Claims
- 1. A power transmission for use in a powertrain having an engine for providing rotary power in a first direction to said power transmission, said power transmission comprising;
an input shaft connectable with the engine for rotation therewith; an output shaft; a first planetary gearset having a first member operably coupled with said input shaft, a second member and a third member; a second planetary gearset having a first member drivingly interconnected with said output shaft, a second member and a third member; a third planetary gearset having a first member drivingly interconnected with said output shaft, a second member and a third member, wherein said first member of said second planetary gearset and said first member of said third planetary gearset are unitarily formed as a ring gear simultaneously engaging a pinion gear of said second planetary gearset and a pinion gear of said third planetary gearset; a first torque transmitting mechanism selectively operable to engage said second member of said first planetary gearset with said third member of said second planetary gearset to provide a first forward ratio; a second torque transmitting mechanism selectively operable to engage said second member of said first planetary gearset with said third member of said third planetary gearset to provide a reverse ratio; and a third torque transmitting mechanism for selectively braking rotation of at least one of said second member of said second planetary gearset and said second member of said third planetary gearset to serve as a reaction member in one of said first forward ratio and said reverse ratio.
- 2. The power transmission of claim 1 wherein said second member of said second planetary gearset and said second member of said third planetary gearset are unitarily formed as a carrier, said carrier having a post rotatably supporting said pinion gear of said second planetary gearset and said pinion gear of said third planetary gearset.
- 3. The power transmission of claim 2 wherein said carrier has a center web coupled to said post, said center web being positioned between said pinion gears of said second and third planetary gearsets.
- 4. The power transmission of claim 3 wherein said unitary ring gear includes a first portion and a second portion fixed to one another, said first portion engaging said pinion gear of said second planetary gearset, said second portion engaging said pinion gear of said third planetary gearset.
- 5. The power transmission of claim 4 wherein said first portion includes helical teeth extending in a first handed direction, said second portion including helical teeth extending in a handed direction opposite said first handed direction.
- 6. The power transmission of claim 5 wherein said third planetary gearset includes a thrust bearing positioned between said pinion of said second planetary gearset and said center web.
- 7. A power transmission for use in a powertrain having an engine for providing rotary power in a first direction to said power transmission, said power transmission comprising;
an input shaft connectable with the engine for rotation therewith; an output shaft; a gear reduction unit having a first plane of gears drivingly connected to a second plane of gears, said first plane of gears having a ring gear drivingly interconnected with said output shaft, a first sun gear, a first pinion gear and a carrier, said second plane of gears including a second sun gear, a second pinion gear, said carrier and said ring gear, said ring gear simultaneously engaging said first and second pinion gears; and a torque transmitting mechanism selectively operable to engage one of said first and second sun gears with said input shaft to provide a drive ratio.
- 8. The power transmission of claim 7 wherein said carrier includes a post rotatably supporting said first pinion gear and said second pinion gear.
- 9. The power transmission of claim 8 wherein said carrier includes a center web radially extending from said post, said center web being positioned between said first and second pinion gears.
- 10. The power transmission of claim 9 wherein said ring gear includes a first portion and a second portion fixed to one another, said first portion engaging said first pinion gear, said second portion engaging said second pinion gear.
- 11. The power transmission of claim 10 wherein said first portion includes helical teeth extending in a first handed direction, said second portion including helical teeth extending in a handed direction opposite said first handed direction.
- 12. The power transmission of claim 11 wherein said gear reduction unit includes a thrust bearing positioned between said first pinion and said center web.
- 13. The power transmission of claim 8 wherein said carrier includes a front flange coupled to a first end of said post and a rear flange coupled to a second end of said post, said front flange radially extending from said post and being coupled to a second torque transmitting mechanism.
- 14. The power transmission of claim 13 wherein said second torque transmitting mechanism is a brake selectively coupling said carrier to a housing of said power transmission.
- 15. The power transmission of claim 14 wherein said first pinion, said center web and said second pinion are axially positioned between said front flange and said rear flange of said carrier.
- 16. A power transmission for use in a powertrain having an engine for providing rotary power in a first direction to said power transmission, said power transmission comprising;
an input shaft connectable with the engine for rotation therewith; an output shaft; first and secondary planetary gearsets having a common carrier and a common ring gear, said first planetary gearset including a first pinion gear rotatably supported by said carrier, said second planetary gearset including a second pinion gear rotatably supported by said carrier, said first pinion gear being axially spaced apart from said second pinion gear, said ring gear being drivingly interconnected with said output shaft, said ring gear engaging said first and second pinion gears; and a first torque transmitting mechanism selectively operable to engage a member of said first planetary gearset with said input shaft to provide a drive ratio.
- 17. The power transmission of claim 16 wherein said carrier includes a center web positioned between said first and second pinion gears.
- 18. The power transmission of claim 17 wherein said carrier includes a post rotatably supporting said first pinion gear and said second pinion gear on a common axis, said post extending through said center web.
- 19. The power transmission of claim 18 wherein said ring gear includes a first portion and a second portion fixed to one another, said first portion engaging said first pinion gear and said second portion engaging said second pinion gear.
- 20. The power transmission of claim 19 wherein said first portion includes helical teeth extending in a first handed direction, said second portion including helical teeth extending in a handed direction opposite said first handed direction.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/295,120 filed Nov. 15, 2002 that claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 60/336,126, filed Nov. 15, 2001. The entire disclosure of Ser. No. 60/336,126 is incorporated by reference herein.
Provisional Applications (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60336126 |
Nov 2001 |
US |
Divisions (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
10295120 |
Nov 2002 |
US |
Child |
10872726 |
Jun 2004 |
US |