Toyota Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha

Nippon Soken, Inc.

Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha

Norimichi Kasegawa

Shigeyuki Akita

Junji Kitagawa

Akira Nakamura

A control device for controlling differential limiting mechanisms of a four-wheel drive car provided with a central differential gear having a first differential limiting mechanism, a differential gear having a second differential limiting mechanism incorporated in a rear drive shaft and a differential gear incorporated in a front drive shaft includes sensors for detecting the rotational frequencies of the wheels, actuators for operating the respective differential limiting mechanisms and a controller. The controller controls the actuators such that the differential is greatly limited by the first differential limiting mechanism when a difference between the rotational frequencies of the front and rear wheels is larger than a predetermined value and the differential is greatly limited by the second differential limiting mechanism when a difference between the rotational frequencies of the left and right wheels is larger than a predetermined value.

Control device for differential limiting mechanisms of four-wheel drive

A torque sensor generates an electric signal representing a change in the state of electromagnetic or electrostatic coupling between first and second rotors coupled together by a torsion spring. The change is caused with relative rotation of the two rotors caused by detected torque in a power assisted steering system of an automotive vehicle.

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Susono, Japan

Norimichi Kasegawa