JP2003301926A - Differential device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To simplify the structure, to reduce cost and a diameter by reducing the number of part items. <P>SOLUTION: This differential device includes a differential mechanism 5 distributing rotation of a differential case 3 from side gears 47 and 49, a main clutch 7 for restricting differentials of the mechanism 5, a pilot clutch 15 pressed by an armature 17 moved and operated by an electromagnet 19, and a cam mechanism 9 that is operated by receiving torque when the clutch is connected and that presses the clutch 7. The clutch 7 is placed between the mechanism 5 and the clutch 15. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

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 differential limiting function.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 7-305754 discloses a differential device 201 including an electromagnet type differential limiting device as shown in FIG.

The differential device 201 includes a differential case 203, a bevel gear type differential mechanism 205, a main clutch 207, a ball cam 209, a pressure plate 211, a cam ring 213, and a pilot clutch 2.
15, armature 217, electromagnet 219 and the like.

The differential mechanism 205 includes a pinion shaft 221 and a pinion gear 22 connected to the side of the differential case 203.
3, left and right output side gears 225, 227, the left side gear 225 is connected to the left wheel side via the left output shaft 229, and the right side gear 227 is connected via the pressure plate 211 and the right output shaft 231. It is connected to the right wheel side.

The main clutch 207 is the left side gear 2
25 and the pressure plate 211, the pressure plate 211 is spline-connected to the right output shaft 231, and is positioned by the snap ring 233 on the pressing direction side of the main clutch 207 with respect to the right output shaft 231. ing.

The pilot clutch 215 is a differential case 2
03 and the cam ring 213. When the electromagnet 219 attracts the armature 217, the pilot clutch 215 is connected. When a differential torque is generated in the differential mechanism 205 in this state, this differential torque is transmitted to the pilot. The cam ring 213 connected to the differential case 203 by the clutch 215 and the right output shaft 2 on the right side gear 227 side.
31 is applied to a ball cam 209 arranged between the pressure plate 211 and the ball cam 209, the generated cam thrust force moves the pressure plate 211 to the left via the right output shaft 231 and the snap ring 233, and the main clutch 207 is engaged, and its frictional resistance is This will improve the vehicle's ability to drive on rough roads, startability, acceleration, maneuverability, and stability.

The main clutch 207 includes a left side gear 225 (output shaft 229: shaft) and a right side gear 227 (pressure plate 211 and output shaft 231:
The shaft-shaft (S-S) is arranged between the differential case 203 (H: housing).
When compared with the configuration in which (HS) is arranged between the shaft and the shaft (S), the input differential rotation speed is doubled and the differential torque is halved.

Since the main clutch 2077 is arranged at the position where the differential torque becomes 1/2 in this way, a double differential limiting force can be obtained with the same clutch capacity. , Startability, acceleration, maneuverability, stability, etc. are greatly improved.

[0009]

However, in the differential device 201, the main clutch 207 is the SS.
In order to dispose, it is necessary to dispose the axially long pressure plate 211 that transmits the cam thrust force of the ball cam 209 to the main clutch 207 so as to penetrate the differential mechanism 205.
It is necessary to connect the right output shaft 231 and the right output shaft 231 with the snap ring 233.

Therefore, the number of parts is increased, the structure is complicated and the cost is increased, and the diameter is increased, so that the vehicle mountability may be deteriorated.

Therefore, the present invention is a differential device configured to engage a main clutch by a cam mechanism which operates via a pilot clutch, and has a small number of parts, a simple structure, low cost, and a small diameter. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a differential device configured as described in 1.

[0012]

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a differential device including: a differential case which is rotated by a driving force of a prime mover; a differential mechanism which distributes rotation of the differential case from a pair of output side gears to a wheel side; A main clutch that limits the differential of the dynamic mechanism, a pilot clutch,
A driving mechanism for driving the pilot clutch; and a cam mechanism that operates when the pilot clutch is connected to receive torque and presses the main clutch by the generated cam thrust force. The mechanism and the pilot clutch are arranged at an axial interval.

In the differential device according to the first aspect of the present invention, since the main clutch is arranged between the differential mechanism and the pilot clutch (axial space) in this manner, unlike the conventional example, the long clutch for pressing the main clutch is used. It is not necessary to dispose another member (pressure plate 211) through the differential mechanism, and the snap ring 233 of the pressure plate 211 is also unnecessary.

