Split power infinitely variable transmission architecture
AssigneeAllison Transmission, Inc.
InventorBrian Schoolcraft
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A transmission includes an input shaft, an output shaft, a variator, a plurality of clutches including a first clutch, a second clutch, a third clutch, a fourth clutch, and a variator bypass clutch, and a plurality of gearsets including a first gearset, a second gearset, a third gearset, and a fourth gearset. The transmission is operable in a plurality of operating modes, including at least mode in which the variator is utilized to provide a transmission ratio varying within a defined range and at least one mode in which the variator is bypassed to provide a fixed transmission ratio.
Claims16
A transmission comprising:
- an input shaft configured to receive torque from a drive unit,
- an output shaft configured to transmit torque to a load,
- at least four planetary gearsets arranged between the input shaft and the output shaft,
- a variable-ratio unit arranged between the input shaft and the output shaft, and
- at least four clutches arranged between the input shaft and the output shaft, the at least four clutches being selectively engageable in combination with one another to select one of at least four operating modes, at least one of the at least four clutches being engageable to bypass the variable-ratio unit to transmit torque through the at least one clutch rather than through the variable-ratio unit.
A transmission comprising:
- a housing,
- an input shaft configured to receive torque from a drive unit,
- an output shaft configured to transmit torque to a load,
- a variable-ratio unit arranged between the input shaft and the output shaft, the variable-ratio unit being configured to output torque from an input of the variable-ratio unit to an output of the variable-ratio unit,
- at least four planetary gearsets arranged between the input shaft and the output shaft, the at least four planetary gearsets including (i) a first planetary gearset coupled to the input shaft and the variable-ratio unit and (ii) a second planetary gearset coupled to the first planetary gearset, the variable-ratio unit, and the housing, and
- at least four clutches arranged between the input shaft and the output shaft, the at least four clutches being selectively engageable in combination with one another to select one of at least four operating modes, at least one of the at least four clutches being engageable to bypass the variable-ratio unit to transmit torque through the at least one clutch rather than through the variable-ratio unit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.