JPH0120178Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] a. Industrial application field The invention relates to a front wheel drive vehicle.
In particular, the present invention relates to a front wheel drive vehicle in which a front wheel drive shaft is driven by a chain transmission.

b. Prior art and its problems In front-wheel drive vehicles, the tie rod is disposed along the front wheel drive shaft, so there is very little free space around the drive shaft. For this reason, when chain transmission is employed as a transmission means for transmitting the engine output to the drive shaft, it is very difficult to install a chain cover because the tie rods get in the way.

On the other hand, in order to easily install the chain cover, it may be possible to install the tie rod at a large incline so that it passes above or below the chain cover, but in this case, the link system including the tie rod will not be forced. This caused problems such as increased toe-in changes due to vertical movement of the front wheels, resulting in poor handling stability.

c Means for solving the problem The present invention was devised in view of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to easily install a chain cover without making any changes to the steering device of a front-wheel drive vehicle. The object of the present invention is to provide a front wheel drive automobile with a chain transmission that can be installed.The gist thereof is to provide a front wheel drive vehicle with a sprocket attached to the front wheel drive shaft, a chain for transmitting engine output to the sprocket, and a chain cover that covers the chain. In front-wheel drive vehicles equipped with
The front wheel drive vehicle is characterized in that the chain cover has an insertion hole through which a tie rod is inserted, located behind the sprocket and within the chain.

d Example An example of the present invention will be described below based on the drawings. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the front suspension of the front wheel drive vehicle according to the present invention employs a conventionally known wisdom bone type front suspension, and the front wheel bearing 1 is
It is supported by a letter-shaped upper arm 2 and lower arm 3 to be able to move up and down. In detail, the base ends 2a and 3a of the upper arm 2 and lower arm 3
is rotatably supported in the vertical direction by a chassis (not shown), and a pair of upper and lower brackets 4, 5 are fixed to the axle bearing 1. The pair of brackets 4, 5 are connected to the tips 2b, 3b of the arms 2, 3 via a pair of ball joints 6, 7. Note that a coil spring (not shown) is attached to the lower arm 3.

The front wheel drive shaft 8 is connected to a front wheel axle 12 via a pair of constant velocity joints 9, 10 and a swing shaft 11, as shown in FIG. A sprocket 13 is attached to the drive shaft 8, so that the output of an engine (not shown) is transmitted to the drive shaft 8 via a chain 14 and the sprocket 13.

The chain 14 described above is covered with a chain cover 15 to prevent mud, sand, etc. from adhering thereto. An insertion hole 16 is formed in the chain cover 15, located slightly behind the sprocket 13 and inside the chain 14, and a tie rod 17 is inserted through the insertion hole 16. This tie rod 17 is arranged approximately parallel to the arms 2 and 3 as shown in FIG. It is constructed in such a way that it does not feel strained. In FIGS. 1 and 2, 19 is a steering shaft, 20 is an arm plate, and 21 and 22 are ball joints.

A front wheel drive vehicle is constructed as described above,
When the road surface is uneven, the arms 2 and 3 swing vertically to absorb shock. At this time, since the tie rod 17 is arranged almost parallel to the arms 2 and 3, even if the vehicle bearing 1 moves up and down, the tie rod 17
The axle bearing 1 does not rotate significantly in the left-right direction due to one end pushing or pulling the tip 18a of the knuckle arm 18. Therefore, the toe-in change is small and the steering stability is not impaired.

Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment and can be modified in various ways. For example, in the above embodiment, the tie rod is inserted through the insertion hole of the chain cover, but the tie rod may also be inserted in the case of a rack and pinion type steering.

e Effects of the invention According to the invention, by forming an insertion hole in the chain cover through which the tie rod is inserted, located behind the sprocket provided on the front wheel drive shaft and within the chain, the tie rod can be forced to tilt. It is no longer necessary to arrange the front wheel at an ideal angle without being obstructed by the chain cover, and therefore, it is possible to minimize toe-in changes due to vertical movement of the front wheel. As a result, a chain-driven front-wheel drive vehicle with excellent handling stability can be realized.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawings show one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1 is a side view of the front suspension;
FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the - line in FIG. 1. 1...Car bearing, 2...Upper arm, 3...Lower arm, 8...Front wheel drive shaft, 13...Sprocket, 14...Chain, 15...Chain cover, 16...Insertion hole, 17...Tie rod, 18
...Natsukuru arm, 19...Steering shaft.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] In a front wheel drive vehicle, in which a sprocket is attached to the front wheel drive shaft, a chain is provided for transmitting engine output to the sprocket, and a chain cover is provided to cover the chain, the chain cover has an insertion hole through which a tie rod is inserted. A front wheel drive vehicle characterized in that the sprocket is located behind the sprocket and within its chain.