Therefore, the number of parts is reduced accordingly, the structure is simple and the cost is low, and the diameter is small, so that the vehicle mountability is improved.

The invention of claim 2 is the differential device according to claim 1, wherein one side member of the main clutch is connected to one wheel side and the other side member is connected to the other wheel side. It is characterized in that it is possible to obtain the same action and effect as the constitution of claim 1.

Further, one side member is connected to one wheel side,
The other side member is connected to the other wheel side to connect the main clutch to S
In this configuration with the -S arrangement, as described above, a double differential limiting force can be obtained with the same clutch capacity, so that the vehicle can run on rough roads, startability, acceleration, maneuverability, stability, etc. It can be greatly improved.

Further, in the basic structure of the present invention in which the main clutch is arranged between the differential mechanism and the pilot clutch, one member of the main clutch is connected to one wheel side and the other member is connected to the other wheel. The S-S arrangement for connecting to the side is easy.

The invention of claim 3 is the differential device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the differential mechanism is a bevel gear type differential mechanism. Alternatively, it is possible to obtain the same operation and effect as the configuration of claim 2.

Further, in the bevel gear type differential mechanism, by utilizing the meshing thrust force generated in the side gear for the pressing force of the main clutch, a torque sensitive type differential limiting function can be obtained, so that the vehicle can be started and accelerated. The operability, maneuverability and stability are further improved.

Further, in the structure of the present invention in which the main clutch is arranged between the differential mechanism and the pilot clutch, the pressing force of the cam mechanism against the main clutch and the meshing reaction force of the side gears work in the direction to oppose each other and strengthen each other. It

Therefore, the differential limiting force of the main clutch is increased to that extent, and the above-mentioned rough road running performance, starting performance, acceleration performance, maneuverability, stability and the like are further improved, and the torque sensitive differential limiting function is provided. The startability, acceleration, maneuverability and stability are further improved.

The invention of claim 4 is the differential device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a through hole is formed in the clutch housing of the main clutch, and the pressing member of the main clutch is The main clutch is pressed by a pressing pin penetrating the through hole, and an operation equivalent to that of the configuration according to claims 1 to 3
The effect can be obtained.

Further, since the pressing pin that penetrates the clutch housing serves as a connecting member that connects the pressing member of the main clutch and the clutch housing in the rotational direction, and serves as a torque transmission path to the cam mechanism, for example, the main clutch There is no need to separately provide a spline portion for connecting the pressing member and the clutch housing,
Therefore, the structure is simplified and the cost is reduced.

A fifth aspect of the present invention is the differential device according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the differential case is composed of two parts, and the pilot clutch and the drive are provided in one side differential case. Means and are arranged,
The differential mechanism and the main clutch are arranged in the other side differential case.

According to the invention of claim 5, since the differential case is made into two parts, the differential mechanism, the main clutch, and the pilot clutch can be easily assembled, and in particular, the span from the unit arranged on the rear side of the differential case to the opening of the differential case. Since it can be configured to be short, it is easy to assemble.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the differential device according to the fifth aspect, wherein the pilot clutch is assembled in advance to the one-side differential case. When assembled together with the side differential case, it is possible to assemble without being bothered by the dropping of the mechanism of the pilot clutch, and the assembly is further facilitated.

The invention according to claim 7 is the differential device according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the connecting portion between the one side member and the one side axle has the other side member and the main clutch. It is characterized in that it is axially overlapped with the connecting portion with.

Since this differential device is axially overlapped, it can be downsized in the axial direction and the vehicle mountability is improved.

The invention according to claim 8 is the differential device according to any one of claims 5 to 7, characterized in that the main clutch is arranged on the opening side of the other side differential case. .

In this differential device, since the main clutch is arranged on the opening side of the other side case, the main clutch can be easily maintained.

A ninth aspect of the present invention is the differential device according to any one of the fifth to eighth aspects, wherein the pilot clutch is disposed on the opening side of the one-side differential case.

In this differential device, since the pilot clutch is arranged on the opening side of the one side differential case, the maintainability of the pilot clutch can be improved.

