Patent US5279384A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US5279384A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Front and rear road wheel drive apparatus for motor vehicle
Assignee: Honda Motor Co Ltd
•
Filing: 1992-07-17
•
Granted: 1994-01-18
•
Expires: 2012-07-17
Abstract
Abstract A motor vehicle has a pair of main drive road wheels, a pair of auxiliary drive road wheels, and a differential disposed between the auxiliary drive road wheels, the main and auxiliary drive road wheels serving as the front and rear road wheels of the motor vehicle. An apparatus for driving the front and rear road wheels includes a speed increasing device disposed in a power transmission path leading to the differential between the auxiliary drive road wheels, detecting means for detecting a speed of travel of the motor vehicle and a steering variable, and control member for enabling the speed increasing device by predicting a turn of the motor vehicle based on the detected speed and the detected steering variable.
Inventors
- 👤 Yasuji Shibahata
- 👤 Shinji Ohkuma
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 18:03
CPC Classifications
B; B60; B60K; B60K17/00; B60K17/34; B60K17/348; B60K17/35; B60K23/00; B60K23/08; B60K23/0808; B60K23/04; B60K2023/043; B60K2023/085; B60K2023/0866; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T74/00; Y10T74/19; Y10T74/19023; Y10T74/19074
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
188 words
An apparatus for driving the front and rear road wheels of a motor vehicle having a pair of main drive road wheels, a pair of auxiliary drive road wheels, and a differential disposed between the auxiliary drive road wheels, said apparatus comprising: a speed increasing device disposed in a power transmission path leading to said differential between the auxiliary drive road wheels, said speed increasing device including input and output shafts and being switchable between a direct coupling state in which the rotational speed of the input shaft is the same as that of the output shaft and a speed increasing state in which the rotational speed of the output shaft is greater than that of the input shaft; detecting means for detecting a steering variable; control means for enabling said speed increasing device to be switched by predicting a turn of the motor vehicle at least based on the detected steering variable; and said differential including clutch means for adjusting the amounts of input drive forces to be transmitted via said power transmission path independently to each opposing one of said pair of auxiliary drive road wheels.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
188 words
An apparatus for driving the front and rear road wheels of a motor vehicle having a pair of main drive road wheels, a pair of auxiliary drive road wheels, and a differential disposed between the auxiliary drive road wheels, said apparatus comprising: a speed increasing device disposed in a power transmission path leading to said differential between the auxiliary drive road wheels, said speed increasing device including input and output shafts and being switchable between a direct coupling state in which the rotational speed of the input shaft is the same as that of the output shaft and a speed increasing state in which the rotational speed of the output shaft is greater than that of the input shaft; detecting means for detecting a steering variable; control means for enabling said speed increasing device to be switched by predicting a turn of the motor vehicle at least based on the detected steering variable; and said differential including clutch means for adjusting the amounts of input drive forces to be transmitted via said power transmission path independently to each opposing one of said pair of auxiliary drive road wheels.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
55 words
An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said detecting means includes means for detecting a speed of travel of the motor vehicle; and said control means includes means for controlling said speed increasing device dependent on a predicted steering value calculated based on said detected speed and a time-dependent change of said detected steering variable.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
95 words
An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said speed increasing device includes direct coupling means for directly coupling said main and auxiliary drive road wheels in relation to the relative transmission of the drive forces thereto, and speed increasing means for increasing the speed of rotation of the input drive forces transmitted to said auxiliary drive road wheels; and said control means includes means for defining with respect to said predicted steering value a threshold corresponding to said detected speed and for enabling said speed increasing means when said predicted steering value exceeds said threshold.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
93 words
An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said control means includes means for defining upper and lower limits for said threshold and for enabling said speed increasing means when said predicted steering value exceeds said lower limit and a time-dependent change of said predicted steering value is higher than a first predetermined value, and for disabling said speed increasing means and enabling said direct coupling means when said predicted steering value is lower than said upper limit and a time-dependent change of said predicted steering value is lower than a second predetermined value.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
23 words
An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said steering variable is a steering force applied to the steering wheel of the motor vehicle.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
