Transmission with gearbox output shaft and differential input shaft in different vertical planes

Claim 1

A transmission device, in particular for an automobile vehicle, comprising a hydrokinetic torque converter located adjacent a first end of the transmission device and having an impeller and an output shaft, an automatically-controlled gearbox located adjacent a second end opposed to said first end of the transmission device and having an output shaft and an input shaft which is coaxial with the output shaft of the gearbox and integral with the output shaft of the converter, a pump connected to be driven by the impeller for supplying fluid under pressure to the gearbox, and a differential mechanism placed between the converter and the gearbox at a lower level than the converter and gearbox and having a first part which includes a planet gear carrier of the differential mechanism and two output shafts which are contained in a first vertical plane perpendicular to the output shaft of the gearbox and are capable of being driven in a differential manner through the planet gear carrier and the differential mechanism having a second part which comprises a crown wheel integral with the planet gear carrier and having gear teeth and a pinion drivingly meshed with the crown wheel gear teeth and a second shaft integral with the pinion and connected to be driven by the output shaft of the gearbox, the output shaft of the gearbox and the second shaft having parallel axes of rotation contained in a plane making an angle of substantially 55* with the vertical, the crown wheel having said gear teeth on an opposite side of the crown wheel to said first part of the differential mechanism, the converter having a casing and the differential mechanism having a casing, a partition wall separating said casings and having a recess, the pump being placed between the converter and the differential mechanism in said recess, said first part having a centre lying substantially in a second vertical plane containing the output shaft and input shaft of the gearbox whereby the output shafts of said first part are substantially symmetrically disposed relative to said second vertical plane.