JPS62251549A - Differential gear - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make it possible to reduce resistance of rotation, by setting a clutch means adapted to connect/disconnect the rotary motion between a case part on differential gears built-up body side and a case part on ring gear side, and disconnecting this clutch at a change to two-wheel drive. CONSTITUTION:A case part 32 on differential gears built-up body side can rotate on axles 10, 12, and supports a pinion shaft 30 of the differential gears built-up body 14 in an integrated one body. A case part 34 on ring gear side, and the ring gear 18, can rotate on the case part 32. Then, these both case parts 32, 34 are rotatingly connected with each other by a clutch means 40, to rotate as an integrated one body, and operate as differential gears. On the other hand, transmission of the rotary motion between the axles 10, 12 and the differential gears built-up body 14, and the ring gear 18 and a drive pinion 20, is cut off by disconnecting the clutch means 40 at a change to two-wheel drive. In this way, resistance of rotation at the two-wheel driving or drawing of a vehicle, can be reduced.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to a differential gear device provided on an axle of an automobile or the like. More specifically, the present invention relates to a differential gear device including a clutch means for connecting and connecting an axle and a ring gear.

(Prior art) For the axle of automatic vehicles etc. A differential gear device is provided to absorb the difference in rotational speed between the 1m wheel and the outer m wheel so that the vehicle can curve smoothly.

Such a differential gear device generally includes:
The differential gear assembly installed between the left and right axles and the cough! 2!
It is well known to include a differential gear case that supports the llJ gear assembly and is rotatable between axles, and a ring gear that is fixed to the differential gear case and meshes with a drive pinion.

The differential gear assembly includes a pair of side gears fixed to opposite ends of the left and right axles, a differential binion that meshes with both side gears, and a differential binion that rotatably supports the binion. The differential gear case supports the differential gear case so as to rotate integrally with the case.

On the other hand, there are four-wheel drive types of cars, and
Some four-wheel drive vehicles can be switched to two-wheel drive as needed. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing part of the power transmission system of this type of vehicle. In the figure, 1 is an engine, and the driving force of the engine 1 is transmitted from a transfer 2 to a rear wheel (not shown) via a main propeller shaft 3.
It is also transmitted to the left and right wheels 6 (the left wheel is not shown) via the auxiliary propeller shaft 4 and the differential gear system [5].

In such a type that can switch from four-wheel drive to two-wheel drive, the switching from four-wheel drive to two-wheel drive is usually performed at the transfer 2, and the driving force of the engine is cut at the transfer 2 and transferred to the secondary propeller. It is no longer transmitted to the shaft 4.

However, since the front wheels are also rotating while the vehicle is running, if the differential gear device 5 has the conventionally well-known general structure described above, the left and right wheels will rotate as the front wheels rotate. Axles 7, 8, differential gear assembly,
The differential gear case, ring gear (none of which are shown, but are incorporated in the differential gear system M5), the drive pinion 9, and the auxiliary propeller shaft 4 rotate in a free state, and as a result, when driving two wheels, the first The problem arises that the rotational resistance is large. Therefore, during two-wheel drive, it is desirable to be able to prevent the rotation of each component of the differential gear device, especially the rotation of the ring gear and drive pinion, which have high rotational resistance. Showa 5
The one described in Japanese Patent No. 6-135320 is known.

What is described in this publication involves cutting one of the left and right axles, for example, the right axle, protruding from a differential gear device having the general structure described above, and dividing it into a wheel side axle portion and a side gear side axle portion. , a clutch means is provided in the cutting portion to move in the axle direction to connect and connect both axle portions, and the clutch means disconnects the two axle portions, thereby freeing the side gear side axle portion of the right axle to rotate. , which is configured to prevent the rotation of the ring gear and drive pinion described above.

(Problems to be solved by the invention) However, the conventional method described in the above publication has
Since the clutch means is disposed separately from the differential gear device on the axle protruding from the differential gear @Akane, there is an inconvenience that the circumference of the differential gear device becomes larger in the axle direction by the amount of the clutch means.

In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to integrate the clutch means into a differential gear device,
It is an object of the present invention to provide a differential gear lfl that can prevent the size of the device and its surroundings from increasing as in the prior art described above.

(Means for Solving the Problems) In order to achieve the above object, the differential gear device according to the present invention provides a differential gear assembly side case portion and a ring gear side portion that can relatively rotate the differential gear case in the axle direction. It is characterized by being divided into a case portion and a clutch means for rotationally connecting and connecting both case portions.

The differential gear assembly side case part is rotatable in the axle direction and supports the differential gear assembly, more specifically, the differential binion shaft so as to rotate integrally with the case part, The ring gear side case portion has a ring gear fixed thereto, and is configured to be rotatable together with the ring gear in the axle direction with respect to the differential gear side case portion as described above.

Note that it is desirable that the ring gear side case portion is fitted into the differential gear assembly side case portion so as to be immovable relative to the axle direction. Otherwise, the state of engagement between the ring gear and the drive pinion may change, causing noise.

(Function) In the differential gear rim having the above configuration, when both case parts are rotationally connected by the clutch means, the two case parts rotate as one, and therefore, unlike a conventional general differential gear. The device operates in exactly the same way, but when both case parts are rotationally isolated by the clutch means, the rotational transmission between the axle and differential gear assembly parts and the ring gear and drive pinion parts is discontinued, so that the aforementioned two-wheel When the engine's driving force is not transmitted to the drive pinion, as in the case of drive, the axle, differential gear assembly 2, and the case part on the side of the bursting gear assembly rotate together with the wheels while the vehicle is running, but that rotation is caused by the ring gear. side case part.

It is not transmitted to the ring gear or drive pinion.

(Effects of the Invention) The differential gear device according to the present invention functions as a normal differential gear device when both case portions are connected by the clutch means as described above, and when both case portions are disconnected, the axle and differential The rotational connection between the gear assembly portion, the ring gear, and the drive pinion portion is severed, and therefore, when switching to two-wheel drive, the clutch is disconnected, thereby removing the ring gear, the drive pinion, and the propeller shaft connected to the drive pinion. rotation can be prevented, and the resistance to lip rotation can be reduced accordingly.

In addition, the clutch means in this device is integrated into the differential gear device, and compared to the case where the clutch means is provided separately from the differential gear device as in the above-mentioned conventional technology, the area around the device can be made more compact, especially The length in the axle direction can be shortened.

The present device not only reduces rotational resistance when switching from four-wheel drive to two-wheel drive, but also makes it possible, for example, to reduce the traction force by disengaging the clutch means when mobilizing the vehicle.

(Example) Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing an embodiment of a differential gear device according to the present invention.

The illustrated differential gear device has left and right axles 10.
．． 12, a differential gear case 16 that supports the differential gear assembly 14 and is rotatable about the axle 10° 12; The ring gear 18 meshes with the drive pinion 20.

Wheels (not shown) are mounted on the left and right ends of both axles 10.12, respectively.

The differential gear assembly 14 includes a pair of side gears 22.2 provided at opposite ends of the left and right axles 10.12, respectively, by spline connections so as to rotate integrally with the axles.
4, a pair of differential pinions 26.28 that mesh with both side gears 22.24 at the same time, and both differential pinions 26.28, each of which is rotatably supported at both ends thereof in a direction perpendicular to the axles 10, 12. A differential pinion shaft 30 is provided.

The differential gear case 16 supports the differential gear V assembly 14, more specifically supports the differential pinion shaft 30, and together with the pinion shaft 30, the axle 10.
．． Differential gear assembly side case part 3 that can freely rotate around 12
2, and a ring gear side case part 34 which is also rotatably supported around the axles 10 and 12 by the case part 32 and to which the ring gear 18 is fixedly installed,
The ring gear side case portion 34 is fitted onto the outer periphery of the differential gear assembly side case portion 32 so that it is not only rotatable about the axle relative to the case portion 32 but also immovable in the axle direction. There is.

Both case parts 32 and 34 have an extension part 32a in the axle direction.
, 34a, and the extensions 32a, 34a are provided with clutch means 40 for intermittent rotation of both extensions and thus of both case parts 32, 34.

This clutch means 40 is fitted and fixed to a male spline portion 34b extending in the axle direction formed on the outer periphery of the extension portion S4a of the ring gear side case portion and the outer periphery of the extension portion 32a of the differential gear assembly side case portion. A male spline part 32c, which is the same as the fiber spline part 34b, formed on the outer periphery of the hub 32b, which rotates integrally with the extension part 32a, is spline-fitted to the one male spline part 34b, and a spline is fitted onto the male spline part 34b. A sleeve 42. having a female spline portion on its inner periphery moves in the axle direction to spline engage the male spline portions 34b and 32c. and the sleeve 42
and a shift fork 46 provided on a shift rod 44 that moves the shaft in the axle direction (arrow A).

The drive pinion 20 is connected via an integrally provided flange 48 to a propeller shaft (not shown) to which driving force from the engine is transmitted.

In the figure, 50 is a differential carrier, 52 is a casing, and 54 is a needle bearing.

In the above embodiment, both case portions 32.
34 is disconnected from rotation by the clutch means 40, so that the driving force from the engine is transferred to the drive pinion 2.
0, even if both axles 10.12 rotate, the rotation is only transmitted to the differential gear dark blue solid body 14 and the differential gear assembly side case portion 32, and therefore the rotation of the ring gear 18 and drive pinion 20 is can be prevented.

Further, since the clutch means 40 is configured to divide the differential gear case 16 into two and connect and connect them, it can be integrated into the differential gear device, and can be integrated into the differential gear device as in the prior art. Compared to the case where the clutch means is provided on the protruding axle portion, the differential gear SI can be arranged more compactly.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments,
Various changes can be made within the scope of the gist,
For example, the manner in which the differential gear case is divided and the form of the clarity means can be changed in various ways.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view showing an example of a power transmission system of a vehicle to which a differential gear device according to the present invention is applied, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing an embodiment of the present invention. 10, 12...Skewer shaft 14...Differential gear assembly 1G...Differential gear case 1B...Ring gear 2
0...Drive pinion 32...Differential gear assembly side case portion 34...Ring gear side case portion 40...Clutch means second toe 1

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] A differential gear assembly provided between left and right axles, a differential gear case that supports the differential gear assembly and is rotatable around the axle, and a differential gear case that is fixed to the differential gear case. In the differential gear device, the differential gear case includes a differential gear assembly side case portion that supports the differential gear assembly and is rotatable around the axle. , a ring gear side case part which is rotatably supported around the axle by the case part, and a ring gear side case part to which the ring gear is fixedly installed, and a clutch means is provided for intermittent rotation of both the case parts. A differential gear device featuring: