Motor vehicles – Power – Having specific motor-to-body-frame relationship
Patent
1992-07-01
1993-11-02
Hill, Mitchell J.
Motor vehicles
Power
Having specific motor-to-body-frame relationship
475 66, 475 71, 475200, B60K 1704
Patent
active
052576752
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a power transmitting apparatus for driving a motor vehicle or the like, and more particularly to a power transmitting apparatus which comprises an engine and a transmission that are juxtaposed with respect to each other.
BACKGROUND ART
Generally, a power transmitting apparatus for use in a motor vehicle comprises an engine, a coupling means (such as a clutch, a fluid coupling, a torque converter or the like) connected to the output shaft of the engine, and a transmission for changing the speed of the engine output a power that is transmitted through the coupling means. The output power from the transmission is then transmitted through a differential mechanism or the like to road wheels for thereby driving the motor vehicle.
Heretofore, it has been customary that the engine, the coupling means, and the transmission are arranged in an axial row, and the power transmitting apparatus of such a construction is disposed in a front engine compartment of the motor vehicle. With this arrangement, however, the dimension from the front end of the engine to the rear end of the transmission is so large that if the engine is directed longitudinally with respect to the motor vehicle, the rear portion of the transmission will project into the passenger compartment, thus reducing the space in the passenger compartment, and if the engine is directed transversely with respect to the motor vehicle, the engine compartment will have an increased dimension in this transverse direction. Therefore, the axial dimensions of the engine and the transmission are limited in many instances, making it difficult to install a multi-cylinder engine, for example, in the motor vehicle.
There have been efforts to solve the above problems as disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication Nos. 55(1980)-60756 and 58(1983)-42850, for example. According to the disclosed power transmitting apparatus, a transmission is disposed alongside of an engine in juxtaposed relation, and the output shaft of the engine and the input shaft of the transmission are operatively coupled to each other by a chain mechanism. The power transmission apparatus with the engine and the transmission thus united together has a reduced axial dimension.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
When the transmission is disposed alongside of the engine, as described above, the axial dimension of the power transmission apparatus is reduced. However, the transverse dimension of the power transmitting apparatus is increased by the width of the transmission. Particularly if the transmission is a countershaft-type transmission, since gear trains and clutches are disposed between parallel shafts in the transmission, the shafts are required to be spaced a certain distance from each other, and hence the transmission has a large transverse dimension. Consequently, a power transmitting apparatus in which a countershaft-type transmission is positioned alongside of an engine is more likely to have an increased transverse dimension.
The present invention has been made in view of the aforesaid drawbacks.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a power transmitting apparatus which includes a transmission disposed alongside of an engine and hence has a reduced axial dimension, and which also holds any increase in the transverse dimension to a minimum.
To achieve the above object, there is provided in accordance with the present invention, a power transmitting apparatus comprising an engine, the engine having an output shaft, a transmission disposed alongside of the engine in juxtaposed relation, the transmission having an input shaft substantially parallel to the output shaft of the engine, and transmitting means operatively coupling the output shaft of the engine and the input shaft of the transmission, characterized in that the transmission comprises a countershaft-type transmission having, in addition to the input shaft, a countershaft and an output axis of rotation which extend parallel to the input shaft, the countershaft being dispo
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patent: 4836156 (1989-06-01), Inagaki et al.
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patent: 5007307 (1991-04-01), Tamazawa et al.
Araki Junichi
Imamura Masahiro
Kumagai Yorinori
Takeda Tomokazu
Tamura Masayuki
Hill Mitchell J.
Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
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