Patent ID: 8794370

Claim:
A powertrain system for a motor vehicle, comprising a power unit provided in a front region of a vehicle body, a differential module provided in a rear region of the vehicle body, a power transmitting shaft provided to extend in a frontward-rearward direction of the vehicle body to transmit drive power of the power unit to the differential module, and an intermediate support section which rotatably supports the power transmitting shaft wherein: the power transmitting shaft comprises a front shaft segment and a rear shaft segment which are divided in front-rear relation through the intermediary of a universal joint, the power transmitting shaft, during a relative displacement between the power unit and the differential module in an approaching direction, along with deformation of the vehicle body, being contracted in such a manner that one of the front and rear shaft segments is fitted into an end of the other shaft segment over a given range, together with at least a part of the universal joint; the differential module has a module body, a coupling section for coupling between the module body and the power transmitting shaft, and a rear support section for support to the vehicle body, the rear support section being disposed in a rear portion of the module body and above the coupling section, and, during the relative displacement in the approaching direction, supporting the module body to the vehicle body in such a manner as to allow a front portion of the module body to be swingably moved downwardly; the intermediate support section rotatably supports an end of the front shaft segment on the side of the universal joint, to the vehicle body, and, when an axial external force having a given value or more is input from the front shaft segment thereinto, is released from an engaged state with the vehicle body; the front shaft segment has a disengaging part that is displaced in the axial direction within a contractable range of the power transmitting shaft and that is brought into contact with and presses the intermediate support section to release the engaged state between the intermediate support section and the vehicle body, during a collision in a frontward-rearward direction of the vehicle body; the rear support section has a rear differential mount attached to a rear suspension frame in the rear region of the vehicle body and defining a hole oriented in the frontward-rearward direction of the vehicle body, and a rear mounting bracket having a support shaft portion fitted into the hole of the rear differential mount; and the rear mounting bracket is provided with a protruding portion protruding rearwardly, a protruding amount of the protruding portion being set to allow the protruding portion in a state after the rear differential module is mounted on the rear region of the vehicle body, to be substantially in contact with the front surface of the rear suspension frame.