The invention of claim 10 is the differential device according to any one of claims 2 to 9, wherein the pilot clutch and the drive means are centered relative to the one-side member so as to be rotatable relative to each other. It is characterized by

In this differential device, when the one-side differential case and the other-side differential case are assembled together, the centering boss portion of the clutch housing centered on the other-side differential case is used as a guide to assemble the one-side differential case and the pilot case. It is possible to prevent the clutch mechanism from falling down, which facilitates assembly. Further, since it is not necessary to separately provide the centering of the pilot clutch, the number of parts can be reduced and the structure can be simplified.

The invention of claim 11 is the differential device according to any one of claims 5 to 10, wherein the cam mechanism and a pressing pin for pressing the main clutch by the thrust force generated by the cam mechanism are provided. Is disposed in the vicinity of the mating surface between the one side differential case and the other side differential case.

In this differential device, the visibility of the cam mechanism and the pressing pin at the time of assembling is good, and therefore the work of aligning the cam mechanism and the pressing pin can be facilitated.

The twelfth aspect of the present invention includes the second to the first aspects.
The differential device according to any one of items 1, wherein the side gear, the one-side member, the main clutch, and the other-side member are assembled in advance.

In this differential device, the side gear, the one-side member, the main clutch, and the other-side member are preassembled, so that they can be easily assembled in the differential case.

A thirteenth aspect of the present invention is the differential device according to any one of the first to twelfth aspects, wherein a main clutch chamber in which the main clutch is accommodated and a pilot clutch in which the pilot clutch is accommodated. It is characterized in that the chamber and the chamber are individually sealed.

In this differential device, by sealing the main clutch chamber and the pilot clutch chamber, respectively, it is possible to use oils suitable for the main clutch, the pilot clutch, and other mechanisms, and durability and reliability are improved. Is improved.

The invention of claim 14 relates to claims 1 to 1.
4. The differential device according to any one of 3 above, wherein the driving means includes an electromagnet and an armature that is moved and operated by the electromagnet.

In this differential device, since the electromagnet and the armature are used as the driving means, unlike the case of the hydraulic system, it is not necessary to arrange the piping in the vehicle, so that the vehicle mountability is improved.

[0043]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A front differential 1 (one embodiment of the present invention: a differential device) will be described with reference to FIG. The left and right directions are the vehicle using the front differential 1 and FIG.
In the left and right directions, members and the like without reference numerals are not shown.

The power system of this vehicle is an engine (motor),
It consists of a transmission, front diff 1 (differential device that distributes engine drive power to the left and right front wheels), left and right front axles and front wheels, left and right rear wheels, etc., and engine drive power from the transmission to front diff 1 It is sent and distributed from the front differential 1 to the left and right front wheels.

The front differential 1 includes a differential case 3, a bevel gear type differential mechanism 5, a multi-plate main clutch 7, a ball cam 9 (cam mechanism), a pressure plate 11 (main clutch pressing member), a cam ring 13, and a multi-plate type. Pilot clutch 15, armature 17, electromagnet 1
9. It is composed of a controller and the like.

The differential case 3 comprises a cover 21 and a casing body 23, and the cover 21 is fixed to the left opening of the casing body 23 with a bolt.

The cover 21 has an opening penetrating left and right, and a ring 25 made of a non-magnetic material is screwed into the opening by a screw portion 27 provided between them. A rotor 31 made of a magnetic material is screwed to each other by a screw portion 29 provided between them. Further, the cover 21 and the ring 25 are centered in the radial direction by a fitting portion 33 provided between them, and the ring 25 and the rotor 31 are fitted together by a fitting portion 35 provided between them.
Is centered in the radial direction.

Further, the sealing function of these fitting portions 33 and 35 prevents oil leakage between the cover 21 and the rotor 31.

The ring 25 is arranged along the magnetic path of the electromagnet 19 between the cover 21 which allows the magnetic flux to pass therethrough and the rotor 31 made of a magnetic material, and prevents the magnetic flux from leaking to the cover 21 side. .

Further, a nut 37 is screwed to the screw thread on the rotor 31 side of the screw portion 29. This nut 37 presses the left end of the ring 25, and its double nut function applies thrust force to the screw portion 29 to prevent loosening,
The fixed function is enhanced.

The differential case 3 is arranged inside the transmission case, and the boss portion 39 of the cover 21 (rotor 31) and the boss portion 41 of the casing body 23 are supported by the transmission case by bearings. An oil sump is formed inside the transmission case.

