IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0945415
(2010-11-12)
|
등록번호 |
US-8820066
(2014-09-02)
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발명자
/ 주소 |
|
출원인 / 주소 |
- Hydro-Gear Limited Partnership
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대리인 / 주소 |
Neal, Gerber & Eisenberg LLP
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인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
2 인용 특허 :
18 |
초록
▼
A steerable transaxle for a vehicle is disclosed. The transaxle employs a single hydraulic pump connected to two opposing hydraulic motors through a hydraulic circuit and steerable hub assemblies located at opposite ends of the housing. The hydraulic motors are offset at an angle so the central sect
A steerable transaxle for a vehicle is disclosed. The transaxle employs a single hydraulic pump connected to two opposing hydraulic motors through a hydraulic circuit and steerable hub assemblies located at opposite ends of the housing. The hydraulic motors are offset at an angle so the central section of the transaxle is positioned out of the path of the turning wheels. A single brake puck may be employed to brake both hydraulic motors. An internal return-to-neutral mechanism having dual tines in order to maintain constant contact with a swash plate and nullify dead band effects is used.
대표청구항
▼
1. A drive apparatus for a vehicle having a prime mover, comprising: a housing having a first end and a second end;a first steerable hub assembly disposed at the first end of the housing and comprising a first gear assembly;a first rotatable output axle driven by the first gear assembly and extendin
1. A drive apparatus for a vehicle having a prime mover, comprising: a housing having a first end and a second end;a first steerable hub assembly disposed at the first end of the housing and comprising a first gear assembly;a first rotatable output axle driven by the first gear assembly and extending from the first steerable hub assembly;a second steerable hub assembly disposed at the second end of the housing and comprising a second gear assembly;a second rotatable output axle driven by the second gear assembly and extending from the second steerable hub assembly;a transmission disposed in the housing and receiving an input from the prime mover, the transmission comprising: a center section;a hydraulic pump disposed on a first running surface formed on the center section;a first hydraulic motor disposed on a second running surface formed on the center section;a second hydraulic motor disposed on a third running surface formed on the center section;a first output shaft engaged to and driven by the first hydraulic motor; anda second output shaft engaged to and driven by the second hydraulic motor, wherein the first output shaft extends from the transmission to the first gear assembly and the second output shaft extends from the transmission to the second gear assembly. 2. The drive apparatus of claim 1, wherein the rotational axis of the first output shaft lies in the same plane as the rotational axis of the second output shaft and wherein the rotational axes of the first and second output shafts are non-parallel. 3. The drive apparatus of claim 1, wherein the rotational axis of the first output shaft lies in the same plane as the rotational axis of the second output shaft and wherein the rotational axes of the first and second output shafts are non-parallel. 4. The drive apparatus of claim 3, wherein one end of the first output shaft and one end of the second output shaft are both rotatably supported in the center section. 5. The drive apparatus of claim 1, wherein a first plane formed by the second running surface intersects a second plane formed by the third running surface at an acute angle. 6. The drive apparatus of claim 5, further comprising a pump input shaft engaged to and driving the hydraulic pump and having an axis of rotation, wherein the center section is symmetrical about a third plane passing through the axis of rotation of the pump input shaft. 7. The drive apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a brake puck disposed in the housing and a brake actuation shaft engaged to the brake puck and extending out of the housing, and the first hydraulic motor comprises a first motor cylinder block and the second hydraulic motor comprises a second motor cylinder block, wherein the brake actuation shaft moves the brake puck between a first position where it is disengaged from both the first motor cylinder block and the second motor cylinder block, and a second position where the brake puck is engaged and provides a braking force to both the first motor cylinder block and the second motor cylinder block. 8. The drive apparatus of claim 7, further comprising a pump input shaft engaged to and driving the hydraulic pump, wherein the brake actuation shaft has an axis of rotation parallel to the axis of rotation of the pump input shaft. 9. The drive apparatus of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a transmission chamber forming a sump in which the transmission is disposed, a first output shaft housing mounted to a first joint surface at one end of the transmission chamber and a second output shaft housing mounted to a second joint surface at a second end of the transmission chamber, wherein the first output shaft is disposed in the first output shaft housing and the second output shaft is disposed in the second output shaft housing and the transmission chamber is segregated from the first output shaft housing and the second output shaft housing. 