Multi-speed transmission

• US 7,549,942 B2
• Filed: 02/09/2007
• Issued: 06/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Original Assignee: ZF Friedrichshafen AG (Zeppelin - Stiftung der Stadt Friedrichshafen)
• Inventors: Gumpoltsberger, Gerhard
• Primary Examiner(s): Lewis; Tisha D
• Application Number:
  US11/705,111
• Publication Number:
  US 20070207891A1
• Time in Patent Office: 865 Days
• Field of Search: 475275-280, 475/282, 475/284, 475/286, 475/288, 475/290, 475/311, 475/317, 475/323
• US Class Current: 475/280
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2200/0065 the gear ratios comprising nine forward speeds
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2200/2012 with four sets of orbital gears
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2200/2046 with six engaging means
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2200/2097 comprising an orbital gear set member permanently connected to the housing, e.g. a sun wheel permanently connected to the housing
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 3/66 composed of a number of gear trains without drive passing from one train to another

Abstract

The multi-speed transmission with nine forward gears and one reverse gear comprises four planetary gear sets (P1, P2, P3, P4), seven rotatable shafts (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7), as well as six control elements (03, 04, 05, 15, 17, 36), wherein the input shaft (1) is connected to the carrier of the planetary gear set (P1) and can be connected via a clutch (15) to the shaft (5), which is connected to the carrier of the third planetary gear set (P3) and can be coupled to the housing (G), wherein the sun gear of the planetary gear set (P1) is connected to the housing (G), the shaft (4) is connected to the ring gear of the planetary gear set (P3) and to the sun gear of the planetary gear set (P4) and can be coupled to the housing (G), wherein the shaft (3) is connected to the ring gear of the planetary gear set (P2) and to the carrier of the planetary gear set (P4) and can be coupled to the housing (G), and the shaft (6) is permanently connected to the ring gear of the planetary gear set (P1) and to the sun gear of the planetary gear set (P3), wherein the shaft (7) is connected to the sun gear of the planetary gear set (P2) and the output shaft (2) is connected to the ring gear of the planetary gear set (P4) and to the carrier of the planetary gear set (P2), wherein a clutch (17) detachably connects the input shaft (1) to the shaft (7) and a clutch (36) detachably connects the shafts (3) and (6) to each other.

Claims

1. A multi-speed automatic transmission of a planetary design for a motor vehicle, the transmission comprising:

an input shaft (1) and an output shaft (2) arranged in a housing (G);

first, second, third and fourth planetary gear sets (P1, P2, P3, P4), and each of the first, the second, the third and the fourth planetary gear sets (P1, P2, P3, P4) comprising a sun gear, a carrier and a ring gear;

at least third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh rotatable shafts (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7), as well as at least six control elements (03, 04, 05, 15, 17, 36), comprising first, second, and third brakes (03, 04, 05) and first, second, and third clutches (15, 17, 36), whose selective engagement creates different gear ratios between the input shaft (1) and the output shaft (2) so that at least nine forward gears and a reverse gear can be implemented;

wherein the input shaft (1) is permanently connected to the carrier of the first planetary gear set (P1) and detachably connectable, via the first clutch (15), to the fifth shaft (5) and, via the second clutch (17), to the seventh shaft (7);

the output shaft (2) is permanently connected to the ring gear of the fourth planetary gear set (P4) and the carrier of the second planetary gear set (P2);

the third shaft (3) is permanently connected to the ring gear of the second planetary gear set (P2) and the carrier of the fourth planetary gear set (P4) and detachably connectable, via the first brake (03), to the housing (G);

the fourth shaft (4) is permanently connected to the ring gear of the third planetary gear set (P3) and the sun gear of the fourth planetary gear set (P4) and detachably connectable, via the second brake (04), to the housing (G);

the fifth shaft (5) is permanently connected to the carrier of the third planetary gear set (P3) and detachably connectable, via the third brake (05), to the housing (G);

the sixth shaft (6) is permanently connected to the ring gear of the first planetary gear set (P1) and the sun gear of the third planetary gear set (P3) and detachably connectable, via the third clutch (36), to the third shaft (3);

the seventh shaft (7) is permanently connected to the sun gear of the second planetary gear set (P2); and

the sun gear of the first planetary gear set (P1) is fixed to the housing (G).

