Vehicle control system
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A vehicle control system for controlling a four-wheel drive vehicle, comprising:
- first differential means, disposed between front and rear propeller shafts, for driving front and rear wheels at the same time but allowing said front and rear wheels to turn at different wheel speeds, said first differential means being able to be locked and unlocked;
second differential means, disposed between left and right axles, for driving left and right wheels at the same time but allowing said left and right wheels to turn at different wheel speeds, said second differential means being able to be locked and unlocked;
driving condition detecting means for detecting driving conditions of said vehicle;
differential mode control means for operating in a first mode to variably restrict differential action of each of said first differential means and said second differential means between an unlocked state and a locked state according to driving conditions detected by said driving condition detecting means and in a second mode for forcibly locking said first differential means and variably restricting differential action of said second differential means between said unlocked state and said locked state according to said driving conditions; and
manually operated mode selection means for selectively causing said differential mode control means to operate between said first mode and said second mode.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A four-wheel drive vehicle control system has a differential mode control device which operates in at least a first mode, in which differential action of a differential is variably restricted between an unlocked state and a locked state according to driving conditions, and a second mode, in which the differential is forcibly locked. The first and second modes are manually selected by the driver.
47 Citations
23 Claims
-
1. A vehicle control system for controlling a four-wheel drive vehicle, comprising:
-
first differential means, disposed between front and rear propeller shafts, for driving front and rear wheels at the same time but allowing said front and rear wheels to turn at different wheel speeds, said first differential means being able to be locked and unlocked; second differential means, disposed between left and right axles, for driving left and right wheels at the same time but allowing said left and right wheels to turn at different wheel speeds, said second differential means being able to be locked and unlocked; driving condition detecting means for detecting driving conditions of said vehicle; differential mode control means for operating in a first mode to variably restrict differential action of each of said first differential means and said second differential means between an unlocked state and a locked state according to driving conditions detected by said driving condition detecting means and in a second mode for forcibly locking said first differential means and variably restricting differential action of said second differential means between said unlocked state and said locked state according to said driving conditions; and manually operated mode selection means for selectively causing said differential mode control means to operate between said first mode and said second mode. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
-
-
7. A vehicle control system for controlling a four-wheel drive vehicle, comprising:
-
first differential means, disposed between front and rear propeller shafts, for driving front and rear wheels at the same time but allowing said front and rear wheels to turn at different wheel speeds, said first differential means being able to be locked and unlocked; second differential means, disposed between left and right axles for driving left and right wheels at the same time but allowing said left and right wheels to turn at different wheel speeds, said second differential means being able to be locked and unlocked; driving condition detecting means for detecting driving conditions of said vehicle; differential mode control means for operating in a first mode to variably restrict differential action of each of said first differential means and said second differential means between an unlocked state and a locked state according to driving conditions detected by said driving condition detecting means, in a second mode for forcibly locking said first differential means and variably restricting differential action of said second differential means between said unlocked state and said locked state according to said driving conditions, and in a third mode for forcibly locking both said first differential means and said second differential means; and manually operated mode selection means for selectively causing said differential mode control means to operate among said first mode, said second mode and said third mode. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
-
-
13. A vehicle control system for controlling a four-wheel drive vehicle, comprising:
-
first differential means, disposed between front and rear propeller shafts, for driving front and rear wheels at the same time but allowing said front and rear wheels to turn at different wheel speeds, said first differential means being able to be locked and unlocked; second differential means, disposed between left and right axles, for driving left and right wheels at the same time but allowing said left and right wheels to turn at different wheel speeds, said second differential means being able to be locked and unlocked; driving condition detecting means for detecting driving conditions of said vehicle; differential mode control means for operating in a first mode to variably restrict differential action of each of said first differential means and said second differential means between an unlocked state and a locked state according to driving conditions detected by said driving condition detecting means, in a second mode for forcibly locking said first differential means and variable restricting differential action of said second differential means between said unlocked state and said locked state according to said driving conditions, in a third mode for forcibly locking both said first differential means and said second differential means, and in a fourth mode for variably restricting differential action of said first differential means and forcibly locking said second differential means; and manually operated mode selection means for selectively causing said differential mode control means to operate among said first mode, said second mode, said third mode and said fourth mode. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
-
-
19. A vehicle control system for controlling a four-wheel drive vehicle, comprising:
-
center differential means, disposed between front and rear propeller shafts, for driving front and rear wheels at the same time but allowing said front and rear wheels to turn at different wheel speeds, said center differential means being able to be locked and unlocked; rear differential means, disposed between left and right rear axles, for driving left and right rear wheels at the same time but allowing said left and right rear wheels to turn at different wheel speeds, said rear differential means being able to be locked and unlocked; front differential means, disposed between left and right front axles, for driving left and right front wheels at the same time but allowing said left and right front wheels to turn at different wheel speeds, said front differential means being able to be locked and unlocked; driving condition detecting means for detecting driving conditions of said vehicle; differential mode control means for operating in a first mode to variably restrict differential action of each of said center differential means and said rear differential means between an unlocked state and a locked state according to driving conditions detected by said driving condition detecting means and maintaining said front differential means in an unlocked state, in a second mode for forcibly locking said center differential means, variably restricting differential action of said rear differential means between said unlocked state and said locked state according to said driving conditions and keeping said front differential means in said unlocked state, in a third mode for forcibly locking both said center differential means and said rear differential means and keeping said front differential means in said unlocked state, in a fourth mode for variably restricting differential action of said center differential means, forcibly locking said rear differential means and keeping said front differential means in said unlocked state, and in a fifth mode for forcibly locking all of said center differential means, said rear differential means and said front differential means; and manually operated mode selection means for selectively causing said differential mode control means to operate among said first mode, said second mode, said third mode, said fourth mode and said fifth mode. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23)
-
Specification