JP2003042263A - Differential gear - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve on-vehicle performance and reduce weight and cost by miniaturizing a mechanism for a changeover between a two-wheel drive state and a four-wheel drive state and a differential lock. SOLUTION: A differential gear comprises a rotary case 3 rotatable by an input of driving force of an engine, a bevel type differential mechanism 5 disposed in the rotary case 3 to provide differential distribution of the engine driving force to an axle, and a clutch member 21 movable in an axial direction and supported in a free relation to the rotary case 3. The bevel type differential mechanism 5 comprises a pinion shaft 31 fixed in a perpendicular direction to the rotary case 3, a pinion gear 35 rotatably supported on the pinion shaft 31, and side gears 37 and 39 engaged with the pinion gear 35 to produce output to the axle. The clutch member 21 is designed for separable engagement with the side gear 37 and an axle side 19 while disposed in the rotary case 3.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a differential device having a driving force interrupting function.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 9-104256 discloses a differential device 300 as shown in FIG.

This differential device 301 is provided with a differential cover 303, and a differential case 309 supported inside the differential cover 303 is rotatably connected to an engine via a ring gear 305 and a drive shaft 307, and also via a transfer. ing. A pinion gear 311 that rotates integrally is connected to the differential case 309, and the pair of side gears 311 is connected to the pinion gear 311.
13, 315 are meshed. Axles 317 and 319 are connected to the pair of side gears 313 and 315, respectively.

The differential cover 303 is extended along the axle 317, and the power transmission member 321 is arranged inside the extended portion. In the power transmission member 321,
The axle 317 includes the input shaft portion 317a and the driven shaft portion 3 on the wheel side.
17b and coaxially separated.

An outer ring 319 is splined to the driven shaft 317b, and an inner ring 321 is splined to the input shaft 317a. The outer ring 319 is rotatably supported by the differential cover 303, while the inner ring 321 is rotatably fitted inside the outer ring 319.
21 is a one-way clutch 32 including an inner ring 321.
3 is incorporated.

The one-way clutch 323 transmits torque when the rotation of the inner ring 321 (axle 317) exceeds the rotation of the outer ring 319 (wheel hub), and in the opposite case,
It acts so as not to transmit torque.

The input shaft 317a is provided with clutch means 325 which moves in the axial direction by an external operation.
The clutch means 325 is provided in a portion where the differential cover 303 extends along the axial direction of the axle shaft 317, rotates integrally with the input shaft 317a, and can move the input shaft 317a in the axial direction. And slider 3
And a multi-plate case 331 that is fitted to the outer side of 27 and has a multi-plate friction member 329 interposed therebetween.

A gear portion 327 is provided at the end of the slider 327.
While a is formed, the outer ring 319 is formed with a gear portion 319a with which the gear portion 327a can mesh. Then, the gear portions 327a and 319a mesh with each other,
The slider 327 and the outer ring 319 are coupled in the rotational direction, and when the mesh is disengaged, the coupling is released. The multi-plate case 331 is formed with a gear portion 331 that meshes with the gear portion 319a of the outer ring 319. The slider 327 is moved by operating the operation fork 333.

In the differential device 301, when the slider 327 is retracted, the gear parts 327a and 331a are not engaged with the gear part 319a of the outer ring 319, and the input shaft part 317a and the driven shaft part 317b are separated, Only the rear wheels are driven in the two-wheel drive mode.

On the other hand, when the slider 327 moves forward to the intermediate position, the gear portion 327a of the slider 327 is separated and the gear portion 331a of the multi-plate case 331 is separated.
Engages with the gear portion 319a of the outer ring 319, and these are integrated. In this state, when the driven shaft 317a exceeds the rotation speed of the input shaft 317a, the one-way clutch 323 interrupts the transmission of the driving force. That is, when the vehicle turns and has a snake angle, the outer wheels are free-running due to the difference in turning distance between the front wheels and the outer wheels.

