New Venture Gear, Inc.

David Brown

Sankar K Mohan

Richard E Eastman

Nancy Mintonye

Alan P Zajac

Pavinder Ahluwalia

Parvinder Ahluwalia

A full-time power transfer system is disclosed to include a transfer case having a clutch assembly arranged to control speed differentiation and torque biasing across an interaxle differential, sensors for detecting and generating sensor signals indicative of various dynamic and operational characteristics of the vehicle, and a controller for controlling actuation of the clutch assembly in response to the sensor signals. Upon the occurrence of traction loss, the clutch assembly is automatically actuated for limiting interaxle slip while transferring increased drive torque to the non-slipping driveline. Under a preferred adaptive control scheme, the actuated condition of the clutch assembly is controllably modulated between its non-actuated and fully-actuated limits for automatically varying the magnitude of speed differentiation and torque biasing across the interaxle differential in response to changes in the dynamic and operational characteristics of the vehicle.

Synchronized two-speed transfer case with lockable limited slip differential

On-demand transfer case with synchronized range shift and adaptive clutch control

A power transfer system includes a transfer case having a clutch assembly arranged across an interaxle differential, a hydraulic clutch actuation system operable to control actuation of the clutch assembly, sensors for detecting various dynamic and operational characteristics of the vehicle, and a controller for controlling the hydraulic clutch actuation system in response to the sensor signals. Upon the occurrence of traction loss, the clutch assembly is automatically actuated for limiting interaxle slip while transferring increased drive torque to the non-slipping driveline. The actuated condition of the clutch assembly is modulated between its non-actuated and fully-actuated limits for automatically varying the magnitude of speed differentiation and torque biasing across the interaxle differential in response to changes in the operational characteristics of the motor vehicle. The transfer case is also equipped with a gearset and a hydraulically-actuated range shift mechanism for permitting on-the-move shifting between high-range and low-range drive modes.

Transfer case with hydraulic range shift and adaptive clutch control

A power transfer system for a motor vehicle is disclosed to include a transfer case having a clutch assembly arranged to control speed differentiation and torque biasing across an interaxle differential, a hydraulic clutch actuation system operable to control actuation of the clutch assembly, sensors for detecting and generating sensor signals indicative of various dynamic and operational characteristics of the vehicle, and a controller for controlling the hydraulic clutch actuation system in response to the sensor signals. Upon the occurrence of traction loss, the clutch assembly is automatically actuated for limiting interaxle slip while transferring increased drive torque to the non-slipping driveline. Under a preferred control scheme, the actuated condition of the clutch assembly is controllably modulated between its non-actuated and fully-actuated limits for automatically varying the magnitude of speed differentiation and torque biasing across the interaxle differential in response to changes in the operational characteristics of the motor vehicle. As a further feature of the present invention, the transfer case can be equipped with a gearset and a hydraulically-actuated range shift mechanism for permitting on-the-move shifting between high-range and low-range drive modes.

Transfer case with synchronized range shift and adaptive clutch control

A transmission for a four-wheel drive vehicle having a multi-speed geartrain and power transfer mechanism incorporated into a common housing assembly. The multi-speed geartrain includes a input shaft, a mainshaft, and a plurality of constant-mesh gearsets arranged for selectively coupling the mainshaft to the input shaft for driven rotation at various speed ratios. The mainshaft can be selectively coupled to the power transfer mechanism for establishing two alternative power transmission routes. In particular, a range shift mechanism is provided for establishing a high-range power transmission route and a low-range power transmission route from the mainshaft to the input of an interaxle differential. The torque delivered to the interaxle differential is split between the front and rear drivelines to establish a full-time four-wheel drive mode. A transfer clutch is provided for automatically controlling slip and torque biasing between the outputs of the interaxle differential.