10. A drive apparatus for a vehicle having a prime mover, comprising: a housing having a first end and a second end;a first steerable hub assembly disposed at the first end of the housing and a first rotatable output axle extending from the first steerable hub assembly;a second steerable hub assembly disposed at the second end of the housing and a second rotatable output axle extending from the second steerable hub assembly, wherein the rotational axes of the first output axle and second output axle lie in a first plane; anda transmission disposed in the housing and receiving an input from the prime mover, the transmission comprising: a center section;a hydraulic pump disposed on a first running surface formed on the center section;a first hydraulic motor disposed on a second running surface formed on the center section;a first motor shaft engaged to and driven by the first hydraulic motor;a second hydraulic motor disposed on a third running surface formed on the center section, anda second motor shaft engaged to and driven by the second hydraulic motor, wherein the rotational axes of the first motor shaft and second motor shaft lie in a second plane. 11. The drive apparatus of claim 10, wherein the first motor shaft extends from the transmission to the first steerable hub assembly and the second motor shaft extends from the transmission to the second steerable hub assembly. 12. The drive apparatus of claim 11, wherein one end of the first motor shaft and one end of the second motor shaft are both rotatably supported in the center section. 13. The drive apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a pump input shaft engaged to and driving the hydraulic pump and having an axis of rotation, wherein the center section is symmetrical about a plane passing through the axis of rotation of the pump input shaft. 14. The drive apparatus of claim 10, wherein the first plane is offset from the second plane. 15. The drive apparatus of claim 10, wherein the rotational axis of the first motor shaft is not parallel to the rotational axis of the second motor shaft. 16. The drive apparatus of claim 10, wherein the housing comprises a transmission chamber forming a sump in which the transmission is disposed, a first output shaft housing mounted to a first joint surface at one end of the transmission chamber and a second output shaft housing mounted to a second joint surface at a second end of the transmission chamber, wherein the first motor shaft is disposed in the first output shaft housing and the second motor shaft is disposed in the second output shaft housing and the transmission chamber is segregated from the first output shaft housing and the second output shaft housing. 17. The drive apparatus of claim 16, further comprising a first bellows located at the first joint surface. 18. The drive apparatus of claim 17, further comprising a second bellows located at the second joint surface. 19. The drive apparatus of claim 10, wherein a third plane formed by the second running surface intersects a fourth plane formed by the third running surface at an acute angle. 20. A drive apparatus comprising: a housing;a transmission disposed in the housing and comprising a pump cylinder block hydraulically connected to both a first motor cylinder block and a second motor cylinder block;a first motor output shaft engaged to and driven by the first motor cylinder block and having a first axis of rotation;a second motor shaft engaged to and driven by the second motor cylinder block, and having a second axis of rotation;a pump input shaft engaged to and driving the pump cylinder block and having a third axis of rotation, wherein the third axis of rotation is perpendicular to the first and second axes of rotation, and the first and second axes of rotation lie in the same plane;a brake assembly comprising a brake puck disposed in the housing and a brake actuation shaft engaged to the brake puck and extending out of the housing, wherein the brake actuation shaft moves the brake puck between a first position where it is disengaged from both the first motor cylinder block and the second motor cylinder block, and a second position where the brake puck is engaged and provides a braking force to both the first motor cylinder block and the second motor cylinder block. 21. The drive apparatus of claim 20, wherein the brake actuation shaft has a fourth axis of rotation parallel to the third axis of rotation. 22. The drive apparatus of claim 20, wherein the brake actuation shaft has a fourth axis of rotation that is perpendicular to the third axis of rotation, and the fourth axis of rotation is not parallel to either the first axis of rotation or the second axis of rotation. 23. The drive apparatus of claim 20, wherein the first and second axes of rotation are not parallel to one another. 24. A drive apparatus for a vehicle having a prime mover, comprising: a housing having a first end and a second end, and comprising a transmission chamber forming a sump, a first output shaft housing mounted to a first joint surface at one end of the transmission chamber and a second output shaft housing mounted to a second joint surface at a second end of the transmission chamber, wherein the transmission chamber is segregated from the first output shaft housing and the second output shaft housing;a first steerable hub assembly disposed at the first end of the housing and comprising a first gear assembly;a first rotatable output axle driven by the first gear assembly and extending from the first steerable hub assembly;a second steerable hub assembly disposed at the second end of the housing and comprising a second gear assembly;a second rotatable output axle driven by the second gear assembly and extending from the second steerable hub assembly;a transmission disposed in the sump and receiving an input from the prime mover, the transmission comprising a first output shaft disposed in the first output shaft housing and a second output shaft disposed in the second output shaft housing, wherein the first output shaft extends from the transmission to the first gear assembly and the second output shaft extends from the transmission to the second gear assembly.
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