When the slider 327 is moved to the most forward position, the gear portion 331a of the multi-plate case 331 and the outer ring 31 are moved.
9 is engaged with the gear portion 319a of the slider 9,
The gear portion 327a of No. 27 meshes with the gear portion 319a of the outer ring 319. As a result, the outer ring 319 and the slider 327 are integrated, and the outer ring 319 and the input shaft portion 317a are directly connected to each other, and the four-wheel drive state is set.

[0012]

In the conventional differential device 301, the axle 31 is set inside the differential case 303.
A clutch means 325 for controlling switching between a two-wheel drive state and a four-wheel drive state and free running is axially provided for a mechanism such as a pinion gear 311, a side gear 313, 315, etc. that performs differential with respect to 7, 319. Since they are arranged apart from each other, there is a possibility that the size of the whole becomes large and the vehicle mountability is affected.

Further, since the differential mechanism and the clutch means 325 are separately assembled by using different parts, the assembly for integrating them is troublesome, heavy, and costly. Will be.

In view of the above, the present invention has a compact differential mechanism for switching between differential and two-wheel drive states and four-wheel drive states, which improves the vehicle mountability and enables the weight reduction and cost reduction of the differential. The purpose is to provide a device.

[0015]

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a differential device, which is provided inside a rotating case, which receives the driving force of an engine and rotates, and which is provided inside the rotating case so as to reduce the driving force of the engine to the axle side. A differential device including a bevel-type differential mechanism that dynamically distributes and a clutch member that is movable in an axial direction and that is arranged in a freely supported state with respect to a rotating case, wherein the bevel-type differential mechanism is a rotating case. The pinion shaft is fixed at a right angle to the pinion shaft, the pinion gear rotatably supported on the pinion shaft, and the side gear that meshes with the pinion gear and outputs to the axle side.The clutch member is inside the rotating case. It is characterized in that it is disengageably engaged with the side gear and the axle side in the arranged state.

In this differential device, the pinion shaft is rotated by the rotation of the rotating case, and this rotation is transmitted from the pinion gear to the side gear.

When the clutch member is engaged with both the side gear and the axle side, the clutch member connects the side gear and the axle side. Therefore, the rotation of the rotating case is output from the side gear to the axle side, and the vehicle is rotated by four. Wheel drive state. At this time, if a difference in rotation occurs between the left and right wheels, the differential mechanism performs differential.

On the other hand, when the clutch member is not engaged with the side gear, the side gear and the axle side are disengaged from each other, so that only the side gear idles due to the rotation of the rotating case and the rotation to the axle side is blocked. Then, the vehicle enters the two-wheel drive state.

As in the present invention, in the structure in which the clutch member is provided inside the rotating case and the clutch member moves in the axial direction to engage / disengage the side gear and the axle side,
Since the clutch member, the side gear, and the axle side can be arranged close to each other, the size can be reduced and the vehicle mountability can be improved.

Further, the parts can be made common, the number of parts can be reduced, the assemblability can be improved, and the weight and cost can be reduced.

The invention of claim 2 is the differential device according to claim 1, characterized in that an engaging portion for engaging the clutch member is provided outside the side gear,
It has the same operation and effect as the invention of claim 1.

Further, by providing the engaging portion with which the clutch member engages on the outside of the side gear, a space for forming the engaging portion can be secured and the engaging portion can be enlarged. For this reason, the power transmission capacity increases, and stable power transmission becomes possible.

The invention according to claim 3 is the differential device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the clutch member and the side gear are arranged at positions where their radial projection planes overlap. It has the same operation and effect as the invention of claim 1 or claim 2.

Further, since the radial projection surface of the clutch member and the radial projection surface of the side gear are arranged in such a position as to overlap with each other, the space in the axial direction is reduced and the shaft of the differential device is reduced. The direction length can be shortened. Thereby, the vehicle mountability can be further improved.

The invention according to claim 4 is the differential device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the clutch member is arranged on one side of the differential center and the clutch member is axially arranged on the other side. An actuator to be moved is arranged, and the actuator and the clutch member are connected by a connecting member, and the same operation and effect as the inventions of claims 1 to 3 are provided.

