Abstract:
An automatic transmission suitable for use with vehicles of FF type, including a tandem connection of a fluid torque converter and a gear device with an output gear wheel incorporated therein, a counter transmission device having a counter shaft arranged in parallel with the gear device and having a first gear wheel at its first end closer to the rear end portion of the gear device meshed with the output gear wheel and having a second gear wheel at its second end closer to the front end portion of the gear device, and a differential gear device having an input gear wheel which meshes with the second gear wheel and adapted to drive a pair of front wheel axles of a vehicle.

Description:
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 943,484, filed 9/18/78, now abandoned. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to an automatic transmission for vehicles, and, more particularly, to an automatic transmission for use with vehicles of the FF type, i.e. of the front engine-front drive type. 
     In an automobile of the FF type, the condition that the drive wheel axles are located close to the engine imposes a great difficulty on the arrangement of an automatic transmission because this requires that the driving end and the driven end of the automatic transmission should be located close to each other. On the other hand, the automatic transmission for other vehicle types, which is generally a tandem connection of a fluid torque converter and a reduction gear mechanism and which sometimes further includes an overdrive gear mechanism, has, as a general structure, its input and output members located at its opposite ends. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The object of the present invention is to provide an automatic transmission which satisfies the requirement that the output end of the transmission, i.e. the connections for a pair of drive wheel axles, is located close to the input end of the transmission, i.e. its input member connected with the crank shaft of an engine. 
     In order to accomplish this object, the present invention proposes an automatic transmission for vehicles, comprising: a fluid torque converter having an input member, a pump impeller connected with said input member, a turbine, an output member connected with said turbine, and a stator; a gear device having an input member connected with said output member of said fluid torque converter, an output member, a plurality of planetary gear mechanisms, friction engaging means, and one-way clutches which are changed over so as to provide a plurality of speed ratios between said input and output members of said gear device, and an output gear wheel connected with said output member of said gear device; a counter transmission device having a counter shaft arranged in parallel with said gear device and having first and second ends located respectively closer to said output and input members of said gear device, a first gear wheel supported by said first end of said counter shaft and meshing with said output gear wheel of said gear device, and a second gear wheel supported by said second end of said counter shaft; and a differential gear device having an input gear wheel which meshes with said second gear wheel of said counter transmission device, and a differential gear mechanism. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
     The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings, which are given by way of illustration only, and are not intended to limit the present invention, and wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a diagrammatical sectional view showing an embodiment of the automatic transmission of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 showing another embodiment of the present invention; and 
     FIGS. 3 and 4 are views corresponding to a portion of the automatic transmission shown in FIG. 1, showing two modifications to be incorporated in the corresponding portion. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to FIG. 1, a block designated by reference numeral 1 schematically indicates an engine which has a crankshaft 2 which also serves as an input shaft of a fluid torque converter 3. The fluid torque converter 3 is of a well-known type which comprises a pump impeller 4 connected with the input shaft 2, a stator 7 supported from a stationary housing 6 by way of a one-way clutch 5, and a turbine 8 supported by an output shaft 14 of the torque converter which also serves as an input shaft of a gear device 11. 
     The gear device 11 includes an underdrive mechanism 12 and an overdrive mechanism 13. The underdrive mechanism 12 has first and second planetary gear mechanisms 15 and 16. The first planetary gear mechanism 15 has a sun gear 17, planetary pinions 18, a ring gear 19 and a carrier 20 which rotatably supports the planetary pinions 18. A clutch 23 is incorporated so as to control the connection between the input shaft 14 and the ring gear 19. Another clutch 24 is incorporated so as to control the connection between the input shaft 14 and the sun gear 17 or a shaft 27 connected with the sun gear 17. A brake 25 is provided as supported from a stationary housing 26 so as to selectively brake the rotation of the sun gear 17 or the shaft 27. 
     The second planetary gear mechanism 16 has a sun gear 30, planetary pinions 31, a ring gear 32, and a carrier 33 which rotatably supports the planetary pinions 31. The sun gear 30 is connected with the shaft 27. A one-way clutch 34 and a brake 35 are incorporated in series between the shaft 27 and the housing 26. A one-way clutch 36 and a brake 37 are incorporated in parallel between the carrier 33 and the housing 26. The carrier 20 of the first planetary gear mechanism 15 and the ring gear 32 of the second planetary gear mechanism 16 are both supported by an intermediate shaft 40 aligned with the input shaft 14, said intermediate shaft also serving as an input shaft of an overdrive mechanism 13. 
     The overdrive mechanism 13 comprises a planetary gear mechanism 41 which has a sun gear 42, planetary pinions 43, a ring gear 44, and a carrier 45 which rotatably supports the planetary pinions 43. The intermediate shaft 40 is connected with the carrier 45. A clutch 48 is incorporated between the sun gear 42 and the carrier 45 so as to selectively connect these two elements. A brake 49 is provided as supported by the housing 26 so as to selectively brake the rotation of the sun gear 42. The ring gear 44 substantially provides an output member of the overdrive mechanism 13 or the output member of the gear device 11, such as a hollow shaft 44a. An output gear wheel 53 is supported by the output shaft 44a. A one-way clutch 54 is incorporated between the carrier 45 and the output shaft 44a or the output gear wheel 53. 
     In parallel with the gear device 11 is arranged a counter shaft 55 which has a first end 55a and a second end 55b located respectively closer to the output shaft 44a and the input shaft 14 of the gear device 11. The first end 55a of the counter shaft 55 supports a first gear wheel 56 which meshes with the output gear wheel 53 of the gear device 11. The second end 55b of the counter shaft 55 supports a second gear wheel 57. Adjacent to the second end 55b of the counter shaft 55 is provided a differential gear device 60 having an input gear wheel 61 which meshes with the second gear wheel 57 supported by the second end 55b of the counter shaft 55. The differential gear device is of a wellknown type having two pairs of bevel gears 64, 65, 66, and 67, wherein a pair of bevel gears 66 and 67 support the input gear wheel 61 while the other pair of bevel gears 64 and 65 are respectively connected with a pair of front wheel axles 62 and 63. 
     Table 1 shows the operating conditions of the clutches, one-way clutches and brakes in various shift conditions. 
     
                                           TABLE 1__________________________________________________________________________  FRICTION ENGAGING MEANS                             ONE-  ONE-             ONE-                             WAY   WAY              WAYSHIFT  CLUTCH        CLUTCH              BRAKE                   BRAKE                        BRAKE                             CLUTCH                                   CLUTCH                                         CLUTCH                                               BRAKE                                                    CLUTCHPOSITION  23    24    25   35   37   34    36    48    49   54__________________________________________________________________________FORWARDD RANGE1st Speed  E                                (E)              (E)2nd Speed  E                E         E                      (E)3rd Speed  E     E                                E          e4th Speed  E     E                                      E2 RANGE1st Speed  E                     E          E                (E)2nd Speed  E           E                          E          eL RANGE  E                     E          e     E          eREVERSE      E               E                E__________________________________________________________________________ 
    
     In Table 1, &#34;E&#34; shows that the corresponding clutch, one-way clutch or brake is engaged. However, &#34;(E)&#34; shows that the corresponding one-way clutch is engaged only in the engine drive condition while it is disengaged in the engine brake condition. Furthermore, &#34;e&#34; shows that although the corresponding one-way clutch is engaged in the engine drive condition, its engagement is not essential because positive power transmission is guaranteed by clutch or brake incorporated in parallel with one-way clutch. 
     By referring to FIG. 1 in connection with Table 1, the operation of the automatic transmission shown in FIG. 1 in various shift conditions will be apparent for one of ordinary skill in the art. 
     FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 showing another embodiment of the present invention. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the order in the axial arrangement of the reduction gear mechanism 12 and the overdrive mechanism 13 is changed over so that the overdrive mechanism 13 is positioned ahead of the reduction gear mechanism 12, that is, so that the overdrive mechanism 13 is positioned between the fluid torque converter 3 and the reduction gear mechanism 12. In FIG. 2 the portions corresponding to those shown in FIG. 1 are designated by the same reference numerals. In accordance with this modification, the input shaft 14 of the gear device 11 is connected with the carrier 45 of the overdrive planetary gear mechanism 41, while the ring gear 44 of the overdrive planetary gear mechanism 41 is connected with the input member 22 of the reduction gear mechanism 12. Furthermore, the output gear wheel 53 is now mounted to the ring gear 32 of the planetary gear mechanism 16. Table 1 is also applicable to the embodiment shown in FIG. 2. 
     FIG. 3 corresponds to a part of the gear device 11 shown in FIG. 1, showing a modification with regard to the structure for mounting the output gear wheel 53. In this modification the one-way clutch 54 and the output gear wheel 53 are positioned between the planetary gear mechanism 16 and the overdrive mechanism 13. Also in FIG. 3 the portions corresponding to those shown in FIG. 1 are designated by the same reference numerals. In accordance with the change of the mounting position of the one-way clutch 54 and the output gear wheel 53, the overdrive mechanism 13 is also slightly modified so that the clutch 48 and the brake 49 are arranged behind the planetary gear mechanism 41 of the overdrive mechanism as viewed in the axial direction. 
     FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 showing another modification applicable to a part of the automatic transmission shown in FIG. 1. This modification does not substantially change the structure shown in FIG. 1, except that the output gear wheel 53 is formed rather as an annular gear arranged closely to the ring gear 44 of the planetary mechanism 41 which provides the overdrive mechanism 13. Also in FIG. 4, the portions corresponding to those shown in FIG. 1 are designated by the same reference numerals. 
     As apparent from comparison of the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the overdrive mechanism 13 may be easily deleted from the automatic transmission of the present invention. 
     Although the invention has been shown and described with respect to some preferred embodiments thereof, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and omissions of the form and detail thereof may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention.