Patent ID: 6830526
Filing Date: 2004-12-14
Classification: F16H

Abstract:
A planetary gear transmission comprising:a transmission housing; a sun gear mounted in the housing; a ring gear mounted in the housing; a planet carrier mounted in the housing; at least one planet gear rotatably mounted to the planet carrier and engaged with the sun gear; at least one planet gear rotatably mounted to the planet carrier and engaged with the ring gear; a brake for selectively braking one of the sun gear, the ring gear and the planet carrier against rotation relative to the transmission housing; a clutch for selectively clutching together two of the sun gear, the ring gear and the planet carrier to prevent relative motion therebetween, the clutch comprising a clutch drum fixed for rotation with the sun gear, a clutch backing plate rigidly affixed to the clutch drum, the clutch backing plate having a plurality of apertures therein, a clutch pressure plate movably engaging the clutch drum, a clutch release plate having a plurality of projections matingly engaging the plurality of apertures in the clutch backing plate and extending completely therethrough; an actuator coupled to the brake and the clutch, the actuator movable between a braking position wherein the brake is fully engaged and the clutch is fully disengaged, a clutching position wherein the clutch is fully engaged and the brake is fully disengaged, and a plurality of intermediate positions wherein at least one of the clutch and the brake is always at least partially engaged, the clutch release plate being disposed in the housing adjacent to the actuator such that the actuator selectively moves the clutch release plate to disengage the clutch pressure plate from the clutch disc.