Planetary gearset and a transmission with the platenary gearset

A transmission for a marine propulsion device having an internal combustion engine that drives a propulsor for propelling a marine vessel in water, the transmission comprising:

• an input shaft that is driven into rotation by the engine;
• an output shaft that drives the propulsor into rotation,
• a main planetary gearset that connects the input shaft to the output shaft so as to drive the output shaft into forward rotation;
• a complementary planetary gearset together with the main planetary gearset that connects the input shaft to the output shaft so as to drive the output shaft into reverse rotation,
• a forward brake that engages the main planetary gearset in a forward gear in which the main planetary gearset drives the output shaft into the forward rotation;
• and
• a reverse brake that engages the complementary planetary gearset in a reverse gear in which the complementary planetary gearset together with the main planetary gearset drive the output shaft into the reverse rotation;
• wherein actuation of neither of the forward brake and the reverse brake actuates a neutral gear in which the output shaft is disconnected from the input shaft;
• wherein the main planetary gearset comprises a main ring gear that is fixed to and rotates with the input shaft, the main ring gear comprising a radially inwardly facing gear surface;
• wherein the main planetary gearset further comprises a main sun gear that is coaxially disposed on a lower casing extension, the main sun gear comprising a radially outwardly facing gear surface;
• wherein the main sun gear comprises a radially inwardly facing bearing surface that bears on the lower casing extension such that the main sun gear is rotatable with respect to the lower casing extension;
• and
• wherein the main planetary gearset further comprises a forward brake drum that rotates with the main sun gear;
• wherein the main planetary gearset further comprises a plurality of main planet gears that are rotatable about their own center axis and that are radially disposed between the main ring gear and the main sun gear, wherein each main planet gear in the plurality of main planet gears comprises a radially outwardly facing gear surface that is engaged with the radially inwardly facing gear surface of the main ring gear and it also comprises another radially outwardly facing gear surface that is engaged with the radially outwardly facing gear surface of the main sun gear;
• wherein the main planetary gearset further comprises a main carrier that retains the plurality of main planet gears, wherein the main carrier is fixed to and rotates with the output shaft, and wherein the main carrier is rotatable with respect to the main ring gear and the main sun gear;
• wherein the complementary planetary gearset comprises a complementary sun gear that is fixed to and rotates with the main sun gear and forward brake drum, the complementary sun gear comprising a radially outwardly facing gear surface;
• wherein the complementary planetary gearset further comprises a complementary ring gear that is fixed to and rotates with the reverse brake drum, the complementary ring gear comprising radially inwardly facing gear surface;
• wherein the complementary planetary gearset further comprises a plurality of complementary planet gears that are coaxially aligned with the plurality of main planet gears so that each main planet gear is disposed inside each complementary planet gear and that are rotatable about their own center axis and that are radially disposed between the complementary ring gear and the complementary sun gear, wherein each complementary planet gear in the plurality of complementary planet gears comprises a radially outwardly facing gear surface that is engaged with the radially inwardly facing gear surface of the complementary ring gear and the radially outwardly facing gear surface of the complementary sun gear;
• wherein the complementary planetary gearset further comprises interplanetary bearings and further uses main planet gears and main carrier to retain the complementary planet gears so that the complementary planet gears can rotate about their own center axis identical with center axis of the main planet gears;
• wherein in neutral gear, rotation of the input shaft does not cause rotation of the output shaft;
• wherein in neutral gear, forward rotation of the input shaft causes forward rotation of the main ring gear, which causes forward rotation of the plurality of main planet gears, and which in turn causes reverse rotation of the main sun gear and forward brake drum and complementary sun gear, which further causes forward rotation of the plurality of complementary planet gears, which causes forward rotation of the complementary ring gear and reverse brake drum.

A transmission for a marine propulsion device having an internal combustion engine that drives a propulsor for propelling a marine vessel in water, the transmission comprising:

