Automatic transmission for vehicles

• US 4,528,869 A
• Filed: 10/27/1980
• Issued: 07/16/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/1978
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Arai, Hajime, Kubo, Seitoku, Kuramochi, Koujiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Krizmanich, George H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wright, Dirk
• Application Number:
  US06/201,154
• Time in Patent Office: 1,723 Days
• Field of Search: 74/740, 74/763, 74/730, 74/695, 74/694, 74/682
• US Class Current: 475/71
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 47/08 the mechanical gearing being of the type with members having orbital motion F16H47/065 takes precedence

Abstract

An automatic transmission suitable for use with vehicles of FF type, including a tandem connection of a fluid torque converter and a gear device with an output gear wheel incorporated therein, a counter transmission device having a counter shaft arranged in parallel with the gear device and having a first gear wheel at its first end closer to the rear end portion of the gear device meshed with the output gear wheel and having a second gear wheel at its second end closer to the front end portion of the gear device, and a differential gear device having an input gear wheel which meshes with the second gear wheel and adapted to drive a pair of front wheel axles of a vehicle.

Claims

1. An automatic transmission, comprising:

(a) a fluid torque converter having an input member, a pump impeller drivingly connected with said input member, a turbine runner, a first output member drivingly connected with said turbine runner, and a stator;

(b) a reduction gear mechanism, including;

(i) a first rotary member at an input end of said reduction gear mechanism drivingly connected with said first output member;

(ii) a first planetary gear mechanism having a first sun gear, a first ring gear, first planetary pinions and a first carrier;

(iii) a second rotary member;

(iv) a second planetary gear mechanism having a second sun gear, a second ring gear, second planetary pinions, and a second carrier;

(v) said first sun gear being drivingly connected with said second sun gear and with said second rotary member;

(vi) a first clutch selectively connecting said first rotary member with said second rotary member;

(vii) a second clutch selectively connecting said first rotaty member with said first ring gear;

(viii) a first brake selectively braking said secondary rotary member;

(ix) a second brake selectively braking said first and second sun gears; and

(x) a third brake selectively braking said second carrier;

(c) an overdrive gear mechanism, including;

(i) a third planetary gear mechanism having a third sun gear, a third ring gear, third planetary pinions, and a third carrier;

(ii) a third rotary member drivingly connected with said third sun gear;

(iii) a second output member drivingly connected with said third ring gear;

(iv) a third clutch selectively connecting said third rotary member with said third carrier; and

(v) a fourth brake selectively braking said third rotary member;

(d) an intermediate shaft drivingly interconnecting said first carrier, said second ring gear and said third carrier;

(e) an output gear wheel disposed between said reduction gear mechanism and said overdrive gear mechanism and drivingly connected to said second output member;

(f) a counter transmission device including;

(i) a counter shaft disposed parallel to said intermediate shaft;

(ii) a first gear wheel drivingly secured to said countershaft at one end thereof and drivingly connected to said output gear wheel; and

(iii) a second gear wheel drivingly secured to said countershaft at the other end thereof proximate said input end of said reduction gear mechanism; and

(g) a differential gear means drivingly connected to said second gear wheel.

2. An automatic transmission comprising:

a fluid torque converter having an input member, a pump impeller connected with said input member, a turbine, an output member connected with said turbine, and a stator;

a gear device having an input member connected with said output member of said fluid torque converter, an output member, first, second and third planetary gear mechanisms coaxially arranged in axial proximity,

friction engaging means, one-way clutches, said gear device including a reduction gear mechanism including said first and second planetary gear mechanisms and an overdrive gear mechanism including said third planetary gear mechanism, said overdrive mechanism being positioned behind said reduction gear mechanism as viewed from said fluid torque converter, an intermediate shaft which extends along the common axis of and over the axial length of said first, second and third planetary gear mechanisms so as to integrate said first and second planetary gear mechanisms into said reduction gear mechanism and so as to connect said reduction gear mechanism to said overdrive gear mechanism, and an output gear wheel connected with said output member of said gear device, said third planetary gear mechanism having a sun gear, planetary pinions, a carrier which rotatably supports said planetary pinions of said third planetary gear mechanism and serves as the input member of said overdrive gear mechanism, a ring gear which serves as the output member of said overdrive mechanism, a clutch which selectively locks up the relative movement between said sun gear and said carrier of said third planetary gear mechanism, a brake which selectively brakes the rotation of said sun gear of said third planetary gear mechanism, and a one-way clutch incorporated between said carrier and said ring gear of said third planetary gear mechanism said output gear wheel being supported by said ring gear of said third planetary gear mechanism;

a counter transmission device having a countershaft arranged in parallel with said gear device and having first and second ends located respectively closer to said output and input members of said gear device, a first gear wheel supported by said first end of said countershaft and meshing with said output gear wheel of said gear device, and a second gear wheel supported by said second end of said countershaft; and

a differential gear having an input gear wheel which meshes with said second gear wheel of said counter transmission device.

3. An automatic transmission according to claim 2, wherein said ring gear of said third planetary gear mechanism has an extension located at the remote end of said gear device as viewed from said fluid torque converter, and wherein said output gear wheel is located at the remote end of said gear device as viewed from said fluid torque converter as supported by said ring gear of said third planetary gear mechanism by way of said extension.

4. An automatic transmission according to claim 2, wherein said ring gear of said third planetary gear mechanism has an extension located between said reduction gear mechanism and said overdrive gear mechanism, and wherein said output gear wheel is located between said reduction gear mechanism and said overdrive gear mechanism as supported by said ring gear of said third planetary gear mechanism by way of said extension.

5. An automatic transmission with an overdrive gear mechanism, comprising:

(a) A torque converter coaxially connected to an input shaft from an engine, said torque converter having an output shaft and transmitting power to said output shaft;

(b) a reduction gear mechanism drivingly connected to said torque converter output shaft whereby a reduction gear ratio equal to or more than one is obtained, said reduction gear mechanism comprising plural planetary gear mechanisms, friction engaging elements and an output shaft, said reduction gear mechanism transmitting power to said reduction gear mechanism output shaft;

(c) an overdrive gear mechanism drivingly connected to said reduction gear mechanism output shaft whereby a reduction gear ratio of less than one is obtained, said overdrive gear mechanism comprising a planetary gear mechanism and plural friction engaging elements, said planetary gear mechanism comprising a carrier drivingly connected to said reduction gear mechanism output shaft, a planetary pinion, a sun gear, and a ring gear as an output element;

(d) a transfer device arranged between said reduction gear mechanism and said overdrive gear mechanism, said transfer device comprising a driving gear drivingly connected to the output element of said overdrive gear mechanism, a driven gear engaged to said driving gear, and a countershaft coaxially connected to said driven gear and in parallel with said reduction gear mechanism output shaft; and

(e) an output gear coaxially connected to said countershaft.