Nissan Motor Company Limited

Sanshin Industries Co., Ltd.

Nhk Morse Co., Ltd.

Kunihiko Suzuki

Koji Enomoto

Akihiko Muraoka

Naoki Kato

Yukiyoshi Sasabe

Tatsumi Uchida

Katsuyasu Kurisu

Kinji Shono

In an apparatus for fixing a cowling assembly of an outboard motor, a base member is provided with a locking plate and an intermediate plate. The locking plate has a jaw portion and a stay-receiving face for clamping a stay when the cowling assembly is locked. The intermediate plate has a first stopper portion, a second stopper portion and a cam-receiving portion, In the locked state of the cowling assembly, the first stopper portion is engaged with the locking plate. In the released state of the cowling assembly, the second stopper is engaged with the locking plate. The intermediate plate is moved in a direction to release the cowling assembly, by means of an operation lever arranged at a front portion of a bottom cowling. A spring interposed, in its compressed form, between a spring seat of the locking plate and a spring seat of the intermediate plate urges the locking plate and the intermediate plate to rotate in such a direction as to engage the locking plate with the stopper portions. The operating lever is connected to an intermediate plate of a rear locking mechanism.

Apparatus for fixing a cowling of an outboard motor

A four-wheel drive system has a center differential between front and rear wheels, and means for restraining or locking the center differential. The four-wheel drive system is equipped with an automatic control system for automatically locking the center differential when a coefficient of friction between a road surface and a tire of at least one wheel is equal to or lower than a predetermined value. The coefficient of friction is determined by sensing a steering angle, a vehicle speed, a normal load and a steering force, or by sensing an ambient temperature and a humidity. The control system may be arranged to lock the center differential only when the vehicle speed is equal to or lower than a predetermined speed.

Four-wheel drive system with differential control response to

A part-time type four-wheel drive system has a 2WD-4WD changeover means capable of changing the drive system from a four-wheel drive mode to a two-wheel drive mode and vice versa. The four-wheel drive system is equipped with a control system for automatically changing the drive system from the four-wheel drive mode to the two-wheel drive mode by commanding the changeover means when a steering angle of the vehicle becomes equal to or larger than a predetermined angle. The control system may has a vehicle speed sensor. In this case, the control system changes the drive system from the four-wheel drive mode to the two-wheel drive mode only when the vehicle speed is equal to or lower than a predetermined speed.

Part-time four-wheel drive system with steering angle responsive control

A four-wheel drive system of a part-time type having a two-wheel drive mode and a four-wheel drive mode is provided with an automatic control system for automatically changing the condition of the drive system from the two-wheel drive mode to the four-wheel drive mode when the braking force of the vehicle becomes equal to or higher than a predetermined value. The control system may have means for determining a coefficient of friction between the tire and road surface to change the drive system to the four-wheel drive mode at a low braking force level when the sensed coefficient of friction is low.

Part-time four-wheel drive system with braking force responsive control

A four-wheel drive system has a center differential between front and rear wheels, and means of restraining or locking the center differential. The four-wheel drive system is equipped with a control system for automatically unlocking the center differential when the steering angle becomes equal to or larger than a predetermined angle. The control system may further have a vehicle speed sensor. In this case, the control system unlocks the center differential only when the vehicle speed is equal to or lower than a predetermined speed.

Four wheel drive system with center differential unlock control

A part-time type four-wheel drive vehicle has automatic locking clutches which are automatically engaged to connect the front wheels with their axle shafts when the vehicle is moved in the four-wheel drive mode, and can be disengaged by rotating the axle shafts in the reverse direction in the two-wheel drive mode. The vehicle is further provided with a rotation sensor for sensing a rotation of the front propeller shaft or other member for driving the front wheels, and an indicator for informing the driver of the engagement of the automatic locking clutches if the front propeller shaft is rotating. The vehicle may be further provided with a vehicle movement sensor.

Part-time four-wheel drive system having locking clutches between wheel

A four-wheel drive system of a vehicle has a center differential between front wheels and rear wheels, and means for restraining or locking the center differential. The four-wheel drive system is combined with a control system for automatically locking the center differential when the difference between an average rotational speed of the right and left front wheels and an average rotational speed of the right and left rear wheels becomes equal to or larger than a predetermined value.

Four-wheel drive system with center differential lock control responsive

A four-wheel drive system has a center differential between front and rear wheels, and differential restraining or locking means for restraining or locking the center differential. The four-wheel drive system is equipped with an automatic control system for automatically locking the center differential in accordance with the deceleration of the vehicle. The control system may have means for determining a coefficient of friction between the tire and road surface in order to lock the center differential at a low vehicle deceleration when the sensed coefficient of friction is low.

Four-wheel drive system with deceleration-responsive center differential

A four-wheel drive system for a vehicle, comprising a laterally or transversely positioned engine, a power transmission gear unit including input and output shafts in lateral directions of the vehicle, a final reduction gear rotatable about an axis parallel with the transmission input and output shafts and adapted to be driven by the transmission output shaft, a main gear casing having enclosed therein the transmission gear unit and the final reduction gear, an auxiliary gear casing secured to the main gear casing, a main power transfer shaft enclosed in the auxiliary gear casing and rotatable about an axis aligned with the axis of rotation of the final reduction gear, a low-and-high speed shift gear assembly enclosed in the auxiliary gear casing and comprising an auxiliary power transfer shaft parallel with the main power transfer shaft, a first wheel drive gear unit enclosed in the auxiliary gear casing and comprising a differential gear assembly including an input member rotatable with one of the gears of the shift gear assembly and output members connected to a first pair of road wheels, a second wheel drive gear unit connected to a second pair of road wheels of the vehicle, and a right-angle power transfer gear unit enclosed in the auxiliary gear casing and operative to transmit driving power from the auxiliary power transfer shaft to the second wheel drive gear unit.

