Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha

Hitoshi Azuma

Yoshio Fuwa

Takeo Yamamoto

Yasuyoshi Yasui

Shinichi Takeuchi

Hitoshi Mizutani

Kentaro Tomo

Hiroaki Tashiro

Masatoshi Niimi

Yoshinori Ozaki

Masaaki Ogawa

A propeller shaft having high wear resistance is provided. The propeller shaft has a spline shaft and a spline sleeve meshing with each other, and a DLC coating is applied to any one of the spline shaft and the spline sleeve. The DLC coating has surface roughness Ra of 0.5 &#x3bc;m or smaller.

Propeller shaft

A differential gear unit provided with a limited slip mechanism which comprises a first cam element integral with one side gear, a second cam element axially slidable and rotatable on a hub portion of the side gear and being engaged with the first cam element to be axially displaced by its cam action when rotated relatively to the first cam element, and a friction clutch mechanism disposed between the second cam element and an internal end wall of a differential case to be engaged in response to the axial displacement of the second cam element. The limited slip mechanism further includes a clutch ring axially slidably mounted within the differential case in surrounding relationship with the second cam element, the clutch ring being formed at an inner periphery thereof with a conical surface for frictional engagement with a corresponding conical surface formed on an outer periphery of the second cam element. The clutch ring is operatively connected to a manually controlled penumatic actuator to be shifted between a disengaged position where it is disengaged from the second cam element and an engaged position where it is engaged with the second cam element to effect relative rotation between said cam elements.

Differential gear unit with limited slip mechanism

A differential gear includes two rotatable cases, pinions disposed rotatably in each of the cases, first and second side gears meshing with the pinions and disposed rotatably in each of the cases, a first shaft supported rotatably about a co-axis of the cases and extending from the second side gear in the first case to the first side gear in the second case, a second shaft supported rotatably about the co-axis and extending from the first side gear in the first case, a third shaft supported rotatably about the co-axis and extending from the second side gear in the second case, a driven gear provided in the first shaft and a first drive gear for rotating the driven gear to give driving force to the shafts. First and second worm wheels respectively fixed to the first and second cases, first and second worms respectively meshing with the first and second worm wheels and at least one electric motor for rotating the first and second worms are provided. The motor is controlled by a control device so as to maintain the difference between the number of revolutions of the second and third shafts within a predetermined range.

Differential gear for a two wheel or four wheel drive vehicle

A differential gear includes a rotatable case, pinions rotatably disposed in the case, a pair of side gears meshing with the pinions and disposed in the case, a first shaft supported rotatably about a rotary axis of the case and extending from one of side gears, a second shaft supported rotatably about the axis and extending from the other side gear in the opposite direction to the first shaft, a first driven gear provided in one of the first and second shafts, a first drive gear for rotating the driven gear to transmit driving force to the first and second shafts. A worm wheel fixed to the case, a worm meshing with the worm wheel and an electric motor are provided. The motor is controlled by a control device so as to maintain the difference between numbers of revolutions of the first and second shafts within a predetermined range.

Differential gear

There is disclosed herein a locking differential which comprises a differential case, side gears housed in the case to slide along axle shafts, a plurality of thrust washers and guide rings arranged in alternate relation in the case to slide along the axle shafts, a plurality of clutch plates arranged in the ring guides and interposed between the adjacent thrust washers, a resilient member urging the side gears to press the thrust washers and the clutch plates against the inner surfaces of the case while the clutch plates are held in pressure contact with the thrust washers, sleeves arranged axially outwardly of the side gears and having external splines for slidable movment along said axle shafts, the clutch plates each having on its inner periphery splines for engagement with the external splines of the sleeve, and means for moving the sleeves along the axis of the side gears.

Locking differential with variable friction torque

An air-breather device for an oil casing is filled with oil and accommodates a driving mechanism, e.g., a differential gear casing of a vehicle. The air-breather device comprises a cylindrical breather plug deflector attached to the wall of the oil casing and having an end opening into the oil casing, a breather plug having an open end opening into the breather plug in the oil casing and the other open end which opens to the outside of the oil casing, the other open end being normally closed by a spring-urged cover, and a baffle plate attached to the breather plug deflector on the upstream side thereof, as viewed in the direction of flow of the oil such as to intercept the flow of oil which tends to flow into the opening of the end of the breather plug deflector within the casing.

Growing community of inventors

Toyota, Japan

Hitoshi Azuma