Four speed transaxle for automotive vehicles
First Claim
1. In a planetary, multiple speed transaxle comprising a converter with an impeller and a turbine, a pair of simple planetary gear units and clutch and brake means for controlling torque transfer through the gear units;
- a driving shaft arranged coaxially with respect to said converter and said gear units on one side of said converter;
a driven member disposed in spaced, parallel relationship with respect to said driving shaft;
said clutch and brake means being located on the other side of said gear units;
a torque transfer drive means for transmitting torque from a torque output element of said gear units, said torque transfer means, including a driving elements and a driven element respectively mounted on the axis of said gear unit and the axis of said driven member, said driving element being located sustantially in the transverse geometric plane of the one of said gear units that is more proximate to said converter; and
torque transfer shafts disposed concentrically within said gear units and said clutch and brake means for transferring torque between said clutch and brake means, and said turbine and between said clutch and brake means and torque input elements of said gear units.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A hydrokinetic torque converter transaxle having a hydrokinetic torque converter, two simple planetary gear units and a clutch-and-brake system situated concentrically with respect to the axis of a vehicle engine wherein the torque output member of the planetary gear units is located in midposition between the planetary gear units and the hydrokinetic converter. A drive chain forms a torque transfer drive from the axis of the converter to a parallel axis coinciding with the axis of a geared differential, a pair of half shafts being connected to side gears of the differential for powering traction wheels wherein the clutch-and-brake system and the planetary gear units as well as the drive chain are integrated one with respect to the other to provide a minimum axial dimension with respect to the axis of the engine crankshaft thereby facilitating the packaging of the transaxle in a limited space within the vehicle. The torque flow path from the turbine of the converter through the gearing and from the gearing to the torque transfer drive chain is accomplished by strategically positioned torque transfer sleeve shafts surrounding the axis of the converter.
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Citations
8 Claims
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1. In a planetary, multiple speed transaxle comprising a converter with an impeller and a turbine, a pair of simple planetary gear units and clutch and brake means for controlling torque transfer through the gear units;
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a driving shaft arranged coaxially with respect to said converter and said gear units on one side of said converter; a driven member disposed in spaced, parallel relationship with respect to said driving shaft; said clutch and brake means being located on the other side of said gear units; a torque transfer drive means for transmitting torque from a torque output element of said gear units, said torque transfer means, including a driving elements and a driven element respectively mounted on the axis of said gear unit and the axis of said driven member, said driving element being located sustantially in the transverse geometric plane of the one of said gear units that is more proximate to said converter; and torque transfer shafts disposed concentrically within said gear units and said clutch and brake means for transferring torque between said clutch and brake means, and said turbine and between said clutch and brake means and torque input elements of said gear units.
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2. A hydrokinetic, multiple speed transaxle adapted to deliver torque from an engine driven shaft to a torque output shaft, the latter being spaced from and parallel to said engine driven shaft, and said transaxle comprising:
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a torque converter having a turbine and an impeller, said engine driven shaft being connected to said impeller, a turbine sleeve shaft being connected to said turbine; a pair of simple planetary gear units, each gear unit having a sun gear, a ring gear and a planetary carrier; clutch and brake means disposed concentrically with respect to said converter and said engine driven shaft, said gear units being located on the axis of said converter, between said converter and said clutch and brake means; a torque output shaft arranged in spaced, parallel relationship with respect to said converter axis, a final drive gear unit including differential gearing having a torque output element connected to said torque output shaft; a torque transfer drive means for transferring torque from the ring gear of one of said gear units most proximate to said converter to a torque input element of said final drive gear unit; said torque transfer drive means including a drive chain disposed in the transverse geometric plane of said one gear unit and connecting drivably the ring gear of said one gear unit with said first drive gear unit. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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Specification