Full-time four-wheel drive transmission with limited slip clutch

A transmission for a four-wheel drive vehicle having a multi-speed geartrain and power transfer mechanism incorporated into a common housing assembly. The multi-speed geartrain includes a input shaft, a mainshaft, and a plurality of constant-mesh gearsets arranged for selectively coupling the mainshaft to the input shaft for driven rotation at various speed ratios. The mainshaft can be selectively coupled to the power transfer mechanism for establishing two alternative power transmission routes. In particular, a synchronized range shift mechanism is provided for establishing a high-range transmission route and a low-range transmission route from the mainshaft to a primary driveline to define a two-wheel drive mode. A portion of the drive torque delivered to the primary driveline can be transferred automatically through a transfer clutch to the secondary driveline to establish an on-demand four-wheel drive mode. As an option, a mode clutch can be provided for permitting the secondary driveline to be locked to the primary driveline for establishing a part-time four-wheel drive mode.

On-demand four-wheel drive transmission

A compact manual transmission includes an input shaft having four fixed input gears, a first intermediate shaft rotatably supporting two speed gears meshing with two of the input gears, a second intermediate shaft rotatably supporting three speed gears meshed with three of the input gears and a reverse gear meshed with a speed gear on the first intermediate shaft, and an output shaft. Two speed gears on each of the intermediate shafts meshes with common input gears. A transfer gear on each intermediate shaft is meshed with the output shaft. The transmission further includes a synchronizer clutch for establishing two forward gears by selectively coupling the two speed gears to the first intermediate shaft and a pair of synchronizer clutches for establishing three forward gears and the reverse gear by selectively coupling the three speed gears and reverse gear to the second intermediate shaft.

Compact manual transaxle for motor vehicles

A transmission for a four-wheel drive vehicle having a multi-speed geartrain and power transfer mechanism incorporated into a common housing assembly. The multi-speed geartrain includes a input shaft, a mainshaft, and a plurality of constant-mesh gearsets arranged for selectively coupling the mainshaft to the input shaft for driven rotation at various speed ratios. The mainshaft can be selectively coupled to the power transfer mechanism for establishing two alternative power transmission routes. In particular, a synchronized range shift mechanism is provided for establishing a high-range transmission route and a low-range transmission route from the mainshaft to the input of an interaxle differential. The torque delivered to the interaxle differential is split between the front and rear drivelines to establish a full-time four-wheel drive mode. As an option, a lock-out clutch can be provided for permitting the interaxle differential to be locked for establishing a locked four-wheel drive mode. As a further option, a mode clutch can be provided for permitting one of the drivelines to be selectively disconnected from the transmission for establishing a two-wheel drive mode.

Full-time four-wheel drive transmission

A compact manual transaxle includes an input shaft having four fixed input gears, a first intermediate shaft rotatably supporting three speed gears meshing with three of the input gears, a second intermediate shaft rotatably supporting a pair of speed gears meshed with two of the input gears and a reverse gear meshed with a speed gear on the first intermediate shaft, and a differential. One speed gear on each of the intermediate shafts meshes with a common input gear. A transfer gear on each intermediate shaft is meshed with a final drive gear fixed to the differential. The transaxle further includes a pair of synchronizer clutches for establishing three forward gears by selectively coupling the three speed gears to the first intermediate shaft and a pair of synchronizer clutches for establishing two forward gears and the reverse gear by selectively coupling the speed gears and reverse gear to the second intermediate shaft.

A compact manual transaxle includes an input shaft having five fixed input gears, a first intermediate shaft rotatably supporting four speed gears meshing with four of the input gears, a second intermediate shaft rotatably supporting a speed gear meshed with the other input gear and a reverse gear meshed with a speed gear on the first intermediate shaft, and a differential. A transfer gear on each intermediate shaft is meshed with a final drive gear fixed to the differential. The transaxle further includes a pair of synchronizer clutches for establishing four forward gears by selectively coupling the four speed gears to the first intermediate shaft and a synchronizer clutch for establishing one additional forward gear and the reverse gear by selectively coupling the speed gear and reverse gear to the second intermediate shaft.

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Norfolk, United Kingdom

David Brown