Combination accessory drive and speed reducer
OwnerJackson Chunginventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In combination with a conventional vehicle accessory drive pulley directly mounted and driven by a crankshaft 10 an epicyclic gear speed reducer set (F) is assembled as a unit A which comprises input and reaction sun gears (B,C). A combination planet carrier and drive casing (D) carries a plurality of compound planets (40,42), and an idler gear (43). Drive casing (D) of the assembly includes an integral pulley (34). Locking the reaction sun gear (C) to the carrier drive casing (D) produces a direct drive between the crankshaft and accessory. Braking the reaction sun gear to the engine frame (58), will switch the pulley assembly from direct drive to a reduction drive. This is accomplished automatically at a predetermined vehicle speed.
Claims20
A speed reducing accessory drive for an automobile and the like having a crankshaft and a number of accessories which are driven by said crankshaft comprising:
- an input sun gear affixed to said crank shaft for rotation with said crankshaft;
- a reaction sun gear rotatably carried on said crankshaft;
- a combination planet-carrier/drive casing carried on said crankshaft, said drive casing having means for drivably connecting to at least one of said accessories to be driven by said drive casing;
- drive means carried by said casing for driving said accessories;
- at least one compound planet rotatably carried by said drive casing on an interior of said drive casing having a first planet gear driven by said input sun gear, and a second planet gear of said compound planet which drives said reaction sun gear;
- and
- actuation means for braking said reaction sun gear in a stationary position causing said drive casing to be driven through said compound planet at a prescribed reduced speed ratio to the speed of said crankshaft and in the same direction as said crankshaft, and for releasing said reaction sun gear to cause said drive casing, input sun gear, and input sun gear to rotate in unison with one another so that said drive casing is driven directly with said crankshaft drive.
In a motor vehicle, the improvement comprising in combination an internal combustion engine having a crankshaft from which at least one accessory is driven, and a combination accessory drive and speed reducer carried on said crankshaft comprising:
- an input sun gear fixed for rotation with said crankshaft;
- a reaction sun gear carried for rotation relative to said crankshaft;
- a combination gear carrier/drive casing having an exterior output drive for driving said accessory;
- gear set means carried by said drive casing interconnecting said input sun gear and said reaction sun gear;
- and
- actuation means for locking said reaction sun gear and drive casing together to form a direct drive between said crankshaft and said drive casing for driving said accessory in unison with said crankshaft, and said actuating means braking said reaction sun gear to a fixed reference frame of said motor vehicle at a prescribed speed condition of said vehicle so that said gear set means drives said drive casing in reaction to said reaction sun gear to form a reduced speed drive between said drive casing and said crankshaft for driving said accessory at a prescribed reduced speed ratio to said crankshaft and in the same direction as said crankshaft.
In a motor vehicle, a method of driving at least one accessory from an engine of the motor vehicle at a reduced speed relative to a crankshaft of the engine comprising in combination:
- driving an input sun gear directly by said crankshaft;
- carrying a reaction sun gear concentric with said crankshaft and for relative rotation with said crankshaft;
- carrying a gear set which interconnects said input sun gear and reaction sun gear in a drive casing;
- and
- clutching said reaction sun gear and said drive casing to form a direct drive for between said crankshaft and drive casing for driving said accessory in unison with said crankshaft over a first engine speed range, and braking said reaction sun gear against rotation to form a reduced speed drive for driving said drive casing from said crankshaft in the same direction as said crankshaft and at a reduced speed over a second vehicle speed range.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.