Transfer for four-wheel drive vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9994103-B2
Application number	US-201615219905-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 26, 2016
Priority date	Jul 27, 2015
Publication date	Jun 12, 2018
Grant date	Jun 12, 2018

Abstract

A transfer for a four-wheel drive vehicle includes a case, an input shaft, a output shaft, a output member, a friction clutch, an actuator, a pressing mechanism, a locking sleeve, a first locking sleeve driving mechanism, and a second locking sleeve driving mechanism. The second locking sleeve driving mechanism is configured to move a locking sleeve independently of the actuator and the first locking sleeve driving mechanism. The second locking sleeve driving mechanism includes a pushpin. The pushpin is configured to move in a second axial direction that is perpendicular to a first axial direction and engage with a cam groove. The pushpin is configured to move the locking sleeve toward the output member side as the locking sleeve rotates when the pushpin is engaged with the cam groove.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A transfer for a four-wheel drive vehicle, comprising:
a case;
an input shaft that is supported by the case so as to rotate with respect to the case;
a output shaft that is supported, concentric with the input shaft, by the case so as to rotate with respect to the case, the output shaft configured to output power to first left and right driving wheels;
a output member that is supported concentric with the output shaft so as to rotate relatively with respect to the output shaft, the output member configured to output power to second left and right driving wheels;
a friction clutch configured to transmit some of the power of the output shaft to the output member;
an actuator;
a pressing mechanism configured to apply engaging force to the friction clutch by output of the actuator;
a locking sleeve that is arranged relatively non-rotatable with respect to the output shaft, the locking sleeve configured to move in a first axial direction along an axis of the output shaft with respect to the output shaft, the locking sleeve configured to selectively connect to the output member by moving in the first axial direction, an outer peripheral surface of the locking sleeve including a cam groove such that a groove width of the cam groove in a rotational direction of the locking sleeve decreases from the output shaft toward the output member;
a first locking sleeve driving mechanism configured to drive the locking sleeve toward the output member side by the output of the actuator; and
a second locking sleeve driving mechanism configured to move the locking sleeve independently of the actuator and the first locking sleeve driving mechanism, the second locking sleeve driving mechanism including a pushpin, the pushpin configured to move in a second axial direction that is perpendicular to the first axial direction and engage with the cam groove, the pushpin configured to move the locking sleeve toward the output member side as the locking sleeve rotates when the pushpin is engaged with the cam groove.

2. The transfer according to claim 1 , wherein
the actuator is an electric motor;
the pressing mechanism includes a ball screw that converts rotational motion of the electric motor to linear motion, and a piston that transmits linear motion force of the ball screw to the friction clutch; and
the first locking sleeve driving mechanism includes the ball screw, and a fork shaft and a fork that transmit the linear motion force of the ball screw to the locking sleeve.

3. The transfer according to claim 1 , wherein
the second locking sleeve driving mechanism includes a spring that urges the pushpin in a direction toward the locking sleeve or a direction opposite the direction toward the locking sleeve, and a second actuator that selectively controls a movement of the pushpin.

4. The transfer according to claim 1 , wherein
the second locking sleeve driving mechanism includes a spring that urges the pushpin in a direction opposite a direction toward the locking sleeve, and the pushpin is provided so as to be able to be manually operated from outside the case.

5. The transfer according to claim 1 , wherein
an inclined cam surface formed on the cam groove is inclined such that a groove width in a rotational direction of the locking sleeve of the cam groove becomes larger farther toward an outer periphery in a radial direction of the locking sleeve.

6. The transfer according to claim 1 , wherein
the locking sleeve receives thrust applied in a locking direction toward the output member side from the first locking sleeve driving mechanism via a first spring, and receives thrust applied in an unlocking direction toward a side away from the output member by a second spring.

7. The transfer according to claim 1 , wherein
the transfer includes a high-low switching mechanism that changes a rate of rotation input from the input shaft and transmits the resultant rotation to the output shaft; and
the first locking sleeve driving mechanism is configured to drive the locking sleeve in conjunction with the driving of the high-low switching mechanism.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Takaira Koji
• Sugimoto Takayuki

Classifications

• F16H3/54

  one of the central gears being internally toothed and the other externally toothed · CPC title

• B60K2023/0825

  for adding torque to the front wheels · CPC title

• B60Y2400/4244

  of wet type, e.g. using multiple lamellae · CPC title

• B60K17/346 Primary

  the transfer gear being a differential gear · CPC title

• B60K17/35 Primary

  including arrangements for suppressing or influencing the power transfer, e.g. viscous clutches · CPC title