A ring gear is fixed to the differential case 3 with bolts. This ring gear meshes with the output gear of the transmission, and the differential case 3 is rotationally driven by the driving force of the engine (motor) transmitted through the transmission.

The differential mechanism 5 includes a plurality of pinion shafts 43, a pinion gear 45, and output side gears 47, 4.
It is composed of nine.

The respective pinion shafts 43 are radially arranged around the hub 51, and the parallel surfaces 53, 53 formed by cutting out the respective tip portions form the axial grooves 55 formed in the casing body 23. Movably engaged with. Further, the pinion gear 45 is supported on the pinion shaft 43, and the side gears 47 and 49 mesh with the respective pinion gears 45 from the left and right.

Between the casing body 23 and the pinion gear 45, the centrifugal force of the pinion gear 45 and the side gear 4
Pinion gear 45 generated by meshing with 7, 49
The spherical washer 57 that receives the meshing reaction force of is arranged.

The main clutch 7 includes a clutch housing 59 (one side member of the main clutch) and a clutch hub 61.
The outer plate 63 is disposed between the clutch housing 5 and the other member of the main clutch.
The inner plate 65 is connected to the inner circumference of 9 by splines.
Is spline-connected to the outer circumference of the clutch hub 61.

Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the main clutch 7 is disposed between the differential mechanism 5 and the pilot clutch 15 (axial space).

The left side gear 47 is welded to the clutch housing 59. Also, the clutch housing 59
A boss portion 67 is formed in the boss portion 67, and the clutch housing 59 (side gear 47) is connected to the left front wheel side via an axle 69 splined to the boss portion 67.

The right side gear 49 is spline-connected to an axle 71, which is the pinion shaft 4.
The third hub 51 penetrates to the left and is spline-connected to the clutch hub 61. In addition, the clutch hub 61 and the axle 7
1 is integrated by a bolt and a flange.

The left end of the clutch hub 61 is supported by the outer periphery of the boss portion 67 of the clutch housing 59, and the left side gear 47 is supported by the outer periphery of the right end of the clutch hub 61.

A thrust washer 73 is arranged between the right side gear 49 and the casing body 23.
It receives the meshing reaction force of the side gears 47 and 49 and the pressing force of the ball cam 9.

The outer periphery of the left end of the clutch housing 59 (boss 67) is connected to the rotor 31 via a needle bearing 75.
X-ring 77, which is a seal having an X-shaped cross section, is disposed inside the needle bearing 75 between the boss 67 and the rotor 31 to prevent oil leakage. There is.

The ball cam 9 is the pressure plate 1
1 and the cam ring 13.

A plurality of pressing pins 79 are fixed to the pressure plate 11 at equal intervals in the circumferential direction, and each pressing pin 79 has a through hole 8 formed in the clutch housing 59.
It passes through 1 and faces the main clutch 7. The pressure plate 11 is rotatably connected to the clutch housing 59 via the pressing pins 79, and moves to the right by the thrust force of the ball cam 9 as described below. And the main clutch 7 is pressed and engaged.

The cam ring 13 is the clutch housing 5
9 and the washer 85 are disposed between the cam ring 13 and the rotor 31 so as to be rotatable relative to each other on the outer circumference of the boss portion 67.

The pilot clutch 15 is a differential case 3
The outer plate 87 is arranged between the (cover 21) and the cam ring 13, and the outer plate 87 is spline-connected to the inner circumference of the cover 21, and the inner plate 89 is spline-connected to the outer circumference of the cam ring 13.

The armature 17 is arranged between the pressure plate 11 and the pilot clutch 15, and its outer periphery is spline-connected to the cover 21.

The core 91 of the electromagnet 19 penetrates into a ring-shaped recess 93 formed in the rotor 31 via an appropriate air gap, and is supported on the rotor 31 by ball bearings 95 of both sides seal type. .

A dust cover 99 is engaged with the groove 97 provided in the core 91. This dust cover 99
Is connected to the transmission case side and prevents the electromagnet 19 (core 91) from rotating.

The lead wire 101 of the electromagnet 19 is wired along the inside of the dust cover 99, is drawn out of the transmission case through the grommet, and is connected to the vehicle battery.

The core 91, the rotor 31, the pilot clutch 15, and the armature 17 form a magnetic path of the electromagnet 19.

