Abstract: A feed-forward control section controls, in a feed-forward manner, left and right hydraulic clutches C.sub.L and C.sub.R of a driving force distributing device by presuming such a driving force distribution amount .DELTA.T that a yaw rate corresponding to a turning state of a vehicle is obtained, based on an engine torque, an engine revolution-number, a vehicle speed, a steering angle and a lateral acceleration. On the other hand, a feedback control section calculates a deviation between a reference yaw rate calculated from the vehicle speed and the lateral acceleration and an actual yaw rate detected by a yaw rate sensor, and corrects the driving force distribution amount .DELTA.T calculating in the driving force distributing device in order to converge the deviation into zero.

Abstract: A small-sized damper is provided which enables to effectively vary the damping force of a damper even in a region in which the moving speed of a rod is small. On one of a damper main body and a rod which is inserted into the damper main body, there are mounted a magnet coil having a winding axial line which is coaxial with the damper, and magnetizable attracting members. By electric charging to the magnet coil, the magnetizable attracting members are attracted into contact with the other of the damper main body and the rod.

Abstract: A suspension system for the steered wheels of a vehicle include knuckles, the lower portions of which are pivotally supported at tip ends of a lower arm and a radius rod through two ball joints. Each of the steered wheels is steered about a phantom king pin axis passing through an intersection a of extensions of the lower arm and the radius rod so that, during clockwise turning of the vehicle, the point a of an outer wheel during turning of the vehicle is little moved, but the point a of an inner wheel during turning of the vehicle is moved inwards of a vehicle body through a distance .alpha..sub.R whereby a distance between a ground point of the inner wheel and the phantom king pin axis is larger than a distance between a ground point of the outer wheel and the phantom king pin axis and, hence, left and right steering moments generated by driving forces of the left and right steered wheels are countervailed with each other, whereby the generation of unnecessary steering moments is prevented as a whole.

Abstract: A driving force distributing device is provided for distributing a driving force of an engine to the left and right wheels of a vehicle by bringing a pair of hydraulic clutches into and out of their engaged states. The distributing device includes a hydraulic pump mounted within a casing thereof and driven through gears by a half shaft connected to one of the wheels. An oil passage interconnects the hydraulic pump and the hydraulic clutches, the oil passage being defined in a casing. A valve block is coupled to an upper surface of the casing. Thus, the oil passages interconnecting the hydraulic pump and the hydraulic clutches of the driving force distributing device can be compactly formed.

Abstract: A ring gear of a differential connected to an engine, and a sun gear and a planetary carrier are connected to left and right output shafts of the differential. A first pinion and a second pinion integrally formed and having different circle radii are carried on a carrier member which is rotatably fitted over the left output shaft. The first pinion is connected to the right output shaft, while the second pinion is connected to the left output shaft. When a hydraulic clutch is brought into an engaged state during clockwise turning of a vehicle, the carrier member is decelerated to accelerate a left front wheel, and a torque is transmitted to the left front wheel. When a hydraulic clutch is brought into an engaged state during counterclockwise turning of a vehicle, the carrier member is accelerated to accelerate a right front wheel, and a torque is transmitted to the right front wheel.

Abstract: A torque distributing mechanism includes a first and a second planetary gear mechanism. Among pairs of planetary carriers, ring gears and sun gears in these planetary gear mechanisms, one of the pairs are coupled to two output elements of a differential; another pair are relatively non-rotatably connected to each other, and one of the components of the remaining pair is fixed, while the other is connected to a driving source. Thus, it is possible to reduce the diametrical dimension and weight of the torque distributing mechanism and to improve the degree of freedom in design.

Abstract: In a power transmitting system for distributing a torque to left and right driving wheels in a front engine and front drive vehicle, a transmission is connected to one end of an engine which is horizontally disposed at a front portion of a vehicle body, and a planetary gear type differential is disposed in a space provided in the rear of the transmission. A first clutch and a second clutch are disposed laterally side by side in a space provided in the rear of the engine for controlling the torque transmitted to left and right front wheels by increasing and transmitting the rotation of a ring gear, which is an input member of the differential, to a left axle or a right axle. Thus, the pair of left and right clutches, added to the differential, can be rationally disposed by effective utilization of the spaces.

Abstract: A suspension system for a steered wheel includes a knuckle for steerably supporting the steered wheel about a king pin axis, and upper and lower arms pivotally supported on a vehicle body and connected at free ends thereof to upper and lower portions of the knuckle, respectively. This suspension system further includes a link mechanism which includes a first substantially vertically extending rod connected to the knuckle at a location more inward of the vehicle body than the king pin axis, and a second rod connected at one end to the first rod and at the other end to at least one of the vehicle body and the lower arm. A resilient device is connected to the link mechanism and adapted to exhibit a resilient force repulsive to the deformation of the link mechanism. Thus, even if the king pin offset is set at a small value, a restoring torque can be sufficiently insured in the steering device when steering through a large steering angle at a low speed.

Abstract: A torque distributing mechanism includes a first and a second planetary gear mechanism. Among pairs of planetary carriers, ring gears and sun gears in these planetary gear mechanisms, one of the pairs are coupled to two output elements of a differential; another pair are relatively non-rotatably connected to each other, and one of the components of the remaining pair is fixed, while the other is connected to a driving source. Thus, it is possible to reduce the diametrical dimension and weight of the torque distributing mechanism and to improve the degree of freedom in design.

Abstract: In a vehicle including a torque distributing device for distributing the torque of an engine to left and right driving wheels, a feed-forward control system determines a lateral distribution torque T.sub.1 from an engine torque T.sub.E, a number Ne of revolutions of the engine, a vehicle speed V and a steering angle .theta., and a feed-back control system determines a feed-back torque T.sub.F from a target yaw rate Y determined from the vehicle speed V and the steering angle .theta. and an actual yaw rate Yaw. A final distribution torque T is determined by adding the lateral distribution torque T.sub.1 and the feed-back torque T.sub.D at a predetermined ratio, and an actuator is driven to distribute the engine torque to the left and right driving wheels on the basis of the final distribution torque T.

Abstract: A torque distributing differential for distributing torque from an input element to two output elements and including a first planetary carrier connected to one of the two output elements of the differential and a sun gear coupled to the other of the two output elements. A second planetary carrier of a planetary gear type torque distributing mechanism coupled to the other of the two output elements. An external tooth gear of a ring gear of the torque distributing mechanism and an external tooth gear of the first planetary carrier being operatively connected to each other with a predetermined reduction ratio through a pair of spur gears, so that the sun gear is rotatably driven by a motor.

Abstract: A torque distributing differential for distributing torque from an input element to two output elements and including a first planetary carrier connected to one of the two output elements of the differential and a sun gear coupled to the other of the two output elements. A second planetary carrier of a planetary gear type torque distributing mechanism coupled to the other of the two output elements. An external tooth gear of a ring gear of the torque distributing mechanism and an external tooth gear of the first planetary carrier being operatively connected to each other with a predetermined reduction ration through a pair of spur gears, so that the sun gear is rotatably driven by a motor.

Abstract: A drive wheel torque control system for a vehicle includes control means for controlling a variable differential motion limiting device provided between drive wheels to distribute a predetermined LSD torque from a racing drive wheel to a nonracing drive wheel. The control means includes vehicle speed determining means for determining a vehicle speed from a follower wheel spaced, drive wheel speed determining means adapted to select a smaller one of the drive wheel speeds as a drive wheel speed, when the inner-side wheel in turning movement is racing, and to select a larger one of the drive wheel speeds, when the outer-side wheel in turning movement is racing, and torque determining means for determining the LSD torque from the vehicle speed and the drive wheel speed.

Abstract: A motor vehicle has a pair of main drive road wheels, a pair of auxiliary drive road wheels, and a differential disposed between the auxiliary drive road wheels, the main and auxiliary drive road wheels serving as the front and rear road wheels of the motor vehicle. An apparatus for driving the front and rear road wheels includes a speed increasing device disposed in a power transmission path leading to the differential between the auxiliary drive road wheels, detecting means for detecting a speed of travel of the motor vehicle and a steering variable, and control member for enabling the speed increasing device by predicting a turn of the motor vehicle based on the detected speed and the detected steering variable.

Abstract: The distribution of drive power produced by a drive power source is controlled in a four-wheel-drive motor vehicle having main drive wheels and auxiliary drive wheels. Drive powers produced by the drive power source are independently regulated and transmitted to the left and right auxiliary drive wheels. While the drive power distribution ratio between the main and auxiliary drive wheels is maintained at a suitable value, the drive powers are variable distributed between the left and right auxiliary drive wheels by a drive power distribution control system. The drive power distribution control system determines the drive power distribution ratio between the left and right auxiliary drive wheels depending on a detected lateral acceleration exerted to the motor vehicle, and transmits the drive powers to the left and right auxiliary drive wheels according to the determined drive power distribution ratio.

Abstract: A power transmitting apparatus on a four-wheel-drive motor vehicle can distribute and transmit drive power from a power unit to front and rear drive road wheels such that the rotational speeds of the front and rear drive road wheels can differ from each other.

Abstract: A drive force distribution control system for a motor vehicle controls a drive force distribution ratio between drive road wheels based on a steering torque and a lateral acceleration.

Abstract: In a rear suspension system of an automobile, a pair of left and right trailing arms for rear wheels have forward extension arms which extend forwardly past the pivot portions of the trailing arms to the automobile body and the front ends of the extension arms are relatively swingably connected to ends of a relay rod which is resiliently displaceable in the lateral direction of the body through compensator arms inclined inwardly at their front ends. This permits a "toe-in" to be given to each rear wheel when the automobile turns with brake being effected, whereas when the wheels are running on road surfaces of largely different coefficients of friction during braking, a "toe-out" is given to one rear wheel associated with the road surface of higher coefficient of friction.

Abstract: A system for controlling distribution of drive forces from a drive source unit to front and rear wheels of a four-wheel drive motor vehicle includes drive force distributing means for transmitting the drive forces to the front and rear wheels at a continuously variable distribution ratio, first speed detecting means for detecting a rotational speed (Nf) of the front wheels, second speed detecting means for detecting a rotational speed (Nr) of the rear wheels, and control means for calculating a slip ratio (S) of the rear wheels to a road on which the motor vehicle is running based on the rotational speeds (Nf, Nr) of the front and rear wheels, calculating a distribution ratio between the drive forces to be distributed to the front and rear wheels based on the slip ratio (S), and controlling the drive force distributing means to transmit the drive forces from the drive source unit to the front and rear wheels according to the distribution ratio.

Abstract: A drive power transmission mechanism in a motor vehicle having a drive power source includes a propeller shaft having a front end coupled to the drive power source, an intermediate shaft extending transversely to the propeller shaft and operatively coupled to a rear end of the propeller shaft through a bevel gear mechanism, and a final speed reducer operatively coupled to the intermediate shaft through spur gears. The bevel gear mechanism comprises a first bevel gear fixed coaxially to the rear end of the propeller shaft and a second bevel gear fixedly mounted coaxially on the intermediate shaft and meshing with the first bevel gear at a predetermined gear ratio.