25 words
An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said steering variable is a steering angle through which the steering wheel of the motor vehicle is turned.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
215 words
An apparatus for driving the main and auxiliary road wheels of a motor vehicle having main and auxiliary drive road wheel mechanisms, said apparatus comprising: a power transmission mechanism operatively interconnecting the main and auxiliary drive road wheel mechanisms in a power transmitting relationship; a speed increasing device disposed in said power transmission mechanism for increasing the speed of rotation of input drive forces to be transmitted to the auxiliary drive road wheel mechanism, said speed increasing device including input and output shafts and being switchable between a direct coupling state in which the rotational speed of the input shaft is the same as that of the output shaft and a speed increasing state in which the rotational speed of the output shaft is greater than that of the input shaft; detecting means for detecting a steering variable; control means for calculating a predicted steering value at least based on the detected steering variable, and for enabling said speed increasing device to be switched when a prescribed steering condition is predicted from the predicted steering value; and said auxiliary drive road wheel mechanism including clutch means for adjusting the amounts of input drive forces to be transmitted via said power transmission mechanism independently to each opposing one of said pair of auxiliary drive road wheels.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
215 words
An apparatus for driving the main and auxiliary road wheels of a motor vehicle having main and auxiliary drive road wheel mechanisms, said apparatus comprising: a power transmission mechanism operatively interconnecting the main and auxiliary drive road wheel mechanisms in a power transmitting relationship; a speed increasing device disposed in said power transmission mechanism for increasing the speed of rotation of input drive forces to be transmitted to the auxiliary drive road wheel mechanism, said speed increasing device including input and output shafts and being switchable between a direct coupling state in which the rotational speed of the input shaft is the same as that of the output shaft and a speed increasing state in which the rotational speed of the output shaft is greater than that of the input shaft; detecting means for detecting a steering variable; control means for calculating a predicted steering value at least based on the detected steering variable, and for enabling said speed increasing device to be switched when a prescribed steering condition is predicted from the predicted steering value; and said auxiliary drive road wheel mechanism including clutch means for adjusting the amounts of input drive forces to be transmitted via said power transmission mechanism independently to each opposing one of said pair of auxiliary drive road wheels.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
59 words
An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said detecting means includes means for detecting a speed of travel of the motor vehicle, and said control means includes means for defining with respect to said predicted steering value a threshold corresponding to said detected speed and for enabling said speed increasing device when said predicted steering value exceeds said threshold.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
109 words
An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said control means includes means for defining upper and lower limits for said threshold and for enabling said speed increasing device when the motor vehicle is in a first steering condition in which said predicted steering value exceeds said lower limit and a time-dependent change of said predicted steering value is higher than a first predetermined value, and for disabling said speed increasing device when the motor vehicle is in a second steering condition in which said predicted steering value is lower than said upper limit and a time-dependent change of said predicted steering value is lower than a second predetermined value.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
103 words
An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said speed increasing device includes direct coupling means for directly coupling said main and auxiliary drive road wheel mechanisms in relation to the relative transmission of the drive forces thereto, and speed increasing means for increasing the speed of rotation of the input drive forces transmitted to said auxiliary drive road wheel mechanisms; and said control means includes means for enabling said speed increasing means and controlling said clutch means to transmit a larger drive force to outer road wheels on a cornering circle, at least when the motor vehicle is in said first steering condition.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
39 words
An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said control means includes means for disabling said speed increasing means and enabling said direct coupling means when the motor vehicle enters from said first steering condition into said second steering condition.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
DE2720459A1
Cited
GB2136748A
Cited
EP0128436A2
Cited
JPS6294421A
Cited
EP0247820A2
Cited
JPS637845A
Cited
US4895217A
Cited
US4792009A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1997-01-17 | 1997-07-19 | 1998-01-18 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2001-01-17 | 2001-07-19 | 2002-01-18 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2005-01-17 | 2005-07-19 | 2006-01-18 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |