Transmission arrangement

• US 20020019285A1
• Filed: 08/09/2001
• Published: 02/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Daimler AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Original Assignee: DaimlerChrysler AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Inventors: Henzler, Steffen
• Granted Patent: US 6,585,619 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 475/214
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2037/0886 with switching means, e.g. to change ranges
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 37/086 CVT using two coaxial friction members cooperating with at least one intermediate friction member

Abstract

In a transmission arrangement including a continuously variable toroidal drive mechanism, an intermediate planetary gear train and a final planetary gear train which are arranged in the power path between an input shaft and an output shaft, a central intermediate shaft is connected to the input shaft and to a central drive disc of the toroidal drive mechanism, and to a planet carrier of the intermediate gear train. A concentric intermediate shaft, through which the central intermediate shaft extends, is connected to a central driven disc of the toroidal drive mechanism and to a sun gear of the intermediate gear train. The concentric intermediate shaft has a drive connection to a first mechanism link of the final gear train in the form of a sun gear. An outer ring gear of the intermediate gear train has a drive connection to a second mechanism link of the final gear train. A third mechanism link of the final gear train is mounted on a housing part. A fourth mechanism link of the final gear train has a drive connection to the output shaft, this arrangement providing for high efficiency with a coaxial arrangement of the transmission components.

Claims

1. Transmission arrangement, including a continuously variable toroidal drive mechanism, an intermediate planetary gear train and a final planetary gear train arranged in a power path between an input shaft and an output shaft, comprising:

a central intermediate shaft

which is connected to the input shaft and to a central toroidal drive disc of the toroidal drive mechanism and to a planet carrier of the intermediate gear train,

a concentric intermediate shaft

through which the central intermediate shaft extends,

which is connected to a central driven disc of the toroidal drive mechanism and to a sun gear of the intermediate gear train,

which has a drive connection to a first mechanism link of the final gear train in the form of a second sun gear

a first outer ring of the intermediate gear train

which has a drive connection to a second mechanism link of the final gear train in the form of a second ring gear

a third mechanism link of the final gear train in the form of a planet carrier

which is fixed so that it cannot rotate in relation to a non-rotating housing part, and

a fourth mechanism link of the final gear train in the form of a third ring gear

which has a drive connection to the output shaft.

2. Arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said third outer ring gear which is part of the fourth mechanism link of the final gear train has a drive connection to the output shaft.

3. An arrangement according to claim 2, wherein said third outer central gear is connected to a parking position gear.

4. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the second outer ring gear is provided for the second mechanism link of the final gear train has a drive connection to the first outer ring gear of the intermediate gear train.

5. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said planet carrier of the final gear train has a radial support arm supporting at least one planet wheel and said at least one planet wheel has two toothed rims arranged axially on opposite sides of the support structure.

6. An arrangement according to claim 5, wherein said toothed rims have an equal number of teeth.

7. An arrangement according to claim 5, wherein said toothed rims have different numbers of teeth.

8. An arrangement according to claim 7, wherein the toothed rim, with which the third ring gear having the drive connection to the output shaft meshes, has the greater number of teeth.

9. Arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the drive connection between the first sun gear of the intermediate gear train and the sun gear forming the first mechanism link of the final gear train contains at least one planet wheel with two toothed rims, and a third sun gear of the intermediate gear train meshing with one of the two toothed rims, and wherein the third sun gear of the intermediate gear has a drive connection to the second sun gear forming the first mechanism link of the final gear train.

10. An arrangement according to claim 9, wherein said at least one planet wheel of the intermediate gear train and the at least one planet wheel of the final gear train having two toothed rims are identical.

11. An arrangement according to claim 9, wherein the drive connection between a third sun gear of the intermediate gear train and the second sun gear forming the first mechanism link of the final gear train contains an engageable and disengageable clutch.

12. An arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the final gear train has a fifth mechanism link in the form of a fourth outer ring gear and its planet carrier additionally has at least one double planet wheel comprising two intermeshing single planet wheels, and wherein the fourth ring gear forming the fifth mechanism link meshes with the one single planet wheel and the inner central gear having the drive connection to the outer central gear of the intermediate gear train and forming the second mechanism link of the final gear train meshes with the other single planet wheel.

13. Arrangement according to claim 12, wherein the fourth ring gear forming the fifth mechanism link has a drive connection to the output shaft.

14. An arrangement according to claim 13, wherein the drive connection between the fourth outer ring gear forming the fifth mechanism link and the output shaft contains an engageable and disengageable clutch.

15. An arrangement according to claim 12, wherein the drive connection between the outer central gear forming the fourth mechanism link of the final gear train and the output shaft contains an engageable and disengageable clutch.

16. An arrangement according to claim 12, wherein the drive connection between the fourth outer ring gear of the intermediate gear train (8) and the fourth sun gear forming the second mechanism link of the final gear train, and the drive connection between the third gear of the intermediate gear train and the second sun gear forming the first mechanism link of the final gear traineach make a permanent rotationally rigid connection between their connected mechanism links.

18. An arrangement according to claim 17, wherein the second mechanism link includes a planet carrier of the final gear train which is provided for the support of at least on of the transmission shafts consisting of an output shaft, central gear shafts, central intermediate shaft.

19. An arrangement according to claim 18, wherein the planet carrier of the final gear train has hydraulic ducts for supplying operating pressure to the clutch actuators for operating the clutches and for supplying lubricating oil to lubrication points.

20. An arrangement according to claim 2, wherein the drive connection between the third outer ring gear and the output shaft has an L-shaped drive arm with a radial arm part rotationally fixed to one of the mechanism hubs including a first ring gear, and a connecting cylindrical arm part, where the cylindrical arm part is immovably connected to a radial collar of the output shaft, that the collar is offset in relation to the radial arm part in the direction of the axis of rotation of the output shaft pointing towards the toroidal drive mechanism, and that in the annular chamber enclosed by the cylindrical arm part and by the collar and by the output shaft, there is a bearing arrangement is arranged, which supports the output shaft so that it can rotate in relation to a non-rotating housing part.

21. Arrangement according to claim 20, wherein the cylindrical arm part and the third outer ring gear are arranged in the same axial area of the axis of rotation of the output shaft.

17. Transmission arrangement, in which a continuously variable toroidal drive mechanism an intermediate planetary gear train and a final planetary gear train are arranged in a power train between an input shaft and an output shaft,comprising:

a central intermediate shaft

which is connected to the input shaft and to a central toroidal drive disk of the toroidal drive mechanism and to a planet carrier of the intermediate gear train

a concentric intermediate shaft

through which the central intermediate shaft extends

which is connected to a central driven disk of the toroidal drive mechanism

a first sun gear of the intermediate gear train

which is connected to the concentric intermediate shaft

a second sun gear of the intermediate gear train

which has a drive connection to a first mechanism link of the final gear train

a second mechanism link of the final gear train

which in its braked condition reverses the direction of rotation between the first mechanism link and a third mechanism link of the final gear train

a first outer ring gear of the intermediate gear train

which has a drive connection to the third mechanism link of the final gear train

a drive connection between the output shaft and one of the mechanism links of the final gear train that can be made to rotate in the opposite direction

a planet wheel of the intermediate gear train

which has a toothed rim with a larger number of teeth

which meshes with the second sun gear of the intermediate gear train having a smaller number of teeth and a drive connection to the first mechanism link of the final gear train, and

which has a toothed rim with a smaller number of teeth

which meshes with the sun gear of the intermediate gear train having a larger number of teeth and connected to the concentric intermediate shaft.