Four-wheel vehicle drive system

A transaxle mechanism of a four-wheel drive system for a vehicle including an engine having an output shaft having an axis of rotation laterally of the vehicle, comprising a transmission gear unit including input and output shafts each having an axis of rotation parallel with the axis of rotation of the engine output shaft, a drive gear rotatable about an axis parallel with the transmission input and output shafts and driven by the transmission output shaft, a first wheel drive gear unit comprising power splitting gear means to split driving power from the drive gear into two power components and a differential gear assembly to transmit one power component to a pair of road wheels, a second wheel drive gear unit comprising right-angle power transfer gear means engageable with the power splitting gear means and adapted to transmit the other driving power component in a fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, the power splitting gear means constituting low-and-high speed shifting gear means to transfer driving power from the drive gear to the differential gear assembly selectively with two different gear ratios, and a driveline intervening between the power transfer gear means and another pair of road wheels and adapted to be driven by the driving power component transmitted through the transfer gear means.

Transaxle mechanism of four-wheel vehicle drive system

A four-wheel drive system for a vehicle, comprising an engine having an output shaft rotatable about an axis in a lateral direction of the vehicle; a transmission gear unit including input and output shafts each having an axis of rotation parallel with the axis of rotation of the output shaft; a first wheel drive gear unit comprising power splitting gear means to split driving power from the transmission output shaft into two driving power components, and a first differential gear assembly for a pair of road wheels, the power splitting gear means and the first differential gear assembly being aligned with the transmission output shaft; and a second wheel drive gear unit comprising a second differential gear assembly for another pair of road wheels; the first wheel drive gear unit further comprising final reduction gear means positioned between the power splitting gear means and the first differential gear assembly, and power transfer gear means intervening between the power splitting gear means and the second wheel drive gear unit and comprising a driving bevel gear rotatable about an axis aligned with the axis of rotation of the transmission output shaft, the right-angle power transfer gear means comprising a driven bevel gear rotatable about an axis in a fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle body and held in mesh with the driving bevel gear.

Four-wheel drive system for automotive vehicle

A four-wheel drive system for a vehicle, comprising an engine having an output shaft rotatable about an axis in a lateral direction of the vehicle; a transmission gear unit including transmission input and output shafts parallel with the axis of rotation of the engine output shaft; a first wheel drive gear unit comprising power splitting gear means to split driving power from the transmission output shaft into two driving power components, and a first differential gear assembly to split one driving power component into two output power components to be transmitted to one pair of road wheels, the power splitting gear means and the first differential gear assembly being aligned with the transmission output shaft in a lateral direction of the vehicle; and a second wheel drive gear unit comprising a second differential gear assembly to split the other driving power component into two output power components to be transmitted to another pair of road wheels; the first wheel drive gear unit further comprising final reduction gear means positioned axially between the power splitting gear means and the first differential gear assembly, and power transfer gear unit intervening between the power splitting gear means and the second wheel drive gear unit and operative to transmit therethrough the driving power component to the second differential gear assembly.

A four-wheel drive system for a vehicle, comprising a power unit having an output shaft in a lateral direction of the vehicle, a power transmission gear unit including transmission input and output shafts each having an axis of rotation parallel with an extension of the axis of rotation of the output shaft of the power unit; an intermediate drive gear parallel with the axes of rotation of the transmission input and output shafts, the transmission output shaft being held in driving engagement with the intermediate drive gear, a first wheel drive unit comprising differential-action power splitting means operative to split driving power from the drive gear into two power components and a differential gear assembly operative to transmit one of the two power components to a first pair of road wheels, a second wheel drive unit comprising right-angle power transfer gear means engaging the differential-action power splitting means and operative to transmit therethrough the other of the two driving power components in a fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, and a driveline intervening between the right-angle power transfer gear means and a second pair of road wheels and driven by the driving power component transmitted through the right-angle power transfer gear means.

A four-wheel vehicle drive system comprising a power unit having an output shaft in a lateral direction of the vehicle; a transmission gear unit having input and output shafts parallel with an extension of the axis of rotation of the output shaft of the power unit; a power transfer gear rotatable about an axis parallel with the transmission input and output shafts and driven by the transmission output shaft; a first wheel drive unit comprising a differential gear assembly for one first pair of road wheels and a planetary gear assembly having a first rotary member driven by the transfer gear, a second rotary member driving the differential gear assembly and a third rotary member; low-and-high speed shifting clutch means to provide coupling selectively between the power transfer gear and the third rotary member and between the third rotary member and a stationary member fixed in the vehicle; a second wheel drive unit wherein the driving power transmitted to the second rotary member is split into two components, one of which is carried to the differential gear assembly and the other of which is carried to a driven gear rotatable about an axis in a fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle; a driveline intervening between the driven gear and another pair of road wheels; and two-wheel/four-wheel drive shifting means intervening between the driven gear and the driveline.

A four-wheel-drive system for a vehicle, comprising a power unit having an output shaft in a lateral direction of the vehicle, a power transmission gear unit having input and output shafts parallel with the output shaft of the power unit, a speed reduction gear to be driven by the transmission output shaft, two final reduction gear units one of which is arranged for driving the front road wheels and the other of which is arranged to drive the rear road wheels of the vehicle, and a planetary gear assembly including a sun gear connected to one of the final reduction gear units, a ring gear connected to the other of the final reduction gear, and a pinion carrier connected to the speed reduction gear, the planetary gear assembly being capable of providing a differential action between the sun and ring gears thereof.

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Sagamihara, Japan

Kunihiko Suzuki