# US 9,518,636 B2 · Transmission for a motor vehicle

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- Number: US 9,518,636 B2
- Document ID: US9518636B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/780,683
- Filed: 2014-02-25
- Published: 2016-02-25
- Granted: 2016-12-13
- Earliest claimed: 2013-03-27
- Assignees: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
- Applicants: ZF Friedrichshafen AG
- Inventors: Stefan Beck; Christian Sibla; Wolfgang Rieger
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9518636B2

## CPC

- F16H 3/66: composed of a number of gear trains without drive passing from one train to another
- F16H 2003/445: {without permanent connection between the input and the set of orbital gears}
- F16H 2003/447: {without permanent connection between the set of orbital gears and the output}
- F16H 2200/0065: the gear ratios comprising nine forward speeds
- F16H 2200/2012: with four sets of orbital gears
- F16H 2200/2046: with six engaging means
- F16H 2200/2097: comprising an orbital gear set member permanently connected to the housing, e.g. a sun wheel permanently connected to the housing
- F16H: GEARING

## Abstract

A transmission, in particular a multi-speed transmission for a motor vehicle, includes a housing, a drive shaft, an output shaft, at least four planetary gear sets, whereas each of the planetary gear sets comprises one sun gear, at least one planet, one planetary carrier and one ring gear, along with several shift elements in the form of at least four clutches and at least two brakes. The sun gear of the fourth planetary gear set is connected to the housing. The planetary carrier of the fourth planetary gear set is connectable through the fourth clutch to the output shaft. The second brake is connected to the sun gear of the first planetary gear set. The first brake is connected to the ring gear of the first planetary gear set and to the planetary carrier of the first planetary gear set. The first brake is connectable through the third clutch to the drive shaft.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A multi-speed transmission for a motor vehicle, comprising:
a housing (G);
a drive shaft (ANW);
an output shaft (AW);
at least four planetary gear sets (GP1, GP2, GP3, GP4), whereas each of the planetary gear sets (GP1, GP2, GP3, GP4) comprises one sun gear (101, 102, 103, 104), at least one planet (111, 112, 113, 114), one planetary carrier (121, 122, 123, 124) and one ring gear (131, 132, 133, 134);
a plurality of shift elements (K1, K2, K3, K4, B1, B2) comprising at least four clutches (K1, K2, K3, K4) and at least two brakes (B1, B2);
the sun gear (104) of the fourth planetary gear set (GP4) connected to the housing (G);
the planetary carrier of the fourth planetary gear set (GP4) connectable through the fourth clutch (K4) to the output shaft (AW);
the second brake (B2) connected to the sun gear (101) of the first planetary gear set (GP2);
the first brake (B1) connected to the ring gear (131) of the first planetary gear set (GP1);
the ring gear (134) of the fourth planetary gear set (GP4) connected to the planetary carrier (122) of the second planetary gear set (GP2) and to the planetary carrier (121) of the first planetary gear set (GP1); and
the first brake (B1) connectable through the third clutch (K3) to the drive shaft (ANW).

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The multi-speed transmission according to claim 1, wherein the planetary gear sets (GP1, GP2, GP3, GP4) are arranged geometrically behind one another in the transmission (1).

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The multi-speed transmission according to claim 1, wherein:
the drive shaft (ANW) is connectable through the first clutch (K1) to the planetary carrier (123) of the third planetary gear set (GP3);
the sun gear (103) of the third planetary gear set (GP3) is connected to the planetary carrier (122) of the second planetary gear set (GP2), to the planetary carrier (121) of the first planetary gear set (GP1) and to the ring gear (134) of the fourth planetary gear set (GP4); and
the ring gear (133) of the third planetary gear set (GP3) is connected to the output shaft (AW).

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The multi-speed transmission according to claim 1, wherein:
the drive shaft (ANW) is connected to the planetary carrier (123) of the third planetary gear set (GP3);
the sun gear (103) of the third planetary gear set (GP3) is connected to the planetary carrier (122) of the second planetary gear set (GP2), to the planetary carrier (121) of the first planetary gear set (GP1) and to the ring gear (134) of the fourth planetary gear set (GP4); and
the ring gear (133) of the third planetary gear set (GP3) is connectable through the first clutch (K1′) to the output shaft (AW).

