US 6,105,703 AGranted

Driving force control system in four-wheel drive vehicle

AssigneeHonda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha

InventorsKoji Kuroda, Takayuki Yakou, Kazunori Kobayashi, Kazuyuki Suetake

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Abstract

In a four-wheel drive vehicle, a rear differential includes an input shaft to which a driving force is transmitted from front wheels through a propeller shaft, a driven bevel gear mounted on the input shaft, a follower bevel gear mounted on a clutch drive shaft and meshed with the driven bevel gear, left and right electromagnetic clutches disposed between opposite ends of the clutch drive shaft and left and right output shafts. The maximum transmitted torque transmitted through the left and right electromagnetic clutches is controlled, so that it is decreased with an increase in vehicle speed detected by vehicle speed detecting means. Thus, the vehicle can avoid the maximum horsepower transmitted by the bevel gears and the electromagnetic clutches being increased with an increase in vehicle speed. Therefore, it is possible to ensure the durability of the bevel gears and the clutches, while providing a reduction in size of the bevel gears and the clutches.

Claims2

Dependent claims

A four-wheel drive vehicle, comprising:

an engine having engine output transmitted to front and rear wheels of the vehicle for driving the vehicle;
a differential coupled to said engine and transmitting the engine output to one of said front and rear wheels, wherein the engine output is also transmitted to the other of said front and rear wheels via an input shaft to which the engine output is input, a driven bevel gear coupled to the input shaft, a follower bevel gear driven by said driven bevel gear, and a clutch drive shaft coupled to the follower bevel gear;
clutches disposed between opposite ends of the clutch drive shaft and left and right wheels of said other of the front and rear wheels;
vehicle speed detecting means for detecting a vehicle speed of said vehicle;
and
control means for controlling coupling forces of said clutches with input of a signal from said vehicle speed detecting means and decreasing a maximum coupling force of said clutches gradually in accordance with an increase in the vehicle speed detected by said vehicle speed detecting means.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 08/994,933Filed 19 Dec 1997
Granted: 22 Aug 2000
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification13 codes

F16H 48/30
Arrangements for suppressing or influencing the differential action, e.g. locking devices: using externally-actuatable means
B60K 17/35
Having differential means for driving one set of wheels, e.g. the front, at one speed and the other set, e.g. the rear, at a different speed:…
B60K 23/0808
For changing number of driven wheels , for switching from driving one axle to driving two or more axles: for varying torque distribution between…
F16H 48/295
Arrangements for suppressing or influencing the differential action, e.g. locking devices: using multiple means for force boosting