JP5922529B2 - Torque transmission device for four-wheel drive vehicle - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a torque transmission device such as a viscous coupling installed between a drive source and auxiliary drive wheels in a four-wheel drive vehicle.

  Conventionally, in a four-wheel drive vehicle that transmits a driving force from a driving source to a main driving wheel and a sub driving wheel, torque such as a viscous coupling (VC) disposed on a propeller shaft between the driving source and the sub driving wheel. Some have a transmission device.

  In such a four-wheel drive vehicle, the wheel speed difference between the main drive wheel and the sub drive wheel becomes the input differential rotation speed with respect to the viscous coupling on the propeller shaft, and the four-wheel drive torque (4WD torque) is output. That is, for example, in a front-wheel drive vehicle (FF vehicle) in which an engine and a transmission are arranged on the front side of a vehicle and the front wheels are main drive wheels and the rear wheels are auxiliary drive wheels, the vehicle has a low frictional resistance (low μ) road surface. When the driver depresses the accelerator pedal while traveling, first, driving torque is transmitted to the front wheels. When the front wheel slips beyond the grip limit of the road surface, differential rotation is input to the viscous coupling, and driving torque is transmitted to the rear wheel.

  The four-wheel drive vehicle as described above is in a four-wheel drive (4WD) state in which the differential rotation is continuously input to the viscous coupling due to the rotation difference between the main drive wheel and the sub drive wheel during normal travel. However, if such a four-wheel drive state continues regardless of the traveling state of the vehicle, it becomes a cause of deterioration of the fuel consumption (fuel consumption rate) of the vehicle due to loss of each part in the drive transmission system and increase of traveling resistance. In addition, since the 4WD tight turn braking phenomenon that occurs due to the difference between the front and rear wheels, such as turning by turning, is conspicuous, there is a possibility that the driving performance (traveling merchantability) of the vehicle is deteriorated. Furthermore, it is also known to induce cascade lock when ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) is operated on a road surface with low frictional resistance.

  Therefore, as a conventional method for solving the above-described various problems, a mechanism is employed that varies the amount of torque transmitted to the auxiliary drive wheels by the torque transmission device in accordance with the traveling state of the vehicle. As such a mechanism, one that electrically controls the on / off of the clutch (Patent Document 1), one that manually switches the viscous coupling having a different torque characteristic (Patent Document 2), and a torque characteristic that differs depending on the one-way clutch. There is one that switches the viscous coupling of (Patent Document 3).

  However, the prior art described in Patent Documents 1 to 3 requires an electronic control unit (ECU) having a corresponding control circuit and an accessory such as an operation lever, thereby complicating the structure of the vehicle. And increase in the number of parts and complicated control processing. Therefore, there is a problem that the cost, weight, and size of the vehicle are increased. Also, when the vehicle speed is higher than a predetermined range, the need for torque transmission to the auxiliary drive wheels by a torque transmission device such as viscous coupling is reduced. The amount of torque transmission to the auxiliary drive wheels can be varied by electronic control. Other than this, there is also a problem that the transmission torque in the high speed range cannot be reduced appropriately.

JP 2009-144777 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 3-20125 Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 4-4537

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described points, and an object of the present invention is to provide a simple configuration with a reduced number of parts, and without depending on the driving state of the vehicle without performing electronic control or manual operation. An object of the present invention is to provide a torque transmission device for a four-wheel drive vehicle that enables appropriate torque transmission to drive wheels.

The torque transmission device for a four-wheel drive vehicle according to the present invention includes a driving force transmission path (20) for transmitting a driving force from a driving source (3) to main driving wheels (W1, W2) and auxiliary driving wheels (W3, W4). ), A torque transmission device (10) for a four-wheel drive vehicle disposed between the drive source (3) and the auxiliary drive wheels (W3, W4), the drive source (3) and the auxiliary drive A rotation shaft (7) provided between the wheels (W3, W4), a housing (11) connected to the drive source (3) side of the rotation shaft (7), and the rotation shaft (7) An output shaft (12) connected to the auxiliary drive wheel (W3, W4) side, and in series in the housing (11) from the drive source (3) side to the auxiliary drive wheel (W3, W4) side A planetary gear mechanism (30) and a torque transmission unit (40) disposed on the planetary gear mechanism, and the planetary gear mechanism Provided between the 30) and the torque transmitting portion (40), the axis of the pressing member (27) is the rotating shaft (7) having a rotatably mounted inertial mass around the output shaft (12) An inertia member (25) for guiding the pressing member (27) so as to be able to move forward and backward along the direction, and the planetary gear mechanism (30) receives the rotation input from the housing (11). It is a speed increasing type planetary gear mechanism that accelerates and outputs to the torque transmission part (40) via the inert member (25) , and the torque transmission part (40) includes the housing (11) and the output shaft. Each plate of the outer plate group (13) connected to the second member (25b) and the output shaft (16). 12) Linked to Characterized in that the a configuration are arranged alternately along the respective plate of the inner plate group (14) in the axial direction in the working chamber (16) inside.

