US5287942A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Vehicle power train structure
Assignee: Mazda Motor Corp
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Filing: 1992-11-20
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Granted: 1994-02-22
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Expires: 2012-11-20
Abstract
Abstract This invention has as its object to provide a vehicle power train structure, which can decrease the total height and the total length of the entire power train as a combination of an engine, a transmission, a drive shaft, and the like. In order to achieve this object, a power train structure according to this embodiment includes an engine which has a plurality of cylinders arranged in series with each other, and is mounted in a vehicle body with a bore center axis of the cylinder inclining downwardly towards a cylinder head of said cylinder with respect to horizontal plane of the vehicle, such that a crankshaft as an output shaft extends in the widthwise direction of the vehicle body, a transmission, arranged at a position neighboring the engine to be substantially parallel to the extending direction of the crankshaft, for receiving a rotating force of the engine, and a drive shaft, arranged behind the transmission to extend in the widthwise direction of the vehicle body, for receiving the rotating force of the engine from the transmission.
Inventors
- 👤 Jiro Maebayashi
- 👤 Isao Tohda
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 13:12
CPC Classifications
B; B60; B60K; B60K17/00; B60K17/22; B60K5/00; B60K5/04
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
146 words
A vehicle power train structure comprising: an engine which has a plurality of cylinders and is mounted in a vehicle body with a bore center axis of each of said cylinders inclining downwardly towards a corresponding cylinder head of each of said cylinder with respect to a horizontal plane of the vehicle; a crankshaft which functions as an output shaft extending in a widthwise direction of said vehicle body, said cylinder head being located below a horizontal plane extending through said crankshaft; a transmission having a shaft which is arranged at a position neighboring said engine to be substantially parallel to an extending direction of said crankshaft, for receiving a rotating force of said engine; and a drive shaft arranged below said transmission, said drive shaft extending in a widthwise direction of said vehicle body, for receiving the rotating force of said engine from said transmission.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
146 words
A vehicle power train structure comprising: an engine which has a plurality of cylinders and is mounted in a vehicle body with a bore center axis of each of said cylinders inclining downwardly towards a corresponding cylinder head of each of said cylinder with respect to a horizontal plane of the vehicle; a crankshaft which functions as an output shaft extending in a widthwise direction of said vehicle body, said cylinder head being located below a horizontal plane extending through said crankshaft; a transmission having a shaft which is arranged at a position neighboring said engine to be substantially parallel to an extending direction of said crankshaft, for receiving a rotating force of said engine; and a drive shaft arranged below said transmission, said drive shaft extending in a widthwise direction of said vehicle body, for receiving the rotating force of said engine from said transmission.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
59 words
The power train structure according to claim 1, wherein said engine is mounted on a frame having two side members extending in a back-and-forth direction of said vehicle body, and a plurality of cross members extending between said two side members, and the cross member located at a forwardmost position of said vehicle body, is arranged below said transmission.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
40 words
The power train structure according to claim 2, wherein said engine is arranged on said frame so as to be slanted toward a side where said transmission is mounted to have a side of said cylinder head as a fulcrum.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
44 words
The power train structure according to claim 3, wherein said transmission is arranged at a front side of said engine of said vehicle body, and a serge tank connected to an intake manifold for supplying air to said engine is arranged above said transmission.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
38 words
The power train structure according to claim 3, wherein said transmission is arranged at a front side of said engine of said vehicle body, and a steering gear box for steering front wheels is arranged behind said engine.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
52 words
The power train structure according to claim 3, wherein said transmission is arranged at a rear side of said engine of said vehicle body, and an exhaust pipe connected to a rear-side portion of said cylinder head extends to a rear portion of said vehicle body via a portion below said transmission.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
81 words
The power train structure according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of cylinders are arranged in a V shape, said structure further comprising: a plurality of exhaust mainfolds respectively connected to said plurality of cylinder heads to extend inside a banking angle of the V shape; a plurality of intake manifolds respectively connected to said plurality of cylinder heads to extend outside the banking angle of the V shape; and a collecting portion of said intake manifolds, arranged above said engine.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
44 words
The power train structure according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of cylinders are arranged in a V shape, said structure further comprising: a drive shaft, arranged at a middle position between a banking angle of the V shape, and coupled to front wheels.
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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) | 1997-02-21 | 1997-08-23 | 1998-02-22 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2001-02-21 | 2001-08-23 | 2002-02-22 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2005-02-21 | 2005-08-23 | 2006-02-22 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |