IP Library Granted Patent US 12,194,844
Granted Patent B2
US 12,194,844 · App. 17/645,706 · Granted Jan 14, 2025

Transfer device of vehicle

Inventors: Yuzo Ohkawa (Aki-gun, JP); Kazunori Sawamura (Aki-gun, JP); Takayuki Kato (Aki-gun, JP)
Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
B60K17/344B60K17/351F16D1/02F16D3/223F16D27/115F16H1/22F16H57/021F16H57/023F16H57/028F16H57/029F16D2023/123
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,194,844
App. No.
17/645,706
Granted
Jan 14, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A transfer device of a vehicle is provided, in which an auxiliary-drive-wheel output shaft extending in parallel with a main-drive-wheel output shaft is connected to a propeller shaft having a universal joint. An end part of the auxiliary-drive-wheel output shaft on a propeller shaft side is formed in a hollow shape and includes a fitting part configured to be spline-engaged with a joint part provided to the universal joint. The joint part is provided with a centering part which is inserted into a centering hole formed in a flange part provided to one side of the auxiliary-drive-wheel output shaft so that the joint part is centered on the auxiliary-drive-wheel output shaft. The flange part is sandwiched between a spacer and the joint part, and a bolt member is attached to a bolt hole formed in the centering part so that the propeller shaft is assembled to the auxiliary-drive-wheel output shaft.

Claims (33)

1. A transfer device of a vehicle, comprising:

a main-drive-wheel output shaft coupled to an output shaft of a transmission and extending to one side in a front-and-rear direction of the vehicle;

an auxiliary-drive-wheel output shaft disposed in parallel with the main-drive-wheel output shaft; and

a powertrain mechanism configured to transmit a driving force extracted from the main-drive-wheel output shaft to the auxiliary-drive-wheel output shaft,

wherein the auxiliary-drive-wheel output shaft is connected to a propeller shaft extending to the other side in the vehicle front-and-rear direction and having a universal joint at an end part thereof on the auxiliary-drive-wheel output shaft side,

wherein an end part of the auxiliary-drive-wheel output shaft on the propeller shaft side is formed in a hollow shape and includes a fitting part configured to be spline-engaged with a joint part provided to a component member of the universal joint of the propeller shaft,

wherein the spline-engagement between the fitting part of the auxiliary-drive-wheel output shaft and the joint part of the propeller shaft is a non-press fitting,

wherein the joint part is provided, at an end part thereof on the one side, with a centering part extending to the one side and having an outer diameter smaller than an outer diameter of the joint part,

wherein the centering part is provided, at an end part thereof on the one side, with a bolt hole extending to the other side,

wherein the auxiliary-drive-wheel output shaft is provided, on the one side of the fitting part, with a flange part extending to radially inward of the auxiliary-drive-wheel output shaft and having a centering hole corresponding to the centering part,

wherein a spacer is disposed on the one side of the flange part,

wherein a bolt member is disposed on the one side of the spacer to be inserted into the spacer from the one side toward the bolt hole of the centering part and attached to the bolt hole,

wherein the centering part is inserted into the centering hole so that the joint part is centered on the auxiliary-drive-wheel output shaft, and

wherein the flange part is sandwiched between the spacer and the joint part, and the bolt member is attached to the bolt hole so that the propeller shaft is assembled to the auxiliary-drive-wheel output shaft.

2. The transfer device of claim 1 , wherein a length of the flange part in the vehicle front-and-rear direction is shorter than a distance between the end part of the joint part on the one side and an end part of the spacer on the other side in the vehicle front-and-rear direction.

3. The transfer device of claim 2 ,

wherein the auxiliary-drive-wheel output shaft is provided with a spacer holding part extending to the one side from the flange part and having a spacer insertion hole into which the spacer is inserted,

wherein a first seal member is provided at the other side of the fitting part of the auxiliary-drive-wheel output shaft so as to seal between the auxiliary-drive-wheel output shaft and the joint part, and

wherein a second seal member is provided to an outer circumferential surface of the spacer so as to seal between the spacer holding part and the spacer.

4. The transfer device of claim 1 , wherein the joint part is provided, at the end part thereof on the one side, with an intermediate shaft part extending to the one side between the joint part and the centering part and having an outer diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the joint part and larger than the outer diameter of the centering part.

5. The transfer device of claim 4 , wherein a length of the flange part in the vehicle front-and-rear direction is shorter than a distance between an end part of the intermediate shaft part on the one side and an end part of the spacer on the other side in the vehicle front-and-rear direction.

6. The transfer device of claim 5 ,

wherein the auxiliary-drive-wheel output shaft is provided with a spacer holding part extending to the one side from the flange part and having a spacer insertion hole into which the spacer is inserted,

wherein a first seal member is provided at the other side of the fitting part of the auxiliary-drive-wheel output shaft so as to seal between the auxiliary-drive-wheel output shaft and the joint part, and

wherein a second seal member is provided to an outer circumferential surface of the spacer so as to seal between the spacer holding part and the spacer.

7. The transfer device of claim 4 ,

wherein the auxiliary-drive-wheel output shaft is provided with a spacer holding part extending to the one side from the flange part and having a spacer insertion hole into which the spacer is inserted,

wherein a first seal member is provided at the other side of the fitting part of the auxiliary-drive-wheel output shaft so as to seal between the auxiliary-drive-wheel output shaft and the joint part, and

wherein a second seal member is provided to an outer circumferential surface of the spacer so as to seal between the spacer holding part and the spacer.

8. The transfer device of claim 1 ,

wherein the auxiliary-drive-wheel output shaft is provided with a spacer holding part extending to the one side from the flange part and having a spacer insertion hole into which the spacer is inserted,

wherein a first seal member is provided at the other side of the fitting part of the auxiliary-drive-wheel output shaft so as to seal between the auxiliary-drive-wheel output shaft and the joint part, and

wherein a second seal member is provided to an outer circumferential surface of the spacer so as to seal between the spacer holding part and the spacer.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 22, 2021
From: OHKAWA, YUZO; SAWAMURA, KAZUNORI; KATO, TAKAYUKI
To: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 058465/0680 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2021-008028 · Jan 21, 2021 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220227227A1 · Jul 21, 2022
References Cited (12)
US 5704868A · Lindsey · 1998 [cited by examiner]
US 6550975B2 · Inoue · 2003 [cited by examiner]
US 7811176B2 · Cermak · 2010 [cited by examiner]
US 8708570B2 · Umekida · 2014 [cited by examiner]
US 9656517B2 · Mochinaga · 2017 [cited by examiner]
US 9829048B2 · Mochinaga · 2017 [cited by examiner]
US 10024416B2 · Martin · 2018 [cited by examiner]
US 10112483B2 · DeCorte · 2018 [cited by examiner]
US 20030111285A1 · Gansloser · 2003 [cited by examiner]
US 20120281941A1 · Umekida et al. · 2012 [cited by applicant]
US 20130213157A1 · Martin · 2013 [cited by examiner]
JP 6624177B2 · 2019 [cited by applicant]