Further, according to the present invention, the clutch member is moved in the axial direction by the actuator, but since the clutch member and the actuator are arranged on both sides of the differential center, the weight distribution is improved and a smooth differential motion is achieved. Can be secured.

[0027]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A rear differential 1 will be described with reference to FIG.

The rear differential 1 has the features of claims 1 to 4. The rear differential 1 is a differential device with a torque interrupting function and is used for a four-wheel drive vehicle and is disconnected when in a two-wheel drive state. FIG. 1 shows a rear differential 1, and the left and right directions are the left and right directions in this four-wheel drive vehicle and FIG. Further, members and the like not given reference numerals in the following description are not shown.

The rear differential 1 (differential device for distributing the driving force of the engine to the left and right rear wheels) is arranged inside the differential carrier, and an oil reservoir is formed inside the differential carrier.

As shown in FIG. 1, a rotating case 3 that is rotated by inputting the driving force of the engine and a bevel type differential mechanism 5 provided inside the rotating case 3 are provided.

The rotating case 3 is assembled by abutting the left and right hollow cases 11 and 13 and tightening the abutting flange portions 11a and 13a with bolts. The left and right cases 11 and 13 have bosses 7 and
9 is formed in the axial direction, and the rotating case 3 is supported by the differential carrier at the bosses 7 and 9 via bearings.

A ring gear is fixed to the rotating case 3 with bolts. The ring gear meshes with the drive pinion gear, and the drive pinion gear is formed integrally with the drive pinion shaft. The drive pinion shaft is connected to the transfer device via a joint and a propeller shaft, and the driving force of the engine rotates the rotating case 3 from the transfer device via the rear wheel side power transmission system.

Further, the transfer device is provided with a 2-4 switching mechanism for disconnecting the rear wheel side power transmission system when the two wheels are driven.

The bevel type differential mechanism 5 has a plurality of pinion shafts 31 whose ends are fixed to the rotating case 3 by spring pins 33. A pinion gear 35 is rotatably supported on each pinion shaft 31, and output side gears 37 and 39 are engaged with each pinion gear 35 from the left and right.

A hub portion 43 extends integrally with the right side gear 39 in the axial direction. On the other hand, the left side gear 37 is arranged with the hub portion 41 in surface contact therewith. These hub portions (axle side) 41, 43 are spline-connected to the left and right rear axles, respectively.

The hubs 41 and 43 are the rotating case 3
The boss portions 7 and 9 extend in the same axis direction and are inserted into the corresponding boss portions 7 and 9. This insertion portion is supported by the step portions 15 and 17 on the inner surface of the boss portions 7 and 9 of the rotating case 3.

The hub portion 41, which is in surface contact with the left side gear 37, is provided with a connecting flange 19 extending in the radial direction orthogonal to the axial direction. The outer peripheral surface of the connecting flange 19 has engaging teeth 19a. Are formed. On the other hand, the left side gear 37 has the same length as the connecting flange 19 and extends in the radial direction, and engaging teeth (engaging portions) 37a are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the extending end. Therefore, the engaging tooth 1
9a and the engaging teeth 37a are arranged side by side.

A clutch member 21 is inserted between the rotary case 3 and the connecting flange 19 and the left side gear 37. The clutch member 21 has a ring shape, and an engaging tooth 21a that engages with the engaging tooth 19a of the coupling flange 19 and the engaging tooth 37a of the side gear 37 in a detachable manner is formed on the inner peripheral surface thereof. ing.

The clutch member 21 is arranged at a position where the side gear 37 and the radial projection surface of the clutch member 21 and the radial projection surface of the side gear 37 overlap each other, and the rotating case 3
However, the rotation of the rotating case 3 is not transmitted and the rotation of the rotating case 3 is not transmitted. The clutch member 21 is axially reciprocally movable between the connecting flange 19 and the left side gear 37 and the rotating case 3, and by this axial movement, the engagement teeth 19a and 37a are engaged. And withdrawal is performed.

Thrust washers 49, 51, 53 are arranged between the side gear 39 and the rotating case 3, between the side gear 37 and the connecting flange 19, and between the connecting flange 19 and the rotating case 3, respectively. As a result, the meshing thrust force of the side gears 37 and 39 is received.

An actuator 23 for moving the clutch member 21 in the axial direction is arranged on the opposite side of the rotating case 3 from the clutch member 21. Clutch member 2
The actuator 1 and the actuator 23 are disposed in the left and right opposite directions with respect to the differential center, and they are connected by a rod-shaped connecting member 25.

The rod-shaped connecting member 25 is used for the rotating case 3
It is inserted through the inside along the axial direction, the left end thereof contacts the clutch member 21, and the right end thereof is connected to the actuator 23 outside the rotating case 3. The connecting member 2
5 is prevented from coming off from the rotating case 3 by a retaining ring 27 such as an E ring.

A return spring 29 is arranged between the clutch member 21 and the rotating case 3 and urges the clutch member 21 to move to the actuator 23 side.

The upper half of FIG.
The operation of No. 3 is stopped and the clutch member 21 is moved to the right by the urging force of the return spring 29. In this state, the engaging teeth 21a are engaged with the side gear 3
7 engaging teeth 37a and connecting flange 19 engaging teeth 19a
, And the side gear 37 and the connecting flange 19 are connected via a clutch member 21.
In this state, since the rotation of the rotating case 3 is transmitted from the side gear 37 to the connecting flange 19 (hub portion 41),
The vehicle is in the four-wheel drive state. At this time, if a difference in rotation occurs between the left and right wheels, the differential mechanism causes the differential.

The lower half of FIG. 1 is the actuator 2
3 shows a state in which the clutch member 21 has moved to the left side via the connecting member 25 by 3. In this state, the clutch member is disengaged from the side gear 37, so that the side gear 37 and the connecting member 25 are separated. Therefore, only the side gear 37 idles due to the rotation of the rotating case 3, the rotation toward the axle side via the coupling flange 19 is blocked, and the vehicle enters the two-wheel drive state.

The above-mentioned 2-4 switching mechanism and the movement of the clutch member 21 are simultaneously connected when switching from the two-wheel drive state to the four-wheel drive state, and simultaneously performed when switching from the four-wheel drive state to the two-wheel drive state. The connection is released.

In the four-wheel drive state, the driving force of the engine is transmitted from the rear wheel side power transmission system to the rotating case 3 via the 2-4 switching mechanism. The rotation of the rotating case 3 is performed by rotating the side gear 3 from the pinion shaft 31 via the pinion gear 35.
It is distributed to 7, 39 and transmitted to the left and right rear wheels via each axle. Further, for example, when a driving resistance difference occurs between the rear wheels during traveling on a rough road and any one of the rear wheels spins, each pinion gear 35 rotates to cause the driving force of the engine to be differential between the left and right rear wheels. Will be distributed.

In the two-wheel drive state, the clutch member 2
1 and the rear wheel becomes free rotation, and 2-4
The power transmission system from the switching mechanism to the rotating case 3 is separated from both the driving force of the engine and the accompanying rotation of the rear wheels, and the rotation is stopped.

As described above, in the two-wheel drive state, since the rear wheel side power transmission system is prevented from rotating together, vibration is reduced and the riding comfort is improved, and at the same time, wear is caused at each part of the rear wheel side power transmission system. Is reduced and durability is improved, and the load on the engine is reduced by the reduction of the rotational resistance, and fuel consumption can be improved.

The rotating case 3 has spiral oil grooves 81 and 83 formed on the inner circumferences of the bosses 7 and 9, respectively. The oil in the oil reservoir formed on the differential carrier is
The oil scraped up by the rotation of the rotating case 3 (ring gear) enters the inside of the rotating case 3 due to the screw pump action of the oil grooves 81 and 83, and lubricates
Improve the cooling effect.

Thus, the rear differential 1 is constructed.

As described above, in the rear differential 1, the clutch member 21 is arranged inside the rotating case 3, and the side gear 37 and the connecting flange 19 are connected and released by the axial movement of the clutch member 21. The member 21, the side gear 37, and the connecting flange 19 can be arranged close to each other. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the size and improve the vehicle mountability.

