JPH0958293A - Hub clutch device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enhance the durability of the seal of a coupling member by using a pressure fluid only at the time of conversion from two-wheel drive to four- wheel drive and vice versa, and leaving the pressure with atmospheric pressure after the conversion. SOLUTION: A two-way clutch 15 coupled so that an inner wheel 11 is movable in the direction of an axis together with a movable wheel 9 is assembled between the movable wheel 9 and an outer wheel 13 which are fitted around an axle 2 in such a way as to be movable in the direction of the axis, the state of four-wheel drive in which an external gear 24 constantly meshes with the internal gear 25 of the outer wheel 13 is held by a spring 31, the state of two-wheel drive is held by the attraction of a magnet 33 to a lid 26, and the states of four-wheel and two-wheel drive are switched from one to the other by feeding or exhausting a pressure fluid to or from a slider 27.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a hub clutch device which is mounted on a front wheel of a four-wheel drive vehicle and switches between transmission and cutoff of driving force between an axle and a wheel hub.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a part-time four-wheel drive vehicle,
A hub clutch device is installed between the front wheel hub and the axle to switch the transmission state of the driving force to the wheels.

In a conventional hub clutch device, a slide gear fitted to an axle is axially movable, and this gear is engaged and disengaged from a wheel hub, and when engaging, a four-wheel drive in which the axle and the wheel hub are directly connected. It has a structure in which the two wheels are driven when the vehicle is disengaged, and pressure fluid, for example, air pressure is used to switch the drive.

[0004]

By the way, when the movement of the slide gear is controlled by the air pressure, it is necessary to constantly maintain the air pressure in order to maintain the state of either the four-wheel drive or the two-wheel drive. Therefore, there is a problem that pressure is constantly applied to the seal provided on the hub or the spindle portion, the seal is worn out and durability is deteriorated.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide four-wheel drive and two-wheel drive.
(EN) Provided is a hub clutch device capable of improving the durability of a seal by applying a fluid pressure only when switching wheel drive and eliminating the need to hold a coupling member by the fluid pressure at other times. It is in.

[0006]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention according to claim 1 rotatably fits a drive member connected to an axle and a driven member connected to a wheel hub in and out, A one-way clutch is incorporated between the driving member and the driven member, and a coupling member is provided between the driving member and the driven member, the coupling member moving between a position where the driving member and the driven member are coupled and a position where they are separated by the pressure of the fluid. A structure is adopted in which the moving elasticity toward the position where the connecting member is connected is biased and the separated position of the connecting member is held by the attraction of the magnet.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the drive member includes a movable wheel that is externally fitted to the axle and is serrated, and a one-way clutch that is externally fitted to the movable wheel and is serrated. The inner ring, the coupling member, a pair of gears provided on the outer peripheral surface of the movable wheel and the inner peripheral surface of the driven member so as to engage and disengage by the movement of the movable wheel in the axial direction,
It is composed of a slider fixed to a movable wheel, and is configured to move the movable wheel in the axial direction by controlling the pressure of the fluid acting on both sides of the slider to disengage the pair of gears. It is a thing.

According to a third aspect of the invention, in the first or second aspect of the invention, the magnet is fixed to an end surface of the slider of the coupling member so as to be attracted to the lid of the driven member, and the magnet couples the coupling member. It is configured such that the attraction force is set to be larger than the elasticity of the spring that urges the spring to the position.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the first to third aspects of the invention, the pressure of the fluid is alternately applied to the inner surface of the slider of the coupling member by using the inner diameter side and the outer diameter side of the spindle fitted onto the axle as separate paths. It is configured to operate.

Here, the fluid for moving the connecting member uses negative pressure or positive pressure of air, and it acts on the end surface of the slider of the connecting member only when switching between four-wheel drive and two-wheel drive, and after switching. Return to atmospheric pressure. The four-wheel drive state is held by the pressing elasticity of the spring, and the two-wheel drive state is held by the attraction of the magnet to the lid of the driven member.

[0011]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below.
This will be described together with the illustrated example.

In FIG. 1, 1 is a hub clutch device, 2
Is a front wheel axle of a four-wheel drive vehicle, and the front wheel axle 2 is composed of a shaft portion of a constant velocity joint 3 connected to a drive system of the vehicle.

A spindle 4 is externally fitted to the front wheel axle 2, the spindle 4 is fixedly supported by a knuckle 5 of the vehicle, and the spindle 4 is rotatable about a wheel hub 8 via tapered bearings 6 and 7. Support.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a movable wheel 9, which is one of the driving members of the hub clutch device 1, is integrally rotated at the front end of the front wheel axle 2 via a serration groove 10. Is externally fitted so as to be movable in the axial direction, and the inner ring 11, which is another one of the drive members, is provided outside the movable wheel 9.
It is externally fitted through the serration groove 12 so as to rotate integrally and to be movable in the axial direction.

