Patent ID: 8303451

Claim:
A driving force distribution mechanism for distributing driving force from a driving source to left and right driving wheels, comprising: a differential case which accommodates a differential mechanism therein; a first intermediate shaft which is provided parallel to a left output shaft extending leftward from the differential mechanism; a first transmission mechanism which is provided to the left of the differential case and changes and transmits driving force input to the differential case to the left output shaft via the first intermediate shaft; a first clutch mechanism which is capable of switching between a transmitting state in which the first transmission mechanism transmits the driving force to the left output shaft and a blocking state in which the transmission of the driving force is blocked; a second intermediate shaft which is provided parallel to a right output shaft extending rightward from the differential mechanism; a second transmission mechanism which is provided to the right of the differential case and changes and transmits the driving force input to the differential case to the right output shaft via the second intermediate shaft; a second clutch mechanism which is capable of switching between a transmitting state in which the second transmission mechanism transmits the driving force to the right output shaft and a blocking state in which the transmission of the driving force is blocked, and a differential limiting mechanism which is provided in at least either one of the left output shaft and the right output shaft and engaged with the differential case, wherein the differential limiting mechanism is disposed in a position where the differential limiting mechanism overlaps with the first clutch mechanism or the second clutch mechanism, as viewed from a direction along a longitudinal direction of a vehicle.