IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0913949
(2013-06-10)
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등록번호 |
US-8636616
(2014-01-28)
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발명자
/ 주소 |
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출원인 / 주소 |
- Hydro-Gear Limited Partnership
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대리인 / 주소 |
Neal, Gerber & Eisenberg LLP
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인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
0 인용 특허 :
49 |
초록
▼
A variable speed transaxle is disposed in a transaxle housing and drives a pair of axle shafts. A pair of clutch assemblies using a plurality of gears may be engaged to the axle shafts to selectively engage and drive each axle shaft. Each clutch assembly uses a ring gear having planet gears running
A variable speed transaxle is disposed in a transaxle housing and drives a pair of axle shafts. A pair of clutch assemblies using a plurality of gears may be engaged to the axle shafts to selectively engage and drive each axle shaft. Each clutch assembly uses a ring gear having planet gears running on a gear form, a planet carrier for the planet gears engaged to the axle shaft, a first clutch dog selectively engageable to a first engagement structure to prevent rotation of the ring gear; and a second clutch dog selectively engageable to a second engagement structure to prevent rotation of the planet carrier and thereby provide a braking force to the axle shaft.
대표청구항
▼
1. A drive apparatus for selectively driving a first axle shaft and a second axle shaft, comprising a first clutch assembly engaged to and selectively driving the first axle shaft and a second clutch assembly engaged to and selectively driving the second axle shaft, wherein each clutch assembly comp
1. A drive apparatus for selectively driving a first axle shaft and a second axle shaft, comprising a first clutch assembly engaged to and selectively driving the first axle shaft and a second clutch assembly engaged to and selectively driving the second axle shaft, wherein each clutch assembly comprises: a spur gear driven by a pinion gear and a sun gear driven by the spur gear;a planet carrier engaged to one of the axle shafts and comprising a first plurality of stops on an outer surface thereof;a plurality of planet gears rotatably disposed on the planet carrier and engaged to and driven by the sun gear, each of the planet gears running on a gear form on an inner surface of a ring gear;a second plurality of stops on the outer surface of the ring gear;a first engagement means for selectively engaging one of the first plurality of stops to prevent rotation of the ring gear;a second engagement means for selectively engaging one of the second plurality of stops to prevent rotation of the planet carrier and thereby provide a braking force to the one axle shaft to which the planet carrier is engaged; anda control mechanism for selectively controlling the first engagement means and the second engagement means. 2. The drive apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control mechanism for the first clutch assembly and the control mechanism for the second clutch assembly each comprise a common shaft on which both the first engagement means and the second engagement means are mounted, and each control mechanism enables its respective clutch assembly to have a first position where the first engagement means is engaged to one of the first plurality of stops, a second position where the second engagement means is engaged to one of the second plurality of stops, and a third position where neither the first or second engagement means is engaged and the drive apparatus is in neutral. 3. The drive apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first engagement means comprises a first pivotable lever arm acting as a first clutch dog, and the second engagement means comprises a second pivotable lever arm acting as a second clutch dog. 4. A drive apparatus, comprising a variable speed apparatus driving a first gear assembly and a second gear assembly, a first axle shaft engaged to and driven by the first gear assembly and a second axle shaft engaged to and selectively driven by the second gear assembly, wherein each gear assembly comprises: a planet carrier engaged to one of the axle shafts and having a plurality of planet gears rotatably disposed thereon, the plurality of planet gears engaged to and driven by a ring gear;a first clutch dog for selectively engaging the ring gear, the first clutch dog having a first position where it is disengaged from the ring gear and a second position where it is engaged to the ring gear to prevent rotation thereof; anda second clutch dog for selectively engaging the planet carrier, the second clutch dog having a first position where it is disengaged from the planet carrier and a second position where it is engaged to the planet carrier to provide a braking force to the one axle shaft to which the planet carrier is engaged. 5. The drive apparatus of claim 4, wherein each gear assembly further comprises a control mechanism engaged to and selectively controlling both the first clutch dog and the second clutch dog. 6. The drive apparatus of claim 5, wherein each control mechanism comprises a common shaft on which both the first clutch dog and the second clutch dog are mounted, and each control mechanism enables its respective gear assembly to have a first status where the first clutch dog is in its second, engaged position, a second status where the second clutch dog is in its second, engaged position, and a third status where both the first clutch dog and the second clutch dog are in their first, disengaged positions, and the drive apparatus is in neutral. 