Apparatus for venting a transmission

Abstract

An apparatus for venting a transmission is disclosed which provides a transmission breather for allowing pressure equalization between the interior and exterior of a transmission while reducing or eliminating fluid expulsion from the transmission due to bridging of a fluid film across the breather. The breather includes a standpipe disposed within a housing which contains a filter. Air, transmission fluid, mist, and vapor flow through the standpipe and through the filter which captures the fluid, mist and vapor while allowing filtered air to be vented to the environment through at least one aperture in the housing. The filter facilitates coalescence of the transmission fluid which is returned to the transmission via at least one space formed between the standpipe and the housing. In one embodiment, the breather is mounted to a shift bar housing of the transmission. The shift bar housing includes an annular protrusion for shielding the breather from excessive exposure to the fluid while also resisting formation of a fluid film across its opening.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.