Four-wheel drive automotive vehicle

Claim 1

A four-wheel drive automotive vehicle comprising: a front shaft for driving front wheels having first and second divided portions, said first portion of the front shaft driving one of the front wheels and said second portion of the front shaft driving the other front wheel; a rear shaft for driving rear wheels having first and second divided portions, said first portion of the rear shaft driving one of the rear wheels and said second portion of the rear shaft driving the other rear wheel; an engine having a crank shaft rotatable about an axis extending in a transverse direction of a vehicle body; a transmission having a speed change mechanism between an input shaft and a first output shaft each rotatable about an axis extending in a transverse direction of the vehicle body and arranged in parallel with each other, said input shaft driven by said crank shaft; a final reduction gear driven by said first output shaft and having a second output shaft arranged substantially in a coaxial relationship to one of said front and rear shafts; a first differential device having at least first and second pinion gears each rotatably supported by a first shaft which extends at a right angle to said one of the front and rear shafts and is driven by said second output shaft to rotate about an axis of rotation of said second output shaft, said first differential device having first and second side gears arranged substantially in a coaxial relationship to said one of the front and rear shafts and facing each other, said first and second pinion gears each positioned between said first and second side gears and each meshing with said first and second side gears in such a manner that the first and second side gears are rotatable at different speeds; a second differential device having at least third and fourth pinion gears each rotatably supported by a second shaft which extends at a right angle to said one of the front and rear shafts and is driven by said first side gear, said second differential device having third and fourth side gears, said third side gear rotatable about an axis of rotation of said one of the front and rear shafts and driving said first portion of said one of the front and rear shafts, said fourth side gear rotatable about the axis of rotation of said one of the front and rear shafts and driving said second portion of said one of the front and rear shafts, said third and fourth pinion gears each positioned between said third and fourth side gears and meshing with said third and fourth side gears in such a manner that the third and fourth side gears are rotatable at different speeds; a first transfer gear which rotates together with said second side gear of the first differential device about an axis of rotation of said second side gear; a direction change gear device for changing a rotation direction of drive power of the first transfer gear into a different direction at a right angle thereto thereby to drive a third differential device for driving said first and second portions of the other one of the front and rear shafts, said first and second portions of said other one of the front and rear shafts being rotatable at different speeds.