The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 23, 2002
Filed:
Nov. 30, 2000
Kentaro Arai, Wako, JP;
Rikiya Kunii, Wako, JP;
Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
In a power transmission system for a four-wheel drive vehicle, a multiple disk clutch for distributing a proportion of the torque of the front wheels to the rear wheels is provided between a driving shaft which is connected to the front wheels which are main driven wheels and a driven shaft which is connected to the rear wheels which are auxiliary driven wheels. Between the driving shaft and the driven shaft a torque cam mechanism, a hydraulic pump and a bidirectional clutch mechanism are provided, in that order. When the rotational rate of the front wheels exceeds the rotational rate of the rear wheels, the bidirectional clutch mechanism is engaged, a first rotor of the hydraulic pump which is operatively connected to the front wheels and a second rotor which is operatively connected to the rear wheels rotate relative to each other, and a rotational load is generated by a hydraulic circuit. A first cam element and a second cam element of the torque cam mechanism rotate relative to each other as a result of the above-mentioned rotational load so as to generate a thrust force, and this thrust force causes engagement of the multiple disk clutch so as to put the vehicle into a four-wheel drive mode. It is thus possible to decrease the torque transmission capacity of the bidirectional clutch mechanism so reducing its size and cost.