Patent ID: 7717815

Claim:
A power-branched transmission having a plurality of transmission ratio ranges and having a continuously variable transmission ratio, said transmission comprising: a drive shaft operatively connected to an engine output shaft with a rotationally fixed connection, a power divider, a variable speed drive, and a transmission output shaft, wherein the power divider is a planetary gear train that includes a sun gear, an internal ring gear, and a planet carrier having planet gears engaged with each of the sun gear and the internal ring gear, wherein the drive shaft is directly coupled with the internal ring gear of the planetary gear train, wherein the power divider includes a hollow outer shaft non-rotatably connected with the sun ear and an inner shaft rotatably carried within and coaxial with the hollow outer shaft and non-rotatably connected with the planet carrier, a first clutch connected between the inner shaft and the transmission output shaft, and a second clutch connected between the hollow outer shaft and the first clutch, wherein the first and second clutches are positioned downstream from the variable speed drive in a direction of power flow from the engine output shaft to the transmission output shaft.