Machine element or mechanism – Elements – Gear casings
Patent
1983-10-11
1986-06-03
Pate, III, William F.
Machine element or mechanism
Elements
Gear casings
74752E, 74731, 74760, 192 331, 192105BA, F16H 4708, F16H 374, F16H 5710, F16D 3300
Patent
active
045922500
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
Our invention relates to multiple ratio, automatic power transmission mechanisms for automotive vehicles.
BACKGROUND ART
Our invention comprises improvements in a transaxle transmission of the kind disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 176,948, filed on Aug. 11, 1980, by David A. Whitney and Steven Kavalhuha, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,413,536, which is assigned to the assignee of this invention. It is an improvement also in U.S. Pat. No. 4,014,223, issued to Stanley L. Pierce, which also is assigned to the assignee of this invention.
The gearing arrangement disclosed in the Whitney et al application and the Pierce patent employ a hydrokinetic torque converter and compound planetary gearing arranged on a common axis. Final drive gearing located between the hydrokinetic torque converter and the compound planetary gearing distributes torque to an output axis that is arranged in parallel disposition with respect to the input shaft axis. An output differential unit connects the output shaft of the gearing with transversely disposed axle halfshafts that are connected in turn to the vehicle traction wheels for a front wheel drive vehicle such as the Escort and Lynx vehicles manufactured in 1983 by Ford Motor Company. Those vehicles use a transaxle that includes a split torque gear unit situated between a hydrokinetic torque converter and planetary gearing so that the turbine of the hydrokinetic unit transfers only a portion of the driving torque during intermediate ratio and high speed ratio operation thus reducing the hydrokinetic power losses. The gearing is like the gearing system used in the transmission disclosed in the Whitney et al application and the Pierce patent.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
Our invention includes a compound planetary gear system having two input shafts arranged for driving torque delivery. The input shafts are connected to a vehicle engine through a hydrokinetic torque converter. Provision is made in our present invention for disabling the torque converter by establishing mechanical input torque delivery through a centrifugally actuated lockup clutch located within the impeller housing. At a predetermined speed the lockup clutch bypasses the converter and creates a mechanical torque flow path from the impeller shell to one of the two input shafts for the gearing. Examples of friction clutches capable of being used in an environment of this type may be seen by referring to U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,305,493; 4,226,309; 4,157,136; 4,037,691; 4,049,094; 4,083,440; 4,117,918; 4,140,208; 4,124,106; 4,140,210 and 4,063,623, all of which are assigned to Borg-Warner Corporation of Chicago, Ill. Reference may be had to those Borg-Warner patents for the purpose of supplementing the description of the centrifugal clutch described in this specification.
The multiple ratio gearing is a compound planetary gear set of the kind disclosed in Pierce U.S. Pat. No. 4,014,223, previously mentioned. The elements of the gear set are controlled by pressure operated friction clutches and brakes to establish three forward driving ratios and a single reverse driving ratio. The hydrokinetic unit includes a turbine and an impeller. The impeller is connected to the vehicle engine and the turbine is connected to a first of two torque input shafts for the gearing.
A friction clutch of the kind disclosed in the previously mentioned Borg-Warner patents is located within the impeller shell. It comprises a rotating disc carrying friction shoes that are adapted to engage frictionally a friction surface formed on the impeller shell when the speed of the engine exceeds a predetermined amount--for example, 1000 RPM. The radial disc member of the friction clutch is connected to the second input element of the gearing.
An overrunning coupling is used to deliver torque from the clutch disc member to the impeller and to transfer feedback torque in the opposite direction during third speed ratio operation. During second speed ratio operation, it is capable of providing a torque flow path through the hydrokinetic uni
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Maxwell Stewart P.
Plasencia David B.
Andrews Stephen B.
Ford Motor Company
Harrington Donald J.
Pate III William F.
Zerschling Keith L.
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