• an input shaft that is driven into rotation by the engine;
• an output shaft that drives the propulsor into rotation;
• a main planetary gearset that connects the input shaft to the output shaft so as to drive the output shaft into forward rotation;
• a complementary planetary gearset that together with the main planetary gearset connect the input shaft to the output shaft so as to drive the output shaft into reverse rotation;
• a forward brake that engages the main planetary gearset in a forward gear wherein the main planetary gearset drives the output shaft into the forward rotation;
• and
• a reverse brake that engages the complementary planetary gearset in a reverse gear wherein the complementary planetary gearset together with the main planetary gearset drive the output shaft into the reverse rotation;
• wherein the main planetary gearset comprises a main ring gear that is fixed to and rotates with the input shaft, the main ring gear comprising a radially inwardly facing gear surface,
• a main sun gear that is coaxially disposed on a lower casing extension, the main sun gear comprising a radially outwardly facing gear surface,
• a radially inwardly facing bearing surface that bears on the lower casing extension such that the main sun gear is rotatable with respect to the lower casing extension,
• a forward brake drum that rotates with the main sun gear,
• a plurality of main planet gears that are rotatable about their own center axis and that are radially disposed between the main ring gear and the main sun gear, wherein each main planet gear in the plurality of main planet gears comprises a radially outwardly facing gear surface that is engaged with the radially inwardly facing gear surface of the main ring gear and it also comprises another radially outwardly facing gear surface that is engaged with the radially outwardly facing gear surface of the main sun gear, and
• a main carrier that retains the plurality of main planet gears, wherein the main carrier is fixed to and rotates with the output shaft, and wherein the main carrier is rotatable with respect to the main ring gear and the main sun gear, and
• wherein in forward gear the forward brake drum and the main sun gear are held stationary by the forward brake, and forward rotation of the input shaft causes forward rotation of the main ring gear, which causes forward rotation of the plurality of main planet gears and forward rotation of the main carrier and the output shaft.

A transmission for a marine propulsion device having an internal combustion engine that drives a propulsor for propelling a marine vessel in water, the transmission comprising:

• an input shaft that is driven into rotation by the engine;
• an output shaft that drives the propulsor into rotation;
• a main planetary gearset that connects the input shaft to the output shaft so as to drive the output shaft into forward rotation, the main planetary gearset comprising a main carrier;
• a complementary planetary gearset that together with the main planetary gearset connect the input shaft to the output shaft so as to drive the output shaft into reverse rotation;
• a forward brake that engages the main planetary gearset in a forward gear wherein the main planetary gearset drives the output shaft into the forward rotation;
• and
• a reverse brake that engages the complementary planetary gearset in a reverse gear wherein the complementary planetary gearset together with the main planetary gearset drive the output shaft into the reverse rotation;
• wherein the main planetary gearset comprises
• a main ring gear that is fixed to and rotates with the input shaft, the main ring gear comprising a radially inwardly facing gear surface,
• a main sun gear that is coaxially disposed on a lower casing extension, the main sun gear comprising a radially outwardly facing gear surface,
• a radially inwardly facing bearing surface that bears on the lower casing extension such that the main sun gear is rotatable with respect to the lower casing extension,
• a forward brake drum that rotates with the main sun gear,
• a plurality of main planet gears that are rotatable about their own center axis and that are radially disposed between the main ring gear and the main sun gear, wherein each main planet gear in the plurality of main planet gears comprises a radially outwardly facing gear surface that is engaged with the radially inwardly facing gear surface of the main ring gear and it also comprises another radially outwardly facing gear surface that is engaged with the radially outwardly facing gear surface of the main sun gear, and
• a main carrier that retains the plurality of main planet gears, wherein the main carrier is fixed to and rotates with the output shaft, and wherein the main carrier is rotatable with respect to the main ring gear and the main sun gear, and
• wherein the complementary planetary gearset comprises a complementary sun gear that is fixed to and rotates with the main sun gear and forward brake drum, the complementary sun gear comprising a radially outwardly facing gear surface,
• a complementary ring gear that is fixed to and rotates with the reverse brake drum, the complementary ring gear comprising a radially inwardly facing gear surface,
• a plurality of complementary planet gears that are coaxially aligned with the plurality of main planet gears so that each main planet gear is disposed inside each complementary planet gear and that are rotatable about their own center axis and that are radially disposed between the complementary ring gear and the complementary sun gear, wherein each complementary planet gear in the plurality of complementary planet gears comprises a radially outwardly facing gear surface that is engaged with the radially inwardly facing gear surface of the complementary ring gear and the radially outwardly facing gear surface of the complementary sun gear,
• a plurality of interplanetary bearings disposed on the main planet gears and main carrier that retain the plurality of complementary planet gears so that the complementary planet gears can rotate about their own center axis identical with center axis of the main planet gears.
• a reverse brake drum that rotates with the complementary ring gear,
• wherein in the reverse gear the complementary ring gear is held stationary by the reverse brake and forward rotation of the input shaft causes forward rotation of the main ring gear, which in turn causes forward rotation of the plurality of main planet gears and reverse rotation of the main sun gear and forward brake drum and complementary sun gear also results in forward rotation of the plurality of complementary planet gears and reverse rotation of the main carrier and the output shaft.