Four-wheel-drive vehicle and control unit for four-wheel-drive vehicle
US9022158B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 21, 2013 |
| Grant date | May 5, 2015 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 4, 2033 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB60K23/0808
- WIPO fieldTransport
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A four-wheel-drive vehicle includes a dog clutch provided between a propeller shaft and an engine, a torque coupling provided between a rear differential and rear wheels, and an ECU that controls the dog clutch and the torque coupling. When a drive mode is switched from a two-wheel-drive mode where the transmissions of torque by the dog clutch and the torque coupling are both interrupted, to a four-wheel-drive mode, the ECU sets the amount of torque that is transmitted by the torque coupling to a first torque value (T1) to increase the speed of rotation of the propeller shaft, and then sets the amount of torque that is transmitted by the torque coupling to a second torque value (T2) that is lower than the first torque value (T1), and engages the dog clutch when the rotations of first and second rotary members of the dog clutch are synchronized with each other.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.