Patent ID: 7913816

Claim:
A transaxle comprising: a casing having a reduction chamber and a brake chamber therein, and formed with a cylindrical wall in the reduction chamber; an axle journalled by the casing and surrounded by the cylindrical wall of the casing; an input shaft journalled by the casing and extended through the brake chamber and perpendicular to the axle, wherein the input shaft includes: an axially distal end surface disposed outside of the casing so as to be drivingly connected to a prime mover; an axially proximal end surface disposed in the cylindrical wall so as to face the axle; and an outer peripheral side surface between the axially distal and proximal end surfaces; a brake disposed in the brake chamber and around the outer peripheral side surface of the input shaft so as to be operated to brake the input shaft; a reduction drive train disposed in the reduction chamber and drivingly interposed between the input shaft and the axle, the reduction drive train including first and second bevel gears meshing with each other, wherein the first bevel gear is provided on the outer peripheral side surface of the input shaft, and wherein the second bevel gear is provided around the axle outside of the cylindrical wall so as to be rotatable integrally with the axle; a lube sump provided in the casing; a delivery opening opened at the outer peripheral side surface of the input shaft and facing the brake so as to deliver lube to the brake; and a brake lube passage extended axially in the input shaft and connected at one axial end thereof to the delivery opening, wherein: the brake lube passage includes a lube inlet opening at the other axial end thereof, the lube inlet opening is provided at the axial proximal end surface of the input shaft, and lube is supplied from the lube sump to the brake lube passage via cylindrical wall and the lube inlet opening so as to flow from the lube inlet opening to the delivery opening via the brake lube passage.