Patent ID: 8899266

Claim:
A transmission comprising: a sump at least partially defining a sump volume operable to contain a fluid; a hydraulic pump; an inlet tube disposed at least partially within said fluid directly within the sump, said inlet tube being operable to communicate said fluid from said sump volume to said hydraulic pump; and a fluid displacement reservoir defining a reservoir volume and disposed at least partially within said sump volume and operable to selectively impede the movement of at least a portion of said fluid when a predetermined amount of said fluid within the transmission is subject to acceleration, such that the amount of said fluid required within the sump volume to maintain said inlet tube disposed within said fluid is reduced; wherein said fluid displacement reservoir is operable to selectively receive at least a portion of said fluid; and wherein said fluid displacement reservoir defines a port positioned to allow said fluid to flow between said sump volume and said reservoir volume, and the port is sufficiently positioned to prevent said fluid from entering said reservoir volume of said fluid displacement reservoir when the amount of said fluid contained within said sump is less than said predetermined amount but is sufficient to maintain said inlet tube disposed within said fluid directly within the sump.