Motor vehicles – Having four wheels driven – With manually operated means for disengaging drive to one or...
Reexamination Certificate
2002-12-19
2004-09-07
Morris, Lesley D. (Department: 3611)
Motor vehicles
Having four wheels driven
With manually operated means for disengaging drive to one or...
C180S248000, C180S249000, C196S046100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06786293
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a two-wheel-drive/four-wheel-drive switching system for a vehicle.
2. Description of Background Art
Heretofore, a vehicle which can switch two wheel drive and four wheel drive is known.
FIGS. 7
to
9
show an example of the vehicle
1
that includes a body frame
3
with an engine
2
mounted in the center thereof. Front wheels
4
and rear wheels
5
are provided together with a steering handlebar
6
arranged in the front upper part of the body frame
3
for steering the front wheels
4
. A fuel tank
7
is attached to the body frame
3
and a seat
8
is attached to the rear of the fuel tank
7
.
Each front wheel
4
and each rear wheel
5
are supported by suspensions
9
and
10
provided to the body frame
3
as shown in
FIG. 8
so that they can be vertically moved.
A final reduction gear unit
13
for the front wheels
4
and a final reduction gear unit
14
for the rear wheels
5
, respectively, are coupled to the engine
2
via propeller shafts
11
and
12
provided to the body frame
3
. The right and left front wheels
4
and the right and left rear wheels
5
are connected to the final reduction gear unit
13
for the front wheels
4
and the final reduction gear unit
14
for the rear wheels
5
.
A two-wheel-drive/four-wheel drive switching system
15
for switching a state of rear wheel drive and a state of four wheel drive by connecting or disconnecting power transmitted to the front wheels
4
is provided between the final reduction gear unit for the front wheel
13
and the propeller shaft
11
, for example.
Or the two-wheel-drive/four-wheel-drive switching system may be also provided between the rear propeller shaft
12
and the final reduction gear unit
14
for the rear wheels
5
.
It is proposed to provide the structure shown in
FIG. 9
for the two-wheel-drive/four-wheel-drive switching system.
The two-wheel-drive/four-wheel-drive switching system
15
illustrated in
FIG. 9
is composed of a switching unit
17
for connecting or disconnecting a pinion shaft
16
of the final reduction gear unit for the front wheel
13
and the propeller shaft
11
.
The switching unit
17
is installed in a casing
18
attached to the final reduction gear unit for the front wheel
13
and is provided with an inner ring
19
fitted to the pinion shaft
16
via a spline. An outer ring
21
surrounds the inner ring
19
and is supported by the casing
18
so that the outer ring can revolve. Plural connecting/disconnecting members
22
are inserted between the outer ring
21
and the inner ring
19
for connecting or disconnecting the outer ring
21
and the inner ring
19
. A retainer
23
is provided for holding the connecting/disconnecting members
22
so that they can be inclined. An armature
24
is interlocked with the retainer
23
and a switching mechanism
25
is provided for inhibiting the movement of the retainer
23
by attracting the armature
24
to a rotor
26
coupled to the outer ring
21
by the magnetic force and connecting the outer ring
21
and the inner ring
19
via the connecting/disconnecting members
22
by inclining the connecting/disconnecting member
22
.
The switching mechanism
25
is made of an electromagnet and is provided with an electromagnetic coil
27
provided inside the rotor
26
and is attached to the casing
18
via an outside flange
28
formed at one end of the electromagnetic coil
27
.
The switching mechanism
25
is positioned by touching the outside flange
28
to a fitting section having a difference in a level
18
a
formed in the casing
18
. The switching mechanism
27
is fixed to the casing
18
by fitting a circlip
29
inserted into a fitting groove
18
b
formed in a position apart from the fitting section
18
a
by a predetermined distance to the inside face of the casing
18
.
The two-wheel-drive/four-wheel-drive switching system
15
configured as described above inhibits the revolution of the armature
24
and the retainer
23
by attracting the armature
24
by the magnetic force of the switching mechanism
25
, constrains the movement of each connecting/disconnecting member
22
, connects the inner ring
19
and the outer ring
21
via the plural connecting/disconnecting members
22
and hereby, turns a state of two wheel drive into a state of four wheel drive.
The revolution of the armature
24
is freed by disconnecting energizing to the switching mechanism
25
, the transmission of power to the final reduction gear unit for the front wheel
13
is disconnected by returning the plural connecting/disconnecting members
22
to a neutral position by a return spring not shown and a state of four wheel drive is turned into a state of two wheel drive by only the rear wheels.
Such a conventional type two-wheel-drive/four-wheel-drive switching system
15
has the following problem to be improved.
The switching mechanism
25
is fixed to the casing
18
by holding the outside flange
28
between the fitting section
18
a
formed in the casing
18
and the circlip
29
fitted into the fitting groove
18
b
formed in the casing
18
. However, a clearance may be made between the outside flange
28
and the circlip
29
. The fitting section
18
a
depends upon the manufacturing quality of the thickness of the outside flange
28
, that of the fitting groove
18
b
and further, that of the circlip
29
.
As a result, it is considered that the switching mechanism
25
is moved in the axial direction of the casing
18
and an interval between the rotor
26
and the armature
24
may be varied.
SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
The invention is made in view of the problem of such a conventional type. The object is to provide a two-wheel-drive/four-wheel-drive switching system for a vehicle wherein a switching mechanism
25
forming the two-wheel-drive/four-wheel-drive switching system is securely fixed and a function of the switching mechanism can be secured, preventing noise from being made.
A two-wheel-drive/four-wheel-drive switching system for a vehicle according to the present invention includes a switching unit provided to either of the power transmission mechanisms provided between an engine and a front wheel and between the engine and a rear wheel for connecting or disconnecting the transmission of power in the power transmission mechanism. A driving shaft couples to the drive side with a driven shaft fitted to the driving shaft via circular clearance. Plural connecting/disconnecting members are inserted into clearance between the driving shaft and the driven shaft for connecting or disconnecting the driving shaft and the driven shaft by fitting or drawing them to/apart from the opposite faces of the driving shaft and the driven shaft. A switching mechanism is provided for selectively locating the connecting/disconnecting members in a position where the driving shaft and the driven shaft are connected or in a position where they are disconnected. A casing is provided for housing the switching unit so as to achieve the object. The two-wheel-drive/four-wheel-drive switching system for the vehicle according to the present invention also includes an outside flange that is provided to an electromagnetic coil forming the switching mechanism. A fitting section having a difference in a level to which the outside flange is touched is formed with a fitting groove formed on the inside face at an interval equal to or larger than the thickness of the outside flange from the fitting section. A circlip is provided opposite to the outside flange and is inserted into the fitting groove. The outside flange is pressed on the fitting section by inserting a circular elastic member between the circlip and the outside flange.
A two-wheel-drive/four-wheel-drive switching system for the vehicle according to the present invention provides an elastic member that is formed by a wave washer.
A two-wheel-drive/four-wheel-drive switching system for the vehicle according to present invention provides an elastic member for
Birch & Stewart Kolasch & Birch, LLP
Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
Morris Lesley D.
Winner Tony
LandOfFree
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