Transmission for four-wheel drive vehicle
US6254506A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 24, 1999 |
| Grant date | Jul 3, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 24, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB60K17/3465
- WIPO fieldTransport
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A motor vehicle transmission has a differential assembly (17) in which one input, sun gear (39), of an epicyclic gear train can be selectively coupled by a sleeve (59) through a viscous coupling (55) to either an input, i.e. annulus gear (31), or to another output, i.e. carrier (36). Coupling the sun gear to the annulus gear gives a low resistance mode of operation and coupling the sun gear to the carrier gives a high resistance mode of operation. A locked mode where the annulus is locked to the sun gear is also described, together with a free mode where the viscous coupling is disconnected from both the annulus gear and the carrier. The sleeve is lined to the control of a range change gearbox to select the low resistance mode when a high range is selected for on-road use and a high resistance mode is selected when a low range is selected for off-road use.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.