The rotor 31 is divided into an outer side and an inner side in the radial direction by a non-magnetic stainless steel ring 103. Also, each plate 8 of the pilot clutch 15
7, 89, at radial positions corresponding to the ring 103,
A plurality of notches and a bridge portion connecting the notches are provided in the circumferential direction. These rings 103
The short circuit prevents the magnetic flux from short-circuiting on the magnetic path.

The driving force of the engine for rotating the differential case 3 is distributed to the left and right side gears 47 and 49 via the pinion shaft 43 and the pinion gear 45, and the left front gear from the left side gear 47 and the clutch housing 59 via the axle 69. Transmitted from the right side gear 49 to the axle 71.
Is transmitted to the right front wheel side via.

When a driving resistance difference occurs between the left and right front wheels during traveling on a rough road, the driving force of the engine is differentially distributed to the left and right sides by the rotation of each pinion gear 45.

Each side gear 47, 49 and pinion gear 4
The meshing portions (each tooth surface) of 5 constitute cams, and when a driving torque is applied to the differential mechanism 5, these cams operate, and the meshing reaction force of the right side gear 49 causes the pinion gear 45 and the pinion shaft 43. While the side gear 47 is pressed to the left, the meshing reaction force of the left side gear 47 is added thereto, and the main clutch 7 is pressed against the pressure plate 11 (pressing pin 79) to be fastened.

Side gear 4 which changes in proportion to torque
When the main clutch 7 is engaged in this way by receiving the meshing reaction force of 7, 49, the friction resistance of the main clutch 7 causes the torque-sensitive differential limiting function both during forward traveling and during reverse traveling of the vehicle. As a result, the differential of the differential mechanism 5 is limited.

The torque sensitive differential limiting function of the vehicle prevents the front wheels from idling at the time of starting or accelerating when a large driving torque is applied, stabilizing the behavior of the vehicle body and improving the maneuverability, and Driving, stability and maneuverability are improved.

The controller detects turning traveling from the vehicle speed, steering angle, lateral G, etc., or, depending on the road surface condition,
The electromagnet 19 is excited, the excitation current is controlled, and the excitation is stopped.

When the electromagnet 19 is excited, the magnetic flux loop 105 is formed in the magnetic path, the armature 17 is attracted, and the pilot clutch 15 is pressed and engaged with the rotor 31.

When the pilot clutch 15 is engaged, pilot torque is generated, and when the differential mechanism 5 undergoes differential rotation in this state, the cam ring 13 and the clutch housing 59 connected to the differential case 3 via the pilot clutch 15 are engaged. A differential torque is applied to the ball cam 9 from the pressure plate 11 on the (left side gear 47) side, the generated cam thrust force moves the pressure plate 11 to the right, and each pressing pin 79 presses and engages the main clutch 7.

The controller also controls the road surface condition, steering,
The electromagnet 19 responds to changes in driving conditions such as acceleration and turning.
The differential limiting force of the main clutch 7 can be adjusted or the differential of the differential mechanism 5 can be locked by controlling the exciting current (attracting force) of.

By such a differential limiting function, it is possible to greatly improve the rough road running performance, starting performance, acceleration performance, maneuverability, and stability.

If the attractive force of the electromagnet 19 is controlled and the outer plate 63 and the inner plate 65 of the main clutch 7 are appropriately slid to adjust the differential rotation speed between the front wheels, turning performance and the vehicle body during turning can be obtained. The stability and stability of can be improved.

Further, the controller always engages the main clutch 7 with the electromagnet 19 with a constant force,
It is possible to set an initial torque (constant differential limiting force) that is unrelated to the differential torque and the differential rotation speed.
The initial torque can be set, for example, for different vehicle types, or even for the same vehicle type, the initial torque can be arbitrarily changed according to running conditions.

This initial torque makes it possible to start the vehicle under the condition that one of the front wheels largely idles and the above torque sensitive differential limiting function is deteriorated, such as when starting, accelerating or traveling on a rough road. Acceleration and driving performance on rough roads are prevented from decreasing, the behavior of the vehicle body is stabilized, and maneuverability is greatly improved.

The differential case 3 is provided with openings 107, 107, and the boss portion 41 and the clutch housing 59 are provided.
Each of the spiral oil grooves 10 is formed on the inner periphery of the boss portion 67 of
9,111 are provided.