7. The drive apparatus of claim 4, wherein the first and second gear assemblies are both disposed in a common housing. 8. The drive apparatus of claim 7, wherein the variable speed apparatus comprises a hydrostatic transaxle having a hydraulic pump and a hydraulic motor rotatably disposed in the common housing, and a motor shaft engaged to and driven by the hydraulic motor. 9. The drive apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a first pinion gear disposed on a first end of the motor shaft and a second pinion gear disposed on a second end of the motor shaft, a first spur gear driven by the first pinion gear and a second spur gear driven by the second pinion gear, and a first sun gear driven by the first spur gear and a second sun gear driven by the second spur gear, wherein the first sun gear and the second sun gear each drive at least one of the plurality of planet gears of one of the first and second gear assemblies. 10. The drive apparatus of claim 4, further comprising a pair of brake engagement cams, each brake engagement cam engaged to one of the second clutch dogs to bias both of the second clutch dogs to its second, engaged position. 11. The drive apparatus of claim 4, wherein the ring gear comprises an inner surface on which a gear form is disposed and an outer surface on which a first plurality of stops is disposed, whereby the first clutch dog engages the first plurality of stops when the first clutch dog is in its second, engaged position. 12. The drive apparatus of claim 11, wherein the planet carrier comprises an outer surface on which a second plurality of stops is formed, whereby the second clutch dog engages the second plurality of stops when the second clutch dog is in its second, engaged position. 13. A clutch and planet gear drive assembly for selectively driving an axle shaft, comprising: a ring gear comprising a gear form and having a plurality of planet gears running on the gear form;a planet carrier engaged to the axle shaft, wherein each of the plurality of planet gears are disposed on the planet carrier;a sun gear engaged to and driving the plurality of planet gears;a first clutch dog selectively engageable to a first engagement structure to prevent rotation of the ring gear; anda second clutch dog selectively engageable to a second engagement structure to prevent rotation of the planet carrier and thereby provide a braking force to the axle shaft. 14. The assembly of claim 13, further comprising a control mechanism for controlling the first clutch dog and the second clutch dog. 15. The assembly of claim 14, wherein the control mechanism has a first status, where the first clutch dog is engaged to the first engagement structure and the second clutch dog is disengaged from the second engagement structure, a second status where the second clutch dog is engaged to the second engagement structure and the first clutch dog is disengaged from the first engagement structure, and a third status where the first clutch dog and the second clutch dog are both disengaged from their respective engagement structures and the assembly is in neutral. 16. The assembly of claim 14, wherein the control mechanism comprises a common shaft on which both the first clutch dog and the second clutch dog are mounted. 17. The assembly of claim 16, wherein the first clutch dog comprises a first rotatable lever arm having a first end disposed on the common shaft and a second end engageable with the first engagement structure, and the second clutch dog comprises a second rotatable lever having a first end disposed on the common shaft and a second end engageable with the second engagement structure. 18. The assembly of claim 13, wherein the ring gear comprises an inner surface on which the gear form is disposed and an outer surface on which the first engagement structure is disposed. 19. The assembly of claim 13, wherein the first engagement structure comprises a first plurality of stops formed on an outer surface of the ring gear, and the second engagement structure comprises a second plurality of stops formed on an outer surface of the planet carrier. 20. The assembly of claim 19, further comprising a control mechanism engaged to and selectively controlling both the first clutch dog and the second clutch dog. 21. The assembly of claim 20, wherein the control mechanism comprises a common shaft on which both the first clutch dog and the second clutch dog are mounted, and the control mechanism enables the assembly to have a first position where the first clutch dog is engaged to one of the first plurality of stops and the second clutch dog is disengaged from the second plurality of stops, a second position where the second clutch dog is engaged to one of the second plurality of stops and the first clutch dog is disengaged from the first plurality of stops, and a third position where both the first clutch dog and the second clutch dog are disengaged from their respective plurality of stops and the assembly is in neutral.
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