Three position gear selection unit
AssigneesExedy GlobalParts Corporation, Means Industries, Inc.
InventorsCody Kelly, Bryant Grytzelius, Kenneth Walega, Joshua Hand, Ali Merat, Spencer Kane, Todd Andrzejewski
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A gear reduction unit for coupling the output member of a prime mover to the input member of a device that is to be driven thereby. The gear reduction unit includes an input shaft, an output shaft, a primary gear set arranged between the input shaft and the output shaft, a secondary gear set arranged between the input shaft and the output shaft, and a gear selection device. The gear selection device is configured to selectively and alternately couple the input shaft to the output shaft for driving thereof by one of the primary gear or the secondary gear set.
Claims13
A gear reduction unit for coupling an output member of a prime mover to an input member of a device to be driven thereby, the gear reduction unit comprising:
- an input shaft;
- an output shaft;
- a primary gear set arranged between the input shaft and the output shaft;
- a secondary gear set arranged between the input shaft and the output shaft;
- and
- a gear selection device, the gear selection device selectively and alternately coupling the input shaft to the output shaft for driving thereof by one of the primary gear set or the secondary gear set, the gear reduction unit being a dynamically controllable clutch that includes at least two strut retainers and a translator, the translator being moveable between engagement with one of the strut retainers for driving of the primary gear set and engagement with the other of the strut retainers for driving of the secondary gear set.
An architecture for coupling an output member of a prime mover to a device to be driven thereby, the architecture comprising:
- a selectable switching device configured to be coupled to the output member of the prime mover, the selectable switching device being selectively and alternately coupled in one of a first state and a second state;
- a torque transfer device, the torque transfer device having a torque transfer device input member and a torque transfer device output member, the torque transfer device input member configured to be coupled to the selectable switching device in the first state;
- a direct drive member, the direct drive member configured to be coupled to the selectable switching device in the second state;
- a gear reduction unit, the gear reduction unit including an input shaft and an output member, the input shaft being coupled to the torque transfer device output member and driven in rotation thereby in the first state;
- the input shaft being coupled to the direct drive member and being driven in rotation thereby in the second state;
- and
- the gear reduction unit further including a primary gear set, a secondary gear set and a multi-position gear selection device, the gear selection device having at least first, second and third positions, in the first position the gear selection device coupling the primary gear set to the output member with the output member being driven by the primary gear set and not the secondary gear set, in the second position the gear selection device coupling the secondary gear set to the output member and the output member being driven by the secondary gear set and not the primary gear set, in the third position the gear selection device not coupling either of the primary and secondary gear sets to the output member and the output member not being driven by either of the primary or secondary gear sets.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.