitting system for a four-wheel drive motor vehicle having an engine and a transmission connected to the engine comprising:
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a front drive shaft for transmitting torque of the transmission to front wheels of the vehicle; a rear drive shaft for transmitting torque of the transmission to rear wheels of the vehicle; a planetary gear device connected to the transmission for transmitting power of the transmission; first and second torque distribution devices connected to the front drive shaft and rear drive shaft, respectively, each of the torque distribution devices including clutch means for transmitting an output of the planetary gear device to a corresponding of the drive shafts; control means continuously responsive to driving conditions of the vehicle for rendering the clutch means operative for automatically distributing via said first and second torque distribution devices different and changing ratios of torque to the front and rear drive shaft according to the driving conditions of the vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. In a power transmitting system for a four-wheel drive motor vehicle having an engine, a transmission connected to the engine and having an output shaft, a main drive shaft for transmitting power to main wheels of the vehicle, an auxiliary drive shaft for transmitting power to auxiliary wheels of the vehicle, central differential means connected to the output shaft and output means of the central differential means operatively connected to the main drive shaft and the auxiliary drive shaft, respectively, for transmitting power of the engine from the transmission to the drive shafts through the central differential means and permitting differential action with speed difference between the main and auxiliary wheels, and both the output means having different speed ratios with respect to each other, the improvement of the system which comprises:
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normally engaged clutch means connected between the output means and the auxiliary drive shaft, said normally engaged clutch means having a variable transmitting torque ratio of its output to input torque, including zero transmitting torque ratio for disengaging the auxiliary drive shaft from said output means; normally disengaged clutch means connected between the output means and the main drive shaft, said normally disengaged clutch means having a variable transmitting torque ratio of its output to input torque for engaging the output means to the main drive shaft; control means responsive to driving conditions of the vehicle for producing a signal adapted to control distribution ratio of torque from the transmission through the central differential means to the main drive shaft and the auxiliary drive shaft via said clutch means; said clutch means for being responsive to the signal to change the respective transmitting torque ratio of the respective clutch means so as to control the distribution ratio of the torque from the transmission to the front wheels and the rear wheels. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification