Coupling device between left and right wheels of vehicle

• US 6,125,953 A
• Filed: 09/16/1998
• Issued: 10/03/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Hamada, Tetsuro, Arai, Kentaro
• Primary Examiner(s): Hurley, Kevin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fischer, Andrew J.
• Application Number:
  US09/154,173
• Time in Patent Office: 748 Days
• Field of Search: 180/242, 180/243, 180/65.2, 180/65.6, 180/65.7, 180/6.28
• US Class Current: 180/6.28
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 17/00 Arrangement or mounting of transmissions in vehicles clutches per se, e.g. construction thereof, F16D; gearing per se, e.g. construction thereof, F16H
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 17/04 characterised by arrangement, location, or kind of gearing electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 17/354 having separate mechanical assemblies for transmitting drive to the front or to the rear wheels or set of wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 17/356 having fluid or electric motor, for driving one or more wheels disposition of motor in, or adjacent to, traction wheel B60K7/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 23/08 for changing number of driven wheels , for switching from driving one axle to driving two or more axles B60K17/3515 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/365 with the gears having orbital motion
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/387 Actuated clutches, i.e. clutches engaged or disengaged by electric, hydraulic or mechanical actuating means
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 6/52 Driving a plurality of drive axles, e.g. four-wheel drive
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 11/16 the additional power supply being supplied mechanically
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 9/00 Steering deflectable wheels not otherwise provided for steering positon indicators B62D15/02
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/916 with plurality of drive axles

Abstract

A coupling device to be provided between left and right wheels of a vehicle has an electric motor and a switching mechanism switchable between a starting assistance state in which a torque is transmitted in the same direction of rotation from the electric motor to left and right wheels, and a cornering assistance state in which a torque for acceleration is transmitted from the electric motor to one of the left and right wheels. When the switching state of the switching mechanism is for starting assistance control, lamps in the central indicator of an indicating device are lighted in a number corresponding to the electric current value of the electric motor. When the switching state is for cornering assistance control, the lamps of the left and right indicators corresponding to the outer wheel are lighted in a number corresponding to the electric current value.

Claims

1. A coupling device to be provided between left and right wheels of a vehicle having:

an electric motor; and

a switching mechanism switchable between a state in which a torque is transmitted in the same direction of rotation from said electric motor to left and right wheels to thereby perform a starting assistance control of the vehicle, and a state in which a torque is transmitted from said electric motor to one of left and right wheels in order to accelerate said one of the wheels relative to the other of the wheels to thereby perform a cornering assistance control of the vehicle;

wherein said coupling device further comprises;

indicating means for indicating operating conditions of said coupling device based on an electric current value of said electric motor and a switching state of said switching mechanism.

2. A coupling device to be provided between left and right wheels of a vehicle, said coupling device having a pair of left and right electric motors:

in which a starting assistance control is performed by transmitting a torque in the same direction of rotation from each of said electric motors to corresponding one of left and right wheels; and

in which a cornering assistance control is performed by transmitting a torque in a normal direction of rotation from one of said left and right electric motors to a corresponding one of the left and right wheels and by transmitting a torque in a reverse direction of rotation from the other of said electric motors to the other of the wheels,

said coupling device comprising indicating means for indicating operating conditions of said coupling device based on electric current values and directions of rotation of said electric motors.