Planetary gearing arrangement for a transmission

• US 4,070,927 A
• Filed: 06/04/1976
• Issued: 01/31/1978
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/1976
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: General Motors Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Polak, James C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wyche, Benjamin W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chandler, Lance W.
• Application Number:
  US05/692,970
• Time in Patent Office: 606 Days
• Field of Search: 74/753, 74/759, 74/764, 74/765, 74/768, 74/770
• US Class Current: 475/286
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2200/0052 the gear ratios comprising six forward speeds
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2200/0056 the gear ratios comprising seven forward speeds
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2200/201 with three sets of orbital gears
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2200/2012 with four sets of orbital gears
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2200/2043 with five engaging means
• 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

A planetary gearing arrangement having a plurality of interconnected planetary gear sets controlled by friction drive establishing devices such as clutches and brakes for selectively establishing a plurality of forward drive ratios and a reverse drive ratio. The number of forward drive ratios available is one greater than the number of friction drive establishing devices. Each ratio change between the forward drives is accomplished by a single transition interchange of the friction drive establishing devices.

Claims

1. A planetary transmission comprising;

a transmission housing;

input means;

output means;

a plurality of simple planetary gear means each having three members interconnected between said input means and said output means;

a plurality of selectively operable friction drive establishing means including at least two clutch means for providing selective drive paths from said input means to said planetary gear means and said friction drive establishing means being further connected with said planetary gear means for establishing a plurality of forward drive ratios and a reverse drive ratio between said input means and said output means, the number of said forward drive ratios being one greater than the number of friction drive establishing means and said friction drive establishing means being interchanged during shifting from one ratio to the next higher or lower ratio with only a single transition interchange between said friction drive establishing means; and

one of said planetary gear means (18) having the first member (sun gear 26, FIG. 1, ring gear 54, FIG.

     3) thereof continuously connected to one of said transmission housing and said input means and the second member (ring gear 54, FIG. 1, sun gear 26, FIG.

     3) of said one planetary gear means being selectively connectable with the other of said transmission housing and said input means through one of said friction drive establishing means (brake 62, FIG. 1, clutch 76, FIG.

     3).

2. A planetary transmission having a stationary housing wherein a plurality of forward drive ratios and a reverse drive ratio are established by selective engagement of friction drive establishing means which cooperate with planetary gearing and wherein the total number of friction drive establishing means is one less than the number of forward drive ratios, said transmission comprising;

input means;

output means;

a plurality of simple planetary gear means disposed between said input means and said output means with each of the planetary gear means having three members;

two of said planetary gear means having the first members thereof interconnected and second members thereof interconnected and one of said two planetary gear means having the third member connected to said output means;

first selectively engageable friction drive establishing means operatively connected between the first members of said two planetary gear means and said input means;

second selectively engageable friction drive establishing means operatively connected to the second members of said two planetary gear means for selectively preventing rotation thereof;

third selectively engageable friction drive establishing means operatively connected between second members of said two planetary gear means and said input means;

fourth selectively engageable friction drive establishing means operatively connected to the third member of the other of said two planetary gear means for selectively preventing rotation thereof;

fifth selectively engageable friction drive establishing means;

another planetary gear means disposed between said input means and said two planetary gear means;

the first member of said other planetary gear means being connected to the third member of the other of said two planetary gear means, the second member (sun gear 26, FIG. 1, ring gear 54, FIG.

     3) of said other planetary gear means (18) being continuously connected to one of said input means and said transmission housing, the third member (ring gear 54, FIG. 1, sun gear 26, FIG.

     3) being selectively connectable with the others of said transmission housing and said input means through said fifth selectively engageable friction drive establishing means (brake 62, FIG. 1, clutch 76, FIG.

     3); and

means including said fifth selectively engageable friction drive establishing means said input means and said transmission housing for providing a reduction drive ratio between said input means and the first member of said other planetary gear means;

whereby said five friction drive establishing means are selectively engageable in combinations of two to establish six forward drive ratios and one reverse drive ratio between said input means and said output means, and the upshift to or downshift from successive forward drive ratios being accomplished by a single transition interchange of the friction drive establishing means.

3. A multi-speed planetary transmission comprising;

input means;

output means;

a first planetary gear set having a sun gear, a carrier drivingly connected to said output means, a ring gear and a plurality of pinion gears rotatably mounted on said carrier and meshing with said sun gear and ring gear;

a second planetary gear set having a sun gear connected to the sun gear of said first planetary gear set, a carrier connected with the ring gear of said first planetary gear set, a ring gear and a plurality of pinion gears meshing with said sun gear and ring gear and being rotatably mounted on the carrier;

a third planetary gear set having a sun gear drivingly connected with said input means, a carrier connected with the ring gear of said second planetary gear set, a ring gear and a plurality of pinion gears meshing with said sun gear and ring gear and being rotatably mounted on said carrier;

first selectively engageable friction clutch means for selectively connecting the sun gears of said first and second planetary gear sets with said input means;

second selectively engageable friction clutch means for selectively connecting the carrier of said second planetary gear set and the ring gear of said first planetary gear set with said input means;

first selectively operable friction brake means for preventing rotation of the ring gear of said first planetary gear set and cooperating with said first clutch means to establish a first drive ratio in said transmission;

second selectively operable friction brake means for preventing rotation of the ring gear of said second planetary gear set and cooperating with said first clutch means to establish a second drive ratio in said transmission;

third selectively operable friction brake means for preventing rotation of the ring gear of said third planetary gear set and cooperating with said first clutch means to establish a third drive ratio in said transmission;

said first and second clutch means cooperating to establish a fourth drive ratio in said transmission;

said second clutch means and said third brake means cooperating to establish a fifth drive ratio in said transmission;

said second clutch means and said second brake means cooperating to establish a sixth drive ratio in said transmission and;

said first brake means and said third brake means cooperating to establish a reverse drive ratio in said transmission.