ALL-TERRAIN OR UTILITY VEHICLE HAVING SELECTABLE DRIVE CONFIGURATIONS AND METHOD THEREFORE

摘要

An all-terrain or utility vehicle having various combinations of left andright front wheels, left and right rear wheels, a differential rotationallyvariably coupling the left and right front wheels together with a variablecoupling torque and a source of motive power being selectively coupled to theleft and right rear wheels in one configuration and coupled to the left andright front wheels as well as to the left and right rear wheels in a secondconfiguration. The coupling torque is relatively stronger when a speed of thevehicle is relatively slower and is relatively weaker when the speed of thevehicle is relatively faster. The second configuration is selectable from thefirst configuration while the vehicle is in motion and (1) a rotationaldifference in speed exists between at least one of the left and right frontwheels and at least one of the left and right rear wheels and (2) a rotationalspeed of at least one of the left and right rear wheels exceeds a rotationalspeed of at least one of the left and right front wheels.