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The multi-speed transmission according to claim 1, wherein:
the drive shaft (ANW) is connected to the planetary carrier (123) of the third planetary gear set (GP3);
the sun gear (103) of the third planetary gear set (GP3) is connectable through the first clutch (K1″) to the planetary carrier (122) of the second planetary gear set (GP2), to the planetary carrier (121) of the first planetary gear set (GP1) and to the ring gear (134) of the fourth planetary gear set (GP4); and
the ring gear (133) of the third planetary gear set (GP3) is connected to the output shaft (AW).

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The multi-speed transmission according to claim 1, wherein the drive shaft (ANW) is connectable through the second clutch (K2) to the sun gear (102) of the second planetary gear set (GP2), and the ring gear (132) of the second planetary gear set (GP2) is connected to the second brake (B2).

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The multi-speed transmission according to claim 1, wherein the drive shaft (ANW) is connectable to the sun gear (102) of the second planetary gear set (GP2), and the ring gear (132) of the second planetary gear set (GP2) is connectable through the second clutch (K2′) to the second brake (B2) and to the sun gear (101) of the first planetary gear set (GP1).

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

A method for operating the transmission (1) of claim 1, the method comprising:
shifting to a first gear (V1) by an open first brake (B1), a locked second brake (B2), an open first clutch (K1), a locked second clutch (K2), an open third clutch (K3) and a locked fourth clutch (K4)k;
shifting to a second gear (V2) by an open first brake (B1), a locked second brake (B2), an open first clutch (K1), an open second clutch (K2), a locked third clutch (K3) and a locked fourth clutch (K4);
shifting to a third gear (V3) by an open first brake (B1), an open second brake (B2), an open first clutch (K1), a locked second clutch (K2), a locked third clutch (K3) and a locked fourth clutch (K4);
shifting to a fourth gear (V4, VMI, VMII, VMIII) by one of:
an open first brake (B1), an open second brake (B2), a locked first clutch (K1), a locked second clutch (K2), an open third clutch (K3) and a locked fourth clutch (K4);
an open first brake (B1), a locked second brake (B2), a locked first clutch (K1), an open second clutch (K2), an open third clutch (K3) and a locked fourth clutch (K4);
a closed first brake (B1), an open second brake (B2), a closed first clutch (K1), an open second clutch (K2), and open third clutch (K3) and a locked fourth clutch (K4); or
an open first brake (B1), an open second brake (B2), a locked first clutch (K1), an open second clutch (K2), a locked third clutch (K3) and a locked fourth clutch (K4);
shifting to a fifth gear (V5) by an open first brake (B1), an open second brake (B2), a locked first clutch (K1), a locked second clutch (K2), a locked third clutch (K3) and an open fourth clutch (K4);
shifting to a sixth gear (V6) by an open first brake (B1), a locked second brake (B2), a locked first clutch (K1), an open second clutch (K2), a locked third clutch (K3) and an open fourth clutch (K4);
shifting to a seventh gear (V7) by an open first brake (B1), a locked second brake (B2), a locked first clutch (K1), a locked second clutch (K2), an open third clutch (K3) and an open fourth clutch (K4);
shifting to an eighth gear (V8) by a locked first brake (B1), a locked second brake (B2), a locked first clutch (K1), an open second clutch (K2), an open third clutch (K3) and an open fourth clutch (K4);
shifting to a ninth gear (V9) by a closed first brake (B1), an open second brake (B2), a closed first clutch (K1), a closed second clutch (K2), and open third clutch (K3) and an open fourth clutch (K4); and
shifting to a reverse gear (R) by a locked first brake (B1), an open second brake (B2), an open first clutch (K1), a locked second clutch (K2), an open third clutch (K3) and a locked fourth clutch (K4).

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

A motor vehicle as a passenger car or a truck, the motor vehicle comprising the multi-speed transmission (1) in accordance with claim 1.