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US 6,202,499 B1Granted
Automotive transmission
AssigneeBrinn, Inc.
InventorHerbert P. Brinn
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An automotive transmission having a low inertia drive train has an input shaft connected directly to the vehicle engine's crankshaft. A countershaft drive gear is journaled on the input shaft and a first clutch is operable to engage the countershaft drive gear and the input shaft. A countershaft carries a driven gear, a low ratio gear, and a reverse drive gear. An output shaft carries a low ratio driven gear and a reverse driven gear. A reverse idler gear meshes with the reverse drive and driven gears. A starter is coupled to the reverse idler gear through a speed reduction drive train and a one-way clutch. Sliders are operable to couple the input shaft to the output shaft, the low ratio driven gear to the output shaft and the reverse driven gear to the output shaft.
Claims17
An automotive transmission having a low inertia drive train comprising:
- a transmission housing having an input shaft opening and an output shaft opening;
- a clutch pack mounting plate fastened to the transmission housing by mechanical fasteners and covering the input shaft opening;
- an input shaft journaled in a bore through the clutch pack mounting plate, axially fixed to the clutch pack mounting plate, rotatable about an input shaft axis, and having a first end adapted to be connected to the crankshaft of an internal combustion engine and a second end that extends into the transmission housing;
- a clutch assembly including a clutch housing rotatably journaled on the input shaft, a first friction surface rotatably fixed to the clutch housing, a second friction surface rotatably fixed to the input shaft, a hydraulic piston in a cylinder in the clutch pack mounting plate that is axially movable relative to the input shaft axis to move the first friction surface and the second friction surface into engagement and lock the clutch housing to the input shaft;
- a hydraulic passage connecting the cylinder in the clutch pack mounting plate to a source of hydraulic fluid;
- a countershaft drive gear fixed to the clutch housing;
- a countershaft journaled in the transmission housing for rotation about a countershaft axis that is parallel to and spaced from the input shaft axis;
- a countershaft driven gear mounted on the countershaft and in mesh with the countershaft drive gear;
- at least one forward drive gear mounted on the countershaft and fixed to the countershaft driven gear;
- a reverse drive gear mounted on the countershaft and fixed to the countershaft driven gear;
- an output shaft coaxial with the input shaft, journaled in the transmission housing, and passing through the output shaft opening;
- at least one low ratio driven gear rotatably journaled on the output shaft and in mesh with the forward drive gear on the countershaft;
- a reverse driven gear rotatably journaled on the output shaft;
- a first slider mounted on the output shaft and axially slideable on the output shaft between a first position in which the output shaft is locked to the input shaft, a neutral position and a second position in which the at least one low ratio driven gear is locked to the output shaft;
- a second slider mounted on the output shaft and axially slideable between a disengaged position and a reverse drive position in which the reverse driven gear is locked to the output shaft;
- and a reverse idler gear journaled on the transmission housing and in mesh with the reverse drive gear and the reverse driven gear.
13 more elements
An automotive transmission having a low inertia drive train comprising:
- a transmission housing;
- an input shaft rotatably journaled in said housing for rotation about an input shaft axis;
- an output shaft rotatably journaled in said housing and coaxial with the input shaft;
- a countershaft rotatably journaled in said housing for rotation about a countershaft axis parallel to and spaced from the input shaft axis;
- a countershaft drive gear mounted on the input shaft;
- a countershaft driven gear mounted on the countershaft and in mesh with the countershaft drive gear;
- first clutch means operable to transmit torque between the input shaft and the countershaft when engaged;
- a reverse drive gear mounted on the countershaft;
- a reverse driven gear rotatably journaled on the output shaft;
- a slider mounted on the output shaft and movable between a position in which the reverse driven gear is locked to the output shaft and a position in which the reverse driven gear is free to rotate relative to the output shaft;
- a reverse idler gear mounted in said housing and in mesh with the reverse drive gear and the reverse driven gear;
- starter means having a starter drive gear mounted on a starter output shaft;
- a speed reduction gear train for transmitting torque between the starter drive gear and the reverse idler gear;
- and a one-way clutch in the speed reduction gear train for preventing the transmission of torque from the reverse idler gear to the starter.
11 more elements
An automotive transmission having a low inertia drive train comprising a transmission housing;
- an input shaft journaled in said housing and being connectable directly to an engine crankshaft;
- a clutch housing journaled on the input shaft;
- a first clutch assembly for locking the clutch housing to the input shaft;
- a countershaft drive gear coupled to the clutch housing;
- a countershaft journaled in said transmission housing;
- a countershaft driven gear mounted on the countershaft and in mesh with the countershaft drive gear;
- at least one low ratio drive gear mounted on the countershaft and fixed to the countershaft driven gear;
- a reverse drive gear mounted on the countershaft;
- an output shaft journaled in said transmission housing;
- a low ratio driven forward gear journaled on the output shaft and in mesh with the low ratio drive gear;
- a reverse driven gear journaled on the output shaft;
- a reverse idler gear journaled in said transmission housing and in mesh with the reverse drive gear and the reverse driven gear;
- a first slider mounted on the output shaft and being slideable from a neutral position to a forward position in which the input shaft is locked to the output shaft and being slideable to a rear position in which the low ratio driven forward gear is locked to the output shaft;
- a second slider mounted on the output shaft and being slideable between a neutral position and a position in which the reverse driven gear is locked to the output shaft;
- a starter motor mounted on said transmission housing;
- and a speed reduction gear train having a one-way clutch for transmitting torque from the starter to the reverse idler gear and preventing the transmission of torque from the reverse idler gear to the starter.