  According to the torque transmission device for a four-wheel drive vehicle according to the present invention, the speed increasing type planetary gear mechanism and the torque transmission unit are arranged in series with respect to the transmission direction of the driving force (torque), and input rotation to the housing is performed. In contrast, the rotation increased by the planetary gear mechanism is input to the torque transmission unit. Thereby, the relative speed between the plates of the torque transmission portion can be increased with respect to the differential rotation of the front and rear wheels. Therefore, high-torque output is possible even when low-viscosity hydraulic oil is used as the hydraulic oil to be filled in the working chamber, and drag torque is suppressed by reducing the generated torque in a low differential state. it can.

  In addition, since the speed increasing mechanism including the planetary gear mechanism and the inertia member, which is an inertial body, are provided, the differential rotation of the front and rear wheels can be effectively suppressed from the initial idling of the drive wheels. Moreover, since the rotational torque of the driven wheel can be maintained by the inertial force generated in the rotating direction of the inertia member, the cascade lock is prevented, tight turn braking is suppressed, and the drag torque generated in the torque transmission device during steady running is reduced. be able to.

Further, in the above torque transmission apparatus, and the pressing member (27), and each plate of each plate and the inner plate group of said torque transmitting unit (40) to provided said outer plate group (13) (14) Urging means (28) for urging in the direction of widening the interval, and when the acceleration of the vehicle or the climbing slope of the traveling path exceeds a predetermined value, the pressing member (27) is inertial and the torque transmitting portion (40 ) Side of the outer plate group (13) and each plate of the inner plate group (14) to apply a pressing force in the stacking direction of the biasing means (28). You may comprise so that the space | interval between each said plate may narrow against an urging | biasing force.

  According to this, the torque transmission part is pressed by the pressing member because the inertial force in the front-rear direction according to the acceleration and the inclination angle of the vehicle acts on the pressing member. Thereby, the clearance between the plates of the torque transmission unit can be changed according to the acceleration and the inclination angle of the vehicle. Therefore, the transmission torque characteristics of the torque transmission unit and the entire torque transmission device can be varied. As a result, for example, in a situation where the driving force of the driven wheel is required, such as traveling on an uphill road, the transmission torque of the torque transmission device can be temporarily increased to ensure the running performance of the vehicle.

In the above torque transmission device, the planetary gear mechanism (30) may be a planetary gear mechanism having at least two planetary gear sets of a first planetary gear set (P1) and a second planetary gear set (P2). . According to this, the speed-up type planetary gear mechanism that speeds up and outputs the rotation input from the housing can be realized with a simple configuration.
In addition, the reference code | symbol described in the parenthesis above has illustrated the code | symbol attached | subjected to the corresponding component in embodiment mentioned later for reference.

  According to the torque transmission device for a four-wheel drive vehicle according to the present invention, the auxiliary drive wheel according to the traveling state of the vehicle has a simple configuration with a reduced number of parts and does not perform electronic control or manual operation. It is possible to transmit torque appropriately.

It is a figure showing a schematic structure of a four-wheel drive vehicle provided with a torque transmission device concerning a 1st embodiment of the present invention. It is a sectional side view showing a torque transmission device. FIG. 3 is a partial enlarged view of a portion X in FIG. 2, illustrating a detailed configuration of a main part of the torque transmission device. It is a figure for demonstrating operation | movement of the piston in a torque transmission device, (a) is a non-operation state of a piston, (b) is a figure which shows the operation state of a piston. It is a graph which shows the relationship between the input differential rotation of a torque transmission device, and the transmission torque (coupling torque) of viscous coupling. It is a figure for demonstrating the time of the start by the front-back split micro road. It is a figure for demonstrating the time of braking on a low micro road. It is a figure for demonstrating the time of tight turn braking. It is a figure which shows schematic structure of a four-wheel drive vehicle provided with the torque transmission apparatus concerning 2nd Embodiment of this invention.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a four-wheel drive vehicle including a torque transmission device according to an embodiment of the present invention. A four-wheel drive vehicle 1 shown in FIG. 1 includes an engine (drive source) 3 mounted horizontally in the front portion of the vehicle, a transmission (transmission) 4 installed integrally with the engine 3, and a driving force from the engine 3. Is transmitted to the front wheels W1, W2 and the rear wheels W3, W4.

  The output shaft (not shown) of the engine 3 includes a transmission 4, a front differential (hereinafter referred to as “front differential”) 5, left and right front drive shafts 6 and 6, and left and right front wheels W1, W2 as main drive wheels. It is connected to. Further, the output shaft of the engine 3 includes a transmission 4, a front differential 5, a propeller shaft 7, a rear differential (hereinafter referred to as "rear differential") 8, and left and right rear drive shafts 9 and 9 as auxiliary drive wheels. It is connected to wheels W3 and W4. In the following description, the axial direction refers to the axial direction of the propeller shaft 7 extending along the traveling direction (front-rear direction) of the vehicle. Further, when referring to the front or the rear, it refers to the front (the forward direction of the vehicle) and the rear (the reverse direction) of the axial direction.

  On the propeller shaft 7, a torque transmission device 10 disposed on the driving force transmission path 2 from the front differential 5 to the rear differential 8 is provided. The torque transmission device 10 is a rotational differential response type torque transmission device for controlling the torque distributed to the rear wheels W3 and W4 in the driving force transmission path 2.

  FIG. 2 is a side sectional view showing the torque transmission device 10. FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged view of a portion X in FIG. 2 and shows a detailed configuration of a main part of the torque transmission device 10. As shown in the figure, the torque transmission device 10 includes a cylindrical housing 11 that rotates integrally with a front propeller shaft 7a (see FIG. 1), and a rear housing around the same axis as the housing 11 in the housing 11. The output shaft 12 that rotates integrally with the propeller shaft 7b (see FIG. 1), the cover member 15 that closes the space between the housing 11 and the output shaft 12, and the front and rear along the axial direction in the housing 11 are arranged in series. And an inertia member 25 having an inertial mass, which is provided around the output shaft 12 between the planetary gear mechanism 30 and the viscous coupling 40. The inertia member 25 includes a planetary gear mechanism 30 and a viscous coupling (torque transmission unit) 40. Prepare.

  Further, a seal member 20 that seals the gap between the inner peripheral surface of the front wall 11 a and the outer peripheral surface of the output shaft 12 in the housing 11 is installed. Further, a seal member 21 that seals the gap between the outer peripheral surface of the output shaft 12 and the inner peripheral surface of the cover member 15 is installed. A seal member 22 that seals the gap between the inner peripheral surface of the housing 11 and the outer peripheral surface of the cover member 15 is installed. A bearing 23 is interposed between the inner peripheral surface of the housing 11 and the outer peripheral surface of the output shaft 12.

  The planetary gear mechanism 30 includes a first planetary gear set P1 having a sun gear SG1, a carrier C1, and a ring gear R1, and a second planetary gear set P2 having a sun gear SG2, a carrier C2, and a ring gear R2. The sun gear SG1 of the first planetary gear set P1 and the sun gear SG2 of the second planetary gear set P2 are both fixed on the output shaft 12 and rotate integrally with the output shaft 12. Further, the carrier C1 of the first planetary gear set P1 is connected to the front wall 11a of the housing 11, and rotates together with the housing 11. The ring gear R1 of the first planetary gear set P1 is integrally connected to the carrier C2 of the second planetary gear set P2 via the connecting member L. The ring gear R2 of the second planetary gear set P2 is provided on an outer diameter portion 25a of an inert member 25 described later.

  Therefore, in the planetary gear mechanism 30, the rotation input from the housing 11 passes through the carrier C 1 of the first planetary gear set P 1, the ring gear R 1, the carrier C 2 of the second planetary gear set P 2, and the ring gear R 2 in this order, and the inertia member 25 (viscous) Input to coupling 40). At this time, the output rotation to the inertia member 25 is increased several times to several tens of times with respect to the input rotation from the housing 11 and is output. That is, the planetary gear mechanism 30 is a speed increasing type planetary gear mechanism that speeds up the rotation input from the housing 11 and outputs it to the viscous coupling 40.

  The inert member 25 extends along the outer peripheral surface of the output shaft 12 between the outer diameter portion 25a constituting a part of the planetary gear mechanism 30 and a part of the viscous coupling 40, and the planetary gear mechanism 30 and the viscous coupling 40. The inner diameter portion 25b is integrally provided with a connecting portion 25c formed by connecting the outer diameter portion 25a and the inner diameter portion 25b.

  The inner diameter portion 25 b of the inerter member 25 is a cylindrical member (part) installed along the outer peripheral surface of the output shaft 12, and the outer diameter portion 25 a is an inner diameter installed along the inner peripheral surface of the housing 11. It is a cylindrical member (part) having a larger diameter than the portion 25b, and the connecting portion 25c is substantially extended in the radial direction from the inner diameter portion 25b toward the outer diameter portion 25a between the planetary gear mechanism 30 and the viscous coupling 40. It is a flat member (part). Needle bearings 29 and 29 are interposed between the outer diameter portion 25 a and the outer peripheral surface of the output shaft 12 and between the inner diameter portion 25 b and the outer peripheral surface of the output shaft 12. Thereby, the inert member 25 can rotate relative to the housing 11 and the output shaft 12 and can rotate at a high speed.