Further, as the clutch member 21 moves in the axial direction, the engaging teeth 21a of the clutch member 21 are engaged with the side gear 37.
Since it engages with both the engaging tooth 37a of the above and the engaging tooth 19a of the connecting flange 19, it is not necessary to individually engage with them, and parts can be made common. For this reason,
The number of parts is reduced, the assemblability is improved, and the weight and cost can be reduced.

Further, since the engaging teeth 37a with which the clutch member 21 engages are provided on the outer peripheral surface (outside) of the side gear 37, a space for forming the engaging teeth 37a can be secured and the engaging teeth 37a can be enlarged. You can For this reason, the power transmission capacity increases, and stable power transmission becomes possible.

Further, since the radial projection surface of the clutch member 21 and the radial projection surface of the side gear 37 are arranged at the overlapping position, the space for arranging them is reduced in the axial direction, and the shaft of the differential device is reduced. The direction length can be shortened. Thereby, the vehicle mountability can be further improved.

Further, since the clutch member 21 and the actuator 23 are arranged on both sides of the differential center, the weight distribution becomes good and a smooth differential can be secured.

In the present invention, the differential mechanism 5 is not limited to the bevel type differential mechanism, but may be, for example, a planetary gear type differential mechanism or a worm gear type differential mechanism.

Further, the differential device of the present invention is
It can be used for both the front diff (rear diff that distributes the engine drive power to the left and right front wheels) and rear diff (rear diff that distributes the engine drive power to the left and right rear wheels). It can also be used for a differential device that distributes driving force to front wheels and rear wheels.

[0059]

According to the invention of claim 1, the clutch member is provided inside the rotating case, and further, the clutch member moves in the axial direction and engages and disengages with the side gear and the axle side. The axles can be arranged close to each other, the size can be reduced, and the vehicle mountability can be improved.

Further, the parts can be made common, the number of parts can be reduced, the assemblability can be improved, and the weight and cost can be reduced.

According to the invention of claim 2, in addition to having the same effect as that of the invention of claim 1, since the engaging portion with which the clutch member is engaged is provided outside the side gear, the engaging portion is formed. A space can be secured, an engagement portion can be enlarged, power transmission capacity can be increased, and stable power transmission can be achieved.

According to the invention of claim 3, in addition to having the same effect as that of the invention of claim 1 or claim 2, since the space in the axial direction of the clutch member and the side gear is reduced, the differential device The axial length can be shortened, and the vehicle mountability can be further improved.

According to the invention of claim 4, in addition to the same effect as the invention of claims 1 to 3, since the clutch member and the actuator are arranged on both sides of the differential center, the weight distribution becomes good. It is possible to secure a smooth differential.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Rear differential (differential device) 3 rotating cases 5 Bevel type differential mechanism 19 Connection flange 21 Clutch member 23 Actuator 25 Connection member 37 Side gear 39 Side gear 41 Hub 43 Hub

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A rotating case that receives the driving force of an engine and rotates, and a bevel-type differential mechanism that is provided inside the rotating case and differentially distributes the driving force of the engine to the axle side.
A differential device including a clutch member that is movable in the axial direction and is arranged in a freely supported state with respect to a rotating case, wherein a bevel-type differential mechanism is a pinion shaft fixed to the rotating case at a right angle, It consists of a pinion gear rotatably supported on the pinion shaft and a side gear that meshes with the pinion gear and outputs to the axle side.The clutch member is arranged inside the rotating case and engages with the side gear and the axle side. A differential device characterized in that the engagement device is engaged and disengageable. 2. The differential device according to claim 1, wherein an engaging portion with which the clutch member engages is provided outside the side gear. 3. The differential device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the clutch member and the side gear are arranged at positions where radial projection planes overlap each other. 4. The differential device according to claim 1, wherein a clutch member is arranged on one side of the differential center and the clutch member is axially moved on the other side. Is arranged, and the actuator and the clutch member are connected by a connecting member.