A driveline for a vehicle and its method of operating are described. The driveline may have a power source and a front axle assembly drivingly engaged or selectively drivingly engaged with the power source. The front axle assembly may have a front left half shaft, a front right half shaft, a front left torque transmission control mechanism configured to control the transmission of torque to the FL half shaft, and a front right torque transmission control mechanism configured to control the transmission of torque to the FR half shaft. The driveline may also have a rear axle assembly drivingly engaged or selectively drivingly engaged with the power source. The rear axle assembly may have a rear left half shaft, a rear right half shaft, a rear left torque transmission control mechanism configured to control the transmission of torque to the RL half shaft, a rear right torque transmission control mechanism configured to control the transmission of torque to the RR half shaft. The driveline may also have a control unit configured to independently control the FL torque transmission control mechanism, the FR torque transmission control mechanism, the RL torque transmission control mechanism, and the RR torque transmission control mechanism.

A differential assembly having a torque coupling unit and an axle disconnect. A first end portion of an intermediate portion of a differential case is integrally connected to a ring gear. Integrally connected to an inner surface of the intermediate portion of the case is a first plurality of clutch plates. Disposed within a hollow portion of the intermediate portion is a first and a second differential side gear that are meshing with one or more pinion gears. Drivingly connected to the first side gear is a first output shaft. A clutch can having a second plurality of clutch plates is drivingly connected to the first output shaft. Within the hollow portion of the intermediate portion of the case is a clutching assembly that selectively engages the second side gear. A first clutch actuator selectively engages the plurality of plates and a second clutch actuator selectively engages the clutching assembly.

A vehicular power transmission device includes a differential mechanism including a pair of side gears, an inner case, and an outer case, a pair of side gear shafts respectively connected to the side gears and transmitting power to a pair of wheels, a clutch mechanism including a clutch hub, a clutch drum, a friction engagement element, and a piston, and an actuator configured to drive the piston, in which the clutch hub and the clutch drum include meshing teeth, the piston includes first meshing teeth and second meshing teeth, and the clutch hub, the clutch drum, and the piston are configured to switch an operation mode of the vehicular power transmission device to a first mode and a second mode.

A vehicle with a primary driveline that is configured to distribute rotary power to a first set of vehicle wheels and a power transmitting device that can be selectively operated to transmit rotary power to a secondary driveline. The power transmitting device has an input member, which is driven by the primary driveline, and an output member that is selectively coupled to the input member to receive rotary power therefrom. The secondary driveline comprises a differential, a pair of shafts, and a side shaft coupling that selectively interrupts power transmission between the differential and one of the shafts.

Some embodiments of the present invention provide a control system configured to control a driveline of a motor vehicle to operate in a selected one of a plurality of configurations, the system being configured to receive a signal indicative of a location of the vehicle, the system being configured to cause the driveline to operate in a configuration selected in dependence at least in part on the signal indicative of the location of the vehicle.

A drive force transmission apparatus is mountable on a four-wheel drive vehicle switchable between a four-wheel drive mode that transmits a drive force of an engine to front wheels and rear wheels, and a two-wheel drive mode that transmits the drive force to only the front wheels. The drive force transmission apparatus allows adjustment of the drive force to the rear wheels, and includes a multi-plate clutch, a piston for axially pressing the multi-plate clutch, an actuator for axially moving the piston, and a control unit for controlling the actuator. Upon satisfaction of a predetermined condition that indicates a high probability of the vehicle needing to be switched from the two-wheel drive mode to the four-wheel drive mode, the control unit causes the actuator to displace the piston by a predetermined amount with respect to an initial position of the piston toward the multi-plate clutch.

A clutch apparatus includes a clutch hub, a clutch drum, a multi-plate clutch having inner clutch plates and outer clutch plates, a piston for pressing the multi-plate clutch, an electric motor, a moving mechanism for moving the piston in an axial direction in accordance with the amount of rotation of the electric motor, and a control unit for controlling the electric motor. When increasing a rotational force that is transmitted between the clutch hub and the clutch drum by increasing electric current that is supplied to the electric motor, the control unit moves the piston in the axial direction by temporarily supplying the electric motor with the electric current having a first current value that is greater than a second current value corresponding to a target rotational force that needs to be transmitted between the clutch hub and the clutch drum.

A vehicle includes a first axle, second axle, driveshaft, engine, clutch, and controller. The first and second axles are coupled by the driveshaft. The engine is configured to generate torque in the first axle. The clutch is configured to disconnect an output of the second axle. The controller is programmed to, responsive to a clutch release request that would result in an increasing commanded torque to the first axle being greater than a threshold, decrease an engine torque such that a first axle torque is less than the threshold.

Control device for a 4WD vehicle is provided. The 4WD vehicle includes a driving force source, main driving wheels, auxiliary driving wheels, a driving force transmission shaft, a first disconnection mechanism, and a second disconnection mechanism. The first disconnection mechanism and the second disconnection mechanism are engaged during 4WD traveling. One of the first disconnection mechanism and the second disconnection mechanism is a clutch. The control device includes an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit is configured to execute engagement control for controlling the engagement force of the clutch so that the driving force transmission shaft is maintained in a state prior to the initiation of a continuous increase in the rotation speed of the driving force transmission shaft.

A four-wheel drive vehicle includes front wheels, rear wheels to which a driving force of an engine is transmitted via a propeller shaft, a dog clutch that enables blocking of transmission of the driving force from the engine to the propeller shaft, and a multi-disc clutch that enables blocking of transmission of the driving force from the propeller shaft to the rear wheels. During two-wheel driving in which the transmission of the driving force through the dog clutch and the multi-disc clutch is blocked, an ECU in the four-wheel drive vehicle calculates an estimated driving force estimated to be transmitted to the front wheels based on a vehicle speed and an amount of acceleration operation. The ECU allows the multi-disc clutch to transmit the driving force when the estimated driving force is larger than a driving force threshold defined according to a slip limit torque for the front wheels.