13 more elements
An automotive transmission having a low inertia drive train comprising:
- a transmission housing having an input shaft opening and an output shaft opening;
- a clutch pack mounting plate carried on the transmission housing and covering the input shaft opening;
- an input shaft journaled in a bore through the clutch pack mounting plate for rotation about an input shaft axis, said input shaft having a first end adapted to be connected to an engine crankshaft and a second end extending into the transmission housing;
- a clutch assembly including a clutch housing rotatably journaled on the input shaft, a first friction surface rotatably fixed to the clutch housing, a second friction surface rotatably fixed to the input shaft, a hydraulic piston in a cylinder on the clutch pack mounting plate axially movable relative to the input shaft axis to move the first friction surface and the second friction surface into engagement and lock the clutch housing to the input shaft;
- a fluid passage connecting the cylinder on the clutch pack mounting plate to a source of pressurized fluid;
- a countershaft drive gear fixed to the clutch housing;
- a countershaft journaled in the transmission housing for rotation about a countershaft axis that is parallel to and spaced from the input shaft axis;
- a countershaft driven gear mounted on the countershaft and in mesh with the countershaft drive gear;
- and an output shaft coaxial with the input shaft journaled in the transmission housing and passing through the output shaft opening.
6 more elements
An automotive transmission comprising:
- an input shaft;
- means for connecting said input shaft to an engine crankshaft;
- an output shaft coaxial with said input shaft;
- a countershaft parallel to said input shaft;
- a countershaft drive gear journaled on said input shaft and in mesh with a countershaft driven gear on said countershaft;
- at least one low ratio forward drive gear driven by the countershaft driven gear;
- a reverse driven gear journaled on said output shaft and driven by a reverse drive gear;
- a multi-disc clutch having a first plurality of discs locked to said input shaft and a second plurality of discs locked to the countershaft drive gear;
- a plurality of sliders operable to couple said input shaft to said output shaft for straight through drive, to couple at least one low ratio driven gear to said output shaft, and to couple the reverse driven gear to said output shaft, wherein when in straight through drive said output shaft is coupled to said input shaft, the first plurality of discs locked to said input shaft are driven by said input shaft, and said output shaft and the plurality of sliders are driven by said input shaft, and wherein the second plurality of discs are disabled from transmitting torque from said input shaft, the at least one low ratio forward drive gear is disabled from transmitting torque from said input shaft, and the reverse drive gear is disabled from transmitting torque from said input shaft.
6 more elements
A starter drive train for cranking an internal combustion engine having a crankshaft comprising:
- a transmission housing;
- a starter motor supported by said housing;
- a speed reduction gear drive train coupled to and driven by the starter motor;
- a countershaft drive gear coupled to and driven by the speed reduction gear drive train;
- a countershaft having a countershaft driven gear in mesh with the countershaft drive gear;
- an input shaft journaled in said transmission housing and in said countershaft drive gear;
- a clutch engagable to transmit torque between the countershaft driven gear and the input shaft;
- and means for coupling the input shaft to the crankshaft of said internal combustion engine.
5 more elements
An automotive transmission comprising a housing;
- an input shaft extending into and journaled in said housing;
- an output shaft independent of said input shaft journaled in said housing and extending outward thereof;
- a countershaft independent of said input and output shafts and journaled in said housing;
- first clutch means for selectively coupling and uncoupling said countershaft to and from said input shaft;
- shiftable coupling means operable selectively to couple and uncouple said input shaft to said output shaft, the uncoupling of said first clutch means from said input shaft following coupling of said input shaft to said output shaft via said coupling means enabling rotation of said output shaft by said input shaft and disabling rotation of said countershaft;
- a starter motor;
- and unidirectional clutch means coupling said motor to said countershaft for rotating the latter in response to energization of said motor, said starter motor being operable when energized to rotate said input shaft via said first clutch means when the latter couples said countershaft to said input shaft.
4 more elements
An automotive transmission comprising a housing;
- an input shaft;
- means journaling said input shaft for rotation;
- an output shaft independent of said input shaft journaled in said housing and extending outward thereof;
- a countershaft independent of said input and output shafts and journaled in said housing;
- first clutch means for selectively coupling and uncoupling said countershaft to and from said input shaft;
- and shiftable coupling means operable selectively to couple and uncouple said input shaft to and from said output shaft, the uncoupling of said first clutch means from said input shaft following coupling of said input shaft to said output shaft via said coupling means enabling rotation of said output shaft by said input shaft and disabling rotation of said countershaft, said input shaft and said first clutch means constituting an input shaft assembly movable to and removable from said housing while the countershaft and the output shaft remain journaled in said housing.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.