Jtekt Corporation

Toyoda Koki Kabushiki Kaisha

Hiroshi Kushino

Kunihiko Suzuki

Hiroshi Takuno

Takeshi Yamamoto

Akihiro Ohno

Noriyuki Fujii

Toshifumi Sakai

Shinichiro Nakajima

Takashi Hosokawa

Naoyuki Sakai

A driving force transmission apparatus includes: an electric motor; a multi-disc clutch including outer clutch plates and inner clutch plates that are disposed coaxially with each other so as to be rotatable relative to each other and that are frictionally engaged with each other by being pressed in an axial direction; an input rotary member that rotates together with the outer clutch plates; an output rotary member that rotates together with the inner clutch plates; a cam mechanism that generates cam thrust force for pressing the multi-disc clutch in the axial direction upon reception of torque generated by the electric motor; a strain sensor that detects reaction force against the cam thrust force; and a spring member that is disposed between the cam mechanism and the strain sensor and that buffers an impact transmitted from the cam mechanism to the strain sensor.

Driving force transmission apparatus and controller for driving force transmission apparatus

A power transmission apparatus is provided with a housing, which rotates together with an input shaft, a differential mechanism, and a main clutch. The main clutch links the input shaft and the first output shaft. The differential mechanism distributes drive force that is inputted from the input shaft via the housing into a first output shaft and a second output shaft. The differential mechanism is provided with a ring gear that is provided within the housing, a sun gear that is provided within the ring gear, and a planetary gear. The planetary gear is engaged with the ring gear and the sun gear and supported in such a manner as to be orbital and rotational. The first output shaft is linked to the ring gear. The main clutch is formed of a plurality of outer clutch plates and inner clutch plates, which are provided on the inner circumferential surface of the housing and on the outer circumferential surface of the ring gear.

Power transmission apparatus

A torque distribution-controlling apparatus, by which a torque from a driving power source is distributed to vehicle right and left wheels via right and left axles, includes a differential having a first torque transmitting system and a second torque transmitting system, the first torque-transmitting system which transmits the torque from the driving power source to the vehicle right and left axles, and allows differentiation between these right and left axles, and the second torque-transmitting system which is structured to be symmetric to the first torque-transmitting system, transmits the torque from the driving power source to the right and left axles, and allows differentiation between these right and left axles; a left clutch controlling transmission of the torque from the first torque-transmitting system to the left axle; and a right clutch controlling transmission of the torque from the second torque-transmitting system to the right axle.

Torque distribution-controlling apparatus

The number of the teeth of a second sun gear is slightly different from that of a first sun gear. A first planetary gears mesh with both the first sun gear and the second sun gear. A first carrier supports the first planetary. The number of the teeth of a third sun gear is same as that of the first sun gear. The second planetary gears mesh with both the second sun gear and the third sun gear. The second carrier supports the second planetary gears with preventing the same from revolving. The second power source generates a torque for rotating the first carrier.

Differential device and drive power transmission unit using the same

A main clutch is disposed radially outward on a differential mechanism. There is no need to reserve space to install the main clutch at the end of the differential mechanism opposite from a differential case. Thus, the axial length of an LSD can be reduced, providing easier installation in the vehicle. Also, the LSD is installed in the vehicle to the rear of a transmission. This location provides spatial leeway in the radial direction. As a result, ease of installation is maintained if the main clutch is disposed radially outward from the differential mechanism and the outer diameter of the LSD is increased. The present invention provides a drive force transmission device with reduced axial length, thereby improving ease of installation.

Drive force transmission device

A vehicle drive deviceis composed of an electric motor, a differential gearfor distributing and transmitting the drive power from the electric motorto right and left drive wheels, and a clutchfor making intermittent the coupling capable of transmitting the drive power between the differential gearside and the electric motorside. The clutchis of the type having a self-locking function and is arranged coaxially of the differential gearat one side of the differential gear

Vehicle drive device, and front-and-rear wheel-driven vehicle formed of the device

A differential limiting device includes a planetary gear mechanism, in which a planetary carrier rotatably distributes the rotational power of a front housing to a ring gear and a sun gear through planetary gears and hence, to a first inner shaft and a second inner shaft which are rotatable respectively with the ring gear and the sun gear. A pilot clutch, when in friction engagement, brings about relative rotation between a cam ring and the second inner shaft to axially move the second inner shaft by the action of a cam mechanism provided therebetween. The axial movement of the second inner shaft causes the first inner shaft to be axially moved, whereby a main clutch arranged between the front housing and the first inner shaft is brought into friction engagement. When in friction engagement, the main clutch limits the relative rotation between the ring gear and the planetary carrier.

Differential limiting device

A driving force-transmitting devicehas a housingand, an inner shaft, a main clutch, a pilot clutchand a cam mechanismincluding a first and second cam membersand. Plural main outer and inner clutch disksandof the main clutchare respectively spline-engaged with the housingand the inner shaft. Plural pilot outer and inner clutch disksandof the pilot clutchare respectively spline-engaged with the housingand the first cam memberof the cam mechanism. The second cam memberof the cam mechanismis arranged to constantly contact one of the main inner clutch disksand is not spline-engaged with spline grooves of the inner shaft

Driving force-transmitting device

Disclosed are a combination of a drive power transmission device and a differential gear, which combination is decreased in the number of parts, increased in rigidity and reduced in weight as well as in manufacturing cost, and a method of manufacturing the combination. A gear shaft which is provided with a drive gear for a differential gear is rotatably supported in a differential case. The differential case is provided with a partition wall portion which extends outwardly from an opening end portion thereof from which the gear shaft protrudes. A clutch case is secured to the circumferential edge portion of the partition wall portion thereby to define a housing chamber. A housing with a clutch receiving chamber formed therein is rotatably supported on the clutch case inside the housing chamber. In the clutch receiving chamber, outer clutch plates are engaged at outer circumferential portions thereof with the internal surface of the housing to be bodily rotatably but axially movable relative thereto, while inner clutch plates arranged in an alternate fashion with the outer clutch plates are engaged at internal surface portions thereof with an engaging portion of the gear shaft to be bodily rotatable but axially movable relative thereto. Thus, the inner clutch plates are drivingly connected directly with the gear shaft without using any inner shaft which would otherwise be necessary to support the inner clutch plates bodily rotatably and axially movably relative thereto in the housing.

Growing community of inventors

Obu, Japan

Hiroshi Kushino