Hydraulic transaxle

A hydraulic transaxle, comprising:

• a hydraulic pump having a variable displacement, wherein the hydraulic pump includes a movable swash plate and a pair of trunnion shafts coaxial to each other, the pair of trunnion shafts being joined to the swash plate separably from the swash plate,
• wherein the swash plate is rotatable centered on a common axis of the trunnion shafts to control the displacement of the hydraulic pump, the common axis of the trunnion shafts defining an axial direction of the trunnion shafts perpendicular to a rotary axis of the hydraulic pump;
• and
• a transaxle casing incorporating the hydraulic pump,
• wherein the transaxle casing includes a pair of side walls opposite each other in the axial direction of the trunnion shafts with respect to the hydraulic pump,
• wherein the transaxle casing includes a pair of casing holes each of which penetrates each of the side walls between an inside of the transaxle casing and an outside of the transaxle casing,
• wherein the pair of trunnion shafts are passed through the respective casing holes to be pivotally supported by the respective side walls of the transaxle casing,
• wherein the swash plate is formed with a pair of side portions opposite each other in the axial direction of the trunnion shafts, the pair of side portions facing the respective side walls in the inside of the transaxle casing,
• wherein the swash plate is formed with a pair of swash plate holes in the respective side portions, the pair of swash plate holes being open to the pair of casing holes, respectively
• wherein proximal end portions of the respective trunnion shafts are inserted into the respective swash plate holes to be engaged to the swash plate unrotatably, relative to the swash plate,
• wherein a distal end portion of one of the trunnion shafts projects from the corresponding casing hole to the outside of the transaxle casing so as to be operatively connected to an operation device for controlling the displacement of the hydraulic pump wherein the transaxle casing includes at least two housing members joined to each other at a joint plane parallel to the common axis of the trunnion shafts, and
• wherein one of the at least two housing members is formed integrally with the pair of side walls having the respective casing holes.

A hydraulic transaxle, comprising:

• a hydraulic pump having a variable displacement;
• a movable swash plate disposed in the hydraulic pump;
• a transaxle casing including the hydraulic pump;
• and
• a pair of trunnion shafts rotatably mounted to the transaxle casing in a pair of casing holes, respectively, the pair of trunnion shafts being disposed coaxial to each other and being removably fixed to the swash plate,
• wherein the swash plate is rotatably centered on a common axis of the trunnion shafts to control the displacement of the hydraulic pump, the common axis of the trunnion shafts being perpendicular to a rotary axis of the hydraulic pump;
• and
• wherein the casing holes penetrate a side wall of the transaxle case between an inside of the transaxle casing and an outside of the transaxle casing such that the trunnion shafts are configured to be removed through the casing holes to the exterior of the transaxle casing,
• wherein a distal end portion of one of the trunnion shafts projects from the corresponding casing hole to the outside of the transaxle casing so as to be operatively connected to an operation device for controlling the displacement of the hydraulic pump, and
• wherein the swash plate is configured to be removable from the transaxle casing in a direction along the rotary axis of the hydraulic pump after removal of the trunnion shafts.