  The inerter member 25 includes a piston (pressing member) 27 for pressing the viscous coupling 40 in the axial direction. The piston 27 is a member having an inertial mass, is guided by the inner diameter portion 25b and the outer diameter portion 25a of the inert member 25, and is installed so as to be movable back and forth along the axial direction therebetween. The piston 27 can move (slide) between a non-operating position where the piston 27 abuts on the front connecting portion 25c and an operating position that presses the viscous coupling 40 by moving from the non-operating position to the rear side. Yes. The connecting portion 25c includes a space in which the piston 27 is accommodated when the piston 27 is slid (a housing space surrounded by the outer diameter portion 25a and inner diameter portion 25b of the inert member 25 and the connecting portion 25c) and the planetary gear. An opening (breathing hole) 25d for moving (distributing) the hydraulic oil to and from the space on the mechanism 30 side is formed. By providing the opening 25d, the piston 27 can smoothly slide with respect to the inert member 25.

  In the torque transmission device 10 according to the present embodiment, the working oil 16 is filled in the working chamber 16 surrounded by the housing 11, the output shaft 12, and the cover member 15. The planetary gear mechanism 30 and the viscous coupling 40 are installed in the working chamber 16 filled with the hydraulic oil, and the inert member 25 is interposed between the planetary gear mechanism 30 and the viscous coupling 40.

  The viscous coupling 40 includes an outer plate group 13 and an inner plate group 14 installed in the working chamber 16. The outer plate group 13 is composed of a plurality of plates that engage with the inner peripheral surface of the outer diameter portion 25a of the inert member 25 so as to be relatively releasable only in the axial direction. It consists of a plurality of plates that engage only relative to each other. Each plate of the outer plate group 13 and each plate of the inner plate group 14 are alternately stacked along the axial direction. A coil spring (biasing means) 28 is interposed between the plates of the outer plate group 13. The coil spring 28 is a spring material made of an elastic metal that extends along the axial direction of the output shaft 12, and imparts a resilient force that urges the plates away from each other.

  Then, when the acceleration of the vehicle or the climbing slope of the travel path becomes greater than or equal to a predetermined value, the piston 27 moves toward the viscous coupling 40 due to the inertial force acting on the piston 27 in the rearward direction of the vehicle. As a result, a pressing force in the stacking direction is applied to the outer plate group 13 and the inner plate group 14 of the viscous coupling 40, and between the plates of the viscous coupling 40 (each plate of the outer plate group 13 and the inner plate group 14. The distance between each of the plates is the same, hereinafter the same) is configured to be narrowed (reduced) against the biasing force (elastic force) of the coil spring 28.

  Next, the operation of the torque transmission device 10 will be described. Torque output from the engine 3 shown in FIG. 1 is transmitted to the front differential 5 via the transmission 4. Part of the torque transmitted to the front differential 5 is transmitted to the front wheels W1 and W2 via the front drive shafts 6 and 6, and the vehicle travels by the driving force of the front wheels W1 and W2. A part of the torque transmitted to the front differential 5 is transmitted to the propeller shaft 7. The torque transmitted to the propeller shaft 7 is transmitted to the housing 11 of the torque transmission device 10.

  While the vehicle 1 is traveling, torque input from the rear wheels W3 and W4 is transmitted to the output shaft 12 via the rear differential 8. When the rotation speed of the housing 11 and the rotation speed of the output shaft 12 are equal, the rotation speed of the outer plate group 13 and the rotation speed of the inner plate group 14 of the viscous coupling 40 are equal, and the torque of the propeller shaft 7 is It is not transmitted to the wheels W3 and W4. As a result, the vehicle travels by two-wheel drive (front wheel drive).

  On the other hand, when the front wheels W1 and W2 slip and a differential rotation occurs between the housing 11 and the output shaft 12, between the housing 11 and the inert member 25 and between the inert member 25 and the output shaft 12. Also causes differential rotation. As a result, when the planetary gear mechanism 30 is operated, the rotation input to the housing 11 is accelerated by the planetary gear mechanism 30 and input to the viscous coupling 40.

  Thereby, differential rotation occurs in the outer plate group 13 and the inner plate group 14 of the viscous coupling 40, and shearing force is generated in the hydraulic oil (viscous fluid) in the working chamber 16 according to the rotation difference. Due to this shearing force, torque transmitted from the propeller shaft 7 to the housing 11 is transmitted to the output shaft 12 and also to the rear wheels W3 and W4 via the rear differential 8. Thereby, a vehicle will be in a four-wheel drive state.

