Multi-speed planetary gear

Claim 2

A multi-speed planetary gear comprising, a casing, a primary shaft and a secondary shaft, each of said shafts being journalled with respect to the casing, a planet carrier drivingly connected to one of said shafts, at least one planet gear rotatively mounted on said planet carrier, said planet gear having at least two gear surfaces of different diameters, at least three annular gears, one of said annular gears being a drive annular gear in the form of a ring gear engaged with the shaft other than the shaft with which the planet carrier is drivingly connected, each of the remaining annular gears being engageable with one of the planet gear surfaces, such that each gear surface has at least one annular gear engageable therewith, coupling means associated with each of said remaining annular gears for connecting it against rotation relative to the casing, and a coupling means for connecting the primary and secondary shafts together for direct drive, and including servo-motor means for connecting each of the said coupling means, each of said servo-motor means being mounted in the casing against rotation relative to the casing.

Claim 3

A multi-speed planetary gear according to claim 1, said coupling means for direct drive being a friction coupling means for drivingly engaging the planet carrier to the said other of said shafts for direct drive.

Claim 4

A multi-speed planetary gear according to claim 2, including bearings for journalling said annular gears, and the force path from the direct drive servo-motor to said direct drive friction coupling passing over at least one said bearings.

Claim 5

A multi-speed planetary gear according to claim 3, said bearings across which the servo-motor force is transmitted being axial thrust bearings, and including a lever means for receiving the force of the direct drive servo-motor and transmitting said force to close the said direct drive friction coupling.

Claim 6

A multi-speed planetary gear according to claim 4, including a spring means for urging the said direct drive friction coupling to the disengaged position and concurrently loading said axial thrust bearings.

Claim 7

A multi-speed planetary gear according to claim 5, said spring means being a Belleville spring.

Claim 8

A multi-speed planetary gear according to claim 4, said axial thrust bearings being needle bearings.

Claim 9

A multi-speed planetary gear according to claim 4, said axial thrust bearings being plane bearings.

Claim 10

A multi-speed planetary gear according to claim 1, the said remaining annular gears including at least two sun gears, each of said sun gears engaging a different one of said planet gear surfaces.

Claim 11

A multi-speed planetary gear according to claim 1, said coupling means for direct drive being a friction coupling means for drivingly engaging the planet carrier with said other of said shafts for direct drive, and including bearings for journalling said annular gears, and the force path from the direct drive servo-motor to said direct drive friction coupling passing over at least one of said bearings, said remaining annular gears including at least two sun gears, each with a different diameter, and the sun gear with the smallest diameter being movable axially to convey the said direct drive servo-motor force to the direct drive friction coupling.

Claim 12

A multi-speed planetary gear according to claim 10, wherein one of said rotary bearings is located between said direct drive servo-motor and said axially movable sun gear.

Claim 13

A multi-speed planetary gear according to claim 11, said bearings across which the servo-motor force is transmitted being axial thrust bearings, and including a lever means for receiving the force of the direct drive servo-motor and transmitting said force to close the said friction coupling, including one of said rotary bearings located between the slidible sun gear and the said lever means.

Claim 14

A multi-speed planetary gear according to claim 1, wherein one of the remaining annular gears is located, taken in a radial direction, on the same side of the planet gear or gears as the drive annular gear, to provide a reverse drive or overdrive from the primary shaft to the secondary shaft.

Claim 15

A multi-speed planetary gear according to claim 1, wherein the larger diameter gear surface comprises a separate gear mounted on splines formed by axial extensions of the gear teeth of a smaller diameter gear which forms the smaller gear surface.

Claim 16

A multi-speed planetary gear according to claim 14, wherein at least one tooth of the larger gear has the same angular position as one tooth of the smaller gear and said gears are mounted with said tooth profiles aligned in a radial direction.

Claim 17

A multi-speed planetary gear according to claim 15, wherein the smaller diameter gear surfaces are journalled on the planet gear carrier.

Claim 18

A multi-speed planetary gear according to claim 1, wherein each planet gear includes three gear surfaces, each having a different diameter.

Claim 19

A multi-speed planetary gear according to claim 17, wherein the largest gear surface is engaged with the drive annular gear, and wherein the smallest of said gear surfaces is engaged with an annular gear, located, in a radial direction, on the same side of the planet gear or gears, to provide a high ratio reverse gear.