When the differential case 3 (ring gear) rotates, the oil scraped up from the oil sump is opened 10
The oil that flows into and out of the differential case 3 through the oil pumps 107 and 107 and by the screw pump action of the oil grooves 109 and 111 flows into the differential case 3.
Meshing part of the pinion shaft 43 and the pinion gear 4
5 sufficiently lubricates and cools the sliding portion, the thrust washer 73, the parallel surfaces 53 of the pinion shaft 43, the axial groove 55 of the casing body 23, the spherical washer 57, and the like.
Increased durability.

Further, the clutch housing 59 is provided with oil holes 113, 113, and oil is sent from these oil holes 113, 113 to the sliding surfaces of the outer plate 63 and the inner plate 65 of the main clutch 7. Enhances lubrication / cooling effect and durability.

Thus, the front differential 1 is constructed.

In the front differential 1, since the main clutch 7 is arranged between the differential mechanism 5 and the pilot clutch 15 as described above, the differential mechanism 5 is pressed to press the main clutch unlike the conventional example. It is no longer necessary to use a long member (pressure plate 211) that penetrates through the snap ring 23 of the pressure plate 211.
3 is also unnecessary.

Therefore, the number of parts is reduced by that much, the structure is simple and the cost is low, and the small diameter is formed, so that the vehicle mountability is improved.

Further, the clutch housing 59 is connected to the left wheel side and the clutch hub 61 is connected to the right wheel side so that the S-
With the S-position, the main clutch 7 can obtain a double differential limiting force with the same clutch capacity, so that the vehicle can be significantly improved in running on rough roads, starting performance, acceleration performance, maneuverability, stability, and the like. be able to.

Further, since the main clutch 7 is pressed by the meshing thrust force of the side gears 47, 49 and the torque sensitive type differential limiting function is obtained, the starting property, acceleration property, maneuverability and stability of the vehicle are further improved. To do.

Further, in the structure of the front differential 1 in which the main clutch 7 is arranged between the differential mechanism 5 and the pilot clutch 15, the pressing force of the ball cam 9 against the main clutch 7 and the meshing reaction force of the side gears 47, 49 mutually act. Since they work in the direction of strengthening (the direction facing each other), the differential limiting force of the main clutch 7 is increased accordingly, and the above-mentioned rough road running performance, starting performance, acceleration performance, maneuverability, and stability are further improved. The effect of improving the starting performance, acceleration performance, maneuverability, stability, etc. by the torque sensitive differential limiting function is also large.

Further, since the pressing pin 79 fixed to the pressure plate 11 serves as a connecting member for connecting the pressure plate 11 and the clutch housing 59 in the rotational direction, and serves as a torque transmission path for operating the ball cam 9, It is not necessary to separately provide a spline portion for connecting the pressure plate 11 and the clutch housing 59, which simplifies the structure and reduces the cost.

Further, in this embodiment, the differential case 3 is set to 2
By making it into parts, the differential mechanism, the main clutch 7, and the pilot clutch 15 can be easily assembled, and in particular, the span from the unit arranged on the rear side of the differential case 3 to the opening of the differential case 3 can be made short, so that the assembly is easy. Become.

Further, in the present embodiment, the cover (one side differential case) 21 and the casing body (other side differential case) 23.
At the time of assembling together, the assembling is possible without being bothered by the mechanism of the pilot clutch 15 coming off, and the assembling becomes easier.

Further, the clutch housing (one side member) 5
Since the connecting portion between 9 and the axle (one side axle) 69 overlaps with the connecting portion between the clutch hub (the other side member) 61 and the main clutch 7 in the axial direction, it is possible to reduce the size in the axial direction. In-vehicle performance is improved.

Furthermore, since the main clutch 7 is arranged on the opening side of the casing body (other side case) 23,
Maintenance of the main clutch 7 becomes easy.

Further, since the pilot clutch 15 is arranged on the opening side of the cover (one side differential case) 21, the maintainability of the pilot clutch 15 can be improved.

When the cover (one side differential case) 21 and the casing main body (other side differential case) 23 are assembled together, the centering boss 67 of the clutch housing 59 centered on the casing main body 23 is used as a guide. It is possible to prevent the cover 21 and the pilot clutch 15 from collapsing at the time of assembling, and the assembling becomes easy. Further, since it is not necessary to separately provide the centering of the pilot clutch 15, the number of parts can be reduced and the structure is simplified.