  In the torque transmission device 10 of the present embodiment, the speed increasing type planetary gear mechanism 30 and the viscous coupling 40 are arranged in series with respect to the direction of transmission of the driving force (torque), and the planetary gear with respect to the input rotation to the housing 11. The rotation increased by the mechanism 30 is input to the viscous coupling 40. As a result, the sliding speed between the plates of the viscous coupling 40 is several times to several tens of times the differential rotation of the front wheels W1, W2 and the rear wheels W3, W4. Thereby, even if low-viscosity hydraulic oil is used as the hydraulic oil filled in the working chamber 16, high torque output is possible, and the generated torque in a low differential state is reduced. The drag torque can be effectively suppressed.

  In addition, since the speed increasing mechanism including the planetary gear mechanism 30 and the inertia member 25, which is an inertial body, are provided, as will be described in detail below, the front wheels W1, W2 from the initial rotation of the front wheels (drive wheels) W1, W2. And the differential rotation of the rear wheels W3, W4 can be suppressed. Further, since the rotational torque of the rear wheels (driven wheels) W3, W4 can be maintained by the inertial force generated in the rotating direction of the inert member 25, the torque transmission device prevents cascade lock, suppresses tight turn braking, and performs steady running. The drag torque generated in 10 can be reduced.

  Next, torque characteristics transmitted by the torque transmission device 10 will be described. In the torque transmission device 10 of the present embodiment, the piston 27 that moves with the inertial force in the front-rear direction of the vehicle is provided, so that when the inertial force in the front-rear direction according to the acceleration or inclination angle of the vehicle acts, the piston At 27, the viscous coupling 40 is pressed. Thereby, the clearance between the plates of the viscous coupling 40 can be changed. Therefore, the transmission torque characteristics of the viscous coupling 40 and the torque transmission device 10 as a whole can be varied.

  FIGS. 4A and 4B are diagrams for explaining the operation of the piston 27 in the torque transmission device 10. FIG. 4A is a diagram illustrating the non-operating state of the piston 27, and FIG. 4B is a diagram illustrating the operating state of the piston 27. In FIG. 4, the torque transmission path of the torque transmission device 10 is indicated by a one-dot chain line. FIG. 5 is a graph showing the relationship between the differential rotation (input differential rotation) of the viscous coupling 40 and the transmission torque. The graph of the figure shows the torque characteristic S1 when the viscous coupling 40 is not pressed by the piston 27 (in a steady state) and the torque characteristic S2 when the viscous coupling 40 is pressed by the piston 27 (when pressurized). ing. The torque characteristic S2 at the time of pressurization is a characteristic when the pressing force to the viscous coupling 40 by the piston 27 is maximized.

  Normal driving conditions where the vehicle's inertial force is below a certain level when the vehicle is traveling on a flat road surface (which means the road surface with no or very little gradient, the same applies hereinafter), or when the vehicle is not in an acceleration / deceleration state It is. In such a normal traveling state, inertial force in the traveling direction (front-rear direction) of the vehicle does not act on the piston 27 or the inertial force that acts is small. Therefore, in this state, as shown in FIG. 4A, the piston 27 is in an initial position (non-operating position) on the planetary gear mechanism 30 side, and is not in a state of applying a pressing force to the viscous coupling 40. . Therefore, in the viscous coupling 40, the clearance between the plates is secured by the urging force (elastic force) of the coil spring 28 (a state where the space between the plates is not narrowed), and the torque transmission characteristic of the viscous coupling 40 is as follows. The steady-state torque characteristic S1 shown in FIG.

  On the other hand, when the vehicle is traveling on a gradient road or in an acceleration state, a backward inertial force acts on the piston 27 in the traveling direction of the vehicle. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4B, the piston 27 moves to the operating position on the viscous coupling 40 side by an inertial force, so that a pressing force is applied to the viscous coupling 40. Thus, in the viscous coupling 40, the clearance between the plates is narrowed against the biasing force of the coil spring 28. Accordingly, the torque transmission characteristic of the viscous coupling 40 changes from the steady-state torque characteristic S1 shown in FIG. 5A to the pressurized torque characteristic S2 side. That is, when the inertial force applied to the piston 27 changes according to the acceleration and gradient of the vehicle, the torque characteristic of the viscous coupling 40 is the steady-state torque characteristic S1 shown in FIG. Between the torque characteristic S2 and the torque characteristic S2.

  That is, in the viscous coupling, generally, the transmission torque is increased by narrowing the clearance between the plates. On the other hand, in the viscous coupling 40 provided in the torque transmission device 10 of the present embodiment, the clearance between the plates of the viscous coupling 40 can be narrowed by the operation of the piston 27. As a result, the torque generated for the differential of the viscous coupling 40 is increased, so that the transmission torque characteristic S2 during pressurization is necessary to output the same torque as compared with the transmission torque characteristic S1 during steady state. Input / output differential rotation is reduced. As a result, the operation of the piston 27 can change the torque characteristics so that the transmission torque with respect to the input differential rotation of the torque transmission device 10 becomes larger.