Claim 20

A multi-speed planetary gear according to claim 18, wherein the three gear surfaces are formed as one piece, said one piece also having a bearing surface for rotary journalling of said piece.

Claim 21

A multi-speed planetary gear according to claim 18, including a planet gear shaft portion located between said largest and smallest gear surfaces, said bearing located on said shaft portions and journalling the planet gear shaft in the planet carrier.

Claim 22

A multi-speed planetary gear according to claim 1 each of said couplings, including a friction brake including a single friction disc.

Claim 23

A multi-speed planetary gear according to claim 21, wherein the friction surfaces of the brakes are of sinter metal.

Claim 24

A multi-speed planetary gear according to claim 21, wherein the surfaces of the friction disc are wave formed in the direction of rotation.

Claim 25

A multi-speed planetary gear according to claim 23, wherein the amplitude of the waves are at a maximum 0.2 mm.

Claim 26

A multi-speed planetary gear according to claim 1, wherein the primary shaft is engaged with the drive annular gear and the secondary shaft is engaged with planet carrier.

Claim 27

A multi-speed planetary gear according to claim 25, wherein one of the said remaining annular gears is a sun gear engaged with the same gear surface as the drive annular gear, and including both a ring gear and a sun gear engaging a second of said gear surfaces.

Claim 28

A multi-speed planetary gear according to claim 26, the gear surface engaging the drive annular being the largest diameter gear surface.

Claim 29

A multi-speed planetary gear according to claim 26, wherein the gear surface engaging with the drive annular gear is the smallest diameter gear surface.

Claim 30

A multi-speed planetary gear according to claim 26, including a third gear surface and including a sun gear engaging the said third gear surface.

Claim 31

A multi-speed planetary gear comprising a casing, a primary shaft and a secondary shaft, each of said shafts being journalled with respect to the casing, a planet carrier drivingly connected to one of said shafts, at least one planet gear rotatively mounted on said planet carrier, said planet gear having three gear surfaces, each having a different diameter, at least three annular gears, one of said annular gears being a drive annular gear engaged with the shaft other than the shaft with which the planet carrier is drivingly connected, each of the remaining annular gears being engageable with one of the planet gear surfaces, such that each gear surface has at least one annular gear engageable therewith, coupling means associated with each of the said remaining annular gears for connecting it against rotation relative to the casing, and including servo-motor means for connecting each of the said coupling means, each of said servo-motor means being mounted in the casing against rotation relative to the casing, wherein the largest gear surface is engaged with the drive annular gear, and wherein the smallest of said gear surfaces is engaged with an annular gear, located, in a radial direction, on the same side of the planet gear or gears, to provide a high ratio reverse gear.

Claim 32

A multi-speed planetary gear comprising a casing, a primary shaft and a secondary shaft, each of said shafts being journalled with respect to the casing, a planet carrier drivingly connected to one of said shafts, at least one planet gear rotatively mounted on said planet carrier, said planet gear having three gear surfaces, each having a different diameter, at least three annular gears, one of said annular gears being a drive annular gear engaged with the shaft other than the shaft with which the planet carrier is drivingly connected, each of the remaining annular gears being engageable with one of the planet gear surfaces, such that each gear surface has at least one annular gear engageable therewith, coupling means associated with each of the said remaining annular gears for connecting it against rotation relative to the casing, and including servo-motor means for connecting each of the said coupling means, each of said servo-motor means being mounted in the casing against rotation relative to the casing, wherein the largest gear surface is engaged with the drive annular gear, and wherein the smallest of said gear surfaces is engaged with an annular gear, located, in a radial direction, on the same side of the planet gear or gears, to provide a high ratio reverse gear.

Claim 33

A multi-speed planetary gear according to claim 30, wherein the three gear surfaces are formed as one piece, said one piece also having a bearing surface for rotary journalling of said piece.

Claim 34

A multi-speed planetary gear according to claim 30, including a planet gear shaft portion located between said largest and smallest gear surfaces, said bearing located on said shaft portions and journalling the planet gear shaft in the planet carrier.

