192 clutches and power-stop control – Clutches – Automatic
Reexamination Certificate
2002-02-01
2004-03-02
Rodriguez, Saul (Department: 3681)
192 clutches and power-stop control
Clutches
Automatic
C180S233000, C192S044000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06698563
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
The present application claims priority under 35 USC 119 to Japanese Patent Application Nos. 2001-025669 filed on Feb. 1, 2001; 2001-025670 filed on Feb. 1, 2001 and 2001-312768 filed on Oct. 10, 2001 the entire contents thereof are hereby incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicular two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive switching system.
2. Description of Background Art
Heretofore, a vehicle is known in which two-wheel drive can be switched to four-wheel drive.
FIGS. 4 and 5
show an example of the above-mentioned vehicle. A vehicle
1
is substantially composed of a body frame
3
with an engine
2
mounted in the center. A front wheel
4
and a rear wheel
5
are arranged on both sides of the front and the rear of the body frame
3
. A steering handlebar
6
is arranged above the front of the body frame
3
for steering the front wheel
4
. A fuel tank
7
is located above the engine
2
and attached to the body frame
3
. A seat
8
is attached to the rear of the fuel tank
7
.
As shown in
FIG. 5
, each front wheel
4
is supported by a suspension system
9
that is provided on both sides of the front of the body frame
3
so that each front wheel can be vertically moved. Each rear wheel
5
is supported by a suspension system
10
that is provided on both sides of the rear of the body frame
3
so that each rear wheel can be vertically moved.
A final reduction gear for front wheels
13
and a final reduction gear for rear wheels
14
, respectively, connected to the engine
2
via propeller shafts
11
and
12
are provided in the center of the front and the center of the rear, respectively, of the body frame
3
. The right and left front wheels
4
and the right and left rear wheels
5
are respectively connected to the final reduction gear for the front wheels
13
and the final reduction gear for the rear wheels
14
.
A two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive switching system for switching a rear-wheel drive to a four-wheel drive by disconnecting the motive power to be transmitted to the front wheels
4
or transmitting motive power to the front wheels
4
is provided between the final reduction gear for the front wheels
13
and the propeller shaft
11
, for example. In the alternative, the two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive switching system is provided between the rear propeller shaft
12
and the final reduction gear for the rear wheels
14
, and the front-wheel drive and the four-wheel drive may be also switched.
The switching of the type of drive is suitably performed by a driver according to the state of the road surface and the type of desired traveling.
For example, a two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive switching system having the structure shown in
FIG. 6
is proposed.
The two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive switching system
15
in
FIG. 6
is composed of two input shaft components
16
a
and
16
b
formed by axially dividing the input shaft
16
of the final reduction gear for the front wheels
13
into two and matched on the same axis and a switching unit
17
for engaging or disengaging thereof.
To describe in detail, a cylindrical positioning protrusion
18
is provided in the center of the end face of the input shaft component
16
a
located on the side of the final reduction gear for the front wheels
13
. A positioning concave portion
19
is provided into which the positioning protrusion
18
is fitted so that the positioning protrusion can be turned. The positioning concave portion
19
is formed in the center of the end face of the input shaft component
16
b
. Both input shaft components
16
a
and
16
b
are positioned on the same axis and are connected so that they can be relatively turned by matching both input shaft components
16
a
and
16
b
so that the positioning protrusion
18
and the positioning concave portion
19
fit together.
Splines S
1
and S
2
are formed on the respective peripheral faces of the respective matched parts of both input shaft components
16
a
and
16
b
and the switching unit
17
is provided so that it surrounds the matched parts.
This switching unit
17
includes a switching ring
20
on the inner surface of which a spline is formed, which is fitted to the respective matched parts of both input shaft components
16
a
and
16
b
so that the switching ring can be slid. The spline is engaged with or is disengaged from the respective splines S
1
and S
2
. A drive mechanism
21
formed by a solenoid is provided for selectively moving the switching ring
20
to a position in which the spline is engaged with only one input shaft component
16
a
or a position in which the spline is simultaneously engaged with the splines S
1
and S
2
of both input shaft components
16
a
and
16
b
by sliding the switching ring
20
in the axial direction of both input shaft components
16
a
and
16
b.
The two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive switching system
15
configured as described above is turned to a two-wheel drive in which only the rear wheels are driven by moving the switching ring
20
in one direction by the drive mechanism
21
, engaging it with only one input shaft component
16
a
and disconnecting the transmission of the driving force to the front wheels
4
. The switching system
15
is turned to a four-wheel drive in which driving force is transmitted to the front wheels
4
and the front wheels
4
and the rear wheels
5
are simultaneously driven by engaging the switching ring
20
with the other input shaft component
16
b
in a state in which the switching ring is engaged with one input shaft component
16
a
by sliding the switching ring
20
and hereby, engaging both input shaft components
16
a
and
16
b.
The two-wheel drive/four-wheel drive mode shifting device
15
in such a construction takes the two-wheel drive mode in which only rear wheels are driven by moving the switching ring
20
in one direction by the drive mechanism
21
into engagement only with one of the input shaft components
16
a
to block distribution of drive power to the front wheel
4
, and takes the four-wheel drive mode in which the front wheels
4
and the rear wheels
5
are simultaneously driven by sliding the shift ring
20
into engagement with the other input shaft components
16
b
while being engaged with one of the input shaft components
16
a
, whereby both of the input shaft components
16
a
,
16
b
are connected and thus drive power is distributed also to the front wheel
4
.
However, such a conventional type two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive switching system
15
has the following problems that require improvement.
That is, there is a problem that when there is a difference in the peripheral speed between the front wheel
4
and the rear wheel
5
in switching drive types, engagement between the switching ring
20
and the input shaft component
16
b
does not function and switching may be disabled.
Even if switching is completed, there is also a problem that the splines collide in switching which results in the generation of noise.
To solve such problems, a mechanism for synchronizing (aligning) the spline of the switching ring
20
and the spline of the input shaft component
16
b
is required. The structure becomes complex when the two-wheel drive and the four-wheel drive switching system
15
is built. The new mechanism that is required is greatly changed from the existing structure.
In the meantime, there is a problem wherein the propeller shaft of the engine
2
connected to the input shaft component
16
b
has a different form when the two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive switching system
15
is mounted on a different vehicle from the vehicle
1
. The form of the two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive switching system
15
also is required to be changed.
SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
The invention is made to solve such conventional problems and to provide a vehicular two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive switching system which hardly generates any noise and which can be applied t
Handa Akio
Seki Bunzo
Takano Noriaki
Birch & Stewart Kolasch & Birch, LLP
Rodriguez Saul
LandOfFree
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