Further, since the visibility of the ball cam (cam mechanism) 9 and the pressing pin at the time of assembly is good, the work of aligning the cam mechanism and the pressing pin can be facilitated.

Since the side gears 47, 49, the clutch housing 59, the main clutch 7, and the clutch hub 61 are assembled in advance, they can be easily assembled in the differential case 3.

Further, by sealing the main clutch chamber and the pilot clutch chamber respectively, the main clutch 7,
Oils suitable for the pilot clutch 15 and other mechanisms can be used, and durability and reliability are improved.

Further, since the electromagnet 19 and the armature 17 are used as the driving means, unlike the case of hydraulic pressure, it is not necessary to arrange the piping in the vehicle, so that the vehicle mountability is improved.

In the differential device of the present invention, the differential mechanism is not limited to the bevel gear type differential mechanism, but a planetary gear type differential mechanism and a pinion gear rotatably housed in the housing hole of the differential case are used for output. A differential mechanism in which the side gears on the side are connected, a differential mechanism using a worm gear, or the like may be used.

Further, the main clutch and the pilot clutch are not limited to the multi-plate clutch, but may be any friction clutch such as a single-plate clutch or a cone clutch, and may be wet type or dry type.

Further, the differential device of the present invention is
In addition to the front differential (a differential device that distributes the engine drive power to the left and right front wheels), the rear differential (a differential device that distributes the engine drive power to the left and right rear wheels) and the center differential (the engine drive power to the front wheels) It can be used for any of the differential devices for distributing to the rear wheels).

Further, in the present embodiment, the electromagnet 19 and the armature are used as the driving means, but as the driving means,
Any of hydraulic, pneumatic, mechanical, etc. may be used.

[0110]

According to the differential device of the first aspect of the present invention, by disposing the main clutch between the differential mechanism and the pilot clutch, unlike the conventional example, a long pressure plate and a snap ring penetrating the differential mechanism are used. It is not necessary, the number of parts is reduced accordingly, the structure is simple and the cost is low, and the small-diameter configuration improves the vehicle mountability.

The differential device according to the second aspect can obtain the same effect as that of the configuration according to the first aspect.

Also, by disposing the main clutch in the S-S arrangement, the vehicle can be greatly improved in running on bad roads, starting performance, acceleration performance, maneuverability, stability and the like.

The differential device according to claim 3 can obtain the same effect as that of the configuration according to claim 1 or 2.

Further, the torque-sensitive differential limiting function is obtained by the meshing thrust force of the side gears, and the starting performance, acceleration performance, maneuverability, stability of the vehicle are improved.

Further, in the structure of the present invention, the pressing force of the cam mechanism against the main clutch and the meshing reaction force of the side gears work in a direction to reinforce each other, and the differential limiting force of the main clutch increases to drive on rough roads. Further, the startability, acceleration, maneuverability and stability are further improved, and the effect of improving the startability, acceleration, maneuverability and stability by the torque sensitive differential limiting function is further enhanced.

According to the differential device of the fourth aspect, the same effects as those of the configurations of the first to third aspects can be obtained.

Further, since the pressing pin serves as the pressing member of the main clutch and the connecting member of the clutch housing and also serves as the torque transmission path to the cam mechanism, a spline portion for connecting the pressing member of the main clutch and the clutch housing is provided. It is not necessary to provide it separately, the structure is simpler, and the cost is reduced.

In the invention of claim 5, since the differential case is made into two parts, it is easy to assemble the differential mechanism, the main clutch and the pilot clutch, and particularly, the span from the unit arranged on the inner side of the differential case to the opening of the differential case. Since it can be configured to be short, it is easy to assemble.

According to the sixth aspect of the invention, when the one side differential case and the other side differential case are assembled together, the assembly can be carried out without being bothered by the dropping of the mechanism of the pilot clutch, and the assembly is further facilitated.

In the seventh aspect of the invention, since they overlap in the axial direction, the size can be reduced in the axial direction, and the vehicle mountability is improved.

According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, the main clutch is arranged on the opening side of the other case, so that the maintenance of the main clutch becomes easy.

According to the ninth aspect of the invention, since the pilot clutch is arranged on the opening side of the one-side differential case, the maintainability of the pilot clutch can be improved.