Claim 35

A multi-speed planetary gear comprising a casing, a primary shaft and a secondary shaft, each of said shafts being journalled with respect to the casing, a planet carrier drivingly connected to one of said shafts, at least one planet gear rotatively mounted on said planet carrier, said planet gear having three gear surfaces, each having a different diameter, at least three annular gears, one of said annular gears being a drive annular gear engaged with the shaft other than the shaft with which the planet carrier is drivingly connected, each of the remaining annular gears being engageable with one of the planet gear surfaces, such that each gear surface has at least one annular gear engageable therewith, coupling means associated with each of the said remaining annular gears for connecting it against rotation relative to the casing, and including servo-motor means for connecting each of the said coupling means, each of said servo-motor means being mounted in the casing against rotation relative to the casing, and including a planet gear shaft portion located between the largest and smallest gear surfaces, bearings located on said shaft portions and journalling the planet gear shaft in the planet carrier.

Claim 36

A multi-speed planetary gear comprising a casing, a primary shaft and a secondary shaft, each of said shafts being journalled with respect to the casing, a planet carrier drivingly connected to one of said shafts, at least one planet gear rotatively mounted on said planet carrier, said planet gear having three gear surfaces, each having a different diameter, at least three annular gears, one of said annular gears being a drive annular gear engaged with the shaft other than the shaft with which the planet carrier is drivingly connected, each of the remaining annular gears being engageable with one of the planet gear surfaces, such that each gear surface has at least one annular gear engageable therewith, coupling means associated with each of the said remaining annular gears for connecting it against rotation relative to the casing, and including servo-motor means for connecting each of the said coupling means, each of said servo-motor means being mounted in the casing against rotation relative to the casing, and including a planet gear shaft portion located between the largest and smallest gear surfaces, bearings located on said shaft portions and journalling the planet gear shaft in the planet carrier.

Claim 37

A multi-speed planetary gear according to claim 33, said planet gear, on one side of said shaft portion including the largest diameter gear surface engageable with the drive annular gear and a rotary journalling at the end of the planetary gear, and the planetary gear including on the other side of said shaft portion the smallest of said gear surfaces engageable with both a sun annular gear and a ring annular gear.

Claim 38

A multi-speed planetary gear comprising, a casing, a primary shaft and a secondary shaft, each of said shafts being journalled with respect to the casing, a planet carrier drivingly connected to one of said shafts, at least one planet gear rotatively mounted on said planet carrier, said planet gear having at least two gear surfaces of different diameters, at least three annular gears, one of said annular gears being a drive annular gear engaged with the shaft other than the shaft with which the planet carrier is drivingly connected, each of the remaining annular gears being engageable with one of the planet gears surfaces, such that each gear surface has at least one annular gear engageable therewith, coupling means associated with gear of said remaining annular gears for connecting it against rotation relative to the casing, and a coupling means for connecting the primary and secondary shafts together for direct drive, and including servo-motor means for connecting each of the said coupling means, each of said servo-motor means being mounted in the casing against rotation ralative to the casing, said coupling means for direct drive being a friction coupling means for drivingly engaging the planet carrier to the said second one of said shafts for direct drive, and including bearings for journalling said annular gears, and the force path from the direct drive servo-motor to the said direct drive friction coupling passing over at least one of said bearings.

Claim 39

A multi-speed planetary gear comprising, a casing, a primary shaft and a secondary shaft, each of said shafts being journalled with respect to the casing, a planet carrier drivingly connected to one of said shafts, at least one planet gear rotatively mounted on said planet carrier, said planet gear having at least two gear surfaces of different diameters, at least three annular gears, one of said annular gears being a drive annular gear engaged with the shaft other than the shaft with which the planet carrier is drivingly connected, each of the remaining annular gears being engageable with one of the planet gears surfaces, such that each gear surface has at least one annular gear engageable therewith, coupling means associated with gear of said remaining annular gears for connecting it against rotation relative to the casing, and a coupling means for connecting the primary and secondary shafts together for direct drive, and including servo-motor means for connecting each of the said coupling means, each of said servo-motor means being mounted in the casing against rotation ralative to the casing, said coupling means for direct drive being a friction coupling means for drivingly engaging the planet carrier to the said second one of said shafts for direct drive, and including bearings for journalling said annular gears, and the force path from the direct drive servo-motor to the said direct drive friction coupling passing over at least one of said bearings.

Claim 40

A multi-speed planetary gear according to claim 35, wherein the drive annular gear is a ring gear.

Claim 41

A multi-speed planetary gear according to claim 35, wherein the drive annular gear is a sun gear.