All-wheel drive system for vehicles

US4605087A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Volkswagenwerk AG · DE

Inventors

• Karl Ashauer
• Bernd Richter · Dresden, DE
• Manfred Kalversberg · Wolfsburg, DE
• Rudiger Schmidt · Munich, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: May 9, 1984
• Grant date: Aug 12, 1986
• Expiry date: May 9, 2004

Classification

• Technology area (CPC F): Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
• CPC primary: F16D47/06
• WIPO field: Transport
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

In the particular embodiments described in the specification, an all-wheel drive system is disclosed wherein either the wheels of both the front axle and the rear axle of a vehicle are driven continuously and the front axle and rear axle can be rigidly coupled with each other, or wherein the wheels of only one axle are driven continuously while the drive for the wheels of the second axle can be obtained automatically by means of a viscosity clutch arranged in the driving train between the front axle and the rear axle so that the front and the rear axles are coupled with each other essentially rigidly according to the torque. In addition, one or more coupling devices are provided which are constructed so that a decrease in the rotational speed of the front wheels, caused in particular by the actuation of the service brake, cannot be transmitted through the driving train to the rear wheels.