An outer ring 13 serving as a driven member is rotatably fitted on the outer sides of the movable wheel 9 and the inner ring 11, and the rear end surface of the outer ring 13 is fixed to the end surface of the wheel hub 8 by a plurality of bolts 14. The inner peripheral surface of the outer ring 13 and the inner ring 11
A one-way clutch 15 including the inner ring 11 is incorporated between the two.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 7, the one-way clutch 15 includes two annular cages 16 having different diameters between cylindrical surfaces 11a, 13a provided to face the inner ring 11 and the outer ring 13, respectively.
17 are provided, and the sprags 20 are incorporated in the pockets 18 and 19 provided in the retainers 16 and 17, respectively, and the sprags 20 are always subjected to a moment by the ribbon spring 21 in the tilting direction.

In the one-way clutch 15 having the above-mentioned structure, when the rotation of the inner ring 11 (axle) exceeds the rotation of the outer ring 13 (wheel hub), the sprag 20 tilts and each cylindrical surface 11 is rotated.
It engages with a and 13a and transmits torque. Conversely, the outer ring 13
When the rotation of the outer ring 13 exceeds the rotation of the inner ring 11, the outer ring 13 is free running (overrunning) for each sprag 20.
Then, the torque is not transmitted. In this embodiment, the rotation direction in which the one-way clutch 15 is locked is set to be the rotation direction when the vehicle is traveling forward. Between the inner race 11 and the outer race 13, support metals 22 and 23 are provided at both ends of the inner race 11.

Between the rear end of the inner ring 11 of the one-way clutch 15 and the tapered bearing 6, a spacer 4 fitted on the spindle 4 is fitted.
1 is provided, and an oil seal 42 is incorporated between the spacer 41 and the inner peripheral surface of the rear end portion of the outer ring 13.

The movable wheel 9 is a front wheel axle 2 and an inner wheel 11.
With respect to the movable wheel 9, an external gear 24 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the tip of the movable wheel 9, and an internal gear 25 is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the outer ring 13 in a position close to the one-way clutch 15. By moving the movable wheel 9 in the axial direction,
The external gear 24 will change to a position where it meshes with the internal gear 25 and a position where it disengages.

A front end side opening of the outer ring 13 is sealed by a lid 26 made of a magnetic metal material, and a slider 27 as a coupling member is fitted inside the front end side of the outer ring 13 so as to be slidable in the axial direction. ing.

The slider 27 is fixed so as to move integrally with the movable wheel 9 in the axial direction, and a seal ring 28 provided on the outer peripheral surface of the slider 27 slidably contacts the inner peripheral surface of the outer ring 13 so that the slider 27 inside the outer ring 13. The chambers 29 and 30 are formed so as to be closed before and after.

Between the opposing surfaces of the slider 27 and the lid 26, the movable wheel 9 is always connected to the external gear 2 via the slider 27.
A spring 31 for urging movement elasticity in a direction in which 4 meshes with the internal gear 25 is contracted, and a magnet 33 is attached to a surface facing the lid 26 at a central portion of the slider 27 via a storage case 32. There is.

The magnet 33 is adapted to be attracted to the lid 26 when the slider 27 moves outward and the external gear 24 is separated from the internal gear 25. At this time, the magnet 33 is , Compressed spring 3
The magnetic force is set so as to overcome the repulsive force of 1 and hold the slider 27.

In order to control the switching between the two-wheel driving state and the four-wheel driving state by moving the slider 27, as shown in FIG. 4, the outer ring 13 is axially penetrated to the outer chamber 29 and the lid 2.
An air passage 35 communicating with the cutout 34 is provided. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 6, the air passage 35 is provided in the space between the spindle 4 and the wheel hub 8, the inside of the tapered bearings 6 and 7 incorporated in this space, and the air connected to the space at the rear end of the spindle 4. It is connected via a pipe 36 to an air source (not shown) that switches between supply and discharge of negative pressure or positive pressure air by remote control from a transfer of a four-wheel drive vehicle or the like.

The inner chamber 30 has a movable wheel 9 and an inner wheel 1.
The air pipes are provided at the rear end of the spindle 4 so as to communicate with the gap formed between the serration grooves 12 fitted with each other 1 and the gap formed between the fitting surfaces of the front wheel axle 2 and the spindle 4. It is connected to the air source via 37.

The pin case 3 is provided at the center of the lid 26.
8 is fixed in a penetrating manner, and the case 38 supports the pin 39 in an airtight manner so as to be movable in the axial direction. When the pin 39 is pushed, the magnet 33 is forcibly separated from the lid 26 by the pin 39 via the housing case 32, and the external gear 24 is rotated by the spring 31.
It has a fail-safe function to engage the four-wheel drive.

The hub clutch device of the present invention has the above-mentioned structure. Next, the running state of the wheels using this device will be described.

In the two-wheel drive state, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the magnet 33 is attracted to the lid 26 and the spring 3
1 is compressed to move the slider 27 and the movable wheel 9 to the outside, and the external gear 24 is kept separated from the internal gear 25.

In this state, the one-way clutch 15 is free running, and the axle (driving member) and the wheel hub (driven member) are completely disengaged, so that the torque of the wheel hub is not transmitted to the axle.

For this reason, the driving force is not transmitted from both the engine and the tires to the front wheel axle 2 which is separated from the power by the transfer, and only the rear wheels are used for two-wheel running, so that the drive from the transfer to the front wheel axle is performed. The system can be stopped.