2. The multi-speed transmission according to claim 1, wherein the first planetary gear set (P1), the second planetary gear set (P2), the third planetary gear set (P3) and the fourth planetary gear set (P4) are arranged in an axial direction in the sequential order of:

the first planetary gear set (P1), the second planetary gear set (P2), the third planetary gear set (P3) and the fourth planetary gear set (P4).

3. The multi-speed transmission according to claim 1, wherein the first planetary gear set (P1), the second planetary gear set (P2), the third planetary gear set (P3) and the fourth planetary gear set (P4) are negative planetary gear sets.

4. The multi-speed transmission according to claim 1, wherein first gear results from engagement of the second brake (04) and the third brake (05), second gear results from engagement of the second brake (04) and the second clutch (17), third gear results from engagement of the second clutch (17) and the third brake (05), fourth gear results from engagement of the second clutch (17) and the first brake (03), fifth gear results from engagement of the first clutch (15) and the second clutch (17), sixth gear results from engagement of the second clutch (17) and the third clutch (36), seventh gear results from engagement of the first clutch (15) and the third clutch (36), eighth gear results from engagement of the first brake (03) and the third clutch (36), and ninth gear results from engagement of the third brake (05) and the third clutch (36).

5. The multi-speed transmission according to claim 1, wherein the reverse gear results from engagement of the second brake (04) and the first clutch (15).

6. The multi-speed transmission according to claim 1, wherein at least one one-way clutch is located within the transmission.

7. The multi-speed transmission according to claim 6, wherein the at least one one-way clutch is located between the input shaft (1), the output shaft (2), the third shaft (3), the fourth shaft (4), the fifth shaft (5), the sixth shaft (6) and the seventh shaft (7) and the housing (G).

8. The multi-speed transmission according to claim 1, wherein an input and an output of the transmission are located on a common side of the housing (C).

9. The multi-speed transmission according to claim 1, wherein at least one of an axle differential and a transfer case differential is located on one of the input shaft (1) and the output shaft (2).

10. The multi-speed transmission according to claim 1, wherein a coupling element facilitates separation of the input shaft (1) from a drive motor.

11. The multi-speed transmission according to claim 10, wherein the coupling element is one of a hydrodynamic converter, a hydraulic clutch, a dry starting clutch, a wet starting clutch, a magnetic powder clutch or a centrifugal clutch.

12. The multi-speed transmission according to claim 1, wherein an external driving element is located downstream of the transmission, in a direction of power flow, and the input shaft (1) is firmly connected to a crankshaft of a drive motor.

13. The multi-speed transmission according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle is started via one of the at least six control elements (03, 04, 05, 15, 17, 36) of the transmission, and the input shaft (1) is permanently connected to a crankshaft of a drive motor.

14. The multi-speed transmission according to claim 1, wherein a torsional vibration damper is located between a drive motor and the transmission.

15. The multi-speed transmission according to claim 1, wherein a wear-free brake is arranged on at least one of the input shaft (1), the output shaft (2), the third shaft (3), the fourth shaft (4), the fifth shaft (5), the sixth shaft (6) and the seventh shaft (7).

16. The multi-speed transmission according to claim 1, wherein a power take-off is arranged on at least one of the input shaft (1), the output shaft (2), the third shaft (3), the fourth shaft (4), the fifth shaft (5), the sixth shaft (6) and the seventh shaft (7) for driving an additional unit.

17. The multi-speed transmission according to claim 16, wherein the additional unit is arranged on one of the input shaft (1) and the output shaft (2).

18. The multi-speed transmission according to claim 1, wherein the six control elements are one of power-shift clutches and power-shift brakes.

19. The multi-speed transmission according to claim 18, wherein the six control elements are one of multi-disk clutches, band brakes and cone clutches.

20. The multi-speed transmission according to claim 1, wherein the six control elements are one of positive clutches and positive brakes.

21. The multi-speed transmission according to claim 1, wherein an electric machine is arranged on at least one of the input shaft (1), the output shaft (2), the third shaft (3), the fourth shaft (4), the fifth shaft (5), the sixth shaft (6), and the seventh shaft (7) as one of a generator and an additional drive unit.