According to the tenth aspect of the present invention, when the one side differential case and the other side differential case are assembled together, the centering boss portion of the clutch housing centered on the other side differential case is used as a guide for assembling, so that the one side differential case can be assembled. Also, the pilot clutch mechanism can be prevented from falling down, and the assembling becomes easy. Further, since it is not necessary to separately provide the centering of the pilot clutch, the number of parts can be reduced and the structure can be simplified.

According to the eleventh aspect of the invention, since the visibility of the cam mechanism and the pressing pin is good at the time of assembly, the work of aligning the cam mechanism and the pressing pin can be facilitated.

According to the twelfth aspect of the present invention, the side gear, the one side member, the main clutch, and the other side member are assembled in advance, so that they can be easily assembled in the differential case.

According to the thirteenth aspect of the present invention, by sealing the main clutch chamber and the pilot clutch chamber respectively,
It is possible to use oils suitable for the main clutch, the pilot clutch, and other mechanisms, and the durability and reliability are improved.

According to the fourteenth aspect of the present invention, since the electromagnet and the armature are used as the driving means, unlike the case of the hydraulic system, it is not necessary to arrange the piping in the vehicle, so that the vehicle mountability is improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment.

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

[Explanation of symbols]

1 front differential (differential device) 3 differential case 5 bevel gear type differential mechanism 7 main clutch 9 ball cam (cam mechanism) 11 pressure plate (main clutch pressing member) 15 pilot clutch 17 armature 19 electromagnet 59 clutch housing 79 pressing pin 81 through Hole

Continued front page    F-term (reference) 3D036 GA02 GA38 GB09 GC03 GD02                       GD08 GG02 GG35 GG42 GG44                       GH05 GH20 GJ02                 3J027 FA17 FA36 FB02 HA03 HB07                       HC22 HC29 HD05 HE03 HF06                       HF41 HG03

Claims (14)

[Claims] 1. A differential case that is rotated by the driving force of a prime mover, a differential mechanism that distributes the rotation of the differential case to a wheel side from a pair of output side gears, and a main clutch that limits the differential of the differential mechanism. A pilot clutch, drive means for driving the pilot clutch, and a cam mechanism that operates when receiving the torque when the pilot clutch is coupled and presses the main clutch by the generated cam thrust force, A differential device characterized in that the differential mechanism and the pilot clutch are arranged at an axial interval. 2. The differential device according to claim 1, wherein one side member of the main clutch is connected to one wheel side and the other side member is connected to the other wheel side. Differential device. 3. The differential device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the differential mechanism is a bevel gear type differential mechanism. 4. The differential device according to claim 1, wherein a through hole is formed in the clutch housing of the main clutch, and the pressing member of the main clutch is the through hole. A differential device characterized in that a main pin is pressed by a pressing pin that penetrates through the main clutch. 5. The differential device according to claim 1, wherein the differential case is composed of two parts, and the pilot clutch and the driving means are arranged in the one side differential case. A differential device in which the differential mechanism and the main clutch are arranged in the other side differential case. 6. The differential device according to claim 5, wherein the pilot clutch is assembled in advance to the one-side differential case. 7. The differential device according to claim 2, wherein a connecting portion between the one-side member and the one-side axle is a connecting portion between the other-side member and a main clutch. A differential device that is axially overlapped. 8. The differential device according to claim 5, wherein the main clutch is arranged on an opening side of the other side differential case. 9. The differential device according to claim 5, wherein the pilot clutch is arranged on the opening side of the one-side differential case. 10. The differential device according to claim 2, wherein the pilot clutch and the drive means are centered on the one side member so as to be rotatable relative to each other. Differential device. 11. The differential device according to claim 5, wherein the cam mechanism and a pressing pin that presses the main clutch with a thrust force generated by the cam mechanism are the one side. A differential device, wherein the differential device is disposed in the vicinity of a mating surface between the differential case and the other side differential case. 12. The differential device according to claim 2, wherein the side gear, the one side member, the main clutch,
A differential device in which the other member is assembled in advance. 13. The differential device according to claim 1, wherein the main clutch chamber accommodates the main clutch,
A differential device characterized in that a pilot clutch chamber in which the pilot clutch is housed is sealed. 14. The differential device according to claim 1, wherein the driving means includes an electromagnet and an armature that is moved and operated by the electromagnet. Differential device.