Importance

Loading Importance Indicators...

Abstract

An automatic transmission (10) comprising a housing (12); a planetary gear train (14) mounted within the housing; an input drive shaft (16) connectable to main drive means (38) to provide input drive to the planetary gear train; an output drive shaft (18) from the planetary gear train; and an auxiliary drive means (E) for providing a variable auxiliary drive input (34) to the planetary gear train; wherein the planetary gear train includes a first planetary gear set (40) and a second planetary gear set (42); the first planetary gear set including a sun gear (44) having a drive input (26) connectable to the input drive shaft and a reaction input (28) connectable to the housing, a pinion gear (46) interengaging with the sun gear, and a pinion carrier (48) on which the pinion gear is rotatably mounted, the pinion carrier having a drive input (24) connectable to the input drive shaft and a reaction input (30,32) connectable to the housing, and being connected with the auxiliary drive input; the second planetary gear set including a sun gear (50) having a drive input (22) connectable with the input drive shaft; and wherein the output drive shaft is driven by a ring gear (54) of the first planetary gear set or the second planetary gear set. Provides an automatic transmission with first and second constant forward gear ratios with a continuously variable gear ratio therebetween.

Loading the Abstract Image...

First Claim