Patent US5143167A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US5143167A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Four-wheel-drive motor vehicle of transversely-disposed engine type
Assignee: Mazda Motor Corp
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Filing: 1990-09-04
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Granted: 1992-09-01
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Expires: 2010-09-04
Abstract
Abstract In a four-wheel-drive motor vehicle of transversely-disposed engine type, an engine and a transmission are disposed so as to be longitudinally offset from each other and to locate a gravitational center thereof in a rearward position of an axle of front wheels, and in addition an output shaft of the transmission and a center differential are disposed coaxially. With this arrangement, imbalanced weight distribution of the vehicle body on front wheels can be corrected, and a longitudinally-compact layout of the power transmission device can be obtained. Further, a height of a bonnet can be lowered.
Inventors
- 👤 Naomune Moriyama
- 👤 Takahito Yokouchi
- 👤 Reiji Kikuchi
- 👤 Koichi Yamamoto
- 👤 Hideaki Akaboshi
- 👤 Ayumu Doi
- 👤 Masaki Kadokura
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 16:16
CPC Classifications
B; B60; B60K; B60K17/00; B60K17/34; B60K17/344; B60K17/346; B60K17/3462; B60K17/3465; B60K5/00; B60K5/04
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 23
Claim 1
Independent Claim
156 words
A four-wheel-drive motor vehicle, comprising: an engine and a transmission, both disposed transversely at a front part of a vehicle body, a center differential for distributing a driving torque from said transmission to a front wheel side and a rear wheel side, said transmission including an input shaft and an output shaft, said input shaft and said output shaft being arranged substantially parallel to one another; wherein said engine and said transmission are disposed so as to be offset from each other in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body and to locate a gravitational center of the engine and transmission combination in a rearward position of an axle of front wheels, said output shaft of said transmission extends in a transverse direction of the vehicle with said output shaft and said center differential disposed coaxially, and a transmission ratio is changed by switching a gear transmission channel between said input shaft and said output shaft.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
156 words
A four-wheel-drive motor vehicle, comprising: an engine and a transmission, both disposed transversely at a front part of a vehicle body, a center differential for distributing a driving torque from said transmission to a front wheel side and a rear wheel side, said transmission including an input shaft and an output shaft, said input shaft and said output shaft being arranged substantially parallel to one another; wherein said engine and said transmission are disposed so as to be offset from each other in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body and to locate a gravitational center of the engine and transmission combination in a rearward position of an axle of front wheels, said output shaft of said transmission extends in a transverse direction of the vehicle with said output shaft and said center differential disposed coaxially, and a transmission ratio is changed by switching a gear transmission channel between said input shaft and said output shaft.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
25 words
A four-wheel-drive motor vehicle of transversely-disposed engine type as defined in claim 1 wherein said transmission is disposed in a forward position of said engine.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
43 words
A four-wheel-drive motor vehicle of transversely-disposed engine type as defined in claim 2 wherein said transmission is disposed in a forward position of said engine, and said output shaft of said transmission is disposed coaxially with said center differential and a front differential.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
38 words
A four-wheel-drive motor vehicle of transversely-disposed engine type as defined in claim 3 wherein both said center differential and said front differential are disposed on one side of said transmission in the widthwise direction of the vehicle body.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
38 words
A four-wheel-drive motor vehicle of transversely-disposed engine type as defined in claim 3 wherein said center differential and said front differential are disposed separately on both sides of said transmission in the widthwise direction of the vehicle body.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
32 words
A four-wheel-drive motor vehicle of transversely-disposed engine type as defined in claim 3 further comprising output means for outputting power from a portion between said engine and a clutch to said transmission.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
58 words
A four-wheel-drive motor vehicle of transversely-disposed engine type as defined in claim 4 where an input shaft and an output shaft of said transmission extend from a casing to mutually opposed directions in the widthwise direction of the vehicle body, and said center differential and said front differential are disposed on a side where said output shaft extends.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
58 words
A four-wheel-drive motor vehicle of transversely-disposed engine type as defined in claim 4 wherein an input shaft and an output shaft of said transmission extend from a casing to mutually opposed directions in the widthwise direction of the vehicle body, and said center differential and said front differential are disposed on a side where said input shaft extends.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
33 words
A four-wheel-drive motor vehicle of transversely-disposed engine type as defined in claim 7 wherein both said center differential and front differential are provided respectively with a viscous coupling for restricting a rotational differential.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
38 words
A four-wheel-drive motor vehicle of transversely-disposed engine type as defined in claim 7 further comprising a reduction gear mechanism which is provided between said output shaft of said transmission and said center differential in a power transmission channel.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
33 words
A four-wheel-drive motor vehicle of transversely-disposed engine type as defined in claim 8 wherein both said center differential and front differential are provided respectively with a viscous coupling for restricting a rotational differential.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
38 words
A four-wheel-drive motor vehicle of transversely-disposed engine type as defined in claim 8 further comprising a reduction gear mechanism which is provided between said output shaft of said transmission and said center differential in a power transmission channel.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
33 words
A four-wheel-drive motor vehicle of transversely-disposed engine type as defined in claim 5 wherein both said center differential and front differential are provided respectively with a viscous coupling for restricting a rotational differential.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
38 words
A four-wheel-drive motor vehicle of transversely-disposed engine type as defined in claim 5 further comprising a reduction gear mechanism which is provided between said output shaft of said transmission and said center differential in a power transmission channel.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
52 words
A four-wheel-drive motor vehicle of transversely-disposed engine type as defined in claim 6 wherein said output means comprises a clutch pulley provided in an output portion of said clutch, a transmission pulley provided in said input shaft of said transmission, and a belt engaged with both said clutch pulley and transmission pulley.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
29 words
A four-wheel-drive motor vehicle of transversely-disposed engine type as defined in claim 2 wherein said output shaft is disposed in a lower position in relation to said input shaft.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
29 words
A four-wheel-drive motor vehicle of transversely-disposed engine type as defined in claim 16 wherein said output shaft is dispoed in a rearward position in relation to said input shaft.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
48 words
A four-wheel-drive motor vehicle of transversely-disposed engine type as defined in claim 17 further comprising a shaft extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body along a side of said engine in order to transmit said driving torque from said center differential to said rear wheel side.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
25 words
A four-wheel-drive motor vehicle of transversely-disposed engine type as defined in claim 1 wherein said transmission is disposed in a rearward position of said engine.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
41 words
A four-wheel-drive motor vehicle of transversely-disposed engine type as defined in claim 1 wherein said transmission is disposed in a forward position of said engine, and said output shaft is disposed in a lower position in relation to said input shaft.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
29 words
A four-wheel-drive motor vehicle of transversely-disposed engine type as defined in claim 20 wherein said output shaft is disposed in a rearward position in relation to said input shaft.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
47 words
A four-wheel-drive motor vehicle of transversely-disposed engine type as defined in claim 21 comprising a shaft extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body along a side of said engine in order to transmit said driving torque from said center differential to said rear wheel side.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1995-09-01 | 1996-03-02 | 1996-09-01 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1999-09-01 | 2000-03-02 | 2000-09-01 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2003-09-01 | 2004-03-02 | 2004-09-01 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |