Patent ID: 7086980

Claim:
A combination of a drive power transmission device and a differential gear wherein said drive power transmission device for controlling the torque transmission from a propeller shaft to driven wheels through friction engagement of a clutch in a four-wheel drive vehicle is assembled bodily to said differential gear for said driven wheels, said combination comprising: a bottomed, cylindrical front housing of said drive power transmission device, said front housing having a clutch receiving chamber therein and connected to said propeller shaft; a gear shaft provided at one shaft end thereof with a drive gear for said differential gear and received at the other shaft end portion thereof in said housing; said clutch received in said clutch receiving chamber and including a plurality of outer clutch plates engaged with the internal surface of said clutch receiving chamber to be rotatable bodily with said housing but axially movable relative thereto and a plurality of inner clutch plates engaged with an engaging portion formed on said gear shaft to be bodily rotatable with said gear shaft but axially movable relative thereto, said outer clutch plates being arranged in an alternate fashion with respect to said inner clutch plates; and a clutch operating device for bringing said outer and inner clutch plates selectively into and out of friction engagement while pressing at least one of said outer and inner clutch plates against the bottom of the cylindrical front housing.