  That is, in a situation where the driving force of the rear wheels (driven wheels) W3 and W4 is required, such as traveling on an uphill road, the transmission torque of the torque transmission device 10 can be temporarily increased. Thereafter, when the vehicle travels in a steady state or on a flat road, the axial force due to the inertial force on the acceleration side applied to the piston 27 is weakened. For this reason, the piston 27 is pushed back by the restoring force by the coil spring 28 or the inertial force on the deceleration acceleration side to return to the initial position, and the transmission torque characteristic of the torque transmission device 10 changes from the transmission torque characteristic S2 at the time of pressurization to the transmission torque characteristic at the steady state. Switch to S1.

  Further, the inertia member 25 included in the torque transmission device 10 has an inertial mass, and thus acts in a direction to suppress a change in the rotational speed, particularly when the input rotational speed of the viscous coupling 40 is large. Therefore, in the torque characteristic S2 during pressurization, the amount of change in the transmission torque with respect to the change in the input differential rotation is small in the region where the input differential rotation of the viscous coupling 40 is large, but the input differential rotation is performed in the region where the input differential rotation is small. The amount of change in the transmission torque increases with respect to the change. Specifically, the change amount (reduction amount) of the transmission torque increases with a decrease (decrease) in the input differential rotation.

Hereinafter, the transient torque characteristics of the torque transmission device 10 in each traveling state of the vehicle will be described in detail.
(1) During travel on a dry road and snow During normal travel on a dry road and snow, the torque transmission characteristic of the torque transmission device 10 is the normal torque characteristic S1 shown in FIG. On the other hand, at the time of climbing on a dry road and on snow and during rapid acceleration, the piston 27 of the inert member 25 is urged toward the viscous coupling 40 by the inertial force, whereby the viscous coupling 40 is pressurized and transmitted. Torque increases. As a result, the transmission torque characteristic of the torque transmission device 10 changes from the normal torque characteristic S1 to the torque characteristic S2 side during pressurization.

  Accordingly, during normal driving of the vehicle, the drag resistance of the rear wheels W3 and W4 can be reduced by keeping the torque of the rear wheels W3 and W4 (4WD torque) small by running with the torque characteristics in the steady state. Can do. In addition, when the tires having different diameters are mounted on the front wheels W1, W2 and the rear wheels W3, W4, etc., the heat generation of the torque transmission device 10 due to continuous high differential rotation input is suppressed. The load on the torque transmission device 10 can be reduced. On the other hand, when the inertial force of the piston 27 acts and the pressing force is applied between the plates of the viscous coupling 40 according to the acceleration or gradient applied to the vehicle at the time of sudden acceleration or starting uphill, the rear wheel By increasing the 4WD torque applied to W3 and W4, it becomes possible to ensure the running performance of the vehicle.

(2) When Starting on Front / Rear Split μ Road FIG. 6 shows a front / rear split μ road (the road surface on which the front wheels W1 and W2 step is smaller in friction coefficient than the road surface on which the rear wheels W3 and W4 step). FIG. 6A is a graph for explaining the time of start of the vehicle, in which FIG. 7A is a graph showing the input torque of the torque transmission device 10, the input / output differential rotation, and the output torque over time; 3 is a schematic diagram of a vehicle showing an input differential rotation N1 and an output differential rotation N2 of the device 10. FIG.

  As shown in the graph of FIG. 6, when the angular acceleration is large with respect to the input load from the planetary gear mechanism 30 when starting on the front and rear split μ road, the inertial resistance in the rotational direction by the inertia member 25 acts, The differential input rotation to the viscous coupling 40 can be suppressed (limited). Therefore, it is possible to limit the temporary increase (transient torque state) of the transmission torque of the torque transmission device 10. Thereby, the security strength of the rear differential 8 can be lowered.

(3) During braking on a low μ road FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining braking during traveling on a low μ road (which means a road surface having a relatively low coefficient of friction). FIG. 6 is a graph showing changes over time of a brake flag (brake on / off), input / output torque of the torque transmission device 10, front and rear wheel speeds and estimated vehicle body speed, and (b) is an input torque T1 of the torque transmission device 10. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a vehicle showing an output torque T2.

  At the time of braking while traveling on a low μ road, the deceleration torque due to a significant decrease (drop) in the rotational speed of the front wheels W1, W2 increases. In a conventional torque transmission device (viscous coupling) having only a coupling mechanism, cascade lock can be induced by the rotational speed of the rear wheels W3, W4 dropping in synchronization with the rotational speed of the front wheels W1, W2. High nature. On the other hand, in the torque transmission device 10 of the present embodiment, the inertia force in the rotation direction of the inertia member 25 acts to resist the reduction-side differential rotation transmitted from the planetary gear mechanism 30 to the viscous coupling 40. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 7A, the deceleration torque of the viscous coupling 40 can be effectively reduced. Moreover, it can suppress that the wheel speed of front-wheel W1, W2 is dragged by the wheel speed of rear-wheel W3, W4, and falls. As a result, cascade lock can be prevented. Further, the piston 27 of the inert member 25 returns to the initial position (non-operating position) due to the deceleration acceleration applied to the vehicle during braking. Therefore, even when the vehicle is accelerating, when the brake is operated, the transmission torque characteristic of the torque transmission device 10 can be instantaneously switched to the normal torque characteristic S1 to reduce the transmission torque. Thereby, it is also possible to prevent ABS interference.

(4) During tight turn braking FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining tight turn braking. (A) is an accelerator flag (accelerator on / off), torque of torque transmission device 10 (transmission torque), vehicle body It is a graph which shows the time change of speed, (b) is a schematic diagram of the vehicle which shows the input torque and output torque of the torque transmission apparatus 10. In the graph of FIG. 6A, the data (solid line) of the torque transmission device 10 of the present embodiment and the data (dotted line) of the torque transmission device of the conventional configuration (torque transmission device having only a coupling mechanism). Is also written. In a four-wheel drive vehicle having main drive wheels (front wheels W1, W2) and auxiliary drive wheels (rear wheels W3, W4) as in the present embodiment, forward / backward differential rotation occurs due to a difference in turning radius of the front and rear wheels during turning. To do. Therefore, a tight turn braking phenomenon occurs in which the driven wheel is dragged with 4WD torque. This tight turn braking phenomenon is a phenomenon that is accompanied by a noticeable deceleration when the accelerator is off.

  On the other hand, in the torque transmission device 10 of the present embodiment, the inertial force (inertial force in the rotation direction) of the inertia member 25 reduces the rotational speed with respect to the rotational speed decrease of the rotating shaft 7 accompanying deceleration of the vehicle. It acts in the direction to suppress (direction to continue to rotate). Therefore, as shown in the graph of FIG. 8A, the transmission torque (load torque) of the torque transmission device 10 when the accelerator is off can be reduced. Thereby, the deceleration acceleration of the vehicle body can be relaxed and the tight turn braking phenomenon can be suppressed. Further, at the time of tight turn braking, the transmission torque characteristic of the torque transmission device 10 is switched to the normal torque characteristic S1 as in the case of normal braking. Therefore, the drag torque in the torque transmission device 10 can be reduced, and the idle travel distance (travel distance after the accelerator is turned off) and the idle travel time of the vehicle can be extended.

  As described above, in the torque transmission device 10 provided in the four-wheel drive vehicle of the present embodiment, the driving force (torque) includes the acceleration type planetary gear mechanism 30 and the viscous coupling 40 formed by stacking a plurality of friction plates. The rotation increased by the planetary gear mechanism 30 with respect to the input rotation to the housing 11 is input to the viscous coupling 40. Thereby, the relative speed between the plates of the viscous coupling 40 can be increased with respect to the differential rotation of the front wheels W1, W2 and the rear wheels W3, W4. Therefore, the abnormal vibration (judder) generated between the plates of the viscous coupling 40 can be effectively suppressed by increasing the sliding speed of the friction surface between the plates.

  Further, since the speed increasing mechanism including the planetary gear mechanism 30 and the inertia member 25, which is an inertial body, are provided, the difference between the front wheels W1, W2 and the rear wheels W3, W4 from the initial idling of the front wheels (drive wheels) W1, W2. An effect can be exhibited in suppression of rotation. Further, since the rotational torque of the rear wheels (driven wheels) W3, W4 can be maintained by the inertial force generated in the rotating direction of the inert member 25, the torque transmission device prevents cascade lock, suppresses tight turn braking, and performs steady running. The drag torque generated in 10 can be reduced.

  Further, the viscous coupling 40 is pressed by the piston 27 by the inertial force in the front-rear direction corresponding to the acceleration and the inclination angle of the vehicle acting on the piston 27. Thereby, the clearance between the plates of the viscous coupling 40 can be changed according to the acceleration and inclination angle of the vehicle. Therefore, the transmission torque characteristics of the viscous coupling 40 and the torque transmission device 10 as a whole can be varied. Thereby, for example, in a situation where the driving force of the driven wheel is required, such as traveling on an uphill road, it is possible to temporarily increase the transmission torque of the torque transmission device.

[Second Embodiment]
Next, a torque transmission device according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the description of the second embodiment and the corresponding drawings, the same or corresponding components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted below. Further, matters other than those described below and matters other than those illustrated are the same as those in the first embodiment.

  FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a four-wheel drive vehicle including the torque transmission device 10-2 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. In the torque transmission device 10 of the first embodiment, the viscous coupling 40 is provided as a torque transmission portion installed on the rear side of the planetary gear mechanism 30, whereas in the torque transmission device 10-2 of the present embodiment, As a torque transmission unit, a wet clutch mechanism 40-2 is provided which is formed by alternately laminating each plate of the outer plate group 13-2 and each plate of the inner plate group 14-2 made of friction plates arranged in hydraulic oil. ing.

  In the clutch mechanism 40-2, the plates of the outer plate group 13-2 and the plates of the inner plate group 14-2 are installed in a state where a certain pressing force is applied in advance. The piston (pressing member) 28 moves to the clutch mechanism 40-2 side, so that the pressing force between the plates of the clutch mechanism 40-2 is changed by the pressing force of the piston 28. In the clutch mechanism 40-2 of the present embodiment, the coil spring 28 is not interposed between the plates of the outer plate group 13-2.

  According to the torque transmission device 10-2 of the present embodiment, the friction surface between the plates provided in the clutch mechanism 40-2 is configured to input the rotation accelerated by the planetary mechanism 30 to the clutch mechanism 40-2. Can be increased, and abnormal vibration (judder) generated between the plates of the clutch mechanism 40-2 can be effectively suppressed.

  Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the technical idea described in the claims and the specification and drawings. Is possible. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the planetary gear mechanism 30 included in the torque transmission device 10 is a mechanism including two planetary gear sets. However, the planetary gear mechanism included in the torque transmission device 10 according to the present invention is input from the housing. As long as the speed increasing mechanism transmits the rotation to the coupling mechanism, the specific configuration may be a configuration other than that shown in the above embodiment.

  In addition, the inertia member included in the torque transmission device according to the present invention is a configuration capable of changing the torque characteristics of the torque transmission device in accordance with the change in the acceleration or inclination angle of the vehicle or the rotation speed of the rotation shaft. The specific shape and the like are not limited to those shown in the above embodiment, and may be other shapes and the like.

1 Four-wheel drive vehicle 2 Driving force transmission path 3 Engine 4 Transmission 5 Front differential 6, 6 Front drive shaft 7 (7a, 7) Propeller shaft (rotary shaft)
8 Rear differential 9, 9 Rear drive shaft 10, 10-2 Torque transmission device 11 Housing 12 Output shaft 13 Outer plate group 14 Inner plate group 15 Cover member 16 Working chamber 25 Inerter member 25a Outer diameter part 25b Inner diameter part 25c Connection part 25d Opening Part 27 Piston (Pressing member)
28 Coil spring (biasing means)
29, 29 Needle bearing 30 Planetary gear mechanism 40 Viscous coupling (torque transmission)
40-2 Clutch mechanism (torque transmission part)
P1 First planetary gear set P2 Second planetary gear set W1, W2 Front wheels (main drive wheels)
W3, W4 Rear wheel (sub drive wheel)

Claims (3)

A torque transmission device for a four-wheel drive vehicle disposed between the drive source and the auxiliary drive wheel in a drive force transmission path for transmitting drive force from the drive source to the main drive wheel and the auxiliary drive wheel,
A rotating shaft provided between the drive source and the auxiliary drive wheel;
A housing connected to the drive source side of the rotary shaft, an output shaft connected to the sub drive wheel side of the rotary shaft,
A planetary gear mechanism and a torque transmission unit arranged in series in the housing from the drive source side toward the sub drive wheel side;
Wherein as the pressing member having an inertia mass between the planetary gear mechanism and the torque transmitting portion is retractable move along the axial direction of the rotary shaft, and a Inata member for guiding the pressing member,
The planetary gear mechanism is a speed increasing type planetary gear mechanism that accelerates rotation input from the housing and outputs the speed to the torque transmission unit via the inertia member.
The torque transmission unit includes a working chamber filled with hydraulic oil defined between the housing and the output shaft, and is connected to each plate of the outer plate group connected to the inerter member and the output shaft. A torque transmission device for a four-wheel drive vehicle, wherein the plates of the inner plate group are arranged alternately along the axial direction in the working chamber. An urging means that urges the pressing member in a direction to widen the distance between each plate of the outer plate group and each plate of the inner plate group provided in the torque transmission unit;
When the acceleration of the vehicle or the climbing slope of the travel path exceeds a predetermined value, the pressing member moves toward the torque transmitting portion by inertia force and is laminated on each plate of the outer plate group and each plate of the inner plate group. 2. The four-wheel drive vehicle according to claim 1, wherein a space between the plates is narrowed against a biasing force of the biasing means by applying a pressing force in a direction. Torque transmission device. The torque transmission of a four-wheel drive vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the planetary gear mechanism is a planetary gear mechanism having at least two planetary gear sets, ie, a first planetary gear set and a second planetary gear set. apparatus.

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