When traveling on a road surface having a low coefficient of friction such as a snow road by four-wheel drive, the air in the chamber 30 sealed by the air pipe 37 as shown in FIG. The magnet 33 is pressed against the attraction force to cover the lid 2.
6, the slider 27 and the movable ring 9 are moved inward by the pressing force of the spring 31, and the external gear 24 is meshed with the internal gear 25 of the outer ring 13. The negative pressure is limited to the time required for switching, and is returned to atmospheric pressure after switching.

As a result, the front wheel axle 2 and the outer wheel 13 are directly connected to each other so that a four-wheel drive state is established, and engine braking can be simultaneously applied to the front and rear wheels.

In order to switch from the four-wheel drive state to the two-wheel drive state, the air in the sealed chamber 29 is sucked, and the negative pressure acting on the slider 27 overcomes the spring 31 to overcome the slider 27. The external gear 24 may be disengaged from the internal gear 25 by moving the movable wheel 9 outward and adsorbing the magnet 33 to the lid 26.

As described above, switching between the two-wheel drive state and the four-wheel drive state is performed by the chambers 29 or 30 on both sides of the slider 27.
Negative pressure or positive pressure may be applied to either of
The wheel drive state is held by attraction of the magnet 33 to the lid 26, and the four wheel drive state is held by the pressing force of the spring 31.

Therefore, it is not necessary to apply a negative pressure or a positive pressure after the switching operation, and the air passage can be set so as to return to the atmospheric pressure after the switching operation, so that it acts on the hub seal and the spindle seal. The pressure can be applied in a short time, and the durability of the seal ring 28 can be improved.

When switching between the two-wheel drive state and the four-wheel drive state, the negative pressure and the positive pressure are opposite to the side on which the pressure is applied to the chambers 29 and 30.

[0037]

As described above, according to the present invention, the four-wheel drive state is maintained by pressing the spring, and
Since the two-wheel drive state is retained by the attraction of the magnet, the pressure fluid can be used only during the switching operation, and the atmospheric pressure can be restored after the switching operation. Therefore, the pressure fluid can be used for a short time. Therefore, there is no problem with the durability of the seal of the connecting member, and the conventional seal can be used as it is.

By incorporating the hub clutch device of the present invention between the front wheel and the axle of a four-wheel drive vehicle, two-wheel drive can be performed with the front-wheel drive system disconnected, and the front and rear wheels can be directly connected during four-wheel drive. It has excellent fuel efficiency and quietness,
There is an effect that it is possible to realize four-wheel running that can accurately respond to changes in the road surface.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view showing an example of mounting a hub clutch device on a four-wheel drive vehicle.

FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a two-wheel drive state in which an essential part of the same is enlarged.

FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a four-wheel drive state in which an essential part of the same is enlarged.

FIG. 4A is a front view of the outer ring, and FIG. 4B is a longitudinal sectional view of the same.

5A is a vertical cross-sectional view of the lid, and FIG. 5B is a front view of the same.

6 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken along the arrow VI-VI in FIG.

FIG. 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the structure and sprag of a one-way clutch.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Hub Clutch Device 2 Front Wheel Axle 4 Spindle 8 Wheel Hub 9 Movable Wheel 11 Inner Ring 13 Outer Ring 15 One-way Clutch 20 Sprag 24 External Gear 25 Internal Gear 26 Lid 27 Slider 28 Seal Ring 29, 30 Chamber 31 Spring 33 Magnet 35 Air 35 Passage 36, 37 Air piping 39 pins

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A drive member connected to an axle and a driven member connected to a wheel hub are rotatably fitted inside and outside, and a one-way clutch is incorporated between the drive member and the driven member to provide the drive member and the driven member. A coupling member that moves between a position where the driving member and the driven member are coupled and a position where the driven member is coupled to each other by the pressure of the fluid is provided between the two, and elastic movement is urged toward the position where the driving member and the driven member are coupled. A hub clutch device in which the disengaged position of the coupling member is held by attracting a magnet. 2. The driving member comprises a movable wheel fitted onto the axle by serration coupling and an inner ring of a one-way clutch fitted on the movable wheel by serration coupling, and the coupling member comprises the movable wheel. It is formed by a pair of gears provided on the outer peripheral surface of the and the inner peripheral surface of the driven member so as to be engaged and disengaged by the movement of the movable wheel in the axial direction, and a slider fixed to the movable wheel. The hub clutch device according to claim 1, wherein the movable wheel is moved in the axial direction by controlling the pressure of the fluid to be caused to disengage the pair of gears. 3. The magnet is fixed to the end surface of the slider of the coupling member so as to be attracted to the lid of the driven member, and the magnet has a greater attraction force than the elasticity of the spring that biases the coupling member to the coupling position. The hub clutch device according to claim 1, wherein the hub clutch device is set to. 4. The hub according to claim 1, wherein the inner diameter side and the outer diameter side of the spindle fitted onto the axle are set as different paths so that the pressure of the fluid acts alternately on the inner surface of the slider of the coupling member. Clutch device.